[Robert]

I'm planning on a new feature to the website called Member Quests. I've wanted to do something like this for a while but haven't decided yet how to implement it. Probably as individual blogs for selected members to document there quests so others can respond. I'll probably use an extension to the forums, similar to the member's journal. Another option would be an independed tool that integrates with the forums or it could be completely separate and linked via the top level menu.

Anyway, "What is a quest?" you must be asking. Well, a quest is a real life adventure/journey that takes a member to the edge of science, and pehaps a little beyond, and back to report on his/her experience. The member would need to be officially signed up for this journey and give a written proposal for the intended quest. I've got to see and approve each quest. Otherwise, someone will do something crazy for their quest, like induce a near-death experience, or something crazy like that, and then someone is injured and ToeQuest gets sued, and no more ToeQuest.

Ok, "Why a quest?" you must be asking now. A quest is a way to explore areas of reality that are shunned by traditional science, in an attempt to find anomalies that need to be investigated further and explained. A quest could also provide evidence that a paranormal event is bogus. A quest can be fun, but may require some cost that us taken on by the quester.

The following are examples of possible quests:

1. Go to a psychic, have your future told to you, and report back to ToeQuest your experience, and weather the predicted events occur. You may visit the psychic multiple times.
2. Go to a seance and report your experience.
3. Visit a haunted house.
4. Have a past-life regression done.
5. Start a strict practice of meditation and let us know how it goes from week to week.
6. Go to some kind of para-scientific retreat where you learn how to astral project, remote view, or any number of odd things.
7. Infiltrate an alien abductee's support group and secretly record the session and report back to us.

These quests can range from the truly wacko to the possibly legitimate. Questers should be objective or even doubtful of the legitimacy of the quest.

Post your thoughts and quest suggestions here. Thanks!

[Guille]

I find this great. Maybe the best palce would be on the top menu. Anyway, I think the quests don't need to be of the kind of misterious always... I mean, they ould be normal experiences in which one has ntoiced something that most peopel don't after such kind of experience, and mention it, so that it is a sort of moral to the story.

[michellemfry]

I can't wait to see what TOE members will come up with. Keep us informed about the proposals, if you feel so inclined.

[Robert]

You're right. The quest don't need to be mysterious necessarily. But it should be adventurous and ongoing if possible. I'm thinking of a journal format where you describe your quest over a period of days/weeks/months. They type of quest will determine its length. You should describe your quest, why you want to do it, what you expect to discover, your preparations, and a narrative of your quest each step of the way. Let the anticipation build as the rest of the us vicariously live the experience through you. Tell about the people you meet, the setting, and your experience, and any anomalies you observe. How can the anomalies be scientifically explained and integrated into a Theory of Everything. Do the anomalies represent areas in need of more investigation? Others may choose the same quest and compare experiences.

[Guille]

I bet the one best experience, that all of we would love to see is one in which a phenomena where energy is either created or destroyed (etter the first, but I guess if one can happen the other too) is described to have happened. That would be the very very ultimate best quest.