GARDNER ON FACILITATED COMMUNICATION • FAILED 2000 PREDICTIONS • SCIENCE INDICATORS 2000 Skeptical Inquiw MAGAZINE FOR SCIENCE AND REASON Volume 25, No. 1 • Janu^iyTFebruary 2001

Published by the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the THE COMMITTEE FOR THE SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION OF CLAIMS OF THE PARANORMAL AT THE -INTERNATIONAL |ADJACENT TO THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO) • AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION . Chairman; professor emeritus of philosophy, State University of New York at Buffalo Barry Karr, Executive Director Joe Nickell. Senior Research Fellow Lee Nisbet Special Projects Director

FELLOWS

James E. Alcock.* psychologist, York Univ., Thomas Gilovich, psychologist. Cornell Univ. Dorothy Nelkin, sociologist. New York Univ. Toronto Henry Gordon, magician, columnist, Toronto Joe Nickell,* senior research fellow. CSICOP Jerry Andrus, magician and inventor, Albany, , Museum of Comparative Lee Nisbet* philosopher, Medaille College Oregon Zoology, Harvard Univ. Bill Nye, science educator and television host, Marcia Angell, M.D., former editor-in-chief, Susan Haack, Cooper Senior Scholar in Arts Nye Labs New Journal of Medicine and Sciences, prof, of philosophy, University James E. Oberg, science writer Robert A. Baker, psychologist, Univ. of of Miami Loren Pankratz, psychologist. Oregon Health Kentucky C. E. M. Hansel, psychologist, Univ. of Wales Sciences Univ. Stephen Barrett, M.D., psychiatrist, author. Al Hibbs, scientist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory John Paulos, mathematician. Temple Univ. consumer advocate, Allentown, Pa. Douglas Hofstadter, professor of human Steven Pinker, cognitive scientist. MIT Barry Beyerstein,* biopsychologist. Simon understanding and cognitive science, Indiana W. V. Quine, philosopher, Harvard Univ. Fraser Univ., Vancouver, B.C., Canada Univ. Milton Rosenberg, psychologist, Univ. of Irving Biederman, psychologist, Univ. of Gerald Holton, Mallinckrodt Professor of Chicago Southern California Physics and professor of history of science, Wallace Sampson, M.D.. clinical professor of Susan Blackmore, psychologist, Univ. of the Harvard Univ. medicine, Stanford Univ. West of England, Bristol Ray Hyman,* psychologist, Univ. of Oregon Amardeo Sarma, engineer, head of dept. Henri Broth, physicist, Univ. of Nice. France Leon Jaroff, sdences editor emeritus, 77me at T-Nova Deutsche Telekom Jan Harold Brunvand. folklorist, professor Sergei Kapitza, editor, Russian edition, Innovationsgesellschaft mbH Headquarters, emeritus of English, Univ. of Utah Scientific American executive director, GWUP. Germany. Vern Bullough, professor of history. California Philip J. Klass.* aerospace writer, engineer Evry Schatzman. president. French Physics State Univ. at Northridge Edwin C. Krupp, astronomer, director, Griffith Association Mario Bunge, philosopher, McGill University Observatory Eugenie Scott, physical anthropologist, execu­ John R. Cole, anthropologist, editor. National Paul Kurtz.* chairman, CSICOP tive director. National Center for Science Center for Science Education Lawrence Kusche, science writer Education Frederick Crews, literary and cultural critic, Leon Lederman. emeritus director, Fermilab; Thomas A. Sebeok, anthropologist. professor emeritus of English, Univ. of Nobel laureate in physics linguist Indiana Univ. California, Berkeley Scott Lilienfeld. psychologist. Emory Univ. Robert Sheaffer, science writer F. H. C. Crick, biophysicist, Salk Inst, for Lin Zixin, forrrer editor, Science and Elie A. Shneour, biochemist, author, Biological Studies, La Jolla, Calif; Nobel Prize Technology Daily (China) director. Biosystems Research Institute, laureate Jere Lipps, Museum of Paleontology. Univ. of La Jolla. Calif. , zoologist, Oxford Univ. California, Berkeley Dick Smith, film producer, publisher, Terrey l_ Sprague de Camp, author, engineer Elizabeth Loftus. professor of psychology, Hills, N.S.W., Australia Cornells de Jager, professor of astrophysics, Univ. of Washington Robert Steiner, magician, author. Univ. of Utrecht, the Netherlands Paul MacCready. scientist/engineer, El Cerrito, Calif. Bernard Dixon, science writer. , U.K. AeroVironment. Inc.. Monrovia, Calif. Jill Cornell Tarter, astronomer, SETI Institute, Paul Edwards, philosopher, editor. John Maddox, editor emeritus of Nature Mountain View, Calif. Encyclopedia of Philosophy David Marks, psychologist City University. London. Carol Tavris, psychologist and author, Los Kenneth Feder, professor of anthropology. Walter C. McCrone, microscopist McCrone Angeles, Calif. Stephen Toulmin, professor of philosophy. Central Connecticut State Univ. Research Institute Univ. of Southern California Antony Flew, philosopher, Reading Univ., U.K. Mario Mendez-Acosta, journalist and Marilyn vos Savant Parade magazine con­ Andrew Fraknoi, astronomer. Foothill College. science writer, Mexico City, Mexico tributing editor and CBS News correspon­ Los Altos Hills, Calif. Marvin Minsky, professor of media arts and dent Kendrick Frazier,* science writer, editor, sciences. M.I.T. Steven Weinberg, professor of physics and David Morrison, space scientist. NASA Ames astronomy, Univ. of Texas at Austin; Nobel Yves Galifret, vice-president Affiliated Research Center Prize laureate Organizations: France Richard A. Muller. professor of physics, Univ. Marvin Zelen, statistician, Harvard Univ. Martin Gardner, * author, critic of Calif., Berkeley Murray Gell-Mann. professor of physics. Santa H. Narasimhaiah. physicist president * Member, CSICOP Executive Council Fe Institute; Nobel Prize laureate Bangalore Science Forum. India (Affiliations given for identification only)

• • • Visit the CSICOP Web site at http://www.cskop.org • • •

The SkTJ-TKAL INQUIRER (ISSN 0194-6730) is published bimonthly by ihc Commincc for ihe Articles, reports, reviews, and letter** published in the SKEPTICAI INQUIRER represent the Scientific Investigation of Chirm of [he Paranormal. 1310 Sweet Home Rd.. Amherst. NY views and work of individual authors. Their publication does not necessarily constitute an 14228. Primal in USA Periodical postage paid at Buffalo. NY. Subscription prices: one year endorsement by CSICOP or its members unless so stared. {six issues), $35; two years. $58; three years. $81; single issue. $4.95. Canadian and foreign orders: Copyright ©2001 by the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Payment in U.S. hinds drawn on a U.S. bank must accompany orders; please add US$10 per year Paranormal. All rights reserved. The SKEPTICAL INQUIRER is available on 16mm microfilm, for shipping, Canadian and forctgn customers are encouraged to use Visa or Master*. jru\ 35mm microfilm, and I05mm microfiche from University Microfilms International and is Inquiries from die media and the public about the work of the Committee should be made indexed in the Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature. to Paul Kura Chairman, CSICOP. Box 703. Amherst. NY 14226-0703. Tel: 716-636-1425- Subscriptions and changes of address should be addressed to: SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. Box FAX: 716-636-1733. 703. Amherst. NY 14226-0703. Or call toll-free 1-800-634-1610 (outside VS. call 716-636- Manuscripts, letters, books for review, and editorial inquiries should be addressed to 1425). Old address as well as new are necessary for change of subscriber's address, with six Kendrick Frazier. Editor. SKEJPTKIAI INQUIRER. 944 Deer Drive NE. Albuquerque. weeks advance notice. SKEFTHAL INQUIRER subscribers may not speak on behalf of CSICOP NM 87122. FAX 5O5-828-2080. For Guide for Authors, sec page 64 in die Scpiember / or the SKEPTUAI INQUIRER. October issue, or send a fax request to the Editor. It is also available on the Web at Postmaster- Send changes of address to SKEJTXAL INQUIRER. Box 703. Amherst. NY lit tp://www. csicop.org/si/guidc- for -authors, html. 14226-0703. Skeptical Inquirer January/February 2001 • VOL 25, NO. 1

ISSUES IN 28 Medicine Wars Will Alternative and Mainstream Medicine Ever Be Friends? In the wake of dozens of new and complementary medicine! flooding both the marketplace and some hospitals, which path will medicine take? BARRY F. SEIDMAN

36 Herbal Medicines and Dietary Supplements A Risky Health Gamble Think herbal medicines and dietary supplements are always COLUMNS "natural " "pure, " and free of problems associated with toxicity? Think again. There is little control or uniformity EDITOR'S NOTE 4 of these products, and most consumers seem oblivious to the potentially significant health risks associated with them. NEWS AND COMMENT JOHN M. ALLEN Exorcism and Suggestibility Study: False Memories of Possession Can Be Created / Hotbed of Skepticism: Firewalk Held at Center 43 Psychoactive Herbal Medications for Inquiry International / Cracked Crystal Balls? ' How Do We Know They Work? Predictions for Past Year a Litany of Prognostive Failures / Sensationalism Six Pack: One Company Owns All the U.S. Numerous psychoactive herbal medications are available to Supermarket Tabloids / Are Magnetic Shoes Starting to treat cognitive and emotional conditions. This article Attract Lawsuits? / Olympic Spoon-Bending: Failed Flame Fires examines the evidence for their effectiveness and our Geller Claim 5 assurances that it's not "all in our minds. " MARCELLO SPINELLA SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO STEVE ALLEN PAUL KURTZ 16 50 NOTES OF A FRINGE-WATCHER Does the Bad Outweigh the Good? Facilitated Communication: A Cruel Farce Many people go to chiropractors for relief of back pain. MARTIN GARDNER 17 But there is reason for caution. Much of what chiropractors do is nonsense, and they often misinform their patients. INVESTIGATIVE FILES Exorcism! Driving Out the Nonsense SAMUEL HOMOLA JOE NICKELL 20

SPECIAL REPORT VIBRATIONS Reptoids and Martians Invade Silicon Valley 12 Science Indicators 2000: Belief in ROBERT SHEAFFER 25 the Paranormal or NEW BOOKS 64 NATIONAL SCIENCE BOARD SCIENCE BEST SELLERS 65 ARTICLE ARTICLES OF NOTE 65 54 Damaged Goods? LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 66 What, If Anything, Does Science Tell Us About the Long-term Effects of Childhood BOOK REVIEWS Sexual Abuse? A recent metaanalysis of child sexual abuse studies typifies Paranormal Beliefs: A Sociological Introduction a common problem when social science research is used to drive socio-political agenda. Empirical gaps are plugged By Erich Goode with wish-list postulates of special interest groups. JEFFREY S. VICTOR 60

MARGARET A. HAGEN The Undergrowth of Science By Walter Gratzer Cover Illustration by Jonathan Evans TOM NAPIER .61 EDITOR'S NOTE Skeptical Inquirer TMf MAGAZINI FOR SCIfNCf AND MASON

EDITOR Nuances of Alternative Medicine, Kendrick Frazier EDITORIAL BOARD Passions of Steve Allen James E. Alcock Barry Beyerstein Thomas Casten \%J"Tc offer four articles in this issue under the rubric "Issues in Alternative Martin Gardner W Medicine." Science journalist Barry F. Seidman begins with in-depth overview, Ray Hyman "The Medicine Wars," based on reporting and interviews with leading experts repre­ Lawrence Jones Philip J. Klass senting a variety of responsible viewpoints. Articles on dangers of some herbal medi­ Paul Kurtz cines and dietary supplements, the effects of four promising psychoactive herbal med­ Joe Nickell ications, and an examination of chiropractic follow. These articles strive to deal with Lee Nisbet Amardeo Sarma the nuances and complexities of the issues. Together they complement our earlier spe­ Bela Scheiber cial issue "Alternative Medicine in a Scientific World" (September/October 1997). Eugenie Scott CONSULTING EDITORS * • • Robert A. Baker Steve Allen was one of the most extraordinary persons I've ever met. A true renais­ Susan J. Blackmore John R. Cole sance man. Talents in every direction. A giant in the early history of television. (Who Kenneth L. Feder can forget the characters and wild live skits on The Steve Allen Show or the literate C. E. M. Hansel Meeting of Minds history-reenactment scries?) He was also an intellectual with a E. C. Krupp Scott O. Lilienfeld highly developed social conscience. He wrote books on humor and he wrote books David F. Marks on the Bible, religion, and morality. He wrote passionately on the need for critical James E. Oberg thinking (his Dumbth: The Lost Art of 'Thinking came out in a new edition in 1998). Robert Sheaffer David E. Thomas He always had a tape recorder with him and every few minutes dictated his latest Richard Wiseman thought or idea. He died October 30. Just the day before, newspapers carried full- MANAGING EDITOR page ads announcing his campaign to get the entertainment media to raise their stan­ Benjamin Radford dards. The day of his death I received a catalogue announcing his next book, ART DIRECTOR Lisa A. Hutter Vulgarians at the Gate: Trash TV and Raunch Radio, on that same concern about PRODUCTION coarseness and incivility. He was a CSICOP Fellow and a tireless supporter of the Paul Loynes Center for Inquiry, CSICOP, and the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. He participated in (even CARTOONIST starred in) many events for our organizations. He was also co-chairman of our Rob Pudim WEB PAGE DESIGNER Council for Media Integrity and co-chairman of our Fund for the Future campaign. Patrick Fitzgerald His last piece in SI, "Two Mind Sets," appeared in our July/August 1999 Science and PUBLISHER'S REPRESENTATIVE Religion issue. Sec Paul Kurtz's tribute in this issue. Barry Karr • • • CORPORATE COUNSEL Brenton N. VerPloeg When American journalists write about what they surely know is pseudoscientific BUSINESS MANAGER nonsense, they nevertheless try to retain a moderate, even-handed, objective tone— Sandra Lesniak as though there's a chance there may be something to whatever the weird assertion is. FISCAL OFFICER Journalists elsewhere seem more prone to just tell it like it is. They forthrightly skewer Paul Paulin CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER nonsense. One example, from the London Evening Standard is related in a letter to Anthony C. Battaglia the editor. "Clucd-Up TV Critic," in this issue. Another reader, in Australia, sent me CHIEF DATA OFFICER The Canberra Times TV magazine "The Guide" with another example—a mini- Michael Cione review by Ian Warden of a Fox-like program called "The Reincarnation Experiments." STAFF Patricia Beauchamp A few excerpts: "Perhaps the fact that I object so strongly to having to write 250 Jodi Chapman words about a TV program full of New Age mumbo jumbo on reincarnation indi­ Allison Cossitt cates that in a past life I was too important a journalist to have to do such menial. Michelle Keiper Jennifer Miller intelligence-insulting chores." Warden says the program's producer/narrator appears Matthew Nisbet to be "one of those poor souls who believe in everything and who has fallen com­ Lisa Nolan pletely for every reincarnation story told to him. . . . Everything is grist to Mr. Ranjit Sandhu Anthony Santa Lucia Ramsden's credulist mill." Warden ends with a witty final salvo: "When I was a John Sullivan reporter working with The Times of London in the 1860s I never had to write about Vance Vigrass rubbish like this. Our rating: An insult to die intelligence of my spaniel." INQUIRY MEDIA PRODUCTIONS Thomas Flynn DIRECTOR OF UBRARIES Timothy S. Binga

The SKEPTICAI INQUIRER is the official journal of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal. an international organization.

