ATS members afterlife experiment

I saw someone post in regards to a recent ATS members death and since most of us here at ATS are interested or curious of the unknown, it got me thinking about creating a controlled experiment involving us members and the after life.

We are all going to face this journey sooner or later, so if you are interested in performing this experiment lets try to see if we can come up with as scientific as possible controlled type of parameters to ensure validity of the communications.

Of course this is all assuming its possible, afterlife exist, etc ..... , but nothing to lose if it doesn't work.

Here is a documentary if you haven't seen it yet that tries to use scientific controlled experiments to communicate with those that have died. The Scole Experiment: www.youtube.com...


1. If you are interested in trying to make contact with someone here or the via the forum once you die post your willingness to try.

2. What are your parameters to avoid deception (not deception in the form of the evil spirits but hoax) and confirm the results.

I would give it a try.

My controlled experiment:

1. Maybe one test parameter can involve storing some information under my id that only the owners of ATS can view. If I die and come back I would provide that personal information on this site or via some other method and only the site owner would validate it.

2. Second test once the ATS site owners validates my personal information I will provide them personal information and contact information of someone I knew while I was alive and that is aware of this afterlife test case. They would be able to further confirm my identity or provide further verification.

reply to post by interupt42


reply to post by interupt42


There is a book by Deborah Blum you should read. It's called Ghost Hunters: William James and the Search for Scientific Proof of Life After Death. In it, the author describes this same experiment....and it's amazing results. Great book.


One thought, though. Since we are anonymous, how are we going to know who to make contact with?

reply to post by smyleegrl


Thanks for the book recommendation! I just looked it up on Amazon and am going to purchase it.

As for the experiment mentioned by the OP, I hope that by the time I'm dead I have long forgotten about this thread.

I actually already made contact with one of the members here who passed away recently.

I went to a psychic in Connecticut. She was pretty good. During the session she said to me that a man was stepping forward and she kept saying "JSSSS JSSSS what is this JSSSS .. is it even a name? .. someone you know but haven't met" ...

It had to be JSO from here ... it was just a little while after he died.
I hadn't told her anything about him. But it seems he came through.

I got a message from him. (And it sounded just like him.)
Which I'll keep to myself

(I miss him!)

Originally posted by FlyersFan
I actually already made contact with one of the members here who passed away recently.

Apparently, Harry Houdini made a pact with his mother that who ever died first, would come back and try to make contact.

After his mother died, Houdini spent the rest of his life vising mediums. Every one was a fake (he knew the tricks).

Houdini and the Supernatural

On the other hand, some may well be genuine, as your experience suggests.

The above article does state that Houdini's wife confirmed a secret code, received by a medium after her husband's death, as indeed the code agreed between her and her Houdini to prove he had made contact.

Originally posted by FlyersFan
I actually already made contact with one of the members here who passed away recently.

I went to a psychic in Connecticut. She was pretty good. During the session she said to me that a man was stepping forward and she kept saying "JSSSS JSSSS what is this JSSSS .. is it even a name? .. someone you know but haven't met" ...

It had to be JSO from here ... it was just a little while after he died.
I hadn't told her anything about him. But it seems he came through.

I got a message from him. (And it sounded just like him.)
Which I'll keep to myself

(I miss him!)

I'm sorry you lost your friend.

I'm sure I speak for many when I say that we'd love to hear what message you got and how you feel certain that it was him. If it was really private, I understand... maybe could you give the gist of it or anything so we can understand better? (Did he repeat a conversation you had? Mention a name? Call you by a private nickname? An in-joke? A significant number? The color of your favorite socks??)

I don't mean to be nosy, but surely you know that you can't just throw out a statement like "I got a message from a dead ATS member" and keep all the details to yourself.

I dunno. If I wanted to do an experiment like this, why would I do it with ATS? Here are faceless people i will never meet who don't care one way or another whether I am alive or dead. Instituting strict scientific controls would be difficult. Even if you had what you deemed to be a success half the people here would dismiss it, if not troll the whole idea. The threads here come and go. They disappear and no one remembers what was said six months ago. It's an impermanent medium whose archives and even its very existence are at the whim of the owners. It's not really a very good venue for the experiment itself.

However, it may be an excellent venue for hammering out the details of what a solid experiment would be. I could see OP and others developing the "ATS Protocol on Afterlife experiments" that could be portable and used in several different venues. Makes a lot more sense to me.

I had an agreement with my Mother similiar to Houdini's. I asked her to contact me, just not scare the hell out of me. It's been almost 25 years since she passed away. She never called--that I heard, anyway.

reply to post by VegHead


I've been to three different medium/psychics .. one time each.
One was exceptionally good. One was good. And one was a 'cold reading' .. fake and forced.

This medium/psychic was 'good' and said a lot of things that were dead on for me. Things that were not 'cold reading'. In the middle of the reading JSO showed up. I hadn't said a word about him and she never asked about if I wanted to contact anyone 'on the other side'. He just showed up. She was discussing other things and then said that a man was there who had recently passed away .... that I hadn't ever met him but I knew him .... and she kept saying "JSS ... JSS ... JSS .. is this even a name?" (JSOBECKY .. his nickname from me to him was JSO .. I knew him from here but never met him). The message he gave me through her was dead on him. No way was she 'cold reading'. It wasn't generic. But no, VegHead, what he said I'm keeping private.

