Last month my family and I attended my nephew’s First Communion. It was the first time I had experienced a full Catholic mass in a long time, and I took note of one interesting change since my early church-going days. When the priest invited family and friends to receive communion, he also welcomed non-Catholics to approach as well. While it wouldn’t be appropriate for a non-Catholic to receive communion, we were told that we could receive a blessing from the priest – and indicate that wish by crossing our arms across our chest. After a few moments of reflection, I decided to participate.

It was after that ceremony that I had an epiphany of sorts regarding religion, belief systems, and my past approach to spirituality. I realized for the first time that it is a mistake to search for absolute truths within spiritual belief systems!

All my life I had felt that there was a truth out there waiting to be found, and for several years I thought I had found that truth within the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Some 12 years later, after seeking truth within other spiritual traditions, I watched this Catholic ritual and it hit me that the validity of the ceremony had nothing to do with whether Catholic beliefs could be backed up scientifically. What really mattered was whether the Catholic faith contributed to the elevation of its believers to a higher standard of human behavior. Regarding religion, his Holiness the Dalai Lama said it well:

… fundamentally, all spiritual traditions perform the same function, which is to help us tame our mental state, overcome our negativities and perfect our inner potential.

The Two Mistakes

There are two critical errors – two big spiritual mistakes – that many people and religious organizations make:

• The view that spiritual explanations reflect scientific truths.
• Attachment to ideas, including spiritual ideas, resulting in people mistaking their identity with the ideas.

The consequences of these errors have turned so many people away from religion, and caused them to hate religion and view it with contempt. All the harm that has been caused in the name of religion, all the lives lost, could have been avoided if not for the above two mistakes.

Consequences of the Two Mistakes

To this day we see the struggle between religious beliefs and scientific discoveries. Believers want Creationism (or “intelligent design”) taught in US public schools alongside evolution. Moral “truths” are imposed on society as we witness the struggle for gay rights. Some religious refuse to accept modern medicine’s discoveries regarding the causes of many diseases.

And we are all too familiar with the harm caused when religions seek to impose their beliefs on others. We see open warfare such as the Christian Crusades or the modern day Islamic jihads. We’ve seen families divided and even destroyed because of religious differences. All because people will defend their beliefs as if they are defending their own lives – as if their very life were at stake. They have grown so attached to the belief that it is everything they are, and if the belief is threatened in any way then they will rise to defend it.

How to Avoid These Mistakes

We must keep in mind that while many beliefs- such as the existence of God or the afterlife – are impossible to disprove, they also have yet to be proven scientifically. If they were, then they would no longer be beliefs, but established facts. If any one religion were really true and all others false, then that should have easily been established by now. Yes, belief is important in order to obtain the most that the spiritual teachings have to offer, but we must find a way to hold onto beliefs without labeling everything else as false.

And we must find a way to discard beliefs that science has proven to be untrue. Let’s not forget that many beliefs have had to be discarded under the increased light of science. An excellent example of this was highlighted by the recent action by the Catholic church to give the astronomer Copernicus a decent burial. Copernicus had been considered a heretic by the Church for his ideas that the earth was not the center of the universe, but revolved around the sun. The initial position taken by the Church was the result of the same flawed thinking that plague many sincere believers of any religious tradition.

Ironically, it’s a spiritual practice that can actually help with the second part of this problem. This is the practice of non-attachment. Usually, this applies to not being attached to material possessions, but it also applies to not being attached to ideas, and it’s one of the most difficult things to achieve. We all are subject to pride and ego, and we wrap ourselves with external “things” that we use to define ourselves – our possessions, our job or career, our family … and our beliefs. An attack on those things is perceived as an attack on ourselves.

But even though we may not achieve that state of non-attachment, perhaps understanding the role attachment plays in our lives can help us to understand the actions of others, particularly with respect to their religious beliefs. I can add that the same applies to the skeptic and his beliefs.

You might be wondering, then, that perhaps the best approach is to not have any spiritual beliefs at all. After all, does it really make sense to believe something that has not been verified as scientific truth?

A later post will answer that question.

While the results of some research in the efficacy of acupuncture has appeared to demonstrate no significant difference between “real” acupuncture and “placebo” acupuncture (where the needle does not penetrate the skin), I applaud many in the medical community who feel that further study is needed to determine the effectiveness of this form of alternative medicine. It’s a good thing they aren’t following in the footsteps of Dr. Dean Edell. He has made up his mind that acupuncture is a sham. According to Dr. Edell, any perceived results are due purely to the placebo effect.

And Dr. Edell persists in his close-minded bias, despite being presented with recent evidence to the contrary.

Dr. Dean Edell is a well-known, voracious researcher on all the latest scientific medical studies. On his talk show he shares his findings, answers questions from callers (he has a very large following), and also provides commentary in his crusade against what he refers to as sham medicine. For the most part I respect his no-nonsense approach and critical thinking skills. He uncovers some of the flaws in many alternative remedies, particularly those promoted by the herbal and vitamin supplement industry. Yet in his resolve to not be duped into buying into “voodoo medicine”, he goes overboard in the other direction and turns a blind eye to any evidence that supports various alternative healing modalities.

