https://padlet.com/sierraalbis/c75f733mlc0c8c32 Paranormal and Pseudoscience en-us 2021-03-25 21:35:08 UTC 2024-10-14 08:54:46 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f52e.png sierraalbis https://padlet.com/sierraalbis/c75f733mlc0c8c32/wish/1355112803 2021-03-25 21:46:45 UTC https://padlet.com/sierraalbis/c75f733mlc0c8c32/wish/1355112803 sierraalbis https://padlet.com/sierraalbis/c75f733mlc0c8c32/wish/1355113502 Mediums - Made by Sierra Albis, working individually ]]> 2021-03-25 21:47:02 UTC https://padlet.com/sierraalbis/c75f733mlc0c8c32/wish/1355113502 sierraalbis https://padlet.com/sierraalbis/c75f733mlc0c8c32/wish/1355120946 Description:
The website below is a direct link to the celebrity medium Theresa Caputo. On this website, she has a link to advertise her podcast, her tv show, different photos/videos of her work, ways to connect with her (events), and products for purchase.

Connection:
The red flag connection from this website is Appeal to Authority and All Natural. Appeal to authority is apparent as Theresa Caputo is a well known "celebrity" medium. She has been hosted on multiple talk shows and even has her own television show. This use of an authoritative figure (in her case, her celebrity status), is used to lend credibility to the medium services and products she offers. This makes more individuals more gullible to believe in the information she is presenting. It is important for people to apply skepticism before believing a celebrities' claims. The red flag, all natural is also apparent in this website through the products that Theresa Caputo is selling. On her website, she is currently selling an all natural sage kit to get rid of spirits. As we are aware when we apply the critical thinking process, all natural products do not necessarily mean that they are healthy or that they work better. Products are often labelled as "all natural" to entice people to purchase them, and when paired with the endorsement of a celebrity, it is that much more likely to sell. A reason for belief that would connect to this website would be Emotional connection. There are multiple testimonies on her website of individuals being able to connect with their loved ones. If someone is currently grieving or has lost a loved one, they would be that much more likely to spend their money on the services that Theresa offers as their emotions are blurred. As we are aware, this emotional connection ties in with that money piece that is a pseudoscience watch list item. A flaw within this website is that no one is evaluating Theresa's claims.]]> 2021-03-25 21:50:22 UTC https://padlet.com/sierraalbis/c75f733mlc0c8c32/wish/1355120946 sierraalbis https://padlet.com/sierraalbis/c75f733mlc0c8c32/wish/1355123630 Description:
This photo was taken from a medium readers Etsy advertisement. As you can see in the image below, the photo has a heart shaped cloud and a message that reads "Connect with a departed loved one - ask that important question.."

Connection:
The reasons for belief that connect to this photo are Patternicity and Emotional Connection. In this photo, we see an image of a cloud in a sky that appears to be in the shape of a heart. Coincidently, this ties in with the messaging. When we apply critical thinking, we know that our brains looks for shapes and faces (patterns) in images. That is often why we see those shapes or objects in a cloud in the sky. This photo also connects to the reason for belief of emotional connection due to the messaging it has. As we are aware, emotions can blur our rational thoughts. Often times mediums will pull off your emotions to get you more likely to purchase or pay for their services. As spoken about in our course, money is a pseudoscience watchlist item. The messaging below about connecting with a loved one and being able to ask that important question, directly tugs on an individuals emotional connection. This makes them more likely to get in contact and request the services of this particular medium.]]> 2021-03-25 21:51:38 UTC https://padlet.com/sierraalbis/c75f733mlc0c8c32/wish/1355123630 sierraalbis https://padlet.com/sierraalbis/c75f733mlc0c8c32/wish/1355124435 Description:
This video is from the Kelly Clarkson Show when she had her guest Matt Fraser, a psychic medium, come on to connect with her audience members. Half way through the video, we see Matt stand up and point out in to the audience to mention that a particular individuals mother had passed. He does a small reading for her and briefly talks about all the spirits he sees in the room.

