By Reap Paden
Priming is in essence a form of cheating or giving hints. It is done in many different aspects of our lives but today lets concentrate on how it relates to the paranormal and hopefully help some people to understand what they see, hear or read is not always what they should believe.
There is one form of priming that has always made me extremely uncomfortable, it involves EVP. When someone is sharing an EVP and tells you what you are going to hear or even suggests "this is very scary" they have negated any unbiased opinion of that EVP. It has been tainted and once that occurs people can not just become unaffected by the primer. It is sort of like in front of a jury when a lawyer objects. The jury can be told to disregard whatever has been presented but the fact is they have been primed and the deed is done.
The telephone that talks to the dead is another good example of 'self-priming' when you ask a question you are going to have the answer in your mind, The brain, wanting to create patterns from random noise will have a natural tendency to create the pattern you expect to hear. In the paranormal there is a incredible amount of priming going on. To be honest I do not know how to get around it in all cases but if people are aware of it going on it will at least help.
If you are going to investigate anything, including paranormal occurrences then you must factor in priming. I think that in the case of hauntings and trying to find out if there is any actual activity going on ignorance is needed to help find truth. Don't worry being ignorant is not bad, we all are ignorant about some things. It is those who keep their ignorance and allow it to grow who become stupid.
Another form of priming is environmental priming. If a place seems spooky to some one then naturally they are going to expect strange things to occur. Now don't go blindfolding all your team members but when you are studying the results of an investigation keep in mind that some people's accounts of events may be affected by this.
If you think you have an EVP that says something, play it for people by all means but please do not prime them in any way. Just ask them to listen. Then record what they say they heard, play it for several people and record the responses. This won't be undeniable proof of course but I will bet the range of answers you get will cause you to think twice when you assume what you hear is what everyone else will hear.
Now you have been primed to do things using common sense..........
Looking inside the spiritual & literary worlds
10 comments:
Thanks for not "priming" us with the claim that this is an interesting, well written post.
Reap does have a point about priming that many seem to fail to understand. I have never primed when sharing EVP's because I want to know what others hear.
Certainly audio recordings can help with identifying if there is a paranormal problem.
Sometimes simple information like this post is a reminder to all that primers can be cause of incredible cause of worry for those involved and blur what is natural environmental etc and that of the true paranormal.
Marie
Actually, dip sh*t. What we here n EVPs are due to Gestalt theory. Same goes for "ghost photography." Google the word "PAREIDLOIA"
Pareidolia (correct spelling) is bullshit when used in some instances, it was never termed or created to have anything to do with EVP or ghost photos. Skeptics just use it because they don't believe in sh*t and it has evolved to help explain their arguments. Now it has become customary. It was originally termed regarding evolution and biology, however in its use by psychologists and those involved in human development it evolved into a more "skeptical" term used by many "pseudo skeptics". The correct term to use is "apophenia" where ones perception creates patterns where none exists.
Regardless for the idiot comments by some. Reap actually wrote a non-bias article to have people think more. Priming can occur, but in no shape or form does it mean that every thing you hear will be "as stated" because someone told you so. Think about movie trailers and reviews. Just because they say it is a great movie doesn't mean you are going to enjoy it or like it or even think the same way.
Priming does NOT take away any truths to EVP or data. Only that things CAN be influenced, so as Reap stated everyone should be careful of that. That it is best to listen or view data repeatedly over time. As ones mind can can see or hear things differently depending on the state it is in.
Reap even though I think you are a D**k you actually wrote a "good" article lad. Cheers to you.
Reap please write an article on both of these terms and the history/origins to set these people straight. This is something I know you can do and you are very good at.
It's late, I can barely type, these eyes are fading at such an old age but I still have my mind to know what is. Good nite all.
-Skip
Don't you mean hear and not "here"? LOL
Yes the default explanation when camera errors are eliminated: "Pareidolia"
By the way, stop trying to use big words, all those pesky syllables must be hard for you to sound out while you are two finger pontificating about an already tired and well tread topic.
Sure make fun of someone with limited eyesight and arthritis in the fingers. Nice.
I made my point. Read it and Reap.
-Skip
You mean "read it and SLEEP" don't you?
@bobnoxious, LMAO!
Actually the "sleep" remark was funny. I did laugh at that. Cheers to that.
-Skip
I MADE A TYPO. THANKS FOR CORRECTING MY SPELLING. GLAD YOU GOOGLED IT, THOUGH. BECAUSE I KNOW YOU DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT MEANT.
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