4 January/February 2001 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER NEWS AND COMMENT

Exorcism and Suggestibility Study: False Memories of Possession Can Be Created

JOEL SCHWARZ scholar; and Irving Kirsch, a University Loftus says. The publication of the book of Connecticut psychology professor. The Exorcist in 1971 and the film's release Couple the re-release of The Exorcist and The research demonstrated that nearly at the end of 1973 generated reams of the Halloween broadcast of Possessed, a one-fifth of those who previously said publicity and a mini-epidemic of people TV docudrama about a purported exor­ that demonic possession was not very requesting exorcisms, she added. cism in a mental hospital, and you've got plausible and thai as children they had In the study, the researchers recruited a prescription for a sudden jump in the not witnessed a possession later said pos­ nearly 200 college students in , where number reported demonic possessions. session was more plausible and they may the idea of demonic possession is consid­ have witnessed one. "Quite a number of people who ered somewhat more plausible than it is in watch these exorcism films will be These changes in belief and memory the United States. All of the students ini­ affected and develop symptoms of were accomplished in several steps. tially rated possession as highly implausi­ hysteria. These films will be a full- Subjects read several short articles thai ble. They also had strong beliefs that they had not witnessed one as a child. employment bill for exorcists," says described demonic possession and sug­ Elizabeth Loftus, a University of gested it was more common than The researchers conducted three Washington psychologist and memory believed. Later they were asked to list experiments. In the first and key experi­ their fears and then were told that wit­ expert (and a CSICOP Fellow). ment, students filled out questionnaires nessing a possession during childhood Loftus recently completed a demonic that rated the plausibility of a number of caused those fears. possession study that is to be published events and asked about their life experi­ in The Journal of Experimental "When you realize what we did with a ences. Students were divided into three groups, two of which were exposed to a Psychology: Applied. She conducted the few stories and a suggestion and then plausibility manipulation a month later. study with Giuliana Mazzoni, a Seton think of the very vivid depictions that are The two groups were given a series of Hall University psychology professor in these movies, I know these films are twelve short articles to read. Among the and a University of Washington visiting going to have a very powerful effect,"

Winona Ryder in the supernatural thriller Lost Souls

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER January/Ftbruary 2001 5 NEWS AND COMMENT articles given to the first or "possession" process of memory." ever firewalk. The event was organized group were three that promoted the idea In addition, she says the study rein­ by University of Pittsburgh at Johns­ that demonic possession is quite com­ forces the idea that therapists need to be town physicist David Willey, who mon in Italy and that many children wit­ careful in using potentially suggestive holds the world record for the longest nessed such events. They also described procedures that could change a patient's firewalk (see "World's Longest Fire­ typical possession experiences. The sec­ perceived likelihood of unremembered walk: Physicist Leads Hot Trek for Sci­ ond or "almost choked" group was given events. These include UFO abductions, ence in Pennsylvania," SI 23[1], three similar articles to read about chok­ serious trauma suffered in a past life, or January/February 1999). Willey has ing. The third or control group was not participating in or witnessing satanic rit­ also regularly been featured on The exposed to the manipulation. uals (common elements in abuse claims). Tonight Show with Jay Leno as the "res­ A week later the first two groups filled "This study can help us understand ident mad scientist," demonstrating out questionnaires about their fears, such how you can take normal people and cre­ scientific principles with impressive as being afraid of spiders. Then the stu­ ate this kind of effect—make demonic demonstrations. A crowd of about a dents were told that their individual "fear possession seem plausible," Loftus says. hundred turned out to see the demon­ profiles" signaled that they probably had "It normalizes this process and shows it stration and hear Willey give a presen­ witnessed a possession or had almost can happen to a lot of people, not only to tation on Firewalking and handle a choked in early childhood. After another those who are considered to be 'kooks.'" glowing-hot space shuttle tile. week these students and the control group One and a half cords of wood (For more on exorcism, see Joe Nickell's filled out the original two questionnaires. burned down to a twenty-four foot column in this issue.—Eds) The researchers found that the manipula­ path of coals glowing at a brisk 1,000 tion not only increased feelings of reality Joel Schwarz is with the University of degrees when Willey first stepped on about an already plausible event, "almost Washington news and information office, it. He walked across the bed to cheers choked," but also of an initially implausi­ Seattle. while news cameras filmed him. ble event, "witnessed possession." More Other CSICOP employees followed important, according to Loftus, 18 per­ Willey's walk, including Chairman cent of the students now believed that the Hotbed of Skepticism: Paul Kurtz, SKEPTICAL INQUIRER events had probably happened to them. Firewalk Held at Center Managing Editor Benjamin Radford, There was no change in the control group. for Inquiry International Senior Research Fellow Joe Nickell, The other two experiments tested Public Relations Director Kevin variations of the manipulation. Christopher, and CSICOP Executive Loftus says the three experiments tell a On September 23, 2000, CSICOP Director Barry Karr. Members of the consistent story. When people are headquarters once again served as a public were not permitted to walk for exposed to a series of ankles describing a hotbed of skepticism, hosting its first- liability reasons. relatively implausible phenomenon, such as witnessing a possession, they believe the phenomenon is not only more plau­ sible but also are less confident that they had not experienced it in childhood. "We are looking at the first steps on the path down to creating a false mem­ ory," says Loftus. "There is controversy about whether you can plant memories about events that are unlikely to hap­ pen. As humans we are capable of devel­ oping memories of ideas that other peo­ ple think occurred. Just being exposed to credible information can lead you down this path. This shows why people watching Oprah or those in group ther­ apy believe these kinds of things hap­ pened to them. People borrow memo­ ries from others and adopt them as their own experiences. It is part of the normal Physicist David Willey walks on a bed of coals at CSICOP headquarters. Photo by Benjamin Radford.

6 January/February 2001 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER NEWS AND COMMENT

The event was staged to help the • A summertime oil crisis will pro­ their prognosticator. The Toronto Sun public understand that the principles of duce gas station lines longer than 1973, featured Anthony Carr, "the world's firewalking need not invoke paranormal said Italian psychic Pier Rizutto. most documented psychic," who said powers or "higher states" of consciousness, • Two jumbo jets "will slam into Christopher Reeve would "rise from as is sometimes claimed by mystics, each other in the air over the Atlanta his chair and perambulate" and O.J. shamen, and self-help gurus. Said Paul airport" in March, according to Simpson would either admit his guilt Kurtz, "It's not a matter of paranormal Mexican astrologer Germano de in 2000 or new evidence will prove powers or mind-over-marter, it's simple Oliveria, who took a 50-50 chance that he is a murderer. If the editors physics." For more information on fire- when he predicted that Hillary Clinton had checked the January 5, 1999, walking, see "The Physics of Firewalking" would lose her bid to be U.S. Senator. National Examiner they would have by Bernard Leikind and William He never mentioned the real surprise in found predictions attributed to Carr McCarthy in SI 10(1), Fall 1985. the race: that Mayor Rudy Giuliani saying that in 1999 Muhammad Ali would drop out. would make a miracle recovery from —Benjamin Radford • "Three terrorists from the Middle Parkinson's disease, an iceberg the size East will be arrested at JFK Airport in of California would threaten to wipe Cracked Crystal Balls? April," police will discover a nuclear out Hawaii, and Carolyn Bessette- bomb in their baggage, and President Kennedy (who died in the plane crash Psychics' Predictions for Clinton will go on TV "warning with her husband) would give birth to Past Year a Litany of Americans that other bombs may have healthy twins. Prognostive Failures slipped into the country undetected," Mystic Meg is another seer whose said Russia's Isabel Almazen. predictions, as published in the Globe, • An earthquake will "destroy Los make it appear that she's dealing with Inquiring minds who want to know Angeles and San Francisco" in May, a cracked crystal ball. She said 2000 whether the world's greatest psychics and President Clinton will go on TV would be the year Prince Andrew and and astrologers can really predict the in February to "announce that the Fergie re-wed, Tom Cruise and Nicole future can get a valuable lesson from the Mars Polar Lander was destroyed by Kidman starred in a hit movie remake forecasts made for 2000. aliens" and space "alien guests have of Cinderella, Caroline Kennedy an­ For example, the January 11, 2000 already slept in the Lincoln Bedroom nounced plans to run for Congress, issue of the supermarket tabloid Sun at the White House," according to and Jerry Springer became a crusad­ included these forecasts from "the Wanda Tarwinska. ing Jew for Jesus. All could still come world's most gifted psychics": • A "new and terrible" plague true before December 31, but don't • Prince Charles will fly in the space will begin in Africa in March and bet on it. shuttle, where he will announce his kill millions worldwide, said China's Like the late Jeane Dixon, the great engagement to Camilla Parker-Bowles, Mai Kai Sung. equivocator who was well-known for said "noted British astrologer" Gloria But don't expect these abysmal her ability to fudge her forecasts, some Goldberg. results to convince the editors of the of the psychics offered predictions for • "Interactive TV will become so Sun to find a new crop of psychics. 2000 that were just as wishy-washy. sophisticated by the end of the year These are the same people they polled The Star's Athena Starwoman wasn't you'll be able to tell your set what you for 1999, when they forecast that Mrs. exactly sticking out her neck when she want to eat ... and the food will be Clinton would run for President, an said Bruce Willis "is likely" to have a waiting in the kitchen at the next com­ earthquake would lead to the abandon­ son and Dolly Parton "may write" a mercial," according to Zambia's Henry ment of Los Angeles for two years, and book. She clearly missed an obvious Chipewo, who is on the blue-ribbon John F. Kennedy Jr. would fly on the milestone in her forecast for Kathie Lee panel because he supposedly predicted space shuttle with John Glenn, a pre­ Gifford, never mentioning Gilford's the 1969 Moon landing. diction made the year Kennedy died in July departure from her show with • A large flesh-eating dinosaur will the plane crash. Regis Philbin. be discovered in Africa and "the shock­ Gary Spivey is quoted in the Sun as Some forecasts sound very specific ing true identity of Satan will be dis­ predicting the death of the Pope, but he when they are, in fact, exceptionally covered. . . . His face will be instantly made the same prediction for 1999- If vague. Take Goldberg's prediction in recognizable to the American public," at first you don't succeed. ... the Sun that a DNA breakthrough "will according to India's Sanjiv Mishra, who It wasn't just the supermarket allow humans to grow new body parts supposedly predicted the Kennedy tabloids that printed psychic forecasts damaged by disease, accident, or old Assassination. without checking the reliability of age." Doctors have been growing skin

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER January/February 2001 7 NEWS AND COMMENT for years, so any DNA-related advance nist for Reuters, has been collecting psychic the Sun will use health and religious sto­ in 2000 might, technically, allow her to predictions since 1979. Information on pre­ ries to appeal to the 55+ audience. claim success. dictions for 1999 and previous years can be But at Weekly World News, expect In the Sun, the "brilliant American found at wtvw.csicop.org. more aliens, more UFOs, and more psychic" Warren Freiberg seemed to be Elvis. Lunsford reported that there will suggesting that the already-frail John Paul be no change in the credo of editor II would die in 2000. He said "the Pope Sensationalism Six Eddie Clontz's: "Never question your­ will collapse in 2000 while on tour. Pack: One Company self out of a good story. You have got to Unfortunately, I don't see the poor man Owns All the U.S. know when to stop asking questions." getting to his feet . . . ever again." But Supermarket Tabloids The article is available online at when pressed about the prediction when http://ajr.newslink.org/ajrdarciesept I joined him on a radio show last winter, The newspapers that publish more 00.html. F'reiberg wafiled, saying he didn'i kilos'.' il pseudoscience rubbish than anyone— —C. Eugene Emery Jr. the Pope would die. But if the Pope the supermarket tabloids—arc now should die by year's end, it's a safe predic­ owned by the same company. tion that Freiberg will want to go down According to die September 2000 issue Are Magnetic Shoes in history as the man who predicted John of the American Journalism Review, Starting to Attract Paul Us death. American Media Inc., based in Palm Beach Lawsuits? On that same radio program, County, Florida, now owns the National Freiberg acknowledged to me that two Enquirer, Star, the Globe, National The Consumer Justice Center, a non­ of his three 1999 forecasts in the Sun Examiner, Sun and Weekly World News. profit 501(c)(3) consumer group, filed did not come true—that New York In a story describing how American a lawsuit on August 8, 2000, for false City would be quarantined when a Media CEO David Pecker is trying to advertising and consumer fraud mysterious cloud paralyzed millions of legitimize some of his tabloids to against Florsheim Group, Inc. for sell­ New Yorkers and the death ot a blonde counter a decline in circulation, Darcie ing its MagneForce shoes as a pain movie actress would produce a trial as Lunsford outlined the various niches remedy. The lawsuit was filed in dramatic as the O.J. Simpson case. each tabloid is supposed to covet. Orange County, California, and asks However, he said those events could The Enquirer, the tabloid with the that the foorwear manufacturer be still happen in 2000. His third forecast largest circulation, is trying to focus on ordered to stop advertising the was that "George Bush Jr." would big Hollywood hard news; it is using the MagneForce shoes as a health aid, and become the next president. There was motto "No Elvis. No aliens. No UFOs." to refund the purchase price to the no presidential election in 1999. Meanwhile, the Starts being retooled to class of persons who bought the shoes. George W. Bush, son of ex-President concentrate on celebrities, the Globe is Apparently the pressure of the suit George Herbert Walker Bush, is not supposed to cover the spicy pans of a and adverse publicity has compelled George Bush Jr. story, the National Examiner's forte will Florsheim to abandon its pseudo- Other successes were not very be bizarre human-interest stories, and impressive. , frequently science marketing efforts—at least featured on the Montel Williams talk online. Many of the bizarre claims orig- show, correctly predicted that Brad Pitt £} inally on the Florsheim Web site and Jennifer Aniston would marry, (www.florsheim.com) had been but they had been dating for two removed by mid-August 2000. and a half years. Browne's Web #4^' However, the company was then still forecasts (www.sylvia.org) are open marketing its MagneForce shoes to multiple interpretations. But online with one tiny paragraph of she didn't mince words with her concentrated junk science: presidential pick: "Democrats will "The first shoe with its own pow­ win the election with Bill Bradley, er supply. Comfortable, quality with close competition from the footwear constructed with a light­ Reform Party." weight, flexible magnetic insole to generate a deep-penetrating mag­ —C. Eugene Emery Jr. netic field which increases circulation: Gene Emery, a reporter for the reduces foot, leg and back fatigue; Providence Journal and computer colum­ provides natural pain relief and

S January/February 2001 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER NEWS AND COMMENT

improved energy level." Olympic Spoon- similar after-the-fact claims. Finally (as of mid-September 2000). Bending: Failed Flame Geller's interest in the world of Florsheim relented and removed any sports began long before this year's trace of claims that the magnets in its Fires Geller Claim Olympic games. He says he discovered footwear had health or pain-relief bene­ his "psychic coaching" abilities when fits. "Comfortable, quality footwear At the climax of the opening ceremony he was just twelve years old and living constructed with a lightweight, flexible of the 2000 Olympics, Australian run­ in Cyprus, where his mother ran a magnetic insole." ner Cathy Freeman ignited the small hotel popular with soccer play­ Stories on the lawsuit against Olympic flame, a circle of gas jets that ers. That year, says Geller, he trained Florsheim have appeared in the Los slowly rose out of the pool of water at players on a local team to use their Angeles Times, the Denver Post, the her feet. But just after clearing mind power to "will" the ball into the National Post (Canada), and even Freeman's head, the flaming cauldron goal. The strategy worked so well, says Footwear News, a magazine devoted to suddenly stopped, causing technicians Geller, that the team went from the coverage of the footwear industry. to scramble behind the scenes to try to bottom of the league to the champi­ Florsheim is by no means the only nudge it back on its way. onship. And in the mid-1970s, Geller major corporation marketing magnetic Instead of looking for a short circuit says he taught boxer Muhammad Ali therapy products. Other major names or a mechanical failure, however, appar­ to push his opponents over with the include Dr. Scholls. (See "Dr. Scholls ently Olympic officials should have just power of his mind. Steps into Pscudoscience with Magnetic picked up the phone and called Uri More recently, Geller used an Insoles," SI July/August 2000 24[4].) Geller. Why? Because, halfway around "energized amethyst crystal" to help a And smaller magnet therapy companies the world, Geller was using his tremen­ marathoner recover from a devastat­ market their wares alongside more main­ dous mind power to stall the Olympic ing bicycle accident and compete in stream sports and footwear products on flame. At least that's what Geller the 1997 London marathon. In a Web sites and catalogs, and in stores. claimed, after the fact. story that received coverage in run­ This is not the first time that a cor­ The prolific Israeli spoon bender, ning magazines, Geller claims he poration has become entangled in legal now living west of London, says he was coached Ruth Steward to tap into her disputes by making therapeutic claims at home watching the opening cere­ mind's power to heal her fractured for its magnet therapy products. In mony on television when he decided to skull and broken bones and teeth, the 1998 the Texas Attorney General filed channel his thoughts onto the flame. result of a bike accident that occurred an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance Geller says he concentrated on the caul­ just five months before the marathon. (AVC) against Magnetherapy, Inc., dron for eleven minutes, choosing that Steward claims she would not have requiring that the company stop mak­ length of time because eleven is his been able to compete in the ing claims that magnets "can cure, treat "mystical number" that gives him spe­ marathon without the crystal to or mitigate any disease or that they can cial powers. awaken her dormant mind power. affect [sic] any change in the human Olympic officials, however, say the Geller was also at the marathon, and body." The order also required the temporary glitch—the flame resumed says he "logged on" to Steward tele- company to "withdraw false labeling its ascent after about five minutes— pathically during the race to help her and advertising from the marketplace was most likely caused by a stray overcome her pain. within 120 days" and pay a $30,000 piece of wood that had fallen onto Several of Geller's many commercial penalty to the Office of the Attorney the track on which the massive caul­ enterprises seem geared to serve athletes General to reimburse the state for dron was riding. Nevertheless, seeking a competitive edge. His book legal and investigative fees. (See "Mag­ Geller's claim was dutifully reported Mind Medicine promises to "harness the net Therapy Update," SI September/ by the Associated Press, and it made healing powers of your mind" and the October 2000 24[5].) its way into the Telegraph (U.K.), " Mind Power Kit" (which In case you didn't know, Magne­ London's Sunday Mail, and other comes with your very own "empowered therapy. Inc. was the company news reports. Geller told the media crystal") is for those who want to train Florsheim worked closely with to that his purpose in stopping the the dormant energy within to achieve develop its line of magnetic footwear. flame was to publicize his vision of their goals. Go figure. global nuclear disarmament. —Tim Walker Geller did not respond to an e-mail —Kevin Christopher requesting brief answers to three Tim Walker works for the National Kevin Christopher is Public Relations straightforward questions about the Marrow Donor Program, based in Director for CSICOP matter. But his Web site is filled with Minneapolis, Minnesota.

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER January/February 2001 9 Fund Future CSICOP AT THE CENTER FOR N Q U I R Y Promote CSICOP

Using the Media & Telecommunications to Promote Science and Reason ^ The Fund for the Future is a capital campaign to provide CSICOP with the resources |A needed to more effectively influence media and public opinion. The 90s were defined bj a telecommunications revolution, along with an explosion of misinformation available to the scholar and citizen alike. The hunger for superstition, pseudoseienee, the paranormal and miraculous solutions has never been more acute. The Ten-Year Plan

Contributions are needed for current priorities: • Increased media appearances by skeptical spokespersons • Press releases, opinion pieces and media alerts • Greater exposure through the Internet, including webcasting • National initiatives coordinated by the Council for Media Integrity • Instructional materials introducing skepticism to elementary and secondary school students Video production How Can You Help?

