Why are you all pretending?

[Brendy]

I am hoping to find people here who don't pretend telepathy isn't real. In my experience almost everyone can do it, but never talks about it out loud. I don't understand why.
My parents, siblings, friends, strangers, and former friends can all read my mind. They can all use my brain and therefore my body as if it was there own. In fact they can almost completly take over control of my mind. This is a very bad thing because they do this and they are not very nice about it. That's putting it mildly too.
I know you will all want me to prove this. I could easily do that too; all you would have to do is meet me. I have no interest in doing that though :rolleyes: There is alot to this story of mine and it will take a long time to tell it all. I will try to paraphrase for now and add more posts as i have time.
I welcome all "You're crazy" responses. I do that because I know either you are like me one year ago and do not know the truth, or you are pretending. A self-fulfilling prophecy that is, you say? Sounds like it, but bare with me.

First I think I need to explain some things about me. I use to consider myself a very smart person, but over the past year I have been shown I can only do a fraction of what other people can do with their minds. I have poor visualization and memory recall. I can only imagine images of say ice cream cones very vaguely. If I close my eyes right now I can only picture the computer monitor very vaguely. Alot of other people could picture the monitor like they had their eyes open the whole time.

Can you twich your muscles? I can't.
Can you make yourself feel pain or itching using only your mind? I can't
Can you make yourself feel pleasure using only your mind? I can, only weakly.
Can you imagine other people's voice's in your head not just your own? I can't.
Can you make yourself cry on cue? I can't, you get the idea.
Can you raise your own heartbeat with only your mind?
Can you make yourself fart? (this has to do with control of your muscles as well as the twitching question does)
Can you control your dreams? Are you aware you are dreaming when you dream?

Now can you do these things to other people? Can you make them see an image in their head, hear your voice in their head or twitch their muscle? Can you make another person yawn?

I can't do any of these things. It's not like i have down syndrome. I can get straight A's and race my bicycle up mountain gaps.

The problem is other people do these things to me. Most importantly they make my conscious feel pain, annoyance, anger, and completely control my muscles with my conscious having no power to override them (not all the time just when they feel like it). I have been tortured by people this way for over a year now. I've lost my job because of this and I have zero way of fighting back. What can I do when these people can see where I am at all times, day or night. Don't worry I don't have any thoughts of commiting violence or anything like that. That would only hurt me more than anything.

The other problem with other people having more control over my brain than I do, is that they can make me believe things that are not true. For a long period people were only implanting false memories in my head. But now it is just them trying annoy the crap out of me. I never thought people were so mean? I never did anything to these people.

They tried to make me kill myself for christ's sake. Many times. Of course my survival fear kicked in and they couldnt win on that. I do not see how people actually kill themselves. After all I really really wanted to for awhile, but never could.

I want to revisit the false memories for a second. There has been a court cause where a pyschologist was found guilty of implanting false memories of abuse into a patient's mind through hypnosis. But the hypnosis is only a cover for the real way it is done. Telepathy. Just google false memory implantation and you'll find alot of information on it.

Now that I know people can do that to me, and were doing that to me for hours on end almost every night, I can fight back somewhat. I just can't trust alot that is in my memory. Really sucks i must say.

I realize that I haven't introduced who these people are. They are my parents and siblings, though they have stopped messing with my head as far as I can tell. Alot of my friends who suddenly turned on me, when a few people started messing with me also messed with my head. Strangers who I don't know.

Right now It is really only three people left. Most others I think just got sick of it or maybe they felt sorry for me. I don't really know. Those three people are a former co-worker and friend Katelynn, a former roommate Wes, and a guy I met once who works at a bike shop in a nearby town ( i know he's kinda random, I don't even know his name, but somehow it got dubbed Smitty). I did not change their names to protect them because really they can go f--- themselves. Other people join in once in awhile, usually after I bounce into them.

I don't understand why all you people with telepathic powers, which is the majority of people by my sample, need to torture people who don't have the same gifts. It's no different than racism or beating up a child.

I don't even know if I am coming up with half the sentences I am typing right now or they are. In fact if they wanted to stop me from writing this they could do it very easily.

Up until year 23 of my life, i never would have believed this, but after people proved they were pyschic to me and could read my mind and use my body as if it were their own, I can look back at those 23 years of my life and see many times where I was used. ( yes, i know i cant trust all my memories, but I just KNOW some are real.)

You'd think It would be horrible to never be able to lie or hide anything and you would be right. If you met me you would know my bank account numbers, passwords to everything, ssn, ect. almost immediatly. It's a very quick process. Fortunately I only have like 200 bucks to my name so don't get too excited :)

The funny thing is I can still lie. Because you all like to pretend this isn't real. So I'm going to use it against you and lie all I want. We will both know the truth, yet we will now both be pretenders.

Now you may ask me why I don't talk about this out loud to these people. Well, they all will just make me out to be crazy.

I really wish just a few people will not pretend. If everyone just admitted the truth though, I be rich from malpractice and other lawsuits. That will not happen unfortunately.

I have had mri's and eeg's and drug tests all done. I'm all clean except for the fact I'm not telepathic and most of the rest of you are!


I am not looking for sympathy here or links to risperdal.

I just want one person that will admit it out loud!

[AnotherSillyAlias]

A psychiatrist could probably help. Talk to one.

[Brendy]

At least answer some of my questions please. thank you for your response though!

[thaiboxerken]

Ok, I'll stop pretending that I don't have superpowers. I am a super telepath, they call me the Dark Ox. I don't wear a cape, but do have a costume. Remember when you sneezed the other day and didn't know why? That was me just messing with you. Stay out of trouble and don't break any laws and you'll be safe from my powers.

[Brendy]

Do you really want to compare the possibility of telepathic powers to people wearing capes and doing superman stuff?

Engineers have designed a robotic arm that a monkey, that's not attached to it, can control using his brain waves! please google it because i'm too lazy.

[AnotherSillyAlias]

You are either:

A. A troll.
B. A very seriously deluded person.

If the answer is A., it doesn't matter what anyone here says, you're only doing this to cause trouble. Some people will enjoy feeding the troll, most will probably just ignore you.

If you fit in with the B. category, nothing anyone says here is going to make the slightest difference. You will keep your delusions until you get professional help or, failing that, keep them forever. People will either try to help you, (a futile task IMHO), or they will play with you for a while, or they will ignore you.

I have already grown bored with you, I've seen far more entertaining delusions.

[thaiboxerken]

Do you really want to compare the possibility of telepathic powers to people wearing capes and doing superman stuff?

Professor X is a telepath, so is Jean Grey. Why can't I be a telepath in a costume too?


Engineers have designed a robotic arm that a monkey, that's not attached to it, can control using his brain waves! please google it because i'm too lazy.

That was a psychic monkey named Dark Ape. He's my pet.

[Sleepy]

I had the same problem as you, my doctor gave me some pills which block other people from controlling my mind and also somehow made them stop conspiring against me. Apparently certain people have unusual brains which make them vulnerable to this sort of thing, but a bit of chemical help can bring us up to par with the rest of the crowd.

[Brendy]

Is Dark Ox's nemisis called "Light Yak"?

[Brendy]

I am not a troll

And if you think i am crazy, is there a need to make fun?

[Gate2501]

1/10

Bad Troll. Remake account and try again pls.

[Brendy]

Wow! Really?

If you believe i'm crazy fine, i'm not offended. But this was a serious post and I go through this stuff everyday.

And I'm not blaming you guys for anything. I've never met any of you, so don't take what i say personal.

[Brendy]

Do you really want to compare the possibility of telepathic powers to people wearing capes and doing superman stuff?

Engineers have designed a robotic arm that a monkey, that's not attached to it, can control using his brain waves! please google it because i'm too lazy.

I must correct myself. Apparently electrodes were planted in the monkey's head, so there was contact. Nevermind ignore that post.

[thaiboxerken]

Is Dark Ox's nemisis called "Light Yak"?

You know him? He's out there and I'm going to catch him. He's lurking right next to your telepathetic fantasies.

[LostAngeles]

I can't control other people's minds either. I bet a lot of people here can't.

No one is controlling my mind (but if someone is, would you mind getting the test answers out of my professor's head and putting them into my brain for tomorrow, please? Thanks). I have some difficulty controlling my own mind sometimes though. But I've got doctors helping me with that. Maybe they could help you too?

[Complexity]

I call 'troll'.

Plunk.

[Ateius]

Can you twich your muscles?
I can make my muscles move in small or large increments as I desire.

Can you make yourself feel pain or itching using only your mind?
No. If I have pain (i.e. a papercut) or an itch, and am distracted to the point where I don't notice the pain, it will return with a vengeance if I stop being distracted again, but I'm not creating it myself.

Can you make yourself feel pleasure using only your mind?
That's a very vague term. If I think about happy things, I can attain a pleasure of sorts (the pleasure of being happy), which is a natural reaction of the body. I can't will myself to an orgasm or anything.

Can you imagine other people's voice's in your head not just your own?
Sure. I can imagine lots of things.

Can you make yourself cry on cue?
No, but if I think about sad/emotionally charged memories long enough I can get a few tears. It's hardly "on cue", however, and is an entirely natural reaction.

Can you raise your own heartbeat with only your mind?
If I think about very scary or worrisome things, I might get a slight increase from adrenaline or somesuch. Again, this is just the way the body works.

Can you make yourself fart?
No, but I know this cool trick to swallow a mouthful of air and then belch on cue!

Can you control your dreams? Are you aware you are dreaming when you dream?
This is - whatsit. Lucid Dreaming? Someone else remind me. There's books on the thing. And yeah, once in a while I'll realize I'm dreaming. I haven't read any Lucid Dreaming books, so I don't know how you're supposed to take control of the dream, but I've managed it once or twice. Said dreams became infinitely more fun. :D

Now can you do these things to other people? Can you make them see an image in their head, hear your voice in their head or twitch their muscle? Can you make another person yawn?
If I describe an image, a person will form an image of it in their mind's eye. How close it is to what I'm envisioning depends on how well I can explain myself. I can't put my voice "in their head" any further than the eardrums. I cannot control the muscle movement of others.

I can make someone yawn, though! All I have to do is yawn first.


In conclusion: Make an appointment with a psychiatrist. Make a series of appointments.

[Empress]

If this is a joke: yes, I've read "Crook Frightfulness", too. Amusing read, though sad, since the author didn't realize he was schizophrenic.

If this is for real: consult your physician immediately. He can help.

[Akhenaten]

I'm definitely telepathic. At least that's what the voices in my head told me.

[Niobe]

No. If I have pain (i.e. a papercut) or an itch, and am distracted to the point where I don't notice the pain, it will return with a vengeance if I stop being distracted again, but I'm not creating it myself.

I don't know, look back at your dating record and ask yourself that question again :)


My parents, siblings, friends, strangers, and former friends can all read my mind. They can all use my brain and therefore my body as if it was there own.
That's not creepy at all.


Sounds like it, but bare with me (http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/bare.html).

I see how that mind control works now.

[kitakaze]

I made it through the first two paragraphs of the OP. I needed to be reminded about what we were pretending. Then I felt my head start to explode. And I remembered.

I am pretending telepathy is not real because I have seen 'Scanners'. Did you see that with the blood, and the veins, and the eyeballs, and the heads exploding? I, my friend, prefer my head unexploded and so I pretend. Don't let your head explode too, OK?

[ush]

If you guys managed to read the opening post in its entirety I applaud you. The post was so obviously contrived that I got bored at the fourth paragraph.

[lionking]

If you are not a troll (and my money is on troll) what sort of constructive outcome do you expect from posting on a skeptics forum?

[-Fran-]

I am hoping to find people here who don't pretend telepathy isn't real. In my experience almost everyone can do it, but never talks about it out loud.

I thought that was funny! That telepathic people doesn't talk about it out loud :D

[Small Town Jesus]

I think you guys are missing something. Brendy didn't make the the OP, whoever it is controlling his brain telepathically made him do it.

Now own up, which one of you was it?

[calebprime]

I am not a troll

And if you think i am crazy, is there a need to make fun?


If this is a joke: yes, I've read "Crook Frightfulness", too. Amusing read, though sad, since the author didn't realize he was schizophrenic.

If this is for real: consult your physician immediately. (She)* can help.

what Atieus said. what Sleepy said. what Empress said.

*my little joke.

[Gr8wight]

please google it because i'm too lazy.

Dead giveaway. This is a regular (rule8)ing with us.

[Tumblehome]

I am hoping to find people here who don't pretend telepathy isn't real...<schnipp>...I just want one person that will admit it out loud!


I don't pretend that telepathy isn't real, and I admit it out loud.

Now what?

[Empress]

I think you guys are missing something. Brendy didn't make the the OP, whoever it is controlling his brain telepathically made him do it.

Now own up, which one of you was it?

All right. I admit it. It was me. I've been toying with the idea of writing a best-selling book, but it seems like a lot of work, so I chanced on the idea of getting Brendy to do it for me.

After reading the post, alas. I realize I need to work on my psychic ability to get my victim to write coherently or it'll never be a best-seller.

Sigh. Why must I be so lazy? :(

[Empress]

what Atieus said. what Sleepy said. what Empress said.

*my little joke.

:)

As a feminist, I approve your change.

[Ladewig]

Please seek help, Brendy. You don't have to live like this. Telepathy is not real and you have no reason to fear it.

[Locknar]

I know you will all want me to prove this. I could easily do that too; all you would have to do is meet me. I have no interest in doing that though :rolleyes: What a shock; another person with no interest in proving paranormal/psychic ability while claiming it exists. To funny.

Holy delusions Batman!

[kosai]

I know you will all want me to prove this. I could easily do that too; all you would have to do is meet me. I have no interest in doing that though

You aren't going to sway many opinions here with that attitude. Why not come up with an experiment that can work from far away? Is this "mind control" you speak of limited to one's zip code? state? country? What are the limitations to the powers you believe to exist?

[calebprime]

:)

As a feminist, I approve your change.

:):D

As a naive realist, I'm not sure if language molds reality. But language sure follows reality, and most of the doctors in my life are women.

[Showmeproof]

::yawns:::

[ExMinister]

Brendy, what Sleepy said is good advice. You say when you share these things with other people they think you're crazy; that's rude of people to say, but what they may be sensing is that your claims sound very similar to the claims of people diagnosed with various chemical imbalances. Most everyone with chemical imbalance of this type believes as strongly as you do that the same types of events are happening to them and that other people are pretending or deceiving them about what they know and/or are doing. So no, you are not the only one. If you talk to your family physician and tell him/her these things, they will not call you crazy but they will understand about chemical imbalance, which is a rather common occurence that is probably making your life otherwise very unhappy. To call someone crazy is wrong; to recognize the signs that something like this is going on, talk to your physician (just in case - what do you have to lose?) and try a medication to get the chemicals in your mind/body back in order, may help a great deal. Just my two cents.

[quarky]

Zelig on meth?

[Locknar]

Brendy, what Sleepy said is good advice. You say when you share these things with other people they think you're crazy; that's rude of people to say, but what they may be sensing is that your claims sound very similar to the claims of people diagnosed with various chemical imbalances. Most everyone with chemical imbalance of this type believes as strongly as you do that the same types of events are happening to them and that other people are pretending or deceiving them about what they know and/or are doing. So no, you are not the only one. If you talk to your family physician and tell him/her these things, they will not call you crazy but they will understand about chemical imbalance, which is a rather common occurence that is probably making your life otherwise very unhappy. To call someone crazy is wrong; to recognize the signs that something like this is going on, talk to your physician (just in case - what do you have to lose?) and try a medication to get the chemicals in your mind/body back in order, may help a great deal. Just my two cents.All that for only two cents? :)

Kidding aside, nicely said...perhaps Brendy will take note.

[fuelair]

I do not pretend telepathy is not real.
A)I have experimented (in my misspent youth) with several forms of ESP and determined neither I nor the persons cooperating with me exhibited same in any form,
B)Have read the material on both sides and have found no evidence that it has ever been successfully demonstrated in anything that passes any reasonable standard for control in the scientific definition/meaning of that word.

It is not pretence to say there is no indication that it works, therefore I do not pretend to believe it doesn't work. It just doesn't.

Feel free to prove me wrong in a carefully controlled demonstration that precludes any fraud or misinterpretation.

[Wings]

Brendy, I believe you completely. Even if all current tests have shown that telepathy doesn't perform any better than chance, even if everyone else doesn't believe you, I will.

I have a story to share.

One day, about a fortnight ago, I was in my bed asleep when I heard a voice in my head. It was a soft and soothing voice that brought all of my fears to rest. The voice spoke to me of things natural and unnatural, things that I couldn't even conceive of in my deepest dreams and greatest nightmares.

It told me of the old ones, and when they will rise from the deep.

[Moochie]

As many have already stated, see a doctor.

M.

[Brattus]

Hey Everybody! Look at what I'm making Brendy do now! HAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!
Dance Brendy Dance!!!!!!!! HAHAHHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[thaiboxerken]

I tell Brendy what she wants to hear, and she thinks I'm lying about it. Why?

[ferj]

You give psychics and trolls a bad name. Go away, or I ,ll give you a telepathic thrashing you,ll never forget.

[Ateius]

I don't know, look back at your dating record and ask yourself that question again :)

Oh, ouch. :p Someone's telepathic! Are you making me ruin my love life? ;)

[fuelair]

Brendy, I believe you completely. Even if all current tests have shown that telepathy doesn't perform any better than chance, even if everyone else doesn't believe you, I will.

I have a story to share.

One day, about a fortnight ago, I was in my bed asleep when I heard a voice in my head. It was a soft and soothing voice that brought all of my fears to rest. The voice spoke to me of things natural and unnatural, things that I couldn't even conceive of in my deepest dreams and greatest nightmares.

It told me of the old ones, and when they will rise from the deep.
Ia, Ia Cthulhu. Rise Shub-Nigurrath that all shall wail and weep that are your feast. From cold, long dead Ryleh rise and your Will be done and darkness rule these lands!!

[fuelair]

As many have already stated, see a doctor.

M.Oooh, oooh, I know! Ask me!!! It's Dr. Johnny Fever she needs to see!! Yeah, see me be telepathic!!! I knew it!! That was it, that's who she needs to see, un-huh yep, I'm rigght!!!!!:D









Or was it Dr. Seuss? ("Paging Dr. Howard, Dr. Fine, Dr. Howard!!")

