VisionFromFeeling - General discussion thread

[bookitty]

Now, just out of curiosity, and not in an effort to slam Anita, but you mentioned something earlier that, during TAM, Anita tended to continually bring conversations back to her claims. Were you referring to when she was meeting people in general, or just at the time of her "demonstration"?

She wandered the hallways quite a bit and spoke to many people. During these conversations, she would always come back to her claim. This was not always initiated by her directly, although her handmade "woo" badge probably had a lot to do with it. Sometimes it was merely her answer to the common question "How did you hear about TAM?"

It was a bit frustrating. She would mention that she was a physics student but only in the context of her claim. Really too bad. At TAM, that would have been so much more impressive than her claim.

To be perfectly clear, she wasn't a pest about it. TAM is very social and the conversations started up naturally.

What a strange individual. Such is the nature of woosters, I suppose.

Exactly.

 

[desertgal]

This was not always initiated by her directly, although her handmade "woo" badge probably had a lot to do with it.

Homemade woo badge?

 

[bookitty]

Homemade woo badge?

She was wearing a pin-on badge that said something like "Anita Ikonen - Woo" in addition to her TAM badge. Which sounds really bad, except that it was presented more as a self-depreciating joke than any sort of braggadocio.

ETA: Although she has some problems, the girl really isn't all bad. Her main problem is that she has great difficulty dealing with people without some sort of prop, whether it be her claim or name-dropping some TAM luminary. But even with this social disorder she tries harder than anyone I've ever met. Without the right social tools, she fails and resorts to the childish tactics of attention-getting, exaggerating and flirting. She isn't lying when she says she's shy or that she feels betrayed because she thought someone was her friend.

 

[Daylightstar]

She was wearing a pin-on badge that said something like "Anita Ikonen - Woo" ...

To me this sounds like an attempted preemtive measure.

 

[desertgal]

She was wearing a pin-on badge that said something like "Anita Ikonen - Woo" in addition to her TAM badge. Which sounds really bad, except that it was presented more as a self-depreciating joke than any sort of braggadocio.

ETA: Although she has some problems, the girl really isn't all bad. Her main problem is that she has great difficulty dealing with people without some sort of prop, whether it be her claim or name-dropping some TAM luminary. But even with this social disorder she tries harder than anyone I've ever met. Without the right social tools, she fails and resorts to the childish tactics of attention-getting, exaggerating and flirting. She isn't lying when she says she's shy or that she feels betrayed because she thought someone was her friend.

I believe you. I've no doubt that there are some deep seated insecurity and social disorder issues at work in Anita. But, since she rebuffs all attempts to reason and logic with her, and alienates people with her overwhelming arrogance, getting through to her seems to be a futile endeavor. My own opinion is that the only person who could help her is a mental health professional...but only if she would be honest with him/her. Since that is doubtful (although who knows-anything is possible), sad to say, she's a lost cause.

 

[bookitty]

I believe you. I've no doubt that there are some deep seated insecurity and social disorder issues at work in Anita. But, since she rebuffs all attempts to reason and logic with her, and alienates people with her overwhelming arrogance, getting through to her seems to be a futile endeavor. My own opinion is that the only person who could help her is a mental health professional...but only if she would be honest with him/her. Since that is doubtful (although who knows-anything is possible), sad to say, she's a lost cause.

Yes, I agree, she does need therapy. I've seen her at her best and her worst. In both cases, she almost instinctively does whatever it takes to drive people away from her.

This isn't any rare disorder, many people have it to some degree. The only cure is to grow up enough to want to change. I wish I could say that Anita's good twin was ready for that but I have seen no evidence of it.

 

[wardenclyffe]

I hate to link to her website, but these links are funny/informative. First, the funny. She just added what appears to be a poem in a box on this page: http://www.visionfromfeeling.com/paranormalclaim.html

Informative. At the bottom of this page: http://www.visionfromfeeling.com/tests.html, she attempts to respond to some posts here. Most of it's nonsense, but she attacks Akhenaten with accusations of being nosy and wrong for speculating on the status of her student visa.

