I want to believe...

[Little Woodsman]

I believe that there are a great many phenomenon that we do not currently understand, but that
will eventually be fully understood through the application of research & scientific method.

That being said--I do believe in fairies. I *do*. I *DO*!

I'm kind of on the fence about orgone, chi, energy healing & chakras.
One thing that I am *not* on the fence about is that you should *never* ignore or disregard
the advice/directions of an MD or similarly qualified medical professional because you believe
you are being treated/cured through alternative medicine. If you wish to supplement the work
of a regular medical professional through alternative medicine, OK. But still follow the
directions of your doctor!

 

[Irridium]

I believe in the Chief.


But seriously, I believe people aren't the horrible bastards everyone seems to think they are. Yeah there's some bad eggs, but there's how many humans? 7 billion? Even if there's millions of bad people, there's still billions of decent or good people.

 

[GrimTuesday]

I believe that the end result of capitalism is the collapse of the most extreme oligarchy in human history... and that it's only a couple of centuries off at most.

In line with popular belief and pointed at the OP... I've lived in the forests of the pacific northwest for most of my life, and I'm a bit of an outdoorsman. If Sasquatch exists, it's not in these forests. Try Vermont or something.

While I'm not much of an outdoorsman, I have lived in the Pacific Northwest all my life, and I know the vast tracts of forests in the Olympic Peninsula, and the Cascade Mountain range as well as up into British Columbia are very suitable habitat for a species of great ape. These great tracts of lands, which rarely see human beings are easily large enough to where you could go a hundred years and never see a large ape, especially one as intelligent and reclusive as Sasquatches are purported to be.

 

[Xathos]

I tend to believe in quite a bit of things. Psychics, ghosts, aliens, alien visitations, alien abductions, Bigfoot, people with abnormal power, etc. Part of it stems from the fact that I'm a pretty gullible person, another part is that I can't actively say for certain with 100% that these things do or do not exist. Now, this isn't to say that I will jump to the conclusion about these things. If I see a book fall to the floor, I won't think an invisible person, ghost or otherwise, made it fall. If I see a book suddenly fly up and float across the room, yeah that'll be strange and I'll probably think something weird is going on, but there could still be a dozen explanations. If my findings don't come up with anything scientific, I would probably think ghost...key word being probably. If I had to describe the story to someone else, I wouldn't say, "Dude, it totally was a ghost". I would shrug and say "Probably a ghost or something. Can't exactly say".

Although the one thing I am on the fence about is this Multiverse/Multiple Worlds Interpretation theory. You know, the usual, "In this infinite universe there exists another you that has made different choices than what you have made". Sometimes I buy into that, other times I'm just like, "Wait, that seems a bit dumb". I don't know, I sometimes just have trouble wrapping my head around the scope of such a theory (although I do enjoy it).

But basically, if you tell me something crazy, I'll probably entertain the thought and not dismiss it. Suppose that makes me a bit of an idiot, but hey, if anything turns out to be true, at least I won't be too terribly surprised.

 

[Arakasi]

All that proves is how far you're willing to go to make a point.

Odd, that.

Willing
1. Ready, eager, or prepared to do something.
2. Given or done readily: "willing obedience".

Has nothing to do with free will.

 

[THE_JOKE_KING33]

I believe in practically everything that has a very (very very) low probability of existing. (i.e. ghosts, supernatural powers, etc.)

 

[Sandjube]

I believe in things no mortal should believe in, nor even know about.

 

[lechat]

i believe in pretty much anything to a certain extent. that being said if i hear someone say "i seen a ghost/alien/psychic" my first response is: bullshit.
there are just way too many simp,e explanations for most supernatural stuff out there

 

[Ambitiousmould]

I don't believe in most things without logic or proof and all that good stuff.
I do believe (strongly) in luck, and I do not underestimate it's power in the governance of everything. The fact that the earth is where it is and life could develop and such is just damn lucky, for instance

 

[Something Amyss]

Spoiler: I'm sure this is a real Bigfoot, though the picture is a little grainy

That picture is totally fake.

Spoiler

Bigfoot doesn't play guitar. He's a keys man.

I WANT to believe in Champ/Nessie. When I was growing up, I saw something in Lake Champlain that met the description of Champ, and my extension Nessie as well (since they are often described in similar terms). It appeared to be moving, and didn't look like wood to me.

However, I know that's not exactly the best evidence. Eyes can deceive, kids have vivid imaginations, etc.

 

[Vigormortis]

I believe that there is other life in the universe.

Sure, there's no empirical evidence to support that. However, the more we learn of the adaptive and tenacious nature of life, and the utter size of the universe, I find it incredibly hard to accept the idea that this little planet is the only spot of life in the universe. (hard and a bit pretentious)

I also believe there are quantifiable factors in determining "good" and "evil". In a sense, they can be viewed as constructive and destructive, if I were to be pedantic about it. I feel the same way about quality. As in, there are quantifiable aspects in determining the quality of craftmenship in art, etc.

I believe that Half Life 3 will get released in the next few years.

Me too. Shall we start a church? If nothing else, we could save a fortune on tax exemptions.

 

[dragonswarrior]

Snip

I love this one. I came to sort of the same conclusion myself when thinking of the split universe theory. It was sort of like... "But I wouldn't do that. Why on earth would there be a universe where I did that if I just LITERALLY wouldn't do that. Because of everything that has gone in to making me and everything leading up to this moment and what the moment itself is, there is actually a very limited number of responses that could actually happen."