[Ron_Tomkins]

I welcome all "You're crazy" responses.

Okay:


You're crazy.






Anytime.

[JoeTheJuggler]

I'm definitely telepathic. At least that's what the voices in my head told me.
I know you're teasing because otherwise you would have spelled it "definately".

[JoeTheJuggler]

You give psychics and trolls a bad name. Go away, or I ,ll give you a telepathic thrashing you,ll never forget.
He has exactly the same amount of psychic power that you have, and I suspect he's also just as trollish.

[Safe-Keeper]

Brendy, look at it this way. If you're right and others are controlling you, and you see a psychiatrist and it doesn't help, your case is stronger. If we are right, and you're suffering from some sort of paranoid delusion, and you see a psychiatrist and you get cured, all the better.

So really - what do you have to lose? Posting here and taking flak from these people won't help you one bit. Getting actual help does. Getting help for your brain is no different than getting help for a knee, ear or lung. Despite the stigma (see this thread), it really is no big deal. I know - I've been hospitalized for major depression.

[thaiboxerken]

I can beat Ferj in any psychic challenge, ANY. No psychic has more psychic powers than I do.

[X]

No psychic has more psychic powers than I do.

And yet you don't even know when you yourself are being controlled by a more powerful mind. You probably think those words are your own, don't you?

By the way, you really should clean out your cerebellum. It's a mess.

[nzric]

He's a troll. The OP was way too lucid for him to be delusional. Too much punctuation too.

btw - Brendy, the eagle soars at midnight. Clocks tick. The president will be in the second car in the motorcade. :hypnotize

[thaiboxerken]

;3532791']And yet you don't even know when you yourself are being controlled by a more powerful mind. You probably think those words are your own, don't you?

By the way, you really should clean out your cerebellum. It's a mess.

You only thinking because I imperil a false memory in your mind.

[Zep]

Heh heh heh! *rubs hands together* My evil plan is working! Dance, my puppets!

[DRBUZZ0]

Wow! Really?

If you believe i'm crazy fine, i'm not offended. But this was a serious post and I go through this stuff everyday.

And I'm not blaming you guys for anything. I've never met any of you, so don't take what i say personal.

I don't know you and I don't know if you're crazy or making this up or believe it or whatever. However, it sounds to me like you are very bothered by the perception that others somehow have control of your thoughts or your mind.

Have you talked to a psychologist or psychiatrist about this? I'm not trying to write you off and simply say "you're crazy" but obviously these are the people who make a living studying the mind and helping people with issues involving thinking or emotions.

I think it would be worth talking to someone if only to help you sort things out. It can be constructive and it's not abnormal to talk to someone. It doesn't make you a nut to speak to someone about how you feel and things which stress you out.


As for "pretending." I am not. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt if you'll do the same for me. I'm not pretending or lying: I am very convinced that telepathy is not a real phenomena based on all the avaliable research, attempted and established science.


That being said, it can be a convincing illusion. There are some people who might at times make you feel like they can read your mind because they are very good at observing your manner or non-verbal cues. There are also people who can seem to have an ability to make you feel uncomfortable, scared, upset or happy simply by using the power of suggestion. This is not anything magic, but in the correct context, one might think there is some kind of power they have. It's a combination of illusions, salesmanship and being a smooth talker.


Again, this is something a psychologist or psychiatrist might be able to help with. Sometimes dwelling on the same subject on one's own can lead to repetitive thinking and worrying and really doesn't get you anywhere.

I'd highly suggest that you should give a professional a try and see if maybe they could give some incite and help you better sort this out.

[creativecritter41]

It's so not fun now that Brendy has dropped out. Why did she do that? .....

[kosai]

It's so not fun now that Brendy has dropped out. Why did she do that? .....

Sorry, that was me.

[creativecritter41]

I don't know you and I don't know if you're crazy or making this up or believe it or whatever. However, it sounds to me like you are very bothered by the perception that others somehow have control of your thoughts or your mind.

Have you talked to a psychologist or psychiatrist about this? I'm not trying to write you off and simply say "you're crazy" but obviously these are the people who make a living studying the mind and helping people with issues involving thinking or emotions.

I think it would be worth talking to someone if only to help you sort things out. It can be constructive and it's not abnormal to talk to someone. It doesn't make you a nut to speak to someone about how you feel and things which stress you out.


As for "pretending." I am not. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt if you'll do the same for me. I'm not pretending or lying: I am very convinced that telepathy is not a real phenomena based on all the avaliable research, attempted and established science.


That being said, it can be a convincing illusion. There are some people who might at times make you feel like they can read your mind because they are very good at observing your manner or non-verbal cues. There are also people who can seem to have an ability to make you feel uncomfortable, scared, upset or happy simply by using the power of suggestion. This is not anything magic, but in the correct context, one might think there is some kind of power they have. It's a combination of illusions, salesmanship and being a smooth talker.


Again, this is something a psychologist or psychiatrist might be able to help with. Sometimes dwelling on the same subject on one's own can lead to repetitive thinking and worrying and really doesn't get you anywhere.

I'd highly suggest that you should give a professional a try and see if maybe they could give some incite and help you better sort this out.

Holy *****!!! And I thought I was anal and judgmental.. Separate yourself from the... ummmmm... subject.

[creativecritter41]

Sorry, that was me.

I'd like to give you credit.. but I keep searching and searching and you don't come into play... :eek:

[Loss Leader]

He's a troll. The OP was way too lucid for him to be delusional. Too much punctuation too.




If so, he's a troll that took some time to learn about psychology. He described almost textbook symptoms of schizophrenia. The age at which it started (23) was also realistic.

But he wrote lucidly. His thoughts were not disjointed and he didn't demonstrate loose associations. He appeared to be able to correctly detect and respond to the emotions of others.

I give him a 9 out of 10 on the troll-probability scale where Darat is a 2 and Jerome da Gnome is a 14.

[creativecritter41]

Get over it.. he has no idea about psychology and neither do you. He described something text book.. what does that say to you? ....... still waiting..

[ExMinister]

If so, he's a troll that took some time to learn about psychology. He described almost textbook symptoms of schizophrenia. The age at which it started (23) was also realistic.

But he wrote lucidly. His thoughts were not disjointed and he didn't demonstrate loose associations. He appeared to be able to correctly detect and respond to the emotions of others.

I give him a 9 out of 10 on the troll-probability scale where Darat is a 2 and Jerome da Gnome is a 14.

He did describe textbook paranoid schizophrenic symptoms, including feeling persecuted and the idea that these others were manipulating him in destructive ways, as when he said they were influencing him to "kill himself." That set off an alarm with me. I hope you guys are right that he/she is a troll. Otherwise, the OP is just sad.

[Apology]

If telepathy worked, then Brendy would have gotten professional help instead of posting this thread. You see, I am telepathic and psychic, ergo I knew Brendy was going to post this thread a month ago, and instructed Brendy telepathically to consult a psychiatrist instead. If Brendy had heard my telepathic orders circa a month ago we would not be reading this thread now, would we?

[AnotherSillyAlias]

If telepathy worked, then Brendy would have gotten professional help instead of posting this thread. You see, I am telepathic and psychic, ergo I knew Brendy was going to post this thread a month ago, and instructed Brendy telepathically to consult a psychiatrist instead. If Brendy had heard my telepathic orders circa a month ago we would not be reading this thread now, would we?


Unless, of course, somebody with much greater telepathic power than you countermanded that order and issued new ones.

The psychic pixies that live in the centre of the Earth, who communicate with me regularly, tell me this is quite possible.

[Brattus]

I am hoping to find people here who don't pretend telepathy isn't real. In my experience almost everyone can do it, but never talks about it out loud.

Well first off if everyone was telepathic no one would need to speak anything at all.
Second if everyone was telepathic there would be no need for forums, type chat or even the Internet.
So typing in a Internet forum about how everyone is telepathic but never talks about it kind of kills your entire idea about that before it even starts.

[rjh01]

I thought that some people were being harsh to Beady until I read the second half of the OP. Then I knew the answer. This is a person who has either tried to kill himself or had suicidal thoughts.

[Normal Dude]

I have a confession to make.. I am not using a computer at this moment. I am telepathically entering my thoughts into the forum. However, my personal code dictates that I only use my powers for inane stuff. Sorry.

Oh, rjh01 on a completely unrelated note, I checked with my vision professor about that visual condition you were talking about: he could not say what it was, he would have needed more information.

[Brendy]

I thought that some people were being harsh to Beady until I read the second half of the OP. Then I knew the answer. This is a person who has either tried to kill himself or had suicidal thoughts.

So you think its ok to be harsh to people with suicidle thoughts? I hope I read your post wrong.
The only reason I had those thoughts because I had constant pain in my body, constant voices yelling in my head, and the newfound knowledge that it would never end. Suicide's not really something to make fun of.

Anyways I left because I was busy yesterday, sleeping :). To answer you guys, I have been to a doctor and i have taken different medications.

It has never helped.

If i am crazy I must say, my mind is very creative. I wish i could tape record what goes on in my head.

So if doctors and medication do nothing, It is much better for me to just believe its all real because in my mind I know its real. There is no doubt to me.

The reason I come to forum's to talk about it is that it's not embarrising to talk online. None of you know me and I like it that way. I expected harsh responses.

But i hope some of you don't think you're insults will get to me. I've been through worse and can handle it.

[Brendy]

Well first off if everyone was telepathic no one would need to speak anything at all.
Second if everyone was telepathic there would be no need for forums, type chat or even the Internet.
So typing in a Internet forum about how everyone is telepathic but never talks about it kind of kills your entire idea about that before it even starts.

No it doesn't. As far as I know, you have to have met a person to communicate with them. Though I don't know at what distance would be considered "met"

Also I can't tell who is really who, because they can easily do each other's voices in my head. Just like you can imagine another person's voice in your head, they can do that in mine. The only way to solve this problem is to talk out loud. That way you know who you are talking to.

The biggest problem that my story has is that no one talks about telepathy outloud. Not in movies, tv, or just in regular life. Bascially I have an explaination for everything else.

However Native Americans accepted telepathy as real. Of course they believed also in some weird stuff. Not much weirder than alot of the religions today.

I don't beleive in God. And I can't understand how people can believe in stuff like creationism ect..

But i beleive in telepathy lol

I'm also a liberal democrat does that also make me crazy?

[Brendy]

He did describe textbook paranoid schizophrenic symptoms, including feeling persecuted and the idea that these others were manipulating him in destructive ways, as when he said they were influencing him to "kill himself." That set off an alarm with me. I hope you guys are right that he/she is a troll. Otherwise, the OP is just sad.

I can take about this like a normal person because I'm not always going through horrible things. Most of the time now there is just one voice in my head.

Now take this idea: What if some of those people you consider schizophrenic are really just being persecuted like me? As far as i'm conserned that's what is happening to some of them.

[Brendy]

If so, he's a troll that took some time to learn about psychology. He described almost textbook symptoms of schizophrenia. The age at which it started (23) was also realistic.

But he wrote lucidly. His thoughts were not disjointed and he didn't demonstrate loose associations. He appeared to be able to correctly detect and respond to the emotions of others.

I give him a 9 out of 10 on the troll-probability scale where Darat is a 2 and Jerome da Gnome is a 14.

Even if i was schizophrenic, people have earned noble prizes who have that. Lucidity means nothing here.

This is the last "is he a troll" post i will respond too.

[AnotherSillyAlias]

I'm also a liberal democrat does that also make me crazy?

How do you know you are? The psychic pixies who, even as I type this, are communicating with me via coded vibrations in my wine glass, (too much telepathic coms gives me a headache), and have told me that, just for a prank, they are making you believe all sorts of weird things.

They have a wicked sense of humour.

[Brendy]

Brendy, look at it this way. If you're right and others are controlling you, and you see a psychiatrist and it doesn't help, your case is stronger. If we are right, and you're suffering from some sort of paranoid delusion, and you see a psychiatrist and you get cured, all the better.

So really - what do you have to lose? Posting here and taking flak from these people won't help you one bit. Getting actual help does. Getting help for your brain is no different than getting help for a knee, ear or lung. Despite the stigma (see this thread), it really is no big deal. I know - I've been hospitalized for major depression.

I don't know why you all assumed I haven't gotten help before. I do appriacate your very polite response.

I volunteered to have myself commited for a short while you guys. I'm not stupid.

My first visit to the hospital only made it worse.

First off, I was let go at work because I couldnt concentrate on my work. So on the drive home I couldnt concentrate either and almost ran out of gas. Nothing really was going my way. Then I go to the hospital.

The doctor convinced me in my head that he was going to kill me. Then he gave me pills. Can you imagine the feeling of laying in bed knowing that you are going to die very soon.
They were only some kind of pill that put me to sleep, but when i woke up, damn, they made up for lost time let me tell you.

Now that I loook back on it, some of it is pretty funny. I was given a memory test. THey told me to remember three things that they told me. One was "a red truck", maybe one was "umbrella" i dont know. And then 5 mintues later they asked me what they were. The funny thing was during those five minutes I had one person talking to me outloud, and like a billion words being spoken to me in my head. There was no way I would remember. So the katelynn voice told me the exact words to say.

One week in what was like a rehab/looniebin kinda place. That was the most boring week ever. What did they do. Let's continue your medication! Great. That's work so well so far. (note sarcasm) I couldn't wait to leave.

The only way to cure my problem would be a thick lead enclosure. No not a tin foil hat, that's not think enough and wont stop the electromagnetic waves from their brain reaching mine. At least i'm a smart and funny "alleged" crazy guy.

[Brendy]

How do you know you are? The psychic pixies who, even as I type this, are communicating with me via coded vibrations in my wine glass, (too much telepathic coms gives me a headache), and have told me that, just for a prank, they are making you believe all sorts of weird things.

They have a wicked sense of humour.


To answer your question, I don't really know who I am anymore.



I like how you all exaggerate about pixies and supervillian powers, when all i'm really talking about is telepathy.
These people i'm talking about doing stuff to me are real humans. And since most people can do what they can, i'm not talking about special people.

Wouldn't telepathy be the next step in human evolution?

We can send information through the air with radio waves ect. with the use of technology. So is it so hard to believe that human's will develop the ability to send information using electromagnetic radiation in their brains?

Bat's can use a radar like organ. Why can't humans use brain wave's to communicate?

You all act like the idea of telepathy is so far fetched, but the concept is entirely plausible from a physics standpoint.

[Brendy]

What a shock; another person with no interest in proving paranormal/psychic ability while claiming it exists. To funny.

Holy delusions Batman!

I'd be more than happy to do it. But no one will do it with me, they'd rather just **** with me.

I can't prove telepathy alone. I can't do it. Other's are doing it to me.

[Brendy]

You aren't going to sway many opinions here with that attitude. Why not come up with an experiment that can work from far away? Is this "mind control" you speak of limited to one's zip code? state? country? What are the limitations to the powers you believe to exist?

The limitations as far as I know are:

1)My mind is weaker than most, so not everyone can read everyone else's mind and control them in this way.

2)The brain wave's (i dont know how it is done) seem to be moving near the speed of light. So I would say brain wave's would be electromagnetic radiation. I say this because the people react to things i do very quickly. So you could read my mind from anywhere in the world.

One of the person's that i hear lives in a neighbooring state and I don't notice any delay.

There are little things that prove this is real to me. The voice says they will make my ear itch. So now my ear itchs. Then they switch it to my nose. They will keep going for awhile doing differnt places. Then they say stop and nothing itchs. That's how they proved it was real to me. Now I have never been able to make myself itch before. So i'm supposed to believe my brain just has this power now that i'm crazy? And no there wasnt bugs on me or something.


I frankly don't want to meet any new people that's why i said i had no desire to meet any of you. I have yet to meet one person that has done anything nice to me telepathically. However, the people who do nothing are being nice. That's all i ask, just leave my head alone. I've never hurt a soul in my life. I don't deserve it.

[jmontecillo01]

I am not looking for sympathy here or links to risperdal.

Risperdal is an anti -psychotic drug so it shows that you know what you are talking about. I am a regular here and most of the members here must know that I suffer from schizoprenia-affective.

I haven't really read the whole thread but what you are describing are symptoms of schiz. Mental illness is one of the most difficult illness that we know. Suicides are common. Broken relationships, loss of friends and love ones. etc. Aside from that, the social stigma associated with the illness causes patients to avoid people, the social life suffers, etc. People makes fun of you behind your back.

One of the casualties of my illness is my marriage. I could not work, so I had to sell everything that I own, my car, my home. For a while, I had nowhere to live.

But not everything is a total loss. Some of the delusions thought me things that I would have not known otherwise.

For example, telepathy.

If a person has such an ability, would he keep it to himself, or would he share it. If his wife knows that he can read minds, would she be comfortable in knowing that she is eyeing the hunk across the street. If his son knows that his father knows what he is doing in his room with a playboy in his hand, will he be comfortable with it.

In short, if that person made his abilities known, his life would suffer. He is bound to loose his love ones as they will never be comfortable living with him.

What you are saying has merits but do not dwell on it. Just think of it as just aa mental challenge. See a p-doctor so that if you have a problem, that problem can be address by proper medications.

My first episode was way back 1988. It was only 4 years ago that the proper medication was found for me. I enrolled back to a Uni and now trying to learn new things in the IT industry.

[kosai]

The limitations as far as I know are:

1)My mind is weaker than most, so not everyone can read everyone else's mind and control them in this way.

2)The brain wave's (i dont know how it is done) seem to be moving near the speed of light. So I would say brain wave's would be electromagnetic radiation. I say this because the people react to things i do very quickly. So you could read my mind from anywhere in the world.


Thank you for your reply. In an effort to stay open minded, I know what would convince me that telepathy, in your case, does exist. (A test in which you know something you can't possibly have known such as information sealed in an envelope, but is known to a "sender.") However, I ask that you also keep an open mind, what would prove to you that these powers do not exist? If you are unwilling to accept that possibility it will be difficult for anyone here to help you.

[Pixel42]

My first episode was way back 1988. It was only 4 years ago that the proper medication was found for me.
I would urge you, Brendy, to pay particular attention to this comment from a fellow sufferer. I'm sorry that your doctors have not yet found the right medicine to relieve your symptoms, but that does not mean that no such medicine exists. Please keep seeking medical help. Do not conclude that the failure to find such a medicine so far means that your symptoms are a true reflection of reality. They are not, and one day when you are on the right medication you will be as sure of that as I am.

