ParaNexus Newsletter - 01 Jan 10

8/14/2019 ParaNexus Newsletter - 01 Jan 10

1/9

Coming Up onParaNexus Radio

9pm - 10pm Eastern

1-7-10

EVP Research Tools& Techniques

Discussion of EVP toolsand techniques with

ParaNexus Director ofEVP Research and BoardMembers, Dr Ingrid Irwin

Read the

latest about

automatic

writing and

its history in the

ParaNexus Parapedia.

Not a ParaNexusMember Yet?

Join the Vision

T h i s M o n t h i n P a r a N e x u sThe ParaNexus

Newsletter 2010 by ParaNexus.org.Editor: David Desjardins CDThis Newsletter is distrib-

uted free of charge to any-

one interested. Please visit

ParaNexus.orgto subscribe.

Serious article submissions

welcome. Please send sub-

m i s s i o n s t o

[email protected]

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

Letters From the Editor 2

ParaNexus 2009 Year in

Review2

Critical Thinking in the Field.

Why do we Need it?7

N e w A n n o u n c e m e n t s

1 January 2010

Recent Blogs

The Anti Certification Cru-sade ...

Is It Proper to Certify Some-one in Para Research?

Take Heart ParaNexus is SoNeeded

Let No One Come This Way

Responsible Research:Experts in the Field

These Blogs and others can bef o u n d a t : h t t p : / /www.paranexus.org/forum/index.php?zc

Join or Renew yourmembership now totake advantage ofmany new mem-bership benefits.

www.paranexus.org/join
http://www.paranexus.org/forum/index.php?page=35http://www.paranexus.org/forum/index.php?page=35mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.paranexus.org/index.php?article=54.0http://www.paranexus.org/index.php?article=54.0http://www.paranexus.org/index.php?article=54.0http://www.paranexus.org/index.php?article=53.0http://www.paranexus.org/index.php?article=53.0http://www.paranexus.org/index.php?article=53.0http://www.paranexus.org/index.php?article=50.0http://www.paranexus.org/index.php?article=52.0http://www.paranexus.org/index.php?article=52.0http://www.paranexus.org/index.php?article=52.0http://www.paranexus.org/index.php?article=51.0http://www.paranexus.org/index.php?article=51.0http://www.paranexus.org/index.php?article=50.0http://www.paranexus.org/index.php?article=50.0http://www.paranexus.org/index.php?article=50.0http://www.paranexus.org/index.php?zchttp://www.paranexus.org/index.php?zchttp://www.paranexus.org/index.php?zchttp://www.paranexus.org/index.php?zchttp://www.paranexus.org/joinhttp://www.paranexus.org/joinhttp://www.paranexus.org/joinhttp://www.paranexus.org/index.php?page=173http://www.paranexus.org/joinhttp://www.paranexus.org/joinhttp://www.paranexus.org/index.php?zchttp://www.paranexus.org/index.php?zchttp://www.paranexus.org/index.php?zchttp://www.paranexus.org/index.php?article=50.0http://www.paranexus.org/index.php?article=50.0http://www.paranexus.org/index.php?article=50.0http://www.paranexus.org/index.php?article=51.0http://www.paranexus.org/index.php?article=52.0http://www.paranexus.org/index.php?article=52.0http://www.paranexus.org/index.php?article=50.0http://www.paranexus.org/index.php?article=53.0http://www.paranexus.org/index.php?article=53.0http://www.paranexus.org/index.php?article=53.0http://www.paranexus.org/index.php?article=54.0http://www.paranexus.org/index.php?article=54.0http://www.paranexus.org/index.php?zchttp://www.paranexus.org/index.php?page=62http://www.paranexus.org/index.php?page=36mailto:[email protected]://www.paranexus.org/forum/index.php?page=35


2/9

A hearty Happy New

Year to everyone! 2010

ushers in many excitingthings within ParaNexus.

Membership continues to

rise which also furthers

our knowledge base.

New research focuses

are being looked at on a

personal and group level

and a number of new

courses are in develop-

ment for the ParaNexus

Academy.

On a personal level,

rather than focusing

resolutions on what I can

do for me, Im looking at

what I can do for others,

both in the field and out

and I would invite every-

one to do the same in

some form or fashion.

