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There has apparently been a heavy demand for exorcisms recently, so Catholic Church leaders in the city of Genoa, Italy, never neglecting a potential market for approved superstition, have announced the creation of a taskforce of doctors and priests to determine whether the Devil is at work or real psychiatric help is needed. The taskforce, created by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, consists of a team of three priests, one psychiatrist, one psychologist and one neurologist. They'll now be working on cases that are brought to them — and folks,they're actually serious!
This committee will determine, in its profound wisdom, when there is a case of those pesky demons at work, and if they authenticate it (?) they'll call in an official exorcist, who will chant, throw holy water about, burn incense, "lay on hands," command the Devil to leave, and carry on as if all that did something to relieve the condition. But, admitted an official who wisely asked not to be named, some problems might actually be better cared for by a psychologist. How perceptive.
While the church does not often talk openly or freely about exorcisms, for whatever reason — which might be that some officials there just could be embarrassed? — Cardinal Bertone said the need for this action is there. He said, "It has become difficult to talk about Satan, but the signs of the devil are palpable."
Cardinal, get real, get a life, and wake up. We left all that mumbo-jumbo behind in the 14th century. Oh, I forgot. You're still back there.
Reader Martin Lürßen sheds some light on the thinking of Dr. Volkamer and his motivation to write books like the one described in commentaries here over the last two weeks.
Knowing this, things are much clearer to me now regarding Dr. Volkamer's abandonment of common sense and a proper scientific approach, as evidenced by his postulating of a new form of matter and a new/old/crackpot theory of sight. Anyone swept up into the arms of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the bearded guru who in 1957 founded the Transcendental Meditation (TM) movement, is almost invariably led away from common sense and becomes a sycophant; few find their way back out again. TM is a variant of Hinduism in which the follower is told he can attain a state of "bliss consciousness." This is a giggling, what-me-worry display that is favored by TMers to express the unqualified joy and ecstasy that they're immersed in, 24 hours a day. TM teaches the Maharishi's notion of "Vedic Science and Technology," along with the "Absolute Theories of Government, Education, Health, and Defense" which he says will raise every area of life to perfection, and bring about an international disease-free and problem-free family of nations. The Maharishi refers to the basis of all this as, "Natural Law." Not the first time we've heard that.
Magician Doug Henning and Beatle George Harrison not only were completely taken in by the TM movement, but both actually ran for political office on the Natural Law Party ticket, Doug in Canada and George in the UK. They announced that the Maharishi had promised them they'd win; neither did, earning only a couple of percent of the total votes cast. When Doug became terminally ill, he abandoned regular medical treatment in favor of meditation, and he soon died. The TMers still assure us that he didn'treally die, and that when he "made the change," he was in that state of bliss. That's reassuring. But they still buried Doug.
Strangely enough, even though the TM movement is — still — constantly asking for money from world governments to accomplish projects that are never completed and in most cases aren't even started, not one of the members has stepped forward to take the JREF prize for levitation...
You'll remember that I discussed the city of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and Bishop Ronald Fabbro, who reached back in time to invoke a medieval rule from the Catholic Almanac, which forbids the practice of hypnotism "for the sake of amusement" because "hypnotized subjects may be induced to perform immoral acts which, normally, they would not do." Fabbro wants all such dangerous, evil, practices outlawed in his jurisdiction. Well, now Kansas State lawmaker Senator Janis Lee has flown in the face of the bishop. She's filed a bill to repeal a Kansas state prohibition on hypnotic exhibitions. Janis knows about these matters: "I know many times where hypnotism may have been helpful," she announced when filing the action. She said Kansas is the only state that prohibits hypnotism for entertainment or performance purposes, a law that carries a $50 fine. A business in her district requested the repeal after trying to hire a hypnotist for entertainment, she said.
These folks should really try to get their superstitions organized. One of them thinks that hypnosis works and brings about evil (shudder!) and the other thinks it's just grand. Neither of these "leaders" of the public and shapers-of-opinion doubt that it's real, at all. Copies of "Superstitions for Dummies" should be sent to them, perhaps?
An item recently sold on E-Bay got my attention via alerts from several readers. It was sold as a "dybbuk box," in which it's said that the soul of a dead sinner that has transmigrated into the body of a living person, can be captured and imprisoned. Personally, I find this a rather doubtful claim.