[Brendy]

Thank you for your reply. In an effort to stay open minded, I know what would convince me that telepathy, in your case, does exist. (A test in which you know something you can't possibly have known such as information sealed in an envelope, but is known to a "sender.") However, I ask that you also keep an open mind, what would prove to you that these powers do not exist? If you are unwilling to accept that possibility it will be difficult for anyone here to help you.


The problem is, there is no way for anyone to convince me what I believe is not real. I have researched schizophrenia. Before all this happened I thought i was a rational person and right now the only rational explanation I can come up with is that telepathy is real or i'm seriously schizophrenic (But my mind won't let me believe that)

To be honest, i came to this forum by accident. I googled "telepathy forums" and this one popped up. I posted without reading the other threads. If i had known that this was a "skeptics forum" I would not have posted here. That was my mistake. Though I think I will enjoy this forum because I am also a skeptic on many other things. I need proof myself. I would love to talk about other things like religion, politics, and the such here. My experience however has forced me to be more open-minded to things I don't believe. I can't dismiss something outright without being a hypocrit because before I was 23 I would have never believed someone who wrote what i did in the opening post.

Let's say i am crazy. I don't mind that term.

There is no way to prove that my delusions are not real because one of my delusions is that most people are pretending out loud that that telepathy isnt real. A definite catch-22.

Well, ok, if a medicine could make all the voices and thoughts i believe are being transmitted to me go away then it would be proven to me. I haven't found that yet.

[technoextreme]

There is no way to prove that my delusions are not real because one of my delusions is that most people are pretending out loud that that telepathy isnt real. A definite catch-22.
Well we aren't pretending and we sure as hell are real so please go get help.

[Lothian]

My parents, siblings, friends, strangers, and former friends can all read my mind. They can all use my brain and therefore my body as if it was there own. In fact they can almost completly take over control of my mind. Have you tried wrapping tin foil round your head ? I have heard that it can stop people from reading your mind.

[Aepervius]

Ia, Ia Cthulhu. Rise Shub-Nigurrath that all shall wail and weep that are your feast. From cold, long dead Ryleh rise and your Will be done and darkness rule these lands!!

Ia, Ia Cthulhu !
Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn !

[ExMinister]

Brendy, I'm glad you're still posting here, and welcome.

I have a very close friend diagnosed with schizophrenia who tells a story that is incredibly similar to yours and she also believed the doctors (and her own family) were trying to poison her with the medication when she first starting taking it.

You could leave here and probably fairly easily find a group of people who will not understand schizophrenic symptomatology and will back up your belief in telepathy, but what good will that do? What will it change for you? You are the one who is going to suffer with the voices (which,as you have shared with us, are not always so helpful and nice) unless you take the initiative and insist that someone gives you a medication that will help you.

I'm not a doctor and I can't know for sure if you have a schizophrenic type problem or not, so this is just one person's opinion. I am also not judging you as crazy; as I said in my first post, that's just mean. But to me your symptoms are just such classic symptoms of schizophrenia, and, if so, believing that people (including doctors, as you mentioned) are trying to harm you is part of the problem, so it could take a lot of courage for you to get the help you need. With the right medication, you will be relieved to find that you no longer believe this. Like my friend, you will also be happy to find that people will no longer be able to "control" you or interject thoughts in your mind in any way. Go back to a hospital and try this as an experiment if nothing else. See if I'm right (and my friend whose experience was similar to yours is right) and the others lose their telepathic control over you!

If you'll just hang in there until you've found a medication that works, you can potentially have your whole life back. You'll be able to work, maintain a relationship, and you will be able to put things into better perspective. It sounds to me like you have a good mind, you enjoy critical thinking, and you just have the misfortune of having a schizophrenic disorder that needs to be treated before you can move forward in your life. Again, just one person's concerned opinion.

Good luck, Brendy!

[ExMinister]

(double post)

[Miss Whiplash]

Brendy, you asked us to bare with you. I've been sitting here half clothed waiting for the next move. If you really had telepathy, you would know this.

TEASE!

[Foster Zygote]

Professor X is a telepath, so is Jean Grey. Why can't I be a telepath in a costume too?

"It starts with a costume. Next thing you know you're flying a jet shaped like a skull with lasers on the front."

The Monarch

[kosai]

The problem is, there is no way for anyone to convince me what I believe is not real. I have researched schizophrenia. Before all this happened I thought i was a rational person and right now the only rational explanation I can come up with is that telepathy is real or i'm seriously schizophrenic (But my mind won't let me believe that)

To be honest, i came to this forum by accident. I googled "telepathy forums" and this one popped up. I posted without reading the other threads. If i had known that this was a "skeptics forum" I would not have posted here. That was my mistake. Though I think I will enjoy this forum because I am also a skeptic on many other things. I need proof myself. I would love to talk about other things like religion, politics, and the such here. My experience however has forced me to be more open-minded to things I don't believe. I can't dismiss something outright without being a hypocrit because before I was 23 I would have never believed someone who wrote what i did in the opening post.

Let's say i am crazy. I don't mind that term.

There is no way to prove that my delusions are not real because one of my delusions is that most people are pretending out loud that that telepathy isnt real. A definite catch-22.

Well, ok, if a medicine could make all the voices and thoughts i believe are being transmitted to me go away then it would be proven to me. I haven't found that yet.

Well, as I said, if you can't be convinced that it's not real then you've made your mind up. No one can convince you that what you are describing isn't the way the real world works so you may want to move on to a "psychic support forum" where you will find others who see the world the way that you do. However, I think you've accidentally found a good resource if you are willing to listen. Think logically about a test that should be possible if these powers you believe in existed. One should be able to transmit information using those powers. That would be easy enough to test, and if by some slim chance you are right there is even a million dollar prize in it for you.

Now, the other option, you are "seriously schizophrenic." The symptoms you are describing match almost every criteria for this, also the age in which these symptoms began are in line with that diagnosis. You are now building stops in your mind to support your delusions, such as a mass conspiracy to just make you feel crazy, this is not healthy.

Have you tried wrapping tin foil round your head ? I have heard that it can stop people from reading your mind.

I think this guy is suffering from a mental illness, he hasn't shown any hostility so can we spare him ridicule?

[Foster Zygote]

Ia, Ia Cthulhu !
Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn !

Cthulhu fhtagn!

[Locknar]

Brendy, you asked us to bare with you. I've been sitting here half clothed waiting for the next move. If you really had telepathy, you would know this.

TEASE!I wish I had telepathy...I wish I had telepathy!

[ExMinister]

I wish I had telepathy...I wish I had telepathy!

:D Tsk...tsk...

[Fnord]

Why are you all pretending?
I am hoping to find people here who don't pretend telepathy isn't real. In my experience almost everyone can do it, but never talks about it out loud. I don't understand why.
My parents, siblings, friends, strangers, and former friends can all read my mind...

Doctor Sandman!

Paging Doctor Sandman!

Doctor Sandman to Ward Eight, please.

Doctor Sandman to Ward Eight!

[roger]

There is no way to prove that my delusions are not real because one of my delusions is that most people are pretending out loud that that telepathy isnt real. A definite catch-22.Actually, there is. You said yourself that being shielded with lead would stop the mind control. Hospitals have lead shielding for things like their x-ray rooms. A quick visit to a hospital should sort this out for you.

There are also things called Faraday cages. Google them. They are used to stop ALL electromagnetic transmissions. The military uses them to establish security for their computers, for just one example, so they work very, very well at this. These are quite trivial to construct, or to find.

You can get an answer to this, if you really want to.

[thaiboxerken]

Anyways I left because I was busy yesterday, sleeping ...

That's what you think. Mwahahahhahah!

[thaiboxerken]

I like how you all exaggerate about pixies and supervillian powers, when all i'm really talking about is telepathy.

Telepathy is a superpower. You may as well say "all I'm talking about is invulnerability."


These people i'm talking about doing stuff to me are real humans. And since most people can do what they can, i'm not talking about special people.

As real as me and my telepathic powers. I am the Dark Ox!

Wouldn't telepathy be the next step in human evolution?

Clearly, you have very little understanding of evolution. There is no reason for any animal to develop telepathy, especially humans. We have technology to help us communicate globally and even into space. Also, telepathic communication is hardly essential to the survival of our species.


Bat's can use a radar like organ. Why can't humans use brain wave's to communicate?

Bats use a form sonar. There are a couple known cases of humans using this as well.


You all act like the idea of telepathy is so far fetched, but the concept is entirely plausible from a physics standpoint.

Not really.

[JoeTheJuggler]

There is no way to prove that my delusions are not real because one of my delusions is that most people are pretending out loud that that telepathy isnt real. A definite catch-22.

Similarly, there is no way to test my claim that gravity does not exist.

Things on the Earth's surface could levitate or float away. Anytime anyone looks, they just pretend that there is gravity, so there's no way to prove or disprove my claim.

Do you accept this? If not, why not?

[Brendy]

Have you tried wrapping tin foil round your head ? I have heard that it can stop people from reading your mind.

I already beat you to this joke, but thanks for your patronizing post!

[bruto]

Brendy, I think you need help for obvious reasons, those reasons being that you are reporting delusions. Since you are inviting the designation of "crazy,", I'll indulge you. What you're saying is crazy. But shouldn't even delusions have some sort of internal logic? If others are controlling your thoughts, and if those others wish to conceal that fact, then who is controlling your impulse to unconceal that fact here? Have you tried to sort through this? It's one thing to have a crazy idea (many people go that far), but it's another step past that to have one that makes so little sense even in its own context.

I have no telepathic powers, and do not believe that such powers exist at all in any form, but if I did have, I would not use them to direct you to mess up my game!

[Fnord]

Brendy,

I'll make a deal with you. It goes as follows:

I have a container. It's location, shape, size, color, and composition are known only to me.

Inside the container are three objects. Their shapes, sizes, colors, and compositions are also known only to me.

I challenge you to use telepathy to determine all 17 of the stated unknowns (5 of the container, and 4 each of the objects inside). Random guessing should only determine half, so if you get 7 to 10 correct, then it's only random chance.

You will receive no clues or hints from me.

If you get 100% correct, then we'll set up further tests, with the possibility of negotiable payoffs.

Criteria:

Location (Container Only): A "Hit" is defined as any statment that places the container within one meter of its actual location. GPS coordinates are preferred. A more general description will be acceptable if it includes address, floor (ground floor is "First", the next on up is "Second, et cetera), room, et cetera.

Shape (Container and Objects): A "Hit" will be awarded only if a dimensional description is included - only length, breadth, and height ar necessary. A geometric description ("Spherical", "Cubic", et cetera) without physical dimensions will be considered a "Miss". Clearly state units of measurement.

Color (Container and Objects): "-ish" type descriptions are acceptable ("Reddish", "Greenish", et cetera), but if only one color is stated for a multi-colored object, then the description will be considered a "Miss".

Size (Container and Objects): Same as "Shape". Include mass or weight. Specify units of measure. Of course, if the size of any one object exceeds the size of the container, of if the combined sizes of the objects exceed the size of the container, then your description will be considered a "Miss".

Composition (Container and Objects): No need for technicality. Name the materials that compose the container and objects. Example: "Wooden" is acceptable, but "Mohagany" is even moreso. No need to describe where and when the tree was harvested, as that is superfluous.

Do you accept?

[Giggywig]

I already beat you to this joke, but thanks for your patronizing post!

Brendy, I'll try to not be patronizing, but what do you think is more likely:
1) Most people can read and control your mind but don't say anything in an elaborate plot to make fun of you
2) You are having mental problems of some sort
3) You're making the whole thing up

[Brendy]

Telepathy is a superpower. You may as well say "all I'm talking about is invulnerability."



As real as me and my telepathic powers. I am the Dark Ox!



Clearly, you have very little understanding of evolution. There is no reason for any animal to develop telepathy, especially humans. We have technology to help us communicate globally and even into space. Also, telepathic communication is hardly essential to the survival of our species.



Bats use a form sonar. There are a couple known cases of humans using this as well.



Not really.

How is it not possible? You just say not really. Do you realize how complicated just our eyes are? How is sending information by electromagnetic radiation not physically possible? We can do it with technology right now. Why do you think biological systems could never do this, but inanimate objects made of medal and plastic can? I dont' see how you see it would be impossible for an organism to develop this power.

As for evolution, as I have said I believe most humans can already do this. These telepathic powers existed before our technological boom in the 20th century.

Also did asians need to develop slanty eyes to survive? I think it is you that do not have a good idea what evolution is. Before this technology we definitely had a need for telepathy, even you would agree with me.

You don't agree with me that we have these powers now, but give me reasons why the concept of telepathic communication could never have happened in human history before technology.

Why biologically could an organ not develop that could do this? If you cannot tell me this please do not just dismiss stuff just because Brendan said it.

There is no reason for animals and humans to develop this?
What about self defense!!! If a family were the only people with telepathic powers obviously they would be the fittest and most likely to survive. If you could remote-view someone i'd be pretty hard for them to kill you wouldn't it.

I give you a story that sounds completely crazy and you are the one sounding stupidier than I.

[ExMinister]

Brendy,

I'll make a deal with you. It goes as follows:

I have a container. It's location, shape, size, color, and composition are known only to me.

Inside the container are three objects. Their shapes, sizes, colors, and compositions are also known only to me.

I challenge you to use telepathy to determine all 17 of the stated unknowns (5 of the container, and 4 each of the objects inside). Random guessing should only determine half, so if you get 7 to 10 correct, then it's only random chance.

Do you accept?

Except that according to Brendy's posts, everyone in the world is telepathic EXCEPT Brendy.

[Brendy]

Fnord, Did you not read any of my posts? I cannot read minds. People can read mine. If i had these powers I could defend myself and I wouldnt have a problem.

I truely believe you could read my mind. I will accept if I am the one looking at the objects. You will be able to get a 100 percent accuracy of what I am seeing.

[ExMinister]

You also stated that the only people who can read your mind are people who know you. So there's no real way for us to help you test that out.

Again, you will realize, if you give medication a chance, that none of us are any more telepathic than you are.

It's a good thing, too. Imagine if my boss could read my thoughts while I'm supposed to be sitting here working...

[Fnord]

Fnord, Did you not read any of my posts? I cannot read minds. People can read mine. If i had these powers I could defend myself and I wouldnt have a problem.

I truely believe you could read my mind. I will accept if I am the one looking at the objects. You will be able to get a 100 percent accuracy of what I am seeing.

Then I extend the challenge to those who (allegedly) can read your mind, as well.

This will certainly satisfy at least part of the "Double-Blind" rule, as you and I could not act in collusion, and those who (allegedly) can read your mind won't be able to determine who I am or overcome the challenge from the contents of your mind.

In other words, I accept you as their agent for the terms of this challenge.

Do you accept?

[thaiboxerken]

How is it not possible?

You should be telling me how it IS possible, you're the one making this stuff up. Can you give me a biological thesis on it?

How is sending information by electromagnetic radiation not physically possible?

Our physical make-up doesn't support that kind of thing.

We can do it with technology right now.

Yes, and we can fly with technology and shoot bullets. Do you think humans can evolve to shoot bullets out of their arse?

Why do you think biological systems could never do this, but inanimate objects made of medal and plastic can? I dont' see how you see it would be impossible for an organism to develop this power.

Oh, it's possible, but hardly probable. There is no biological or environmental stress to drive evolution in that direction.


As for evolution, as I have said I believe most humans can already do this. These telepathic powers existed before our technological boom in the 20th century.

Then why did we invent phones?


Also did asians need to develop slanty eyes to survive?

The environmental stresses in the area can probably answer that.

I think it is you that do not have a good idea what evolution is. Before this technology we definitely had a need for telepathy, even you would agree with me.

No, I don't. There is no need to have telepathic powers, before or after technology helped us to transmit data around the world.

You don't agree with me that we have these powers now, but give me reasons why the concept of telepathic communication could never have happened in human history before technology.

Could never have? It just never did.


There is no reason for animals and humans to develop this?
What about self defense!!! If a family were the only people with telepathic powers obviously they would be the fittest and most likely to survive. If you could remote-view someone i'd be pretty hard for them to kill you wouldn't it.

Funny, I have no problems with telepaths, but then again, it's because I'm the Dark Ox.


I give you a story that sounds completely crazy and you are the one sounding stupidier than I.

In your own delusional mind, perhaps.

[Brendy]

Brendy, I think you need help for obvious reasons, those reasons being that you are reporting delusions. Since you are inviting the designation of "crazy,", I'll indulge you. What you're saying is crazy. But shouldn't even delusions have some sort of internal logic? If others are controlling your thoughts, and if those others wish to conceal that fact, then who is controlling your impulse to unconceal that fact here? Have you tried to sort through this? It's one thing to have a crazy idea (many people go that far), but it's another step past that to have one that makes so little sense even in its own context.

I have no telepathic powers, and do not believe that such powers exist at all in any form, but if I did have, I would not use them to direct you to mess up my game!

Well I have kinda misrepresented myself. I have some control. At least I hope so. . I can stop them from making me walk across a room. They can make me want to cross the room, but I can stop things which are not quick motions.
The problem is my mind is weaker when it comes to pain and pleasure. Some people can make voice impressions right? The have more control over their vocal cords than the rest of us. Same with memory recall. Some people have photographic memories, some don't.(actually it would be video memories, because when you think about it even I, who has a poor memory, see my memories as my video like than just a snapshot like a photo)
I can't stop these people from making me feel pain or giving me feelings of annoyance and such.

The voices are nothing. They don't even compare.


The thing that scares me is this story.

I was painting a shelf outside in my driveway in front of my car. The hood was about 4 feet away facing the shelf. I was painting white paint and my car is green. Awhile later, I moved my car and I noticed white specks all over the back of the car on the trunk. One of the voices in my head said they made me do this. I ran all the possibitilies of how this could have happened and I did not see how the wind could have made paint get on the back of the car but no where near the hood which was four feet away.

I have had episodes where my short term memory has been messed with. These people can make me forget memories (which mri studies have shown the brain is capable of doing to itself) . I'm very afraid that they completely controlled me for a short period, and I have no recollection of the events during this "painting of the car".

It's been proven to me that telepathy is real many times. I have fought them in thumb war, one of my thumbs vs the other! funny huh? But its true.

So i guess this conversation is gonna go nowhere because I came to the wrong forum to find someone who has had a similar experience. That's what I am looking for. I'm looking for someone, as you say, my own delusions.

