04 Dec 06
Originally posted by amannionI had that happen once when I was a student. Basically I woke up and couldn't move, I "knew" that if I could move even just a bit I'd be released, I eventually managed to move my leg and everything was back to normal. During sleep your brain releases a chemical that more or less paralyses you to stop you acting out your dreams, sometimes the mechanism goes wrong and you end up with either what I had or sleepwalking. However, if I'd been born in the 17th Century I'd have thought I was being bewitched or something.
We have strange things that happen to our bodies at certain times. For example, upon waking some people feel immobilised, paralysed for a short period of time - this is perfectly explained, but when it happens to you can be particularly disconcerting and frightening.
06 Dec 06
1 edit
Originally posted by DoctorDaraI suspect that the he wasn't the real target; by using Polonium 210 the Russians have basically said to Britain: "we can do what we like in your Capital city and there's not a thing you can do about it." Mr Litvinenko was someone they didn't mind killing, but don't gain all that much from his death in itself - I think from their point of view it's more of a beneficial side effect. They can't possibly have expected the British authorities not to work out what happenned, therefore they wanted the British and everyone else to work out that FSB did it. What they gain is a weakened Britain - in terms of international power politics, along with a message to all their dissidents of the "you can run but you can't hide" variety.
Speaking of odd modern mysteries, how many people think the Russian spy was killed by his government for getting too close to the truth?
08 Dec 06
Originally posted by DoctorDara2) Discount any data that doesn't fit in with your concept of reality
Another thread was started on modern day mysteries such as dinosaurs in the bible. It got me thinking how many of you think there's mundane explanations for some of the more exotic creatures mentioned in literature? For example hypertrichosis is simply excess body hair or "werewolf syndrome": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypertrichosis. Or do you literal ...[text shortened]... h your concept of reality
3) Believe that mystical creatures/demons/etc exist literally