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Can an atheist believe in the supernatural?
Posted on: February 18, 2010 - 9:09am
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Can an atheist believe in the supernatural?
Can an atheist believe in the supernatural?
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Very well then, I will translate your post for you (and anybody else reading).
Esotericism is ill defined because people do whatever they want.
I'm completely ignorant of how the scientific method is different from magic. Also, I'm willfully ignorant of my own field, and the vast body of contradictory results that have only been unified through agreement with cult leaders in some isolated incidents.
I'll just conveniently avoid any counter points, like a biblical apologist, by interpreting any disagreements to be poor quality esotericism.
I'll do this by defining a rediculous ideal with no evidence to suggest that this is necessary. Then I'll cherry pick exceptions.
These people are my man joy. I'm going to ignore everybody else for no good reason; I just want to, and fear that actually taking into account the whole would disqualify my rediculous assertions. I will, however, rationalize this disagreement so it doesn't spoil the mojo for me.
And then some people understood them, and some people didn't- and I will arbitrarily qualify those people relative to my own preconceptions rather than actually sticking to my original point about many people coming to the same conclusion.
OMEP (Oh my esoteric panteon)! I just totally rolled a hundred dice and they all agreed! But these 84 dice over here... well, they got it wrong, so they don't count. But other than those, they all rolled sixes! We have objective scientific proof!
I can totally read people's minds, and I have lots of ways to disqualify dice which disagree with each other, thus revealing the TRUE truth.
[/translation]
F*ck!
No, it's not too long, didn't read. It's too idiotic, didn't want to suffer through it. TI/DWTSTI
You have no idea what you're prattling on about, within or without the bounds of esotericism. I was being polite before, and avoiding this.
I was not incorrect in my estimation. Except that it isn't very eloquent.
I soldier the f*ck on...
[translation]
Lollzorzz!1 I dun chosed four people who I thought agreed, and then counterd evriwun elz OUTZORS!!!1 So, totally it's all in agreement because I have filtered them based on my arbitrary opinion of their credibility.
LOlz, it's totally science because somebody can count! This is OBVIOUS to anybody!! (unless yer stooopid) Also, I don't know anything about these forces, but since they supposedly number in three, they must be the same!
Lolz, of course it's wrong if you don't filter it by arbitrary standards of personal preference down to the incredibly small number of people who seem to be mostly consistent with each other either through luck of more often because they're in collusion through mutual cult leaders. Then I'll use the fact that they *all* agree (except the ones who don't- but they don't count) on the same thing as proof that it's the same as science!
Also, I totally don't understand Las Vegas, I always go to the casinos there and they kick me out when I try to only choose the dice that are correct as qualifying my bet.
I can has belieeeeef because he said I didn't have to.
Therefore, his teachings are somehow valid because he mentions buzz words.
Also, I will arbitrarily, and out of complete ignorance, dismiss other people who have said similar things.
Weee! I'm a free thinker! Look how progressive we are!
And so the tailor said: Hey Emperor! We have the best, most beautiful cloth here, but only enlightened people can see it. Isn't is beautiful? Yeah, we'll totally sell it to you in exchange for your critical thinking.
And I said: OMFEP, I can totally see that cloth. LOLZ! I'm enlightened, I'm so happies.
[/translation]
This is long and boorish- and moreover, painfully ignorant- so I'm using a bit of sarcasm to make it more entertaining, but hopefully anybody reading can get the gist.
Stay tuned for part two of: "I can has esotericism!"
Same rational time, same rational station.
As promised, here's part two of our riveting installment:
[translation]
I'm going to make a joke, because that's fun. Also, I don't understand the concept of bias. I think bias comes from worldy pleasures of pride and metaphysical sin.
I can't comprehend the scientific method.
I think science is a list of facts about the universe that people just agreed on.
I am confused and befuddled by pseudoscience, and easily convinced of things that involve conspiracies. This is why I am vulnerable to esotericism.
