New Reality Seeds

[Flyndaran]

Very few people like having their fundamental paradigms shattered when push comes to shove.

Forces that only appear when involving human minds smashes everyone's beliefs EXCEPT the religious. At least when fully taken to their logical conclusions.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by combatmedic

I'd guess that many materialists would be deeply disturbed by psi phenomena, as the verified existence of such would pretty well disprove the whole ideology of materialism.

Maybe I'm not an "ideological" materialist, but the sensible materialist response to such things seem to me to start trying to find out how they work, with a side order of "why hadn't they been noticed before?"

Nothing about being a materialist requires a claim that everything in the universe is already understood, and anyone making such a claim is acting out of ignorance, quite possibly wilfully so.

[combatmedic]

Originally Posted by johndallman

Maybe I'm not an "ideological" materialist, but the sensible materialist response to such things seem to me to start trying to find out how they work, with a side order of "why hadn't they been noticed before?"

Nothing about being a materialist requires a claim that everything in the universe is already understood, and anyone making such a claim is acting out of ignorance, quite possibly wilfully so.

It sounds like you aren't really a materialist, but an empiricist. And, yes, you are no doubt more open-minded than the people I'm thinking of.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by combatmedic

It sounds like you aren't really a materialist, but an empiricist. And, yes, you are no doubt more open-minded than the people I'm thinking of.

I think most of us gamer empiricists secretly want something magical to be true even though it would clash horribly with our otherwise loved paradigms.

[Drifter]

I agree with Combatmedic that materialists will be sent into a tizzy since psi powers seem uncomfortably close to proving we have a soul (see Poul Anderson's "The Martyr"). Religious objections are obvious - psi is the work of the Devil, thou shalt not suffer a witch to live, etc. And just as obvious, of course psi powers have been "noticed" before; how else do you explain all those pesky miracles, weird coincidences and hail-mary plays that worked?

When do you see a campaign taking place? In the 40s for a Weird World War II? 60s for a James Bond/Timothy Leary mashup? Oh! A Jerry Cornelius setting, maybe a little toned down for the mundanes. Or an 80s psi-commando slug fest?

[combatmedic]

I'd go for the 1960s.

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

I think most of us gamer empiricists secretly want something magical to be true even though it would clash horribly with our otherwise loved paradigms.

Oh, yes, this. To be fair, though, I'm pretty sure most of us agree that science does not know everything yet, so we can't really say that psi powers are definitely impossible (there are a number of weird things out there that people who may not have been lying or hallucinating have reported), just very probably impossible.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by combatmedic

Sounds cool, though I have to wonder why everyone apart from "religious and cultural conservatives" would ''love the idea.''
I'd guess that many materialists would be deeply disturbed by psi phenomena, as the verified existence of such would pretty well disprove the whole ideology of materialism.

Many religious and cultural conservative denouce PSI as an attempt to smuggle witchcraft and magic into the modern world. PSI is seen as a snare of the devil. More thoughtful types denouce PSI as the invassion of the spiritual realm by materialism. "God is not a waveform!" is a common slogan.

Meanwhile the Soviets loudly annouce that miracles are simply misunderstood PSI events. They say that one day Soviet People's Saints will grant miracles to all on a timetable.

Or are you counting hardline materialists as ''religious and cultural conservatives'', too? :)

It might be logical, but no. In this world Rhine proved his case. Even the Amazing Randy accepts the fact of PSI.

In this timeline (Rhine 1?) do any historical figures of the 20th Century who claimed to have unusual psychic abilities or gifts in fact possess such powers?
Edgar Cayce?

It can't be proved that they did. At least not yet.

Have ''New Age'' religions become a big thing?

Terrifyingly so.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by combatmedic

I'd go for the 1960s.

Incense and peppermints anyone?

[Anders]

Has anyone referenced the split in 1997, when the universe changed from a state where "Han shot first" to a state where "Greedo shot first"? Yes, there are still reality shards lying around - especially on the Internet - but that's to be expected.