Belief in the supernatural comes from normal, everyday reasoning and perception. The woman who saw the Virgin Mary in this piece of toast may not be crazy after all. According to a recent Newsweek article, researchers have found that supernatural belief arises from normal mental processes that have been either hijacked or exaggerated by suggestion and the inability to think scientifically.
Frequent surveys have shown that 90 percent of Americans believe in some form of the supernatural, from the feeling that you're being watched to conversing with departed loved ones to reincarnation. Perfectly reasonable people -- like California physician Dr. Walter Semkiw, who believes he is the reincarnation of John Adams -- believe in perfectly unreasonable things and science is trying to understand what triggers our supernatural tendencies.
In one example, University of Chicago researchers were able to make college students more likely to say they believed in both ghosts and God by simply telling them their personality type revealed they wouldn't have any friends by middle age. Stripped of hope for normal human relationships, the students were suddenly more willing to open their minds to the possibility of fostering future paranormal connections.
But what about those of us who believe in Obama toast?
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So it's perfectly rational to believe you're reincarnated, get spooked by ghosts and see faces in your toast. Let's not forget about visions of angels, either ...
Asylum Angels
Slipped me notes under the desk
While I was thinkin' about her dress
I was shy I turned away
Before she caught my eye
nstiles42, Flickr
Years go by I'm lookin' through a girly magazine
Frank Micelotta, Getty Images
Does she walk? Does she talk?
Does she come complete?
My homeroom homeroom angel
Always pulled me from my seat
aaborgcarnival, Flickr
She was pure like snowflakes
No one could ever stain
The memory of my angel
Could never cause me pain
Evan Agostini, Getty Images
And there's my homeroom angel on the pages in-between
Evan Agostini, Getty Images
My blood runs cold
My memory has just been sold
Evan Agostini, Getty Images
My angel is the centerfold
Angel is the centerfold
Jon Levy, Getty Images
My angel is the centerfold
Angel is the centerfold
Klskogen, Flickr
I was shakin' in my shoes
Whenever she flashed those baby-blues
Something had a hold on me
When angel passed close by
Peter Kramer, Getty Images
My angel is the centerfold
Angel is the centerfold
Peter Kramer, Getty Images
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Monday 10 November
By Milton Guerrero
ghosts are so fake i dont belive
Reply
Thursday 13 November
By Lea Hart
I'm a believer in that I saw and heard my fiance an hour or so after he passed away at home. He appeared as a transparency and 30 years younger or about 30 years of age. He passed away in his mid-60's. I was a non-believer like you until I saw and heard him.
Thursday 13 November
By Crys
That picture on AOL looked more like an attractive woman with something in her mouth...kinda looked like she was sucking a teddy bear's arm/hand. Gee, what would Freud say about me?
Monday 10 November
By drexel6337
It looks more like Bernadette Peters than Mary!!!!!
Reply
Monday 10 November
By bill
could someone please post mary's real picture so i can make a judgement.... i lost mine
Tuesday 11 November
By webbsjwebb
i was going to say Myrna Loy...!!
Thursday 13 November
By patty
lol, exactly what I thought .Bernadett Peters
Thursday 13 November
By Theresa
Hey Joe,
This is just my ever so humble opinion!
Now we see how rational people can elect such a un holy man. (for lack of a better prase) This is my take on all the comments I read first of all isn't Christianity a blank word for those who believe in Christ therefor Catholic Protesant Christions ect all the same. This piece of toast does not tell a story on Religion IN MY OPINION sometimes people see what they need to see calling it irrational is not the right word. I do believe in my Faith and all that I'VE SEEN WITH MY OWN EYES AND NOT IN A PIECE OF TOAST! I will as always continue to pray for those who lack faith or don't believe in the Divinity of God because then you put false idols before you. Forget God for just a moment to argue the point let talk Human beings. Is it human to have a baby be born (oh did I mention a full term baby) feet first so that just its little face is not seen by the executioner who then cuts a hole in the HUman Beings head and sucks his brain out. An they say its for the health of the Mother come on girls we all know the shoulders are the worst part! When they say health of egg donor (cause no Mommmy would put their child through such pain)they mean thngs like financial health is that not EVIL or what! In my opinion. All who do not believe in the sighs we get from God believe in those they see from the evil things put in front of us. Remember We chosse Hell God don't choose it for us. The Devil is real (not with pitch fork and horns) but in many human forms and actions. That is why I pray to God for all of us. Oh yes This is just my opinion no this is my Faith and I am proud of it and not afraid to say it. This has been my ever so humble opinion and nothing can change my mind because my faith is strong. Don't let a piece of toast take you to a place where you can't have an open heart to
God. Oh by the way for the record I see nothig in the toast but butter! Amen!