Greedy people: therefore I still don't understand the first thing about science- I practice willful ignorance in this regard, because people are constantly explaining it to me.
I'm going to pretend like esoterism is a spiral, because I like that shape and it sounds and looks cool. I'm going to ignore the reality of the fact, which is a generational inheritance between cult leaders who all take unique spins on the concepts to identify themselves and gain adherants- who change things not because it's correct, but because it's popular and they felt like it.
I have no idea what I'm talking about because I don't really understand all of this science stuff, or the reason blinding is necessary, so I'm going to make up some explanation about being practical to make it seem like all of this stuff I don't understand isn't necessary.
Also, I'm amazing, and should be studied by scientists around the world.
I don't understand statistics or their application to normalizing studies. However, I'm anti-capitalism, therefore esotericism is right, because I think my particular group is free of monentary distortions.
[/translation]
Prime example: You.
Part three coming soon to a forum near you.
Blake, if in the future you are in a thread where Luminon responds and you have the time, please offer us your translation... lol
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Blake, can I has theizm?
LOL!
Part three of the Epic adventures of the rationalizing boy wizard, the one, of many, Luminon!
[translation]
My daddy has magic pants, so he can pull magically true facts out of his anus.
I don't know the definition of a genius.
Also, pulling facts out of one's ass is ostensibly (and genuinely) useless since we aren't trusting them at face value, but confirming them, which really just makes them theories which need the same amount of verification as any other. However, I'm right anyway, and this is for some magical reason a better way of doing it.
Lolz, if I can't see evidence then either can you. You can't point out obvious contradictions in my reasoning from things I have clearly ignored... because... I don't understand concepts like that.
Also, I'm magical. Phear me.
Of course I'm right, because nothing short of truth would convince me. On account of my being magical.
I'm so awesome, I couldn't be wrong.
Medieval king: Dude, we totally have divine inspiration. High five!
Lolzorz, I don't know the difference between reason and empiricism.
Despite millions having been spent on this by numerous government and private organizations to no avail, I'm going to pretend like it's never happen and demand more testing.
I am blindingly ignorant of science to the extent that I believe the exact opposite of what the case is. I'm going to pretend like I haven't just confirmed all of Blake's assertions that esotericism is worse than guessing by consistently getting things completely wrong.
I grossly misunderstand science, so I'm going to accuse you of the same thing by citing some kind of nonsense about ocean waves without understanding how experiments are actually done to identify real causes.
I just want to remind you that I think I have magic powers. I'm unique! Just like everybody else! Phear me.
Also, I wouldn't ever fork over the small amount of cash to perform this experiment, which would allow me to win two million dollars from Randi et al.
I can appeal to authority by referencing people in academia who are just as crazy as I am!
I must be right!
[/translation]
Nothing in that post remotely disagreed with my analysis, and I have now wasted a few minutes of my life reading drivel that was created by one of the most typical examples of an esotericist I have ever encountered.
You're a perfect case study in the average kid who thinks his family has magic powers. There's really nothing unique or special about you at all. You have acheived little more than to bore me. Congratulations.
This concludes our adventures into the mystical-known.
I'm still not quite sure if I qualify as an "atheist" by the standards of this site. But personally, I suspect most of what we now think of as being "supernatural" may very well be real phenomena and could potentially be explained by science if anyone cared to seriously investigate.
why would you say that
Beings who deserve worship don't demand it. Beings who demand worship don't deserve it.
Ouch. The truth hurts though, I suppose.
Not that this will matter, since you are probably the 50th (at least!) person to give him the exact same lecture.
Everything makes more sense now that I've stopped believing.
Nah, just a translation so that he can opt to see his posts the way others see them, if he so chooses.
It was more for the amusement of others than for his benefit, though, since he really can't gain benefit from knowledge he will only actively ignore. It would require physical or psychological trauma to snap him out of it, neither of which I am equipped to provide under the circumstances.