She responds to some stuff that I have posted, but she does not call me nosy (which I am), nor wrong (which I'm probably not) about speculating that her next test will take place in Sweden or Finland.

That's what I find informative---by omission.

Ward

 

[Rougarou]

my bolding
That would be quite an understatement. In my opinion ofcourse.

No doubt.

Yes, I agree, she does need therapy. I've seen her at her best and her worst. In both cases, she almost instinctively does whatever it takes to drive people away from her.

This isn't any rare disorder, many people have it to some degree. The only cure is to grow up enough to want to change. I wish I could say that Anita's good twin was ready for that but I have seen no evidence of it.

(bolding mine)

Not knowing Anita, I suspect the bolded part is more the case than any need for psychiatric help, as it probably is with a lot of people who seek attention here or elsewhere.

 

[Akhenaten]

Jeebus wept.

I've just read the page dealing with the upcoming gender test and if nothing else, it's allayed any remaining concerns that I may have had that she's attempting any kind of scam.

That ever-increasing mass of gibberish leaves very little doubt that she's utterly looney tunes.

I am investigating this experience and wish to define its capabilities, which I now can almost safely assume to lie somewhere in the region between full falsification, and full verification - in the region where things are interesting, but not impressive or extreme.

A double degree in Physics and Chemistry? She shouldn't have been allowed to graduate from elementary school.

 

[zooterkin]

Informative. At the bottom of this page: http://www.visionfromfeeling.com/tests.html, she attempts to respond to some posts here.

From that page:

My money comes from working at a nursing home as a practical nurse.

Who else do we know who does that? OMG!! Anita is mayday...

 

[Akhenaten]

Yes, I agree, she does need therapy. I've seen her at her best and her worst. In both cases, she almost instinctively does whatever it takes to drive people away from her.

This isn't any rare disorder, many people have it to some degree. The only cure is to grow up enough to want to change. I wish I could say that Anita's good twin was ready for that but I have seen no evidence of it.

(bolding mine)

Not knowing Anita, I suspect the bolded part is more the case than any need for psychiatric help, as it probably is with a lot of people who seek attention here or elsewhere.

True enough. She definitey needs to grow up, but she's not some dizzy teenager - she's (I think) 30 - so she's about as likely to suddenly get some maturity about herself as I am.

ie. Not.

 

[Akhenaten]

Informative. At the bottom of this page: http://www.visionfromfeeling.com/tests.html, she attempts to respond to some posts here.

From that page:

My money comes from working at a nursing home as a practical nurse.

Who else do we know who does that? OMG!! Anita is mayday...

​

"I've been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again, at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you I was but the learner. Now I am the master"​

 

[Akhenaten]

From that page:

My money comes from working at a nursing home as a practical nurse.

How many students, in the history of the US, have funded a four year degree course + living expenses + flying around the countryside to IIG meetings, TAM, etcetera, by working an unskilled Summer job in Sweden?

If the answer is, "Sure, it happens all the time." then could someone in the US please send me an application form?

 

[Maia]

Well, being an LPN is NOT an unskilled job at all, to be fair. I honestly don't know exactly what kind of training you need in Sweden, though. (But I do have a hard time believing that it would actually be LESS than in Tennessee. Was she an LPN in the U.S. or in Sweden?) A nursing home/LTC is a good example of exactly where an LPN would work, because they do not use RN's except for DON and ADON positions. However, all that being said, it's far from the highest paying job in the world and I don't see how she could have funded anything lavish with it.

 

[Akhenaten]

She responds to some stuff that I have posted, but she does not call me nosy (which I am), nor wrong (which I'm probably not) about speculating that her next test will take place in Sweden or Finland.

That's what I find informative---by omission.

Ward

I reckon you're right, Ward.

I for one have learned to trust your mad detective skillz.

 

[Akhenaten]

Well, being an LPN is NOT an unskilled job at all, to be fair. I honestly don't know exactly what kind of training you need in Sweden, though. (But I do have a hard time believing that it would actually be LESS than in Tennessee. Was she an LPN in the U.S. or in Sweden?) A nursing home/LTC is a good example of exactly where an LPN would work, because they do not use RN's except for DON and ADON positions. However, all that being said, it's far from the highest paying job in the world and I don't see how she could have funded anything lavish with it.