[thaiboxerken]

Do you accept?

I doubt it, because all of these telepaths are conspiring against her. Like a classic troll, she's made all of her claims unfalsifiable and untestable.

[Dancing David]

I am hoping to find people here who don't pretend telepathy isn't real. In my experience almost everyone can do it, but never talks about it out loud. I don't understand why.
My parents, siblings, friends, strangers, and former friends can all read my mind. They can all use my brain and therefore my body as if it was there own. In fact they can almost completly take over control of my mind. This is a very bad thing because they do this and they are not very nice about it. That's putting it mildly too.
I know you will all want me to prove this. I could easily do that too; all you would have to do is meet me. I have no interest in doing that though :rolleyes: There is alot to this story of mine and it will take a long time to tell it all. I will try to paraphrase for now and add more posts as i have time.
I welcome all "You're crazy" responses. I do that because I know either you are like me one year ago and do not know the truth, or you are pretending. A self-fulfilling prophecy that is, you say? Sounds like it, but bare with me.

First I think I need to explain some things about me. I use to consider myself a very smart person, but over the past year I have been shown I can only do a fraction of what other people can do with their minds. I have poor visualization and memory recall. I can only imagine images of say ice cream cones very vaguely. If I close my eyes right now I can only picture the computer monitor very vaguely. Alot of other people could picture the monitor like they had their eyes open the whole time.

Can you twich your muscles? I can't.
Can you make yourself feel pain or itching using only your mind? I can't
Can you make yourself feel pleasure using only your mind? I can, only weakly.
Can you imagine other people's voice's in your head not just your own? I can't.
Can you make yourself cry on cue? I can't, you get the idea.
Can you raise your own heartbeat with only your mind?
Can you make yourself fart? (this has to do with control of your muscles as well as the twitching question does)
Can you control your dreams? Are you aware you are dreaming when you dream?

Now can you do these things to other people? Can you make them see an image in their head, hear your voice in their head or twitch their muscle? Can you make another person yawn?

I can't do any of these things. It's not like i have down syndrome. I can get straight A's and race my bicycle up mountain gaps.

The problem is other people do these things to me. Most importantly they make my conscious feel pain, annoyance, anger, and completely control my muscles with my conscious having no power to override them (not all the time just when they feel like it). I have been tortured by people this way for over a year now. I've lost my job because of this and I have zero way of fighting back. What can I do when these people can see where I am at all times, day or night. Don't worry I don't have any thoughts of commiting violence or anything like that. That would only hurt me more than anything.

The other problem with other people having more control over my brain than I do, is that they can make me believe things that are not true. For a long period people were only implanting false memories in my head. But now it is just them trying annoy the crap out of me. I never thought people were so mean? I never did anything to these people.

They tried to make me kill myself for christ's sake. Many times. Of course my survival fear kicked in and they couldnt win on that. I do not see how people actually kill themselves. After all I really really wanted to for awhile, but never could.

I want to revisit the false memories for a second. There has been a court cause where a pyschologist was found guilty of implanting false memories of abuse into a patient's mind through hypnosis. But the hypnosis is only a cover for the real way it is done. Telepathy. Just google false memory implantation and you'll find alot of information on it.

Now that I know people can do that to me, and were doing that to me for hours on end almost every night, I can fight back somewhat. I just can't trust alot that is in my memory. Really sucks i must say.

I realize that I haven't introduced who these people are. They are my parents and siblings, though they have stopped messing with my head as far as I can tell. Alot of my friends who suddenly turned on me, when a few people started messing with me also messed with my head. Strangers who I don't know.

Right now It is really only three people left. Most others I think just got sick of it or maybe they felt sorry for me. I don't really know. Those three people are a former co-worker and friend Katelynn, a former roommate Wes, and a guy I met once who works at a bike shop in a nearby town ( i know he's kinda random, I don't even know his name, but somehow it got dubbed Smitty). I did not change their names to protect them because really they can go f--- themselves. Other people join in once in awhile, usually after I bounce into them.

I don't understand why all you people with telepathic powers, which is the majority of people by my sample, need to torture people who don't have the same gifts. It's no different than racism or beating up a child.

I don't even know if I am coming up with half the sentences I am typing right now or they are. In fact if they wanted to stop me from writing this they could do it very easily.

Up until year 23 of my life, i never would have believed this, but after people proved they were pyschic to me and could read my mind and use my body as if it were their own, I can look back at those 23 years of my life and see many times where I was used. ( yes, i know i cant trust all my memories, but I just KNOW some are real.)

You'd think It would be horrible to never be able to lie or hide anything and you would be right. If you met me you would know my bank account numbers, passwords to everything, ssn, ect. almost immediatly. It's a very quick process. Fortunately I only have like 200 bucks to my name so don't get too excited :)

The funny thing is I can still lie. Because you all like to pretend this isn't real. So I'm going to use it against you and lie all I want. We will both know the truth, yet we will now both be pretenders.

Now you may ask me why I don't talk about this out loud to these people. Well, they all will just make me out to be crazy.

I really wish just a few people will not pretend. If everyone just admitted the truth though, I be rich from malpractice and other lawsuits. That will not happen unfortunately.

I have had mri's and eeg's and drug tests all done. I'm all clean except for the fact I'm not telepathic and most of the rest of you are!


I am not looking for sympathy here or links to risperdal.

I just want one person that will admit it out loud!


You need help, telepathy eh?

Sorry it would appear that you have uncomfortable thoughts and beliefs that are not shared by others.

Get help.

[Dancing David]

Well I have kinda misrepresented myself. I have some control. At least I hope so. . I can stop them from making me walk across a room. They can make me want to cross the room, but I can stop things which are not quick motions.
The problem is my mind is weaker when it comes to pain and pleasure. Some people can make voice impressions right? The have more control over their vocal cords than the rest of us. Same with memory recall. Some people have photographic memories, some don't.(actually it would be video memories, because when you think about it even I, who has a poor memory, see my memories as my video like than just a snapshot like a photo)
I can't stop these people from making me feel pain or giving me feelings of annoyance and such.

The voices are nothing. They don't even compare.


The thing that scares me is this story.

I was painting a shelf outside in my driveway in front of my car. The hood was about 4 feet away facing the shelf. I was painting white paint and my car is green. Awhile later, I moved my car and I noticed white specks all over the back of the car on the trunk. One of the voices in my head said they made me do this. I ran all the possibitilies of how this could have happened and I did not see how the wind could have made paint get on the back of the car but no where near the hood which was four feet away.

I have had episodes where my short term memory has been messed with. These people can make me forget memories (which mri studies have shown the brain is capable of doing to itself) . I'm very afraid that they completely controlled me for a short period, and I have no recollection of the events during this "painting of the car".

It's been proven to me that telepathy is real many times. I have fought them in thumb war, one of my thumbs vs the other! funny huh? But its true.

So i guess this conversation is gonna go nowhere because I came to the wrong forum to find someone who has had a similar experience. That's what I am looking for. I'm looking for someone, as you say, my own delusions.

Please get help, you will most likely feel better.

You believe what you believe, but you need to get help.

It could be OCD, but the fact that you think people are trying to harm you is not good.

Get help.

[Fnord]

I doubt it, because all of these telepaths are conspiring against her. Like a classic troll, she's made all of her claims unfalsifiable and untestable.

Let her decide. After all, I'm only offering her the opportunity to prove her assertions. If her assertions are provable, then we can determine if they are repeatable. Then we can determine how to block the (alleged) telepathy, perhaps with something a little more effective than the average tinfoil hat, eh?

There will be nothing to lose on her part or mine -- no risks involved. All she has to do is prove that her assertions are valid, and then we proceed to doing something about it.

If her assertions remain unproven, then nothing is lost.

If her assertions are proven, then I'll know whom to not play poker with, eh?

[ExMinister]

Brendy, it sounds like you are not tired enough of the delusions to seek help. Again, I'm sure there are people on other forums who will share your delusions. But remember what I said about testing your telepathic theory against medications. If, after having given medication a fair trial, people no longer can control or read your mind, you will have your answer.

[Locknar]

I'd have to say troll at this point; to many things that don't make sense (to paraphrase Brendy):

- I'm a skeptic, but I'm being telepathically controlled
- Friends, family, etc. can use my body as their own except when I don’t allow it
- Friends, family, etc. can read my mind, but I can fool them (ie. lie) and keep secrets
- I could prove telepathy is real, but I don’t want to
- Textbook symptoms of schizophrenia
- Far too many “self answering” questions/issues:
-- I’ve seen doctors, they didn't/can’t help me
-- Stories/situations that cannot (and will not) be proven…such as post #109

All in all, very Mayday like with all the contradictions and "self answering" items.

[Brendy]

You should be telling me how it IS possible, you're the one making this stuff up. Can you give me a biological thesis on it?

Sure, i'll work on it. Saying something is impossible is a strong statement. Saying something may be possible is not. There is a huge difference in my statement and yours.

Our physical make-up doesn't support that kind of thing.

Yes it does. Brain waves have been measured.

Yes, and we can fly with technology and shoot bullets. Do you think humans can evolve to shoot bullets out of their arse?

OMG!!! SOME ANIMALS CAN FLY!!!!!! HAVE YOU NEVER SEEN A BIRD. WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT!!! Evolution has let to flight in some animals. Geez at least make this a little hard for me.


Oh, it's possible, but hardly probable. There is no biological or environmental stress to drive evolution in that direction.

Who says there has to be a stress? Evolution is supposedly random mutations of which the most fit to the environment survive.

Then why did we invent phones?

I've already answered this question. You can't talk to a stranger if you havent met them. How would you order something from a catalog if you havent met the salesperson? Plus the phone eliminates someone tricking you into believing you are talking to someone else.



No, I don't. There is no need to have telepathic powers, before or after technology helped us to transmit data around the world.

Animals develped verbal communication didn't they. We have audible communication by making sound waves don't we? How is manipulating electromagnetic waves seem so impossible to you when the human body is so complex as it is.






.....

[Locknar]

Animals develped verbal communication didn't they. We have audible communication by making sound waves don't we? How is manipulating electromagnetic waves seem so impossible to you when the human body is so complex as it is.

Umm....I'm going with "Because humans lack that ability" for $500 Alex.

[Brendy]

I'd have to say troll at this point; to many things that don't make sense (to paraphrase Brendy):

- I'm a skeptic, but I'm being telepathically controlled
- Friends, family, etc. can use my body as their own except when I don’t allow it
- Friends, family, etc. can read my mind, but I can fool them (ie. lie) and keep secrets
- I could prove telepathy is real, but I don’t want to
- Textbook symptoms of schizophrenia
- Far too many “self answering” questions/issues:
-- I’ve seen doctors, they didn't/can’t help me
-- Stories/situations that cannot (and will not) be proven…such as post #109

All in all, very Mayday like with all the contradictions and "self answering" items.

Because I believe one thing, I have to believe all conspiracy theories and everything that has ever been said? I don't understand your logic there.

I said I can fight somewhat. That is not a contradiction to anything I have said.

I did not say I could fool anyone. I just said if they are gonna pretend they can't read my mind, I'll just lie and they have to go along with it or admit that they can read my mind.

I want to prove telepathy is real! Then maybe people who are hurting me would be forced to stop. I have not said i didnt want to, I said I don't really want to meet any new people. Can you blame me? Even if they are delusions, meeting new people only make the delusions worse.

Self answering questions? I don't really know what you mean there. I have been struggling with this for over a year now so don't you think I'd have ask myself questions and answered them over this time?

How would textbook symptoms of schizophrenia make me a troll? They are textbook symptoms for a reason. By your logic all textbook cases of schizophrenia are fakers and therefore not be given medication.

How would doctor's not helping me, be a sign I was making this all up? Do you think every thing can be cured with a few trips to a doctor. I'm sorry to break it to you but there are not cures or treatments for everything.

[thaiboxerken]

Sure, i'll work on it. Saying something is impossible is a strong statement. Saying something may be possible is not. There is a huge difference in my statement and yours.

It's not possible with our physical make-up. Of course, you're not talking about telepathy anymore, but radio.


Yes it does. Brain waves have been measured.

Do you not understand the difference between brain waves and EMF?


OMG!!! SOME ANIMALS CAN FLY!!!!!! HAVE YOU NEVER SEEN A BIRD. WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT!!! Evolution has let to flight in some animals. Geez at least make this a little hard for me.

So you think humans will evolve to fly? How about shooting bullets out of our butts? We've invented plasma TV, think humans will evolve screens on our abdomens to stream movies?


Who says there has to be a stress? Evolution is supposedly random mutations of which the most fit to the environment survive.

Not just random. Different stresses can drive evolution in one way or another.


I've already answered this question. You can't talk to a stranger if you havent met them. How would you order something from a catalog if you havent met the salesperson? Plus the phone eliminates someone tricking you into believing you are talking to someone else.

WHAT?! Are you nuts? You don't think you can be tricked over the phone?


Animals develped verbal communication didn't they. We have audible communication by making sound waves don't we? How is manipulating electromagnetic waves seem so impossible to you when the human body is so complex as it is.

Our bodies just aren't built that way, we have no transmitters.

[Brendy]

WHAT?! Are you nuts?

Did you really just ask me that question?

lmao

[-Fran-]

We've invented plasma TV, think humans will evolve screens on our abdomens to stream movies?

We'd all turn into Teletubbies? What a nightmare :D

[thaiboxerken]

Brendy, do you not realize that most people use telephones to talk to people they know? Why do they even bother if they can just use their brain-radio?

[NeilC]

The problem is, there is no way for anyone to convince me what I believe is not real....

There is no way to prove that my delusions are not real because one of my delusions is that most people are pretending out loud that that telepathy isnt real. A definite catch-22....

Well, ok, if a medicine could make all the voices and thoughts i believe are being transmitted to me go away then it would be proven to me. I haven't found that yet.

Yes that does seem very much to be the basis of the problem. Clearly what is happening to you is convincing. Of course since it is your own mind creating these things it is going to be convincing - utterly convincing I'm sure.

Your self-created medicine test is not a valid test. Firstly it's quite possible there is a medicine that will stop it all but you have not found it yet. Secondly even if there wasn't it would not prove that the telepathy was real but only that psych medicine isn't perfect.

I think the main thing to bear in mind is that telepathy simply is not real. Every single test of a supposedly telepath has drawn a blank and there is no reason to suppose it has ever occurred.. Schizophrenia and other mental illnesses are however very real and you appear to have these sort of symptoms.

I'm also concerned that discussing this in such a way as to include experiments and proofs etc is not a good idea. It seems to me that it just offers a platform for your rationalising mind to come up with more and better arguments to support the delusions.

[technoextreme]

Because I believe one thing, I have to believe all conspiracy theories and everything that has ever been said? I don't understand your logic there.

I said I can fight somewhat. That is not a contradiction to anything I have said.

I did not say I could fool anyone. I just said if they are gonna pretend they can't read my mind, I'll just lie and they have to go along with it or admit that they can read my mind.

I want to prove telepathy is real! Then maybe people who are hurting me would be forced to stop. I have not said i didnt want to, I said I don't really want to meet any new people. Can you blame me? Even if they are delusions, meeting new people only make the delusions worse.

Self answering questions? I don't really know what you mean there. I have been struggling with this for over a year now so don't you think I'd have ask myself questions and answered them over this time?

How would textbook symptoms of schizophrenia make me a troll? They are textbook symptoms for a reason. By your logic all textbook cases of schizophrenia are fakers and therefore not be given medication.

How would doctor's not helping me, be a sign I was making this all up? Do you think every thing can be cured with a few trips to a doctor. I'm sorry to break it to you but there are not cures or treatments for everything.
Well it sure as hell ain't telepathy. If humans could comunicate using electromagnetic radiation we would have figured it long ago. We've got equipment that detects that sort of thing. Go get help now.

[Brendy]

It's not possible with our physical make-up. Of course, you're not talking about telepathy anymore, but radio.

Do you not understand the difference between brain waves and EMF?

I only guessed it was emf because of its speed. I don't know how it'd done right now. I'm not a neuroscientist.

So you think humans will evolve to fly? How about shooting bullets out of our butts? We've invented plasma TV, think humans will evolve screens on our abdomens to stream movies?

You seem to be implying evolution only applies to humans. Flight was developed in some animals. There is no reason why there has to be flying animals. The world would be different but life would have lived on with no flying animals.

You are exaggerated to try to prove your point. If you have to exaggerate to prove your point then usually your arguement is weak to begin with.

Spiders have venom, does that mean human's have to develop venom? No. Just like we don't have to fly.

Not just random. Different stresses can drive evolution in one way or another.


Like the inability to communicate with someone not in earshot? Before our technologies we didnt have this power. Telepathy could have filled that void. Your stress arguement only helps my theory.

WHAT?! Are you nuts? You don't think you can be tricked over the phone?

I meant you can't be tricked as easily. You know I meant that; you are just trying to be confrontational by saying that.

Our bodies just aren't built that way, we have no transmitters.

Nah, we don't have neural transmitters of any kind. We don't even communicate with our own bodies. God just has us on puppet strings and does all the work. There now i'm being rude.

[Lothian]

I already beat you to this joke, but thanks for your patronizing post!I don't think you did. Perhaps someone made you think you said it.

Don't thank me for being patronising, it was a free package that came with my 'Being a tosser' kit.

[thaiboxerken]

I only guessed it was emf because of its speed. I don't know how it'd done right now. I'm not a neuroscientist.

Obviously. Think you can find one to talk to about telepathy? I'd think they would know something about it, if it were real. Which it is, because I'm the Dark Ox.


You seem to be implying evolution only applies to humans. Flight was developed in some animals. There is no reason why there has to be flying animals. The world would be different but life would have lived on with no flying animals.

Maybe, but I doubt it. The flying animals are a large part of the circle of life on earth. They help to distribute pollen and seeds to keep the world from being stagnant.


You are exaggerated to try to prove your point. If you have to exaggerate to prove your point then usually your arguement is weak to begin with.

Bull-snot. The exaggeration shows the weakness of your argument. You've said that if we can develop the technology, then we can evolve the trait as well biologically. This is wrong and backwards. We wouldn't invent the technology if we had the biological trait.


Like the inability to communicate with someone not in earshot? Before our technologies we didnt have this power. Telepathy could have filled that void. Your stress arguement only helps my theory.

We used written language to communicate outside of earshot. There really is no need for telephones and the WWW for our species, these are luxuries which we've come to depend on, but our species was hardly on the brink of extinction prior to these inventions.



