Counterclockwise

The power of possibility.

by Ellen Langer

A Mismatch of Theory and Evidence

By Ellen Langer on July 17, 2009 in Counterclockwise

Last week I was visiting a friend who was telling me about a trip to India that she and her friends took many years ago. They met a guru and asked a bystander to take a picture of them with him. Two pictures were taken, using two different cameras. When they got home and developed the film-digital cameras didn't yet exist-they found themselves in the photos but the guru was missing. Read More

Brilliant example, wonderful piece

Submitted by Gina Barreca on July 18, 2009 - 7:42am.

This I really want to hear more about, as we'd say in the old neighborhood. Thanks, Ellen. I've been a fan of your blog, but now I'm hooked.

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thanks for the kind words

Submitted by Ellen on July 18, 2009 - 7:49am.

thanks for the kind words (from the neighborhood next door!)

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Meh

Submitted by Dave Latchaw on July 18, 2009 - 10:52am.

The only mystery I see here is why the bystander left the guru out-of-frame.

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Meh-I assume you're joking.

Submitted by Ellen on July 18, 2009 - 11:10am.

Meh-I assume you're joking. The photo could not have been taken of three people with him in the middle without him appearing.

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Not Joking at All

Submitted by Dave Latchaw on July 18, 2009 - 12:24pm.

You're assuming your friend's recollections are correct. You're assuming the "bystander" actually took the pictures when they thought he did.

Look, your friends got tricked by a street magician. Got to give the guy credit though, having the trick incomplete until the photos are developed - that's pretty sweet.

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where's the theory?

Submitted by Christopher Ryan on July 19, 2009 - 3:09am.

While I consider myself open to the mysteries of the universe, I tend to have allergic reactions to uncritical crystal-gazers and aromatherapists. Sloppy thinking makes it much harder for real researchers in parapsychology to gain the attention and respect they deserve. Your example is exceedingly weak, in that you weren't there for the event and you haven't even seen the photo(s). It's all purely anecdotal. You say we don't accept the theory, but what theory? You advance no theory as to how/why the guru didn't appear in the photos.

Yes, we need to open our minds, but we also need to be careful about what we let in!

For examples of serious research into these sorts of phenomena, take a look at the work of Stanley Krippner or Ian Stevenson's research on reincarnation.

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I am not saying we should

Submitted by Ellen on July 19, 2009 - 5:46am.

I am not saying we should uncritically accept anything. I am saying we should not mindlessly dismiss unusual phenomena because we don't yet have a theory to account for them.

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Hear, hear!

Submitted by Christopher Ryan on July 21, 2009 - 3:34pm.

That I can agree with. In fact, it's a point I make repeatedly to medical students who are dismissive of hypnosis simply because we don't know how it works. There's a great essay on this called The Myth of Mechanism. Can't recall the author, but if you're interested, email me and I'll send you a copy or at least find the author.