I look forward to the

experiencing what's to

come with all of you.

Until next time.

Best Wishes

Suggestions, questions, com-

ments or concerns pertaining to

this article or anything con-

tained herein may be sent to:

[email protected]

or [email protected]

L e t t e r s F r o m t h e E d i t o r

B y D a v i d D e s j a r d i n s C D

P a g e 2

Certified Paranormal Investiga-

tors Course Available at

ParaNexus Academy

1 J a n u a r y 2 0 1 0

P a r a N e x u s 2 0 0 9 Y e a r i n R e v i e w

F r o m t h e P a r a N e x u s B o a r d o f D i r e c t o r s

Two thousand and nine proved to be a big year forParaNexus with many enhancements, features, andmember benefits added. In addition, we not only grewas researchers and investigators, but the ParaNexusVision became even more defined. Following are someof the more noteworthy achievements during 2009.

- January 1: Reorganization. ParaNexus founders,Doug Kelley and Jari Mikkola, decided to reorganizethe association with Doug taking responsibility forParaNexus, and Jari taking over the monthly Journaland other publishing objectives.

- March 9: A brochure and log template was createdfor website visitors who experience paranormalphenomena. This free brochure gives the readergrounded information on what to do if he or she ex-periences a haunting, UFO, or abduction event. It alsoprovides a log form that the witness can keep to helpinvestigators.

- March 13: CIPRIS Intl Standards are released.These standards are intended to serve as a foundationof ethical and professional standards for ParaNexusmembers, Certified ParaNexus Field Investigators(CPFI), and other anomalous researchers and investiga-tors in conducting professional anomalous investiga-tions. These standards are freely available to any indi-vidual or team who wishes to use them.

- April 11: ParaNexus holds a workshop atRedhawk Ranch near Tampa, Florida, in the eve-ning with approximately 20 people present. Presen-tations were given by Doug Kelley and Lori Pablo,and Gregory Kent conducted a table tipping sancewith interesting results. This workshop was a test toascertain the viability of holding monthly forums inthe Tampa area. While no other workshops wereheld during the year, we may hold similar meetingsin the future.

- April 28: The Parapedia is added to theParaNexus website. The Parapedia is a wiki thatuses the same software as Wikipedia. TheParaNexus Parapedia is focused on all things thatare anomalous in nature or related. Our vision is forthe ParaNexus Parapedia to develop into a credibleand trustworthy source of information for research-ers and investigators.

- May 4: Kevin Costa joins ParaNexus staff as theParapedia Administrator. Kevin Costa is a nativeFloridian residing in Boca Raton, and has been aneducator in Broward County for the last 28 years.His introduction to the paranormal began in hisyouth, belonging to a psychic group that workedwith the police and FBI. Skeptical of his paranormalexperiences, he attended the University of WestGeorgia, receiving a Masters in Humanistic Psychol-ogy with a Minor in Parapsychology.
http://www.paranexusacademy.org/http://www.paranexusacademy.org/http://www.paranexusacademy.org/http://www.paranexusacademy.org/http://www.paranexusacademy.org/


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P a g e 31 J a n u a r y 2 0 1 0

It is there that he met and had the honor to workwith his mentor, Dr. William Roll. Through his manyexperiences with the paranormal, he has never feltfear of the unknown, only a skeptical curiosity.

- May 12: Website hosting for members research

websites added to member benefits. This is a reallycool benefit of membership, although many membershavent taken advantage of it. This membershipbenefit can save members money.

- May 15: The ParaNexus Registry is launched. Aworking version of the ParaNexus Registry of Anoma-lous Events is released that allows both members andvisitors to report anomalous events as well as requestan investigation. The Registry also handles case as-signments for the CPFI Program. This software waswritten by the ParaNexus technology departmentwith Michael Jones as the project leader and primary

coder.

- May 15: CPFI Program is launched. The CertifiedParaNexus Field Investigator (CPFI) program is de-signed to allow ParaNexus to conduct investigationsfor clients by qualified members. By years end, wehad 20 Field Investigators in 10 states and 5 coun-tries. While we did not receive many cases, we areoptimistic that the cases will increase as the publicbecomes more aware of ParaNexus.

