Wednesday, May 14, 2008

The Wizadry of Oz: Oprah had on a Dr. Weiss who took willing subjects back to a so called previous life. She also had on Dr. Oz who, in my opinion, reduced himself to Oprah's lap dog by allowing himself to be pulled into this junk science by giving it a nod. Naturally, not only am I skeptical I surely don't buy what they had to say. In fact, I believe, although I did not say, that it is really all about the money. People love to hear what makes them feel good. Those like Dr. Oz, of course, make a carload of money IF they verbally pay homage to those whom Oprah gives credence. Willing subjects spend oodles of cash to make other people, who make them feel better about the sadness and difficulty of life, very very rich. It does NOT make what they say true. I wrote the following to her show:


Dr. Oz. I love, listen to and sometimes implement your advice on medical issues. When you, however, leap into things metaphysical, you lose me. The show on past life regression, in my opinion, was snake oil. Keeping an open mind is one thing but science is not metaphysics. You could say you believe and have seen fairies in the clouds but unless and until you show me the proof there are fairies in clouds you jump most likely into the realm of personal desire or dreams which do not make good science and which proves nothing.

The fact that Dr. Weiss brought his subjects to a hypnotic state, perhaps a dream like state, and they had visions of a past life does not prove there is in fact something more to this life and less proof yet that one was indeed another person before taking their present form. I submit, if an ice cube were a sentient being and it melted it would surely still be composed of water but would not be an ice cube in its original form and would not have that sentient quality. I am not disputing that our cells after death morph into another state. That can be proven. What I do take issue with is the belief that the morphing of those cells is into a different being or that we will meet those we loved after our death and theirs. What those people saw probably is explained as the synaptic consequence of their own dream like state and nothing more.

The criticism I have of Oprah when she waxes spiritual is that she never has anyone on to present an adversarial position. I suggest when she does these "spiritual" shows with you she have someone on like a Christopher Hitchens, a scholar or a Richard Dawkins a preeminent scientist from Oxford University who could present cogent scientific arguments questioning things spiritual through arguments based on science and rational thought. Further, when YOU take that so called “leap of faith” you are no longer a scientist. You are simply a speculator like everyone else. People should not be sheep and accept things simply because they want it to be so, miss their loved ones or fear death. They should, after listening to expert alternative thoughts, consider all the options including that after death there is nothing unless and until someone actually proves otherwise.

NOT ANYMORE

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