Since he objected so fervently to my assumption that I knew what he said without reading it, I wanted to make sure in the slim chance that I had been mistaken- I wasn't- and clarify his remarks to anybody else who might be following.
I would consider seriously responding to him if he would agree to take some anti-psychotic medications; shaking up the chemical slush can also help break delusions. If he thinks he isn't delusional, I don't see why he would refuse. In such a context, the exchange might actually prove enlightening for him.
If he's against evidence based "western" medication, I might be able to find an 'herbal' mix which will do the same.
I'm not sure I can adequately explain it without going into my whole philosophy, but essentially: from my experience, "belief" does actually exert some real external force onto its object (which I don't quite understand). So I do believe in a power higher than myself, but technically, it's not a god, it's the physical laws that govern the universe.
What, like Oprah and The Secret?
Everything makes more sense now that I've stopped believing.
No idea what this means.
Magical thinking. Like, I want a new car, so I project those thoughts and they help me get a new car.
Essentially, it is the idea that belief literally exerts force on the material world. Not that belief shapes human action, but that it literally warps reality without actual action.
Everything makes more sense now that I've stopped believing.
Mmm, sort of...but more like it is an action unto itself that can have effects in reality, not warp it.
What is the difference?
Can you give an example?
Everything makes more sense now that I've stopped believing.
Not exactly because, like I said, I don't fully understand it myself. "Realizing you're in the matrix" is probably the best analogy.
So, you believe in something that may or not be considered supernatural, but you cannot define it or give examples? Do you mean you just have an odd feeling that something you don't understand might exist? Were drugs involved?
Everything makes more sense now that I've stopped believing.
We can't make any experiment we want, because we don't have trained, gifted or willing people. It's just me and similarly sensitive friend who recently returned from Britain.
What will I do if nothing happens? You have to understand, that "something" already happened many times. I already had the evidence I needed to change the question from "if" to "how". This is why in case of failure I will try to find out a different method to bring the desired result. I already know it can work, the problem is in the method, tools or materials, not in the theory itself.
Every time I could have a doubt, something happens that doubtlessly confirms my stance. I bow under all the supernatural evidence by which I am bombarded. I think anyone in my place would be forced to form the same opinion. But nobody without that much experience would be convinced, this is why I'm tolerant to skeptics. Without all the experiences I have, I'd be one of them!
But currently I found out some hard scientific data that support MMS. It's nothing supernatural, just basic chemistry, but an alleged cure for AIDS, cancer, malaria and all other diseases caused by pathogens possibly coming true should satisfy you for now
I discussed it earlier fervently with MichaelMcF earlier, but I didn't have the data I have now.
s
As for observations, we are not complete masters of esotericism, or over our mental, emotional and physical apparatus. The only thing that works consistently with me, every day, for last 21 years, is my etheric touch sense. Most probably, it should be testable by FMRI brain scan. All other esoteric phenomena are frequent, but unpredictable and various. After all, it's a few more universes, we're talking about here! Once it discovers the higher "dimensions", science will have a lot to do, for millenia. I'm almost completely blind and deaf to these worlds, almost.
Beings who deserve worship don't demand it. Beings who demand worship don't deserve it.
You have an amazing ability to write a long post without saying anything useful.
Let's recap.
1. I have a test in mind but have not actually done anything.
2. Any test mellestad can devise, I can make an excuse for why it wouldn't work due to unfalsifiable, invisible monsters/aliens/ghosts.
3. I freely admit that I will believe my desired prophetic outcomes regardless of what happens.
4. I cannot provide a list, because I refuse to be nailed down. Everything is magic!
5. We make each other happy, so I choose that over reality.
6. Any inconsistency or error is the fault of the practitioner, not the theory. Even if that means we can never accomplish anything.
*sigh*
Don't get me wrong, I wish I could do magic and see through women's clothes as much as the next guy, I just have an unfortunate attachment to reality.
I'd get tired of dodging constantly. I think if I couldn't 'show the money' I would get bored with my fantasy.
One thing...what, exactly, can you do with your touch whatever? What are you 'feeling'?