CSICOP has established its expertise and integrity. It's time to command more media attention and a larger audience. The Center for Inquiry Fund for the Future is about new methods of outreach and broader influence, and is driven by an ambitious ten-year strategic plan for growth. We depend on the support of readers and friends to continue leading the international . Gifts to the Fund for the Future provide the resources we need to respond to today's challenges. All gifts are gratefully accepted. The Fund for the Future welcomes gifts of encourage­ ment and major investments. Cash contributions and gifts of stock are needed for immediate growth and new initiatives. We also offer a range of planned giving opportunities, from bequests to assorted tax-advantaged trusts and pooled funds. Planned gifts support our work in the future and can provide an income stream for you and a beneficiary. You may also make a gift supporting the general endowment, or establish a special purpose fund underwriting a long-term project that expresses your personal interests and commitment to skepticism. In today's stock market, gifts of highly appreciated securities offer particular advantages to the donor. When donating stock to a charitable organization, you avoid taxes and maximize the impact of the asset you are donating. Contact the Development Director at (716) 636-7571 to discuss accomplishing your philanthropic and financial goals and contributing to the Fund for the Future. CSICOP < at the Center for Inquiry P.O. Box 703 Amherst, NY 14226-0703 (716) 636-1425 ext. 311 Hill Xffi "Hi' St ft MI Fax (716) 636-1733 Hint." .Ini Vfrkl'fl, iiml ri'h ihi'/iii Sh r> \lh a 'r/>/» nr Council for Media Integrity i>n n i niliii shiui-. Formed just weeks after its inclusion in the Ten-Year Plan, the Council for Media Integrity monitors and challenges media programs that convey unfounded claims and mislead the public about science. Members include E. 0. Wilson, Stephen Jay Gould, and many others. CSICOP will invest in electronic infrastructure to facilitate rapid response to irresponsible programs.

Enhanced Library Resources The Center for Inquiry's skeptics' library—already the finest Co-chair of the Fund for the Future Campaign: above, of its kind in the world—needs additional funding to enlarge its author and critic Martin core collection and add electronic media. Worldwide modem access to Gardner. the library's catalog is already nearly complete.

Adult Education The Council cosponsors the Center for Inquiry Institute, which has already expanded its offerings to include a new three-year certificate program in science and skepticism. Courses are scheduled in Amherst. Los Angeles, and other cities.

Regional Outreach With the establishment of The Center for Inquiry -West (Los .Angeles). The Center for Inquiry-Midwest (Kansas City) and The Center for Inquiry-Rockies (Boulder. Colorado), giant steps have been taken to enhance direct field service to skeptical activists. Additional regional centers are planned, with expanded calendars of activities.

Focusing Upon the Young To present the skeptical message more compellingly to the young, CSICOP will develop new materials— ranging from age-appropriate print publications to audio and video cassettes and instructional coursework. Goals include enhanced understanding of science and improved critical thinking skills. SPECIAL REPORT

Science Indicators 2000: Belief in the Paranormal or Pseudoscience

Every two years, the National Science Board, the policy-making arm of the National Science Foundation, publishes a massive report on the health of U.S. science. In enormous detail, these reports describe the support of research and development, the role of the government in basic research, the workforce for science and technology, the status of science and mathematics education, the relation between R&D and innovation and economic growth, and international cooperation in science. In recent times the reports have also surveyed in detail public attitudes and public understanding of science and technology, usually revealing that the public strongly supports science but doesn't understand it very well, especially the processes of science. The latest report. Science and Engineering Indicators 2000 *, adds a brief new section not seen in previous versions, "Belief in the Paranormal or Pseudoscience. " We here publish that section of the report, with the cooperation of the chapter's primary author, Melissa Pollak, of NSF's Division of Science Resources Studies.— EDITOR

Science and Technology: beliefs may indicate an absence of science literacy and scientific literacy. Public Attitudes and Public critical thinking skills necessary not The former refers to the possession of Understanding only for informed decisionmaking in technical knowledge. Scientific literacy, the voting booth and in other civic on the other hand, involves not simply Belief in the Paranormal or venues (for example, jury duty;). but knowing the facts, but also requires the 1 Pseudoscience also for making wise choices needed ability to think logically, draw conclu­ for day-to-day living.1 sions, and make decisions based on • Belief in the paranormal: How com­ mon is it? Specific harms caused by paranormal careful scrutiny and analysis of those • Do the media have a role in foster­ beliefs have been summarized as: facts (Maienschein 1999; Peccei and ing belief in the paranormal? Eiserling 1996). • a decline in scientific literacy and • What is being done to present the critical thinking; The amount of information now other side? • the inability of citizens to make available can be overwhelming and Does it matter if people believe in well-informed decisions; seems to be increasing exponentially. • monetary losses (psychic hotlines, , This has led to "information pollu­ for example, offer little value for the (ESP), or that aliens have landed on money spent); tion," which includes the presentation Earth? Axe people who check their horo­ • a diversion of resources that might of fiction as fact. Thus, being able to scopes, call psychic hotlines, or follow have been spent on more productive distinguish fact from fiction has stories about alien abductions just and worthwhile activities (for exam­ become just as important as knowing ple, solving society's serious prob­ what is true and what is not. The lack engaging in harmless forms of entertain­ lems); of this ability is what worries scientists ment? Or are they displaying signs of • the encouragement of a something- scientific illiteracy? for-nothing mentality and that (and others), leading them to con­ Concerns have been raised, espe­ mere are easy answers to serious clude that pseudoscieniific beliefs can cially in the science community, problems, for example, that positive have a detrimental effect on the well- thinking can replace hard work; and about widespread belief in paranor­ being of society.* • false hopes and unrealistic expecta­ mal phenomena. Scientists (and oth­ tions (Beyerstein 1998). ers) have observed that people who Belief in the Paranormal: believe in the existence of paranormal For a better understanding of the How Common Is It? phenomena may have trouble distin­ harms associated with pseudoscience, it Belief in the paranormal seems to be guishing fantasy from reality. Their is useful to draw a distinction between widespread. Various polls have shown diat

12 January/February J001 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER • As many as one-third of Americans cation." Among those without high replication, all of them suggest that the believe in astrology, that is, that the school diplomas, only 41 percent said way television presents paranormal sub­ position of the stars and planets can that astrology is "not at all scientific." affect people's lives (Harris 1998, jects does have an effect on what viewers Gallup 1996, and Southern Focus The comparable percentages for high believe. For example, 1998). In 1999, 7 percent of those school and college graduates are 60 per­ • Those who regularly watch shows queried in die NSF survey said that cent and 76 percent, respectively. like The X-Files, Unsolved Mysteries, astrology is "very scientific" and 29 and Sightings were significantly percent answered "sort of scientific." Do the Media Have a Role in more likely than those who did not (See figure 1.) Twelve percent said watch these programs to endorse they read their horoscope every day Fostering Belief in the paranormal beliefs (Sparks, Nelson, or "quite often"; 32 percent Paranormal? and Campbell 1997).'° answered "just occasionally."' Scientists and others believe that the • Shows about paranormal phenom­ • Nearly half or more believe in media—and in particular, the entertain­ ena, including UFOs, without dis­ extrasensory perception or ESP ment industry—may be at least partially claimers are more likely than those (Gallup 1996; Southern Focus with disclaimers to foster belief in responsible for the large numbers of 1998). According to one poll, the the paranormal. (Sparks, Hansen, number of people who have con­ people who believe in astrology, ESP, and Shah 1994; Sparks and sulted a fortuneteller or a psychic alien abductions, and other forms of Pellechia 1997). may be increasing: in 1996, 17 per­ pseudoscience. Because not everyone • Some fans of The X-Files find the cent of the respondents reported show's storylines "highly plausible," contact with a fortuneteller or psy­ who watches shows with paranormal and also believe that the govern­ chic, up from 14 percent in 1990 themes perceives such fare as merely ment is currently conducting clan­ (Gallup 1996)." entertaining fiction, there is concern destine investigations similar to • Between one-third and one-half of that the unchallenged manner in which those depicted on the series (Evans Americans believe in unidentified some mainstream media portray para­ 1996). flying objects (UFOs). A somewhat smaller percentage believes that normal activities is exacerbating the aliens have landed on Earth (Gallup problem and contributing to the pub­ What Is Being Done To Present 1996; Southern Focus 1998). lic's scientific illiteracy.'1 In recent years, the Other Side? studies have been undertaken to deter­ The Committee for the Scientific Other polls have shown one-fifth to mine whether televised depictions of Investigation of Claims of the Para­ one-half of the respondents believing in paranormal events and beliefs influence normal (CSICOP) is a nonprofit haunted houses and ghosts (Harris television viewers' conceptions of reality scientific and educational organization 1998; Gallup 1996; Sparks, Nelson, and (Sparks 1998). Although the results of started in 1976 by scientists (including Campbell 1997), faith healing (Roper these studies are tentative and require several Nobel laureates), members of the 1994, USA Today 1998), communica­ tion with the dead (Gallup 1996), and lucky numbers. Some surveys repeated Public Perception of Whether periodically even show increasing belief Astrology is Scientific: 1979-99 in these examples of pseudoscience Percent (USA Today 1998). Belief in most—but not all—para­ 100 normal phenomena is higher among 90 women than men. More women than 80 men believe in ESP (especially and ), astrology, hauntings, 70 Not at all scientific and psychic healing. On the other hand, 60 men have stronger beliefs in UFOs and — '" 50 bizarre life forms, for example, the Loch Ness monster (Irwin 1993). In the NSF 40 survey, 39 percent of the women, com­ 30 pared with 32 percent of the men, said 20 astrology is "very" or "son of" scientific; Very scientific y Don't know 56 percent of die women, compared 10 with 63 percent of the men, answered 0 "not at all scientific."" 197 9 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 199«i Not surprisingly, belief in astrology is negatively associated with level of edu­ Figure I. The public's view of astrology as scientific. From Science and engineering Indicators—2000.

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER January/February 2001 13 academic community, and science writ­ methods of scientific inquiry. The childish notions of and fantasy is to cripple our perception of the world around us. We musi ers. Members of CSICOP, frequently 1997 and 1998 winners were Dan Akroyd, for promoting the paranor­ reach for the truth, not for the ghosts of dead referred to as skeptics, advocate the sci­ absurdities" (Randi 1992). mal on the show Psi-Factor, and Art 5. In the 1996 Gallup Poll, 18 percent of entific investigation of paranormal Bell, whose radio talk-show pro­ respondents said they read an astrology column claims and the dissemination of factual moted belief in UFOs and alien regularly. information to counter those claims. abductions. 6. At the First Amendment Center's forum on CSICOP's mission includes taking science and the media, one of the participants In its efforts to debunk pseudo- cited what he called the "most frightening" results advantage of opportunities to promote science, die Council also urges TV pro­ of a poll of students in Columbia's graduate school critical thinking, science education, and of journalism: 57 percent of the student journalists ducers to label documentary-type shows believed in ESP; 57 percent believed in ; the use of reason to determine the mer­ depicting the paranormal as either enter­ 47 percent in aura reading; and 25 percent in the its of important issues." tainment or fiction, provides the media lost continent of Atlantis (J. Franklin cited in The Council for Media Integrity, an Ham and Chappell 1997). with the names of expert spokespersons, educational outreach and advocacy pro­ 7. In an earlier NSF survey, 6 percent of the asks U.S. newspapers to print disclaimers female—compared with 3 percent of the male— gram of CSICOP, was established in with horoscope columns, and uses respondents reported changing their behavior 1996. Its objective is to promote the because of an astrology report. "media watchdogs" to monitor programs accurate depiction of science by the 8. A survey of 1,500 first-year college stu­ and encourage responsibility on the part dents found thai 48.5 percent of arts—and 33.4 media. The Council, which includes of television producers. percent of science—students considered both distinguished international scientists, astronomy and astrology scientific (De Robertis Finally, various skeptics groups and academics, and members of die media, and Delaney 1993). renowned skeptic have 9. Examples of pseudoscience that receive a believes it is necessary to counteract the long-standing offers of large sums of considerable amount of coverage in the main­ entertainment industry's portrayal of stream media are unproven health-related thera­ money to anyone who can prove a para­ paranormal phenomena because: pies. Also, as Carl Sagan pointed out, almost every normal claim. Randi and members of newspaper has an astrology column, but not many- • television has such a pervasive his "2000 Club" are offering more than have even a weekly column devoted to science. 10. This result could simply mean that people impact on what people believe; a million dollars. So far, no one has met • an increasing number of shows are who believe in the paranormal are more likely than the challenge. devoted to the paranormal, and they others to watch such programs. However, the find­ ings are consistent with the conclusions of earlier attract large audiences; Notes experiments conducted by the same researcher • a number of shows use a documen­ (Sparks 1998). tary style to promote belief in the 1. I'scudoscicnce has been defined as "claims presented so that they appear [to be) scientific 11. CSICOP's official journal the SKEPTICAL reality of UFOs, government INQUIRER is a vehicle for disseminating and publi­ coverups, and alien abductions; even though they lack supporting evidence and plausibility." In contrast, science is "a set of meth­ cizing the results of scientific studies of para­ • opposing views are seldom heard in ods designed to describe and interpret observed normal claims. shows that advocate belief in the and inferred phenomena, past or present, and 12. According to one study, scientists arc paranormal; and limed at building a testable body of knowledge portrayed more negatively than members of • some shows contribute to scientific open to rejection or confirmation" (Shermer any other profession on prime-time entertain­ ment shows. They are more likely to be killed illiteracy by promoting unproven 1997). Paranormal topics include yogic flying, or to kill someone. In fact, the study found ideas and beliefs as real, instilling a [herapcutic touch, astrology, fire walking, voodoo magical thinking, Uri Geller. placebo, alternative that 10 percent of the scientists on fictional distrust of scientists'2 and fostering medicine, channeling, Carlos hoax, psychic hot­ TV shows get killed and 5 percent kill some­ misunderstanding of the methods of lines and detectives, near-death experiences, one (Gerbner 1987). scientific inquiry. UFOs, the Bermuda Triangle, , faith 13. The award titles were inspired by Carl healing, and reincarnation (Committee for the Sagan's book, The Demon-Haunted World: Science To promote media responsibil­ Scientific Investigation of Claims of the as a Candle in the Dark (Sagan 1996). Paranormal). ity—particularly within the enter­ Selected Bibliography tainment industry—and to publicize 2. Because of several well-publicized court cases, considerable attention has been focused on Angell, M. 1996. Science on Trial- The Clash of irresponsibility—the Council estab­ [he role of science in the courtroom and the abil­ Medical Evidence and the Law in the Breast lished two awards": ity of judges and juries to make sound decisions in Implant Case. New York: W.W. Norton & cases involving highly complex, science- or tech­ Company, Inc. • The "Candle in the Dark Award" is nology-based evidence. (See Angell 1996 and Beyerstein, B.L 1998. The sorry state of scientific given to television programs that Frankel 1998.) literacy in the industrialized democracies. The have made a major contribution to 3. A fairly common example that reflects a Learning Quarterly 2, No. 2:5-11. advancing the public's understand­ dearth of critical thinking skills is the number of The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of ing of science and scientific princi­ people who become victims of get-rich-quick (for Claims of die Paranormal (CSICOP). Infor­ ples. The 1997 and 1998 awards example, pyramid) schemes. mation available from www.csicop.org. went to two PBS programs: Bill Nye 4. According to James Randi, "acceptance of De Robertis, and Delaney. 1993. A survey of the The Science Guy and Scientific nonsense as mere harmless aberrations can be dan­ attitudes of university students to astrology American Frontiers. gerous to us. We live in an international society and astronomy. Journal of the Royal that is enlarging the boundaries of knowledge at Astronomical Society of Canada 87, No. • The "Snuffed Candle Award" is an unprecedented rate, and we cannot keep up 1:34-50. given to television programs that with much more than a small portion of what is Evans, W 1996. Science and reason in film and televi­ impede public understanding of the made available to us. To mix our data input with sion. The SKEPTICAL INQUIRER 0^"»ry'February).

14 January/February 2001 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER Gallup News Service Poll. 1996. (September). Peccei, R.. and F. Eiserling. 1996. Literacy media: How do they affect what people believe? Results are based on leicphone interviews for the 21st Century. Los Angeles Times SKEPTICAL INQUIRER (July/August): 35-9. with 1,000 adults, age 18 and older, con­ (February 26). Sparks. G.G., T Hansen, and R. Shah. 1994. ducted September 3-5. 1996. For results Randi, J. 1992. It's time for science to take a stand Do televised depictions of paranormal based on the total sample of adults, one can against popular superstitions. Time (April 13). events influence viewers' beliefs? SKEPTICAL say with 95-percent confidence that the mar­ The Roper Center for Public Opinion INQUIRER 18:386-95. gin of sampling error is plus or minus 3 per­ Research. 1994. Sparks, G.G., and M. Pellechia. 1997. The Effect centage points. Sagan, C. 1996. The Demon-Haunted World: of news stories about UFOs on readers' UFO Gerbner, G. 1987. Science on television: How it Science as a Candle in the Dark. New York: beliefs: The role confirming or disaffirming affects public conceptions. Issues in Science Random House. testimony from a scientist. Communication and Technology (spring):109-15. Shermer, M. 1997. Why People Believe Weird Reports (summer). The Harris Poll #41. 1998. Large majority of Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Sparks, G.G., C.L. Nelson, and R.G. Campbell. people believe they will go to Heaven; Confusions of Our Time. New York: W.H. 1997. The relationship between exposure Only one in fifty thinks they will go to Freeman and Company. to televised messages about paranormal phe­ Hell: Many Christians and non-Christians Southern Focus Poll. 1998. Conducted by The nomena and paranormal beliefs. Journal believe in astrology, ghosts, and reincarna­ University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 41 tion. New York: Louis Harris & Associates, Institute for Research in Social Science (summer): 345-59. Inc. (August 12). This poll was conducted (Spring). Available from www.irss.unc.edu. USA Today Poll 1998. Conducted by Yankelovich by telephone within the United States July The Southern Focus Poll is sponsored by the Partners (April 20). In Nisbet, M. New poll 17-21, among a nationwide cross-section Institute for Research in Social Science and points to increase in paranormal belief. Available of 1,011 adults. The results have a statisti­ the Center for the Study of the American from www.csicop.org/aniclcs/poll/indcx.html. cal precision of plus or minus 3 percent­ South. Each fall and spring, a random sample One thousand people were surveyed in 1997 age points. of approximately 800 adult Southerners (res­ (8,709 in 1976); the poll has a margin of error Hartz. J., and R. Chappell. 1997. Worlds Apart: idents of the states of Alabama, Arkansas. of plus or minus 3.5 percent. How the Distance Between Science and Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Journalism Threatens America's Future. Mississippi. North Carolina, Oklahoma, "National Science Board, Science & Nashville, Tennessee: Freedom Forum First South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Amendment Center Virginia) and 400 non-Southerners arc inter­ Engineering Indicators—2000. Arlington, viewed by telephone. For more information. Maienschein. J., and students. 1999. Com­ VA: National Science Foundation. 2000 see www.irss.unc.edu/irss/rcsearchdesscr- (NSB-00-1). The report and its appendix mentary: To the future. Argument for scien­ vices/resdesse rviccs.html. tific literacy. Science Communication tables can be found on the World Wide Web (September): 101-13. Sparks. G.G. 1998. Paranormal depictions in the at: www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/stats.htm.