Connection:
The red flag connection from this video is Appeal to Authority and Confirmation Bias. Appeal to authority is apparent in this video, as Kelly Clarkson (a celebrity) is endorsing Matt Frasers TV show and new book that he has published to her audience. As we are aware, this use of authoritative imagery lends so much more credibility to an individuals services or products which is why this red flag connects to this video. It is important to apply skepticism and critical thinking, to evaluate whether or not your celebrity endorsed products are worth the hype or not. Confirmation Bias is another red flag that particularly connects to the ladies reading. As we see in the video, Matt makes many probing guesses and enquiries about this ladies mother. Some of these were likely untrue, but because a few guesses may have been correct, the lady was more likely to believe and remember those "hit" statements that coincided with her beliefs. A reason for belief that connects to this video would be Simplicity. Scientific answers can be hard to understand, where as pseudoscience is easy. If you were to apply critical thinking, it would be clear that Matt is employing cold reading techniques to pick up those signals as to whether or not he is heading in the right direction with his guesses. Matt only needs to have a few more "hits"  than "misses", to make it believable for the person being read. ]]> 2021-03-25 21:52:02 UTC https://padlet.com/sierraalbis/c75f733mlc0c8c32/wish/1355124435 sierraalbis https://padlet.com/sierraalbis/c75f733mlc0c8c32/wish/1355125416 Description:
The article below is from the Goop website, and is a question and answer session with a research scientist that explored what happens to the brains of mediums when they talk to the other side. As discussed in the article, they were able to control and eliminate cold reading, cueing, rater bias, and fraud through their resource intensive procedure.

Connection:
The red flag connection from this website is Appeal to Authority and Proof by Verbosity. Goop is a well known blog created by Gwyneth Paltrow and highlights many controversial topics. As we are aware, appeal to authority is present in this article as it is being endorsed by a celebrity that many individuals look up to. People are far more likely to believe the claims of an authoritative figure that they look up to, rather than a random individual. This is why it is important to apply skepticism and critical thinking before believing the claims of your favourite celebrity. Proof by Verbosity is another red flag that connects to this article. Julie Beischel, from the Windbridge research centre, has provided such large quantities of information in this article, that it gives the appearance that the information about mediums must be true. However, after conducting my own research, I have noticed that Julie and her team have followed the critical thinking process when conducting this intensive procedure. Therefore, these claims can be backed up. The research team defined the problem and came up with a hypothesis, gathered information, and followed each step thoroughly to come to their conclusion.]]> 2021-03-25 21:52:29 UTC https://padlet.com/sierraalbis/c75f733mlc0c8c32/wish/1355125416 sierraalbis https://padlet.com/sierraalbis/c75f733mlc0c8c32/wish/1355126425 Description:
This video is by a Youtuber that famously debunks medium and psychic abilities. In this video, he explains how mediums use various cold reading techniques to convince the audience that they know things that they actually do not. In this video, he explores high probability guesses, generalized statements, and linguistic techniques, and the importance of "hits" with psychics and mediums. This video also provides a few video examples from famous mediums like Theresa Caputo and breaks down the process of how they use these cold reading techniques by giving examples.