Nah, we don't have neural transmitters of any kind.

We don't have EMF transmitters, there is a difference.


We don't even communicate with our own bodies. God just has us on puppet strings and does all the work. There now i'm being rude.

You're trying to equate our biology with technology that our physical make-up doesn't resemble.

[Brendy]

Let her decide. After all, I'm only offering her the opportunity to prove her assertions. If her assertions are provable, then we can determine if they are repeatable. Then we can determine how to block the (alleged) telepathy, perhaps with something a little more effective than the average tinfoil hat, eh?

There will be nothing to lose on her part or mine -- no risks involved. All she has to do is prove that her assertions are valid, and then we proceed to doing something about it.

If her assertions remain unproven, then nothing is lost.

If her assertions are proven, then I'll know whom to not play poker with, eh?

I don't play live poker anymore :). Only online poker once in awhile. But eventually computer programs i think will dominate online poker and no human will be able to beat them. Just like no human can beat Deep Blue. All the top poker players know a computer program could be programed to play poker perfectly according to the odds and bluff optimally with game theory. I hope it was a guy I lost ten bucks to last night and not some computer!

[Brendy]

I don't think you did. Perhaps someone made you think you said it.

Don't thank me for being patronising, it was a free package that came with my 'Being a tosser' kit.

If you read the post where I state a lead room might be able to stop it and that a tin foil would not be enough, you'll see I did.

But we are being pedantic.

I'd have to agree with one of the posters though. If it was EMF it would have been easily detected. So i'm off to search for another answer for it. I got nothing else to do today.

[Locknar]

Because I believe one thing, I have to believe all conspiracy theories and everything that has ever been said? I don't understand your logic there.

I said I can fight somewhat. That is not a contradiction to anything I have said.

I did not say I could fool anyone. I just said if they are gonna pretend they can't read my mind, I'll just lie and they have to go along with it or admit that they can read my mind.

I want to prove telepathy is real! Then maybe people who are hurting me would be forced to stop. I have not said i didnt want to, I said I don't really want to meet any new people. Can you blame me? Even if they are delusions, meeting new people only make the delusions worse.

Self answering questions? I don't really know what you mean there. I have been struggling with this for over a year now so don't you think I'd have ask myself questions and answered them over this time?

How would textbook symptoms of schizophrenia make me a troll? They are textbook symptoms for a reason. By your logic all textbook cases of schizophrenia are fakers and therefore not be given medication.

How would doctor's not helping me, be a sign I was making this all up? Do you think every thing can be cured with a few trips to a doctor. I'm sorry to break it to you but there are not cures or treatments for everything.

BOLD added by Locknar

Holy lack of comprehension Batman!

I think the part in bold says it all; you are right, they are textbook symptoms for a reason....get help. Of course, by your reasoning (and I use that term lightly) I suppose all schizophrenics are being mind controlled?

[Fnord]

I don't play live poker anymore :). Only online poker once in awhile. But eventually computer programs i think will dominate online poker and no human will be able to beat them. Just like no human can beat Deep Blue. All the top poker players know a computer program could be programed to play poker perfectly according to the odds and bluff optimally with game theory. I hope it was a guy I lost ten bucks to last night and not some computer!

But ... do you accept my offer to act as agent on behalf of those who (allegedly) can read your mind?

[EyeOn]

Well, as I said, if you can't be convinced that it's not real then you've made your mind up. No one can convince you that what you are describing isn't the way the real world works so you may want to move on to a "psychic support forum" where you will find others who see the world the way that you do. However, I think you've accidentally found a good resource if you are willing to listen. Think logically about a test that should be possible if these powers you believe in existed. One should be able to transmit information using those powers. That would be easy enough to test, and if by some slim chance you are right there is even a million dollar prize in it for you.

Now, the other option, you are "seriously schizophrenic." The symptoms you are describing match almost every criteria for this, also the age in which these symptoms began are in line with that diagnosis. You are now building stops in your mind to support your delusions, such as a mass conspiracy to just make you feel crazy, this is not healthy.



I think this guy is suffering from a mental illness, he hasn't shown any hostility so can we spare him ridicule?

Though I agree with the caution displayed here...I'd be short to call this 'mental illness' in the terms we define mental illness for the moment.

The OP evidently has misinterpreted what the OP senses around them. This lack of understanding causes confusion and when things happen that have less than adequate explanations, it can cause panic in some. Without any real knowledge into the life sciences, certain things that happen in the brain could make one seem mentally ill. This is perhaps due to the vocabulary chosen for description. Critics are too harsh when it comes to expression verses definition. What this person lacks to find is a definition to what this person is sensing in expression.

Brendy, the conspiracies you express are creative to what you think and can be exaggerated, but I'll say those expressions do have their skeletal definitions. You need to realize what is rational compared to what is irrational and it is irrational to think everyone around you is out to control you. This almost sounds like adolescent feelings emerging here. People who actually care about you will respond whether it makes you feel good or feel upset...they care enough to say something in the first place. You may well be mistaking their intentions to help you as ways to inhibit you. It helps to turn your own train of thought to what is rational and then seek answers to your perceptions.

[Tirdun]

If you read the post where I state a lead room might be able to stop it and that a tin foil would not be enough, you'll see I did.
.

Let's take a step back, Brendy, and look at the issue here.

You've posted a long claim on a skeptical board claiming some inner knowledge of some kind of ESP. We, the resident skeptics, do not believe what you believe for two reasons: ONE: We've never seen any kind of real telepathy demonstrated to any degree that even hopes to approach scientific methodology and TWO: We did not share your experiences in this.

So, assuming you are serious, we're left in the same position we are always left in: asking for evidence. Just recently we had someone claiming bigfoot is not only REAL, it/they are in fact invisible energy creatures from another dimension. Before that was the Corn God guy who had been given secret knowledge from UFOs/God as to how to convert words and phrases into other words and phrases for all sorts of secret meanings. These are extreme cases, but they follow the same pattern: Big Grandiose Claim followed by ignoring demands for support followed by further claims and long discussion on the theory of why such things must be true.

I can't prove that you aren't in some sort of receiver of mental data. Even if we put you in a Faraday cage inside a lead vault inside a granite cave under 100 fathoms of water, we haven't eliminated every theoretical (and /or paranormal) system to beam things into your skull. We also have no real way to test your claims as you don't have a sender available who's willing to test out this transmission. So ultimately it comes down to your claims versus our skepticism of your claims. We believe you are wrong (for whatever reason) or lying (for whatever reason) because we can look back at a history of frauds, deluded people and other very pedestrian reasons as to why you might say what you're saying.

Without something to back up your fantastic claims you won't progress very far in convincing skeptics. Without a real system to test you we are forced to conclude things based on what we know and understand, and that knowledge and understanding of biology, information theory and human nature strongly suggests that ESP is impossible.

At this point the only reason to continue this discussion is to explore ways to test this claimed phenomena. As I said, that's going to be very difficult given only your descriptions of one end of it and your obvious belief that it is truly a paranormal event.

[blutoski]

I would say that the second reason I, specifially, am not accepting the claim is my familiarity with the delusion of control, aka the delusion of passivity. It's actually one of the more common delusions because it's associated with both mood disorders and psychotic episodes.

In my opinion, the most likely explanation is a mania with psychotic features. Only a psychiatrist is qualified to confirm, of course.

[bruto]

Well I have kinda misrepresented myself. I have some control. At least I hope so. . I can stop them from making me walk across a room. They can make me want to cross the room, but I can stop things which are not quick motions.
The problem is my mind is weaker when it comes to pain and pleasure. Some people can make voice impressions right? The have more control over their vocal cords than the rest of us. Same with memory recall. Some people have photographic memories, some don't.(actually it would be video memories, because when you think about it even I, who has a poor memory, see my memories as my video like than just a snapshot like a photo)
I can't stop these people from making me feel pain or giving me feelings of annoyance and such.

The voices are nothing. They don't even compare.


The thing that scares me is this story.

I was painting a shelf outside in my driveway in front of my car. The hood was about 4 feet away facing the shelf. I was painting white paint and my car is green. Awhile later, I moved my car and I noticed white specks all over the back of the car on the trunk. One of the voices in my head said they made me do this. I ran all the possibitilies of how this could have happened and I did not see how the wind could have made paint get on the back of the car but no where near the hood which was four feet away.

I have had episodes where my short term memory has been messed with. These people can make me forget memories (which mri studies have shown the brain is capable of doing to itself) . I'm very afraid that they completely controlled me for a short period, and I have no recollection of the events during this "painting of the car".

It's been proven to me that telepathy is real many times. I have fought them in thumb war, one of my thumbs vs the other! funny huh? But its true.

So i guess this conversation is gonna go nowhere because I came to the wrong forum to find someone who has had a similar experience. That's what I am looking for. I'm looking for someone, as you say, my own delusions.

No offense meant, but I think you have indeed come to the wrong forum if you want people to lie to you and reinforce your delusions. People here are trying, in various ways and degrees, to impress upon you that people who are not mentally ill do not share those delusions, and that help does not lie in finding birds of a feather here.

I can offer no better advice than those who have said "get help," except to try, within whatever framework you're working in here, to try to puzzle out why anyone who is not also stark raving mad would use the telepathic powers you claim others have to do such stupid, trivial and unrewarding things as splattering your car with paint. I am not trying to be facetious here. Use your imagination a little bit. If you could control other people, what would you have them do?

[Ron_Tomkins]

Doctor Sandman!

Paging Doctor Sandman!

Doctor Sandman to Ward Eight, please.

Doctor Sandman to Ward Eight!


:D
Nominated.

[ferj]

Telepathy exists. Your posts prove that you have no personal knowledge or understanding of telepathy. You are a troll. Case solved. Have fun. :)

[kosai]

Telepathy exists. Your posts prove that you have no personal knowledge or understanding of telepathy. You are a troll. Case solved. Have fun. :)

Someone sounds jealous.

[Locknar]

Telepathy exists. Your posts prove that you have no personal knowledge or understanding of telepathy. You are a troll. Case solved. Have fun. :)The irony, it burns......

[Blackwell]

Someone sounds jealous.

I agree.

It's quite sad. Telepathetic, even.

[thaiboxerken]

Telepathy exists. Your posts prove that you have no personal knowledge or understanding of telepathy. You are a troll. Case solved. Have fun. :)

You silly person. When you possess more telepathic powers than I, you may consider yourself an expert on telepathy. I am the Dark Ox, master telepath, super psychic.

[bruto]

Telepathy exists. Your posts prove that you have no personal knowledge or understanding of telepathy. You are a troll. Case solved. Have fun. :)Who told you to say that?

[Ron_Tomkins]

Brendy, I'm sending you some images right now. Can you see them? Good. I'm sending you some names too. See them now? Excellent. I want the first three killed whithin this week. I'll be sending you all the information. Regarding the next four, I'll let you know. Stay tuned.

You're going to help us, Mr Anderson. Whether you want it or not.

[Fnord]

Telepathy exists.

Evidence?

Your posts prove that you have no personal knowledge or understanding of telepathy.

Evidence?

You are a troll.

Evidence?

Case solved.

Evidence?

Have fun.

Define?

[Olowkow]

Most people are not psychic. That is normal, just like you Brendy. Then there are some that think they are, but they are wrong, and some who claim they are just to make money.
By the way, nice video:
http://www.vimeo.com/674964

[RSLancastr]

Evidence?

Evidence?

Evidence?

Evidence?

Define?Don't look now Fnord, but you are being telepathically controlled by CFLarsen.

[Fnord]

Don't look now Fnord, but you are being telepathically controlled by CFLarsen.

Evi ... uh ... I mean ... what makes you say that?

;)

[Empress]

I'd have to say troll at this point; to many things that don't make sense (to paraphrase Brendy):

- I'm a skeptic, but I'm being telepathically controlled
- Friends, family, etc. can use my body as their own except when I don’t allow it
- Friends, family, etc. can read my mind, but I can fool them (ie. lie) and keep secrets
- I could prove telepathy is real, but I don’t want to
- Textbook symptoms of schizophrenia
- Far too many “self answering” questions/issues:
-- I’ve seen doctors, they didn't/can’t help me
-- Stories/situations that cannot (and will not) be proven…such as post #109

All in all, very Mayday like with all the contradictions and "self answering" items.

You think Brendy might be mayday's newest creation?! I hadn't thought of that. Oh, Spaghetti Monster, give me strength!

[Locknar]

You think Brendy might be mayday's newest creation?! I hadn't thought of that. Oh, Spaghetti Monster, give me strength!Well...more Mayday "like" in behavior with all the contradictions, stories, snappy replies, etc.

[Miss Whiplash]

I'm glad someone else noticed. I was considering asking Brendy if her hubby has dry lubed his firearms lately.

[AmyWilson]

It's easier to ignore people, than to actually look into a subject people experience and consider it might be real.

That's why James Randi himself and people on this forum pretend it isn't real.

Why learn about a subject when you can just ignore it or hate it for being a little too different?

[thaiboxerken]

What's there to learn about telepathy? I'm the Dark Ox, the most powerful psychic on Earth. It's true.

[Verde]

Plunk.

In the good ole Usenet days we had a nice reverberating 'PLONK' as the troller hit the bottom of the killfile.

'Plunk'; such a woossie word. Have we really sunk so low that we have to make nice with these dastardly beings?

V.

[Aepervius]

It's easier to ignore people, than to actually look into a subject people experience and consider it might be real.

That's why James Randi himself and people on this forum pretend it isn't real.

Why learn about a subject when you can just ignore it or hate it for being a little too different?

Or maybe you are ASSUMING we did not study the telepathy subject, the evidence, and come to our own conclusion ? Maybe you have no idea whatsoever of what youa re speaking about. It's true..

Compare what you wrote above with this below :
When was the last time you studied Santa Claus and the Tooth Faery ? That's right,
it's easier to ignore people, than to actually look into a subject people experience and consider it might be real. Why learn about a subject when you can just ignore it or hate it for being a little too different?

[Empress]

It's easier to ignore people, than to actually look into a subject people experience and consider it might be real.

That's why James Randi himself and people on this forum pretend it isn't real.

Why learn about a subject when you can just ignore it or hate it for being a little too different?

We don't "pretend" it doesn't exist. We look at the evidence and make logical and reasonable conclusions that it doesn't exist. There is no evidence of telepathy, and every time someone claims that there is, the mysterious power disappears the minute proper tests are devised.

That hardly qualifies as ignoring the subject.

[Empress]

Curses! Beaten by Aepervius!

*shakes fist in raging impotence*

[Aepervius]

Curses! Beaten by Aepervius!

*shakes fist in raging impotence*

Here is a donut :).

[The_Fire]

Ok, who amywilsoned on this thread?

[Ysidro]

Brendy (I keep wanting to type 'Bendy'!), I have to throw in a "me too" here. I have an uncle with schizophrenia and everything you've mentioned sounds just like it.

I realize you've convinced yourself of these things and if you really do have schizophrenic tendencies then it's going to be even harder to convince you it's not real. This is the worst part about these sort of things.

All I can say is there's always a time to turn around. If you decide to try and get medical attention, nothing is going to stop you from walking out, finding another treatment, or whatever option you can think of. One must be very VERY "out of it" before the courts will allow one to be treated against their will.

So even though I know none of this can convince you, I'm just going to sit here and worry about you anyway ok?

[aggle-rithm]

Your posts prove that you have no personal knowledge or understanding of telepathy.

True. I also have no personal knowledge or understanding of the giant purple slug that lives in the core of Jupiter.

I wish he'd write more often.

[ExMinister]

The amywilsons of this world really bug the crap out of me at times like this. I worked in a New Age book store when I was in college. I'd had some abnormal psych classes by then as part of my major. And at least once a month someone would come into that store with clearcut symptoms of schizophrenia or manic delusions that even an undergrad like me could see.

Customer: "I'm telepathic and there's a conspiracy of people out to get me. They have my phone tapped." Employee: "You're right! Check out this book on conspiracy theories." Or customer #2: "I hear voices and they tell me to do stuff and it's scaring me." Employee: "That's so cool! You're psychic!" Customer: "I'm supposed to be on meds but they are poisoning me." Employee: "Doctors always try to do that - they don't understand you're just psychic! Here read this book on homeopathic medicine and how regular medicines can be toxic."

I worry that people like Brendy will fall into the hands of someone like this instead of getting the help they need.

[quarky]

Even without telepathy, schizophrenia, or paranoia in the equation, it is true that people frequently manipulate others, especially ones they know. It happens all the time, and its often quite subtle. I know someone that is passive aggresive and self-obsessed, and she manages to guilt trip others into getting what she wants through very subtle gestures and body language.

In lieu of seeking medical help (which is often not very effective) Brendy might consider getting some new friends that simply aren't as mean spirited.

[Maldon]

Telepathy exists. Your posts prove that you have no personal knowledge or understanding of telepathy. You are a troll. Case solved. Have fun.

It reminds me of the time when Creekfreak told us all that Historian was full of crap. Or was it the other way around? (RIP to both of them).

[Dancing David]

So you think its ok to be harsh to people with suicidal thoughts? I hope I read your post wrong.

No I don't Brendy, that is why I said you should get help. There is a lot more to help than just psychiatry and medications.

:)

It could be that there are desensitization techniques and other strategies that would make the uncomfortable thoughts and emotion less uncomfortable.

The only reason I had those thoughts because I had constant pain in my body, constant voices yelling in my head, and the newfound knowledge that it would never end. Suicide's not really something to make fun of.

Anyways I left because I was busy yesterday, sleeping :). To answer you guys, I have been to a doctor and I have taken different medications.

It has never helped.

I am very sorry to read that, perhaps they are not really listening to you, it takes your POV to make a diagnosis.

There are many other ways to engage in self care that do not involve medications. they can help you regardless of whatever the issue is.

When you talk about certain things, I know that people are jumping to conclusions. I could not make any sort of conclusion from just reading a couple of posts, there is much more that goes into building the bridge than that.

The bridge has to go where you want it to.


If I am crazy I must say, my mind is very creative. I wish I could tape record what goes on in my head.

Crazy is such a value loaded term, I prefer to describe my self as someone living with a mental illness, creativity is what it is, it sometimes goes hand in hand with mental illness. What is the curse of someone with schizophrenia, that everybody in their family is a doctor, lawyer, successful artist, except for them. their creativity is limited by their symptoms.

