MovieChat Forums > My Amityville Horror (2012) Discussion > Why do people easily discount this man's...

Why do people easily discount this man's story ?

posted 11 years ago by fifthquartile
19 replies | jump to latest

I am disturbed by people totally writing off this man's account. He obviously had some troubling experiences in that house. Some people are saying he was only 10 so how could he remember anything ? I can remember things from that age and younger and I am older than he is. Do you people that discount his story just deny the paranormal period ? I had a troubling experience when I was younger ( which I will never forget ) and I am not a liar or crazy. But when I tried to tell others about it they react by saying I was making it up or dreamed it. Even my best friend doubted me. You know how frustrating it is to have experienced something like that and no be able to talk about it without people ridiculing you ? And wouldn't it make a lot more sense since Danny hated his abusive father to be able to call him out as a total liar and fraud. Maybe part of Danny's problem is he has these experiences and no one believes him. So what is it ? Do all you people just discount everything supernatural or paranormal ?

[–] UpperEastSider 11 years ago

Well said.

Just watched this on Netflix and I completely agree.

Be the type of person you want to meet

[–] TheBeardedWonder 11 years ago

Equally as frustrating as EVERY believer saying 'it happened to me!' is supposed to be proof...

"What? Do you wanna just sit around and be wrong?" - Liz Lemon

[–] Libretio 11 years ago

Equally as frustrating as EVERY believer saying 'it happened to me!' is supposed to be proof...

Point out where the poster claims to provide proof. All he/she did was to say he/she had an experience that others ridicule whenever the poster talks about it. The fact that you leapt into things just to make a snarky comment (based on your assumption that all 'believers' are either fraudsters or fools) speaks volumes about where you're coming from.

The true skeptic at work: Sneer first, ask questions later...

[–] TheBeardedWonder 11 years ago

You seem to have trouble putting 2 and 2 together, so here, let me hold your hand through this. The OP makes a thread titled 'why does everyone discount this man's story?'. Then the OP tells a story about their own paranormal experience.

You honestly think the 2 are unrelated? Obviously this is them trying to say they believe his story because they have one as well. I love that you really thought he would say 'why doesn't anyone believe his story? here's my story.' and that they had nothing to do with each other.

You don't have to actually say things to say them, implication & inference are powerful tools my friend. I can say 'i'm glad I don't have someone with your critical thinking skills in my family tree.' I have implied that you're not intelligent without actually saying it...

"What? Do you wanna just sit around and be wrong?" - Liz Lemon

[–] Libretio 11 years ago

The OP makes a thread titled 'why does everyone discount this man's story?'. Then the OP tells a story about their own paranormal experience. You honestly think the 2 are unrelated?

All he did was mention that he had a vivid experience when he was younger - that was the extent of his 'story'. A story that makes him more inclined to believe similar claims from others. He's entitled to do that on these boards.

What YOU did was stamp all over him in a snotty manner for having the gall and temerity to offer an opinion different from your own, based on his personal experience! Was that experience genuine or not? Who knows? YOU certainly don't. But why bother with even a rudimentary enquiry, when it might get in the way of a juicy put-down? You didn't ask him to elaborate on his story, or to provide details of any kind - you just waded into him, all guns blazing. In other words, you felt duty-bound to give this man a verbal slapping because he couldn't support his anecdote with ABSOLUTE CAST-IRON IRREFUTABLE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE! On a public forum!! I mean, how dare he?! On the bright side, we should all be grateful you were able to put 2 and 2 together for anyone who happened to miss it...

This is NOT about the accuracy of his claims. This is about you being unnecessarily rude to someone for no other reason than you think he's a liar. You have no evidence he's a liar, of course, but you think your own belief system gives you the right to treat 'dissenters' with utter contempt.

Like I said, a true skeptic at work.

[–] King-Grim 11 years ago

Probably because ghosts don't exist.

I am part of a table.

[–] coex 11 years ago

but, really, do a little basic research into cognitive development and memory. what does the latest research say on this? that's right, it says that memory is a tricky thing and often completely wrong. I'm not saying you didn't have any troubling experiences that you can remember, I'm saying that everyone's memory is different, and that false memories can and do occur as a matter of development. AND, knowing some of the tricks of psychology, etc, one can induce false memories. this is all pretty basic stuff in psychology...

Danny's character, as seen in this film, is clearly troubled and not to be believed. he stated that he lived in the desert for some time (!), he lived on his own as young as 13 (?), had an abusive stepfather, and lived through some bizarre and very atypical events. these events were fictionalized, made into movies, tv specials, books, news articles and told back to Danny by school mates, tv hosts, and others for most of his life. Tell me, please, how none of that stuff had any effect on restructuring his memories!

I'm not saying nothing happened to him in that house, but let's be as clinical as we can here. remember that belief is the often the death of intelligent discourse. don't believe anything! none of us were there, none of us "know" Danny! and all of us have our own "beliefs" concerning this story before we even started watching this documentary. can any of us remain objective?

