by TechMage » Nov 22, 2001 @ 7:30am
I know this is off topic, but I like Carl Sagan. I really enjoyed his book, "The Demon Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark." If you have not read it, you should ASAP. Although I do not care much about the recent UFO crazes, that he debunks over and over, there is alot of neat stuff on Psychics, Shamans, and other Occult subjects. To see someone use objective science to explain the "supernatural" is really enlightning. One thing I have not seen many occult debunkers takle though (including Carl Sagan) is the recent surge in neopaganism, druidism, wicca, satanism, and medieval sorcery. If you browse for it on the internet, there seems to be quite a mass of it. And many "newagers" are claiming to be able to summon dieties, daemons, demons, angels, spirit guides, and all kinds of mythical creatures to physical appearance here on Earth. I personally with my anthropological intrests would like to witness some of these "summonings." I wonder if the group or individual through intence belief forces him/herself to see these "creatures", or maybe they injest mushrooms or other halucinagenics. There is alot of info on how to "summon" these creatures, and alot of info on these groups belief systems, but there is not much info on scientific observation of the groups rituals and results of the rituals.