I love your coin toss example though.

OT: And... now I'm gonna sound like a nutcase. I am a skeptic with strong atheist leanings who is also very spiritual (it works, trust me) but I believe in "energy projection". Because when I was a kid and wholeheartedly believed in everything silly, I stabbed another kid through the neck with an energy sword and the kids reaction was way too crazy to dismiss as mere coincidence.

But I don't practice it, and I don't go around blabbing about it or trying to convince others of it. Because A. I don't have time to waste on energy projection shenanigans when there is much more fun things to do out there, and B. I would never trust anyone who told me this story, and I don't want anyone to trust me, and C. if this stuff actually is true, science will figure it out eventually. Maybe not in my lifetime, but eventually. I'm a very patient person.

Also, astrology. I'm extremely skeptical, but I don't wholly dismiss it either. Again, waiting for science to figure that one out. Unfortunately, I have never heard of any reliable studies proving it does or does not exist, so waiting.

 

[Platypus540]

I believe in an afterlife, even though I'm usually more of a science and rational thinking type.

 

[Dead Seerius]

I had what I would best describe as a 'paranormal' experience when I was about 12 years old, so I'd say I believe in ghosts.

Woke up in the middle of the night. I was crazy thirsty but for some reason I felt it was a really bad idea to get out of bed. I can't explain why; I'd gotten out of bed for water many times before, but that night I felt like I should stay put. For about 5 minutes I looked across my room, into the restroom when all of a sudden a blue-ish white ball swelled up out of thin air and started moving away from me.

I screwed my eyes shut and have been a believer ever since. There were no windows near the bathroom. I still can't find a logical explanation for what occurred that night.

 

[Zinzinbadio]

I believe that I can do absolutely anything at all, be it winning a Nobel prize, killing a tiger on my way to school, shooting laser beams from my hands or just flying. I think that I (might) have complete control over the universe and if a try really hard I can bend it to my will as to accomplish anything from the mundane to the magical.

 

[Xathos]

From my understanding, it's actually a present scientific debate whether the universe is infinite or not. So you don't HAVE to believe it.

But tell me, what are some of the "dozen or so" reasons why the book would be floating across the room? lol.

Could be some type of remote controlled book, maybe some elaborate toy that looks like a book, a book being pulled acrossed the room by wires, maybe a sign from some "divine entity" to read the damn book.

Or I could be tripping balls on drugs. That makes the most sense.

(OK, not a "dozen reasons" but I tried, lol.)

 

[mateushac]

I hate to say this, it makes me sound way too cocky, but deep down I feel (and consequently believe) that the universe is centered in my own existence. It feels like everything that exists exists for the sole purpose of adding something to my life experience.

 

[uzo]

Ghosts for me. Pestered by poltergeist as an early teen - for some reason I always thought it was my older brother - he'd died in an accident at 18 but when he was alive he'd wait for me to fall asleep and do shit to scare me (bash on the window and run off; shake me awake and hide under the bed as I blearily tried to realise what was happening, scratch on the cupboard doors and make weird whisper noises). That fucker kept doing it after death it seemed, too. It gradually lessened until I was about 15 and then stopped completely.

When I lived in England I was visiting Scotland with my family. We stayed at a big ol' YHA in Sutherland, called 'Carbisdale Castle' (some Escapists may have visited), which was famous for ghosties apparently. There was a games room downstairs in the old servants' quarters - access via a 'secret' panel in the great hall. Down a few flights of garishly bright-painted cement stairs, I got to the entrance to the games room. Creepy bloody place down there. I'd arranged to meet my sister down there (`cause it creeped me out) so I paused at the door and listened - I could hear what sounded like a ping pong ball being played. Good, I thought, I won't be alone in there - and opened the door.

Nobody. Just a ping pong ball. Bouncing on the ping pong table. I got up 4 flights of stairs in about 2 seconds I swear lol.


Also got into the occult a bit too deep in my late teens/early twenties. I make a point of not talking about it very much because I've seen (and done) some rather fucked up shit. The other danger is that when I get started talking about it, I pull other people in with my philosophies and they seem to become disciples. I shit you not they start following me around like the Life of Brian. To quote Ghostbusters, "I have seen shit that'll turn you white."

 

[lechat]

I had what I would best describe as a 'paranormal' experience when I was about 12 years old, so I'd say I believe in ghosts.

Woke up in the middle of the night. I was crazy thirsty but for some reason I felt it was a really bad idea to get out of bed. I can't explain why; I'd gotten out of bed for water many times before, but that night I felt like I should stay put. For about 5 minutes I looked across my room, into the restroom when all of a sudden a blue-ish white ball swelled up out of thin air and started moving away from me.

I screwed my eyes shut and have been a believer ever since. There were no windows near the bathroom. I still can't find a logical explanation for what occurred that night.

could be ball lightning, hallucinations, partial dream state, false memories etc. etc
perfect example of how i believe in something but always seek a logical explanation

 

[Sable Gear]

I believe that Half Life 3 will get released in the next few years.

I also believe in miracles, fancy that! =D

In all seriousness, I sorta believe in ghosts. Not avidly or adamantly since I've ironically never seen one, but I believe there is a sort of existence that we are familiar with (all things supernatural) and have coexisted with as a species since our beginning, but do not understand.