- June 1: A directory of ParaNexus certification re-cipients was added so that the public and potentialclients can verify an investigators claims of CPI orCLPI certification.

- June 14: New website server and theme change.

The ParaNexus website was transferred to our newservers and a new theme was created to promote ac-tivity on the site. A slideshow was added with graphicsto capture the interest of visitors as well as a featuredvideo. The new theme is designed to strike a balancebetween an academic site and a flashier site. Otherchanges were also incorporated.

- August 21: Dave Desjardins joins ParaNexus Staff;the Newsletter resumes. So many things to do and sofew people to do them took its toll on the newsletterprior to Dave joining the staff. As Newsletter Editor,Dave immediately redesigned and began sending the

newsletter each week. Dave is also the Director ofEastern Ontario Paranormal Investigation & Consulta-tion (EOPIC), based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Hehas served 15 years with the Canadian Forces where hehas had the opportunity to travel extensively conduct-ing his own research into the beliefs of many of theworlds cultures and societies first hand. Dave's profes-sional background includes criminal investigations withthe Canadian Forces Military Police and formal educa-tion in forensic investigation; crime scene analysis andreconstruction; forensic photography; statementanalysis; photographic/video analysis; psychology;counselling; and theology, thru the Canadian Forces as

well as various other Canadian police and educationalestablishments. Continued on Page 4

Do you have a topic that you are passionate about? Some-

thing that you feel should be said?A comment, criticism, or opinion on the field of paranor-

mal research or its future?Make your voice heard in the ParaNexus Newsletter.

All submissions may be sent to:[email protected]


4/9

P a g e 4 1 J a n u a r y 2 0 1 0

- August 15: Free forum memberships are discon-tinued. In 2008, Admin made the decision to openforum registration to non-members in the hope that itwould encourage active sharing of knowledge. Whilemany people did register for the forums, very fewactually participated. Therefore, free forum member-ships were discontinued. While a few forum boards

are currently viewable by the public, most are onlyavailable to paid members, hence, the forum is now aplace where members can freely share knowledge aswell as develop ideas and concepts. An added bonusis that new ideas and concepts can undergo peerreview before being presented to the public atlarge.

- September 11: ParaNexus incorporates as a Flor-ida non-profit. Six well-known and trusted membersare chosen to serve as the founding Board of Direc-tors: Doug Kelley, Grant Rubendunst, Mi-chael Jones, Gregory Kent, Barry Brudnak,

and Kevin Costa. Dave Desjardins acceptsthe invitation to join the Board of Directorslater in September, and Ingrid Irwin ac-cepts the invitation to join the Board ofDirectors in October bringing the total num-ber of Board Members to eight. This datemarked an important change in ParaNexusorganizational structure in that control ofthe association was passed from one indi-vidual (Doug Kelley) to a Board of Directors(there are no corporate voting members).Plans are also made to apply for 501(c)(3) taxexempt status with the IRS.

- September 24: Anomalous Evidence AdvisoryBoard is established for reviewing and reporting po-tential and alleged anomalous photographic, video,and audio evidence. This committee will review sub-mitted evidence as well as prominent evidence foundin the media and on popular websites (such as You-Tube), and then report its findings in an unemotionaland scientific manner in a special section on our web-site. This is a valuable and educational public serviceto the paranormal community and also fits in withParaNexus charitable mission of research and educa-tion. It will also alert the public to potential hoaxers.

- September 22: Fake-Photo-Contest launched.This contest is intended to be an educational event inwhich members and guests deliberately fake photosand then show how it was done. The result would bean enhanced ability on the part of researchers toidentify hoaxed photographs. Unfortunately, for rea-sons upon which can only be speculated, no one par-ticipated and the prizes went unclaimed. The ideawas shelved for a future time.

- September 25: The ParaNexus Apparel store iscreated for the purchase of ParaNexus logo items,and the regular store is revamped for other itemssuch as books and ID badges.

- October 7: The Research Assistant webpage iscreated as a resource for members. It displays inter-

national time, weather, longitude/latitude, atmos-pheric data, a sky map, an earth magnetic anomalymap, and more in one convenient place.

