Channeling Erik - Real or Fake?

[interlagos]

Here is a story of a mother, who lost her 20-year old son to suicide, after which he began communicating with her through a medium (another human being). Here is how she describes the series of videos that they've made: "Channeling Erik: Interviews with my son in heaven and the afterlife. After my son, Erik Medhus, took his own life, he began to visit friends, family and the readers of my blog, http//:www.channelingerik.com. Eventually, he began to share what he had learned from the Other Side."

Below is an intro video to the series:

"Channeling Erik: Interviews With My Son in the Afterlife"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ufebuohwieo

And here are a few real-time sessions with Erik, where his mother (audio only) asks him all about consciousness through the medium (female in the video), who claims to see his spirit on the Other Side. As she channels, medium attempts to preserve boy's slang and emotional makeup (f-words included) and from what you'll see does a pretty good job there. Wanna hear all about consciousness from a perspective of a 20-year old with physical limitations removed? Go right ahead

"Channeling Erik: All About Consciousness, Part One":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDnE41XifT0

"Channeling Erik: All About Consciousness, Part Two":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we69ZLrN_Z8

"Channeling Erik: All About Consciousness, Part Three":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfJPaEa8jOM

"Channeling Erik: All About Consciousness, Part Four":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiyi14Dz7ng

If they were to fake it, how hard would it be to combine the information given in the channel with the performance of expressing it in a language of a youngster while having real-time dialogue with his mother. So the question boils down to - real or fake?
You decide!

[pedrog]

There's a woman in my country that channels Pomba Gira, it's hilarious, she have done strip-tease live on TV, and she also channels Princess Diana.

A few clips:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3DWFBn3i9Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M3cROKK81k


Anyway, it's all bullshit!

[Mike Christ]

There is no such thing as ghosts.

How hard would it be for Rowling to get into the head of a 12-20ish year old male wizard?  Why, I'd say it's nigh impossible...girls can't do that!

[bitcoin44me]

I don't believe it

[AU]

Even the movie version sucked big time

[interlagos]

Ok, 4 responses and about 90 views for a topic with the word "channeling" in it. Not so bad

For those who were wondering what the "right" answer is... well I cannot tell you how I know it (besides the fact that the information passed a few of my consistency checks), but it is legit. I wouldn't have posted it otherwise.

[pedrog]

Ok, 4 responses and about 90 views for a topic with the word "channeling" in it. Not so bad

For those who were wondering what the "right" answer is... well I cannot tell you how I know it (besides the fact that the information passed a few of my consistency checks), but it is legit. I wouldn't have posted it otherwise.

James Randi did a great job on this channeling bullshit in 1988, all these years later still people believing...

[interlagos]

James Randi did a great job on this channeling bullshit in 1988, all these years later still people believing...

I see your frustration, but It's not about believing things... it's about figuring things out.
Or, to put it another way, it's about searching for meaningful patterns in the information field.

<rant mode=on>
This is how science works as well.

They build sensors, they collect data, they search for patterns in the data, they match the pattern with an abstract mathematical model, they extrapolate from that model and build expectations for the next version of sensors. You can also say that science is about "believing" that the reality works one way or another, until they figure out otherwise.

So, we can likely agree, that science attempts to find the truth about reality, by looking only into a narrow subset of the whole information that is available. That's a challenging task. It's like trying to figure out about an elephant only by studying its tail.

The idea here is to extend the definition of sensors from repeatable mechanical devices to a broader set. What if we treat humans as sensors too! Yes, some of them might get "broken" like mechanical ones, others may give out misinformation on purpose, but given enough time and exposure to the data, there is a good chance that one might actually find something. The only reason not to look there is if one doesn't have the capacity to handle the data stream or ability to recognize patterns in it.
<rant mode=off>

So, from that perspective, what I've posted here is legit, until I figure out otherwise

[pedrog]

So, from that perspective, what I've posted here is legit, until I figure out otherwise

Actually, it works the other way around...

What you're saying is all the magicians out there just perform tricks, but if there are enough magicians, one will make real magic...

C'mon, it's all bullshit, pure charlatans or people with some mental illness.

[dank]

There is no such thing as ghosts.

How hard would it be for Rowling to get into the head of a 12-20ish year old male wizard?  Why, I'd say it's nigh impossible...girls can't do that!

I beg to differ.

I met a man when I was kidnapped by police and taken to a psych ward for not poisoning my brain, he saw dead people.  He literally saw a dead guy in a very old wheel chair in our room.  He experiences are not fake, they are real.

He saw a little girl at the park.  He looked in her eyes, he told me when you give them your energy they often will approach you.  She told him she was lost and didn't know how to get home.  The girl told him her address and he offered to take her home.

When the girl got in the car, the door physically opened and closed.

He approached the girl's house and knocked on the door.  He said he meant no disrespect, and asked, did you lose a daughter at a young age?  He explained she was standing next to him and he had brought her home from the park.