Connection:
The red flag connection in this video is Confirmation Bias and Proof by Verbosity. In this video, we see the Youtuber break down the process of how mediums such as Theresa Caputo use cold reading techniques to make those "hits" stick more than the "misses". As individuals, we are far more likely to believe and remember events that coincide with our beliefs than the ones that do not. Therefore, as explained in this video, mediums are hoping to make one or two "hits" to make a person more likely to believe the things they are saying. The red flag, proof by verbosity also connects to this video as we see the mediums providing large amounts of information to individuals that appear unsure. This confusion is a cue to mediums that their guess wasn't correct, therefore they fire off more statements to overwhelm an individual in the hopes that one might stick. In turn, this will make that individual more likely to believe that with all that information their claims must be true. The reason for belief of emotional connection also connects to this video as mediums are hoping to mention something small that might connect with someone's heart strings. This will allow them to run with that and provide more "guesses". As we know when we apply skepticism, emotions can blur our rational thoughts and that is very important for individuals to remember in these scenarios.]]> 2021-03-25 21:52:59 UTC https://padlet.com/sierraalbis/c75f733mlc0c8c32/wish/1355126425 sierraalbis https://padlet.com/sierraalbis/c75f733mlc0c8c32/wish/1355128312 Description:
The photo below is of Eva Carriere, who was a materialization medium in the early 20th century. Eva was born in France in 1886, and was well known for holding seances where she would conduct ectoplasm. This is where spiritual energy is exteriorized by mediums. This could mean that faces appear on cloth material, or figures in the distance. Years down the road, Houdini and various other witnesses proved that Eva's claims were false and that she simply was using magic tricks.

Connection:
This image connects to the red flag of Mystical Energy. The reason for this connection is that in the photo Eva Carriere is claiming that she is able to channel this "spiritual energy" to exteriorize spirits. As we know when we apply skepticism, the scientific word “energy” is a measurement of something’s ability to perform work. In this case, Eva, a spiritualist used the word differently in a way that does not make sense. She is using the word energy to make it sound to her clients like she knows what she is talking about. Applying the critical thinking process, it is essential to gather as much information and facts to evaluate before believing a claim like Eva's. This was the process that Houdini followed by sitting in on one of her seances, and was able to prove that her claims were false, by applying critical thinking. A reason for belief that would connect to this image is emotional connection. During Eva's seances, she claimed that she could connect you to a deceased family member or friend. This statement would pull on the heart strings of an individual making them more inclined to give her their money and pay for her services. As we know, this is a pseudoscience watch list item.]]> 2021-03-25 21:53:54 UTC https://padlet.com/sierraalbis/c75f733mlc0c8c32/wish/1355128312 sierraalbis https://padlet.com/sierraalbis/c75f733mlc0c8c32/wish/1355128937 Description:
This is an article in Orpah's website, written by Kimberly Zapata, that explores what a psychic medium is. This article explains what mediums do, how they interact with otherworldly spirits, the differences when compared to a psychic or clairvoyant, and what to expect when talking to one. The bottom of this article also provides a link that advertises various mediums, as well as a video that showcases the impact a medium had on a families life.

Connection:
The red flag that connects to this article is Appeal to Authority. The reason for this connection is because Oprah is such an authoritative and influential figure that it directly impacts her fans beliefs. In this article, Oprah is endorsing the services of mediums and even showcases an emotional video of a medium reading that she hosted for her show. This connects to the reason for belief of emotional connection, as viewers watching want to believe that they too, can talk and connect to their deceased loved one. A flaw within this website is that it is very biased making it less credible. A limitation within the website is that anyone can google facts about mediums and make a post about it.]]> 2021-03-25 21:54:13 UTC https://padlet.com/sierraalbis/c75f733mlc0c8c32/wish/1355128937 sierraalbis https://padlet.com/sierraalbis/c75f733mlc0c8c32/wish/1355131694 Description:
This video is a snip it from TLC's show "Mama Medium" . In this video, Jennie performs a small reading for a family whose mother has a medical condition that left her in a semi-vegetative state. Jennie, the Mama Medium, is able to draw a few "hits" that resonate with the family and that leave the audience quite emotional.

