In this topic, I would like to debate what is "real" and what makes it "real." What do you believe in, and why? And maybe someone will disagree with what you believe and defend their position as well.

 

One thing that I do believe in is magic. I'm not saying that it is the only thing from the list I believe in, but it is what I'm going to defend in this multi-faceted debate. I will probably defend or argue other points of view, if they arise.

 

Personally, I do believe in magic. I believe that people have the power in some part of their unused brain to, at least partially, influence what the reality of the world is. That might sound crazy to some people, and I can't defend it with anything except logic. Stories of magic have been around for ages. People talking to the dead, or seeing into the future, hold such great fascination for the human race, that they have become multi-million dollar businesses. Can we dismiss something simply because we can not see or understand it?

I'm a little confused. The topic title asks if you believe in magic, and the poll discusses different beliefs besides magic. Are we discussing magic or beliefs in general?

Beliefs...that are, by different definitions, magical. Aliens are a stretch... but I think that they can be considered somewhat magical. For the sake of limiting debate, the specific beliefs mentioned in the poll are what we should limit the debate to. Miracles can be defined as magical. And of course, magic is magical. Ghosts can be somewhat magical too.

 

So, no, it's not belief in general, because that would be impossible to debate. It's just a multi-faceted debate about six specific beliefs.

I have always thoguht that, like MarkOfEternity said, humans have the potential to use magic in some forgotten part of the brain. There's so much unused space in the human brain that it jsut makes sense that somewhere in the back of it there's the ability to use magic, to change the physical makeup of the things around us.

 

As for ghost and the like, I think of them not as the souls of a person or someone with regrets hanging around, but imprints of a strong feeling or moment in time. (I read a book with ghosts being like that, and I agree with it)

 

As for the afterlife, the way I think of it is sort of like the Egyptian afterlife. Put simply, you subconciously gather up the things you love most in this world and creat a new sort of world with what you like best. I'm not really sure why I think that, but I do.

 

So yeah, I belive in magic in many forms.

I agree with the your concept of spiritual manifestations (ghosts), but I'm not quite sure I agree with your concept of the after life. Maybe it's just that I don't understand exactly what is involved in the Egyptian afterlife. I personally would like to believe that the afterlife, if one exists, would be an extension our ourselves. Like from the movie "What Dreams May Come," with Robin Williams. I think I'd like that sort of afterlife. Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but it sounds pretty good to me.

Stories of magic have been around for ages. People talking to the dead, or seeing into the future, hold such great fascination for the human race, that they have become multi-million dollar businesses. Can we dismiss something simply because we can not see or understand it?

 

I believe people can probably talk to the dead or see into the future, but I don't consider that as magic. Those things seem too realistic to be magic in my opinion. Religion also effects what things I believe in and what I don't believe in, but I won't get into that too much.

 

When I was a kid, I used to believe in magic - and I mean real magic. Magical girls who can use powers to save the day; adventures that will happen to people where they would confront mystical creatures and such; A distant universe where logic there is different than the logic we know and where magic just seems normal to the people living there. I don't believe in those things anymore...one day I just stopped. It's kinda sad, and I wish they were true, but it's not as sad anymore because I'm too busy to worry about that type of stuff. Well, oh well.

I never really thought much about magic in general. I think the only time I ever really thought about it was when I realized how much of the human brain isn't used. That could possibly be used to levitate objects or even kill a person. It's a bit of a stretch for me, though, so I'm not very willing to debate magic much.

 

As for aliens, space is infinite. So, with that much space, there's almost definately another form of intellectual beings somewhere out there. We've never heard of them cause we never found each other. They could be billions of lightyears away, and we'd never be able to reach out that far. That doesn't mean they couldn't, however. The other intelligent species might be able to find a way to our planet faster than we could to theirs, meaning that there could quite possibly be an alien sighting around the Earth someday.

 

My belief. ^_^

I don't actually 'believe' in magic or the supernatural in the way most people understand. I'm a scientist by nature, and science is about understanding the world. Science has never conclusively proven the existence of magic or the supernatural, but it's never disproven it either. There's no definite scientific law that say its impossible - we simply don't know. As scientists, its our obligation not to simply dismiss these things as flights of fancy - as I mentioned earlier, the job of a scientist is to understand how the world works.

