Biorhythm Breakdowns
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Skeptical Inquirer THE ZETETIC THE ZETETIC Biorhythm Breakdowns UFOs and Government Science and Velikovsky the Skeptical Inquirer THE ZETETIC Journal of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal Volume II, No. 2 ISSN 0148-1096 Spring/Summer 1978 3 NEWS AND COMMENT 18 PSYCHIC VIBRATIONS 25 SPECIAL REPORT Tests and Investigations of Three "Psychics," by James Randi New Evidence in the Uri Geller Matter Exit Jean-Pierre Girard The CSICP Conducts a Test of Psychokinesis ARTICLES 40 Biorhythms: Evaluating a Pseudoscience, by William Sims Bainbridge 57 Plant Primary Perception: The Other Side of the Leaf, by John M. Kmetz 62 Anthropology Beyond the Fringe, by John ft Cole 72 NASA, the White House, and UFOs, by Philip J. Klass 82 A Second Einstein ESP Letter, by Martin Gardner BOOK REVIEWS 84 Donald Goldsmith, ed., Scientists Confront Velikovsky (George O. Abell) 90 John White and Stanley Krippner, eds., Future Science: Life Energies and the Physics of Paranormal Phenomena (Paul Kurtz) 95 Jay Anson, The Amityville Horror (Robert L. Morris) 102 The World Almanac Book of the Strange (James Randi and Kendrick Frazier) 105 Jeffrey Goodman, Psychic Archaeology: Time Machine to the Past (John R. Cole) 108 Joseph K. Long, ed., Extrasensory Ecology: Parapsychology and Anthropol ogy (Richard de Mille) 112 Donald H. Menzel and Ernest H. Taves, The UFO Enigma (Robert Sheaffer) 114 Carlos Castaneda, The Second Ring of Power (Richard de Mille) 116 Zecharia Sitchin, The 12th Planet (James E. Oberg) 118 K. E. Krafft, Traile d'Astrobiologie,and Edmund Van Deusen, Astrogenetics (Michel Gauquelin) FEATURES 129 From the Editor 130 From the Chairman 133 From Our Readers 143 Contributors Artwork: p. 13 by James Randi. Photos: p. 14 by R. C. Globe; p. 33 by Bernard Dreyfus; p. 37 by James Randi. V Editorial Board Martin Gardner Ray Hyman Philip J. Klass Paul Kurtz James Randi Dennis Rawlins Editor Kendrick Frazier Managing Editor Diane Malejs Assistant Editor Doris Hawley Doyle Consulting Editors James E. Alcock John Boardman Milbourne Christopher Richard de Mille Eric J. Dingwall Christopher Evans C. E. M. Hansel Production Editor Betsy Offermann Circulation Patricia Pliss Maryfrances Offermann Typesetting Karen A. Gajewski Janice O. Williams Cover Design Paul Rotthoff THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER (formerly THE ZETETIC) is the official journal of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, sponsored by the Ameri can Humanist Association. Manuscripts, letters, books for review, and editorial inquiries should be addressed to The Editor, THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, 3025 Palo Alto Dr., N.E., Albuquerque, New Mexico 87111. Advertising, changes of address, and subscriptions should be addressed to: Executive Office, THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, P.O. Box 5, Amherst Branch, Buffalo, New York 14226. Application for permission to quote from this journal should be addressed to the Executive Office. Inquiries from the media about the work of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal should be made to the Executive Office. Tel.: (716) 837-0308. Copyright © 1978 by The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, P.O. Box 5, Amherst Branch, Buffalo, New York 14226. Subscription rates: Individuals, $10; libraries and institutions, $15; sustaining subscribers, $100 or more; back issues $7.50. Change of Address: Six weeks advance notice to the Executive Office. Old address as well as new are necessary for change of subscriber's address. THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER is published semi-annually, Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter, and printed at Artcraft-Burow, Buffalo, New York. News and Comment A university controversy on Iowa State. Weltha believes in as paranormal teachings trology, seeing visible auras, rein carnation, life after death, astral How should a university scientist projection, and ESP. These ideas respond when another member of have become a part of his class the faculty teaches occult ideas and room teaching. In the spring beliefs that seem to have little if quarter of 1978, for example, any scientific verification? For that Weltha is conducting a seminar matter, how should the university class titled "Your Former Lives," itself react? whose stated purpose is "to ex Just such a situation has be plore the meaning of life through come a subject of local and state the reincarnation theory and wide controversy at Iowa State regression techniques" and to pre University. How often such situa pare students "for experiencing re tions occur in the academic world gression." is not clear. What makes this case John W. Patterson, professor unusual is that the scientist has of engineering in the university's mounted a yearlong campaign to Materials Science and Engineering bring the issues before the