Thursday 13 November
By nobuyuki
Maybe bernadett peters is the reincarnation of the virgin mary LOL. Any way as W.C. Feilds once said eveybody should believe in someting, I believe I'll have another drink!
Monday 10 November
By Joe
I am extremely disappointed that AOL wrote this article along with Nesweek. It appalls me that suppossedly unbiased and impartial media sources would openly assume that religion is completely irrational and is simply an inability for the human brain to think scientifically. While it is a perfectly acceptable opinion, it is insulting and denigrating to religion and religous people for AOL to pass off as fact in a news story that religion is simply a foolish construction of our minds and nothing else. AOL should be utterly ashamed of this story, and should apologize for its irresponsible journalism.
Reply
Monday 10 November
By decaruso
I agree with you Joe. Although I am not a truly religious person, I feel this is degrading to people of faith. Also, I don't think I would've even thought of it unless the media pointed out. Why bother...nothing else to do now that the election is over?
Monday 10 November
By Neil
I believe that this is the opinion of the article writer...sure i believe religon is rediculous too.. i can write an article about that but do you have to read it and just get angry about something that you know you can't change?
Monday 10 November
By alexis
You have very conflicting statements in your response. For example you state: "While it is a perfectly acceptable opinion, it is insulting and denigrating to religion....." Then towards the end you state: AOL should be utterly ashamed of this story, and should apologize for its irresponsible journalism" If someone - anyone states an opinion - then it is NEVER right or wrong - because opinions are never right or wrong. What really bothers me when people talk about things being in an opinion - they vocalize or write as if it is a fact. All opinions should be prefaced with 'This is only my opinion' or ended with the same. How can people argue another's opinion when stated in this manner?
Monday 10 November
By decarusa
Mr.Decaruso. don't be so bitter about simple little things like this. Life is very short, enjoy and don't make that kind of nasty comments about something is NOT HURTING YOU. If you don't like to look it, don't look it.
Monday 10 November
By janet
i hoped you did as much complaining when a whole lot of christians voted for a man who supports abortion and partial birth abortion!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Monday 10 November
By janet
i hoped you did as much complaining when a whole lot of christians voted for a man who supports abortion and partial birth abortion!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Monday 10 November
By sandra9786
Joe, if you are so appalled by AOL stories, why do you read them? AOL is not holding a gun to your head, nor twisting your arm, you come to their sites because you are interested in reading what they have to read, period!
Monday 10 November
By SKenyon
I guess the truth hurts.
Monday 10 November
By andrea
Hi Joe,
Spirituality is real, and no one disputes it's merit. Religion is man-made, and is designed to control the masses. Christianity, in my belief, is more spiritualism than religion, whereas Catholicism, Protestant, Muslim, Mormons, and all other organization of such are religions. These are what I think the media is targeting as irrational, and I have to say I agree. To believe in Christ, or any God is not irrational; but to follow the laws and rules in the name of God, made by men is absurd.
Monday 10 November
By Fabs
It is not just religion that is put down (and I honestly find all major religions extremely faulty and lacking, but clearly appraciate the spiritual side of existence), but basically anything that cannot be measured or explained scientifically. It seems to me that it is really only 2nd level scientistis and the media who discount even the possibility of something we cannot explain scientifically. All the greatest physicists of the 20th century, from Einstein to Plank to the whole lot of quantum physicists, understood very well that there is a lot more to reality and consciousness and matter and the universe than we might ever to even begin to comprehend.
Einstein himself at some point tried to refute quantum physics ideas he was a mjor contributor in developing because the consequences would be "too spooky". And Mr. Relativity himself believed in God (clearly not in the Old Guy with a white beard vision nor the idea that such an imaginative creator could possibly be contained in any book) but clearly had little respect for organized religion, having had quite a chance to understand and know with certainty the fallacy of many of their beliefs. But possibly the greatest scientist of the modern era never discredited the fact that there is a design behind it all. His famous quote "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind." pretty much explains his views. I can hardly imagine any of these scientists expressing their skepticism having more than a fraction of Einstein genius.....
Going further back, we celebrate Newton for singlehandedly bringing physics into the modern age. Everything we know is based on Newton's models (that is...until Quantum Physics came along). Yet, the great physicists was very much into alchemy and methaphysical experimentation and recognized there was a lot more than his mechanical models beyond the universe we can see and measure. To discretid such a possibility because we are incapable of understanding it or measuring it, it's a sign of utter ignorance, specially in times like today