Everything makes more sense now that I've stopped believing.
I would say it's hilarious, but it's really just sad that he thinks a blind test means blindfolded.
I said some of this in my introductory post and got a huge argument out of it which I'm not eager to repeat. I've had experiences that appeared very much like telekinesis, but I'm not going to go there. I've had so many experiences of psychic communication, focused, specific, far too exact to be random coincidence, and corroborated by objectively observable behavior and conversation that I can't possibly ignore them. To do so, in my opinion, would be to foolishly ignore the evidence. In the interests of devising a plausible explanation for myself, I've grasped onto the possibility of electromagnetic energy produced by the brain and projected outward as a result of patterns of thought. As far as I'm concerned, that would be perfectly testable with the right equipment and motivation. I don't consider it supernatural, at all, but merely as yet unexplored.
May I just suggest that 'to exist in nature' is to be 'natural.' So if I were you I would consider them natural events. (This is pretty much my own view of the supernatural, even if it exists, we can know nothing about it because everything we could ever experience already falls under the definition of natural... although it just seems too simple a way to look at it). Your issue arises with reconciling the events with what we believe the laws of nature are. No need to call them supernatural, though.
Also, since atheism is lack of belief in a god, you would be considered an atheist because it seems apparent that you don't believe in a typical god. Even if you are agnostic (don't know), you are still an atheist, because being unsure is not believing. Hope this helps.
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Ok, why not test it objectively?
Everything makes more sense now that I've stopped believing.
If you want to ridicule me at all costs, then it's written with I, not E, mr. rEdiculous.
Beings who deserve worship don't demand it. Beings who demand worship don't deserve it.
I do have a spelling checker. I left my translations glowing red, because the stuff inside the quotes was also peppered with poor spelling.
That's probably one thing we have in common; although I did add a few gems deliberately on top of not correcting mistakes. Should I strive for the errrrradication of those spelling errors?
That's not just what I was commenting on- it's that you think blindfolds in that situation would be needed or useful- or remotely reliable. You don't understand the concept of proper experimental controls- the blindfolded part was an analogy.
*That* is what I was commenting on. It's not about not knowing the correct results in advance, it's about not allowing expectation to bias the test itself. Cutting off untested senses that may lead to false expectation is one way to do that in some situations, but blinding goes far beyond that. In such a situation as you described, blindfolding is not a good way to do this, and generally unnecessary.
Obviously one only knows the correct results in advance if one guesses correctly. Of course, you believe you *do* know them in advance, thinking you have magic powers to predict them or such.
However, as had been demonstrated time and again, *you* actually only know the incorrect results in advance, and nothing in the experiment, no matter how well done, will change that for you.
This is not even a funny thing- it is a sad thing. You seem to be an intelligent person, aside from your delusions, and you could have value to society. I don't blame you, of course, as you don't have a choice in the matter- delusions are too strong to be broken from the inside, and your intelligence works against you by allowing you to rationalize anything threatening your delusions from the outside.
I agree with this completely, which is why I don't think these things are supernatural, although I suspect a lot of people on this site would not feel the same.
I suppose you're probably right. I guess to be a theist I would really need to believe in something outside our universe. I assume there is something out there, but I really have no idea, and I certainly don't think it's a guy with a beard and a nice white robe who talks to me personally.
LOL That's not exactly my chosen career path. I do have a couple of things on my amazon wish list that may help a bit, but that's about as far as I have time to go. And finding respectable reading materials on the subject is tricky, at best, not surprisingly.
Don't be so quick to brush off two million dollars.
Where do I get this alleged two million dollars?
Randi.org
Everything makes more sense now that I've stopped believing.
Imagine a material, tangible substance. This substance has following properties: it's weightless, soft, smooth, a little sticky, and it hovers around in the air, like jellyfish in water or silk curtain in breeze. It's density varies, it can be as subtle as smoke, or as dense as rubber. There is no definite shape, it's like smoke in air or goo hovering in water. It freely passes through dense-material objects. A partial exception is my body. It has some similarity to the effect in famous film Donnie Darko.
