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Post #1: Exploring red flags, reasons for belief: Assignment #1

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Post #1: Exploring red flags, reasons for belief: Assignment #1

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Made by Scott Brown & Brayden Schoenau

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Definition:

The all-natural red flag is when a claim is made that something is “all natural”, and therefore, it is healthy, safe and possibly better for you.  This is something we much watch out for because there are tons of natural things that are deadly or poisonous.

Connection:

The link below discusses must-have health products that are all natural.  This is a red flag because they want you to assume that each product is better than other competitors because they are made with all natural ingredients.  Unfortunately, these products could be very harmful.  Applying critical thinking and skepticism is important before buying these products.  What ingredients are in these products?  Can you find any reliable sources that talk about those ingredients?  Can you prove that those all natural ingredients can cause positive effects?    People may perceive that they are good products and just assume they are healthy.

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The good news, for us and the planet, is that there are more organic products to shop than ever. The bad news? The selection can be downright overwhelming. If you need a place to start, or want to add to your already sustainable shopping list, check out these nine organic and natural must-haves-from skincare to sheets-that we're obsessed with.

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9 All Natural or Organic Must-Haves to Shop Right Now

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The good news, for us and the planet, is that there are more organic products to shop than ever. The bad news? The selection can be downright overwhelming. If you need a place to start, or want to add to your already sustainable shopping list, check out these nine organic and natural must-haves-from skincare to sheets-that we're obsessed with.

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Definition:

The mystical energy red flag often involves things that can provide “positive energy” or other terms that refer to energy.  This is a red flag because the word energy has nothing to do with being positive or negative as it refers to the strength required for physical and metal work.

Connection:

This YouTube video connects to the mystical energy red flag because it states in the title that listing to the video will “Clear All Bad Energy & Mental Blockages" as well as “boost positive energy”.  They are trying to use the words, energy, in a way that doesn’t use the actual definition. This is misleading because this mystical energy is not real, and people may believe that it is true.  One of the limitations with YouTube is that anybody can post anything.  Since freedom of speech is important and people should be allowed to post any legal content, we need to use critical thinking when we watch videos like this.  Some people may claim this video does boosts their positive energy as they might connect it to simplicity.   “I feel better now after watching it, so it must boost positive energy!”   We need to be cautious when watching such videos.

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"Clear All Bad Energy & Mental Blockages" Meditation Music, Boost Positive Energy, Inner Peace Music

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Definition:

A red herring is when somebody uses useless and irrelevant information regarding the context of a conversion.  For example you ask a student why they failed to submit an assignment and they reply talking about the hurricane in South Carolina.

Connection:

This YouTube video connects to the red herring red flag.  During a town hall event in Regina, Saskatchewan, an audience member asks Prime Minister Trudeau “What did you mean by gender impacts when you bring construction workers into a rural area” and what the “the social and gender impacts are”.  Prime minister Trudeau replies to the audience member praising construction workers and how they are the “building block” of Canada’s infrastructure. He also goes on after talking about building the future that we need.  This is clearly a red herring because he didn’t answer the question that was asked.  His answer was irrelevant to the question and it was an attempt to completely dodge the question.  A limitation with the platform of YouTube is that clips can be cut to distort the views of the viewer. However, in this clip, both the audience member and Prime Minister Trudeau's comments are heard, and no audio is cut off.

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Justin Trudeau brushes off woman's question during town hall event

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Definition:

The ancient wisdom red flag is for when something is done because it was done is past civilizations, thus, people think it must be a good idea or practice.  It is an idea that the ancient wisdoms may have been smarter than we are.

Connection:

The link provided is to astrology.com, which can give you daily horoscopes.  This is an ancient wisdom red flag because the concept of astrology was dated all the way back to 1st century BC.  There is no actual scientific evidence confirming that when you were born, and your personality has a relationship.  This falls under the patternicity category for the reason why people chose to believe.  They try to take the horoscope and find patterns with their own life, then they believe that horoscopes are real.   It’s easy to believe in horoscopes and we must use critical thinking to find the answers.  A flaw with astrology.com is that there is no way to prove how accurate the horoscopes are.

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Tarot, Zodiac, Astrology & Horoscopes - Astrology.com

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Astrology.com provides free daily horoscopes, online tarot readings, psychic readings, Chinese astrology, Vedic Astrology, Mayan Astrology, Numerology, Feng Shui, zodiac 101, sun sign compatibility and video horoscopes.

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Definition:

The confirmation bias red flag is when somebody tends to only remember the things that are related to their beliefs and forget what does not relate to their beliefs.

Connection:

The link provided below, connects to the confirmation bias red flag because, it tries to trick the reader into matching the statements with their everyday lives and making them think they have ESP.  A reader may easily fall into the trap and believe they have ESP, if they already believe in ESP to begin with.  When we apply critical thinking to this, we can understand that without a physical way to prove that somebody has ESP, by getting results and being able to repeat those results, we can’t find out if we have ESP simply by reading an article.  A lot of times it is simply a coincidence that your dream had to do with an event that happened months later.  This could connect to the “simplicity” reason for belief because it seems like it is legit and it’s easy to believe.  A flaw with this article is that it is written by a “professional tarot reader”, so her opinions will be more one sided on topics such as ESP.