Connection:
The reason for belief that connects to this video is emotional connection. As an audience member watching the show, it pulls on your heart strings and really allows you to empathize with the family members. Parts of this video are quite emotional. Applying critical thinking is important, as we know that emotions can blur our rational thought. Therefore, even though we want to believe that we can go to a medium to contact our lost loved one, it is important to still apply that skepticism piece. As we saw in the video, the red flag of confirmation bias also connects to the things that the family members connected with from Jennie's reading. As we can see, the family members really grasped on to the few "hits" she had. Often times, they elaborated quickly on them which gave Jennie more information to go with in her reading moving forward. This showcased that confirmation bias piece where the family remembered those hits and events that coincided with their own beliefs.]]> 2021-03-25 21:55:36 UTC https://padlet.com/sierraalbis/c75f733mlc0c8c32/wish/1355131694 sierraalbis https://padlet.com/sierraalbis/c75f733mlc0c8c32/wish/1355132415 Description:
The photo below is of Colin Evans, a 20th century welsh spiritualist medium who claimed to be able to levitate. The two images below showcase his levitating abilities - he claimed that spirit energy had lifted him. Evans was later discovered to be a fraud, as a cord leading from a device in his hand has indicated that it was himself who triggered the flash and that all he had done was jump from his chair into the air. This made him "appear" to levitate. Additionally, Evans conducted all of his seances in the complete dark, so that his audience members could not see what he was doing.

Connection:
The red flag that connects to this photo is Mystical Energy. The reason for this connection is due to the fact that Colin Evan's claimed that the spirits "energy" had lifted him up in to the air in to levitation. Applying the critical thinking process, we know that spiritualist's often misuse the term energy in a way that does not make sense. They often times add the term to make it sound as though their services or work are more legitimate then they actually are. The reason for belief of perception and observation connects to this photo as our experience and observation abilities can sometimes be faulty. In this case, with the lights off, it would appear that Evan was in fact actually levitating. However, a flaw within this image is that no one was evaluating his abilities with the lights on.]]> 2021-03-25 21:55:59 UTC https://padlet.com/sierraalbis/c75f733mlc0c8c32/wish/1355132415 sierraalbis https://padlet.com/sierraalbis/c75f733mlc0c8c32/wish/1355133519 1) The one thing that I learned about the topic that most surprised me, was how often mediums use cold reading techniques to focus in on those statements and guesses that will lead them to "hits". I found it really interesting to watch the YouTube video where Theresa Caputos readings were broken down, and it actually showed how she used skills to make those vague statements and run with them. Before this assignment, I personally believed that she was quite legitimate, but when I applied the critical thinking process it left me with a lot more questions.
2) The topic of mediums has always been something that really interested me. I lost my mom to cancer when I was only 5 years old, and I have really debated about going for a reading. I am fully aware of the fact that is where the emotional connection piece comes in. However, I have always found it interesting to maybe go with an open mind and see if anything comes up.
3) I found the research in the Goop article quite interesting. I thought it was really great how research scientists were applying scientific studies and the critical thinking process to this topic. It was really interesting to see the scans and which parts of the brain are more active than others for mediums. I think it is great that they are starting to conduct more research on this topic.
4) I am most likely to remember the video on the cold reading techniques that mediums implement. As I mentioned above, I had no idea that mediums so often implement these techniques to develop their guesses and statements until I saw the examples in the videos.
5) Having completed all the course content, I think that the one pseudoscience belief that is the most harmful would be patternicity. I think it is incredibly easy for people to see something in photos, or even in person in the outdoors, that actually is not there. This can even be applied to large foot prints that have been found. I think that this reason for belief allows peoples imagination to go wild and further affirms in their mind their ideological support or emotional connection. The one pseudoscience belief that I think is the least harmful is either ancient wisdom or agenticity. It is easy to prove that we have more knowledge than the individuals who started these tales once had. We now know that ancient civilizations created tales and folklores to explain the unexplained. I think that this allows us to sift through the myths and truths of this topic easier.
6) If I could pass on any information or knowledge to a family or friend, it would be to always use your critical thinking skills before jumping to conclusions. Even in the media today, false information can be presented as the truth and spread like wildfire. I think that it is super important to think critically and evaluate every source based off of key markers before believing it.]]> 2021-03-25 21:56:34 UTC https://padlet.com/sierraalbis/c75f733mlc0c8c32/wish/1355133519