If you saw the film, remember the snake-like bubble effect that Donnie saw around people? I don't know details, I saw this film only recently, I had no subtitles and spoken english in movies is diffcult for me, so I don't know exactly what was going on. Now I only found a glimpse of that effect, it's in this trailer that has it exactly after the 1:23 second. I think it's called "liquid spear" effect. But what I want to describe, can have any shape, even very complex, and doesn't have to be connected with me. It's just a little similar to that "liquid spear" effect.
One of the most important and extraordinary properties of this etheric substance is, that it literally obeys my will. It's an extension of my will, and it moves and changes itself according to my thoughts. If my thoughts are idle, it only lazily swirls around, brushing my skin gently, but it quickly reacts on changes of attention. It's like intelligent, telepathic plasticine. Or chewing gum, if it gets into my mouth. I've had fun with it for all my life... It can of course gain any shape, a membrane that can cover all my body, or tentacles, sphere, cylinder, man statue, or whatever I want and concentrate well enough to keep the shape.
There is much more to describe, where it comes from, how it disappears, what other properties and practical uses it has, and how am I able to perceive it, although it's invisible to my eyes, and how other people perceive it. But first I'd wait for your reaction. I hope you won't put on a rabbit mask picture as your avatar, LOL
Beings who deserve worship don't demand it. Beings who demand worship don't deserve it.
LOL It says $1 million, but anyway...if they want to give me the million FIRST, I'll be more than happy to design some equipment and do some tests. Until then, I'm too broke. Not sure they'd be interested, though, because I don't think what I'm talking about is exactly "paranormal."
So you have one ability, which is mainly reproducible with participants who already agree with you in theory?
Your etheric sense actually makes some sense, if it were a problem with your sensory perception. Many visual hallucinations are similar. Granted, I am not an expert, but what you described sounds like normal every day problems with the way your brain processes information.
Which is why I don't care about that, unless you claim you can gain objective information using the ability. If certain types of people/things/behavior make the ether warp in certain ways, I bet we could test that.
Everything makes more sense now that I've stopped believing.
Can an atheist believe in the supernatural? Yes. Atheism is a lack of belief in a God. There are a lot of beliefs that fall under the term "supernatural" that have nothing to do with God. It's a case of "one doesn't prove the other".
Free your mind.
Furthermore, I'd love to check out Wilhelm Reich's orgone accumulator. I am sure I'd feel the accumulated orgone, which is actually an atmospheric form of ether.
Beings who deserve worship don't demand it. Beings who demand worship don't deserve it.
If it works with moods, then this is easy. Have a bunch of people (30 maybe?) sitting down facing away from you of similar heights and builds, identical clothing, and bag their heads.
Have you go down the line a decent distance away (so you can't see physical features) and make what their aura or whatever says about them.
You turn around, everyone plays musical chairs, you face them again and do the exact same thing.
Follow the process four or five times, see if you consistently identify the same people with the same aura.
Or do the same thing with touch and have you blindfolded, that might be less prone to error.
See? You can show everyone how magical you are and all it takes is some volunteers. After all, your ability works 24/7/365. If not everyone has an aura you can percieve, you can filter people until you have a large enough group that does. I'll leave the details to you and when you collect your two million I'll take 5%.
Everything makes more sense now that I've stopped believing.
I'm sorry, I wrote a mistake. It's too late and I'm tired. Detection of aether does not depend on any agreement with theory or whatever. People can think whatever they want, have their own theories or have no idea what it is, but they may be still able to perceive it. That depends on sensitivity, which is either naturally inborn, awakened by meditation, or otherwise trained. I also originally had no theory, in my child years.
You have no idea what it is like. I'll suck into myself some energy, but I have no idea what it is! There are thousands of different weird feelings, neither pleasant or unpleasant, just...different. The fact I feel someone's energy doesn't mean I understand that person. It's not something I'd do on normal basis. It takes intuition to interpret what it means, and I'm not good at it yet. My friend is better at this particular discipline, she can see into people more than she likes.