univer Department, has been waging bat sity and the public and to strongly tle against Weltha's claims. Patter challenge the psychic claims and son was motivated to become in teachings of his colleague. volved after reading an article a The subject of the controversy year ago in the Iowa State Daily is David A. Weltha, an associate describing Weltha's claim to be professor of family environment at able to see visible auras around Spring/Summer 1978 3 people. Weltha claimed to be able ous university departments and to tell definite things about a per with others in his campaign to son's personality from the color of challenge Weltha's teachings. his aura. He stated that the aura vi "If the breakdown of critical brates with a person's thoughts. judgment in the public at large is And he described how, in class, he alarming," says Patterson, "the teaches students to see auras. similar breakdown on university Patterson countered with a campuses must be viewed as more letter, printed in the paper, pro alarming still. After all, respon posing an experiment to test sible scholarship, which demands Weltha's claim. He suggested that critical thinking and caution in Weltha be brought into a totally judgment, should be the hallmark dark room containing ten persons of the university community." and be asked to determine each Patterson is concerned about person's location by his aura. the reputation of the university. "I Weltha declined: "I have seen fear that our reputation may be auras but I do not see them regu-. called into question if we appear larly. They are constantly changing incapable of distinguishing be but are not visible in the dark." tween thoughtful analyses and The battle was on. scholarship on the one hand and At other times Weltha has the presentation of irrational ideol spoken of the urgency of carrying ogy on the other." out research on the soul and has Patterson says that at first he made such statements as: "We was highly antagonistic but now are all miniature magnetic fields merely feels that Weltha's claims that are replicas of what took should be openly challenged. He place in the universe at the time refers to Weltha's work as "sloppy of our births." scholarship" but has tried to keep Patterson believes he and the debate focused on principles other faculty members have a re and issues rather than on person sponsibility to challenge Weltha's alities. Both parties have tried to claims. Articles and editorials avoid name-calling and to keep the about Weltha's teachings, and dispute on a certain level of civil about the dispute, have appeared ity. in the Des Moines Sunday Regis Most of Patterson's fellow ter, the Ames Daily Tribune, and faculty members have remained frequently in the Iowa State Daily. publicly silent on the issue. (Patter Patterson has a thick sheaf of cor son says he does have considerable respondence with Weltha and vari "closet support.") "Some of them 4 THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER think that once a person is gullible dents' understanding and aware there is no need to deal with him ness of themselves is appropriate." anymore. This aloof attitude Patterson's repeated attempts made the situation fertile for to obtain some substantive support students to believe that the ideas from the university administration are unchallengeable. It is only have met little success. "In fact," when we question ideas that the Patterson told the Skeptical In students will be forced to weigh the quirer, "the silence from the ad issues and come to a decision and ministration is getting kind of not just swallow what is pre spooky." The assistant vice-presi sented." dent for academic affairs stated Weltha, for his part, contends that such issues "should be re that just because what he teaches is solved by intellectual confronta outside the realm of empirical tion" and "the administration science doesn't mean it is not valid. should do its best to avoid interfer "Our department is concerned ing." The faculty council refused with the whole person, not just his to take up the issue. The head of logical mind. We study his emo Weltha's Department of Family tions, his aspirations, and his po Environment acknowledges that tential. And his potential includes Weltha has included astrology as some transcendent functioning, part of the material in his courses beyond what the rational mind but contends that he "is not dog thought possible. People are not matizing the astrology part. just matter that you can study like As far as we can determine, there is physics." no violation of students' rights." Patterson has tried to obtain Several state legislators have from Weltha's department head entered the controversy. One said and other university offices a list that teaching reincarnation with of Weltha's scholarly publications, state funds was wrong. But if any. He has been unsuccessful. another said he could not object, He has found none listed in cita for reasons of academic freedom.