Paranormal / Conspiracy
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Part 1: General Questions and Answers A. What is defined as paranormal? B. What is defined as conspiracy? C. So, what SHOULDN'T I make topics about? Part 2: Common P/C Questions and Their Answers A. How do I lucid dream/get information on lucid dreaming? B. What is June 2nd? C. What is a Ouija Board? D. What are shadow people/animals/creatures? E. What are orbs? F. What about Amityville? G. What is a "screamer"? H. What is Deja Vu and what causes it? I. What is psi? J. What is the Randi Challenge? Part 3: General Board Conduct A. The Search Function B. Interaction C. Off Topic Posting D. Flaming/Trolling E. Content F. Marking for Moderation and Dealing with Trolls G. "Bumping" and "Tagging" Part 4: Links Part 5: Thanks | |
--Part 1: General Questions and Answers-- A Q: What is defined as Paranormal? A: Dictionary.com defines "paranormal" as "beyond the range of normal experience or scientific explanation". This includes, but is not limited to, legend and myth such as Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster, cryptozoology, any and all discussion of psychic or spiritual paraphernalia such as telepathy, the aura, mediums and other related things. Also acceptably paranormal is discussion of ghosts and the afterlife, but solely religious debates shall be taken elsewhere. B Q: What is defined as Conspiracy? A: Again, the dictionary defines "conspiracy" as "an agreement between two or more persons to commit a crime or accomplish a legal purpose through illegal action", or "an agreement to perform together an illegal, wrongful, or subversive act." This includes but is not limited to: suspected government plots or things the government is hiding from us, things the media or market is hiding from the general public, the false moon landing conspiracy, the flat earth conspiracy, etc., and simple coincidences shall be taken elsewhere. C Q: So, what SHOULDN'T I make topics about? A: This includes, but is not limited to, anything along the lines of "God exists", "God does not exist" (religious slamming, peddling, etc.). The topic of religion and its doctrine are not a part of the topic at hand. The afterlife, its possible ramifications on the paranormal aspects concerning ghosts/spirits/demons, and the intermingling religious undertones that come along with such topics of conversation however is an inevitability that we as a board must face. Discussion over who's religion is "right or wrong" however has no place on this board, nor does the disrespect of another user simply because their beliefs differ from your own or what is considered "normal". Things of a conspiratorial nature in this vein (cover ups by the church, etc.) may be misconstrued as religious bashing but shall be left determinate to the moderators at hand and those involved in the thread in question. Basically, if you have a problem with the themes and/or topic at hand, mark it for moderation with your feelings taken into consideration and move on. DO NOT start a "who's right, who's wrong" flame war. Period. Anything involving those spoken with on Instant Messenger claiming to be supernatural entities, aliens, people from the future/past, etc. is REALLY pushing it. Riddles or jokes, while nice from time to time, have their own place and time on the internet. Lucid dreaming. (See the next section for information on lucid dreaming.) Also try to avoid common/repetitive topics if at all possible. Common topics include anything overtly religious, anything involving mathematics and the .99~=1 dilemma (which simply is neither paranormal nor conspiratorial), zombie breakout scenarios or other "What would you do" fads brought over from places like LUE, TO, RI, etc. and other common fads/topics you may encounter in the future. Topics such as "What is/are tubgirl/goatse/lemon party/the pains/harlequin fetus/the trinity/OMGWTFDIE" or asking for links or pics of any and all of the above or anything in a similar fashion. ALSO, keep in mind, simply because you make a blatantly off-topic thread and then end it by saying, "Oh yeah, to keep this on topic, do aliens exist?" Does not and WILL NOT keep it from being deemed off-topic and moderated as such. | |