However, the owner of the wondrous box — which was advertised as having the sinner's soul still inside — supplied a written description of the item, and the accompanying testimony by the vendor was quite revealing:
I suggest that overflowing trash might be due to the fact that no one has troubled to take out the trash, and the "strange odors" might support that interpretation, became sick is now became spontaneously sick, the presence of bugs in the air on an August evening is viewed as a notable event, and just how suddenly did the bronchitis arrive? — or am I being too simplistic here? The owner continued:
I won't analyze this last lot, except to say that I see many possibilities for quite ordinary events taking place here. Even though I don't have a dybbuk box in my home, I had some of those symptoms, myself. Do I hear, "Is therenothing that will convince this dedicated skeptic?" In any case, this mystery box was successfully sold on eBay for a few hundred dollars. I suspect that we'll continue to hear horror stories in this connection, but they certainly won't keep me up....
A lady in Highland, California, wrote me:
I responded to this concerned person, assuring them that if the water were to be found to be just that, it would make no difference whatsoever to the opinion of her aunt or of any other believers. After all, that's just science at work, and science doesn't know everything! No, there's no way to convince the true believer that she's made an error. But you should know something more about this magical substance. My correspondent supplied some more details:
REJOICE!!! You have purchased a Miracle II Outreach Product. The most complex mixture of natural minerals and organics that has ever been blended together. Miracle II is a spiritual revealed formulated product... Shake well before use... Contains: Prayer-Electrically engineered eloptic energized stabilized oxygenated water — Ash of Dodecyl solution — Dehydrabiethylamine — Calcium — Magnesium — Foaming Agent — Cold pressed Avocado — Almond — Olive and Coconut Oils — Vitamin E. Biodegradable — Naturally Concentrated, and the anointing of God. Miracle II contains and holds spiritual and eloptic energy beyond measure. Perfect for Dry Skin and Hair.
Well, in my experience, such gobbledygook means nothing, and is the result of an ignorant person looking up and finding various technical words and phrases that can be put to good use for the purpose of flim-flamming the innocent. It's just a case of threading them together like beads on a string, whether they make sense or not. Mind you, many such people really believe that they have something to say, and that they're saying it. That's a common delusion.
I think that a better answer lies in the following listing. This is a mass of words describing the ailments that Miracle II is supposed to treat, various uses to which it can be put, psychological problems that will respond to it, cosmetic uses, and cleansing applications. I list them here just as they appear on the web page, and bear in mind that each and every one of them is followed by the expression, "Rejoice and give the Glory to God!"
Wow! Every use and remedy except for gullibility — against which it seems ineffective...
I'll make just one other observation here. In the prescribed treatment of chicken pox with this nostrum, it is specified that the patient should apply the substanceafter the sores appear. This is a rather obvious dodge, since this ailment is already beginning to become a thing of the past by the time this phase has arrived. It wouldn't do to have the medication appliedbefore the sores show up, since that would show that it hadn't worked. Clever!
You'll also notice that most of the time the dosage called for is "seven drops," reflecting the appeal to mystical numbers and magic that these people use to sell their product. But bear in mind that the customers who have been attracted by this quackery are even now carefully measuring out drops of the substance and are hoping for miracle cures. That's pretty sad.
The recent kidnapping and murder of an 11-year-old girl here in Florida attracted worldwide attention. Her abduction was captured by a surveillance camera in Sarasota, and it was several days before her body was found. Chuck Chambers, a private investigator hired by the girl's family after they had consulted with an "investigative psychic" who "provided them with addresses and clues," said he was trying to see if there was any connection to the addresses provided by the psychic, who is from Nashville, Tennessee. The girl's stepfather said the family was encouraged because the psychic "felt she is still alive, but is somewhere her family should be dark and tied up." Cheap and obvious shot. Her family was frustrated at times, but remained hopeful that the girl would be coming home. She didn't, and the psychic was very wrong. She had been raped and killed within hours of her abduction.
Reader Gregory Camp gives us an account of a similar situation:
Yet, all over the world, law enforcement agencies will continue to call in "psychics" and will sit through hours of endless descriptions, details, generalities, and plain old claptrap, hoping to get some sort of assistance. But they won't.
