I’ve been out on a few paranormal forums lately, which is something I do from time to time. While reading through a few threads I read about a few groups out there who say that the science isn’t important, but providing the clients with comforting answers is. In essence, they didn’t care about whether or not their investigation methods were scientific, just that they produce some comforting answers, regardless of whether or not those answers were the truth. I personally think that’s a load of bull flop, and if that’s the purpose of your group then you need to stop claiming to investigate and simply call yourselves what you are: paranormal counselors.

I’m sure this will rile many an investigator, but if so then it’s because they do not want to face the truth. Just like most other counselors, paranormal counselors are not trained psychologists and don’t have to have real answers. They simply need to appease the client and make them feel better when dealing with the issue, just like so many so called paranormal investigators do. They take whatever “evidence” they collect, interpret it however they see fit, and then present it to the client in order to “help” them. They also claim that the client doesn’t want scientific investigations, which says to me the client wants to be lied to since pseudoscience isn’t truth, it’s fiction. Basically, these investigators have found the perfect victim to play out their con. Many will strongly disagree with that statement, primarily on the grounds that the group isn’t making any money. But a con does not require money as the only source of gain. The gain can be from nothing more than the investigators feeling good about “helping” someone. In fact, in this case, the only difference between a professional con and one perpetrated by these type of investigators is that they don’t go after money. Both lie to the client. Both make it look like they’re doing something when they’re not (EMF, EVP, etc), and both will back peddle and use wiggle words to cover up the fact that all they have is a house of cards.

One thing that surfaced in several of these threads were groups that were irritated with other groups “policing” them. It’s funny how these same groups talk about working together to share ideas, but the moment their ideas and methods are criticized they immediately take offense and go into this type of mode of thinking. Some have even had threads shutdown on the more gentile of boards because they begin to get hostile, and instead of the mods/admins letting the conversation continue and reprimanding the person causing the problems, they simply shutdown ALL discussion. Poor form if you ask me. How on earth are people suppose to share information and ideas if threads get closed because someone gets offended? You might as well say, “You can post subjects here that go along with our general group think,” otherwise someone will get bent out of shape and we have to stop discussing it before someone starts flaming another. Most of the threads I saw were pretty tame, and it almost seemed like the threads were closed to silence that topic.

Another thing that some of these threads brought to mind was the lack of “policing” that goes on in the paranormal community, which is why it’s so riddled with fraud. One thing that keeps coming up is that groups shouldn’t denounce other groups methods, or “pick” on other groups. The argument is that the energy required to do so could be better spent on making headway in the field. I nearly busted a gut when I read that because NOBODY is making headway anyhow, yet there is a ton of headway being made in false claims, fraudulent videos posted on youTube, and every group I’ve seen out there is doing nothing more than “Spook Huntin’”. In other words, everyone is in a glass house, so throwing stones will only bring everyone’s house down. So I can see why they’d want to not have the community scrutinized.

So, in closing I ask investigators this: Are you investigating the paranormal in a search for the truth, or are you investigating the paranormal to make the client feel better? If it’s the latter, why don’t you call yourself what you are: Paranormal Counselor.

This is a convention that was originally suppose to be held in October, but was moved to December. I had commented on it back in October, after Loyd Auerbach had blogged about it.

While I had been following it, and as of December 6th, it was still scheduled to take place on the weekend of the 11th – 13th, even though they had no specifics on guests or vendors who would be there. Well, I finally had a chance to get around to checking in again and found that their website (http://www.extremeparacon.com/) has indeed said it was canceled and is offering refunds. I just hope that everyone out there who put money into this convention does indeed receive a full refund.

After all I’ve seen and read, I’d have to say yes. I’d say this is a big reason for the “one theory is…..” type regurgitation of various, untested theories. While there is a lot of disagreement amongst people in the community about which theories are valid and which are not, there is also a number of theories that the majority of the community clings to without ever truly testing. Basically what I see is a number of people who are so inclined to hold to their beliefs about the paranormal for whatever reasons they choose that they often group together to support these theories and will use flimsy evidence to further support their beliefs.

One of the things that I often see that is classical in groupthink is the diminishing of things that are contrary or problematic: “The paranormal does not perform on command,” is something I’ve heard time and time again, which to me is nothing more than excuse, especially when investigators so often command the paranormal to perform a specific behavior and jump for joy when something happens that they interpret as paranormal because it did happen on command. Now I know some will be saying, “Well, it’s not that it doesn’t perform on command, it’s that it doesn’t always perform on command.” To me this is nothing more than further excuse making, and is to do nothing more than support the groupthink and bad testing practices.

Another classic groupthink mentality is justification through effort: “Well at least they’re trying new methods.” I’m not sure how many times I’ve heard groups supported by this type of mentality, but it’s hogwash. It doesn’t matter whether or not they’re trying new methods it’s whether or not their methods bare out any truth, or are even founded in any sort of rational thought process. This can be seen with trying to measure cold spots with a non-contact IR thermometer or thermal imaging camera; neither of which can see air temperature. But, because investigators wanted to do something new they started to purchase and use these devices without having a clue as to the limitations of the devices, primarily because they were “trying new methods.” What good is it to try new methods if you don’t fully research those methods, especially if those methods involve a piece of equipment that you have no clue as to how it works, what it’s limitations are, or even understand what the results mean?

I think one of the forms of groupthink that really has me shaking my head is the justification of current methods by using ad hominem attacks on science. I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard the excuse that “science can’t explain everything, or, science isn’t always right and often has to change what they say about something.” Red herring arguments and ad hominem statements do not change the argument. Pseudoscience has never produced any truth while science has given us much. It’s true that science isn’t always right, but even when science has been wrong it still has shed more light and truth on a topic than pseudoscience could ever hope to achieve.

Today, groupthink is even more of an issue in the paranormal community than ever. With all the Para-TV shows that have hit the airwaves over the last five years, many investigators have jumped on the bandwagon and started mimicking the investigators on these shows because they think that the “evidence” from these shows is proof of the paranormal. So, in classic groupthink fashion, they take what is seen on a show produced for entertainment and without question they follow their methods without applying any critical thought as to whether those methods are truly valid. On big downside to this is that groups will often “enhance” their evidence just so they can “find” something to validate these methods. One that floored me was when I witnessed a group use the flashlight method. For those who don’t know that’s when they loosen the battery contact to where the light can be turned on with the slightest amount of pressure. It is also one rife with fraud as investigators “enhance” their flashlight by rigging an external switch of sorts. With the group I’m thinking of, and use to respect, I saw them do this method which only had me shaking my head in disbelief. Not because they were trying it out, but because of other things I witnessed: the flashlight was on a cardboard box and stood on end without falling over, and there was a slit cut in the box and that flashlight was at the end of that slit. A typical setup for a flashlight rigged with an external switch. Now some will say that I’m being too picky, but this group knows better that to setup something in this fashion, and they know what the implications would be by doing so. But they did just that. And by doing that I would have to conclude that they wanted to be part of the community that finds evidence by whatever means necessary.

Groupthink is definitely prevalent in the paranormal community, and I think Irving Janis would have found it an interesting group to study for the phenomena as it has all eight types of what causes groupthink. To me, this is going to be the biggest hurdle for the paranormal community to overcome before they can get out of the dark ages and enter into an era where truth can be established and the days of “well the theory goes…” comes to an end. Well, that and the Para-Celebs stop milking the cash cow of obscurity and start working to find answers instead of pushing the groupthink mentality.