His attitude is strikingly demonstrated in one of his recent radio talk shows where he took exception to a news headline that read “Acupuncture Shows Promise for Depression in Pregnancy”. The article was based on a recent study, but Dr. Edell lamented how reporters run with a headline without looking into the facts, and then referred to a quote from one of the researchers in the study where she states “I do not think we can say that our study proves that acupuncture is effective for depression during pregnancy.” See article.

So as far as Dr. Edell is concerned, there was nothing in the study that provided evidence contradicting his assertion that acupuncture results are nothing more than the placebo effect. Case closed.

I took a look at the study and other articles and found out just how far off base the good Doctor is.

The study was conducted by researchers at the Stanford School of Medicine. Conducted by a reputable institution, this was a blinded, randomized, and controlled trial that followed acceptable scientific methods. Yes, one of the researchers, Dr. Rachel Manber, apparently did make that statement about “proof” in an email to Reuters Health, but that says nothing to prove that acupuncture holds no more promise than a placebo. In fact, here are some other statements made by the researchers that Dr. Edell failed to note:

Dr. Rachel Manber, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences –

“This standardized acupuncture protocol could be a viable treatment option for depression during pregnancy.”

Deirdre Lyell M.D., Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology –

“I hope that people will respect the rigorous methodology used in this blinded, randomized, controlled trial and accept the result: Traditional acupuncture was associated with a significant improvement in depression.”

Acupuncture for depression during pregnancy: a randomized controlled trial. –

The short acupuncture protocol demonstrated symptom reduction and a response rate comparable to those observed in standard depression treatments of similar length and could be a viable treatment option for depression during pregnancy.

No, this recent study doesn’t prove the validity of acupuncture, but it adds to the growing body of evidence that does support it. Dr. Edell prides himself on being open to what modern research uncovers in the search for truth. Unfortunately, he falls victim to the same syndrome that he applies to others – namely, that people will stubbornly hold on to their beliefs in the face of opposing evidence.

I believe I have a decent digital camera. It’s a Canon PowerShot A540 that I just got this past Christmas and I actually like it a lot. It’s easy to use and takes great pictures.

Except that sometimes small blemishes appear in the picture.

Maybe I shouldn’t complain. This is the digital age, after all, and pictures can be deleted and retaken. I’m not big on taking pictures, but with this digital camera I’ve taken over 250 pictures in the past few months. Only a hand full have shown these spirit orbs - ok, dust orbs.

And the curious thing is that they’ve appeared only in pictures that include my son. Evidence of paranormal phenomenon?

The first time was when we were hiking in a local state park. I thought it had something to do with the location. But the latest occurrence is in pictures I took in our home just before he left for his senior prom. I had been taking pictures of him and his date earlier in the evening. Just before he left for the actual even he spent a few minutes hanging out at our home shooting some pool, so I decided to take some more pictures.

Again, it wasn’t until I downloaded the pictures to my computer that I noticed some more orbs – this time in multiple shots. In two of the pictures, an orb seemed to position itself in the area of his attention, on the pool table. Below is one of those shots:

Depending on your monitor and browser, you may not be able to see the orb on the table. One thing I found interesting is that on digital displays the image is more pronounced if you view at an angle rather than straight on. Is there any significance in that? Beats me. Below is a closeup where I adjusted the brightness and contrast to get the orb to be visible on a different monitor.

The most dramatic shot is where these “orbs” are actually on his person. It looks like he’s being engulfed by them. Two are on his pant leg (again, the bottom orb might not be visible on some systems), some small ones are in front of him, and then some faint, larger ones high up the wall. What gives?

I was able to find more websites dealing with these orbs and many of them maintain that they are nothing more than dust in the air, close to the lens, that get caught in the flash. Apparently it’s not that uncommon with digital cameras, and similar effects can be duplicated by throwing dust in the air and then taking pictures with the flash. But then you get a sea of dust orbs.

Whatever the cause, apparently I’ll have to get used to the fact that some of my pictures will be “marred” by the occasional orb. And unless accompanied by truly frightening phenomenon, it won’t be anything to worry about.

Don’t you hate it when a speck of dust ruins a photograph?

But what if that blemish on your picture wasn’t caused by dust, or pollen, or water? What if your camera captured something that modern science cannot explain?

“Orbs” as they have been named, are probably the most common form of photographed paranormal phenomenon. Many feel that they are actually spirits of the deceased or some manifestation of conscious energy. Skeptics dismiss it as all the result of dust, pollen, water droplets, or some other known occurrence.

So what are they really?

Dust, water droplets, lens flares and other odd reflections can certainly create blemishes on a phtograph.

