Can we tell when we are being watched?

[Panzerjaeger]

That is awesome. I once said Go Go Gadget Penis my Ex was horribly disappointed.

[Alevuss]

The Sensed-presence Effect seems the most likely. I get that feeling all the time. I'll be on the computer and feel like someone's watching me 'cause I'm so paranoid about the possibility.

[Farnhamia]

Go read some parapsychology journals about staring detection. It's linked in with Marco PK (psycho kenesis)

And yes I'm a psychology undergrad that knows too much about parapsychology.

But not enough to know how to spell "psychokinesis," I guess. Scroll up to my post and read the Shermer article.

And what's "Marco PK?"

I fail at life.

Macro PK is the psychic that we can control and see. Such as 'bending spoons'. Stuff like that. Yuri Gellar(sp) kinda psychic.

Micro PK is the more interesting stuff. Changing random number generators to choose a number or even/numbers come up more often. Altering virtual dice rolls is a good example.

Oh, macro PK.

And ... Uri Geller? At best a charlatan. The tests of his "powers" are controversial to say the least and show nothing that a reasonably good magician couldn't do.

Given that random number generators and virtual dice rolls are by their very nature random (or pseudo-random anyway), how can you prove that someone's mind is affecting the choice of numbers? You can generate a list of random numbers and then generate the same list again with some "psychic" trying to change it, because the lists are ... random.

[The Parkus Empire]

I feel women watching me wherever I go.

[Farnhamia]

I feel women watching me wherever I go.

Just making sure you keep going.

[The Parkus Empire]

Just making sure you keep going.

But not so fast?

[Rambhutan]

I feel women watching me wherever I go.

Just making sure you keep going.

They could be a clown in a dress

[Panzerjaeger]

I feel women watching me wherever I go.

Just making sure you keep going.

They could be a clown in a dress

With chainsaws for arms? Oh Dear God I'm not leaving the house ever again.

[Caninope]

I feel women watching me wherever I go.

Just making sure you keep going.

They could be a clown in a dress

With chainsaws for arms? Oh Dear God I'm not leaving the house ever again.

What if they are in the house?

[Panzerjaeger]

I feel women watching me wherever I go.

Just making sure you keep going.

They could be a clown in a dress

With chainsaws for arms? Oh Dear God I'm not leaving the house ever again.

What if they are in the house?

Well nice knowing everyone I'm off to douse myself in gasoline...

[Lackadaisical2]

That is awesome. I once said Go Go Gadget Penis my Ex was horribly disappointed.

Did you end up activating the roller skates or the helicopter?

[Lackadaisical2]

I feel women watching me wherever I go.

Just making sure you keep going.

This is sad but true for me.

[Panzerjaeger]

That is awesome. I once said Go Go Gadget Penis my Ex was horribly disappointed.

Did you end up activating the roller skates or the helicopter?

Helicopter needless to say the bloodshed that unleashed in the bedroom made fleeing the country the only option left to me.

[Chatkasatan]

I feel women watching me wherever I go.

Just making sure you keep going.

This is sad but true for me.

[Fartsniffage]

Well nice knowing everyone I'm off to douse myself in gasoline...

Link to webcam stream?

[Caninope]

Well nice knowing everyone I'm off to douse myself in gasoline...

Link to webcam stream?

I wanna see!

[Skibereen]

Most of us have probably had that feeling we are being watched but are we actually able to tell? No doubt people will have plenty of anecdotes about this but is there any real evidence that we are able to tell - and if so what do people think is the likely mechanism? Being a sceptic I don't think anything paranormal is going on, so if it does happen I would think it is more likely to be that we subconsciously pick up on clues that we consciously miss.

Human beings are acutely unaware of their own senses. We have become patently dependent on sight--which while obviously important leaves a great many senses behind.
Things like Facial Vision which is amazing to see demonstrated in people who have trained to bring that sensory combination to a workable level.
Our sense of smell is very acute...yes dogs make us look silly, but they make a lot of animals look silly in that regard...it is merely our ignoring of the senses that gives us the impression they are not nearly as powerful as they are and indeed our subscriptions certain can utilize them.