 

And logically speaking, it's impossible for aliens not to exist. If life can exist on Earth, then it will definitely exist on at least a few of the who-knows-how-many quintillion planets and dwarf planets out there. We just haven't found it yet.

And logically speaking, it's impossible for aliens not to exist. If life can exist on Earth, then it will definitely exist on at least a few of the who-knows-how-many quintillion planets and dwarf planets out there. We just haven't found it yet.

 

Then again, what if there is only a 1 in who-knows-how-many quintillions chance that life will develop on a planet? It seems a dilemma, to be sure. But what if earth is special. What if humans kill themselves and their planet, and life... ceases... because it doesn't exists elsewhere?

... "in a young girls' heart?" :whistle:

In all seriousness, I believe in miracles, the afterlife, and I think aliens exist (but not UFOs).

 

I don't know if I believe in the standard biblical miracles like turning water into wine and parting the Red Sea, but I believe that some things are more than coincidence. Like families being reunited after many years apart, people coming out of horrific plane/car/whatever crashes without a scratch, etc.

 

I do think there's some sort of place after death where you are either rewarded for your good deeds or punished for your bad. I also believe in guardian angels, which can be considered a part of that.

 

I agree that there is an extremely large possibility that there are other life forms in the universe, considering we are just the inhabitants of one planet, in one solar system, in one galaxy.

I actually believe in almost all of those things. I, personally, mostly believe in afterlife, mainly the purpose of that is that I don't want to die. ^_^ ^_^ But then again, who does?

Just to clarify things, if you guys are referring to th "we only use 10% of our brains" thing, that has been proven a myth....google it or something...

Huh? This is confusing me. I guess I do believe in miracles as well, then. o_O

Then again, what if there is only a 1 in who-knows-how-many quintillions chance that life will develop on a planet? It seems a dilemma, to be sure. But what if earth is special. What if humans kill themselves and their planet, and life... ceases... because it doesn't exists elsewhere?

Science is slowly understanding more and more about how life developed on Earth, and as we understand more it's becoming clearer and clearer (at least to the majority of the scientific community) that while the chances of life developing on a particular planet are tiny, they're simply not tiny enough for us to be the only ones in the universe. :yes:

 

Plus, I don't like the idea of our planet being the only one with life anywhere. :P

+ 1 for AA ^_^

 

As a scientist, I think that science explains many of miracles/strange things/etc. And science will explain latter those without explanations today. We just need more patience, skills, discoveries. You know, there is scientific explanations to people walking on burning charcoal, curving spoons "by the power of mind", and so one; it's called zetetic.

I believe there is life on other planets in the universe. Not like the aliens we can see in movies, but bit of life, maybe so different from us that it will be difficult to recognize it as Life on the first glance. We can't be alone in the universe. ^_^ And I don't think it's part of magic (UFO stories are "magic").

 

I love stories about dragons, unicorns, faeries, gods and other mythical creatures. That's part of my imaginary world, but it's not like I will search for faeries in my garden. :P

About afterlife, I don't know. My "scientific feeling" say it can't be, but I kinda hope there is "something".

I originally wasn't going to post in this topic, but you all got the better of me! ^_^ It's a far more interesting discussion than I thought it might turn out.

 

I'm reminded of the south african tribes recently photographed by a helicopter, believed to be their first contact with the outside world. To those people, that helicopter must have appeared miraculous, magical, maybe alien. To us there are many many processes, forces and events in the universe that we don't yet (and may never) fully understand. I guess it depends on your definition of magic as to whether this fits the bill.

 

Is it possible there is an afterlife? Yes. Is it likely. I don't think so. But as the bard said before it was used for that movie that's already been mentioned, what dreams may come...

 

I guess I prefer to think of the 'mystery' of life. It's what makes life so interesting, the fact that we don't completely understand everything, even down to simple matters that we take for granted - like our own brains. It would be a shame to lose that sense of wonder totally and no longer find our existence miraculous (in a non-religious kind of way).