Sorry, Maia (and LPNs everywhere). I should have chosen my words more carefully.

I didn't mean to say that being a LPN was an unskilled job, rather that Ikonen has had little training and received no formal qualifications for the job. It's just a part-time thing she claims to have done at some stage a few years ago, after she gave up her career as a touring lecturer in breatharianism and before starting as a full-time Nobel laureate university student.

 

[Uncayimmy]

Well, being an LPN is NOT an unskilled job at all, to be fair. I honestly don't know exactly what kind of training you need in Sweden, though. (But I do have a hard time believing that it would actually be LESS than in Tennessee. Was she an LPN in the U.S. or in Sweden?) A nursing home/LTC is a good example of exactly where an LPN would work, because they do not use RN's except for DON and ADON positions. However, all that being said, it's far from the highest paying job in the world and I don't see how she could have funded anything lavish with it.

I figure this is as good a time as any to dip my toes back in the water...

Anita did not say she was a licensed practical nurse. What she said was:

http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=5849263#post5849263
I worked in a nursing home and I was just a practical nurse and had no education for health care other than the various courses given by our employer.

LPNs in the USA require specific education from an accredited institution and (obviously) licensing. What she describes sounds more like a nurse's assistant. Maybe it was in Sweden. Who knows?

For those who may not know, I have updated www.StopVisionFromFeeling.com

* The Tests has been expanded to show her many failures.
* Added a new page outlining the sordid history of the Missing Kidney Claim as being nothing more than a grab for attention.
* Wrote a couple of blogs about the JREF demonstration and her history of dealing with people who cross her.
* Pinned several threads in the discussion forum so that visitors know which ones are most worth reading given a limited amount of time.
* Updated and expanded the FAQ.

 

[wardenclyffe]

I reckon you're right, Ward.

I for one have learned to trust your mad detective skillz.

No detective skills needed. She's got a big mouth. It doesn't take much research when she tells you exactly what she's doing.

Ward

 

[wardenclyffe]

I figure this is as good a time as any to dip my toes back in the water...

Anita did not say she was a licensed practical nurse. What she said was:



LPNs in the USA require specific education from an accredited institution and (obviously) licensing. What she describes sounds more like a nurse's assistant. Maybe it was in Sweden. Who knows?

For those who may not know, I have updated www.StopVisionFromFeeling.com

* The Tests has been expanded to show her many failures.
* Added a new page outlining the sordid history of the Missing Kidney Claim as being nothing more than a grab for attention.
* Wrote a couple of blogs about the JREF demonstration and her history of dealing with people who cross her.
* Pinned several threads in the discussion forum so that visitors know which ones are most worth reading given a limited amount of time.
* Updated and expanded the FAQ.

Welcome back and be careful.

Ward

 

[LightinDarkness]

So I am curious: If one lives in a state where higher education is nearly (or close to it) "free" (paid for through taxes, I know, but its irrelevant to the point) - why would you choose to come to the United States to attend a university instead where you have to pay for everything and have to work during the summer as a "practical nurse" back home to do it?

There are only a few reasons that come to mind which make sense.. The first is that your going to the best school you can get into, and its better than what you can get into at your home country. But this doesn't make any sense for Anita because sweden has lots of very well respected universities and does some of the top research in the world. I can see though, perhaps going to a Stanford, Harvard, or Yale in the US over a Swedish University - maybe just for the experience. But why, instead, forgo the free education to attend what is in all honestly a mediocre school that is only regionally known, and doesn't rank well in any of your majors? Its a Tier 3 school overall, and the only programs it has that rank at all nationally are not science (public affairs & education).

Note that I'm not saying there is anything wrong with UNCC: Its a good school for people in the region, and for people born in the region, I don't see why you wouldn't go there if you couldn't get into some place better. But when the option is paying a lot of money for a "mediocre" school with no international recognition versus a free education back home, where even the "mediocre" universities are better than UNCC - why in the world would anyone do this?

I ask these questions because I think they might provide some insight into her thought process and the woo she promotes. I am not critiquing her personal life choices - shes free to do whatever she wants.