Posted By Ashles on 28 Apr 2009 02:50 PM
One thing that has constantly baffled me about this 'claim' is the inherent assumption that there actually is anything to explain in the first place.
Anita has told some tales, all completely anecdotal, and not even backed up by another human being.
Yet she expects these to be taken at face value.
Her explanations have varied from 'paranormal ability' to 'Cold Reading' to 'Synesthesia'... but always there is an assumption that there is actually some performance above wishful thinking and chance.
But we have never seen this. Anita has failed every unofficial test given to her.
This pretty much follows the pattern of most paranormal claimants, doesn't it?
It's hard to imagine how she continues to believe there is anything requiring explanation.
As you say, "attention seeking behavior".
So the question becomes ever more relevant - Why are Anita's studies not concentrating on whether there is actually any ability in the first place?
Because she knows there isn't, and doesn't want to admit it, since she'll have to give up the attention she seeks?
The stories she tells describe a very powerful and flexible 'ability' that can be consciously used.
All she has to do is replicate an instance of what it can do most strongly and do so significantly above chance.
And yet now all her studies seem to be around vaguer and vaguer claims and feelings and general unfocused mucking around looking at people and guessing.
If the ability has been this weak all along it is hard to imagine how Anita ever got the impression in the first place that there was anything to actually 'investigate'.
Imagination is a powerful thing. For example, I can look at you, and envision a pumping human heart in my mind. I can imagine I hear blood flowing through veins, or imagine that stomach contents have a damp mossy smell-and even imagine that I smell it. I can, through the power of my imagination, attribute all those things to you personally-YOUR heart, YOUR blood, YOUR stomach. The fact that the imagination isn't going to hold up against reality isn't, I think, the point with Anita. As long as she can pretend to have this ability, and not actually verify that she doesn't with a proper test, she's going to. All part of her narcissism, and her scam.Yes, I think she is intentionally scamming, but I also think she deflects reality in favor of her fantasies. Her fantasies feed her narcissism-as long as she can keep feeding her narcissism, she doesn't have to face the reality of low self esteem. (I think we all acknowledge that narcissism is born of low self esteem and poor self image, rather than confidence and self assurance.)
So again it appears it isn't about actually investigating a perceived ability (as there does not seem to be anything to actually investigate) - it's just about attention-seeking behaviour.
Yep.
What amazes me is how powerfully the mind can reject logic and reason. It shouldn't amaze me, but it always does. Even the wishy washiest people can reject sound logic with staggering tenacity.
Which, with Anita, as Longtabber and you already pointed out, is how she can maintain a 4.0 GPA through rote study, and likely isn't absorbing much of what she reads/sees/hears. She certainly hasn't shown much evidence of having learned much, if anything, of proper scientific method in three years of college.