You can make a lasting impact on the future of skepticism...

when you provide for the Skeptical Inquirer in your will. CSICOP and the Skeptical Inquirer changed the terms of discussion in fields ranging from pseudoscience and the paranormal to science and educational policy. You can take an enduring step to preserve their vitality when you provide for the Skeptical Inquirer in your will. Your bequest to CSICOP, Inc., will help to provide for the future of skepticism as it helps to keep the Skeptical Inquirer financially secure. Depending on your tax situation, a charitable bequest to CSICOP may have little impact on the net size of your estate—or may even result in a greater amount being avail­ able to your beneficiaries. We would be happy to work with you and your attorney in the development of a will or estate plan that meets your wishes. A variety of arrangements are possible, including: gifts of a fixed amount or a percentage of your estate; living trusts or gift annuities, which provide you with a lifetime income; or a contingent bequest that provides for the Skeptical Inquirer only if your primary beneficiaries do not sur­ vive you. For more information, contact Barry Karr, Executive Director of CSICOP, at (716) 636-1425. All inquiries are held in the strictest confidence.

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER January/February 2001 15 A Tribute to Steve Allen

PAUL KURTZ

teve Allen, who died Oct. 30, 2000, Steve Allen felt a special responsibil­ Travels, an audiotape for Prometheus was a unique, even heroic, figure in ity to improve the quality of the elec­ Books with original music and script Spopular American culture. He was tronic media. It is not sensationalism or (read and sung by him and his wife, Jayne closely identified with the entertainment ratings (the bottom line), he said, that Meadows), "in order to introduce young­ industry, and was heralded as one of the should be the sole criteria of program­ sters to die brain and its proper use." pioneers of television talk shows. His tal­ ming, but the ideas and values that are His award-winning television series ents were multifarious: He was a come­ expressed. Although he believed in free­ Meeting of the Minds, which he wrote and dian, wrote thousands of songs, innumer­ dom of expression and was opposed to produced (with Jayne, two decades ago), able short stories, novels, plays, and books. censorship, he thought that the public stands out in distinguished contrast with I had known and worked with Steve have every right to criticize the purvey­ the mundane wasteland of televised fare. Allen for almost thirty years—as a friend ors of false or tasteless programs. This series pitted Socrates, Marie and colleague and in my capacity as ? Antoinette, Sir Thomas More, Tom publisher of Prometheus Books and 2 Paine, Karl Marx, Emily Dickinson, as Chairman of CSICOP and die S Galileo, Charles Darwin, and other his­ Council for Secular Humanism. His torical figures in dialogue and disputa­ intellectual interests were encyclope­ tion. When efforts were made by dic, his devotion to liberal and chari­ Prometheus (which had published four table causes exemplary. He was his volumes of the scripts of Meeting of the own man, standing against die bom­ Minds) to relaunch the series, it was dif­ bast and bunkum of the passing ficult to find syndicators because many parade. in the television industry felt that the He was a powerful advocate of the series was "too thoughtful" for the skeptics movement; and he did what he American public—a sad commentary could to further its aims, ever willing to on the decline of taste and intelligence. speak at our conferences and work­ Two of his most courageous books shops. He never tired of lending his were critiques of the Bible (Steve Allen support to our efforts. We are particu­ on the Bible, Religion and Morality larly grateful for die fact that he was at [1989] and a sequel). Martin Gardner, the inaugural openings of the Center in the preface to the first volume, com­ for Inquiry in Amherst, New York pared this favorably with Tom Paine's (1995) and the Center for Inquiry-West Last spring I invited Steve to a human­ The Age of Reason. Steve was willing to in Los Angeles (1997). ist conference in Los Angeles to test his publish these books because he wished to Most notably, Steve Allen accepted ideas before a liberal audience—and he counter the rise of the Religious Right. the appointment as Co-chairman (along withstood both criticism and applause What other celebrity in the American with Nobel laureate Glenn Seaborg) of with decorum and aplomb. His controver­ media would have the courage to do so? the Council for Media Integrity, a CSI- sial views will appear in Vulgarians at the All that we have on the national scene COP-sponsored organization aimed at Gate—TV Trash and Raunch Radio: today are professions of piety, almost never getting some balance in scientific report­ Raising the Standards of Popular Culture, reflective dissent—a testament to the inde­ ing in die media and some fairness in which will be published posrhumously by pendence of the man. evaluating pseudoscientific claims. Prometheus Books in April 2001. Steve Allen was a freediinker—skep• Most recendy he took TV and movies All told, Steve published fifteen books tic and humanist—in the best sense of to task for their excessive violence and with Prometheus, including Dumbth: those terms. His creative accomplish­ vulgarity, though many of his former The Lost Art ofThinking with 101 Ways to ments were so many that 1 could only libertarian friends turned against his cam­ Reason Better and Improve Your touch on some of them. What a griev­ paign against obscenity in die mass media Mind (reissued in 1998)—which became ous loss his death is to American culture because he allied himself widi conserva­ a bestseller. Critical thinking was high on and to those of us who knew him per­ tives—as well as liberals, I might add. his agenda. He produced Gullible's sonally, admired, and loved him.

16 January/February 2001 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER NOTES OF A FRINGE-WATCHER MARTIN GARDNER

Facilitated Communication: A Cruel Farce

y previous column was about males outnumber females four to one so upon a revolutionary new technique. the myth, so vigorously I shall use the pronoun "he" for any child Today he considers her his "dear friend" M promoted by Dr. Bruno with severe autism.) A therapist, usually a and mentor. Back at Syracuse, Biklen Bettelheim, that autism is caused by woman, is called the child's "facilitator." founded the Facilitated Communi­ "refrigerator mothers"—mothers with She asks the child a question, then grasps cation Institute, and quickly became the cold, unloving personalities. During the his hand, wrist, or elbow—usually the nation's top guru in promoting FC. past two decades other preposterous hand—while the child extends his index Thousands of therapists have been myths about autism have flourished. One finger and begins to type. The belief is trained in FC at his institute. is the widespread belief among agonized that the child has the ability to commu­ FC spread like wildfire across the parents that their child's autism is caused nicate intelligent thoughts by typing, but nation and abroad. Dozens of FC centers by early vaccinations. Because there is not lacks the muscular coordination needed were established around the U.S. where a shred of evidence for this, I shall not for finding the right keys. The facilitator parents, for a sizeable fee, could bring a waste space on it here. My topic is a assists him in locating the keys she is sure child with autism and have his normal much more pervasive, more cruel he intends to hit. mind released from the prison of his ter­ myth—the belief that hiding inside the A wondrous miracle now seems to rible disorder. head of every child with autism, no mat­ take place. Although the child has been You can imagine the excitement and ter how severe, is a normal child whose thought to be mentally retarded, unable euphoria of parents long desperate for intelligent thoughts can emerge through to read, write, or speak coherendy, he rational conversation with a loved child. a curious technique called facilitated types out lucid, sophisticated messages They often wept with joy when they communication (FC). that could only come from a normal, became convinced that their child could Here's how FC works. An autistic intelligent child. say to them through typing, "I love you, child is seated at a typewriter or com­ This amazing technique was discov­ mom" or "1 love you, dad." Not only puter keyboard, or perhaps just a sheet of ered in the early 1970s by Rosemary that, but they typed long meaningful sen­ paper with the keyboard drawn on it. Crossley, of Melbourne, Australia. tences, using words they were incapable (Although autism strikes both sexes, Educated only in the liberal arts, she and of speaking. Some even wrote poetry. her associates founded the Dignity This seemingly miraculous break­ Martin Gardner has two new books of Through Education and Language through was enthusiastically endorsed by essays: Did Adam and Eve Have Navels? Communication Center in Melbourne. the print and electronic media. Articles Discourses on Reflexology, , Crossley is the author of numerous praising FC appeared in newspapers and Urine Therapy, and Other Dubious papers in technical journals, and a book popular magazines. Readers Digest Subjects (WW Norton, 2000), based on tided Annie's Coming Out about one of (March 1993) published "The Secret his SKEPTICAL INQUIRER Notes of a Fringe- her patients. Life of Arthur Wold," a moving account Watcher columns; and From the Enter Douglas Biklen, a professor of of a child released by FC from the glass Wandering Jew to William F. Buckley Jr.: education at Syracuse University. When shell believed to have imprisoned his On Science, Literature, and Religion he first visited Crossley in the late 1980s mind. Movies and television shows (Prometheus Books, 2000), a collection of he was skeptical of her methods, but lauded the new technique. his other essays and reviews. soon became convinced that she had hit That something was terribly wrong

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER J*nuiry/F*bruity 2001 17 with FC was obvious from the start to doubt that facilitators do the typing? turn. Overzealous facilitators, oblivious almost all psychiatrists, neuroscientists, Indeed, it is so ridiculously easy that pro­ to the fact they they were doing the typ­ and psychologists familiar with autism. moters of FC must be simple-minded ing, began to produce messages accusing For one thing, while the poor child was not to have thought of such simple tests. parents of sexually molesting their child! typing brilliant messages, he almost never In one early test, made by skeptics, die These messages often contained graphic looked at the keyboard. He would glance child and his facilitator wore head­ four-letter obscene words. It is hard to around the room, often smiling or gig­ phones. When a question was heard by believe, but uninformed police and gling as if having fun, sometimes scream­ both child and facilitator, the child typed judges, on the basis of such accusations, ing, sometimes closing his eyes. a reasonable response. But when only the actually arrested dozens of innocent and Skeptics checked with expert typists. child heard the question, while the facili­ astounded fadiers. Some even went to jail Not one was capable of typing a sentence tator heard only music, the child's answer for months, exhausting fortunes on legal with one finger unless he or she could see had no bearing on the question. defenses before enlightened judges tossed the keyboard. This made no impression A simple visual test was even more their cases out of court. on facilitators or parents eager to believe. dramatic. A picture on a cardboard folder A recent case in England, reported in Therapists made the absurd claim that was shown to both child and facilitator. London newspapers on July 12, 1999, their children had the wonderful ability The child accurately typed the target's involved a teenage boy with a mental age to memorize die keyboard so completely name when his hand was held. In a repeat of two who was suffering from extreme that diey did not need to see it when they test, the experimenter showed the facili­ autism and unable to speak. With a hand typed! Children with severe autism, tator a picture, but this time, as he turned guided by a facilitator he had typed accu­ unable to read, write, or speak clearly, die folder so only die child could see the sations of sexual abuse by his fifty-year- found themselves in schools where they target, he secredy moved a flap that cov­ old father. The boy was made a ward of passed examinations in literature, arith­ ered die first picture and exposed a dif­ the court until the court found no evi­ metic, and odier subjects provided, of ferent one. You can guess what happened. dence of abuse. The judge, Dame course, a facilitator was beside them, The child did not type the name of the Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, branded FC a guiding their hand! picture he saw. He typed the name of the dangerous, unverified technique that It quickly became obvious to everyone picture diat only die facilitator had seen. should never be used again in any British not caught up in the FC fad that the This definitive, unimpeachable test court to support sexual abuse charges. facilitators, although totally sincere, were was featured in a marvelous documen­ In 1992 a group of facilitators at the naive and poorly trained. They were tary, "Prisoners of Silence," aired by the University of Wisconsin, in Madison, unaware of the strength of what is called PBS series Frontline in October 1993. became convinced that some of their the Ouija (or ideomotor) effect. Many facilitators were devastated by children were gifted with psychic pow­ Unconsciously they were guiding a child's the revelation that they had been ers. For example, while they typed with finger to keys they imagined die child deceiving themselves for years. One their hand held, their sentences often was seeking. In brief, it was diey, not female therapist, interviewed by revealed what dieir facilitator was think­ their patients, who did the typing. Frontline, was in tears. ing. Suspecting ESP, the facilitators As one would expect, because guiding The Ouija effect is far more powerful began giving their children tests for a finger to a key is seldom accurate, die than most people realize. It explains why telepadiy. They would show a child a children's messages swarm widi typos. the planchette, in response to questions, picture, for example of an elephant. Here are some typical examples reported glides so smoothly over the Ouija board Another child, in a distant room, would by Biklen: to spell answers which seem to come type "elephant" when asked what picture I AMN NOT A UTISTIVC ON from spirits. It is die secret behind rotat­ the other child had seen. Of course both THJETYP. ing dowsing rods, table tipping, and facilitators knew die target was an ele­ automatic writing. Entire books have phant. The Madison facility was and is MY MOTHER FEELS IM STUPID BECAUSE IH CANT USE MY been written by hands diat seem to be headed by Anne M. Donnellan, a profes­ VOICE PROPERLY. moved by spirit controls. sor of education widi forty years of You can demonstrate the Ouija effect working with autistic children. I AM VERY UPSET BECAUSE I Convinced that her patients had psychic NEED FACIUTASION. I DONT easily by tying a ring, or some other small WANT TO DEPEND ON PEOPLE. weight, to a piece of string. Tell a friend abilities, she invited magician and psi- diat if she holds diis little pendulum over buster James Randi to visit Madison and I AI DONT WANT TO BE AUTIS­ evaluate die ESP evidence. TIC. NOBODY REALLY ZUN- a man's hand it will swing back and fonh DERSTANDS WHAT IT FEELS in a straight line. Held over a woman's Randi realized at once, even before LIKE. IT IS VERY LONELY AND I hand it swings in ovals. You'll be sur­ making the trip from his home in FEEL LOUSY. MY MOOD IS BAD prised by how often this works, provided Florida to Madison, what was going on. A LOT. I FEEL LESS LONELI of course a person is told how the weight The facilitators, not die children, were WHEN I AM WITH KIDS. will swing. doing the typing. Naturally it would Is it possible to prove beyond any In the late 1990s FC took an ugly seem that die typing child was reading

