Okay... let me try and explain this all again.
For a paranormal expert to be an "expert" in something, they must have a legitimate education in the field they proclaim expertise. In order to legitimize something, you have to provide verifiable evidence. How do you verify something? By testing it in a manner that can reproduce results. This is the core of the scientific method. Can we agree on that?
As for psychics; they're all frauds. Psychics are repeatedly and always proven to be dishonest. The "really good" psychics employ a method social engineering called "cold reading". It's the Barnum effect: a specially-tailored description of somebody's personality/life is something they tend to pay attention to; while forgetting/disregarding the complete misses.
If I were to suddenly stand up and proclaim that somebody on this forum had a family member whose name is giving a J-sound; and then began to rattle off names in an inquisitive manner like.....Jacob? Jason? John? --- somebody else would stand up and say "I had a family member named so and so" (John is a good chance as it's quite a common name); and mentally-discard the incorrect names. I would pick up on the keyword: HAD, which would allow me to conclude that this person is dead.
Now, this obviously does not always work. But as you may well know, the advantage of being a TV psychic like John Edward or Sylvia Browne is having editors.
As for you, you can continue believing that reality works the way you do because you feel so, but do not insult everyone's intelligence by proclaiming these beliefs to be absolute truths. I dislike having to be stern about it, but to say that you know ghosts are real only because you read in a book written by somebody you give personal credence, then you are being dishonest. If you can get away with that, then I will begin telling people that I know the secrets of harnessing The Power Cosmic, and that Galactus is a real being - because I read about the Silver Surfer in a comic book.
I must apologize to anybody who has read this far. This conversation is way off topic. QBBM, if you do have plans of continuing in trying to persuade me into believing you, I suggest this be done in private so we don't have to bore/aggravate everyone else. But if nobody minds, I'd love to go 20 rounds with you arguing the "validity" of the paranormal.
Just remember, in order for something to qualify as evidence - it has to be objective; meaning it can still be verified whether you want to believe in it or not. :stickout