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I'm a professional tarot reader with 18 years of experience. I have a resource-rich website and tarot-reading service.

Have you felt a little different from other people since you were a child? Do things happen to you that you can't explain? Do you sometimes have a clear feeling about a future event? If so, you might be 'supersensory'. In other words, psychic. Check out these 10 signs to see if you have extra-sensory perception or sixth sense.

1. You Have a Well-Developed Intuition

Also known as gut feelings or a strong hunch. Your body, everyone's body, in fact, is an antennae. It is sensitive to energy. Everyone can tune into their intuition, but most choose to ignore it. You have learned that your intuition has guided you well throughout your life. You don't make decisions logically, although you do consider that your way is logical.

To test out your intuition, next time you have to make a decision, however small, place your hand on your solar plexus and become aware of the feeling in your body when you consider each choice laid before you. Feel it? Your body, your intuition knows.

2. You Know When Trouble Is Imminent

This is known as precognition (pre-knowing). You recognize it before it happens. This often manifests as a feeling of dread or a deep sense of knowing that unless you or someone else takes action, there's going to be trouble. Sometimes it's hard to know what exactly is going to happen but you feel it, for sure.

It's possible to train yourself to discern the forthcoming event by journaling your feelings. Ask your feelings what they are trying to tell you.
You Dream About the Future
This also comes under the precognition umbrella, but usually, the dream is very specific. You are shown snippets of events, usually detrimental to someone close. Sometimes it might be a catastrophic event, such as an earthquake or other natural disaster. Precognitive folk are often able to foretell when people are about to die because they meet them in their dreams.

9. Déjà Vu

We all have these odd little experiences, but you may have them more than most because you are tuned-in. People think they are experiencing something they experienced in the past, but it's the opposite. You may never have been in that place, but you once had a 'future memory' of it. Hence the strange feeling of knowing but not quite knowing. You are tuning into a memory.

A very strong conviction that you have been somewhere before, or have met someone previously, probably indicates that you are remembering a past incarnation.

10. You Have Divinatory Abilities

If you are able to intuit meaning from divinatory tools, such as tarot cards, playing cards, a glass or crystal ball, palm reading, tea leaf reading, or anything like that, then you are probably an intuitive psychic. It is possible to learn such skills - for example, the tarot is a structured system that anyone can learn. The skill when reading cards is to marry the meaning with your intuition to give an accurate interpretation.

Scrying with a crystal ball or dark mirror is a form of meditation. Again, anyone can learn this, and with practice, become proficient in foretelling the future.

Another divinatory skill is divining for water, objects, and energy lines. Divining involves using a divining rod, usually made from a light twig or wire and picking up varying energy patterns from the earth. Holding a pendulum will also yield results.

What to Do If You Think You Are Psychic

It's up to you-do you want to build on your gift/s or would you rather not experience your psychic abilities? Sometimes, you can shut them down by stating your intention clearly. Meditation may also help. If you would like to see where your skills could take you, then research and practice until you become competent.

Search for people with similar abilities to your own and share your experiences. Don't be frightened of your extra-sensory perception, know that it is indeed a gift, and remember, whatever it is you 'see', it was going to happen anyway.

If you have a psychic related question, feel free to ask in the comments or questions sections below. However, I'm not going to keep answering the same things over and over. Read through and see if someone else has asked a similar question first.

This article is accurate and true to the best of the author's knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.

Questions & Answers

Question:

Whenever I look at something hard I see sketches of little figures; one time one waved at me. Could that be a hint that I'm psychic?

Answer:

I believe that is quite common. I see figures in our bathroom tile and wooden floors. I have heard of some artists using them as inspiration. Human beings are programmed to see faces and figures in patterns because of needing to identify danger in difficult-to-see environments like shady forests. It's called 'pareidolia.'

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareidolia

I'm not sure about the waving. I guess that's a trick of the light.

Question:

I have predicted exact events and shared with my nearest friends a couple of times and they have come true. Good precognitions only for others. Works the opposite when it comes to me. What do I do with this?

Answer:

It may be something you have to accept. I can't read tarot for myself, so I know how you feel. However, not knowing is sometimes better.

Question:

How do I shut off my sixth sense powers if I don't want them?

Question:

This may sound weird, but I can sense or "smell" someone before they contact me, but only those who are important to me. Also, on a few occasions I have sensed death and within a short time, someone close to me has died. Or dreamt about someone I just met, but only the ones who are not good for me. My question is, how do I develop my abilities?

Answer:

I would suggest you join some kind of psychic community where you can discuss how your claircognizance manifests and the best way to handle it. Try searching for a Facebook group or have a read through of this blog post: https://psychicelements.com/blog/psychic-experienc...

Question:

I think I have deja vu but I don't exactly know what to do about it. Can you help me?