18 lanuary/Fsbruary 2001 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER their mind. The apparent ESP was messages without any help, and can grow without scientific validation. explained by die fact that the facilitators up to lead normal, constructive lives. In recent years the belief that thera­ were communicating with each other. In Through high-priced seminars, and pists, using hypnosis and other tech­ a letter to me before he left Florida, sales of videotapes and literature, it is esti­ niques, could revive memories of child­ Randi predicted correctly that if he made mated that Biklen is bringing millions of hood sexual abuse sent many innocent a few simple tests in which the facilitator dollars annually to his university. This parents and teachers to prison. The tide at the receiving end did not know the cannot, however, be the only reason why began to turn when parents began suing target, and no ESP took place, he would Kenneth Shaw, the president of Syracuse therapists for fabricating such memories, be met with strong resistance from die University, has made no effort to maneu­ and many of the prison sentences have therapists. He would be accused of ver Biklen off the campus. He not only been overturned by enlightened judges. destroying ESP by his skepticism and his defends Biklen on the grounds that a uni­ The same diing is happening, though insulting experiments. versity must allow free opinions to be on a smaller scale, with fathers falsely Randi's first test was to shuffle a set of held by any faculty member, but he also accused of sexually molesting a child cards with different pictures, then ran­ has defended Biklen's competence. because of information a child types with domly select a card. A facilitator was "[Biklen] has had the intellectual rigour," a hand held by a facilitator. Lawsuits asked to leave die room while Randi Shaw told a reporter, "one would expect against FC centers and increasing aware­ showed the picture to her child and to of qualitative research in this area." ness of the Ouija effect by judges have everyone else in the room. When the Biklen has had no training in psychol­ now almost eliminated such cruel facilitator returned, held the child's hand, ogy, psychiatry, or work with the dis­ charges. Although a voodoo science sel­ dom completely evaporates, one can and asked him to name the picture he abled. His doctorate at Syracuse was in hope rhat the FC farce, involving a mys­ had seen, he typed only incorrect names. sociology. His books include Unbound: terious malady more pervasive around Similar tests for telepathy were also total How Facilitated Communication is die world dian Down's syndrome, is failures. The receiving child was correct Challenging Traditional Views of Autism finally coming to an end. only when his facilitator knew die target. and Ability/Disability (1993), and As Randi anticipated, no one at the Contested Words, Contested Science: Madison facility welcomed his disclo­ Unraveling the Facilitated Communi­ References for Further Reading sures. The children too, their hands held, cation Controversy (1997). Bodi books The literature on FC, pro and con, is vast, with hundreds of technical papers. I list here a few pop­ began to type such messages as "I don't were published by Columbia University's ular articles and one book that are not hard to like this man from Florida. He is upset­ Teachers College Press. His institute pub­ access, and which will reinforce the opinions ting my facilitator. Send him home." lishes a periodical titled Facilitator expressed in this column: "No one would like more than I to find Communication Digest. Anguished Silence and Helping Hands. James that I am wrong," Randi wrote to me in Biklen's present position on FC is that Mulick. John Jacobson, and Frank Kobic, in SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol 17 (Spring 1993), his first letter. (At Madison he sent me some facilitators, inadequately trained, pages 270-280. daily reports of his investigations.) "It have unwittingly guided a child's hand, Facilitated Communication, Autism, and Ouija. Kathleen Dillon, in SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. would be thrilling indeed to discover that but he thinks they are a small minority. 17 (Spring 1993). pages 281-287. autistic children, far from being incapable, On his Web site in June 2000 he warned: Facilitated Communication: Mental Miracle or isolated and mentally inferior... are actu­ "Facilitated Communication should Sleight of Hand" Gina Green, in Skeptic, Vol. 2, No. 3 (1994), pages 69-76. Green is director of ally capable of much more and only need never involve guiding a person as he or the New England Center for Autism, in to be released from dieir imprisonment." she attempts to point or type." Massachusetts. Now that FC has been so thoroughly Donnellan edited Classic Readings in Effectiveness of Facilitated Communication wim Children and Youth with Autism. Richard discredited, one would hope that FC Autism (1985), published by Teacher's Simpson and associates, in The Journal of leaders would admit they had been College Press. Her latest book, written in Special Education, Vol. 28 (1995), pages duped, and like the Arabs in Long­ collaboration with Martha Leary, is 424-439. Movement Differences and Diversity in Nonconscious Movements: From Mystical Messages to fellow's "Day is Done," would fold their Facilitated Communication. Lawrence Erlbaum tents and silendy steal away. Alas, true Autism/Mental Retardation (1997), pub­ Associates, 1997. believers in a bogus science seldom lished by the DRI Press, Madison. Like Facilitated Communication or Manipulated Biklen, she grants that the Ouija effect Miscommunication. Becky Greben, in Rocky change their minds or admit their mis­ Mountain Skeptic, Vol. 13, No. 6 (1996), takes. Biklen is still at Syracuse may explain some of the typing by chil­ pages 1 It. University, running his institute, and still dren with autism, but she firmly believes Facilitated Communication in America. Brian J. Gorman, in Skeptic, Vol. 6. No. 3 (1998), pages convincing parents that hidden inside that the effect can be avoided by well- 64-71. the glass shell of autism there is a bright, trained facilitators, and that most of the The Linle Professor Syndrome. Lawrence Osborne, normal child who loves them and is criticism of FC is unfounded. in The New York Times Magazine, June 18. 2000. page 55ff. This article deals with eager to converse with them provided his In 1994 the American Psycho­ Asperger's syndrome, a milder form of autism hand is held by a facilitator. I should add logical Association and the American involving children with high intelligence who that of course children with only mild Speech-Language-Hearing talk like adults, but lack social skills. autism can be taught to type rational Association each declared that FC is Understanding Autism. Geoffrey Cowley, in Newsweek, July 31. 2000. D

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER January/February 2001 19 INVESTIGATIVE FILES JOE NICKELL

Exorcism! Driving Out the Nonsense

elief in demonic possession is uted demonic manifestations to such expected if a right-handed person were getting a new propaganda boost. aberrant mental conditions as schizo­ marking them. She went on tour as a BNot only has the 1973 horror phrenia and hysteria, noting that—as "walking relic" and was exhibited in movie The Exorcist been re-released, mental illness began to be recognized as Paris to credulous thousands. There but the "true story" that inspired it is such after the seventeenth century— were a few skeptics, but Cardinal chronicled in a reissued book and a there was a consequent decline in Richelieu rejected having Jeanne tested made-for-TV movie, both titled demonic superstitions (Baker 1992, by having her hand enclosed in a sealed Possessed(Allen 2000). However, a year­ 192). In 1999 the Vatican did update glove. He felt that would amount to long investigation by a Maryland writer its 1614 guidelines for expelling testing God (Nickell 1998, 230-231). (Opsasnik 2000), together with my demons, urging exorcists to avoid mis­ Interestingly enough, while I was own analysis of events chronicled in the taking psychiatric illness for possession researching and writing this article I exorcising priest's diary, belie the claim ("Vatican" 1999). was called to southern Ontario on a that a teenage boy was possessed by In many cases, however, supposed case of dubious possession that also Satan in 1949. demonic possession can be a learned involved stigmata. role that fulfills certain important func­ Possession can be childishly simple to Psychology Versus Possession tions for those claiming it. In his book fake. For example, an exorcism broad­ Belief in spirit possession flourishes in Hidden Memories: Voices and Visions cast by ABC's 20/20 in 1991 featured a times and places where there is igno­ from Within, psychologist Robert A. sixteen-year-old girl who, her family rance about mental states. Citing bibli­ Baker (1992) notes that possession was claimed, was possessed by ten separate cal examples, the medieval Church sometimes feigned by nuns to act out demonic entities. However, to skeptics taught that demons were able to take sexual frustrations, protest restrictions, her alleged possession seemed to be control of an individual, and by the six­ escape unpleasant duties, attract atten­ indistinguishable from poor acting. She teenth century demonic behavior had tion and sympathy, and fulfill other use­ even stole glances at the camera before become relatively stereotypical. It man­ ful functions. affecting convulsions and other ifested itself by convulsions, prodigious Many devout claimants of stigmata, "demonic" behavior (Nickell 1998). strength, insensitivity to pain, tempo­ inedia, and other powers, have also Of course a person wirJi a strong rary blindness or deafness, clairvoy­ exhibited alleged demonic possession. impulse to feign diabolic possession may ance, and other abnormal characteris­ For example, at Loudon, France, a pri­ indeed be mentally disturbed. Although tics. Some early notions of possession oress. Sister Jeanne des Anges the teenager in the 20/20 episode report­ may have been fomented by tiiree brain (1602-1665), was part of a contagious edly improved after the exorcism, it was disorders: epilepsy, migraine, and outbreak of writhing, convulsing nuns. also pointed out that she continued "on Tourette's syndrome (Beyerstein 1988). Jeanne herself exhibited stigmatic medication" ("Exorcism" 1991). To add Psychiatric historians have long attrib- designs and lettering on her skin. A to the complexity, die revised Vatican bloody cross "appeared" on her fore­ guidelines also urge, appropriately, Joe Nickell is CSlCOP's Senior Research head, and the names of Jesus, Mary, and against believing a person is possessed Fellow and author of numerous investiga­ others were found on her hand—always who is merely "die victim of one's own tive books. clustered on her left hand, just as imagination" ("Vatican" 1999).

20 January/February 2001 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER With less modern enlightenment, explain. Psychiatrists were writing about The diary opens with a "Background however, the guidelines also reflect Pope cases of 'cinematic neurosis'" (Allen of the Case." The boy, an only child John Paul II's efforts to convince 2000, viii-ix). identified as "R," was born in 1935 and doubters that the devil actually exists. In Blatty had heard about the exorcism raised an Evangelical Lutheran like his various homilies John Paul has performed in 1949 and, almost two mother; his father was baptized a denounced Satan as a "cosmic liar and decades later, had written to the exorcist Catholic but had had "no instruction or murderer." A Vatican official who pre­ to inquire about it. However the priest, practice" in the faith. The family's sented the revised rite stated, "The exis­ FatJier William S. Bowdern, declined to Cottage City, Maryland, home included tence of me devil isn't an opinion, some­ assist Blatty because he had been the maternal grandmother who had thing to take or leave as you been a "practicing Catholic wish. Anyone who says he does­ until the age of fourteen years" n't exist wouldn't have the full­ (Bishop 1949,245). ness of the Catholic faith" On January 15, 1949, R and ("Vatican" 1999). his grandmother heard odd Unchallenged by the new "dripping" and scratching noises exorcism guidelines is die accep­ in her bedroom, where a picture tance of such alleged signs of of Jesus shook "as if the wall possession as demonstrating back of it had been bumped." supernormal physical force and The effects lasted ten days but speaking in unknown tongues. were attributed to a rodent. In die case broadcast by 20/20, Then R began to say he could the teenage girl did exhibit hear the scratching when others "tongues" (known as Glossolalia could not. Soon a noise as of [Nickell 1998, 103-109]), but it "squeaking shoes"—or, one was unimpressive; she merely wonders, could it have been chanted: "Sanka dali. Booga, bedsprings?—became audible booga." She did struggle against and "was heard only at night the restraining clerics, one of when the boy went to bed." On whom claimed that, had she not the sixth evening the scratching been held down, she would have noise resumed, and R's mother been levitating! At that point a and grandmother lay with him group of magicians, psycholo­ on his bed, whereupon they gists, and other skeptics with "heard something coming whom I was watching the video toward them similar to the gleefully encouraged, "Let her rhythm of marching feet and go! Let her go!" (Nickell 1995) the beat of drums." The sound seemed to "travel die length of the mat­ directed by the archbishop to keep it tress and back again" repeatedly (Bishop "True Story" secret. He did tell Blatty—then a student 1949, 246). Was R tapping his toes Demonstrating prodigious strength, at Washington's Georgetown University, against the bed's footboard? speaking in an unknown language, and a Jesuit institution—about the diary an exhibiting other allegedly diabolical assisting priest had kept of die disturbing feats supposedly characterize the "true events (Allen 2000, ix-x). Poltergeists and Ouija Spirits story" behind The Exorcist. The 1973 The diary—written by Father At this point the case was exhibiting fea­ horror movie—starring Linda Blair as Raymond J. Bishop—consisted of an tures often attributed to a poltergeist (or the devil-plagued victim—was based on original 26-page, single-spaced type­ "noisy spirit"). Poltergeist phenomena the 1971 bestselling novel of that title script and three carbon copies, one of typically involve disturbances—noises, by William Peter Blatty. The movie, which was eventually provided to movement of objects, or, rarely, serious reports one writer, "somehow reached Thomas B. Allen, author of Possessed, effects like outbreaks of fire—typically deep into the subconscious and stirred and included as an appendix to the centering around a disturbed person, up nameless fears." Some moviegoers 2000 edition of the book. The copy usually a child. Believers often attribute vomited or fainted, while others left came from Father Walter Halloran, the occurrences to "psychokinetic trembling, and there were "so many out­ who had also assisted with the exor­ energy" or odier mystical force imagined breaks of hysteria that, at some theaters, cism. Halloran verified the authenticity to be produced from die repressed hos­ nurses and ambulances were on call." of the diary and stated that it had been tilities of die pubescent child. Skeptics Indeed, "Many sought therapy to rid read and approved by Bowdern (Allen can agree with all but the mystical part, themselves of fears they could not 2000,243,301). observing that one docs not explain an

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER Janua.y/ffbruary 2001 21 unknown by invoking another. Skeptics people thought they saw and what world's best-known spiritualistic medi­ have a simpler explanation, attributing actually happened were not precisely ums—had all been produced by trickery. the effects to the cunning tricks of a the same." Experience shows that even Indeed, they had been caught in decep­ naughty youth or occasionally a dis­ "reliable witnesses" are capable of being tions many times (Nickell 1999). turbed adult. When such cases have deceived. As one confessed "polter­ The Foxes and Davenports are not been properly investigated—by magi­ geist"—an eleven-year-old girl— isolated examples. It should therefore cians and detectives using hidden cam­ observed: "1 didn't throw all those not be surprising to learn that the case of R, which began as a seeming poltergeist The case of R, which began as a seeming outbreak, soon advanced to one of alleged spirit communication, before poltergeist outbreak, soon advanced to one of finally escalating to one of supposed dia­ alleged spirit communication, before finally bolic possession. R had been close to an aunt, who escalating to one of supposed diabolic possession. often visited from St. Louis. A devoted Spiritualist, she introduced R to the eras, lie detectors, tracer powders things. People just imagined some of Ouija board. Widi their fingers on the (dusted on objects likely to be involved), them" (Christopher 1970, 149). In the planchette, they saw it move about the and other techniques—they usually turn case of R, we must realize that the pre­ board's array of printed letters, numbers, out to be the pranks of young or imma­ viously described events (the flying and die words yes and no to spell out mes­ ture mischief-makers. fruit, etc.) were not witnessed by Father sages—she told him—from spirits of the Consider some of the "other manifes­ Bishop, who reported them in his diary dead. (Actually, as skeptics know, the tations" associated widi R in the early as background to the case, and so were planchette is moved not by spirits but by part of the case, as recorded in the diary: necessarily second-hand or worse. die sitters' involuntary—or voluntary!— An orange and a pear flew across the It was indeed trickery that was muscular control [Nickell 1995, 58).) entire room where R was standing. behind the poltergeist-like disturbances She also told R and his mother how, The kitchen table was upset without of 1848 that launched modern spiritual­ "lacking a Ouija board, spirits could try any movement on the part of R. Milk ism. As the Fox Sisters confessed decades to get through to this world by rapping and food were thrown off the table and stove. The bread-board was later, their pretended spirit contact on walls" (Allen 2000, 2). thrown on to the floor. Outside the began as the pranks of "very mischie­ R had played with the Ouija board kitchen a coat on its hanger flew vous children" who, Margaret Fox by himself. Then began the outbreak of across the room; a comb flew vio­ explained, began dicir shenanigans "to noises, and eleven days later he was lently through the air and extin­ guished blessed candles; a Bible was terrify our dear modier, who was a very devastated by his aunt's death in St. thrown directly at the feet of R, but good woman and very easily frightened" Louis. He returned to the Ouija board, did not injure him in any way. While and who "did not suspect us of being spending hours at the practice and the family was visiting a friend in capable of a trick because we were so "almost certainly" used it to try to Boonesboro, Maryland, the rocker in which R was seated spun completely young." The schoolgirls threw slippers reach his beloved aunt (Allen 2000, around through no effort on the pan at a disliked brother-in-law, shook the 2-6). As R, his mother, and grand­ of the boy. R's desk at school moved dinner table, and produced noises by mother lay in R's bed and listened to about on the floor similar to the plate bumping the floor widi an apple on a the drumming sound, his mother on a Ouija board. R did not continue his attendance out of embarrassment string and by knocking on the bedstead asked aloud whether this was the aunt's [Bishop 1949, 248]. (Nickell 1995). spirit. If so, she added, "Knock three The Fox Sisters were followed in times" (thus adopting a practice of the It is well to consider here the sage 1854 by the Davenport Brothers, Fox Sisters). Thereupon, the diary advice of the late investigator and schoolboys Ira and William, who were records that the three felt "waves of air" magician Milbourne Christopher not the focus of cudery that danced about striking them and heard distinct to accept statements of what actually die family's kitchen table, and odier odd knocks followed by "claw scratchings happened from the suspected "polter­ events. Ira sometimes claimed that, on the mattress." geist." Regarding one such case Chris­ when alone, spirits had whisked him to topher (1970, 149-160) pointed out distant spots. Soon die boys advanced to Possession? that all that was necessary to see the spirit-rapped messages, "trance" writing Then, for approximately four continu­ events not as paranormal occurrences and speaking, and odier "spirit manifes­ ous nights, markings appeared on die bur as deliberate deceptions was to tations." In his old age, Ira confessed to teenager's body, after which the daw- "suppose that what the boy said was magician/paranormal investigator Harry like scratches took die form of printed not true, diat he was in one room when Houdini that die brodiers' spirit com­ words. Whenever the scratching noise he said he was in anodier in some munication—which launched and was ignored the mattress began to instances. Also let us suppose that what maintained dieir careers as two of the shake, at times violently, and at one

