Posted: Jan 22, 2011 2:20 pm
John P. M. wrote:Well - as for your example, it is certainly powerful to the person(s) experiencing it. I would probably have gone pale (even more than I usually am) myself from that.
But how would you feel if you had thought of, say, six or eight numbers (or more), and he had them all right? Perhaps not in order, but still?
This happens every week, in lotteries. The person delivering the winning lottery ticket has picked numbers at random (or perhaps from personal dates like birthdays etc.), and then they all correspond to the numbers the lottery has picked beforehand. Imagine how that feels. How the hell did you pick all the right numbers? That's pretty much miraculous. Except that it isn't. Sure, there may be millions of people playing that lottery, but to the person winning, that doesn't matter - he/she got the numbers right.
Is that a fair example? Not taking away from your experience, because - if recalled correctly by you - it was very specific. But could be coincidence, is my point.
Personal anecdotes are hard to deal with sometimes for a skeptic, because sometimes one is bombarded by them. "Well, how do you explain this then!?". On and on. And you don't want to embarrass them, as much as you don't want to be seen as completely closed minded. Well - that's how I experience it anyway. But without evidence and with possible flaws in memory, and possible Chinese Whispers, it's hard or impossible to say anything sensible about them except that however compelling they may be, they cannot be taken as proof (evidence). I like these video in this regard, btw:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98OTsYfTt-c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T69TOuqaqXI
I agree, it could indeed be coincidence. There's no way I can rule that out.
I would however say that in my opinion there's less chance of my mate pulling those images out by chance, than by doing something which maybe, just maybe, isn't fully understood by science at present.
In terms of your example I'm sorry, no disrespect whatsoever but I don't think it's a fair example.
As you yourself said people doing the lottery will pick numbers significant to them, not so much try and sense what numbers they will be. I'm sure there are a few out there who do try to specifically pick the numbers they think will come up. I'd say the vast majority however do not.
Whilst I understand the point your example is making, I reckon there may be a better one out there, like I said though - You're right, I cannot rule out coincidence at all.