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Uncanny (BBC Programme / Podcast)

MorningAngel said:
What are your thoughts? I always get annoyed with skeptics who only explain some of it away and don’t bother with the stuff that doesn’t fit their ideas.
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Do you think that's what Robins is doing?

As I've literally only just posted elsewhere:

Robins' style reminds me a little of Will Storr's in the excellent, Will Storr vs. the Supernatural. Both are happy to entertain other theories, but neither automatically falls back on them - for me, that is the perfect balance. I binged on ghost story podcasts for a while, but very quickly became frustrated with the complete lack of enquiry that tends to accompany them. I mean, I like to hear the stories - and some of them really do stand alone as memorable tales - but, for me, without enquiry most lack any sort of depth, and the repetition of the same box-ticking motifs and memes can become depressingly tiresome. I'm not a hardened sceptic, but I think its reasonable to apply a little balance - I believe in elephants, but if you tell me that you've got one in your handbag then I reserve the right to go into the subject a little deeper. I kind of feel that's how Robins (and Storr) approach the issue.
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Although the broadcast does discuss alternative explanations I don't at all get the sense that Robins automatically assumes these to be the reason for the experiences. Not at all, in fact; as with his Haunted podcast, every alternative explanation seems itself to get qualified with a great big 'but' - and the story and its teller almost always get his last word.

(It's also worth pointing out that one of the pundits in episode one is from the religious community - his take is decidedly non-scientific, and he offers a spiritual viewpoint which does not in itself really undermine the veracity of the tale or its teller.)
 
MorningAngel said:
What are your thoughts? I always get annoyed with skeptics who only explain some of it away and don’t bother with the stuff that doesn’t fit their ideas.
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Spookdaddy said:
Do you think that's what Robins is doing?

As I've literally only just posted elsewhere:



Although the broadcast does discuss alternative explanations I don't at all get the sense that Robins automatically assumes these to be the reason for the experiences. Not at all, in fact; as with his Haunted podcast, every alternative explanation seems itself to get qualified with a great big 'but' - and the story and its teller almost always get his last word.

(It's also worth pointing out that one of the pundits in episode one is from the religious community - his take is decidedly non-scientific, and he offers a spiritual viewpoint which does not in itself really undermine the veracity of the tale or its teller.)
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Early days yet. Not sure why you'd have a parapsychologist on as they are as useless as tits on a bull. Anyone with a decent interest could come up with the same theories, although she usefully explained hallucinations. The religious bloke was a bit useless too and all over the place and tried to not sound like a religious crackpot.

He wasn't that convinced about hell, was he? Apart from explaining it to us plebs.

Very, very, good account though.

Not sure where it's going to go. The parapsychologist has as already mentioned infrasound, so she's not going to have much else to provide after that. Mental illness? And the usual stuff skeptics come up with.

Religious bloke already sounds like something from another universe. Particularly with new ideas of non-hierarchal society prehistoric societies, which I've been listening to on the Dan Snow, (yes painful but sometimes brilliant), podcast.

You do wonder if this will be the end of Christianity with Covid.

Great first episode though.
 
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Spookdaddy said:
Do you think that's what Robins is doing?

As I've literally only just posted elsewhere:



Although the broadcast does discuss alternative explanations I don't at all get the sense that Robins automatically assumes these to be the reason for the experiences. Not at all, in fact; as with his Haunted podcast, every alternative explanation seems itself to get qualified with a great big 'but' - and the story and its teller almost always get his last word.

(It's also worth pointing out that one of the pundits in episode one is from the religious community - his take is decidedly non-scientific, and he offers a spiritual viewpoint which does not in itself really undermine the veracity of the tale or its teller.)
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Well she said it could be infrasound but that doesn’t explain how that moves cutlery or make two people have dreams that interconnect.

Also she said there could have been someone coming up in the lift to his floor but he opened the door while the banging was going on.
 
MorningAngel said:
Well she said it could be infrasound but that doesn’t explain how that moves cutlery or make two people have dreams that interconnect.

Also she said there could have been someone coming up in the lift to his floor but he opened the door while the banging was going on.
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You appear to be damning the programme based on individual aspects of its content, rather than its general character. Certainly, differing viewpoints from different sources are included (it's not Robins who proposes the infrasound explanation, but one of his pundits) and although some of those sources can be described as sceptical Robins himself refrains from treating the explanations offered as anything like definitive - and this seems to be the ethos behind his output in general.