22 January/February 2001 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER time the coverlet was pulled loose close supervision," but they might have Soon Bowdern "believed deep in his (Bishop 1949,246-247). been done previously and only revealed soul diat he was in combat widi Satan" R's parents were becoming frantic. as appropriate, or he might have pro­ (Allen 2000, 117). R thrashed wildly; he They had watched dieir son become duced diem as he feigned being "dou­ spat in the faces of die priests and even unruly, even threatening to run away, bled up" and screaming in pain. his mother; he contorted and lashed out; and he seemed to be "on the verge of According to die diary, "The mark­ he urinated. Reports die diary: ings could not have been done by the violence" (Allen 2000, 57). They sought From 12:00 midnight on, it was nec­ help from a physician, who merely boy for the added reason that on one essary to hold R during his fights with found the boy "somewhat high-strung," occasion there was writing on his back" the spirit. Two men were necessary to then from a psychologist, whose opin­ (Bishop 1949, 247). Such naive think­ pin him down to the bed. R shouted threats of violence at them, but vulgar ing is the reason "poltergeists" are able to ions went unrecorded. A psychiatrist language was not used. R spit [sic] at found R to be "normal," but "declared thrive. A determined youth, probably his opponents many times. He used a that he did not believe the phenomena." even without a wall mirror, could easily strong arm whenever he could free A Spiritualist and two Lutheran minis­ have managed such a feat—if it actually himself, and his blows were beyond the ordinary strength of the boy occurred. Although the scratched mes­ ters were consulted (Bishop 1949, 248). [Bishop 1949, 258). One of the latter eventually advised the sages proliferated, they never again parents, "You have to see a Catholic appeared on a difficult-to-reach portion The exorcism continued on and off priest. The Catholics know about things of the boy's anatomy. for days. At times R screamed "in dia­ like this" (Allen 2000, 24). In St. Louis, there were more polter­ bolical, high-pitched voice"; he swung A young priest was called in, but the geist-type effects, whereupon Father his fists, once breaking Halloran's boy's condition was worsening and R Bishop (the diarist) was drawn to the nose; he sat up and sang (for example was admitted to a Jesuit hospital, some case. Bishop left a bottle of holy water the "Blue Danube," "Old Rugged time between February 27 and March 6. in R's bedroom but later—while the Cross," and "Swanee"); he cried; he The priest, Father E. Albert Hughes, boy claimed to have been dozing—it spat; he cursed his father; he mimed prepared for an exorcism as seeming went sailing across the room. On masturbation; he bit his caretakers. On poltergeist and demonic outbreaks another occasion R's parents found the March 18, there seemed a crisis: as if intensified. Reportedly, the nuns "could­ way into his room blocked by a fifty- attempting to vomit, R said, "He's n't keep the bed still," scratches appeared pound bookcase. A stool "fell over." going, he's going . . ." and "There he on R's chest, and he began to curse in "a Initially, Bishop and another priest, goes." He went limp and seemed back strange language." A later source said it Father William Bowdern, believed R to normal. He said he had had a vision was Aramaic, but a still later "well- could have deliberately produced all of a figure in a black robe and cowl documented record" failed to mention of the phenomena that had thus far walking away in a black cloud (Bishop "any such language competence" (Allen occurred in St. Louis, recognizing 1949, 257-262). 2000, 36). The attempted exorcism that stories of alleged incidents in However, after the priests left R reportedly ended abruptly when the boy, Maryland were, while interesting, claimed there were odd feelings in his who had slipped a hand free and worked hearsay (Allen 2000, 61-76). stomach and cried out, "He's coming loose a piece of bedspring, slashed Eventually Bowdern changed his view back! He's coming back!" Soon the Hughes's arm from the shoulder to the and was instructed by Archbishop Joseph tantrums and routine of exorcism con­ wrist, a wound requiring over a hundred Ritter to perform an exorcism on the tinued. R seemed even more violent, stitches (Allen 2000, 37). boy. Bowdern was accompanied by hurling vulgarities, and he had spells of One investigator, however, doubts Father Bishop and Walter Halloran Satan-dictated writing and speech, for whether this attack—or even this first (mentioned earlier as providing a copy of example: "In 10 days I will give a sign exorcism—ever occurred, having the diary to audior Allen), who was then on his chest[;] he will have to have it searched in vain for corroborative evi­ a Jesuit student. Bowdern began die rit­ covered to show my power." R also dence (Opsasnik 2000). In any event the ual of exorcism in R's room. Scratches wrote, "Dead bishop" (Bishop 1949, parents considered making a temporary began to appear on die boy's body, 262-269). Subsequently on April 1, move to St. Louis, where relatives lived. including the word "HELL" on his chest between disturbances, die youth was When this possibility was discussed the "in such a way that R could look down baptized in the rectory. word "Louis" appeared across R's ribs; upon his chest and read the letters During all this time die markings— when the question arose as to when, plainly." A "picture of die devil" also the random scratches and words— "Saturday" was seen plainly on his hip; appeared on die boy's leg. "Evidendy the continued to appear on R's body. When and when die duration was considered, exorcism prayers had stirred up the there was talk of his going to school "3 weeks" appeared on his chest. The devil," the diary states, because, after a there, the boy grimaced and opened his possibility tJiat R was producing die period of sleep R "began sparring" and shirt to reveal the scratched words, "No markings was dismissed on die grounds "punching the pillow widi more than school" (Allen 2000, 46), a seemingly that his modier "was keeping him under ordinary force" (Bishop 1949, 255-257). childish concern for truly diabolic

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER January/February 2001 23 forces. (The diary mentions only that ingly, Archbishop Ritter appointed a as part of his self-development, and he "No" appeared on the boy's wrists.) Jesuit philosophy professor to investi­ was no doubt enjoying the attention. Reportedly, on one occasion R was gate the matter. According to a report­ But there is simply no credible evi­ observed using one of his fingernails edly informed source, the investigator dence to suggest the boy was possessed (which were quite long) to scratch die concluded that R "was not the victim of by demons or evil spirits. words "HELL" and "CHRIST" on his diabolical possession" (Allen 2000, A Catholic scholar, the Rev. chest. It is unclear whether or not he 234). Without wishing to make a cate­ Richard McBrien, who formerly realized he was being observed at the gorical judgment, Halloran states that R chaired Notre Dame's theology depart­ time. Earlier, the priests reportedly "saw did not exhibit prodigious strength, ment, states that he is "exceedingly a new scratch slowly moving down his showing nothing more than what could skeptical" of all alleged possession leg" (Allen 2000, 180). This sounds be summoned by an agitated teenager. cases. He told the Philadelphia Daily mysterious until we consider that the As to speaking in Latin, Halloran News (which also interviewed me for boy could have made a quick scratch thought that was nothing more than the a critical look at the subject), "When­ just before the priests looked—which boy's having heard repetitious Latin ever I see reports of exorcisms, I never they did because he suddenly phrases from the exorcising priest. (Or believe them." He has concluded that "yelped"—and what they observed was one occasion "the devil reportedly spoke "... in olden times, long before there merely the aftereffect of the scratch, the school kids' 'pig Latin'"!) was a discipline known as psychiatry skin's developing response to the super­ Nothing that was reliably reported and long before medical advances . . . ficial injury. (I have produced just such in the case was beyond the abilities of what caused possession was really an effect on myself experimentally, a teenager to produce. The tantrums, forms of mental or physical illness observed by Si's Ben Radford.) "trances," moved furniture, hurled (Adamson 2000). Elsewhere McBrien On April 4, the family decided to objects, automatic writing, superficial (1991) has said that the practice of return to their Maryland home due to the scratches, and other phenomena were exorcism—and by inference a belief in father's need to work and also to relieve just the kinds of things someone of R's demon possession—"holds the faith the strain on the Missouri relatives. But age could accomplish, just as others up to ridicule." Let us hope that the after five days R was sent back to St. Louis have done before and since. Indeed, enlightened view, rather than the and admitted to a hospital run by an the elements of "poltergeist phenom­ occult one, prevails. order of monks. He was put in a security ena," "spirit communication," and room which had bars on its single win­ "demonic possession"—taken both References dow and straps on the bed. During the separately and, especially, together, as Adamson. April. 2000. Ancient rite generates modern-day skepticism, Philadelphia Daily days the teenager studied die catechism one progressed to the other—suggest News. October 3. and was taken on outings, but at night die nothing so much as role-playing Allen. Thomas B. 2000. Possessed: The True Story "possession" continued. There were failed involving trickery. So does the stereo­ of an Exorcism. Lincoln. Nebraska: iUniverse.com. attempts to give him Holy Communion, typical storybook portrayal of "the Baker. Robert A. 1992. Hidden Memories: Voices "die devil" at one point saying (according devil" throughout. and Visions from Within. Buffalo, N.Y.: to the diary), diat he would not permit it Writer Mark Opsasnik (2000) inves­ Prometheus Books. Beyerstein, Barry L. 1988. Neuropathology and (Bishop 1949, 282). tigated the case, tracing the family's die legacy of spiritual possession. SKEPTICAL On April 18, R again announced home to Cottage City, Maryland (not INQUIRER 12.3 (Spring): 248-262. "He's gone!" This time, he said, he had a Mount Rainier as once thought), and Bishop, Raymond J. 1949. Typescript diary of an exorcism, April 25 (reprinted in Allen 2000. vision of "a very beautiful man wearing a talked to R's neighbors and childhood 245-291). white robe and holding a fiery sword." friends. The boy had been a very clever Christopher, Milbourne. 1970. ESP. Seers & With it the figure (presumably Jesus) trickster, who had pulled pranks to Psychics. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell. "The Exorcism." 1991. ABC network's 20120. drove die devil into a pit. There were no frighten his mother and to fool children April 5. further episodes and Father Bishop in the neighborhood. "There was no McBrien, Richard. 1991. Interview on ABC's (1949, 291) recorded that on August 19, possession," Opsasnik told the Nightline. April 5. Nickell. Joe. 1995. Entities: Angels. Spirits. 1951, R and his parents visited the Washington Post. "The kid was just a Demons, and Other Alien Beings. Amherst, Brothers who had cared for him. "R, now prankster" (Saulny 2000). N.Y.: Prometheus books, 79-82, 119-120. 16, is a fine young man," he wrote. "His Of course, the fact that the boy . 1998. Looking for a Miracle. Amherst. N.Y.: Prometheus Books. father and morher also became Catholic, wanted to engage in such extreme . 1999. The Davenport Brothers. having received their first Holy antics over a period of three months SKEPTICAL INQUIRER 23:4 (July/August): Communion on Christmas Day, 1950." does suggest he was emotionally dis­ 14-17. Opsasnik, Mark. 2000. The haunted boy. Strange turbed. Teenagers typically have prob­ Magazine 20 (serialized on www.strangemag. Aftermath lems, and R seemed to have trouble com/exorcistpagel .html). Was R possessed? Or did superstition adjusting—to school, his sexual aware­ Saulny. Susan. 1999. Historian exorcises Mount Rainier's past. Washington Post, March 24. mask a troubled youth's problems and ness, and other concerns. To an extent, Vatican updates its rules on exorcism of demons. invite elaborate role-playing? Interest­ of course, he was challenging authority 1999. The Arizona Daily Star. January 27. •

24 January/February 2001 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER PSYCHIC VIBRATIONS ROBERT SHEAFFER

Reptoids and Martians Invade Silicon Valley

he Bay Area UFO Expo took posedly takes place. They are obviously itually advanced," although unlike place at the Doubletree Hotel in built to accommodate humans, not die many others he has only been on board TSan Jose, August 26 and 27, little guys who pilot die saucers. And a ship only once. He has a ranch near 2000, bringing together some of the top diere are lots of tables. Indeed, there are Mt. Adams, Washington, on which names in UFOlogy. I attended sporting rooms with nothing but tables. Virtually he operates the Self Mastery Earth a press badge to represent the SKEPTICAL everything that is inside the UFOs seems Institute. He claims the ability to INQUIRER and no one even looked twice to be constructed for the sole purpose of "vector in" UFOs for his visitors to see. at my hat from Nevada's Area 51 show­ abducting humans, an agenda the ETs They appear very much like "balls ing an alien quaffing some suds. With appear to be pursuing with single- of light," except that they are inter- approximately 3,000 tickets sold, the minded ferocity. dimensional. He calls this "ECETI," conference was a commercial success, The insectoid cteatures, says Jacobs, for "Enlightened Contact with Extra­ although die big money was apparendy are clearly in charge. Some people terrestrial Intelligence." A "higher coun­ not made from the registration fees of describe reptilians, although it is possible cil" seems to be in charge among visit­ $25-55. Instead, each speaker con­ that diis may be just another description ing UFOnauts, which is somehow tied ducted a two-hour "workshop" follow­ of die praying mantis insectoid. (Which in with the Ascended Masters. The ing his or her lecture, with tickets is understandable, I think, since insects question of how these splendid aliens $20-25 each, to which my press pass and reptiles are easily confused.) can be reconciled with the horrific sce­ unfortunately did not admit me, so I Angela Browne Miller is a psycho­ nario painted by David Jacobs did not missed out on some of the wildest-of- therapist who has transmitted work seem to trouble anyone. die-wild . However, what I did into this dimension from Albert David Shoemaker set up a vendor's learn from each speaker's "free" 45 Einstein and Karl Marx. She is encour­ table in the hallway with a big sign read­ minute lecture provided more than aging people to get in touch with their ing "UFO Crash Debris." He claims to enough excitement for one weekend. brain waves, urging us to "monitor have debris from two different crashes. David Jacobs, the noted UFO abduc- your brain waves for foreign conscious­ One crashed in Missouri three days after tionist, painted a scary scenario of clan­ nesses." We should be "highly con­ the famous 1947 Roswell incident. The destine activity by one or more alien scious" (although not paranoid) when other was picked up at the "hot landing races, whose agenda is secret. Fortunately, we travel interdimensionally, so we can site" in New Mexico in 1998. He claims we have been able to penetrate many of properly map out the territory. to have conducted extensive scientific dieir secrets owing to die recollections of She represents a new movement call­ testing that proves that these samples abductees, despite the aliens' best efforts ing itself Synaptic Liberation, which will have anomalous isotope ratios, and at making them forget. Jacobs is gready lead society to Utopia. She plans to impossible combinations of rare earths. obsessed by die "tables" in die saucers, transform it into a political party, and You can judge his claims for yourself at where die examinations of abductees sup- one of dieir principal demands will be www.crashdebris.com. for completely unrestricted interdimen- Shoemaker additionally claims sha- Robert Staffers World Wide Web page for sional travel. manic powers, as well as being an "exor­ UFOs and other skeptical subjects is at James Gilliland is in "telepathic con­ cist" and an "intuitive healer." He also www. debunker. com. tact" with aliens who are said to be "spir­ claims to be able to "shape-shift,"

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER January/February 2001 25 although unfortunately not in public. the Emerald Order, one of the Guardian Michael Tsarion is an astrologer, He says that while at last year's UFO races, who fortunately are protecting us numerologist, UFOlogist, and Tarot conference, he healed several people from the Intruder races. She explained reader. He explained about how both with fatal diseases. He claims that most about the different forms of matter: pre- the Atlanteans and the extraterrestrials of the UFO movement is actually run matter, etheric matter, etc., speaking were involved in ancient Celtic Ireland. by the government, bent on disinforma­ with enormous confidence about the The stories of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. tion. He accused one prominent most absurd twaddle you've ever heard. Lewis are not fictional, according to UFOlogist of trying to poison him. Richard Hoagland (see "The Face Tsarion: they describe the society of pre- Diluvian Ireland. Lawyer Peter Gersten of Citizens Anna Hayes displayed a detailed physiogonomy Against UFO Secrecy (www.caus.org) said that he is receiving channeled infor­ of various extraterrestrial faces. She is in telepathic mation from another intelligence, and contact with the Emerald Order, one of the invited his listeners to subscribe to his daily e-mail about it. Most of us in this Guardian races, who fortunately are protecting room, he said, are probably in contact us from the Intruder races. with another form of intelligence. He thinks that this intelligence is terrestrial, and that is why it is being kept secret. "Dark agents" have been sent against Behind the Face on Mars" by Gary According to Gersten, the Roswell event him, which he was able to kill using his Posner, SI November/December 2000) of 1947, whatever it may have been, shamanistic powers, and so the conspir­ drew by far the largest crowd, and the seems to have been a sort of "premature ators have stopped attacking him. 350 people who paid for his "workshop" downloading" of technology from this The Mexican UFOlogist Jaime makes him far and away the biggest hidden intelligence. He urged his listen­ Mausson showed a photo allegedly moneymaker. He wasted twenty min­ ers to look at www.padn.org—his taken by a Mexican TV viewer of cover­ utes trying to set up his computer to "Planetary Appeal Distribution Net­ age of Neil Armstrong's moon walk in present a slide show to us, using Adobe work." It's a multi-level marketing 1969. Supposedly it shows a "life form" Photoshop 3.0. Most people use that e-mail scheme. You send $10 to the on the Moon, although he conceded program for retouching photos, not for name at the top of the list, remove it, that "we have not been able to see them simply displaying them. He claimed then add your own to the bottom, all on the original tapes." The photo is that it's the only photo program he the while helping to promote the end of labeled, "1969 El Hombre de la Luna." knows how to use. Some of the "NASA the government cover-up. Hopefully It looks like a blurry image of a clay fig­ photos" he showed contained copyright Gersten, as a lawyer, has carefully inves­ ure, against an indistinct background notices by individuals, indicating that tigated whether or not this scheme vio­ looking decidedly non-lunar. they must have been "improved" from lates any of the federal or state statutes At Metepec, Mexico, a UFO landed in their original state. against chain letters. 1994, and out came a luminous extrater­ The surface of Mars is, he says, filled Gersten told of a "credible observer," restrial. He showed us a drawing of some­ with artificial stuff that was covered up Gary Lowery, who works as a fire inspec­ thing looking like an upright slug, with an by a cataclysm that occurred there, then tor. He and his family have ongoing, ET head affixed, but unfortunately to see some of it was gradually uncovered by more or less weekly contacts with beings the video you'd have to attend the work­ erosion. He claimed to find "glass tun­ that come into their home, entering shop. Apparendy the ETs in Mexico have nels" and "pipelines" on Mars. A through his closet. Gersten's workshop recendy become luminous, and such crea­ "Martian Flying Saucer" is perched pre­ would showcase Gary and his family, tures are more frequendy being seen, cariously on the edge of a canyon, its talking about the monster in their closet especially in the mountainous deserts of windows and engines visible. There is (the obvious reference to the Sesame Baja California Norte. Maussan says he increasing evidence that the global civi­ Street book of that tide was left unsaid). has seen these glowing beings himself lization that once covered Mars was us. Reportedly, during the workshop Gary once. Unforrunately, when he tried to The X-Files, says he, is an "expose"" of showed a video of his closet-monsters, take photos and videos of them, he could the power blocks that are trying to keep who as it turns out are reptoids. He also not, although he didn't explain why. All information from leaking out. Hoag­ allegedly has their footprints, preserved he can do is swear to us he's telling the land said that he ought to call today's by putting aluminum foil under a towel truth. He expects that UFOs are going to workshop, "The Real Reason Al Gore in the closet through which they had land openly very soon. Picked Joe Lieberman." He repeated been entering the room. In fact, Gary Anna Hayes displayed a detailed that same statement twice afterward, claims to have found what may be the physiogonomy of various extraterrestrial and it seemed to me that an anti-Semitic claw of one of these creatures, which faces. She is in telepathic contact with implication was intended. apparendy fell off in the towel.