The mother broke down into tears.  She offered him a $1000 check which he refused.

The two worlds intertwine.

It's very possible.

Regardless if they channel for real, they have some good info.

[pedrog]

There is no such thing as ghosts.

How hard would it be for Rowling to get into the head of a 12-20ish year old male wizard?  Why, I'd say it's nigh impossible...girls can't do that!

I beg to differ.

I met a man when I was kidnapped by police and taken to a psych ward for not poisoning my brain, he saw dead people.  He literally saw a dead guy in a very old wheel chair in our room.  He experiences are not fake, they are real.

He saw a little girl at the park.  He looked in her eyes, he told me when you give them your energy they often will approach you.  She told him she was lost and didn't know how to get home.  The girl told him her address and he offered to take her home.

When the girl got in the car, the door physically opened and closed.

He approached the girl's house and knocked on the door.  He said he meant no disrespect, and asked, did you lose a daughter at a young age?  He explained she was standing next to him and he had brought her home from the park.

The mother broke down into tears.  She offered him a $1000 check which he refused.

The two worlds intertwine.

It's very possible.

Regardless if they channel for real, they have some good info.

If you're telling us that some guy told you that, then it must be true!

[dank]

I don't know about you, but I'm competent enough to feel when someone is telling the truth or not.  I had a long three hour conversation with this guy, I know he wasn't lying.  He was an original character, though I'm sure he is not alone with his abilities.

Try having a little faith, it feels good.

[pedrog]

I don't know about you, but I'm competent enough to feel when someone is telling the truth or not.  I had a long three hour conversation with this guy, I know he wasn't lying.  He was an original character, though I'm sure he is not alone with his abilities.

Try having a little faith, it feels good.

People don't need to be liars to invent stories, there are a lot of mental illnesses that cause delusions, like schizophrenia, also people can be mentally sane and be a victim of his own perception...

[dank]

I believe him because I know for a fact life goes on post death.  I know our family is on the other side, along with infinite possibilities.

I did not believe this when I was younger but through evolution of my consciousness, I've understood how eternal life is not only possible, but eminent.

I can feel he's right, we shall find out one day.

[termhn]

I believe him because I know for a fact life goes on post death.  I know our family is on the other side, along with infinite possibilities.

I did not believe this when I was younger but through evolution of my consciousness, I've understood how eternal life is not only possible, but eminent.

I can feel he's right, we shall find out one day.

OK, so how do you absolutely know this as a fact besides that you can "just feel it"? If that's the only reason then it is an OPINION, not a FACT. This is grade-school grammar we're talking here, people.

[pedrog]

I believe him because I know for a fact life goes on post death.  I know our family is on the other side, along with infinite possibilities.

I did not believe this when I was younger but through evolution of my consciousness, I've understood how eternal life is not only possible, but eminent.

I can feel he's right, we shall find out one day.

Where's your Nobel Prize?

A discovery like that will grant you one, I guess...

Plus, reality doesn't care about your feelings, when we go the doctor he doesn't say, "I fell you have cancer", astronomers don't say "We feel there's a planetary system with five planets 500 light-years from here", no one should, or can, define and discover reality based on their feelings!

[dank]

That's our problem as a species, we aren't in tune with our feelings enough.  If someone feels that you no longer have cancer, and it disappears, do those feelings suddenly become real?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m_ReyrqiLs

After how long, seeing how our feelings affect everything for a while, can we believe in our feelings over our thoughts.  You are not your thoughts but the space in between them, you are the conscious observer of thoughts.

[Vod]

OK, so how do you absolutely know this as a fact besides that you can "just feel it"? If that's the only reason then it is an OPINION, not a FACT. This is grade-school grammar we're talking here, people.

Dank has destroyed his physical brain with years of pot use from a young age.  

Everything he says should be considered his opinion only, as he cannot tell the difference between fact and imagination anymore.  Proof?  Read his posts.

In any case, people who claim to be able to do magic can earn themselves a cool million simply by proving it.
http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/1m-challenge.html

[dank]

Fact from imagination?  Are you sir aware that you are living in a dream?  Every night you have many other lives and you fall back to one dream, because you chose so.  Those other dreams you experience are very real.  Do you remember any random day better than a dream?

I discovered weed when I was suicidal, it gave me a new perspective on life, I was happy.  I tripped acid and found god, peace and understanding, literally in every way.

I have the awareness of a higher dimension being from taking psychedelics that increase your perception of senses.  This is why the CIA nearly hired drug cartels to assassinate me.  This is why I will succeed in bringing peace to this world and you all will know the truth.

[Vod]

Fact from imagination?  Are you sir aware that you are living in a dream?  Every night you have many other lives and you fall back to one dream, because you chose so.  Those other dreams you experience are very real.  Do you remember any random day better than a dream?

I'm not living in a dream.  That is your opinion.  Your brain is too damaged to tell truth from fiction.