Abstract

This is a brief conceptual analysis of the limitations of scientific empiricism, which I have attempted to convey without relying too much on the scientific or philosophical jargon commonly used by experts—though I acknowledge the fact that ‘the truth’, as Oscar Wilde once said, ‘is rarely pure and never simple’. A while back, a psychic experiencer invited me to comment on his thesis concerning the reality of spiritual/psychic experiences. Through his lifelong, painstaking research, he sought scientific evidence—particularly from psychology, psychoanalysis, and cognitive neuroscience—to substantiate the reality of psychic phenomena. My attempt to respond is elaborated in this discussion note. Keywords: 'scientific' empiricism; faith; evidence; spirituality; psyche