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Paranormal Courses

  • 06-09-2007 12:29PM
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,247 ✭✭✭✭


    HIGH spirits on campus are more usually associated with student union bars than lecture halls, but one of Scotland's oldest seats of learning is offering classes studying spooks, poltergeists and demonic possession.

    Glasgow University will start running a course in psychical research next month, which aims to show that supernatural phenomena do occur.
    Advert for The Scotsman Digital Archive

    The paranormal study group is the brainchild of veteran academic Professor Archie Roy, 84, whose pre-eminence in the field of astronomy has seen an asteroid named after him.

    But critics have labelled the unconventional course "dangerous drivel" and claimed that its "pseudo-science" should have no place in a respected academic institution.

    The series of lectures, titled An In Depth Study of Psychical Research, will be launched through the University's Department of Adult and Continuing Education.

    Subjects to be covered in the 20-week course include apparitions, haunted places and people, poltergeist activity, telepathy, mediumship, psychic surgery, paranormal healing, possession and reincarnation.

    The course, which costs £128 to take part in, is currently being advertised with the bold statement: "Paranormal phenomena do occur."

    Roy believes there is no contradiction between his support for conventional science and his strong belief in spiritualism.

    "Psychical researchers have studied these events for over a century, resulting in evidence as to their authenticity," he said.

    The National Secular Society, which campaigns against the influence of superstition, said it did not know "whether to laugh or cry" about the Glasgow course.

    The organisation's Scottish spokesman, Alistair McBay, said: "Courses such as this one give legitimacy to the dangerous supernatural drivel that can lead to tragedies such as the death of Victoria Climbie, who was abused and murdered because people believed she was 'possessed'."
    HERE

    There are a few other places that do courses and plenty of online. What do people think?

    >_> looks around for Kim <_<

    http://www.arthurfindlaycollege.org/


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,247 ✭✭✭✭6th


    Church condemns paranormal course
    Church leaders have condemned a course in paranormal studies at Cirencester College as "potentially dangerous".

    The five two-hour evening lectures, conducted by medium Sharon Gound, begin this week.

    The archdeacon of Cheltenham, the Venerable Hedley Ringrose, said he feared "vulnerable" students may not be able to cope with the experience.

    But Ms Gound said: "This is a fabulous opportunity to clear up ignorance and misunderstanding about the paranormal."

    The course involves Ms Gound contacting her "spirit guides" to whom students can pose questions.

    But the Venerable Ringrose said: "There are many bereaved people who are at a vulnerable stage in their life where they might not be able to handle something like this.

    "My message to the college would be to be aware that the Christian churches offer ministry to those who are bereaved - not through contact with those they have lost - but pastorally."

    The college said its role was to open up educational opportunities.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 43,044 ✭✭✭✭Nevyn


    http://www.irish-spiritual-centre.org/ run corses and classes and work with people to be able to cope and develop thier talents and have done so for years it is not such a big deal.

    The church being anti such things is nothing new either.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 994 ✭✭✭kshiel


    Well I for one would support the study into these types of courses as with the growing interest in the paranormal and all different types of crap information floating around the place, its great to see people trying to bring out the truth in them or at least giving people the opportunity to seek for themselves in a more controled and safe enviroment where hopfully there is someone on hand who can explain or partically explain what is going on around them and help them get some understanding of what and how to deal with such issues.

    The one thing that I find or have noticed or maybe its a lack of looking on my part is the price. England seem to offer these courses at better value for money, nearly all courses I have looked up hear cost a small fortune, I remember on guy was looking for nearly 600 euros for the weekend and this was just tutor costs, where as the likes of the AFC you could and can get an entire week for this (because of exchange rates of course) which includes all meals, boarding and classes etc and flights are cheap. So I would love to see the geninue people (mediums/psychics/ science guys or who ever) starting to bring more of this here at a more reasonable price.

    I see thaedyal has posted the link to one which I got off her the other day, again thanks for that.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,369 ✭✭✭✭Zillah


    Thaedydal wrote:
    http://www.irish-spiritual-centre.org/ run corses and classes and work with people to be able to cope and develop thier talents and have done so for years it is not such a big deal.


    Irish-Spiritual-Centre is not a government funded third level institution. Glasgow university is. For such an institution to run a course like this with the tagline of "Paranormal phenomena do occur" is dangerously irresponsible. Whether they do or not is irrelevant, such a thing has not been proven scientifically. All we have are anecdotal accounts.

    Personally I would love to attend such a course simply for the material provided...but I think the pro-believer bent is highly innapropriate for a secular institution.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,247 ✭✭✭✭6th


    Thaedydal wrote:
    http://www.irish-spiritual-centre.org/ run corses and classes and work with people to be able to cope and develop thier talents and have done so for years it is not such a big deal.