26 January/February 2001 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER After the conference, a brouhaha December 31, 2012. There is ongoing, tos and videos from his collection. He erupted when another UFOlogist major activity on die Moon. When we admitted to having used bogus creden­ reportedly tried to muscle in on went to the Moon, we were told to get tials to get into a photo lab to do some Gersten's deal widi Lowrey for the exclu­ off and stay off, which is what we did. of his UFO photo analysis, saying "I sive marketing rights to his reptoid tale. The tenth planet has been discovered, in sometimes regret this today." By his Promising lucrative book and movie rev­ a 3,600 year orbit, and it will be clearly analysis, some of the Swiss contactee enues, he persuaded Lowery to cease his visible in just two years. Billy Meier's UFO photos show large appearances on the "Coast to Coast AM," as arranged by Gersten. You can read all about die great Reptoid dispute Stanton T. Friedman ended up mostly at www.caus.org/mc092300.htm. "Flying Saucer Physicist" Stanton T. speaking about several pro-UFOIogists Friedman said he would speak on who have claimed bogus degrees, or otherwise "Deceit in UFOlogy" from government agencies, and from debunkers such as significantly misrepresented their backgrounds. Phil Klass. However, what he ended up mostly speaking about were several pro- UFOlogists who have claimed bogus There appears to be something like a and presumably genuine objects, while degrees, or otherwise significantly mis­ "Galactic Federation," and Dean sug­ others look like hoaxes. represented their backgrounds. Unable gests that our quarantine, the embargo Different types of spacecraft come in to charge any UFO skeptics with doing of Earth, has just been lifted. We will several different ratios. You can predict this, he contented himself with pointing soon be making contact with beings that where UFOs will be seen next based on the out statements by leading skeptics that are interstellar, intergalactic, and inter- ratios of die UFOs we see now. Cylinders he construed as inaccurate. If I were to dimensional. The "initiation of the are followed by orbs. It is the ETs' decision do this widi die statements of Friedman human race" is taking place. to keep UFOs hidden, not the govern­ and his colleagues, I could talk for days. Clyde Lewis (www.clydelewis.com) ment's. He predicted an increase in UFO Dr. Roger Leir is a podiatrist who has done acting in independent films and activity, and especially abductions, in performs surgeries to extract supposedly screenwriting. He does a talk show called Arizona in die next one to two mondis alien implants. The surgical team is Ground Zero, heard over the Internet. Budd Hopkins, another famous essentially composed of MUFON mem­ He claims that the mass-media mar­ abductionist, talked about how abduc­ bers, with the first surgeries in 1995 dis­ ginalize UFOlogists, taking their com­ tion experiences affect young children. covering a T-shaped object in a mem­ ments out of context. The future of In some cases, a newborn baby has been brane that allegedly couldn't be cut. The UFOlogy is clouded, with the abducted from die hospital before its lab report showed that there were a large "debunkers" are getting far more press mother even took it home. In his work­ number of special nerve cells associated than the believers(l). But 80 percent of shop, he will discuss the signs by which with it. What, he asked, are nerve cells the public believe that ETs have visited. childhood abductions can be recog­ doing connected to a foreign object? He suggests diat aliens have bases on nized. If babies show fear of its mother The National Institute for Discovery Earth. He doesn't want any more "dis­ wearing dark glasses, or fear of being put Science in Las Vegas, funded by Robert closure," because it will just produce into the crib at night, it suggests that the Bigelow (www.nidsci.org), agreed to pay more lies. Aliens and die military are child is being abducted by aliens. Young for testing diese implants at Los Alamos working together. It's alien-military abductees in school tend to be loners, and at New Mexico Tech. One implant activity, and some aliens are hostile. Hopkins says, and to feel inadequate, was described as "amorphous metal," but Norman Bergrun, author of The which helpfully gives lonely and inse­ it was highly metallic. The results were Ringmakers of Saturn, says diat much of cure children somediing else to worry compared to "meteorites." Why the Saturn's rings are actually a form a space- about. Some alien implants, once dis­ aliens might implant meteorites in some­ pollution, the emissions from covered, will disappear. This happens all one's toes was not explained. Electromagnetic Vehicles (EMVs) diat the time. As for Barney and Betty Hill, Robert O. Dean rambled on about are cruising around there. He claims Hopkins suggests diat they had proba­ many tilings, making little sense. He diat diere is ongoing activity in Saturn's bly been picked up by aliens many times railed against the National Security Act, rings, presumably mining. These EMVs before their famous abduction. the Federal Reserve, FDR's New Deal, have turned up on die Moon as well. The Bay Area UFO Expo was so suc­ and the UK-USA Security Pact. NASA knows all about diis, but of cessful diat there's no doubt diey'll hold Apparently a 26,000-year cycle is course is covering it up (see www.ring another one next summer. But if you about to end, and humanity is evolving makersofsaturn .com). can't wait diat long, in May you can into a new species, emerging like a but­ Jim Dilletoso announced his inten­ attend Conspiracycon—unless the Men terfly. The calendar will run out on tion to show 199 of the best UFO pho­ In Black get you first.

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER January/Febru»ry 2001 27 ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

Medicine Wars Will Alternative and Mainstream Medicine Ever Be Friends?

In the wake of dozens of new and complementary medicines flooding both the marketplace and some hospitals, which path will medicine take? BARRY F. SEIDMAN

ast March, under the headline "Soybeans Hit Main Street," an article in The Scientist hailed the arrival of Lthe soy product tofu, including the precedent-setting (for alternative medicines at least) approval by the Food and Drug Administration, after reviewing forty-one studies, of a soy dosage of 25 grams a day to help prevent heart disease. The compounds in soy responsible for this good news, the article reported, are isoflavones (a subclass of flavonoids) which some research suggests may also help protect against breast cancers, among others. The very next month, a study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found rJiat people who ate tofu more than three times a week showed more signs of impaired

28 January/February 2001 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER mental function later in life than those was charged with sorting die wheat from who rarely ate the soy product. The the chaff among the myriad unproven suspected culprit: the high intake of supplements and therapies by rigorous isoflavones in tofu. research and testing. To some, this move Consumers could be pardoned meant that the scientific standards of for being baffled. Is tofu the next medicine would be upheld. But many "wonder food," or will it shrink others, including promoters of alterna­ your brain in a way your psycholo­ tive medicine and their followers, took gist never meant to? The Jekyll and it as a legitimization of the whole field. Hyde story of tofu illustrates the But how much credence is die tricky status of alternative (as well American public putting in these various dietary supplements, herbs, as complementary) medicines, whose remedies almost by defin­ ition have not been subject to the rigorous research and testing expected of mainstream medicine. The term "alternative" usually refers to med­ icines meant to take the place of traditional medicine, while "complementary" indi­ cates treatments used in addition to con­ ventional medicine. Complementary medicine is also sometimes called "integrative medicine," which is supposed to unite the best of both worlds, marrying scientific­ ally proven chemotherapy, for example, with herbal formulas supported by folk wisdom. One reason alternative med­ icines (AM) and complementary medicines (CM) have not been as rigorously tested as traditional medi­ cines may be that they do not attract the funding required for methodical scientific validation because typi­ cally they are not patentable. Another possible reason is that it is not in the interest of many AM promoters to undertake scientific studies of these remedies because they make a good deal of money selling them— untested and unregulated— over the counter as food supplements. In part to quench the growing popular thirst for acceptance of alternative medi­ cine, in 1998 the National Institutes of Health (NIH) created the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), which

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER January/February 2001 29 and alternative practices? That depends on whom you ask. A "landmark" article in The New England Journal of "From 1990 to 1997, the use of herbal remedies increased Medicine in the winter of 1993 by David Eisenberg and col­ 380 percent," reports Carol L. Norred, C.R.N.A., in a study leagues contended that 34 percent of Americans had sought published in the February 2000 Journal of the American unconventional treatment during any given year, often from Association of Nurse Anesthetists. She adds that data from 1998 AM practitioners rather than their regular doctors. indicate that about 37 percent of Americans used herbs during This study was later evaluated by William Jarvis, professor of the previous year, spending more than $3.87 billion for these public health and preventative medicine at Loma Linda food supplements. University in California, and contributing editor for the new peer-reviewed journal The Scientific Review New Age gurus too often promote of Alternative Medicine. Jarvis's survey found the percentage was much lower—around 10 alternative methods as safer than "invasive, percent, based on unconventional medicines side-effect-ridden" therapies such as used by patients seeking care from tradi­ chemotherapy and bone marrow transplants— tional practitioners. One of Jarvis's colleagues, Wallace usually by referring to them as "ancient" Sampson, M.D., formerly the associate (as though longevity implied validity), chief of hematology and medical oncology at die Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in and "natural." California, and a clinical professor of med­ icine at Stanford University School of James N. Dillard, M.D., director of the Columbia Medicine, explains, "They [Eisenberg et al.J inflated or biased College of Physicians and Surgeons, agrees with Norred's the study by including self-help groups, group psychotherapy, data and is indeed not surprised that so many people are weight-loss clinics, ordinary prayer, and other procedures that attracted to alternative medicines. During a long career, are really just adjuncts to standard scientific medical care, and which includes experience in both traditional and nontradi- neither are alternative or 'complementary' methods. By creat­ tional medicine, he has found that many patients are not sat­ ing a false impression of increased demand, the 'alt' system has isfied with—and in fact are quite distrustful of—conven­ created a self fulfilling prophecy." tional medicine and its practitioners, who are often referred Adding to SRAMs findings in 1999, the Journal of the to as "money-hungry" and "cold." American Medical Association (JAMA) published a study Additionally, Dillard, author of Alternative Medicine far headed up by Benjamin G. Druss, M.D., M.P.H., of the Dummies, notes that an estimated 60 million Americans have departments of psychiatry and public health at Yale University, no health insurance and can't afford conventional medical care that found what Sampson says is a far more realistic assessment with its costly prescription drugs and procedures. of AM usage. Druss's report is based on statistics provided by To that background add the growing number of health- the 1997 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), which food products in stores and on the Internet and, according to 24,676 people responded to. It found that in 1996 about 6.5 Dillard, you'll see the reason why "one half to one third of percent of Americans used both conventional and unconven­ Americans are using complementary medicines." tional medical services. Only 1.8 percent used only unconven­ Other experts, however, believe the number of Americans tional services. who are being co-opted by die alternative medicine world has "Patients generally report using such dierapies to augment been greatly exaggerated. They feel that many nontraditional their medical care rather than as a result of dissatisfaction with practitioners have laid the psychological groundwork diat has mainstream medicine," according to Druss. led the general public to form the idea that America is becom­ "Nonetheless, there remains a perception among clinicians ing "an alternative medicine country." and in the popular press that unconventional treatments rep­ For example, some skeptical practitioners point out that resent a rejection of, and challenge to, the mainstream med­ even the "serious" peer-reviewed medical journals sometimes ical system." err, fail to reveal the financial self-interest of researchers, and Dillard, however, finds no connection between the produce articles based more on bias than on solid research. Eisenberg study and Druss's. "What Druss was interested in, in his study, was finding out if people use nontraditional med­ Barry F. Seidman has a masters from New York University in icines and standard medicine at the same time, not how many Science Journalism and has written for various forums including people in the country actually use alternative therapies," The Sciences. Skeptic, Oncology.com, Biotechnology News and Dillard said. "Druss doesn't, for example, include how many The Skeptic (UK). He lives in Boonton, New Jersey with wife people self-use these medicines at the [drugstore or health- Susan and stepdaughter Jaime. E-mail address: bfi200@aolcom. food store] counter."

30 January/February 200t SKEPTICAL INQUIRER Dillard points out that Eisenberg looked at all the various helping consumers and patients better educate themselves alternative methods, from "garbage" that can't work to many about the pitfalls in unconventional medicines. He has written herbs that have been found to be useful. Though Dillard him­ a soon-to-be published analysis of this mission, to educate self believes that most alternative and complementary medi­ physicians on how to help patients deal with questionable treat­ cines are useless, he feels that certain herbs, acupuncture, and ments, from diagnosis to maintenance. Jarvis also includes chiropractic ought to be included for the treatment of many ideas on how doctors can bener understand patient behaviors patients' ailments because they have at least some scientific evi­ and help patients decipher scientific "technobabble." Perhaps dence backing up their efficacy. most important, he includes a section explaining why so many One consistent finding regarding AM usage among general people believe in unproven therapies in the first place. practitioners is that the more serious the disease, the more skep­ The extensive research Jarvis conducted to write his paper tical the people become. For instance, based on a number of led him to develop a hypothesis that separates alternative and research papers, including an unpublished survey by Shapiro complementary medicine users into two categories: pragma- and Associates for the American Cancer Society, Jarvis believes tists and ideologists. that the percentage of cancer patients who seek alternative "Pragmatists are willing to try almost anything they hear treatments is smaller than that among the general public. about that sounds plausible. They expect to be able to tell The Shapiro survey polled 36,000 homes and located 5,047 cancer patients living or deceased from 1987 and 1988. "Health beliefs of various sorts constitute a kind Shapiro considers "standard therapy" to of hygienic religion for ideologists. These people include surgery, radiation, and chemother­ apy. He found that 7 percent of the living will stick with a program even when it is patients and 14 percent of the deceased apparent to people around them that ones were reported to have used none of these treatments. Four percent of patients they are not doing any good." said they had no treatment whatsoever. "The difference between the 'no treatment' respondents and whether something is helping or not in a relatively short those who did not have the three methods mentioned are the period of time." He adds that pragmatists pay little attention users of alternative cancer treatments," says Jarvis. In other to scientific reports on this or that therapy, but pay lots of words, about 4 percent of patients. attention to testimonial and anecdotal reports, which are dif­ The Shapiro survey also found that 80 percent of alterna­ ficult to check for veracity and may be anomalies. tive or complementary therapy users continued to seek the ser­ "Ideologists are different," says Jarvis. "Health beliefs of var­ vice of their mainstream doctors while using the unproven ious sons constitute a kind of hygienic religion for ideologists. methods, while 35 percent of users did not tell their physicians These people will stick witJi a program even when it is appar­ they were using these methods. And 2 percent used these ent to people around them that they are not doing any good. methods even over the objection of their doctors. [These AM practitioners can convince ideologists] that cancer is only an illusion; [that if they] stop believing the cancer is The Traditional Point of View there, it will go away. I know of many who have died trying to The idea that alternative medicine has only recently exploded prove their ideologies were true. Even as they went downhill, onto the scene is more media hype than fact, according to they still believed that they had done the right thing." Sampson, who has been researching this sometimes-exotic Barrie Cassileth, Ph.D., of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering world for more than twenty-five years. "A propaganda number Cancer Center in New York City feels that one of the greatest is being run on the public, and , for the most pan, is obstacles scientists have to hurdle in investigating alternative falling for it," he says. The important question, he feels, is how and complementary medicine are the providers of these med­ both doctors and patients deal with the plenitude of informa­ icines themselves. tion and misinformation being circulated. "The people who promote this stuff," a frustrated Cassileth "I performed an unpublished survey of 100 successive can­ argues, "make the public paranoid about traditional medicine. cer patients in 1976 and found 60 percent had been taking They say things like 'scientists don't want to cure cancer lest some son of unproved method. [It] got me to asking all can­ they'd be out of a job'; this is a ludicrous notion." cer patients what they took besides what I gave them, and to Both Cassileth and Jarvis feel that New Age gurus too often discuss it freely. I also taught all [medical] residents and stu­ promote alternative methods as safer than "invasive, side- dents to ask the same," remembers Sampson. effect-riddcn" therapies such as chemotherapy and bone mar­ William Jarvis, who began studying quackery around the row transplants—usually by referring to them as "ancient" (as same time as Sampson, has dedicated his professional life to though longevity implied validity), and "natural."