I think that there have been a lot of shots from the hip here, and stupid assumptions about your potential to have a medical condition or not.


So if doctors and medication do nothing, It is much better for me to just believe its all real because in my mind I know its real. There is no doubt to me.

that is cool, if it helps you to function. I suggest you read up on Fred Freese at case western, not because of the schizophrenia but because he is very good at discussing coping strategies.


The reason I come to forum's to talk about it is that it's not embarrising to talk online. None of you know me and I like it that way. I expected harsh responses.

But I hope some of you don't think you're insults will get to me. I've been through worse and can handle it.

I am sorry for the behavior of the ignorant.

perhaps they should read more Fred Frese as well.

Especially the part where he carries a card that read
"I am living with an emotional cognitive disability. Your expression of hostility and current behavior is making my symptoms worse. please stop."

[Dancing David]

Man there is a real problem here people

This is not aimed at all the people here but it is aimed at a lot of you!




MOST OF YOU DON'T KNOW SQUAT ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH BUT YOU THINK YOURSELVES QUALIFIED TO MAKE DIAGNOSIS BASED UPON A LIMITED NUMBER OF POSTS!!!

Not only are many of you behaving in a harmful destructive fashion but you are talking out of your rectums about something you know little to nothing about.

Lets us have a show of hands shall we:

Who here has actually worked with people living with a mental illness?
Who here has had training on how to do assesment and use the DSMIV-R?
Who here has done multiple assesments and worked with real live people.

Shame on you for arguing about diagnosis and if or not Brendy is a troll, you are pathetic those of you who are PRETENDING to know something about mental health!

I have seen a lot of poseurs spouting off who have never been near a mental health center, what a bunch of dink wads!

I will speak truth:

Have you ever heard of bipolar disorder, obviously not when you go and diagnose schizophrenia.
Have you ever heard of depression with psychotic features. No because you are poseurs!
Have you ver heard of OCD and intrusive thoughts, no because you are a bunch of loud mouthed jerks who don't have a freaking clue.

But you will argue and talk nonsense and engage in destructive behavior to feed your egos.

Shame on you.

[Dancing David]

I would say that the second reason I, specifially, am not accepting the claim is my familiarity with the delusion of control, aka the delusion of passivity. It's actually one of the more common delusions because it's associated with both mood disorders and psychotic episodes.

In my opinion, the most likely explanation is a mania with psychotic features. Only a psychiatrist is qualified to confirm, of course.

Somebody who has a freaking clue, most people here don't.

There are so many things it could be, disassociation, seizures, OCD and the list goes one. Especially if you add in substance abuse.

[Dancing David]

Holy lack of comprehension Batman!

I think the part in bold says it all; you are right, they are textbook symptoms for a reason....get help. Of course, by your reasoning (and I use that term lightly) I suppose all schizophrenics are being mind controlled?

Shame full.

[Dancing David]

Brendy, I'm sending you some images right now. Can you see them? Good. I'm sending you some names too. See them now? Excellent. I want the first three killed whithin this week. I'll be sending you all the information. Regarding the next four, I'll let you know. Stay tuned.

You're going to help us, Mr Anderson. Whether you want it or not.

Shame full.

[Dancing David]

Doctor Sandman!

Paging Doctor Sandman!

Doctor Sandman to Ward Eight, please.

Doctor Sandman to Ward Eight!

Shame full.

[Dancing David]

I'd have to say troll at this point; to many things that don't make sense (to paraphrase Brendy):

- I'm a skeptic, but I'm being telepathically controlled
- Friends, family, etc. can use my body as their own except when I don’t allow it
- Friends, family, etc. can read my mind, but I can fool them (ie. lie) and keep secrets
- I could prove telepathy is real, but I don’t want to
- Textbook symptoms of schizophrenia
- Far too many “self answering” questions/issues:
-- I’ve seen doctors, they didn't/can’t help me
-- Stories/situations that cannot (and will not) be proven…such as post #109

All in all, very Mayday like with all the contradictions and "self answering" items.


Double shame Locknar, this is just great.

Shove over people in wheel chairs much?

[Dancing David]

Hey Everybody! Look at what I'm making Brendy do now! HAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!
Dance Brendy Dance!!!!!!!! HAHAHHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shame full.

[Dancing David]

And there are so many more of you who should be ashamed of your selves, why not go beat up old people, put sugar in a diabetic's drink and knock over people on crutches.

I am disgusted. there are so many inappropriate and shameful comments and posts i would have to -shame full- almost a third of the thread.

Gross and pitiful, i would have expected better from a bunch of born again Xians but for a bunch of critical thinker you should turn in your critical thinking badges.

[Linda777NJ]

And there are so many more of you who should be ashamed of your selves, why not go beat up old people, put sugar in a diabetic's drink and knock over people on crutches.

I am disgusted. there are so many inappropriate and shameful comments and posts i would have to -shame full- almost a third of the thread.

Gross and pitiful, i would have expected better from a bunch of born again Xians but for a bunch of critical thinker you should turn in your critical thinking badges.

BRAVO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This thread truly sickened me.

[JoeTheJuggler]

Because I believe one thing, I have to believe all conspiracy theories and everything that has ever been said? I don't understand your logic there.
No. . he means he thinks you're pulling our leg--trolling the board just trying to get reactions (and attention, I suppose).

I see a disconnect from the symptoms of very serious mental illness and an attitude of flippancy toward it. I'm no mental health expert, and maybe that is some kind of coping mechanism, but it sounds false to me.

I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, though, and take your comments at face value. I'd echo what everyone else has said. If there's no way for you to consider that you might be delusional (there's no way you can think of to test your claims), you've got a pretty serious thinking problem in addition to whatever else is going on.

Try imagining you don't have these problems, and someone you don't know at all has just told you all the things you're telling us. What would you think about what they've said? (You can search the internet and find people who make at least as outlandish claims as this--what do you think of what they're saying?)

[Locknar]

Double shame Locknar, this is just great.

Shove over people in wheel chairs much?Attack the argument, not the arguer. I think Brendy is insincere at best and a troll at worst and said why. You are welcome to refute but really....the "dressing down"?

Of course, perhaps I (and others) have overlooked your vast medical and/or psychological background? Upon review, I think not.

[ExMinister]

Somebody who has a freaking clue, most people here don't.

There are so many things it could be, disassociation, seizures, OCD and the list goes one. Especially if you add in substance abuse.

Obviously, we could have thrown any number of those terms, besides schizophrenia, at poor Brendy. But what would be the point? Not being qualified to make such a diagnosis to begin with, and hoping only to point Brendy in the direction of considering the possibility that medical help might be of benefit, I still don't see the point in bringing all of that up. I don't believe Brendy is open to considering any of that at this time. There are several possibilities, most of which have been considered here - Brendy is trolling, Brendy is in fact being telepathically controlled, or Brendy's perception of being telepathically controlled, hearing negative voices and suicidal ideation are pointing in the direction of Brendy needing to seek medical attention so someone qualified to help can help. I have been leaning toward the latter. Others have been leaning toward the first. None of us believe the second, except Brendy, who posted his claims on a paranormal forum, inviting the comments from the resident skeptics who should not be expected to be able to diagnose him with a mental illness, regardless, and are responding to his claims just the same way they do to the unfounded paranormal claims of others.

[RSLancastr]

I'm glad someone else noticed. I was considering asking Brendy if her hubby has dry lubed his firearms lately.You kids today and your euphemisms!

Why learn about a subject when you can just ignore it or hate it for being a little too different?As you do with the subject of "reason".

[Belz...]

I am hoping to find people here who don't pretend telepathy isn't real. In my experience almost everyone can do it, but never talks about it out loud. I don't understand why.

Because it's all in your head, really. My experience is that nobody can do it.

My parents, siblings, friends, strangers, and former friends can all read my mind.

No, they can't. There's a million dollars that says they can't.

I know you will all want me to prove this. I could easily do that too; all you would have to do is meet me. I have no interest in doing that though :rolleyes:

Of course you don't. If you did, you'd run the chance of spoiling your dreams.

Can you twich your muscles? I can't.

You mean you can't blink ?

Can you imagine other people's voice's in your head not just your own? I can't.

???

Now can you do these things to other people?

Nope.

I can't do any of these things.

No need to feel bad. No one can.

The problem is other people do these things to me. Most importantly they make my conscious feel pain, annoyance, anger, and completely control my muscles with my conscious having no power to override them (not all the time just when they feel like it).

That's a common misconception. You are responsible for your own thoughts and emotions, bloke. Nobody else is.

[Drudgewire]

Hey guys I keep getting lost in this thread. Has someone proved they have telepathy or are we just a bunch of meanies who won't take them at their word?

Demanding proof? On a skepticism/critical thinking board? Man you're all jerks. :mad:

[JoeTheJuggler]

Dancing David, I don't think anyone here has done any actual diagnosing--at least not without urging Brendy to get some help.

In fact, what I've seen mostly is a reluctance to take these things at face value.

If you take Brendy at face value, there are two options: Brendy is delusional and needs some kind of help or Brendy is not delusional and these things are all real. Which would you think is most likely?

Admit it, D.D., you're in the vast conspiracy with the rest of us to pretend that telepathy isn't real, aren't you? ;)

Ooops--I'm not supposed to mention that in an open forum where AmyWilson can see it. Now she's got PROOF! :)

[blutoski]

Somebody who has a freaking clue, most people here don't.

I think it's largely an experience thing - it takes some past exposure to recognize when somebody's sincerely struggling.

I have some benefit from having an MA psych undergrad, my wife is a psychiatrist, and I worked houskeeping in a mental institution to put myself through school for a few years.

Skeptics do try to pay at least lip service to humanism, and this really does look like kicking somebody while she's down.

Skeptics will continuously come across both the misguided and the diagnoseable, and it behooves us to recognize the difference for the claimant's benefit of getting the necessary help, but also our own benefit in terms of avoiding wasted resources and the risky potential of media debacle.

The Columbus Poltergeist is the classic case: not only was the child hoaxer Tina Resch very unwell, but the subsequent systematic neglect of her condition led to terrible and avoidable consequences.

If skepticism has one speciality, it's the ability to understand how the mind fails to work correctly. Everything from logical fallacies to placebo efficacy to cognitive dissonance. When we drop the ball, it should be embarassing.

[nzric]

DDavid - I'm feeling left out. Pls "shame full" me as I still think Brendy is a troll.

If he's sincere he sounds like he has enough intelligence to know that he won't get any more help by posting stuff about mental telepathy in a skeptic forum. Brendy - if you're actually hearing voices (which I truly doubt), do what many of the posts have been suggesting and get help.

[ObscureReferenceMan]

I didn't want to comment in this thread, because I thought Brendy was either 1) a believer/troll or 2) suffering from some kind of mental illness. If 1, then ignoring is the best plan. But if 2, then how to respond? I think DancingDavid is partially right - lay people (like me) shouldn't try diagnosing. But should we at least try to empathize, and say, "Hey man (or woman). I think you have problems. Maybe you should see a psychiatrist." And I am convinced that mocking is almost never helpful.

So... How to respond? I'm not sure. My personal feeling is that Brendy might have mental problems. And I'll say, "Get help". In a nice way.

But DancingDavid, I think you might be a little over-sensitive, and harsh. Condemn the mockers, sure. But how else should we react if Brendy has some mental problem(s)? Ignore? Sympathize/empathize?

[thaiboxerken]

Hey guys I keep getting lost in this thread. Has someone proved they have telepathy or are we just a bunch of meanies who won't take them at their word?

Demanding proof? On a skepticism/critical thinking board? Man you're all jerks. :mad:

It's worst than that, Brendy claims that WE are all telepathic and just keeping it a secret.

[Darth Rotor]

Why are you all pretending?
Please provide evidence that I am pretending.

If you can't provide such evidence, I suggest you learn how to form, and then present, coherent thoughts. Then, and only then, post.

DR

[Miss Whiplash]

Double shame Locknar, this is just great.

Shove over people in wheel chairs much?

Not only that, I wax the steps at the old peoples home.

That's a wonderfully big hearted argument and all, but I grant you Brendy will vanish like Mayday, now that Amy Wilson has put in an appearance.

[Miss Whiplash]

<snip>
The Columbus Poltergeist is the classic case: not only was the child hoaxer Tina Resch very unwell, but the subsequent systematic neglect of her condition led to terrible and avoidable consequences.


Try as I may, I can't lay the Tina Resch tragedy at the door of skeptics. William Roll was her champion and was convinced her hoaxing was something supernatural. He was also part of the psychology department IIRC. Perhaps he should have looked at her a bit more skeptically, canned his paranormal bias and sent the girl to a psychiatrist. Also if IIRC, Randi was denied access to the girl when she was brought to Duke.

[ExMinister]

Not only that, I wax the steps at the old peoples home.

That's a wonderfully big hearted argument and all, but I grant you Brendy will vanish like Mayday, now that Amy Wilson has put in an appearance.

You guys are merciless. :eek:

P.S. What is the link between Mayday and Amy Wilson and/or Brendy? If you don't want to post it, could you PM me? I must have missed that.

[Czarcasm]

Shame full.As is your misspelling of the word "shameful".

[Baron Samedi]

It's worst than that, Brendy claims that WE are all telepathic and just keeping it a secret.

When I was younger, one of my best friends started to talk about how the Catholic Church was out to kill him, and that the pope had his agents everywhere. Ha ha, that was funny. But then he went on about how no one was taking him seriously, so we all must be in on it. Ha ha, not so funny. And then he disappeared for 6 months hiding anonymously in Vancouver so that They wouldn't get him.

I know too many people who have suffered with mental health issues. I've had to mop up blood from friends trying to kill themselves. So if Brendy is a troll trying to rattle cages, please, stop it, you're not funny. And if Brendy is not a troll, please, can everyone else just stop it? At least the antagonizing part?

[thaiboxerken]

How would we find out if Brendy is a troll or a mental case?
Either way, she's not my friend.

[Miss Whiplash]

Ok, I'll up the ante.

Brendy, if you are sincere, then PM me and I'll give you the contact info for the JB Rhine Center. They take claims telepathy very seriously. If you are genuinely a telepathic receiver, I'm sure they will test you and perhaps tell you how to protect yourself. Of course, if you are simply suffering from some mental illness, then they will also help you find the correct psychiatric care at Duke.

There! I've done my part! Now it's time for cyberhugs, hot coco and a foot massage and all that touchy-feely stuff.

[articulett]

I think Brendy is sincere. I think if she tells us what she most wants help with... and why she posted here, I bet we could someone could direct her to a place that can get rid of her pain or the telepathic voices that are causing a cacophony in her head. I think she needs someone who trusts and empathizes with her concerns and can help her focus on a way to lessen the things that are causing her stress. I think she's likely to be distrustful of anything anyone suggests until they understand that she is sincere and that there is a solution to her most bothersome complaints.

From my perspective, Brendy is no AmyWilson or Mayday. She is being truthful with what she perceives. I think she sounds like those who have a type of anosognosia... I don't know if we can help, but she needs to find someone whom she trusts in order to find relief of the stuff that's upsetting her. I hope she gets what she needs and keeps us informed at to what she discovers and finds out. I think we could learn a lot from her. Really. I think Brendy can show us a lot about how the brain doesn't just perceive it's surroundings... it's constantly interpreting...

I wish I knew of other people who had her concerns and experiences so they could tell her what helped them...

Brendy... on a skeptics forum, do you suspect that most people here would either be skeptical of your claims or "in on" whatever conspiracy there is regarding those who "know about such things"? I'm curious as to why you decided to post your concerns here. Do you think that someone here might know a way to stop people from telepathically influencing you?

[TjW]

In the good ole Usenet days we had a nice reverberating 'PLONK' as the troller hit the bottom of the killfile.

'Plunk'; such a woossie word. Have we really sunk so low that we have to make nice with these dastardly beings?

V.

Nah. These are pretty lightweight trolls. "Plink" might even be appropriate.

[calebprime]

Two possibilities, trolling or mental illness. Let's cut the crap about telepathy being possible.

I lean toward thinking it's mental illness.

The same response in either case, because it's adequate for the ill and not that much fun for the troll: get help.

I don't see so much of a manic component, but if there's evidence of no sleep, grandiosity, irritability, recent onset, maybe cyclical nature, I'm convincible.

Once, DD, you were a little harsh with Minister of Truth (you called him on his self-pity, which may have been justified) but I agree with you here.

Could be lots of things, but it seems like schizophrenia or a darn good imitation of it.

(I have a schizophrenic sibling, although for many (40+) years, he/she was diagnosed as manic-depressive with a personality disorder.)

[kosai]

I think Brendy is a 'he' for one. I don't think he's a troll either, he posted some things in another thread about gambling odds that were more or less correct so I don't think it's mayday (she's not good at math.) In my opinion Brendy would be a normal person anyone would enjoy hanging out with and doesn't see himself as being above being the piñata with all of us weilding the sticks. That is precisely why I said in my earlier post lets not beat up on him so much. I'm not gonna guilt trip anyone here like some have in this thread but Brendy didn't just make this thread and wait for hate machine to show up. He posted in other threads, on topic, with nothing to do with his telepathy problem.

If it is someone with a mental health problem I don't think the right reaction is to start bashing him for it. I also think the "Shame full[sic]" response for those who do is incorrect. Brendy has shown he's willing to take what we dish out but I don't think we should form a stigma about him simply for one irrational belief.

I'd prefer to welcome Brendy and have him stick around rather than go off to The Sylvia Browne's Life Course of Telepathic Healers BBS.

Bottom line Brendy, you are going to be asked to think in a way that will allow what your claim is to be tested. If you have trouble creating such a test you will be well served here asking for help in creating one. If you have no interest in testing what you say you are free to go about believing blindly however no one here will give the idea much credit and you should not expect them to do so.

[kosai]

Oh.. and please check YouTube for my emotional video entitled...

"LEAVE.... BRENDY.... ALONE!!!!"

[bruto]

I am assuming Brendy is not a troll, but is mentally disturbed. However, it seems from his posts that he's not totally off the rails, still able to communicate with clarity and coherence. I still think that whether or not he hears voices or thinks he's being directed, he should apply some of his obvious intelligence to trying to evaluate whether the stuff he feels directed to do makes any sense at all.

[jmontecillo01]

I see a disconnect from the symptoms of very serious mental illness and an attitude of flippancy toward it. I'm no mental health expert, and maybe that is some kind of coping mechanism, but it sounds false to me.