- October 7: An evidence upload webpage is madeavailable for the public to upload photos, videos, andaudios for free review by the Anomalous EvidenceAdvisory Board.

- October 15: Enhanced profile functionality isadded to members Profile pages including the abil-

ity to use custom code similar to MySpace.Two different base templates are provided

to help members get started.

- October 19: Ingrid Irwin joins the Boardof Directors as Director of EVP Research.In addition to being a Charter member ofParaNexus, Ingrid is an active researcher inthe field of Electronic Voice Phenomena inAustralia with a focus on experimental EVPresearch and development. She holds aDoctoral Degree in Metaphysical Science,(Msc.D) and a Masters Degree in both Para-

psychology and Consciousness Studies (M.A.). Shehas studied areas of subtle energies such as Advanced

Pranic Healing, Pranic Psychotherapy, and AdvancedMeridian Psychotherapy. Ingrid is a Certified Paranor-mal Investigator (CPI) with a main focus that incorpo-rates the acoustic nature of speech and phonetics/phonology in association with spectrographic analysisas a means of gaining further knowledge and insightsinto EVP. She has also served on the Advisory Board oftheAmerican Association of EVP(AAEVP).

- October 19: New website theme is createdfor thepurpose of providing a more professional website. Awebsite is never completed; it is merely in one stateof evolution or another. ParaNexus Admin is con-

stantly working to present and position ParaNexus asa professional association worthy of membership. Thisbegins with a professional looking site that offers us-able features to members.

Failure is not

the falling down,

but the staying

down. - Mary

Pickford (1892

1979), Canadian

actress
http://www.cafepress.ca/ParaNexus


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P a g e 51 J a n u a r y 2 0 1 0

- November 6: ParaNexus upgrades its web hosting toa Virtual Dedicated Server. This move provides fasterand more reliable website performance and also theflexibility to add features not allowed on typical sharedservers. All ParaNexus member accounts are transferredto the new server. ParaNexus Admin now has virtuallycomplete control over its web hosting.

- November 9: 501(c)(3) Application Filed. After morethan 50 hours of research, preparation, and professionalreview, the 501(c)(3) application for tax exempt statusas a non-profit corporation is mailed to the IRS.Approval can take several months.

- December 1: Membership dues are adjusted. In or-der to bring ParaNexus membership dues more in linewith other comparable associations, the Board of Direc-tors opts to increase dues by $20 per year. This adjust-ment was also made in view of the fact that ParaNexusis now a non-profit association, and membership dues

are currently the primary means of income. While nostaff member is paid, funds are necessary to covermonthly operating expenses.

- December 8: The newsletter switches from a weeklyto a monthly format. This change is made in order toprovide more meaningful content. ParaNexus BoardMembers will also be contributing to the newsletter eachmonth in addition to other writers. As always, membersare encouraged to submit articles for publication. Aweekly update will continue to be sent each Thursdayhighlighting the weeks radio program as well as anyother pertinent information.

Other Noteworthy Items

- New Members: 56 new members joined ParaNexusduring 2009. While we lost a handful of members, wewill continue to try to attract like-minded individualswho are passionate about anomalous research and wantto share their knowledge and expertise with others.ParaNexus is an association for those conducting anoma-lous research. It is not only a source of information, butan outlet for presenting findings.

- ParaNexus shifts its focus to meaningful evidence:

With so many in the paranormal field simply trying toexperience seeing a ghost, we have begun to focus onmeaningful evidence, that is, strong evidence that actu-ally tells us something we dont already know. After all,even a genuine photo of a ghost or a UFO is usually noth-ing more than just a really cool picture. We need more.Case studies and experience have shown that the sametype of phenomena can occur among different types ofevents. For example, abductees often experience psy-chic and PK (psychokinetic) events the same as thosewho experience haunting type phenomena.

This strongly suggests that commonalities may existacross seemingly non-related phenomena. Therefore, wefocus our time on researching only that evidence whichhas the potential of providing added knowledge. Wecall this approach, Anomalous Research 2.0.