Reader Karl Lean, in Melbourne, Australia, on this same subject, writes:
Our situation's a little bit different to the Glennons' and the Rimmers', because their two girls have been found. We still haven't had either of the questions answered as to where Sarah is and what's actually happened to her. Another big problem that we've had has been clairvoyants. They have been a huge torment to myself and my family in giving cryptic clues as to where Sarah might be. I remember one night in the early days I was down Salter Point, you know, thrashing around the swampy areas down there at 11 o'clock at night. Um...probably walking around bawling my eyes out and getting nowhere. I mean, a lot of times I've known I shouldn't have listened, but I've always thought that maybe they're using that excuse of being a clairvoyant to give me some honest facts.
Now here's a genuinely interesting development in science, though I fear that its labeling will prove unfortunate, and much more will be read into it than is warranted. As a magician, I've always known that those who practice deception tend to develop finely-tuned sensitivities to extraneous body movements, eye movements, very slight sounds, and other small bits of sensory information. Though at one time I used to wonder why I felt uneasy, particularly when performing what's known as "close-up" tricks at a table, as time went on I became aware that I was using peripheral vision and was also very sensitive to rustling clothes and changes in breathing patterns, among other examples of input. From the "corner of my eye" I was picking up small body actions or changes in attitude that often warned me that I been "twigged," or detected, by the spectator in a certain position which might have allowed him to catch me in a critical move.
Now, there's nothing supernatural about this at all, of course. It's my particular trade that makes me sensitive to such matters. I imagine it's easy for many people to assume that they have a supernatural ability when they experience such a perceptual moment, but I've become immune to making such assumptions. I read with great interest a recent account about the research done by a psychologist into what he chooses to call, "mindsight." The media have invoked the term, "sixth sense," and this is something with which I have always had a big argument. Though we generally recognize sight, smell, touch, hearing, and taste, as the classical "five senses," there are actually several more — though we can get involved needlessly with the many variations on almost any of the basic senses. (I choose not to designate color discrimination as a specific sense, preferring to drop it in there with sight.) Certainly, there is also a sense of temperature, another of movement, of pain, orientation, and pressure.
Everyone has experienced the eerie sensation of knowing something but not knowing how they know it. Such an ability, aside from being developed by persons in specific professions that may require it, might also have evolved over millions of years to alert us to the tiny clues that signal danger — thus giving us an edge in the battle for survival.
Psychologist Dr. Ronald A. Rensink, with the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, led the recent study that came up with "mindsight," and said, "I think this effect explains a lot of the belief in a sixth sense." The results of his tests were reported in New Scientist magazine, the popular UK scientific publication.
Rensink's team demonstrated the effect in tests on volunteers which showed that some were aware that a picture had been altered, without being able to say where the change had been made. The Rensink team showed forty subjects a series of pairs of photographic images on a computer screen. Each image was shown for about a quarter of a second, and that image was followed by a brief blank grey screen. Sometimes the pairs of images would be exactly the same, but some pairs consisted of two subtly different images. When an altered image was shown, about a third of the volunteers reported feeling that there had been a change, before they could identify what the change was. In the required control trials, ones in which there were no changes made in one of the targets presented in each pair, those same successful individuals were significantly confident that nothing had been altered.
Dr. Rensink believes that "mindsight" might be the reason that someone goes into a room and senses that something is different, without being able to put their finger on just what that difference is. He thinks those who do not experience such feelings may be ignoring their intuition in favor of what appears to be more rational information. Or, they just may not be that sensitive to such changes.
While this scientist is primarily concerned with the vision aspects of "mindsight," he of course realizes that other senses may be involved, too. A similar effect involving the sense of hearing could account for the knowledge that someone is behind you, even when you can't see them.
But now we take a turn for the supernatural. Dr. Rollin McCraty, director of research at the Institute of HeartMath in California, reports thathis research shows that we can be aware of an event up to seven secondsbefore it happens. He says we should ask ourselves, "How many decisions have I made that ended up being the right decision, in which intuition was an important input?" And he says, quite correctly, "It's a real part of our sensory systems." Well, that also depends on your definition of "intuition." Webster's Dictionary says that it's "direct perception of truth, fact, etc., independent of any reasoning process; immediate apprehension." It doesn't say that it can't be based on previous experience or training, and I believe that the "reasoning process" referred to is probably not supposed to be instantaneous, or nearly so. That would allow a thoroughly learned and in-place reaction — or even a hard-wired pattern — to qualify as intuition, so with that caveat, I agree.