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--Part 2: Common P/C Questions and Their Answers-- AQ: How do I lucid dream/get information on lucid dreaming? A: Check www.ld4all.com or go to this helpful past P/C topic located here: http://www.angelfire.com/realm3/pchalloffame/lucidguide1/lucidguide1.html BQ: What is June 2nd? A: A date on which many end of the world theories have been placed on. Creative Juices, a past user at this board, claimed to have a dream which foresaw the end of the world on June 2nd of that year. Many people claimed to have the same dream, the majority of the topics on the board were about that dream and the discussion of, and once the world did not end, Creative Juices left and has not been seen on this board since, although he is still around on other boards and gets the inevitable June 2nd joke thrown his way any time he appears. It is now a majorly mocked and joked about topic and comes about every June 2nd. Many have forgotten, due to the laughability of the Creative Juices debacle, the very year before Creative Juices had his "dream", Orlock's post about his brother and their first conversation with a spirit through the Ouija board and through his brother's own end of the world dreams started the first June 2nd panic on P/C and consequently the Ouija board craze that consumed the board for a time. C Q: What is a Ouija Board?* A: A board that supposedly allows you to speak with the dead. Used as a communication, or divination device for many years, two or more people place their hands on a plastic looking glass which guides the users to a letter, number or simple answer on the board, which is believed by some to be a spirit/entity in another dimension speaking with them. Many believe in their use and possible harmful nature and many do not, thusly, it is another matter of opinion. *See links section for more information. D Q: What are shadow people/animals/creatures?* A: They are sometimes thought to be spirits of people and animals passed on but no one seems to know for sure. This type of supernatural being is one of the most commonly reported types of apparitions. Apparently they are some sort of entity but their descriptions vary so widely that no two people who have witnessed their presence ever describe exactly the same kind of being. Shadow People are usually attracted to one person or a certain area for unknown reasons. Often they are seen as dark silhouettes of human (generally male) or animal shape that prefer to watch someone unseen and flee the moment they are noticed. Still this doesn't always fit the experience. While some people distinctly see a male shape without details, others have described them from shapeless wispy black blobs to swirling columns of dark smoke. Some have certain smells associated with them while some do not. Their personalities range from shy to a feeling of almost pervasive evil. At any rate, the only common factor is that they are seen as "dark". *See links section for more information. E Q: What are orbs? A: Orbs are collections of energy, usually associated with the presence of spirits, but are not always indicators of spiritual activity. They can show up on cameras, video and still, but many have maintained that it is a lighting error, dust particles, bugs, or simple photographic anomalies which cause them. *See links section for more information. | |
F Q: What about Amityville? A: Amityville may or may not be/have been haunted or possessed. Some believe and others don't, which is simply opinion. The fact remains that on one dark fall night in 1974 Ronald Defeo Jr. murdered his parents and his siblings with a high-powered rifle. One by one, he killed each of them as they slept, although strangely, the sound of the gunshots never awakened the other family members. DeFeo blamed the massacre on the malevolent force of an evil spirit that was present in the house. He stated that the creature began speaking to him and controlled him while he committed the murders. Not surprisingly, he pleaded insanity at his trial. The prosecutor countered the plea by stating that DeFeo was not crazy at all, but merely trying to cash in on his parent’s substantial life insurance polices. Again though, we are left with an unanswered question...how could DeFeo have thought that he would get away with the murders and in turn, collect on the insurance policies? Regardless, the jury ignored DeFeo’s claims and found him guilty of six counts of first-degree murder. State Supreme Court Justice Thomas M. Stark sentenced him to 150 years in prison. 28 days after moving into 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville the year after the murders, the Lutz family fled from their home, claiming it to be possessed by a demonic presence. Many investigations have been done on the home, and several believe it to be the genuine thing. Dr. Hans Holtzer strongly believes it to be home to an Indian burial ground of sorts. The one thing people know for sure is the Lutz did flee from their home leaving all of their possessions behind never to return. They did claim it was possessed, and their story has never changed, and it has never truly been proven to be a hoax. Most likely exaggerated by the movies and in the book, but never a proven hoax. *See links section for more information. | |
