Fringe-ology

Fringe-ology is journalist Steve Volk's attempt to reconcile a mysterious ghost story from his childhood with his lifelong, down to earth occupation as a journalist. His solution was to do journalism—to investigate that family ghost story, and other paranormal topics, in the high style of narrative nonfiction. What he found is a great tale that's been relegated to the fringe of our discourse for too long—a story about all of us, a story filled with ghosts, UFOs, maverick scientists, psychics, spoon-benders and the people who love and hate them. More importantly, he found common ground we can all share—a place for skeptics and believers, spiritualists and scientists, to stand together—not at the fringes, but at the heart of what it means to be human.

Comments

Kandinsky said…
I've only heard of Steve Volk in the past few weeks and have found his approach to be refreshing. He doesn't sound dogmatic and goes about his business with a sense of humour.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Aaron said…
I read this book recently and thought it was excellent. Volk says what many of us feel- we're tired of the battle between Pat Robertson and Richard Dawkins refereed by an intentionally ignorant media.

We're tired of modern physicists telling us of all these mysteries of the universe and matter and the brain and that any explanation is fair game if and only if it coincides with a materialist view. Why? Because that's what is available to measure. Anything unavailable to measure is not science, so just forget about it and have an eternal promissory note that someday we'll understand consciousness with higher level math.

We're tired of hearing "there's not a shred of evidence", when even the slightest investigation reveals that this is not true, and even the biggest skeptics admit that psi meets normal standards of evidence to be accepted.

I sort of feel as if Volk is a bit too wishy washy. If consciousness can exist apart from neural activity, the implications are too huge. There's no way to downplay it.
Monday, July 11, 2011
levis said…
skeptiko.com
141. Steve Volk Investigates UFOs, Ghosts, Telepathy and Near-Death Experience in, Fringe-ology
http://tinyurl.com/6x4sr62
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Anonymous said…
It is hard to picture survival of conciousness if I was unconcious before I was born, therefore why should I exist after I die? my only explanation is that I may have had past lives or something like that, that's my main dilema
Thursday, July 14, 2011
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