Explaining the Supernatural

"All supernatural events have a rational explanation."
-- Cilan, "A UFO for Elgyem!"

I have something to do today that is out of the ordinary, even "supernatural", in a manner of speaking. And that reminds me of this quote from an episode of the Pokémon anime that I've already explored on this blog, as indicated above. It has a few meanings and implications and meanings for me personally, for the real world, and for Pokémon itself as well. It also happens to be appropriate upon the approach to Halloween with its connotations, so there is no better time to address it.

For me and the real world, I still stand by the conclusion I made previously in the other post. I'm not quite inclined to conclusively accept the supernatural for something that can be explained more sensibly. However, I'll concede that I have my own feelings about things in this world that I don't understand, and when I have nothing to go by but those feelings, those things can be considered the supernatural explanation, in a way. That's something I'll accept until something better comes.

For the Pokémon world, with the Ghost, Psychic, and Dark types in this world, supernaturalism comes, well... naturally, as odd as it might be. The things that people think of in the real world as supernatural are present in the Pokémon world as something established. It would be easy - perhaps easier - to explain the supernatural sensibly by invoking Pokémon of any of these types, though the true explanation would depend on the details.

As for that thing that I had today, it involves something that is not really related to Pokémon, but I can approximate that thing with it. As indicated, supernatural things might involve the presence of ghosts, and a certain lore involving them might involve a certain ghostly hero akin to Ash and Pikachu, while some of the other ghosts are akin to other Pokémon, if not helpful allies. Those in the know should recognize this, and I'm one of those in the know.

While I can't say much more on that thing, I can still say a bit more on supernatural things in general to close. It may be hard to justify supernatural explanations in the real world and for myself, though such are always possible. On the other hand, there is an embedded element of supernaturalism in Pokémon that makes explanations with them particularly possible. That said, Cilan's take on explanations of the supernatural may just well be within reason - perhaps as far as reason will take things within the two worlds concerned.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 10/27/2018
Two years ago: Expecting Something Special