I've listened to all the Danny Robins stuff I can find - the older podcast and the Battersea poltergeist series, as well as this first episode of the new series. He clearly seeks to provide a platform for the exploration of alternative explanations, but I've never once heard him claim them as the definitive truth. In fact my impression is that however rational and/or interesting they are, Robins' attitude is that these explanations, even the less woolly ones, never really satisfy - and there's a sense that the last word always remains with the storyteller. If anything, the unsatisfactory or partial nature of the alternative scenarios offered just helps to make the stories themselves more powerful.
 
Spookdaddy said:
You appear to be damning the programme based on individual aspects of its content, rather than its general character. Certainly, differing viewpoints from different sources are included (it's not Robins who proposes the infrasound explanation, but one of his pundits) and although some of those sources can be described as sceptical Robins himself refrains from treating the explanations offered as anything like definitive - and this seems to be the ethos behind his output in general.

I've listened to all the Danny Robins stuff I can find - the older podcast and the Battersea poltergeist series, as well as this first episode of the new series. He clearly seeks to provide a platform for the exploration of alternative explanations, but I've never once heard him claim them as the definitive truth. In fact my impression is that however rational and/or interesting they are, Robins' attitude is that these explanations, even the less woolly ones, never really satisfy - and there's a sense that the last word always remains with the storyteller. If anything, the unsatisfactory or partial nature of the alternative scenarios offered just helps to make the stories themselves more powerful.
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I’m not damming the programme, that was good. I’m saying that the sceptic angle isn’t taking every part of the experience in when trying to explain what’s happened.
 
MorningAngel said:
I’m not damming the programme, that was good. I’m saying that the sceptic angle isn’t taking every part of the experience in when trying to explain what’s happened.
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Yep, it's rare that alternative explanations cover absolutely all the bases when it comes to talking away an experience.

That said, I'm kind of fascinated by infrasound and its possible effects - as well as other environmental factors. However, I've never bought into the binary, either/or approach. It seems to me that if you look at the possibility of things like this being triggers, rather than explanations - part of the process of an event, rather than the solution to that event - then a whole other world opens up.
 
Spookdaddy said:
Yep, it's rare that alternative explanations cover absolutely all the bases when it comes to talking away an experience.

That said, I'm kind of fascinated by infrasound and its possible effects - as well as other environmental factors. However, I've never bought into the binary, either/or approach. It seems to me that if you look at the possibility of things like this being triggers, rather than explanations - part of the process of an event, rather than the solution to that event - then a whole other world opens up.
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I remember one time of Ghost Hunter (I liked their level headed approach) they fixed one haunting by sorting out a fan motor that was faulty. Them being plumbers did help a lot, with simple things.

If it’s just a horrible feeling than infrasound could well be the culprit but not if there are other physically elements.
 
Just got to this. Will need to listen again to get it all. Which will have to wait until my flesh stops crawling!
 
lordmongrove said:
Hate that its the BBC but its free so they won't be getting any of my money. Really like the show though.
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You don't like the Beeb...? Be interested to know your thoughts on this (I have grown more and more disillusioned with them over the years but enjoy the R4 Comedy and some documentaries).
 
I meant to flag this up, but obviously beaten to it but there's "Slime: A Natural History" by Susan Wedlich, at 09:45 and 00:30 on Radio 4. Five episodes all this week (w/b 25 Oct). The first one was the "The Cosmic Horror of Slime" which was largely about HP Lovecraft, via The Blob, Ghostbusters, and Alien (and sequels). It's only 15 minutes, but worth a listen. (BTW I knew HPL had some appalling attitudes, but not quite how bad).
 
gordonrutter said:
And none of that is what this thread is about so if we stick to on topic discussions please. Thank you.
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Try here for general BBC discussion:
https://forums.forteana.org/index.php?threads/whats-up-at-the-bbc.40783

Or here for issues about the legality of the Licence Fee:

https://forums.forteana.org/index.p...ng-the-stated-facts-in-black-and-white.60694/

But please let's avoid politics as far as possible. We're aware that these topics are politics-adjacent, but we're not going to host rants about how the marxist/fascists are taking over.
 
