Fraudulent Documentary TV Specials on Supposed Miracles

[Jhanananda]

This documentary TV special about a stage magician searching for a monk in Nepal with genuine spiritual powers is a classic fraud, but a good setup.  It is in the setup that we are deceived by the fraud, so beware of the setup, and watch the video carefully to see how the setup works. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyrgcwziASA

The classic deception scenario requires a reliable observer accepting the deception, which convinces us it is real.  The deception begins with convincing us that we are watching a genuine documentary TV special. The narrator in the TV special is stage magician, who convinces us that he is a reliable observer, because he demonstrates stage magic and observes stage magic and he reveals how the various tricks are done.

The stage magician goes on the classic long journey in search of wisdom.  After much difficulty he finds a shaman who will lead us to the miracle worker.  The shaman functions as a secondary reliable observer, who reinforces the deception.  When the shaman runs off frightened, then our expectations builds, and it further reinforces that the miracle worker must be the real deal. 

I was; however, let down as soon as we entered the door of the "orange temple" and we saw all of those candles.  So, OK, the miracle worker-monk is so psychic that he knows when we are going to arrive; however, I have used candles for heat, cooking and light for 13 years, Those candles would only remain lit for a very short time, not even long enough for the levitation deception.  In fact they probably had trouble keeping them all lit long enough to shoot the scene.

Then we meet the old monk, OK, he is convincing, but then he sits down in front of a curtain and just chants his mantra, a classic Tibetan Buddhist mantra that every monk chants, then he chants for only a few moments, then he starts to levitate. Sorry, it was laughable.

However, our magician, who has convinced us of the sincerity of his search, and the honesty of his "documentarian" approach, looks astonished, when the monk levitates, good acting.  One of the photographer crosses in front of the other camera to get a better shot, another good detail, where they are all appear to be so convinced that the monk is really levitating.  However, they all had to have been in on the deception from the beginning.

Essentially how the deception works is we all want to believe that miracles work, so we want to be deceived.

So, feel free to post links to convincing documentaries of spiritual powers for us to discuss here.

[Luke Avedon]

I remember seeing that video a few months ago.

I think you will enjoy this very short one as well, if you haven't seen it already: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etSivpBHUmE

In my opinion all mentions of levitation in the Suttas are describing a classic OBE experience.  They are also often a miss-translation of the Pali word used for body.  Ananda describes the Buddha physically disappearing to visit Deva realms as well as his consciousness disappearing to visit those realms.  The consciousnesses traveling out of his body I can buy, but the Buddhas body literally disappearing and then reappearing is too much for me.  I think you wrote about this somewhere.  By the time we get to the commentaries there are fantastical stories of Arahats flying around in seated position like bizarre superheros. 

So, OK, the miracle worker-monk is so psychic that he knows when we are going to arrive;

However, I think the evidence for some Psy phenomenon is fairly good.  Many cultures have stories of hermit mystics knowing what is happening in the village they never visit.  (I think Rupert Sheldrake has written about this but I can't recall).  But the fantastical show stuff, like physical levitation is pretty absurd. 

[Jhanananda]

I remember seeing that video a few months ago.

I think you will enjoy this very short one as well, if you haven't seen it already: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etSivpBHUmE

No, I have not seen this video, but it could explain one possible mechanism that the miracle worker "monk" in the first video in this discussion may have used.

In my opinion all mentions of levitation in the Suttas are describing a classic OBE experience.  They are also often a miss-translation of the Pali word used for body.  Ananda describes the Buddha physically disappearing to visit Deva realms as well as his consciousness disappearing to visit those realms.  The consciousnesses traveling out of his body I can buy, but the Buddhas body literally disappearing and then reappearing is too much for me.  I think you wrote about this somewhere.  By the time we get to the commentaries there are fantastical stories of Arahats flying around in seated position like bizarre superheros. 

I believe there are two things at work in the few miracles that appear in the suttas.  First, I agree, much of the miracles are misunderstood OOBEs.  Also, future priests learned that religions sell better when there are miracle stories, so those miracle stories were added later. The truth is, the reason why all religions have their miracle stories is people want to be deceived.  And, people want to believe in miracles.

So, OK, the miracle worker-monk is so psychic that he knows when we are going to arrive;

However, I think the evidence for some Psy phenomenon is fairly good.  Many cultures have stories of hermit mystics knowing what is happening in the village they never visit.  (I think Rupert Sheldrake has written about this but I can't recall).  But the fantastical show stuff, like physical levitation is pretty absurd.

In the case of psychic intuition, I have no problem with that.  I experience it daily.  The problem I have is with psychic powers that manipulate the laws of physics.  I know from experience that consciousness is not local. It can be projected to any place and time.  However, changing the outcome of events, levitating, etc. all require altering the laws of physics.  That is just not possible.  So, when I read religious literature, then I skip over the sections with the miracles, because I have found there is very little truth to be found there.