However, at this point Dr. McCraty and I encounter a difference of opinion and expectation: his research was carried out on a group of people who were shown a succession of images. Most of those images presented were calm and peaceful, but they were interspersed with threatening pictures of car crashes or snakes about to strike. The subjects' hands were connected to a machine which measured perspiration secretion, and their heartbeats were monitored. Between five and seven seconds before they saw one of the "negative" pictures, he found, their sweat levels and heart rates increased, which should indicate a subconscious fear response. What he's saying is thathis subjects were seeing into the future, since in a mechanized test arrangement such as he's described, they could not have obtained any sensory input. That is, of course, if the experimental setup is exactly as outlined. In the descriptions that I've read, I've seen no randomization nor double-blind precautions specified, though these elements were probably — hopefully — present.
So, Dr. McCraty has an obviously eligible claim on the JREF prize! Will he apply? I don't think so, because a little looking about turns up a statement from him in which he declares that emotions come from both the heart and the brain. To quote him:
Now, I can't say that this rather bizarre statement, alone, brought me to the conclusion that Dr. McCraty would not apply for the JREF prize, but when I found that in addition he is also associated with Dr. William A. Tiller and Dr. Gary Schwartz, the storm signals were heard in full. These two gentlemen have been fully involved with everything from talking-with-the-dead to "pyramid power" claims. Ah! Now you can hear those signals as well, can't you?
Since Dr. Schwartz has assiduously avoided applying for the million dollar prize, I expect that he would probably strongly advise Dr. McCraty not to apply, nor to accept an invitation. Drat!
I just read this claptrap from someone who is selling a "new" idea for moving a vehicle. I'm sure it will move a lot of money into his bank account, too...
Compressed air is "solar energy"? I don't think so... At their site:www.aircaraccess.com/solar.htm, we find just how ridiculous this statement is:
What follows is a list of quotations, all taken completely out of context, that the "inventor" contends prove his statement. Either he understands nothing about science and technology, or he's directly misleading his readers. I opt for choice number two. What follows the above quotation, proves my objection to the sloppy work done by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, which by granting patents to crackpot inventors, validates the notion that there may be something to their claims:
Go tohttp://patft.uspto.gov/ and click on the "Patent Number Search" item in the left-hand green area, then enter # 4,370,857 — and read the abstract alone, to see that this is yet another of the round-in-a-circle energy systems that amateur inventors so dote on.
Reader Sean Ellis of Farnham, Surrey, UK, shares this with us:
I visited the RHF Science Center during a visit to San Diego on Wednesday, and was in general impressed. However, I was extremely disappointed to notice that the store was selling a book called "The K.I.S.S. Guide to Astrology".Astrology is not a science, and should not be presented to children as science. The inclusion of this book in your store undermines the whole purpose of the center — to stimulate young minds and promote scientific and critical thinking. It also devalues the rest of the store, since it conveys a message that the items therein are not carefully chosen.
I would be interested to hear the reasoning behind the selection of this book as suitable for the Science Center store.
Yours, Sean Ellis
THIS IS A CORRECTION TO THE FIRST VERSION OF THIS ITEM: Just days after posting this complaint by Sean Ellis, we received this notice:
The letter was signed by Mr. Francis French, Education Programs Coordinator, Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, San Diego, California.
That unfortunate use of an invalid e-mail address was remedied, and we sincerely apologize to Mr. French and his colleagues at the Center for this inadvertent error. We are gratified to know that we were of some assistance in this matter, and that the Center is so concerned with their image and their duty to their patrons. I only wish that others who deal with the public, would respond as promptly and properly. Science is alive and well in San Diego! I direct you to their excellent site at www.rhfleet.org to see just how well organized these folks are. And I see that they were the first in the USA to have the IMAX projection system installed!
Reader Richard Rockley has a partial victory...
require the California Building Standards Commission to adopt building standards that promote Feng Shui principles and publish these standards in the California Building Standards Code.
This resolution is simply a recommendation based on ancient science and natural wisdom, and it will not cost the state any money, nor will it mandate any changes in existing law or design standards.
Richard, I'm still offended by Yee's reference to "ancient science," since there's no science at all in this old notion. But I suppose that you can't really expect lawmakers to actually get logical and find integrity in an election year.
Richard suggests that Leyland Yee be made a candidate for this year's Pigasus Awards. By all means! And we actually will be awarding the coveted prize this year; we were just too busy last year...