Episode 2 is a classic poltergeist case, not sure if we needed the explanation of the polt being the ghost from centuries before when there are polts that appear with no such background. But the hanging was really horrible, she had a lucky escape.

Good news that Episode 1 generated such great feedback, with a lot more information, can't wait to hear what they say in a few weeks' time!
 
Naughty_Felid said:
Very, very, good account though.

Not sure where it's going to go. The parapsychologist has as already mentioned infrasound, so she's not going to have much else to provide after that. Mental illness? And the usual stuff skeptics come up with.
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That's what stood out to me. The 'expert' contributions were pretty standard and not particularly interesting, however the bloke who shared his tale seemed genuine and quite thorough. I honestly don't know how he didn't crap his pants when it was all going on... perhaps he left that part out!

What actually struck me was that on more than one occasion Danny Robins declared this series would be the largest paranormal investigation of its kind of something like that. Now I know we're only one episode in, but I'll eat my hat if it turns out to be as grand an investigation as he's claiming at the outset.

Nevertheless I'm looking forward to episode 2.
 
GNC said:
Episode 2 is a classic poltergeist case, not sure if we needed the explanation of the polt being the ghost from centuries before when there are polts that appear with no such background. But the hanging was really horrible, she had a lucky escape.

Good news that Episode 1 generated such great feedback, with a lot more information, can't wait to hear what they say in a few weeks' time!
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I think the historic connection was important because of the hanging and it’s location.

This was really interesting. Once again I have issue with what the sceptic is coming up with. To say that woman just dreamed nearly killing herself. Still I have heard him come up with explanations in the past even more fanciful than the dead coming back to haunt us.

It was very interesting the dad hadn’t experienced anything.
 
I agree as regards the skeptic, very mundane 'explanations' and not nearly as engaging as the skeptic on the Batterea Poltergeist podcast. Listening to Part Two tonight and it will be dark and we are in for a stormy down evening here in West Cornwall... :oops:
 
WeirdExeter said:
I agree as regards the skeptic, very mundane 'explanations' and not nearly as engaging as the skeptic on the Batterea Poltergeist podcast. Listening to Part Two tonight and it will be dark and we are in for a stormy down evening here in West Cornwall... :oops:
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Good luck. I considered listening last night but I thought it was safer to listen this morning.
 
MorningAngel said:
I think the historic connection was important because of the hanging and it’s location.

This was really interesting. Once again I have issue with what the sceptic is coming up with. To say that woman just dreamed nearly killing herself. Still I have heard him come up with explanations in the past even more fanciful than the dead coming back to haunt us.

It was very interesting the dad hadn’t experienced anything.
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My problem with the connection to the past was there was a lot of "might have been" and "could have been" about it, which suggests speculation to me, not anything concrete.

The dad thought that if there was a presence there, it was benevolent! Absolutely bizarre, did he not notice the effect the house was having on his wife and stepdaughter?!
 
GNC said:
The dad thought that if there was a presence there, it was benevolent! Absolutely bizarre, did he not notice the effect the house was having on his wife and stepdaughter?!
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That says something about the family dynamic, and maybe the 'haunting' as well.

Although it was an interesting story, whenever I hear someone say something about "I felt a presence" or "I felt like I was being watched" I come over a bit James Randi.

Feelings someone has when alone are very difficult to examine scientifically, or even forteanally.
 
The second episode seemed weaker to me than the first, although the witness testimony was interesting - there wasn't really much in the way of intelligent analysis.

On the subject of feeling a presence, or feeling like you're being watched... I have experienced this at a haunted house I lived in many years ago, and it really is a powerful and very uncomfortable feeling, sometimes enough to force you out of a room, so any time someone describes that... I remember what it was like for me.
 
Just to clarify, I'm not saying that people are making up these feelings or that the feelings they do have are irrelevant to the investigation.

If it is stated that a figure/face was seen at the attic window staring down malevolently at someone we can investigate angles, what time of day, light, reflections etc. If it's just a feeling of being watched there is no way of investigating (well, other than the observers mental/emotional/physical state)

I say this while also holding my hand up to say that my most psychic experience, written about here, was all about what I felt.
 
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