Karl Reichenbach (1788-1869) I stumbled on this article about Reichenbach's Phenomena, and I swear to all things holy I thought Midichlorians!
So the basic rundown is that Reichenbach's Phenomena, or Odic Force, is supposed to be this measurable life force that exists in everything. Only certain special people can see it, and it presents somewhat like auras and qi, only, you know, totally different. Because it's a really scientific thing and not like those made up things.
We've discussed before how I have a hard time taking pseudoscience stuff seriously. I'm not demonstrably better with parapsychology (which this is, because of the whole 'no really, some special people can see this stuff').
And arguably I get the point in studying things like this, at least from back in the day when Reichenbach was doing it and until the 1920's. Science was Science! and it was all knew and Tesla was still alive and doing things the rest of us wouldn't be ready for in another fifty freaking years.
I think maybe that's my problem with some of this stuff. I'd have been all over it, a hundred years ago. But the sad thing about scientific process is that you can't just keep the bits you want. We can understand molecular biology but hang onto the comforting bits. Like the idea that we're all made of this same kind of energy and it permeates everything and...
Okay, disclaimer time. I know any number of people who believe things like this on a spiritual level, and there's something comforting about the scientific idea that we're all made of the dust of ancient stars and everything that's ever existed is made from the same thing. If you need me to validate your beliefs system we've got bigger problems than my skepticism. and I certainly hope that's not the case. If you do, I'll fake it as best I can, and you're absolutely welcome to believe whatever you'd like.
I just think sometimes we need to watch the shape our comfort blinders take. And pay attention to that 'blinders' part.
But what do I know, I write books about cat detectives and special witches (this one isn't coming for a couple months still).
So the basic rundown is that Reichenbach's Phenomena, or Odic Force, is supposed to be this measurable life force that exists in everything. Only certain special people can see it, and it presents somewhat like auras and qi, only, you know, totally different. Because it's a really scientific thing and not like those made up things.
We've discussed before how I have a hard time taking pseudoscience stuff seriously. I'm not demonstrably better with parapsychology (which this is, because of the whole 'no really, some special people can see this stuff').
And arguably I get the point in studying things like this, at least from back in the day when Reichenbach was doing it and until the 1920's. Science was Science! and it was all knew and Tesla was still alive and doing things the rest of us wouldn't be ready for in another fifty freaking years.
I think maybe that's my problem with some of this stuff. I'd have been all over it, a hundred years ago. But the sad thing about scientific process is that you can't just keep the bits you want. We can understand molecular biology but hang onto the comforting bits. Like the idea that we're all made of this same kind of energy and it permeates everything and...
Okay, disclaimer time. I know any number of people who believe things like this on a spiritual level, and there's something comforting about the scientific idea that we're all made of the dust of ancient stars and everything that's ever existed is made from the same thing. If you need me to validate your beliefs system we've got bigger problems than my skepticism. and I certainly hope that's not the case. If you do, I'll fake it as best I can, and you're absolutely welcome to believe whatever you'd like.
I just think sometimes we need to watch the shape our comfort blinders take. And pay attention to that 'blinders' part.
But what do I know, I write books about cat detectives and special witches (this one isn't coming for a couple months still).
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