Singer/composer Nick Annis makes a lot of sense in the preface to one of his songs, "God Is Good." Nick offers this observation on the history of the Bible:
You can hear the original atwww.nickannis.com/news.html by clicking on "Check it out here." Or, to support this talented man by purchasing his product, please go towww.nickannis.com/cds.html.
Actor James Caviezel, who played the lead in Mel Gibson's powerful but troubling new movie, "The Passion of the Christ," was almost done in by his "dad" — who you'd think would have put an angel or two to work watching over the operation:
Yep, struck by lightning!
DEMONS AND GERMS AND CAINER, OH MY!
Reader Peter Herissone-Kelly has a revelation...
As metaphors, germs and demons are the same. You do not really know what has made you ill, and neither does the doctor. He calls it a bug, but you can just as well suppose that you have been infested by a demon.
Welcome to John Michell, a best-selling author and world authority on the mysteries of existence.
I'm very familiar with astrologer Jonathan Cainer. On my 1991 Granada TV series in the UK — "James Randi, Psychic Investigator," we tested his astrological skills by providing him with an accurate data-set on birth details, exactly as he said he required, to prepare a horoscope for an unidentified person who would be present in our audience. After Cainer had given his analysis, members of the audience were asked to hold up their hands if the horoscope he gave, seemed to apply to them. Many hands shot up, but not that of the well-known UK TV actor whose birth-data had been provided to Cainer.
Reader Bruce Flint offers:
You forgot to also mention, "tough."
The BBC-TV "Horizon" show on homeopathy has been repeated on Tech-TV several times recently, as an episode of "Secret, Strange and True." This was a surprise to me since I wasn't notified of the coming event, and my Tarot cards were out for polishing. This program comes across very strongly, though I disagree with the closing statement — not mine — that the program "proved that homeopathy was not possible"; it did no such thing. What itdid show, was that a test protocol that the homeopaths themselves designed and approved, yielded null results. This Foundation is prepared to award the million-dollar prize to the homeopaths if and when such a proper test produces positive results that are statistically significant, under the rules governing the JREF prize. It's that simple: do it and win the money.
This is yet another occasion in which homeopathy has failed a proper, double-blind, carefully-controlled set of experiments, and this is one that the practitioners and supporters themselves endorsed and supervised. Note, however, that in spite of their approval before the results were announced, they then announced that it was poorly designed and carried out, with "expert" Dana Ullman voicing his doubts — as a buffer against failure, I'm sure — evenbefore the tests were completed. You can't have it both ways, in the real world, but quacks seem to be unaware of that basic fact.
Just a quick explanation: I received a lot of mail about a somewhat devious bit of editing that was carried out by the BBC. At one point, I'm shown with my hand up to my mouth as if I'm expressing anxiety about what the presiding statistician is about to announce as the final result of the experiments. That was a moment when I coughed violently — though the audio was edited out — as can be seen under careful observation. I was suffering from very severe laryngitis at that meeting, and my voice was hardly there. It was a bit of a cheap shot, when in actuality I had no trepidation whatsoever about the results that were about to be announced. I trusted those involved, the protocol was tight and proper, and I was confident, as I always am, about what science would show us.
In Saudi Arabia, ever-alert Sheikh Ibrahim Al-Ghaith, president of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, recently issued a warning against celebrating Valentine's Day or the "Feast of Love." He instructed his officials all over the Kingdom to keep a watch on shops selling roses and other gift items to celebrate the occasion. Can't be too careful. Somebody might actually express love for another, and that would be the end of Islam.Sigh.
Next week, I'll place here the entire correspondence exchanged between one potential claimant for the JREF prize and myself, concerning his avoidance of the proper procedure. I do this as part of my continuing efforts to keep my readers informed of just how difficult it is to handle these people in a rational, sane, manner. I think this will be a pretty good example of just how obstinate they can be.
And I'll also be publishing a list of the 177 prize applicants who we still have in the "active" file. That list will be weeded out very soon, dropping those who have not been in touch within the time-limits required. Natalya Lulova is still on the list, even though her lawyer has not seen fit to communicate with us for quite some time. Natalya, where are you?
Also, we'll be showing you the latest developments in the pursuit of science and education in the states of Georgia and Missouri. Fascinating, yet discouraging.
