Chris Carter

[[File:Chris Carter.jpg|165px|thumb|right|Chris Carter]]
{{Paranormal}}
:''No, not {{wpl|Chris_Carter_(screenwriter)|THAT Chris Carter,}} as relevant to the site as he may be. If you're looking for our page on his most famous creation, see ''[[The X-Files]]''.''
'''Christopher Carter''' is a Canadian [[philosopher]] and [[parapsychologist]]. He studied economics and [[philosophy]] at Exeter College in Oxford, [[England]].<ref>[https://www.exeter.ox.ac.uk/old-member-publishes-science-and-psychic-phenomena/ Old Member publishes Science and Psychic Phenomena]. Exeter College, 12 March 2012.</ref> He has no scientific education or qualifications, and calls any paranormal [[skeptic]] a "[[militant atheist]]".<ref>Chris Carter, ''Science and the Afterlife Experience: Evidence for the Immortality of Consciousness'' p. 14.</ref> He also supports other [[pseudoscience]] such as [[intelligent design]]. Carter has discussed parapsychology as a guest on American [[woo]] radio show [[Coast to Coast AM]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120304164008/http://www.coasttocoastam.com/guest/carter-chris/56323 Chris Carter profile] on [[Coast to Coast AM]].</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120226130412/http://www.coasttocoastam.com/show/2012/02/29 Smart Meters/Parapsychology], Coast To Coast AM, 29 February 2012.</ref>

==Parapsychology==
{{main|Parapsychology}}
Carter is known for his books on parapsychology and [[life after death]]. He takes a very dogmatic stance against [[materialism]] and repeatedly states in his books that [[consciousness]] has been proven to exist outside of the physical body, and that because of this science has disproven materialism. He attacks those who do not accept his claims, and his books are filled with ''[[ad hominem]]'' attacks against "materialist skeptics". He is known for setting up [[straw man]] arguments and equating science with materialism in his books, which has nothing to do with the supposed evidence he reports on. Despite his criticism of [[science]], Carter still slaps science in the title of his books to try and sell more copies. Carter is not honest enough to admit that what he is advocating is [[metaphysical]] — in the [[woo]] sense of the word. 

Carter's book ''Science and Psychic Phenomena'' was reviewed by writer and skeptic {{wpl|Benjamin Radford||}}, who wrote that it is "populated with mistakes; ''ad hominem'' attacks; recycled, [[PRATT|long-refuted criticisms of skeptics]]; and straw man arguments."<ref>[http://www.csicop.org/specialarticles/show/the_house_of_skeptics_serves_psi_and_crow/ The House of Skeptics Serves Psi (And Crow)]</ref> 

Carter's evidence consists of old Victorian reports of spirits being invoked in [[seance]]s, cases of [[reincarnation]], and [[near death experience]]s which he claims have scientifically proven life after death. He has never observed any of these things himself or carried out any experiments, and rejects any natural explanation for paranormal phenomena. Most of the data he cites is highly contradictory (the [[medium]]s he advocates rejected [[reincarnation]]) and has been discussed before in countless other books. Carter ignores any evidence contrary to his beliefs — he chooses to disregard [[ectoplasm]] because it was discovered in seance rooms to be the result of fraud made of butter, muslin, plastic dolls or newspaper clippings. He also rejects the [[psychological]] evidence for mediumship.

==Selective quote mining==
Carter is known for [[quote mining]] reports and moving words around. He usually uses selective quotes from early [[parapsychologist]]s and psychical researchers. For example, he quotes Cambridge philosopher {{wpl|C. D. Broad||}} on many occasions, but what he does not mention is that Broad was very critical towards some paranormal phenomena and rejected much of it. He does the same to many other scientists or researchers who have studied the paranormal, and by doing this paints a false picture of many of these scientists to his readers that they were actually believers in all paranormal phenomena. His books are also filled with [[Argumentum ad verecundiam|arguments from authority]].

==Publications==
*''Science and the Afterlife Experience: Evidence for the Immortality of Consciousness'' (2012)
*''Science and Psychic Phenomena: The Fall of the House of Skeptics'' (2012)
*''Science and the Near-Death Experience: How Consciousness Survives Death'' (2010)
*''Debating Psychic Experiences'' (2010) (contributed two articles)

==See also==
*[[Charles Tart]]

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carter, Chris}}
[[Category:Authors]]
[[Category:Canadians]]
[[Category:Creationists]]
[[Category:Parapsychology]]
[[Category:Internet kooks]]
[[Category:Pseudoscience promoters]]
[[Category:Living people]]

Categories: Authors, Canadians, Creationists, Parapsychology, Internet kooks, Pseudoscience promoters, Living people