    The church being anti such things is nothing new either.

    I'm not saying its anything new but what does stand out (as Zillah says) is that these are Universities offering course. Of course unlike Zillah I see this as a good thing.

    Will Trinity, UCD or DCU ever offer such a course?


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,247 ✭✭✭✭6th


    Actually the evening course Stevenmu & myself did a couple of years back is starting again ... will pop up details later.

    Details: http://www.nightcourses.com/search.html?op=showcourse&row_id=8536


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 457 ✭✭hiorta


    Glasgow University have been holding leisure courses in paranormal studies for many years.
    Professor Archie Roy, Emeritus Professor of Astronomy, founded them and they are very popular and well attended, with speakers from all branches of thought.

    http://www.sspr.org.uk/

    The SSPR group in particular examine ghost/spirit manifestations as well as conducting mediumistic double-blind experiments which eliminate as many alternative explanations as possible.

    They have held and still carry out controlled events in which they choose the medium randomly from their own list, who is never within sight of a randomly seated voluntary audience.
    The medium now 'works' with the person in a randomly chosen seat, making around 25 or so positive statements, which should have some relevance to the sitter.

    The sitter does not respond verbally, but indicates by nodding whether the statement is understood or not.

    The type of statement is along the lines of verifiable information such as:

    Your father is in spirit.
    He passed at .... age.
    He passed from .... cause.
    Your mother pre-deceased him (or not) etc.

    At no time does the sitter or medium come into any kind of physical contact.

    These statements are now written out and photocopied one for each member of the audience, who are asked to respond to each statement.

    This experiment has been conducted by different teams of researchers across the country for years, then number-crunched to establish that mediumistic statements are not 'generally vague and could apply to most folk'.

    This experiment has been refined to have a 'proxy' sitter who is unknown - both ways - to the intended recipient and seems to be pointing to the truth of life consciously existing post mortem.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,369 ✭✭✭✭Zillah


    Have they puplished their findings for peer review like every other scientist who thinks they've discovered something interesting?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 994 ✭✭✭kshiel


    Courses run by Spiritus for 07/08

    SPIRITUS 2007/8
    Deer Park Country Hotel Weston Nr Honiton Devon
    A Georgian squires mansion (1721) set in 30 acres Devon landscape.

    £55 None refundable-but transferable deposit secures place, send to
    M .Smith 215 Portsmouth Road, Woolston, Southampton, Hampshire S019 9BG
    Tel: 023 80442642/mobile 07952 654770
    Email: spiritus4u@aol.com
    www.matthewinspires.co.uk

    Confidence with Spirit 5pm Thursday November 15th/ 12.30pm Sunday 18th 2007
    Eileen Davies and Matthew.
    No matter if new or seasoned spiritualist this course is designed to help you on many different levels of unfoldment of sensitivity and spirit awareness.
    Three nights £240 pay deposit by August 27th 07 ONLY £215

    2008
    Festival of Light 5pm FridayJanuary 25th/ 12.30pm Monday 28th 2008
    Matthew and Minister SNU Brenda Lawrence
    A spiritual retreat for like minded people. Sensitivity/Mediumship/ Awareness/Healing and Meditation.
    3 Nights £240 ALL INCLUSIVE

    Celebrating the Spirit 5pm Friday 14th March/12.30pm Monday 17th March
    Matthew and Gerard Smith
    Following the success of last years weekend early booking is advised
    Mediumship/Awareness/Sensitivity
    3 Nights £240 ALL INCLUSIVE

    Spring Break 5pm Thursday April 3rd/12.30pm Monday April 7th 2008
    Spirit Artist Su Wood and Matthew
    Learn how to unfold your artistic nature and creative powers. Mediumship/Awareness/Colour/Art/Aura Camera
    4 Nights £320 ALL INCLUSIVE

    Working with Spirit 5pm Thursday October 9th/12.30pm Tuesday October 14th 2008
    Eammon Downey TSNU and Matthew
    Working with your Mediumship/Awareness/Understanding energy and its application in mediumship.
    5 Nights £395. ALL INCLUSIVE

    ALL COURSES: FULL PROGRAMME OF WORKSHOPS/GROUPS/TUTORIALS/LECTURES.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 457 ✭✭hiorta


    Zillah, have a wee look at the link, there's more detail in there.
    There is nothing secret or hidden in this or any other attempts to uncover truth.

    Simply, we either do live beyond physical death or we do not. Beliefs are personal notions and seem to have no bearing on it at all. It looks as though we are eternal beasties whether we like it or not, or want to or not.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,369 ✭✭✭✭Zillah


    hiorta wrote:
    Zillah, have a wee look at the link, there's more detail in there.

    I did. By the looks of it the answer is no, they do not publish their findings for peer review.


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