I don't know if I believe in the standard biblical miracles like turning water into wine and parting the Red Sea, but I believe that some things are more than coincidence. Like families being reunited after many years apart, people coming out of horrific plane/car/whatever crashes without a scratch, etc.

 

I do think there's some sort of place after death where you are either rewarded for your good deeds or punished for your bad. I also believe in guardian angels, which can be considered a part of that.

 

I agree that there is an extremely large possibility that there are other life forms in the universe, considering we are just the inhabitants of one planet, in one solar system, in one galaxy.

 

I have similar beliefs to torridity. I believe in miracles. I do also however (being bought up Catholic n' all) believe in most of the Biblical miracles.

 

There is too much evidence (stories) out there proving the miracles happen everyday to not believe that they happen at all. Plus it is a great feeling to believe in something that is beyond your control :yes:

And there's an even greater feeling when you learn about that thing that's beyond your control, and come to understand it. Many incredible phenomena seem even more wonderful when you know how they work - that's what I love about science. :yes:

Miracles can not always be put down to science or something explainable though, that is what makes miracles so amazing, they are unexplainable events, beyond our control.

I guess I have to disagree with that - it's my personal opinion that there's an explanation for everything, even though it may be out of our control. It's a scientist's job to figure it out.

I didn't vote, because I have issues with the way some of the things were worded--close to what I think, but not close enough and the like.

 

Someone above mentioned, having been raised Catholic, they believe in Biblical miracles. In much the same way my own personal faith reflects my "belief" in certain things.

 

In terms of magic, following my own religion, magic (traditionally called Seiðr) is, while not a core part of it, a mentioned part. That being said, I personally don't think people are capable of practicing it. I "believe" back during the heyday of "belief" (in other words, about 700 AD until the time of Olaf Tryggvason, who sent Christian missionaries into Iceland) there may have been people with a genuine grasp of Seiðr but as no more than something shamanistic. (The sentence makes little grammatical sense, but I can't think of another way to word it.)

 

I also think anyone who says they practice Seiðr nowadays, beyond simple Runecasting and some other things is a fluffy bunny psycho who has seen "The Craft" one too many times, only don't want to call themselves Wiccans.

 

Beyond all of that, I believe in miracles to some extent, if only as unexplained phenomenon. The twelve year old in me with a wicked obsession in the paranormal also lets me hold on to a bit of "belief" in ghosts and the paranormal. Not to mention I've seem Ghost Hunters' Halloween special one too many times. =P

 

I believe in the afterlife of my religion, etc. I'll spare you a rambling on that.

 

I also think it's an arrogant ideal that we're the only living beings in the universe. So, yes, I think there are aliens, just not the little green men you see in movies. My boyfriend is a hardcore believer in the Greys, though. He's steadily trying to convert me into thinking they're real too. I'm kind of indifferent to that idea.

 

And, FINALLY, I do think UFOs are real if only because if there is an object flying in the sky that no one can identify it is, by name, a UFO. =P

I'm glad someone agrees with me. ^_^

I would also prefer to believe that some things are beyond human understanding... personally, I would rather not have an explanation for everything.

 

If you use that definition for UFOs, I guess I believe in them as well. It's the 'flying saucers' that I'm not so sure about.

Again I agree with torridity. UFO's litteral meaning makes it impossible for people not to believe in it, but I was think more along the lines of flying saucers, little green aliens, and crop circles (anyone get those, they confuse me!!??)

@ sky shadow - I really like your "scientist" attitude.

If you use that definition for UFOs, I guess I believe in them as well. It's the 'flying saucers' that I'm not so sure about.

UFO's litteral meaning makes it impossible for people not to believe in it, but I was think more along the lines of flying saucers, little green aliens, and crop circles (anyone get those, they confuse me!!??)

I was just being silly by defining UFOs like that. I know what was meant, but I'm really completely indifferent to them. I have no opinion one way or the other, partially because I never bothered to really study them in-depth, and partially because there's a lack of evidence either way.

 

Anyway, crop circles are really interesting to me. There have been instances where people have recreated some in a night, but at the same time, I do think there's something to the phenomenon. I doubt that all of them were man-made, especially the ones of largest scale.

 

Ooh! What about the Nazca Lines? Now those are interesting.