You know, I was always very separated from people, they didn't like me much. That was for defensive purposes. But now that's unnecessary and I have to remove the defensive mechanisms and open myself to exchange of energies. It's something that I still learn.
Beings who deserve worship don't demand it. Beings who demand worship don't deserve it.
These factors should not be applicable to an objective claim of reality. If aether or auras exist, they should be detectable, in some way, WITHOUT a human mind present. Otherwise, their existence is wholly dependent on a human mind, and consequently do not exist as an objective claim of reality.
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2. Any test mellestad can devise, I can make an excuse for why it wouldn't work due to unfalsifiable, invisible monsters/aliens/ghosts.
I think I devised a pretty goddamned simple test. It takes 30 random folks, you, a blindfold, and someone to take notes.
Everything makes more sense now that I've stopped believing.
As an engineer, I give you kudos for your design. lol
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Sam Harris (prominent 'atheist' and best-selling author of The End of Faith) apparently does. He promotes "spirituality" (which implies a belief in the spiritual) and "mysticism" (which implies a belief that God or the divine reality can be experientially known through the practice of meditation or contemplative prayer). He also believes in psi phenomena (i.e. the paranormal), reincarnation, and xenoglossy ("speaking in tongues" is one example).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Harris_(author)
"Scientists animated by the purpose of proving they are purposeless constitute an interesting subject for study." - Alfred North Whitehead
Yeah Paisley you seem to completely misunderstand Sam Harris...oh and by the way the wikipedia entry has nothing on mysticism except at the end as a see also section, but spirituality is more on par with eastern religion, more buddhism as it states in the entry in regards to meditation, not in the religious sense at all
"By paying close attention to moment-to-moment conscious experience, Harris suggests, it is possible to make our sense of "self" vanish and thereby uncover a new state of personal well-being. Moreover, Harris argues that such states of mind should be subjected to formal scientific investigation, without incorporating the myth and superstition that often accompanies meditation in the religious context."
You really need to learn how to comprehend what your reading Paisley
Apparently, skeptic James "the Amazing" Randi is suffering the from the same reading comprehension problem that I am because he takes Sam Harris to task on the very same things that I outlined previously in my post - namely, the promotion of spirituality/mysticism based primarily (but not exclusively) on Eastern religions, beliefs in psi phenomena, reincarnation, and xenoglossy.
http://www.randi.org/jr/2007-06/062207.html#i8
"Scientists animated by the purpose of proving they are purposeless constitute an interesting subject for study." - Alfred North Whitehead
There is also the good old EAV device in the city, that might be qualified as etheric detector too. It routinely detect changes of skin resistance, which depend on what kind of substance or bottle of medicine is currently in etheric body of a client. The purpose is to find a medicine in the stock, that makes all resistance values highest. It's even possible to test a combination of two medicines together.
Beings who deserve worship don't demand it. Beings who demand worship don't deserve it.
Shall we see what the man himself says about the subject.
On your mysticism (some how meaning there is a god or divine reality) and spirituality regarding meditation Sam Harris states
"There is simply no question that people have transformative experiences as a result of engaging contemplative disciplines like meditation, and there is no question that these experiences shed some light on the nature of the human mind (any experience does, for that matter). What is highly questionable are the metaphysical claims that people tend to make on the basis of such experiences. I do not make any such claims. Nor do I support the metaphysical claims of others.
There are several neuroscience labs now studying the effects of meditation on the brain. While I am not personally engaged in this research, I know many of the scientists who are. This is now a fertile area of sober inquiry, purposed toward understanding the possibilities of human well-being better than we do at present.
