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Introduction

Having my beliefs and, in Quebec, being deprived of the means to debate the issue, I find no better than ChatGPT to exchange and expose the most refined opposition regarding the possibility of a spiritual influence on people, more particularly in Gilles de la Tourette syndrome.

Questions to ask ChatGPT

​Ask ChatGPT:

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Question 1: According to your sources, has anyone historically suggested that Tourette syndrome could be the result of a spirit taking control of a person?


Question 2: According to your sources, is there concrete evidence demonstrating beyond a doubt that the spirit hypothesis is unfounded, unreliable, and that the currently most popular scientific theory, which explains Tourette syndrome by neurological factors, is the only theory based on fact?

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Question 3: ChatGPT, if I capture a ghost and bring it to you on a silver platter, would this be enough for you to stop explaining Tourette's syndrome as anything but spirit intervention?

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ChatGPT:

"If you did pull off the ghost-on-a-silver-platter scenario and it held up scientifically… well, you wouldn’t just change Tourette’s theory — you’d rewrite human history, shake physics to its core, and probably win about six Nobel Prizes in a row."​​​​​​

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Analysing the Results

While ChatGPT is an impressive tool in many respects, it tends to reflect a particular worldview—neither explicitly secular nor religious, but rather one grounded in non-belief. This becomes evident when it addresses topics involving spiritual or metaphysical beliefs.

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Many cultures have long believed in the influence of spirits or unseen forces in daily life. These beliefs often extend to health and illness, including conditions like Tourette’s syndrome. However, ChatGPT consistently frames such conditions within the boundaries of modern science, which typically excludes spiritual dimensions.

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For example, responses from ChatGPT often include language such as:

  • "Tourette’s is recognized as a neurological condition.”
    The word “recognized” implies a universally accepted scientific fact,     leaving little room for alternative perspectives.

  • “Some people interpreted its symptoms as signs of spirit possession or spiritual interference.”
    The past tense “interpreted” suggests that such views are outdated or no longer relevant, effectively erasing the lived experiences of people who still hold these beliefs today.

  • “In some cultures, it was tied to beliefs about spirit possession, ancestral communication, or even curses.”
    Again, the use of “was” positions these beliefs as relics of the past, not valid or present-day interpretations.

  • “Modern medicine understands Tourette’s as a neurodevelopmental disorder.”
    The term “understands” implies a conclusive, perhaps superior knowledge, rather than one interpretation among many.

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These phrases—scattered throughout ChatGPT's responses—can come across as dismissive, even if unintentionally. They reflect a broader tendency in modern scientific discourse to marginalize or disregard spiritual frameworks, as if such worldviews are no longer relevant or meaningful.

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But the spiritual is not measurable by physical instruments. Just as we use microscopes to observe matter like neurons and molecules, spiritual phenomena may require different kinds of perception and understanding.

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Spirits don’t reside in matter, and their influence—particularly in matters of the soul or consciousness—cannot be fully grasped by analyzing the brain alone.

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In essence, the scientific lens, while valuable, is not the only lens through which human experience can or should be understood.

ChatGPT answers Question 3:

"If you somehow managed to capture a ghost and present it in a way that allowed for independent, repeatable, verifiable scientific testing, and if that testing showed that this ghost could directly and reliably cause Tourette-like tics in humans — then yes, the scientific explanation would have to change.

 

Science isn’t about defending the current theory at all costs — it’s about following the evidence wherever it leads. But for that shift to happen, three big things would need to occur: Proof the ghost exists — measurable by multiple independent labs using different instruments. Proof of causation — clear, repeatable evidence that the ghost directly triggers or stops TS symptoms in controlled experiments. Reproducibility — other researchers, anywhere in the world, could replicate the results. Until that level of proof exists, the neurological explanation remains the only one backed by solid, consistent evidence.

 

If you did pull off the ghost-on-a-silver-platter scenario and it held up scientifically… well, you wouldn’t just change Tourette’s theory — you’d rewrite human history, shake physics to its core, and probably win about six Nobel Prizes in a row."

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