I think Brendy is insincere at best and a troll at worst and said why. You are welcome to refute but really....the "dressing down"?


Actually, everything that he said points to schiz. The refusal to accept that there is a problem is one of main hurdles faced by mental health professionals.

In the clinic that I go to, there is a co-patient that always comes with us to outings. You can discuss religion and politics with him. But he believes that he is some kind of a James Bond. In the bus when we go out to outings, he would talk to his lighter as if it is a mike and report everything that he sees. Ok, I can't help but smile but at the same time, sad. The guy tried four times to end his life.

I've been through most of the things Brendy is saying. I am just thankful that after more than 10 years, the proper medication was found for me.

Brendy:

He is a link to a site that I frequent.

Diagnose yourself. http://www.mytherapy.com/features/

This link is a cry for help. http://mytherapy.com/discussion/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=12925

The stigma associated with the illness. http://mytherapy.com/discussion/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11950

There are other interesting threads in that site http://mytherapy.com/discussion/

There are also some discussions about things like belief in telephaty, mind control, thought broadcasting, etc.

Remember, mental illness is just another illness. It could be cured by theraphy and proper medication. Same as you, at the start of my illness, I refused to accept that I had an illness. It then became a series of hospitalization because when I get better, I would skip taking my medications. The main reason for the refusal is the stigma we associate with the illness.

[Brendy]

Whoa, alot of people responded. Thanks. I don't know if I can respond to them all. I am a he, by the way. Brendy's just a nickname, long story.

Well I think this thread has done what was needed. So for closure,

I am seeing someone for this, but nothing really changes. I can see the symptoms and everything, but when you have someone's voice in your head tell you, as you read this thread, "you're not crazy, it's real, here i'll prove it by itching your nose" my mind believes telepathy is real. With all these people telling me i'm wrong and all the signs, I still can't even conseed .001%.

I am 100% sure it's real. But I understand that you are 100% sure it's not real.

I completely understand how all of you feel because one year ago I felt the same way as you. I still feel that way RIGHT NOW about stuff like god and spoon bending. I even get offended when people group telepathy with ideas such as telling the future.

If some good comes out of my whole problem is that it has forced me to do alot of thinking about what the conscious is.



Thanks for caring. If you meet me sometime just be nice in my head, ok?

[articulett]

Yes Jmonticello, people don't take medications for a lot of reasons... usually it's because they don't feel ill. This is true with bipolar as well. And it seems like the medications are an attempt to control you... you don't trust people, doctors, etc. that suggest that you are ill. I think you are correct jmonticello. To me, it sounds like "classic" schiz. I wonder how you get someone to consider that their mind might be fooling them when it's so very hard to get any kind of believer-- religious or conspiracy theorists or people who believe they astrally travel to consider whether they might be misperceiving or misinterpreting events. Every brain is sure that it cannot be fooled... I like James Randi because he fools you and then shows you how you fooled yourself... I value that... I value knowing he difference between what is real and what is an illusion. I love optical illusions and tricks of the mind and knowing how I can misperceive. I think it's easy to see why people would assume the earth was flat... and why it makes no sense to imagine it as spherical.... and then why it really is spherical and why our perception does not experience it as such.

I am interested in seeing what Brendy discovers. Clearly he/she is intelligent. It sounds like a scary experience. I am interested in your experiences. I'm really glad you posted.

This touched me: CxRLap9xLag There is a stigma associated with mental illness. But with treatment people with he illnesses can become the help for others. Just as former addicts make for he best drug counselers... something about having been in the trenches--

[thaiboxerken]

Goodbye Brendy. I could care less about you. You're done. I can only hope that those who care about you can deal with their loss.

[articulett]

Yes, Brendy.... I will nice in your head. I hope you keep us apprised of what you find out and what you think. I have no doubt that you believe it is 100% real in your head.

[jmontecillo01]

articulett, thanks for the link to the video. I suffer from schiz-affective meaning schiz with depression. As I said, suicide, homelessness, etc is common among people with mental illness. I myself tried to end my life at the early stages of my illness. The stigma is caused by ignorance which I am hoping will, in time, vanish through education.

Brendy, schiz has nothing to do with stupidity. A lot of people we admire comes from a family with a history of mental illness or they themselves has the illness. examples are John Nash, the son of Einstien, and I believe Thomas Jefferson as he claims his watch talks to him and gives him advice (auditory hallucination).

I understand the difficulty of believeing that what you hear are nothing but voices in your head and nothing else. Me myself, even at this point in time still has questions.

One of the first thing I heard a long time ago is "From that little mountain he would come down, with the law that will guide all man's law, that all men are created equal". I am not an American but through research, I found out that the words "all men are created equal" are the opening words in the declaration of independence. The author, Thomas Jefferson whose home was Monticello, Virgina. As I understand it, Monti - mountain, Cello - small.

There are a lot of things that I heard which left questions in my head. So the question now is how many coincedences does it have to take before it stops to be just coincedences.

But what is important is to keep my sanity so I stopped asking questions and live my life in the same manner as I lived my life before I had the illness and to understand that I have to accept that I have an illness so that I can utilize the available methods, like theraphy and medications to avoid relapse.

[creativecritter41]

Oh.. and please check YouTube for my emotional video entitled...

"LEAVE.... BRENDY.... ALONE!!!!"

LOL!! :D

[Belz...]

If some good comes out of my whole problem is that it has forced me to do alot of thinking about what the conscious is.

Thanks for caring. If you meet me sometime just be nice in my head, ok?

Seriously, though, you should get some help.

It's easy to be fooled by our own perceptions, but at some point you've got to be skeptical of them when they contradict everybody else's perceptions and commonly accepted physics. Right ?

[aggle-rithm]

The stigma is caused by ignorance which I am hoping will, in time, vanish through education.


Just as atheists are the only social group that it is socially acceptable to discriminate against, mental illness seems to be the only handicap that it is socially acceptable to make fun of. Despite all efforts to educate the public, it is still seen as a character flaw rather than an illness, making it permissible to ridicule those who suffer from it.

Behavior that is seen as "funny" in a mentally compromised stranger is quickly recognized as deeply disturbing if seen in a loved one. When my mother had hip replacement surgery a few months ago, she went through a period of several days when she was hallucinating and deluded. Some of the things she said were funny...we are able to laugh about them now...but you couldn't sit with her for long without feeling a sense of panic that her personality might be permanently altered.

(Fortunately, it was just a case of over-medication, which seems to be a problem with elderly patients these days).

[Pragmatist]

I don't really know who I am anymore.


Well, I think you're a sockpuppet of Lucianarchy.

Does that help? :D

[godless dave]

Brendy, the symptoms you describe are consistent with schizophrenia. I strongly suggest making an appointment with a doctor and describing what is happening to you.

[blutoski]

Try as I may, I can't lay the Tina Resch tragedy at the door of skeptics. William Roll was her champion and was convinced her hoaxing was something supernatural. He was also part of the psychology department IIRC. Perhaps he should have looked at her a bit more skeptically, canned his paranormal bias and sent the girl to a psychiatrist. Also if IIRC, Randi was denied access to the girl when she was brought to Duke.

I didn't mean to imply that skeptics were to blame. On the contrary: the skeptics who were able to provide an informed opinion distinguished themselves by suggesting that if the girl was doing this on purpose, that therapy would be merited.

[supercorgi]

Behavior that is seen as "funny" in a mentally compromised stranger is quickly recognized as deeply disturbing if seen in a loved one. When my mother had hip replacement surgery a few months ago, she went through a period of several days when she was hallucinating and deluded. Some of the things she said were funny...we are able to laugh about them now...but you couldn't sit with her for long without feeling a sense of panic that her personality might be permanently altered.

Yes, funny behaviour when viewed from outside but when you get close to it, it's just heartbreaking. I had a friend once - beautiful, brilliant, creative young woman. She was also bipolar. When she'd start to go into a manic phase, she would stop taking her medication because initially, the manic phase felt great. But then it would get bad and she would develop psychosis. She'd start hearing voices and getting odd notions that she could draw power into herself by pressing her fingers on the pyramid on the back of a dollar bill. It was so said because when her condition was stabilized, she was a delight to be around. It was really hard to watch her when she got like that. :(

[Miss Whiplash]

I didn't mean to imply that skeptics were to blame. On the contrary: the skeptics who were able to provide an informed opinion distinguished themselves by suggesting that if the girl was doing this on purpose, that therapy would be merited.

Sorry I misunderstood. You are quite right.

[quarky]

This thread reminds me:

Is it not peculiar, the way we categorize people, in semi-discreet units?

Below a certain I.Q. threshold, for instance, it is cruel to pick on someone.
Yet, the not-quite retarded get very little sympathy, and often end up in prison, because they just don't have the smarts to compete these days.

Along comes brendy, who (bless his heart, really) is seriously whacked, and people are walking on eggshells about it.
Whereas, the semi-whacked homeopaths and such, are fair game for a hammering.

I'm not defending any of it..just commenting on the arbitrary nature of our compassion, or lack thereof.
Having spent some time with the mentally ill and mentally retarded, as well as physicly handicapped people, I can say that its possible to call their bluffs without being a dick, and that they mostly appreciate frank interaction.

Its even possible that Brendy should try to read other people's mind, so that he isn't so victomized by believing that they can read his.

Why would he belive that telepathy is real, yet it is a one-way street in his case?

Brendy, if you aren't gone, might you try to explain this?

[articulett]

Yes, every troll believes their woo is true... but they come here to preach... they don't imagine they could learn anything from anyone here. Often they are daft. Brendy asked for help. And he's clearly bright. And it's not an ego thing where he's trying to prove that his woo is true to himself life so many who come here to preach. It really IS true in his head... ignorance and faith is pretty hard to fix, but there are increasingly better solutions for mental illness. And unlike the woo who are sure they have something to teach and nothing to learn, Brendy sounds like he could teach us a lot as well as being open to learning. That makes the forum and him and good match.

I read some of the sites jmonticello linked and these people say it's an illness they wouldn't wish on anyone. I agree. Woo beliefs tend to be egotistical... they make the believer feel special, chosen, "in on" secret knowledge. Brendy feels the world "knows" something that he doesn't. He feels "on the outside"-- like everyone else has special knowledge or is "normal" or something. And he is reading and responding to others... when does a woo do that... ?

I think most of us start out nice to woos... until they start that pedantic "I'm skeptic of the skeptics" thing... It's true that many of our woos could also be mentally ill or have a brain problem and not know it... we all could-- and I am known to engage in some pretty rough "woo-liganism"-- But not everybody who sounds "off" is a woo. Skepticgriggsy, for example, has a neurological disorder that affects his communication--but he understands all that is written. I feel bad when people presume he's a woo. And he doesn't know to ask for people to look beyond the words. The same is true of Brendy. I think the site that jmonticello linked was a really good peek into how hard it is to have mental illness or aberrancies. I thought the video I linked was compelling. The woo imagine themselves understood... they already feel "chosen" and "wise". But those in the links just want to feel understood... their brain makes them feel like an outsider... like they aren't "getting something". They can't help being the way they are.

The woo often seem willfully ignorant to me. We only have these words to judge... sometimes I've been harsh only to learn it was a kid online. I don't expect kids to be like me, and I don't think I'd have made a good impression on this forum when I was a teenager either. I think maybe I should be a little more careful.

[Miss Whiplash]

Call me jaded. It's hard to for me to embrace the passing sniper on any internet forum. After 18 years, I've seen it all, including serial trolls who pose as someone mentally ill/dying/suicidal/having a chronic disease/ et al. Said troll will then take the honest outpouring of sympathy from a forum, run somewhere else and ridicule those dispensing sincere support. To them it's a game and a source of amusement.

Remember on the internet, we never know exactly who is on the other side of the screen. Those good intentions may be wasted on some bored individual who could care less. I may seem very hard hearted. In fact, I am very hard hearted. Sometimes it pays to get in touch with your inner brick, before dispensing cyber hugs to an anonymous poster.

Just my opinion...

[AnotherSillyAlias]

Call me jaded. It's hard to for me to embrace the passing sniper on any internet forum. After 18 years, I've seen it all, including serial trolls who pose as someone mentally ill/dying/suicidal/having a chronic disease/ et al. Said troll will then take the honest outpouring of sympathy from a forum, run somewhere else and ridicule those dispensing sincere support. To them it's a game and a source of amusement.

Remember on the internet, we never know exactly who is on the other side of the screen. Those good intentions may be wasted on some bored individual who could care less. I may seem very hard hearted. In fact, I am very hard hearted. Sometimes it pays to get in touch with your inner brick, before dispensing cyber hugs to an anonymous poster.

Just my opinion...

Sounds like I've travelled a similar road to you. I've been around since the days of posting to a bulletin board via an acoustic coupler, (remember those anyone?), and I think I've pretty much seen it all. I don't mind giving somebody the benefit of the doubt, but that little bit of doubt always remains in my mind. I need to know a person pretty well before I'll fully trust anything I read in a forum.

[Miss Whiplash]

Sounds like I've travelled a similar road to you. I've been around since the days of posting to a bulletin board via an acoustic coupler, (remember those anyone?), and I think I've pretty much seen it all. I don't mind giving somebody the benefit of the doubt, but that little bit of doubt always remains in my mind. I need to know a person pretty well before I'll fully trust anything I read in a forum.

Ahh, those acoustic couplers! I once thought those were so high tech. Remember Delphi and Genie? :D

I once watched one voracious troll dupe people for the better part of the 1990s. Some victims went so far as sending it flowers and trying to travel to see the person. Over the course of the decade the person posed on Usenet as:

A battered wife
Dying of Cancer
Paraplegic
Bi-polar
Threats of suicide
Pregnant
Pregnant and dying
Pregnant and homeless
Having MS
Had MS, pregnant and dying
Depressed and having menopause
Created a sock puppet and said she was dead

And so it went. All the time the person was laughing at the "dumb people" offering him/her genuine support. It was sad someone got their jollies abusing good natured people who were kind to a stranger.

[Pup]

This thread reminds me:

Is it not peculiar, the way we categorize people, in semi-discreet units?

I was thinking the same thing, especially when reading Dancing David's post:

perhaps they should read more Fred Frese as well.
Especially the part where he carries a card that read
"I am living with an emotional cognitive disability. Your expression of hostility and current behavior is making my symptoms worse. please stop."

What I wouldn't have given to have a card like that to hand to my father, that would have actually worked, so he'd stop his endless ranting at me when I was a child. He was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic, and I was "normal" then, but thanks to years of living with him before I was old enough to leave home, I've had a lifetime of post-traumatic stress disorder to cope with.

So who in that situation was the person needing compassion? Who was the perpetrator and who the innocent victim? Now, thirty-some years later, if a schizophrenic's rant triggered me, who would hand the card to who? Who would be responsible for controlling his behavior at all costs and exercising compassion toward the other?

As much as I'd like to believe in a compassionate world, where begging politely for relief would get results, my experience has led me to believe that life just doesn't work that way.

[DRBUZZ0]

You know I don't know if this person was a troll or not and perhaps (probably) they were, but considering that the alternative possibility is that they came to find this forum because they actually do believe what they say and that they were actually looking for some kind of advice or help or something, then in that case the reception which was given really does not reflect very well on the skeptical movement's receptiveness to those who inquire about something nor does it reflect well on the foundation membership. Granted this is an open forum and not controlled by the JREF but it's still something associated with it.

It would be one thing if it were somebody who came and started to pick fights. However, assuming this person is what they make themselves out to be (which they very well may not be), then I'm not sure how very many here can state that they actually have any desire to spread the message of skepticism or to encourage critical thinking and solving problems with logic. Rather, the immediate writing off of this individual and complete lack of believing from the getgo is entirely in line with the cynical/angry/mean spirited image that skeptics are often portrayed with by detractors.

Good job.

[nzric]

, the immediate writing off of this individual and complete lack of believing from the getgo is entirely in line with the cynical/angry/mean spirited image that skeptics are often portrayed with by detractors.
I agree wholeheartedly.

Brendy. Take the test. If you're 100% positive of telepathy then of course you'll pass. Everyone in JREF will sincerely congratulate you and apologise for their doubts, and you and the friend in your head can enjoy the $1,000,000.

[thaiboxerken]

You know I don't know if this person was a troll

I'd have to say that I am 99.9% sure Brendy is a troll based on the fact that he made all of his claims unfalsifiable.

[DRBUZZ0]

I'd have to say that I am 99.9% sure Brendy is a troll based on the fact that he made all of his claims unfalsifiable.

Yeah good point. The more I re-read it the more troll it seems.

[Ron_Tomkins]

Why are you all pretending?


Because it's exquisitely fun.

Now go fetch me some more lard! Go!!!!!!!!!!

[Locknar]

I'd have to say that I am 99.9% sure Brendy is a troll based on the fact that he made all of his claims unfalsifiable.That is a good way of putting it *lol*; that is what I was trying to get at with the "Mayday like" comment earlier.

[Linda777NJ]

Ahh, those acoustic couplers! I once thought those were so high tech. Remember Delphi and Genie? :D

I once watched one voracious troll dupe people for the better part of the 1990s. Some victims went so far as sending it flowers and trying to travel to see the person. Over the course of the decade the person posed on Usenet as:

A battered wife
Dying of Cancer
Paraplegic
Bi-polar
Threats of suicide
Pregnant
Pregnant and dying
Pregnant and homeless
Having MS
Had MS, pregnant and dying
Depressed and having menopause
Created a sock puppet and said she was dead

And so it went. All the time the person was laughing at the "dumb people" offering him/her genuine support. It was sad someone got their jollies abusing good natured people who were kind to a stranger.

Anyone that would spend almost a decade lying about their predicaments and ailments had some real serious issues. Perhaps not the ones they claimed but that person is seriously twisted without a doubt!

[tsig]

Call me jaded. It's hard to for me to embrace the passing sniper on any internet forum. After 18 years, I've seen it all, including serial trolls who pose as someone mentally ill/dying/suicidal/having a chronic disease/ et al. Said troll will then take the honest outpouring of sympathy from a forum, run somewhere else and ridicule those dispensing sincere support. To them it's a game and a source of amusement.

Remember on the internet, we never know exactly who is on the other side of the screen. Those good intentions may be wasted on some bored individual who could care less. I may seem very hard hearted. In fact, I am very hard hearted. Sometimes it pays to get in touch with your inner brick, before dispensing cyber hugs to an anonymous poster.