Next there is evolution...by that I mean something in your genes survived and sans technology we are an apex predator based on our intellect--so we have to be precisely aware of danger.
We may instinctively perceive situations to be "dangerous" from a being "stalked" point of view...causing the instinctive reaction of getting out of the kill zone as it were.

There are plenty of logical reasons for believing you can "sense" when youre being watched and indeed actually sensing it.

[Intestinal fluids]

And yes I'm a psychology undergrad that knows too much about parapsychology.

Parapsychology is the study of two things. Crazy people who believe in ghosts and/or clever people who can prove you can get a grant for anything.

[Farnhamia]

Most of us have probably had that feeling we are being watched but are we actually able to tell? No doubt people will have plenty of anecdotes about this but is there any real evidence that we are able to tell - and if so what do people think is the likely mechanism? Being a sceptic I don't think anything paranormal is going on, so if it does happen I would think it is more likely to be that we subconsciously pick up on clues that we consciously miss.

Human beings are acutely unaware of their own senses. We have become patently dependent on sight--which while obviously important leaves a great many senses behind.
Things like Facial Vision which is amazing to see demonstrated in people who have trained to bring that sensory combination to a workable level.
Our sense of smell is very acute...yes dogs make us look silly, but they make a lot of animals look silly in that regard...it is merely our ignoring of the senses that gives us the impression they are not nearly as powerful as they are and indeed our subscriptions certain can utilize them.

Next there is evolution...by that I mean something in your genes survived and sans technology we are an apex predator based on our intellect--so we have to be precisely aware of danger.
We may instinctively perceive situations to be "dangerous" from a being "stalked" point of view...causing the instinctive reaction of getting out of the kill zone as it were.

There are plenty of logical reasons for believing you can "sense" when youre being watched and indeed actually sensing it.

I agree in general, save that we evolved the sensed-presence ... thing not because we were top predators but because we were considered reasonably tasty snacks by the real top predators. If you react to a rustle in the grass by thinking something is there and run away, you're more likely to live longer than the guy who dismisses the sound as just the wind. The downside is, your descendants end up kind of like this guy ...

[Tall Tramps]

Go read some parapsychology journals about staring detection. It's linked in with Marco PK (psycho kenesis)

And yes I'm a psychology undergrad that knows too much about parapsychology.

But not enough to know how to spell "psychokinesis," I guess. Scroll up to my post and read the Shermer article.

And what's "Marco PK?"

I fail at life.

Macro PK is the psychic that we can control and see. Such as 'bending spoons'. Stuff like that. Yuri Gellar(sp) kinda psychic.

Micro PK is the more interesting stuff. Changing random number generators to choose a number or even/numbers come up more often. Altering virtual dice rolls is a good example.

Oh, macro PK.

And ... Uri Geller? At best a charlatan. The tests of his "powers" are controversial to say the least and show nothing that a reasonably good magician couldn't do.

Given that random number generators and virtual dice rolls are by their very nature random (or pseudo-random anyway), how can you prove that someone's mind is affecting the choice of numbers? You can generate a list of random numbers and then generate the same list again with some "psychic" trying to change it, because the lists are ... random.

If enough trials are carried out and a significant percent, around 7% percent is above the chance figure which should be about 50% would you call that an effect

10 trials= 5/6 (target even/odd)
100 trials=57(target even/odd)
1000 trials=570 (target even/odd)

My point is that as the trials increase so does the effect size, it's not uncommon to see Zener card (experiment at the start of ghost busters) trial studies to number in the thousands for overall trials carried out. But like all psychology barring biological psychology (which asscioates behaviour to hormone levels), psychology is litle more then glorified philiosphy that follows the scientific method.

[Chatkasatan]

Well, who ever is watching me is getting a great show. *Flashes whoever is watching me*

[Mahaj WA Seat]

Well, who ever is watching me is getting a great show. *Flashes whoever is watching me*

[watches with glee.]

[Sedgistan]

Mahaj, the last post was 8 months ago - don't gravedig.