Exploring the unknown is great for a
number of reasons. Not only do we allow our minds and imaginations to
explore beyond the thoughts of every day life, but we are openly
challenged to critically think and keep an open mind to possibility. I
believe that exercising our minds in this manner can help us stay open
and excited about the mysteries of our world and encourage us to
continue to explore.What It Means To Be Skeptical
It almost seems to be common place today
to consider skepticism as being scientific. Science as a means of
exploration is a beautiful thing as it is, but the culture that has
developed around science and skepticism, I believe, is doing us a great
disservice. That statement alone is controversial and will likely raise
feathers and this I feel is part of the issue. Don’t get me wrong,
skepticism is OK, and important, but it must not get to the point of
closing doors.
We have an amazing world here, and to
explore it scientifically is a necessary part of us figuring out where
we are and where we can go. But the biggest thing we need to watch out
for is cutting down our potential by means of plopping “logical”
explanations on things we think we understand but don’t. Likewise, we
also must carefully navigate scientific bias and recognize how common it
truly is.
Recently one of the world’s biggest skeptics, Michael Shermer,
had what he called a supernatural or paranormal experience that “shook
his skepticism.” Perhaps it was an experience that can almost send a
wake up call to remind us to be humble in what we think we know,
especially when we hear the stories of others. For years, Michael had
laughed at and considered crazy those who claimed so deeply to have had
paranormal experiences or something they couldn’t explain. Finally he
had his own experience and he could now relate.
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