While I consider Buddhism almost unique among the world’s religions as a repository of contemplative wisdom, I do not consider myself a Buddhist. My criticism of Buddhism as a faith has been published, to the consternation of many Buddhists"
that's from his website http://www.samharris.org/site/full_text/response-to-controversy2/
I highly doubt he believes in god or some divine reality as you put it. You simply do what you always do, state something without actually looking deeper into what they are actually stating.
and here we see the classic theist tactic of attacking an atheist "authority" as a means of discrediting atheism. just like discrediting evolution by attacking darwin. they still don't understand that atheists attach no importance whatsoever to personalities. as far as i'm concerned, you could open a closet door right now to reveal richard dawkins sodomizing a chimp in front of a ganesha statue, complete with burning incense, while reciting the shema yisrael and all i would do is shrug, mutter something like, "huh...that's fucked up," and go my merry atheist way. every atheist knows and fully accepts that ANY person--even their so-called "leaders"--can be very, very wrong.
unlike most religions, especially christianity and islam, atheism doesn't depend on anyone's credibility. in fact, atheism depends on nothing, in every sense of the world.
prove jesus never existed or muhammad was a huckster and the whole abrahamic house of cards falls.
prove sam harris is a mystic or james randi thinks he is a mystic and...well...you've proved sam harris is a mystic or james randi thinks he is a mystic. in the immortal words of chris rock (and yes, i'm quoting a theist here), "what you want, a cookie?"
"I have never felt comfortable around people who talk about their feelings for Jesus, or any other deity for that matter, because they are usually none too bright. . . . Or maybe 'stupid' is a better way of saying it; but I have never seen much point in getting heavy with either stupid people or Jesus freaks, just as long as they don't bother me. In a world as weird and cruel as this one we have made for ourselves, I figure anybody who can find peace and personal happiness without ripping off somebody else deserves to be left alone. They will not inherit the earth, but then neither will I. . . . And I have learned to live, as it were, with the idea that I will never find peace and happiness, either. But as long as I know there's a pretty good chance I can get my hands on either one of them every once in a while, I do the best I can between high spots."
--Hunter S. Thompson
Yes, I have already read his website on this matter and I simply view this as a form of "damage control" in order to appease his atheistic base. However, downplaying these issues (after the fact) does not negate what he explicitly stated before in his first book - "The End of Faith." That being said, I do partially agree with you that he does not support the metaphysical claims of others - at least, not the metaphysical claims espouse by those who adhere to the dogma of scientific materialism.
Physcialism (a.k.a. materialism) holds the view that our "consciousness" (what Harris is calling our mental and spiritual lives here) is wholly dependent on the brain and its interactions. This is a position I have clearly opposed. And this is a position that you (and many others on this forum) have clearly upheld.
What does he say about this materialistic view?
This is a position that I have argued repeatedly on this forum - namely that materialism is based on faith. (Incidentally, Sam Harris is studying for his Ph.D. in "neuroscience" at Stanford University. Therefore, I will assume that he probably has a fairly good grasp on the subject matter.)
Moreover, Harris explicitly states in his first book that....
It would appear that Sam Harris actually supports my view that consciousness is not a byproduct of brain processes and moreover that consciousness itself may be a fundamental aspect of reality. Of course, this would be fully in line with someone who promotes spirituality/mysticism and expresses a belief in (or is at least very open to the idea of) psychic phenomena and reincarnation.
"Scientists animated by the purpose of proving they are purposeless constitute an interesting subject for study." - Alfred North Whitehead
Are you going to beat this horse in every topic you step into?
There is a clear consensus on this site that you are either ignorantly or willfully misinterpreting what he wrote. Clear examples have been provided that disprove your interpretation.
Now you are falling back on conspiracy theories to prove that your interpretation is correct, after clarification has been issued from the primary source.
Everything makes more sense now that I've stopped believing.
Relax. I was simply responding to the question posed in the OP - "Can an atheist believe in the supernatural?" In fact, James Randi does not question Sam Harris' atheist credentials, only his rational faculties.
"Scientists animated by the purpose of proving they are purposeless constitute an interesting subject for study." - Alfred North Whitehead