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Date Posted: 08:55:36 11/18/00 Sat
Author: Tom Murphy
Subject: WEB CAMS

THIS MESSAGE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO OUR 'VIEWS' SECTION,
WHICH WE NO LONGER HAVE. THUS, I HAVE TRANSFERRED IT
TO THE FORUM.

Tom Murphy writes:
Hello TPRA! I recently had a discussion with June Huston, creator of the Ghostwatcher website. I thought I would
share the discussion with you and your viewers.


June,
Avoiding an ontological debate, I do believe that being human requires the existence of a
combined "physical" and "spiritual" being. The term, "soul" adequately describes the spiritual
component, and the term "body" adequately describes the physical component. However, once
the spiritual component separates from the physical (i.e., death), the spiritual can neither
interact nor affect the physical, to include the world in which humans exist. An analogy... You can have several cameras set up
to allow GhostWatchers to document their
perceived events (disturbing or not), but without a software program to allow the camera and GhostWatchers to interface, all
you have is a camera and some GhostWatchers. Neither are aware
of the other until you bring them together via the software program. Regardless, as one of your GhostWatchers have stated,
"Why would [a ghost] hang out under a
bed?" By allowing a ghost or spirit to hangout anywhere in the human world ascribes distinctly "physical" attributes to a spirit.
Trying to use "physical" or human reasoning to
describe a purely "spiritual" entity seems fatally flawed. At somepoint, "faith" or its equivalent will have to be used to breech the
gap between the "physical" and "spiritual".
To use a scientific equivalent, Werner Heisenberg postulated the uncertainty principle of quantum mechanics. This principle
states that it is impossible to determine both the position
and momentum of a subatomic particle (such as the electron) with arbitrarily high accuracy. The
instruments used to measure the position and momentum ofthe subatomic particle will always
affect its position and momentum. Similarly, it is impossible to determine the essence and
activities of a spirtual entity with arbitrarily high accuracy beacuse the instruments (i.e.,
human reasoning) we use to describe the essence and activities of the spiritual entity affect
its essence and activities (i.e., our perception is biased in favor of the physical because we
are human and not purely spiritual).
Until very recently, scientists theorized the presence of an "ether" throughout the universe
to account for the discrepancy between the observed and calculated masses of the universe. I
think that claiming the existence of ghosts is theorizing the presence of an ether throughout
the human world to account for what we humans observe and theorize. This is the point at which
faith or its equivalent will have to be used to breech the gap between the "physical" and
"spiritual".
As to the observations submitted by your GhostWatchers, I do believe they are describing what
they perceived, but like David Lee Roth once stated, "You can find [satanic verses] in a
McDonalds' jingle if you wanted to!" Where there's a will, there's usually a way -- another
uniquly human characteristic. Please note that I'm not critizing your GhostWatcher project. I think it is creative and
interesting. It reminds me of a thesis my sister had to complete, while she was a student at the
Rhode Island School of Design. Or in keeping with current events, it's similar to much
slower-paced "Blair Witch Project", but you were there way before those guys! Take care, and good luck with the noises and
presence(s)! Tom Murphy

June Houston wrote:

Tom, You write at the beginning of your interesting comment that "being human requires the existence
of a combined 'physical' and 'spiritual' being" and a few paragraphs down that "our perception
is biased in favor of the physical because we are human and not purely spiritual." I'm not sure where you stand and I don't
understand why one would have to be entirely of one
kind to be able to communicate with or/and understand (at least some of) the other kind? I'm a
woman and I understand quite a few things about men. I'm interested in the outsider's
perspective. Then the faith thing. Faith is good. I don't mind faithful Watchers or Whatchers with faith if
you prefer as long as they are not advertising too blatantly for their cult. So what if one needs faith to bridge the gap? I guess
that would make the GhostWatcher a non-scientific
project. That's fine with me. Thanks for Watching, June


Tom Murphy responded:


June, With regard to men and women understanding one another, both are human. This is a comparison between apples. An
apple is an apple, although there may be different flavors and colors
associated with them. So what if men are from Mars and women are from Venus; they're both human, although they may
reside
on different planets emotionally! The comparison between the physical and the spiritual, though, is apples to oranges. I don't
believe that this means we cannot theorize about either the physical or the spiritual (a double negative!). However, I do believe
that the acceptance of any theory associated with the
spiritual will require faith. Why is this use and distinction of faith important? Faith makes subjective any attempt to rationalize
or
explain to others that which you assert to "know".
Again, why is this subjectivity of "knowing" important? The Law of Parsimony or Ockham's Razor is a rule in science and
philosophy, whichs tates that "entities" should not be multiplied
needlessly. This rule means that the "simplest" of two or more competing theories is preferable and that an explanation for
unknown phenomena should first be attempted in terms of what is
already "known". If attempting to explain something which can only be described subjectively, you can never
"know" that which you are attempting to explain. Therefore, any statements regarding the "something" are just that, statements,
devoid of any defintive association. In determining the
existence of a purely spiritual being (i.e., a ghost) in the "known" physical universe, the introduction and use of faith needlessly
makes more complex this determination (or theory).
Without putting forth or citing the data and only making claim to that which is "known" about the physical universe, the data
appears to support the non-existence of ghosts in the physical
world. Then why do we as humans continue to believe in the possible existence of ghosts? As a human
(i.e., the combined physical and spiritual) we inherently aspire to the spiritual because of its purity of reason, intellect, and
existence. The spitual just "IS" and no need to explain "IS"
is required. Perhaps, Bill Clinton was on to something... Of course, the physical also has its purity, but this purity is animalistic
and, therefore, pre-programmed or instinctual, ignoring reason and leaving one without the ability to assert
"free will" or a decision making ability. The ability to decide is considerby more desireable
than the ability not to decide. The aspiration pf the physical to the spiritual is what prompts humans to ask the questions
regarding the spiritual. However, as long as the spiritual and the physical are combined, defintive statements cannot be made
of
the spiritual. As a result, in order to truly "know" the
spiritual, one must be purely spiritual. From a personal and subjective level, though, I do believe in ghosts (i.e., the purely
spiritual) but do not believe in their interacting with the physical world, regardless of something which might anchor the spirit
here such as a traumatic event, unfulfilled obligation, or great affinity for something or someone. I also believe in a Divine
entity,
call it God,
which is separate and unique of ghosts -- but that's another metaphysical question entirely. Again, best wishes with
GhostWatcher! Tom Murphy

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