- Member blogs became more active during 2009 with

interesting stories and informative content. Blogs are anexcellent way to share your experiences and knowledge.We encourage more members to start their own blog.To this end, the ParaNexus technical department is writ-ing a new blog module from the ground up that incorpo-rates some current as well as new features. The currentblog module was never finished by the third-party au-thor, but after an exhaustive search, it was about theonly thing available. It has some bugs that the new mod-ule will correct. All current blogs will continue to beavailable in the new module. Launch date is to be an-nounced.

- Website Awards: 20applications were received and 5awards were given out. These awards are not given tojust any websitethey must be earned. Approximately25%of the applications received are given an award. Ina world where website awards are often given to anyonewho can fog a mirror, the ParaNexus Award is onlygiven to websites that meet high research and educa-tional standards. The two most common reasons thatmost applications are declined are 1) The website pro-motes fear by dispensing false information usually re-garding demons, Ouija Boards, and such; and/or 2) Thewebsite presents orbs and light streaks as paranormalphenomena. The good news for evolved webmasters is

that displaying the ParaNexus Award is an accomplish-ment of which to be proud.

- ParaNexus Universe Radio: A total of 49 weeklyshows were produced during 2009 bringing the grandtotal to 94. Over 26,000 people have listened to theseshows which have included several well-known guests,several of our own members, and others who shared in-formation that was of value to our researcher audience.The weekly radio program will feature ParaNexus BoardMembers as guests or co-hosts each month from now on.

- Member Downloads Section: The downloads sectioncontinues to offer software, forms, and other usefulitems to members. Members are encouraged to uploaduseful items to this section, which is available in theMembers Menu.


6/9

2010 Outlook

With 2009 behind us, we look to the new year for evenmore progress as a credible and reputable organizationthat is coming more into public view. ParaNexus is agrowth-oriented and make-it-happen organization.Therefore, we constantly strive to offer resources andbenefits to our members and the public. Some things inthe works for 2010 include:

Holding online conferences and webinars that covertopics of interest to anomalous researchers. Memberswill enjoy discounts on registration and some events willlikely be free for members.

A directory of members who conduct investigationswill be made available to the public for locating localinvestigators who can provide assistance. This directorywill be categorized by location.

The ParaNexus Registry is scheduled to be revised andimproved. We have learned much about coding PHP

software and will use this knowledge to enhance theRegistry.

Some Board Members are currently working as consult-ants on various documentary projects which will help tomake the public more aware of our association.

We will add new courses to ParaNexus Academy in-cluding the long awaited UFO Investigator Certificationcourse (currently under development). Other coursescurrently being developed include EVP Research andPhoto Analysis. Capable members are encouraged toteach a course.

We hope to add new staff members and perhaps, evennew Board Members (three Board positions are open).We are specifically looking for someone with knowledgeand ability in the media and public relations area, aswell as PHP and Visual Basic programmers. When addingstaff members, we look for members who are visibleand active within ParaNexus, and who have the desireand time to volunteer. More information is available inthe About ParaNexus section of the website.

We will apply for grants once our 501(c)(3) is ap-proved, which should happen no later than the end ofFebruary. Unfortunately, proper research requiresmoney for suitable equipment, experiments, travelcosts, and more. We are always on the lookout for awealthy benefactor who supports our cause and can pro-vide additional funding.

We will soon begin presenting research findings onvarious subjects in a special section of the website.

On February 1, 2010, ParaNexus will be two years oldand in that time, ParaNexus has come a long way. Whatbegan as a conference in 2008 has evolved into a non-profit corporation with many forward-thinking peopleinvolved. Despite the fact that these people are rela-tively unknown in the anomalous research community,they comprise some of the finest and most groundedresearchers and investigators in the field. And this isexactly the kind of individuals we desire to attract.

ParaNexus strives to be a visionary organization inwhich members can take pride. In a field that has seenlittle progress in many, many years, we desire to dis-cover meaningful answers to paranormal mysteries inour lifetime. We strive to break free of the disablingbelief systems of decades past, and are not afraid topioneer a new trail if necessary. We encourage membersand the anomalous research community at large to thinkoutside the box while keeping their feet on the ground,to evolve past worn out paradigms and old school con-cepts if needed, and to share their knowledge and ex-pertise with others. As they say, Were all in this to-gether.