G. Q: What is a "screamer"? A: Good fun and a decent scare for most who experience them and then pass them on to friends and family, a screamer is usually a picture or video where you are directed to focus on the footage being presented, usually in .swf (shockwave flash) format. Sometimes they require you to turn up your volume rather loud. Then, when everything seems serene, a shocking picture and a loud noise (hence the name) pop up, and scare whomever is watching the video. Beware of being linked to things that look suspicious, for they might be a screamer. *See links section for more information. H.Q: What is Deja Vu and what causes it? A: Ever see something, experience something, or go somewhere and swear you've been there and done that all before? This is what is referred to as 'Deja vu". Some say it's reincarnation or psychic ability trying to manifest. Others don’t believe in it at all. But there is a scientific explanation for it: the eyes send a single picture to the brain at the same time by firing neurons, one neuron each, innumerable times a second. Every so often, one neuron will get lazy or stop for a hot dog along the way, and get to the brain late. In this way, you see the same image twice, and your brain comprehends it but your mind thinks it is something you've seen long before. However this does not even begin to explain the arena of Deja Vu due to precognitive dreams. ;) I.Q: What is psi? A: Another controversial subject on the board. It is supposedly life energy that all humans have and it can be controlled in order to heal, heat, track or other things. Only a few take it seriously, the rest dismiss it completely and mock the practitioners. Also called ki/chi/qi but these are oriental and martial arts terms and do not mean the same thing. J.Q: What is the Randi Challenge? A: A man, James Randi, popular paranormal debunker, founded the Randi Institution and offered a sum of one million dollars to anyone who could prove, undeniably and with many witnesses under great scrutiny, the existence of any kind of paranormal ability or phenomena. An article telling about a gentleman who won Randi’s challenge can be found here. http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/2/prweb106721.htm Again, many trust the article and many others say it’s faked. Whether you believe it or not is your choice. The Randi Institution still exists today. | |
--Part 3: General Board Conduct-- A. The Search Function Firstly it is important to note, that the Search Function is not available to those of New User status here on GameFAQs. If you are a new user, learn before posting a topic if it has been recently discussed by way of asking around in any other topic or looking through the board's history page per page. When it becomes available to you when you have reached the appropriate GameFAQs Karma Level, use of the Search Function can be invaluable to you. In order to cut down on the amount of repetitive threads and help the actual content of the board as a whole, please use the Search Function located at the top of the board to see if there is a topic or thread about the particular subject you are interested in or about to make a topic on BEFORE you do make the new topic. It's entirely possible that the question or discussion that you wish to contribute has already been addressed. Answering the same questions over and over again can get tiring, so if the answer is already available, it would help everyone immensely for you to take a moment to look for it before asking again. As for discussion, it is quite common for people to make topic after topic that essentially covers the same ground. If you use the Search, and see that a topic you wish to discuss regarding an issue or subject already exists, then please participate in it rather than making an entirely new one. If you have a topic that you feel has gone ignored, then please bump it up*, as opposed to creating an entirely new one that is identical to the one that's already there. *See Section G. on Bumping and Tagging. B. Interaction Of course, this is a forum for discussion, and as long as it's within the rules set by the ToS, you have every right to say what is on your mind. However, keep in mind that others opinions will not always match yours. Please have an open mind in regards to the other users beliefs. If you disagree with a poster about a certain topic, and feel the need to say something, try and at least be as respectful of their opinion as you would like them to be of yours. ALWAYS, at any given time, respect others' opinions, as everyone has the right to believe what they wish. Should you disrespect or flame someone else because of their honest beliefs, you will be marked for moderation. Karma count does not indicate the intelligence of the user. Do not disrespect someone just because they have low Karma. Help out a new user if they come asking for it. C. Off-Topic Posting A fad that's been around for some time is to create an entirely off topic post, and then add something like "Do you think ghosts exist" at the end of it to keep it on topic. That is off-topic posting, and it is against the ToS. If you have something you would like to discuss with certain members here that is not clearly Paranormal or Conspiracy related, then try and get in touch with them by other means via E-mail/Instant Messenger rather than continue to clutter up the board with topics unrelated to the board description. | |