While there are pictures that seem clearly to be nothing more than the result of particles of dust stirred up, and others that are some sort of lens flare or flash reflection, I have also seen pictures that don’t easily fall into any of those categories. Even so, there will always be those who prefer to attribute it to flaws in the photography, while others will see evidence of paranormal phenomenon.

I can’t rule out either explanation for what I photographed last weekend.

An Orb’s Surprise Appearance

I took the boys up to Big Basin, California for a short hike. The weather was beautiful; the redwood trees were magnificent. Every so often we would investigate some area outside of the main path, and one spot in particular caught our attention. Behind one huge redwood tree was a small clearing that was very isolated from the rest of the area, being surrounded by dense trees and brush.

Well shaded, the side of the tree away from the path had a raised section formed by old roots. It seemed to form the focal point for the clearing.

This is a picture of that part of the tree.

I actually took that picture for reference, to compare it with this previous picture I took of my son standing on the platform.

After snapping the picture, I checked it on the LCD viewer and right away, near my son’s left shoulder, I noticed something that looked just like other pictures I had seen of so called “spirit orbs”.

Now this was on a beautiful day – no wind, no rain. We weren’t kicking around the dirt. Not that that constitutes proof that it wasn’t cause by one stray dust particle, but I took several pictures that day and nothing like this appeared in any of them. None except for this one.

The fact that it was at this particular location that the orb appeared gives further cause for wonder. Why do I say that?

Notice the object at the far left of the picture.

When we first saw the back of the tree, we noticed that someone had left a small pedestal with some flowers in it carefully positioned on the natural platform. Here is a close-up of it.

It was actually kinda creepy in a way. There was no writing, or note, or card, and it reminded me of those roadside memorials you sometimes see. It definitely looked like a tribute to something. Was it a memorial? And for what, or whom? Was it an altar? Was it part of some ritual?

Dust, or Paranormal Occurrence?

I’m trying to keep an open mind to the possibility that it is nothing more than light from my flash reflected off of a particle, made possible by the closeness of the flash to the shutter (common with digital cameras).

But is it just a coincidence that of all the pictures I took that day, I happened to take one of a dust particle that looked just like other pictures of purported spirit orbs, and it happened to be in the same location that someone used as some kind of memorial?

Could it be just that?

Either way, it was a magical experience, and part of me can’t rule out the possibility that this is more than just a camera playing tricks.

It’s rare when a New Age/metaphysical believer turns into a skeptic. In fact, I use to think that such a thing was pretty much impossible. Why would someone take that step backwards, was my thinking. Well, it happened, giving me cause to reflect on my own convictions and basis for why I believe in what I believe.

I was doing some research for a post on emotions, and looked up on the net one of the first “New Agey” type books that I read in recent history – Emotional Genius : Discovering the Deepest Language of the Soul by Karla McLaren. Five years ago this book did a lot to help me understand my emotions, and through it I learned many useful ways to handle, honor, and work with emotions.

So during my research I came across a comment at amazon.com that Karla converted to skepticism. Looking further, I found an article in the Skeptical Inquirer titled Bridging the Chasm Between Two Cultures where she describes her painful journey in 2004 from being a “a card-carrying, aura-wearing, chakra-toting leader of the New Age” to someone who is “able to understand and eventually embrace the skeptical culture”. She even states that her former beliefs were based on “candy-floss and dreams”. While she states that one of her goals is to help the two cultures find a common meeting ground, it’s clear that what she really feels is that the faith-based culture needs to be helped to snap out of it, so to speak.

Why the extreme change of heart?

What I see is a very sensitive person who was immersed for a long time in a culture that distances itself from the intellect and critical thinking. This is on the extreme end of the spectrum, and like any extreme, is very precarious and fragile. As she opened herself up via the internet to critically evaluate the New Age culture, she tried to use rigorous scientific examination as the measuring rod for determining the validity of a belief. Of course, faith-based concepts do not lend themselves to such tests, and so based on that world view, her once cherished New Age ideas started to crumble.

Having the rug pulled out like that is a difficult experience for anyone, let alone someone who is as sensitive and passionate as Karla. She describes it as a painful and harrowing journey, but I believe that the process is not over for her. Right now she has gone from one extreme to another, from an unbalanced position that avoids all critical thinking to the equally unbalanced position that rails not only against crystals and psychics, but also targets religions and general spirituality as ideas to be discarded. Hopefully, in time she’ll find some balance and then share her insights.

How can someone maintain a balanced perspective between matters of faith and the physical world? What might have helped Karla?

There are three approaches that I’ve found useful. I’ll go into them in more detail in a later post, but three key things that you can do to maintain a balanced world view are:

• View faith-based concepts as tools that are valid as long as they are useful.
• Be grounded by engaging in physically-oriented exercises and activities.
• Practice non-attachment, especially to ideas and beliefs

If we put these ideas into practice, then we won’t feel personally threatened by ideas that challenge our beliefs. And if we do have a change of heart, we won’t have to go through the pain and distress that Karla experienced.