This fearless and pioneering attitude has not shieldedParaNexus from occasional criticism, primarily from theghost hunting segment of the paranormal field. But thisis true with anyone who desires to take the lead towardimprovement. Often, people feel threatened by changeand therefore resist all attempts at proactive changeregardless of how rational and logical those changes are.But ParaNexus will not only hold its ground, it will con-tinue blaze new trails in order to discover new things. AsU.S. Navy (Union) Admiral Farragut said in the 19th cen-tury, Damn the torpedoes; full speed ahead!

It has come to light that some in the paranormalcommunity may have the impression that ParaNexus issome type of ghost hunting fraternity or ghost huntersocial outlet. This could not be further from the truth.ParaNexus members research and investigate much morethan just hauntings; parapsychology, EVP, UFOs, abduc-tions, and even cryptozoology are included because theyoften overlap. ParaNexus is an association of serious andprofessional researchers and investigators who haveevolved past the ghost hunting mentality. Rather thanthrill-seeking, these capable men and women desire torise above petty infighting to truly contribute to human-

ity in meaningful ways. ParaNexus appeals to the nextgeneration of individuals who are tired and weary of thespotted ghost hunter stereotype and who desire to moveinto serious and expanded research.

Serious, grounded, and evolved researchers are com-paratively few in number, and this is undoubtedly whyParaNexus hasnt exploded with members. In manyways, ParaNexus is a bit ahead of its time. But when thedust of the current ghost hunting fad settles, we willstill be here going strong.

Page 6


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P a g e 7 1 J a n u a r y 2 0 1 0

If you are a ParaNexus member, we greatly ap-preciate your support! Some of you have been with usalmost since the beginning, waiting and watching tosee where it all would go. We hope we have not dis-appointed you! We welcome your ideas and thoughts,as always. Remember, we are in this to find answers,not to stroke egos nor try to one-up others.

If you are not yet a member, we encourage you tojoin us in our quest to find the truth. If the thoughts

and concepts presented herein and on the ParaNexuswebsite resonate with you, then we welcome you! Ifthese things do not resonate with you, ask yourself,Why? Explore your own goals for being involved inparanormal research to see if they dont actually har-monize with our own. We wish to thank everyone whohas contributed to making ParaNexus a credible and

reputable anomalous research association! ParaNexusis better with you than without you!

C r i t i c a l T h i n k i n g i n t h e F i e l dW h y d o w e N e e d i t ?

B y D r I n g r i d I r w i n

Within the paranormal field, we can find anabundance of opinions, ideas and theories. Some-times sorting through the mirage of information to

find valid research can become a daunting task. Thisis when learning to think critically becomes an ad-vantage in all areas of the anomalous research field.Many people think that the word critical is beingrather negative, expressing disapproval but criticiz-ing and criticalshould not be confused asmeaning the same thing. A healthy dose ofcritical thinking can be an attribute, itdrives us to question, expand and learnwhile developing new ideas. It pushes us todo more than just settle on personal opin-ions or accept unsubstantiated claims asfacts.

Most of us are careful when we are buy-ing a used car, mindful of what ideas webuy into when we spend our hard earned money andwary of any contracts we have to sign. However,when it comes to the field of the paranormal, manypeople buy into claims that are often built on irra-tional and illogical concepts and then spread thesethroughout the field without a second thought tothe soundness of that idea.

So what is critical thinking anyway? Criticalthinking has no hard and fastor step by step rules

but employs logic, clarity, and understanding.

Critical thinking is the ability to evaluate, com-pare, analyze, critique, and synthesize informationas critical thinkers are not afraid to ask the hardquestions, even if those questions challenge theirown ideas and theories. For example, many peoplebelieve an EVP is manipulated or transformed noisefrom our environment, forming voice in randomnoise. With a dose of critical thinking, we wouldimmediately ask, How could noise be transformed

into voice? What observational data verifies this in-formation? Under what conditions has this hap-pened? What are the obvious drawbacks and weak-

nesses of this idea? and then, How can we test thisidea? What supports this idea? and What is the con-sequence of this data to the field?

