Paranormal energy (ghosts) are real.

========== INTRODUCTION ========== PRO has stated "I am now going to try to convince you that ghosts, for simpler phrase (sic), are completely and one hundred percent real." As instigator, it is his burden to prove with absolute certainty that ghosts exist. Thus, my only task is to negate his arguments. If so much as a phantom (pun intended) of a doubt can be presented against his arguments, he loses the debate. Nonetheless, because it amuses me, I will present positive evidence that ghosts do not exist. ========== AFFIRMATIVE ARGUMENTS ========== CONTENTION 1 – "Humans have believed in the occult since... well, for quite a long time." This is a fallacious argumentium ad antiquitatem, or appeal to tradition. This fallacy assumes that "older ideas are better, that the fact that an idea has been around for a while implies that it is true. This, of course, is not the case; old ideas can be bad ideas, and new ideas can be good ideas. We therefore can't learn anything about the truth of an idea just by considering how old it is."[1] For quite a long time, indeed, the Doctrine of Humors was the prevailing wisdom in medicine, the Flat Earth in Geology, and Spontaneous Generation in biology. We know now, however that these beliefs are not true. In the same way, most of what has historically been attributed to the supernatural (lightning bolts came from Zeus, Apollo drove a chariot towing the sun across the sky, etc.) have since been given rational, naturalistic explanations. CONTENTION 2 - Many religions advise against meddling in the occult. 1) Many religions advise against meddling in the occult. 2) Therefore, the occult exists This is plainly a pro causa non causa fallacy.[2] There is nothing intrinsic about religious beliefs that make them true. They must be logically justified, which PRO has not done. PRO has dumped an enormous unverified claim and implied that it is CON's burden to negate, which is clearly not the case. I could just as well cite a large body of work by naturalist philosophers who have at least as much, if not a better claim to "wisdom." Additionally, a great many religions make absurd claims. Christianity can be summed up as the belief that a woman made from a rib taken from a man made from mud was tricked into eating an apple by a talking snake, which caused a fall from grace. In order to overcome this, we must telepathically express our belief in a dead Jewish carpenter. This dead Jewish carpenter, is in fact God, who must sacrifice himself to atone for our transgressions against a law of his own making! Finally, a majority of religions are mutually exclusive (that is, if one is true, than others must not be). I must emphasize that it is NOT my burden to disprove ALL religions. PRO must provide evidence for the veracity of the claims made by at least ONE religion or by a group of religions that do not conflict. CONTENTION 3 - Argument from experience The underlying idea is that in order for something to be experienced, it must exist. Dreams, however, we experience, yet they are not "real" in the sense that they exist objectively apart from the person experiencing them. Thus, this argument fails ontologically. It also has significant logical and empirical deficiencies. The fact that 66 million Americans believe something does not make it true; this is an argumentium ad populum fallacy. Indeed, it is not only possible, but likely that 66 million Americans (the minority of the population) are, in fact, deluded. When one wishes to believe something, he is much more likely to twist reality to fit that belief. Mass delusions often take place as a result of what is called "collective wish-fulfillment."[3] In the mid 1880's, Thomas Edison conducted experiments involving wireless telegraphic communication between tethered balloons. He found that reception was better at night, so he sent up balloons with lights attached. A rumor surfaced that he was experimenting with "electric balloons" so large they could be seen all the way from the west coast. Sightings of the "Edison star" continued to be reported years after his experiments ceased. One of the most intense waves of sightings took place in 1897, which happened to correspond with the astronomical movements of the planet Venus. The airship hoax of 1909 involved the reported sightings of a revolutionary airplane made by inventor Wallace E. Tillinghast. The plane did not in fact exist. It was never built or even designed. Yet very frequent sightings were reported in Worcester, Ma. Reporters from around the world gathered. Some representatives of foreign governments even came to assess its potential military and commercial application.[3] PRO has produced zero solid evidence for the existence of ghosts. Most "sightings" involve hazy or doctored photographs in dim light that, seemingly inexplicable noises, and finicky electromagnetic fields. CONTENTION 4 - Pop culture 1) There are many books, songs, and movies about the paranormal 2) Therefore, the paranormal exists Yet another pro causa non causa fallacy.[2] This is by far the most absurd argument presented. There are hundreds of superhero movies as well, yet we know that Batman and Superman do not exist. The "Twilight" series of books does not imply the existence of vampires. The Beatles wrote a song called "I am the Walrus." Clearly, this does not mean that singer John Lennon is, in fact, a walrus. ========== THE NEGATIVE CASE ========== CONTENTION 1 – Electromagnetism Electromagnetism is a far better explanation for odd activities than "ghosts." "a relatively large amount of research has suggested a strong relationship between alleged hauntings and magnetic fields. "The variance of the local magnetic field was significantly greater in 'haunted' than 'control' areas, and there was a significant relationship between the magnetic variance and the mean number of unusual experiences reported by groups of participants. These results seem consistent with previous research suggesting a relationship between local magnetic field activity and haunt reports."[6] Some claim that the electromagnetism is in fact caused by the ghosts; however, I address this in the next argument. CONTENTION 2 – Conservation of energy PRO has given his own definition of energy, which for the sake of debate, will suffice. If the soul is "energy," supposedly an undiscovered type apart from those listed by PRO, and ghosts consist of a disembodied soul, it follows that ghosts are composed of energy. Yet, after the death of a person, their source of energy (adenosine triphosphate derived from our food through complex digestive processes) dies with them. [5] The soul, being energy, must have some source. "Ghosts" can supposedly move and make noises, and in some cases have been reported to do work, such as moving, making noises, and slamming doors. [4] All of these activities involve energy, therefore, ghosts do not exist. As I stated in my previous argument, electromagnetism provides a logical explanation for paranormal activity, however, this too falls under the category of work, and thus it is impossible that ghosts to create it unless they are themselves magnetic, in which case their every movement would still involve physical interaction (work) in the material universe. Without an energy source, this is impossible. Additionally I declare the right to present new arguments regarding such absurdities as "psychics," near death experiences, telekinesis, etc. should PRO introduce them. SOURCE(S) [1] http://www.logicalfallacies.info... [2] http://www.fallacyfiles.org... [3] http://www.theness.com... [4] http://en.wikipedia.org... [5] http://en.wikipedia.org... [6] Wiseman et al. "An investigation in alleged ‘hauntings.'" British Journal of Psycholo