Answer:

Deja vu is extremely common. You don't have to do anything about it. If it happens often, keep a record of the occurrences.

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I'm a professional tarot reader with 18 years of experience. I have a resource-rich website and tarot-reading service. Have you felt a little different from other people since you were a child? Do things happen to you that you can't explain? Do you sometimes have a clear feeling about a future event?

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Post #7 Reasons for belief: Perception/Observation

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Post #7 Reasons for belief: Perception/Observation

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Definition:

The reason for belief Perception/Observation refers to the fact that human memory is faulty, and is influenced by our perceptions and observations of real world events. An example of this could be a group of people witnessing the same event but all of them remembering it differently.

Connection:
This video connects to the Perception/Observation reason for belief because it shows seven different Rorschach test ink blots and asks you what you see. This is related to the perception observation reason for belief because Rorschach tests were invented to test people’s perceptions based on their observations of the presented ink blots.

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Post #10 Critical Analysis: Ancient Wisdom (Post #5 Analysis)

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Post #10 Critical Analysis: Ancient Wisdom (Post #5 Analysis)

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Problem Definition:

The problem with astrology.com is that it they are supporting the use of astrology to predict futures, when it does not have any scientific base to support that it does.

Gather Information:

http://wtamu.edu/~cbaird/sq/2013/03/23/how-does-astrology-work/ - This article is against the idea that astrology is scientifically able to predict the future.  According to the article, a study was performed using over 4000 people to determine if when they were born and their personalities and no correlations were found.   The source of the link comes from West Texas A&M University and is written by Dr. Christopher Baird.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ2eMUmumw0 – This article is against the idea of astrology and horoscopes.  The video claims how astrology isn’t real science because you can’t prove that it is right or wrong. In addition, it is discussed that people astrology signs are off due to the when the earth “wobbles on it’s axis every 25,800-year cycle “, causing the stars to be aligned differently.  The source is a YouTube channel called “seeker”.

Evidence Evaluation:

Source #1: This source appears to be very credible.  All the studies discussed in the article are linked, to allow the reader of the article to read the study for themselves. In addition, it is on the website for the West Texas A&M University.  The author does link proof to his point and does not say claims without backing it up.  For example Dr.Baird discusses how horoscopes can be make people “feel better” due to the placebo effect.  The results of the studies can be reproduced, but the results of horoscopes being true or false cannot be reproduced.  The scientific method has not been used.

Source #2: This source appears to be credible.  They provide links in the description to most of their talking points and don’t apply their personal feelings to the topic discussed, which is astrology.  Some facts have been checked, including that the astrology signs have shifted and that using the “old model” your sign doesn’t match up like it did when astrology first came about.  The results cannot be reproduced, and the scientific method cannot be used to prove or disprove astrology.

Recognizing Assumptions, Emotions, Biases:

There are many assumptions, emotions and biases linked with astrology.  To start, many people will read their horoscopes and assume astrology is scientifically accurate because they could relate it to their life.  This could connect to the patternicity reason for belief as people look for patterns.  The horoscopes are written in a way that makes it very easy to relate it to your own personal life and allows people to believe in the concept of astrology.  Confirmation bias is a common culprit as people want to believe in it and forget about the arguments against astrology and horoscopes.

Synthesizing Evidence, Identifying Alternatives:

Alternative 1) Astrology cannot be proven to be real or fake, but astrology cannot predict your future due to what studies have stated.

Alternative 2) Astrology cannot be proven to be real or fake, but astrology makes me feel happy and I strongly believe it is real and can predict my day, future and relationships.

Select Best Alternative:

Alternative 1 is the best alternative.  Astrology cannot be proven to be false or true as it is not science.  There is no doubt that it may be fun to see your horoscope and to relate it to your life but it cannot actually predict your future.  A great example of this is the study “over 4000 individuals and found no correlation between birth date and personality or intelligence” (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886905004046).  This shows how it couldn’t be possible to predict your personality and future based on when you were born.

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Post #8 Reasons for belief: Patternicity

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Post #8 Reasons for belief: Patternicity

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Definition:

The reason for belief Patternicity, refers to human’s tendency to see patterns, people, things, and faces in objects or paintings that aren’t truly present.

Connection:

This video connects to the Patternicity reason for belief as it shows a large number of pictures of everyday objects that accidently and possibly on purpose look like famous television characters.
This is related to patternicity as it is a good example of how humans are capable of seeing things in images that aren’t actually there.

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Everyday Objects That Look Exactly Like Popular Characters

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Definition:

The reason for belief Ideology is refers to people’s system of ideas and their beliefs that form their values. Some good examples of ideologies would be religious and political ideologies.

Connection:

This video by crash course on YouTube connects to the ideology belief. This video connects to ideology because it talks about the different types of political ideologies and their usual core beliefs. One example they use when speaking about the different political ideologies is “Conservatives”. It goes on to speak about the how liberals tend to prefer small governments, strong military defense, and free market.

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Political Ideology: Crash Course Government and Politics #35