D. Flaming/Trolling As was covered in Interaction, you are more than free to say what you like so long as it doesn't violate the ToS. However, personal attacks on users, or topics that praise/dump on other users' personal beliefs for the sake of getting the board riled up do not fall within that guideline. Flaming (personal attacks against board users) or Trolling (posting with the intention of annoying or angering board users) is a clear violation of the ToS, and your messages will be marked for moderation. As was mentioned, if your opinion or belief system differs from another user, that's perfectly fine. If you feel the need to say so, you can easily do it without resorting to name calling or insults. Likewise, if you see a topic that doesn't interest you, or discussion of a particular group, school of thought, or belief that you find abhorrent and "stupid", and you have nothing constructive that you can add, then simply ignore it. E. Content There are many common questions that can be resolved simply by using the search through www.Google.com and also by looking it up on www.Snopes.com before you bring the subject here and display what will be considered ignorance on a certain subject. If you are searching for information or anything that can be found elsewhere, please use a search engine before bothering other people with it. If after looking into a topic or subject you would like to discuss it further or have more unanswered questions, then feel free to bring it here. Try and use proper grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization etc. It just makes you look more mature, and your posts are easier to read. Also, please decide if you have anything else to say before posting your message, as lots of double posts can get annoying. An extra moment or two of thought, paragraphs, and a spell check can do wonders for your expected feedback content. Do not link to anything offensive or shocking, such as screamers, before clearly forewarning the topic. | |
F. Marking for Moderation and Dealing with Trolls Mark for off-topic and trolling. Only mark one topic/post once, per every 48 hours, not repeatedly, and definitely not with your alt accounts, thinking the more marks the more likely it will get modded. Nope...not how it works around here. If you see a blatantly off topic or trolling post, DO NOT respond to it telling them they are off-topic or trolling, consequently bumping up useless topics and giving them the attention they crave while burying worthwhile discussions into the purge. Simply mark them for moderation by choosing the most adequate mark and move on. The more of us that do this, the more that topic or post will be noticed, and the more quickly it will be taken care of. Don't see a post thinking someone else will mark it if it is clearly in violation, mark it. The more marks by individual users, the more times in the Mod's que, the more efficient the moderation. This comes back to the fact that those acting as trolls are the ones in the wrong. It comes down to either falling into the trap of stooping to their level and responding in kind or doing the more constructive thing and marking them for moderation and continuing on about your conversation in the thread ignoring them and acting as if they had never said a word. After all, just like a tantrum throwing child, all they are wanting is attention, and having no better way to express their own thoughts and ideas, they explode publicly. If you give them the attention they crave, how are they to be dissuaded? I can totally understand snapping though, believe me. One can only take so much stupidity and flaming/bashing before it effects them personally no matter how hard they try. :) But make your best effort to simply mark and ignore those that would try and start something. G. "Bumping" and "Tagging" To BUMP (Bring Up My Post) a topic or to TAG (puts into Active Messages list for your personal username and makes it easier to find for later reading/reference) is definitely a good thing, but done too often, can be detrimental and basically early death to a good topic. Wait at LEAST two to three days between bumping topics here and please only tag once. These bumps and tags will be adequate enough to save a topic from the purge, or deletion of inactive topics, but won't be overwhelming enough to make a topic die an early 500 post death. If someone else has bumped or tagged a topic in the time period of three days before you get there, then unless you have something to say, wait until the end of that two to three day period before making a purge saving post of a bump. There is no need to tag a topic more than once. This will cut down on unnecessary posts within a thread/topic forcing them into the 500 post lockout and the subsequent purge. | |
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