Q&A: apparitions of the Virgin Mary — Mike is skeptical; Catholic Marian devotion (shrines, altars) seems pagan and non-biblical

Mike is highly skeptical of claimed Marian apparitions, citing the psychological ease with which people generate false experiences (illustrating with a ghost story planted in children's minds). He argues that Marian shrines and altars are pagan in character, began in the Middle Ages and continued, and that a real Mary appearance would more likely direct people back to Jesus. He acknowledges this is a topic that deserves more thorough research.