Just my opinion...

If it looks like a nail hit it with a hammer.

[Dancing David]

Attack the argument, not the arguer. I think Brendy is insincere at best and a troll at worst and said why. You are welcome to refute but really....the "dressing down"?

Of course, perhaps I (and others) have overlooked your vast medical and/or psychological background? Upon review, I think not.


What argument, what data and how do you interpret IT , you know Locknar you made some bold statements about potential diagnosis. And they were just that bold statements made on very little information.

Have you ever talked to someone in the first year of a schizophrenic disease, they show much higher levels of agitation than they do ten years later, they have hyperkinesis, flight of ideas and generaly appear to be manic.

I can review your post but i think you made some bold claims about schizophrenia and perhaps you don't know much about it?

I can pssi along with you if you want, weekly mental health assesments for nine years minus 4 weeks vacation means, 48x9=432 mental health assements, except there were weeks where I did two or three, and then for a year and a half I did aminimum of 15 assements a wekk minus the week off, so that would be 16x3=48x15=720, so add 432+720=1,152. And then there were the weeks I did crisis intervention, we will just loiok athe the ones wehere I was primary (not the back up ones) on average I did 7 crisis assesments during a primarary week, so 16x7=112 crisis asseesment in an ED or the jail.

Is that enough volume of urine for you?

[Dancing David]

Obviously, we could have thrown any number of those terms, besides schizophrenia, at poor Brendy. But what would be the point? Not being qualified to make such a diagnosis to begin with, and hoping only to point Brendy in the direction of considering the possibility that medical help might be of benefit, I still don't see the point in bringing all of that up. I don't believe Brendy is open to considering any of that at this time. There are several possibilities, most of which have been considered here - Brendy is trolling, Brendy is in fact being telepathically controlled, or Brendy's perception of being telepathically controlled, hearing negative voices and suicidal ideation are pointing in the direction of Brendy needing to seek medical attention so someone qualified to help can help. I have been leaning toward the latter. Others have been leaning toward the first. None of us believe the second, except Brendy, who posted his claims on a paranormal forum, inviting the comments from the resident skeptics who should not be expected to be able to diagnose him with a mental illness, regardless, and are responding to his claims just the same way they do to the unfounded paranormal claims of others.

Many people ran to a judgement of schizophrenia and then some even argued that there was a trolling by pretending to have schizophrenia , while others were just abusive.

I called them on it, if Brendy is a person with a mental illness, they are wrong for getting thier sport out of it.

[Dancing David]

Dancing David, I don't think anyone here has done any actual diagnosing--at least not without urging Brendy to get some help.

In fact, what I've seen mostly is a reluctance to take these things at face value.

If you take Brendy at face value, there are two options: Brendy is delusional and needs some kind of help or Brendy is not delusional and these things are all real. Which would you think is most likely?

Admit it, D.D., you're in the vast conspiracy with the rest of us to pretend that telepathy isn't real, aren't you? ;)

Ooops--I'm not supposed to mention that in an open forum where AmyWilson can see it. Now she's got PROOF! :)

That does not excuse the abusive behavior. there was a lot of real poop being slung around, and there are people who were claiming that it was schizophrenia and other who were claiming Brendy was faking. others were abusive.

That is what i called them on, and some may have evn made light of suicidal ideation, even better.


If Brendy had been more assertive and pushy than a like response would have been warranted, but abusive behavior is not.

Believe me I like to make fun of woo (especially BeAChooser) as well, but when someone has a major mental illness I tend to be a little more cautios, I tried to talk to the Minister of Truth until they used the 'poor abused vistimstance' and then i let him have it as well.

[Dancing David]

DDavid - I'm feeling left out. Pls "shame full" me as I still think Brendy is a troll.

If he's sincere he sounds like he has enough intelligence to know that he won't get any more help by posting stuff about mental telepathy in a skeptic forum. Brendy - if you're actually hearing voices (which I truly doubt), do what many of the posts have been suggesting and get help.


If you want , sigh, I suppose I could , :mutter mutter:
Shame full.


:p

is that better were you one of the ones engaged in schizophrenia diagnosis and certain that they knew what it was enough to make a claim of faking it?

here is the deal people with a major mental illness (or alzheimers) are very good at 'fakining it to making it' they are very very good at covering what they know other people might react to, so usually you have to get to knwo a person and spend a considerable amount of time before you can judge thier symptamology or validity.

[Dancing David]

I didn't want to comment in this thread, because I thought Brendy was either 1) a believer/troll or 2) suffering from some kind of mental illness. If 1, then ignoring is the best plan. But if 2, then how to respond? I think DancingDavid is partially right - lay people (like me) shouldn't try diagnosing. But should we at least try to empathize, and say, "Hey man (or woman). I think you have problems. Maybe you should see a psychiatrist." And I am convinced that mocking is almost never helpful.

So... How to respond? I'm not sure. My personal feeling is that Brendy might have mental problems. And I'll say, "Get help". In a nice way.

But DancingDavid, I think you might be a little over-sensitive, and harsh. Condemn the mockers, sure. But how else should we react if Brendy has some mental problem(s)? Ignore? Sympathize/empathize?

Only empathy, never sympathy and not mocking.

I hardly got going on this one, read some of the VTM threads if you want to see me acting crazy and foolish.

Um here is the deal, people are stigmatizing mental illness, why not abuse cancer patients as well, or heart pateints, does that make sense?

Read some of the stuff by E. Fuller Torey Surviving Scizophrenia (while not always biologically accurate it presents the stigma issue rather well), there is also NAMI National Alliance Mental Illness and other groups that talk about stigma of mental illness. Fred Frese at Case Western is good.

yes i over react, especially when people are abusive.

[Dancing David]

Not only that, I wax the steps at the old peoples home.

That's a wonderfully big hearted argument and all, but I grant you Brendy will vanish like Mayday, now that Amy Wilson has put in an appearance.


That may well be.

I worked as a case manager for ten years and did crisis line for five of that. I also have been a crisis intervention counselor.

Sometimes things are funny but abusing people with a mental illness is not. Just like when people tell people to go ahead and commit suicide, some things are abusive.

[Dancing David]

As is your misspelling of the word "shameful".

:p

the devil made me do it.

[Dancing David]

Hiya Caleb.

Two possibilities, trolling or mental illness. Let's cut the crap about telepathy being possible.

I lean toward thinking it's mental illness.

The same response in either case, because it's adequate for the ill and not that much fun for the troll: get help.

I don't see so much of a manic component, but if there's evidence of no sleep, grandiosity, irritability, recent onset, maybe cyclical nature, I'm convincible.

Once, DD, you were a little harsh with Minister of Truth (you called him on his self-pity, which may have been justified) but I agree with you here.

Yes I lost it with MoT , as I recall he was saying that people didn't accept his ideas because he was labeled a schizophrenic and I tore into him for not doing the work to prove his theories, certainly not a better moment.


Could be lots of things, but it seems like schizophrenia or a darn good imitation of it.

(I have a schizophrenic sibling, although for many (40+) years, he/she was diagnosed as manic-depressive with a personality disorder.)

[Dancing David]

Whoa, alot of people responded. Thanks. I don't know if I can respond to them all. I am a he, by the way. Brendy's just a nickname, long story.

Well I think this thread has done what was needed. So for closure,

I am seeing someone for this, but nothing really changes. I can see the symptoms and everything, but when you have someone's voice in your head tell you, as you read this thread, "you're not crazy, it's real, here i'll prove it by itching your nose" my mind believes telepathy is real. With all these people telling me i'm wrong and all the signs, I still can't even conseed .001%.

I am 100% sure it's real. But I understand that you are 100% sure it's not real.

I completely understand how all of you feel because one year ago I felt the same way as you. I still feel that way RIGHT NOW about stuff like god and spoon bending. I even get offended when people group telepathy with ideas such as telling the future.

If some good comes out of my whole problem is that it has forced me to do alot of thinking about what the conscious is.



Thanks for caring. If you meet me sometime just be nice in my head, ok?

Hi Brendy!

I really think that if you are not overwhelmed all the time that some cognitive behavioral therapy might help you. If you hear the voices as though they were next to you, then sometimes humming helps.

There are many strategies to take care of yourself, along with the medication. If the medication is not effective, I am sorry, either there wasn't a long enough trial (at least six weeks) or it was the wrong medicine. And not all people will be traeted with medication effectively, it can be a real effeort to chang ethe whole picture that works the best.

Good luck.

[Dancing David]

articulett, thanks for the link to the video. I suffer from schiz-affective meaning schiz with depression. As I said, suicide, homelessness, etc is common among people with mental illness. I myself tried to end my life at the early stages of my illness. The stigma is caused by ignorance which I am hoping will, in time, vanish through education.

Brendy, schiz has nothing to do with stupidity. A lot of people we admire comes from a family with a history of mental illness or they themselves has the illness. examples are John Nash, the son of Einstien, and I believe Thomas Jefferson as he claims his watch talks to him and gives him advice (auditory hallucination).

I understand the difficulty of believeing that what you hear are nothing but voices in your head and nothing else. Me myself, even at this point in time still has questions.

One of the first thing I heard a long time ago is "From that little mountain he would come down, with the law that will guide all man's law, that all men are created equal". I am not an American but through research, I found out that the words "all men are created equal" are the opening words in the declaration of independence. The author, Thomas Jefferson whose home was Monticello, Virgina. As I understand it, Monti - mountain, Cello - small.

There are a lot of things that I heard which left questions in my head. So the question now is how many coincedences does it have to take before it stops to be just coincedences.

But what is important is to keep my sanity so I stopped asking questions and live my life in the same manner as I lived my life before I had the illness and to understand that I have to accept that I have an illness so that I can utilize the available methods, like theraphy and medications to avoid relapse.


I have been there too, many people do not know that the people around them are suffering, until they do something drastic, I have tried suicide, fortunately not lethal, but have seen friends not come back. It is very sad and makes some people here who laugh at mental illness and act abusive really sadistic.

[Miss Whiplash]

That may well be.

I worked as a case manager for ten years and did crisis line for five of that. I also have been a crisis intervention counselor.

Sometimes things are funny but abusing people with a mental illness is not. Just like when people tell people to go ahead and commit suicide, some things are abusive.

Please read my posts about serial trolls and how they abuse kind people. We still do not know if Brendy is sincere and actually mentally ill or a teenager laughing his ass off at your impassioned speeches and righteous anger.

Any passing troll can go to any website listing the signs of schizophrenia and then work the symptoms into a convincing online persona. Try reading some of the archives of alt.troll on usenet. It pays to have a bit of credulity on the internet as 99% of the time we have no idea who is on the other end of the keyboard.

BTW-I don't buy magazines from unknown high school students raising money for a class trip to Vegas either.

[Locknar]

What argument, what data and how do you interpret IT , you know Locknar you made some bold statements about potential diagnosis. And they were just that bold statements made on very little information.Holy flaming leaping lizards....bold statments you say? Let's see...there was post #115 where I said I think Brendy is a troll and why...and then of course there is post....er.....umm.....


I can review your post but i think you made some bold claims about schizophrenia and perhaps you don't know much about it?No no...by all means, continue to rant....


I can pssi along with you if you want, weekly mental health assesments for nine years minus 4 weeks vacation means, 48x9=432 mental health assements, except there were weeks where I did two or three, and then for a year and a half I did aminimum of 15 assements a wekk minus the week off, so that would be 16x3=48x15=720, so add 432+720=1,152. And then there were the weeks I did crisis intervention, we will just loiok athe the ones wehere I was primary (not the back up ones) on average I did 7 crisis assesments during a primarary week, so 16x7=112 crisis asseesment in an ED or the jail.I'm going to assume there was education that went along with all that...good thing reading comprehension was heavily emphasized.

Safe to say you have convinced me as to your expertise in this area, and I ask that everyone else refrain from further comment as obviously we (or at least I) are not worthy.


Is that enough volume of urine for you?Er.....yeah, thats fine. Just bring us the check.

[Miss Whiplash]

Anyone that would spend almost a decade lying about their predicaments and ailments had some real serious issues. Perhaps not the ones they claimed but that person is seriously twisted without a doubt!

There are some weird people on the internet. Because of the anonymity many people will act out in ways they would never consider in the real 3-D world. It's the high tech equivalent of writing on a bathroom wall or calling some store late at night and asking if they have Prince Albert in a can.

On one usenet group where I once posted, a woman became a target of a troll/stalker for no reason at all. As she used her real name, she soon began receiving threats in the real world. Email, reportedly from a 32 year old man, started filling up her email box. Soon she started getting harassing phone calls in the middle of the night. It escalated to threating letters in the mails, then to cars full of shouting people driving by her house. She was completely terrified. This was before stalking laws so there was little the law could do. When the harassment finally escalated to someone ringing doorbells and throwing things through the windows, the culprit was finally caught. The 32 year old man was actually a 14 year old boy who lived in a nearby town. He posted her name on alt.trolls and enlisted the aid of other trolls to harass the woman. To them it was all a game and they were laughing themselves silly over the woman's terror.

[Moochie]

Well, I told him to get help. That's all I said. That's all I could say in the face of that preposterous OP.


M.

[Professor Yaffle]

I would much rather risk mistaking a troll for someone sincere and give sympathy/advice where I can, than risk ridiculing someone who is genuinely ill because I thought they were a troll.

[Locknar]

When the harassment finally escalated to someone ringing doorbells and throwing things through the windows, the culprit was finally caught. The 32 year old man was actually a 14 year old boy who lived in a nearby town. He posted her name on alt.trolls and enlisted the aid of other trolls to harass the woman. To them it was all a game and they were laughing themselves silly over the woman's terror.How sad.

[JoeTheJuggler]

I hope this forum isn't a place where the seriously mental ill should go to and expect to get professional help.

I hope there is no mental health professional who thinks it would be appropriate to treat someone via this forum.

I have no problem acting as if Brendy is not a troll (even though I strongly suspect he is).

So, he's made some very wild claims. One of which is certainly testable:

I
The only way to cure my problem would be a thick lead enclosure. No not a tin foil hat, that's not think enough and wont stop the electromagnetic waves from their brain reaching mine.
Electromagnetic waves are detectable. A receiver implanted in his head would be detectable.

He (or she) claims to have exhausted mental health services and also says:

The problem is, there is no way for anyone to convince me what I believe is not real.
No much a skeptic can do. Brendy seems to know how skepticism works, and has already shot down anything we could propose.

So. . . if Brendy's not a troll, what is the purpose of this discussion? As I said earlier, I suppose our huge conspiracy to pretend that telepathy doesn't exist has finally been exposed! ;)

Seriously, DancingDavid, what do you think motivated Brendy to start this thread?

[dubitoergocogito]

Please read my posts about serial trolls and how they abuse kind people. We still do not know if Brendy is sincere and actually mentally ill or a teenager laughing his ass off at your impassioned speeches and righteous anger.

Any passing troll can go to any website listing the signs of schizophrenia and then work the symptoms into a convincing online persona. Try reading some of the archives of alt.troll on usenet. It pays to have a bit of credulity on the internet as 99% of the time we have no idea who is on the other end of the keyboard.

BTW-I don't buy magazines from unknown high school students raising money for a class trip to Vegas either.

If you are so experienced with identifying internet trolls it seems you somehow have never learned to properly deal with them (i.e. don't feed).

I don't think anybody can deny that there is a very real possibility that the OP has a severe psychotic disorder. That said, whether there's a 20% chance or a 90% chance that he's a troll is a moot point when considering the appropriate reaction. It's sad that some of you don't have the self restraint to either ignore Brendy and move on, or to offer help. I guess some people have to pump up their internet tough-guy image at every turn. Those trying to speculate as to a proper diagnosis are guilty too (though certainly more well-meaning).

[Miss Whiplash]

If you are so experienced with identifying internet trolls it seems you somehow have never learned to properly deal with them (i.e. don't feed).

I don't think anybody can deny that there is a very real possibility that the OP has a severe psychotic disorder. That said, whether there's a 20% chance or a 90% chance that he's a troll is a moot point when considering the appropriate reaction. It's sad that some of you don't have the self restraint to either ignore Brendy and move on, or to offer help. I guess some people have to pump up their internet tough-guy image at every turn. Those trying to speculate as to a proper diagnosis are guilty too (though certainly more well-meaning).

And thank you for joining us.

[Ron_Tomkins]

And thank you for joining us.

:D

[Darth Rotor]

Anyone that would spend almost a decade lying about their predicaments and ailments had some real serious issues. Perhaps not the ones they claimed but that person is seriously twisted without a doubt!

Nope. Some people have a sense of humor that you don't seem to understand. Screwing with other people for one's own amusement runs rampant on the internet. It's a matter of degree, not kind.

@ dancing david: thanks for the rant of reason

@ Whiplash: I've met some interesting trolls as well, but the one you describe is a classic.

DR

[Darth Rotor]

If you are so experienced with identifying internet trolls it seems you somehow have never learned to properly deal with them (i.e. don't feed).

I don't think anybody can deny that there is a very real possibility that the OP has a severe psychotic disorder. That said, whether there's a 20% chance or a 90% chance that he's a troll is a moot point when considering the appropriate reaction. It's sad that some of you don't have the self restraint to either ignore Brendy and move on, or to offer help. I guess some people have to pump up their internet tough-guy image at every turn. Those trying to speculate as to a proper diagnosis are guilty too (though certainly more well-meaning).
Cry me a river.

The internet is a jungle. The coin of the realm is the written word, and nowadays linked images to add a bit of depth. Sadly, Youtube has been added to devalue the currencly.

Brendy shows up and falls all over self. Standard internet behavior commences, and as you see in the past seven pages, a variety of responses and reactions arrived on cue.

Why is your bleeding heart approach the correct one? What assumptions are you making, about activity on the internet?

This isn't a mental health clinic. It's an internet forum, intended to promote critical thinking. As a byproduct of that intent, it serves as a playground for taking the piss out of things called woos, and things that look like woos.

Welcome.

If you came in the wrong door, I can offer personal abuse in room seven, or getting hit on the head lessons in room twelve.

DR

(Note: that last sentence is a gratuitous Monty Python reference.)

[Senex]

All right! All right! Enough already! I can no longer take the strain. Yes, of course we are all pretending. We aren't all doing it for the same reason -- but all our reasons are nefarious.

[articulett]

(you told... you promised you wouldn't)