[–] chrismovieman 10 years ago

"it says that memory is a tricky thing and often completely wrong"

Absolutely, and thats true of adults as well as children. But just because our memories aren't perfect records of the events that occurred doesn't mean that they aren't REAL or that they don't contain factual information.

If this man was indeed making up the story for money or attention, it seems strange that he would wait ALL THIS TIME to finally talk about it and take advantage of the publicity associated with the famous "Amittyville Horror" case! It didn't seem like Danny was living a very affluent or wealthy life. Surely, if he was lying, it would have occurred to him to capitalize on this story sooner, right?

[–] Libretio 10 years ago

Debunkers love to assert that memory is a tricky thing and that we often get the details wrong, as if that somehow discredits every ghost sighting throughout history! It doesn't. It means that some people may have gotten some of the details wrong sometime. It cannot be argued that every recorded ghost sighting has been due to faulty memory or misfiring synapses. That would just be silly.

But such 'plausible' assertions are used as a kind of blanket explanation for a wide variety of ghostly encounters, because it makes it easier for hardline debunkers to dismiss such claims 'sight unseen'. After all, why bother investigating something when it can be explained away as the result of a mere brain-fart? Never mind that these assertions are just that - assertions - and no more or less credible than the ghost story itself unless reinforced by evidence. And by evidence, I mean real evidence, not merely: "It must have been a brain-fart because ghosts don't exist. So there."

Apparently, only skeptics are capable of cast-iron memory recall. Everyone else is too feeble-minded to know the difference. Not.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] girldonutz 10 years ago

King Grim... They do exist. Many "normal" folks have had paranormal experiences. However, because you have not, certainly doesn't mean that it doesn't happen-it merely just had not happen to you.
Not everyone is a fraud, a liar, an embelisher, not are they crazy. It's not necessary to be a "Doubting Thomas" only due to the fact they don't have "proof" or perhaps they do not choose to share it. I know the last thing on a person's mind is to run & grab a phone or video camera. It's shocking, frightening, & you feel as though your eyes are betraying you. I made the error of posting a video onto a paranormal site & everyone, save for a few, did everything in their power to attempt to debunk it. I had very little support.I do have some folks who truly understood the things I go through. I never asked to see weird *beep* but it does happen.
It's quite unfair to judge someone who is sharing something so personal with other people... But due to the posts here, I completely understand why he does not discuss his personal feelings with others about his connections and his gift (or curse) with others.
People will always judge and have their own opinions on this topic... Either because they cannot see for themselves or because disbelievers will attempt to discredit the individuals that DO have
special abilities. Open your mind to other possibilities-they are there.

[–] model101 10 years ago

No they don't exist.

The super natural does not exist. It just doesn't.

Simple as that.

[–] Libretio 10 years ago

No they don't exist. The super natural does not exist. It just doesn't. Simple as that.

Typical debunkery: I say it, therefore it's true.

[–] supadude2004 9 years ago

@girldonutz, your post has raised my interest. Any chance you could give an indication as to how I might watch your video, please?

@Libretio - excellent posts from you yet again. Hope to see you on the Paranormal Witness board soon! The die-hard sceptic always becomes a little rattled when one brings up the increasing CCTV evidence of Ghosts, just look for example at what professional sceptic, Professor Wiseman has had to concede about the Hampton Court Skeletor incidence, which he conveniently sidesteps in his earlier 'Paranormality' book (i.e., 'earlier' to his said comments, not to the incident itself, which occurred in 2003) !

@ the OP - Danny Lutz is indeed, ATEOTD, extremely believable. Notice how none of the sceptics to date are able to offer any 'tells' nor any evidence whatsoever of either inconsistency, anachronism, duplicity, deceit nor even an iota of the usual false statements which would normally accompany a 'made up' BS story. Either Mr. Lutz is a true genius or, on balance, it is far more likely than not, that he is actually telling the truth in this excellent documentary. That is the only reasonable conclusion one can draw from watching and re-watching this documentary, when seeking evidence of deception: it just isn't there.

-

Sandwiched between The Principle of Mediocrity & Rare Earth Theory, you should see The Fermi Paradox

[–] profbrane 9 years ago

My understanding is the Lutzes eventually admitted it was all made up. There is an article on Snopes.com that is worth reading.

"The truth behind The Amityville Horror was finally revealed when Butch DeFeo's lawyer, William Weber, admitted that he, along with the Lutzes, "created this horror story over many bottles of wine.""

[–] lupitag-11852 9 years ago

False. The Lutzes never admitted making it up, the only one who did so was DeFeo's lawyer, who had his own agenda. The Lutzes went to their graves maintaining their story.

[–] profbrane 9 years ago

I know some people just want to believe it's true.

[–] arkay 9 years ago

Yes, because the Supernatural and Paranormal don't exist.