Asking questions breathes life into a concept or the-ory, old or new, it takes the idea past personalopinion into gathering observational data andthus inquiring deeper into the phenomenawhile promoting critical thinking and discus-sion.

Critical thinking in this field is not somethingthat is generally encouraged, mainly due to

the field perpetrating many personal beliefs asfacts or truths. Luckily, there are a grow-ing percentage of individuals who encourage and

are willing to take an active role in evaluating all ideasand concepts in order to advance the field. Criticalthinkers are constantly evaluating the quality of evi-dence they gather and probing for weaknesses in theirthinking and reasoning. They realize knowledge is morethan a personal assumption or a static theory; knowl-edge is built on an ever evolving platform that mustallow constant change that enlarges our understandingand the understanding of others.

When we apply critical thinking, we are open-minded and become more innovative in our approach toresearch and problem solving. Some people take open-minded to the point where they accept everything thatis expressed as a theory; critical thinkers strike a bal-ance between open mindedness and healthy skepticism.Being open minded means you are able to consider andevaluate all possibilities, that you are open to changingyour theories and ideas when new and more convincingevidence is discovered.

Critical thinking

an ability to evalu-

ate, compare, ana-

lyze, critique, and

synthesize infor-

mation.


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P a g e 8 1 J a n u a r y 2 0 1 0

The key difference between critical thinkers in thefield is easy to spot. Individuals or groups that do notapply any form of critical thinking tend to base theirtheories on personal assumptions and their ideaschange very little over time as they hold on to anti-quated notions. They do not actively seek new data,in fact, they go to great lengths to avoid any evidence

that contradicts their beliefs, and consequently, theydo not pose or solve problems that may advanceknowledge. They do not systematically test any ideasor concepts as they pay attention only to evidenceand arguments that support their views while becom-ing defensive when new ideas are placed beforethem, especially if it conflicts with their existingtheories.

In contrast, a critical thinker is someone who ac-tively seeks and accepts the need for more researchwhile constantly searching for reasons why their ownideas may be unsuitable or incomplete. Their deeper

desire is to advance knowledge by posing and solvingnew or old problems while they welcome new ideas

and methods. They try to test all theories, seekingconstructive criticism from colleagues and never sup-press or distort unfavorable data or results. The criti-cal thinker is ever so happy to revise an idea whenanother comes up with a better one.

I think the difference we encounter here is that an

anomalous researcher or investigator is always lookingfor the contradictions, the oddities, and the evidencethat will point us in a direction of new discovery.Critical thinking forces us to ask the hard questionswhile giving us an ability to see faulty logic, irrationalthinking, biased information, or invalid conclusions.

We can be bombarded in this field with a mass ofideas that are difficult to absorb, mainly due to allthe contradictions and differences of opinion. Withthis in mind it becomes increasingly important thatwe become critical, selective and informed individu-als, so we may evolve anomalous research into a well

grounded and genuine science of the future.

As a ParaNexus Member, You Will Benefit From:

-stop atmosphericdata and much more

find you (coming soon)

Investigator

Access to the entire forum including posting privileges

tutorials, conference videos, and more

investigation forms that will save you time and trouble

other investigators and make new friends

contribute to the paranormal field

ParaNexus as a staff member or even a Board

Member

your book

JOIN US
http://www.paranexus.org/index.php?page=36


9/9

www.ParaNexus.org/join

Join Today!ParaNexus is a global professional association of dedi-cated and progressive parapsychologists, ufologists,and enthusiasts focused on researching and under-standing the human condition through the scientificstudy of anomalous and psychical phenomena, its real-ity, its reach, and its impact on humanity.

www.ParaNexusAcademy.org

The ParaNexus Academy offers a growing list of paranormaland personal growth courses that are affordable and compre-hensive. Our instructors are skilled and knowledgeable in thetopics they teach. All courses are conducted online and mayfeature live video sessions, online content, instructor articlesand books, and additional activities and material.

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The ParaNexus Association Store provides aids toresearch and investigation including trainingcourses, log books, ID Badges, and more.
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Documents

ParaNexus Newsletter - 01 Jan 10