ETA .. I'll tell you this much, the message described what he did HERE (and maybe everywhere .. I don't know) and then told me something that he wanted me to do. What the message said about what he did HERE (and was dead on .. not generic ... not cold reading. The psychic knew NOTHING of here or of him or what he did here ....

Interesting replies and posts, and thanks for the book tip, it's going on my kindle as we speak

As for psychics in general - this is just my $0.02, but if one GOES TO a psychic, can we not assume that the one who goes to a psychic *already believes* that psychics are "real", otherwise they wouldn't even go to one in the first place?

And if people go to a psychic convinced that they are genuine and real, there is already a BIAS towards believing them..... just saying...

reply to post by interupt42


Double post...two hours later.

Maybe it's a sign.....

Evidence of the afterlife (the survival of death) can only be considered evidential if:

1) The information is only known to the spirit communicator and the sitter (in this case the poster).

2) The information is [u[only known to the spirit communicator and is not known to the sitter (in this case the poster) but is later verified by the sitter (poster) as accurate.

If anyone gives information to any other party than the two (earth and ethereal), then the evidence cannot meet the test of validity.

Sorry.

Survival Of Death and the Afterlife

Originally posted by schuyler
Instituting strict scientific controls would be difficult. Even if you had what you deemed to be a success half the people here would dismiss it, if not troll the whole idea. The threads here come and go. They disappear and no one remembers what was said six months ago. It's an impermanent medium whose archives and even its very existence are at the whim of the owners. It's not really a very good venue for the experiment itself.

Agree but perhaps a meaningful discussion re: the realities of the afterlife will ensue.

I had an agreement with my Mother similiar to Houdini's. I asked her to contact me, just not scare the hell out of me. It's been almost 25 years since she passed away. She never called--that I heard, anyway.

Maybe she did and you missed the cue?

Nope.nope, nope.... I'm not dying to participate in this experiment.

Originally posted by ollncasino

Apparently, Harry Houdini made a pact with his mother that who ever died first, would come back and try to make contact. After his mother died, Houdini spent the rest of his life vising mediums. Every one was a fake (he knew the tricks).

Magicians with failing and disappearing careers (like Houdini, Randi, ad nauseum.) often made the necessary transition to celebrity debunker, - attacking physical mediums, mental mediums and psychics - because they assumed they, like themselves, must be frauds. Their research quality was abysmal and they were fully aware that their previous celebrity status would enjoin them the popular yet illucid populace who were clueless as to how to properly vet a medium or psychic.

Houdini and the Supernatural

The above article does state that Houdini's wife confirmed a secret code, received by a medium after her husband's death, as indeed the code agreed between her and her Houdini to prove he had made contact.

Houdini The Three Messages

Proof of the survival of death (afterlife) is evidential only if one of two conditions are met.

1) The sitter receives information (unknown to the medium) that only the "deceased" spirit (discarnate) and the sitter would know.

2) The sitter receives information (unknown to the medium) that only the "deceased" spirit (discarnate) and the sitter does not know but later verifies as accurate.

"Not long after his death, the “Houdini Séances” began with Bess Houdini offering $10,000 to anyone who could help contact her husband. In 1928, a man named Arthur Ford announced that he had received a message from Houdini himself. After reviewing the message, Bess Houdini validated the message as one that indeed used the code shared between her and her husband."

I sure bet Mr. Houdini was real darned surprised when he plopped into the afterlife!

Originally posted by MUness

Originally posted by schuyler
Instituting strict scientific controls would be difficult. Even if you had what you deemed to be a success half the people here would dismiss it, if not troll the whole idea. The threads here come and go. They disappear and no one remembers what was said six months ago. It's an impermanent medium whose archives and even its very existence are at the whim of the owners. It's not really a very good venue for the experiment itself.

Agree but perhaps a meaningful discussion re: the realities of the afterlife will ensue.

Well, we've had many such discussions here. Indeed, it comes up on a weekly basis with all the usual suspects, pro and con. I think the idea would be tokeep the discussion focused on a proper protocol and not get into whether it is true or not. If it reverts to that, we'll never get anywhere.

Maybe she did and you missed the cue?

Which is why I said, "that I heard, anyway."

I sure bet Mr. Houdini was real darned surprised when he plopped into the afterlife!

You know, that is one of my fondest desires, to be there when a skeptic shows up and realizes he was wrong all along. I know that it probably speaks ill of my character to want to say, "I told you so!" to one of these insufferable prigs, but it would be so much fun!

Originally posted by schuyler

You know, that is one of my fondest desires, to be there when a skeptic shows up and realizes he was wrong all along. I know that it probably speaks ill of my character to want to say, "I told you so!" to one of these insufferable prigs, but it would be so much fun!

Perhaps we will be rescue team members, Mr. Dog, as I could conjure no greater joy than that, sir!

Btw, in ways we are kindred "spirits".

MU!! Goes To The Mat For Mr. Dog

FYI

Image of Bess Houdini's Letter...



Breaking Down The Houdini Afterlife Evidence

Essays On Houdini Experiment Including Complex Coding System

Originally posted by rickymouse
Nope.nope, nope.... I'm not dying to participate in this experiment.

Oh come on, it's for a good cause.

Originally posted by flexy123

As for psychics in general - this is just my $0.02, but if one GOES TO a psychic, can we not assume that the one who goes to a psychic *already believes* that psychics are "real", otherwise they wouldn't even go to one in the first place?

No.

And if people go to a psychic convinced that they are genuine and real, there is already a BIAS towards believing them.

Yes.

reply to post by MUness


Did Houdinis wife pay up?
Second line.