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER Unuiry/Februaty 2001 31 But because people have used a method for hundreds or cancer patients, educate themselves well enough regarding thousands of years doesn't necessarily mean it works from a their condition. They feel that today, particularly with the physiological standpoint, just that it might have had a power­ advent of the Internet, many people can cross-reference myr­ ful belief system behind it. If for generations people had been iad databases, quickly determining the differences between taking a remedy, and everyone, from grandmothers to medi­ quackery and peer-reviewed studies. cine men, "knew" that is was good for them, then it was, for Pearson and Shaw's gripe instead is with the Federal Drug that reason, more likely in fact to help. Administration, which they see as a self-serving government agency with the power and money to dic­ tate what kind of treatment will and will Herbs can prolong blood's coagulation time, not be labeled appropriate or even seriously leading to severe bleeding in surgery patients. researched for approval. In one clash with the powers that be, Norred found that 27 percent of patients Pearson and Shaw came up on top. On who ingest herbs before surgery encounter January 15, 1999, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia this complication. under Circuit Judge Silberman decided that the FDA had violated Pearson and Also, "natural" doesn't exempt patients from danger or tox­ Shaw's constitutional rights to sell their dietary supplements icity. After all, poison ivy and snake venom are "natural." James without governmental approval. The court voted unanimously Dillard said, in a previous interview, that "many folks think in their favor. that they can treat themselves widi herbs, because herbal reme­ A statement added to the decision was tacked onto the offi­ dies 'are not really medicines.' This is incorrect . . . they [these cial decision by Silberman, which assured that the decision herbs] are not the same as just eating a salad or vegetable." would be published, indicating false motives on the part of the One dangerous result of this kind of thinking arises when government. The government argued that the FDA was con­ people take these medicines to assist them through serious cerned with consumers' dietary health and safety, when in fact medical challenges like surgery. "The government had never contended that appellants' Norred, after surveying 500 patients, found that 255 of (Pearson and Shaw) dietary supplements, as opposed to other them, or 51 percent, took vitamins, herbs, dietary supple­ dietary supplements not at issue in this litigation, threaten ments, or homeopathic medicines just two weeks before consumers' health and safety," said Silberman. surgery. Of these patients, 122 took 50 different herbs with Frustrated by what Pearson sees as the FDA's narrowness of other alternative medicines. Some of these herbs included gar­ vision, he notes, "It was once the policy of the FDA to say that lic, cranberry, echinacea, and ginseng. One danger of such the agency ought to be the 'sole authority' for determining practices is that these herbs can prolong blood's coagulation what is good and what is bad medicine. Some still believe this time, leading to severe bleeding in surgery patients. She found is so; I think diis is utterly laughable. ... The FDA doesn't that 27 percent of patients who ingest herbs before surgery have a monopoly on truth," concluded Shaw. encounter this complication. When asked their opinions whether or not the NCCAM is helping to widen die playing field for potentially beneficial com­ The Alternative Point of View plementary medicines, Pearson said, "I diink diey [NCCAM] There are some alternative-point-of-view complementary med­ can be doing a better job in choosing what to look at. Some of icine promoters who claim they are indeed being responsible. the stuff they are studying doesn't have any more medical rele­ Durk Pearson and Sandy Shaw are a team of scientists who vance than leeches! There are many, many other medicines much have worked in die field of nutrition and complementary more worth studying like calcium and certain herbs." medicine for more than thirty years. They currendy operate a Paul Bergner, editor of Medical Herbalism, an herb infor­ company called Life Services, Inc., and conduct anti-aging and mation Web site, makes herbs his livelihood. He argues that brain biochemistry research. herbal medicine, especially Chinese tonic herbs, may improve Careful to separate themselves from the average "miracle the survival rates of cancer patients undergoing conventional workers," Pearson points out diat he has earned degrees from treatments. "As a non-M.D. recommending herbal medicine the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in physics, biology, to cancer patients, I do not hesitate to inform patients of the and psychology, while Shaw graduated with a degree in bio­ possible benefits. However, interactions between herbal medi­ chemistry from the University of California at Los Angeles. cines and chemotherapy are poorly understood. Therefore, I The team does not feel die average person today is as igno­ recommend that they fully disclose to their oncologist the rant toward shams and charlatans as they might have been just regime that they are practicing." ten years ago. Instead, diey feel diat patients today, especially So, in general, are doctors alerting their patients to the

32 January/February 2001 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER potential dangers of unproven therapies? choose an alternative treatment, replacing traditional methods. One clue that this may not always be the case is that often "I can't approve of treating cancer, for instance, widi such patients who do ask their doctor about this herb or that alter­ medicines as an alternative treatment unless, perhaps, if the native therapy get blank stares—an acknowledgment, accord­ patient has gone through chemotherapy and has had masses ing to Dillard, that the doctors "don't have any idea what removed, but the cancer is very metastatic—basically, if there patients are talking about." Conversely, some physicians adopt is little else that can be done." an adversarial stance at the very mention of alternative medi­ For complementary methods like chiropractic, as well as some cines, even toward the few remedies that actually show some herbs like echinacea, Rebelo says that as long as they do not inter­ evidence of benefit. fere with the current medications and treatment the patient is tak­ ing, he has no problem widi patients trying them out. He found, AM and the Doctor/Patient Relationship though, that with many herbs, patients usually come to him after Many patients never confront their doctors about their use of the fact, telling him, 'Hey, I tried this and it didn't work.' alternative medicines. According to an as-yet unpublished case Wallace Sampson says he never had problems with people study, Norred says that questionnaires have indicated diat withholding this kind of information. In fact, many people "About 70 percent of individuals who use alternative medicines would bring pamphlets or books to his office and ask him what do not discuss it widi dieir doctors but self-diagnose and self- he diought. "Although I usually didn't agree widi what the treat their illnesses. This lack of communication could compro­ books said, I sat with them and discussed their options. [Are] mise patients' safety if the use of unconventional medicines patients keeping dieir involvement secret from their doctors? interferes with other health problems or medical treatments." James M. Metz, M.D., assistant profes­ About 70 percent of individuals who sor of radiation oncology at the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center, in a study use alternative medicines do not discuss it he presented May 23, 2000, at the 36th with their doctors but self-diagnose and meeting of the American Cancer Society for Clinical Oncology, found that 40 per­ self-treat their illnesses. cent of cancer patients used unproven ther­ apies and did not disclose this information to their doctors I'd say they don't. They just don't tJiink it is very important." until specifically prompted to. Sampson does admit, however, that there are some patients Within a group of 79 patients who admitted using such who will never be happy with what he and most physicians therapies, 40 percent reported using mega-doses of vitamins might say about alternative or complementary medicines. such as C and E. Metz pointed out that diese vitamins are "[Clinicians] are usually not going to prescribe diese methods antioxidants and could interfere widi or inhibit radiation ther­ because most of die claims of'success' are false." apy. Metz told Ascribe: The Public Interest Newswire, "Patients Yet the attraction of some unproven treatments—die sense should understand that just because a product is marketed as of empowerment they give users and their relative affordabil- 'natural,' that doesn't make it completely safe. Many of our ity (even diough some such treatments can be surprisingly chemotherapy drugs are from natural sources, but the ingredi­ expensive)—can be very powerful. ents are known to have certain toxic effects." While researchers Janet Zazha, a consumer of complementary products, sees are asking these important questions of patients, they are great potential in their ability to both keep her healdiy largely neglecting to ask physicians the same questions. and prevent future ailments. She currendy takes calcium John Renner, M.D., chief of medicine for glucorate (CdG), a "natural" chemical found in apples, grape- HealthScout.com and the National Council for Reliable fruits and broccoli, to prevent breast cancer, and BiosLife 2 Health Information, and now retired from private practice, (BL2), a dietary fiber supplement, to lower blood cholesterol. reflects on his relationship with the many patients he saw Her family doctor is not only aware that Zazha is taking CdG, throughout his career. "I was a patient advocate. I even had a but she say proudly, "after I told him about it, he is now tak­ medical library in my office. I was very honest with my ing BiosLife himself to lower his cholesterol, as he wants to patients, and they seemed to return this honesty. I don't think stop taking Lipitor [a prescription cholesterol-lowing drug]." many [took alternative medicines] behind my back." "I would like to see a study where BiosLife 2 was measured Physician's assistant Helder Rebelo, P.A.C., of High against oatmeal," comments Stephen Barrett, M.D. Barren Mountain Health in Wayne, New Jersey, agrees that most has researched BiosLife and the company distributing it, patients are honest with dieir doctors. He makes it clear to Rexall, extensively. He feels diat as far as controlling choles­ other physicians as well as patients that he'd never advise a terol, the product might have some positive effect, but that no patient, especially one with a condition as serious as cancer, to one seems to want to submit a study to any peer-reviewed

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER January/February 2001 33 journals, and this leaves him suspicious. indeed the new frontier for twenty-first-century medicine? "BiosLife is expensive. I'd really like to know if there is any AM and CM practitioners claim that traditional medicine is data showing that it is more effective or even cost-effective than short-handing them and not seriously studying the effects of using oatmeal. Also, two people whose doctors prescribed "natural medicines." For most scientists however, the proof is BiosLife for their high cholesterol levels have recently consulted in the pudding. me. Neither of them was being optimally managed." Denis R. Miller, M.D., the global clinical manager of Aventis Indeed, Barrett says he found that these patients were never Pharmaceuticals in Bridgewater, New Jersey, and clinical profes­ even asked to have regular blood work done to determine if sor of pediatrics at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in BiosLife was working as advertised! New Brunswick, New Jersey, feels that "Everything people can imagine taking as treatments for anything is testable. Those who argue against this are not being honest." Many complementary medicine practitioners Miller makes a point to say that he is often take any one herb that might be very much for any treatment that increases one's lifespan and improves the quality of helpful for preventing some ailment life of any patients; so much so that he is such as cancer, and then add to it lots willing to test any alternative medicine for its efficacy. He adds, "Paranoia has no place of useless herbs and vitamins. whatsoever in science." Nathaniel Katz, M.D., co-coordinator of a multidisciplinary commentary task Barrett operates a health-based watchdog Web site at force at Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, is part of a www.quackwatch.com, and there posts extensive articles and rare program where the goal is to combine traditional proce­ pertinent information about alternative cancer treatments and dures such as nerve blocks with alternative therapies such as other such information. Among the cancer treatments he ana­ guided imagery, yoga, and Therapeutic Touch (TT). lyzes are CanCell (Cantron), Antineoplastons, Cell Specific As a response to any complaints from doctors not willing to Cancer Treatment, Essiac, Immune-augmentative Therapy, place patients into the care of "unproven therapies," Katz the Kelly/Gonzalez Metabolic Therapy, shark cartilage, and argues that "every decade has its standard medicine and its vitamin C. He notes that the American Cancer Society refers non-orthodox ones. Some medicines from both groups, in to these "treatments" as "lifestyle practices, clinical tests of time, can, and do, fall out of favor." He admits though, "I therapeutic modalities that are promoted for general use for think people become interested in the non-orthodox medicine the prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of cancer and which simply because they are non-orthodox." are, on the bases of careful review by scientists and/or clini­ Katz is a strong advocate of the usefulness of the placebo cian, deemed to have no reasonable evidence of value." effect, one of the ways he deems some non-orthodox medi­ "These products need to be studied one by one; using an cines "work." "There are two main ways placebos operate. One umbrella term like 'alternative medicine' is meaningless and is the psychological way, where a patient simply believes that non-measurable," says Barrett. He cautions that many CM the nurse standing over them applying soothing touches, or practitioners often take any one particular herb that might be the mind-clearing effect of yoga medication can produce a helpful for preventing some ailment such as cancer, and then psychological effect, will do so and can allow the patient to feel add to it lots of useless herbs and vitamins. When the patient better thereby helping their body to heal itself. The other is doesn't get cancer, he or she credits the useless herbs along with that some of these placebos might actually cause some bio­ the one useful one. "Personally," adds Barrett, "I feel that the chemical effect in the brain that helps patients get better." complementary medicine practitioners are dishonest muddle- Katz, arguing against the skeptical notion that placebos can heads offering a low quality of medical treatment." only affect someone for a limited time, says he's known many patients who were still healthy years after they stopped taking Consilience? a particular placebo even though the conditions were not Confusion over the use of alternative medicines seems to run known to get better on their own. deeper than sensational claims and public frustration with tra­ In disagreement with what Barren calls Katz's "anecdotal ditional medicine. It might be necessary to compile a better, evidence," the Quackwatch president points to very dubious more descriptive language that can clearly explain what is information regarding one of Katz's treatments. He offers for exacdy meant by alternative and complementary therapies. evidence a study of TT designed by Laura Rosa, R.N. and her Are they mosdy vitamin and mineral supplements to be daughter Emily Rosa published in die April 1, 1998, Journal taken—pun intended—with a grain of salt? Or are they of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

34 January/February 2001 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER "They tested twenty-one TT practitioners to determine endorphins—a natural morphine-like drug—into the body. whether they could detect one of her hands near theirs. Each Most skeptics do not wish to discredit the placebo effect for subject was tested ten to twenty times. During the tests, the palliative reasons; one day science, they feel, might be able to practitioners rested their forearms and hands, palms up, on a "bottle the effect" and help patients use their brain's natural flat surface, approximately 10 to 12 inches apart. Emily then healing abilities to aid toward curing many diseases. However, hovered her hand, palm down, a few inches above one of the they feel that for now, many of the nonorthodox therapies subject's palms. A cardboard screen was used to prevent the need to be tested via repeated "blinded" clinical trials. "Only subjects from seeing which hand was selected. The practitioners correctly located Emily's hand 122 (44%) of 280 trials, 'Through a combination of suggestion, which is no better than would be expected belief, expectancy, cognitive reinterpretation, by chance and guessing." Barrett notes that Dr. George Lundberg, and the diversion of attention, patients given [then] editor of JAMA, himself believes biologically useless treatments can often that TT practitioners now have an ethical duty to disclose the results of this study to experience some measurable relief." potential patients and that the third party payers should question whether they should pay for TT pro­ if the improvements observed in the active treatment group cedures. Lundberg also believes that patients should "refuse to exceed those in the control and placebo groups by a statisti­ pay for this procedure until and/or unless additional honest cally significant amount can any therapy claim legitimacy," experimentation demonstrates and actual effect." adds Beyerstein. Katz indicated that patients at Dana Farber do not directly Perhaps die key to a harmonious coexistence of conven­ pay for the alternative therapies the new program offers, but tional and alternative medicines is a kind of divorce. Scientists, admits that the practitioners are being paid for their services. who are more qualified than any New Age practitioners or lay How this eventually affects the overall Dana Farber patient person to determine the value of unproven treatments, need to billing procedures has not been disclosed to this reporter. conduct research that will once and for all divorce the sensa­ Barry Beyerstein, Ph.D., is concerned about using such tional claims of these treatments from any actual therapeutic unproven therapies. He says, "At least ten kinds of errors and qualities diey might have. Then they have to be taken, one biases can convince intelligent, honest people that cures have by one, into the laboratory. One thing is certain, however— been achieved when indeed they have not!" In the September/ alternative medicines can no longer be ignored. October 1997 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Beyerstein. a psychologist at the Brain Behavior Laboratory at Simon Fraser University in References British Columbia, Canada, noted that many complementary American Association of Nurse Anesthetists: http://www.aana.com. medicines stay around so long riiat they wind up forcing American Cancer Society: http://www.cancer.org. respect from hospitals and many doctors, usually due to all the Barren. Stephen. M.D. Personal interview. April 2000. Quackwatch at http://www.quackwatch.com. so-called "satisfied testimonials" people offer to their worth. Bergner. Paul: Personal interview, April 2000. MedHerb: http://www.mcdhero.com. Beyerstein, Barry. Ph.D. Quotes from SKEPTICAL INQUIRER: http://www. "Essentially, they [the patients] are saying, 'I tried it and I csicop.org/si. got better, so it must be effective.' But even when symptoms Cassileth. Barrie. Ph.D. Quotes taken from 2000 Annual Conference of do improve following a treatment, this, by itself, cannot prove Science Writers hosted by the American Cancer Society in Tampa, Florida, that the therapy was responsible." March 2000. Dillard, James. M.D. Personal interview. May 2000. Among Beyerstein's "ten errors and biases" are: 1) the dis­ Jarvis. William, M.D. Personal interview, May 2000. ease may have run its natural course; 2) Many diseases are Journal of American College of Nutrition: htrp://www.am-col!-nuir.org. Katz, Nathaniel, M.D. Personal interview, May 2000. cyclical: "That is, some diseases like arthritis and multiple scle­ Miller, Denis. M.D. Quotes taken from 2000 Annual Conference of Science rosis have their ups and downs"; 3) Spontaneous remissions: Writers hosted by the American Cancer Sociery, in Tampa, Florida "Even with cancers that are nearly always fatal, tumors occa­ NCCAM (NIH): hitp://nccam.nih.gov. sional disappear without further treatments"; 4) Symptomatic Norred, Carol. C.R.N.A. Personal interview. April 2000. Pearson & Shaw (Durk Pearson & Sandy Shaw): Personal interviews. May relief versus cure; and 5) the placebo effect. 2000. Life Services. Inc. at http://www.lifesemces.com. "Through a combination of suggestion, belief, expectancy, Rebelo. Heida. P.A.C. Personal interview, April 2000. Renner, John. M.D. Personal interview. April 2000. NCRH1 at http://www. cognitive reinterpretation, and the diversion of attention, ncahf.org. patients given biologically useless treatments can often experi­ Sampson, Wallace, M.D. Personal interview, May 2000. ence some measurable relief," said Beyerstein. The Scientist: www.dic-scientist.library.upenn.edu. The Scientifie Journal of Alternative Medicine, http://www.hcre.org/sram/ One kind of relief for patients with pain, for instance, can index.html. come from the placebo's effect to trick the brain into releasing Zazha. Janet. Personal interview. April 2000.

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER January/Feb'ua-y 2001 35 Herbal Medicines and Dietary Supplements A Risky Health Gamble

Think herbal medicines and dietary supplements are always "natural, " "pure, " and free of problems associated with toxicity? Think again. There is little control or uniformity of these products, and most consumers seem oblivious to the potentially significant health risks associated with them.

JOHN M. ALLEN

erbal medicines and dietary supplements represent a booming multibillion-dollar business in the U.S. Hand around the globe. The herbal medicine phe­ nomenon is part of a much larger "alternative medicine" movement whose proponents seek to exploit both tradi­ tional methods of disease prevention and treatment as well as a variety of New Age approaches. There is no question that the active ingredients in some herbal preparations show much promise in the prevention and treatment of a wide variety of illnesses; this is evidenced by a large body of sci­ entific data that has been amassed and published in rep­ utable scientific and medical journals. However, the use of herbal medicines and dietary supplements also poses

36 January/February 2001 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER significant health risks. These risks are largely due to the has also been reported that herbal medicines are occasionally widely varying nature of herbal preparations and, in the U.S., contaminated with pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals, to the lack of consumer protection ordinarily accorded to drug microorganisms, and mold toxins, and have occasionally been substances by die Food and Drug Administration (FDA) spiked with other drugs. The chemical composition of many because herbal medicines and dietary supplements are not herbal preparations that are sold to consumers is essentially officially classified as drugs. unknown. This situation is tantamount to die consumer of Herbal medicines and dietary supplements are typically herbal preparations playing chemical Russian roulette. processed plant materials or solvent extracts (essential oils) of However, the FDA cannot take legal action to restrict the use plant materials. All plants, including herbs, naturally synthe­ of a given herbal medicine or dietary supplement until sub­ size many (sometimes hundreds) of complex chemical com­ stantial harm has been proven. pounds as part of dieir metabolic activities. Many of these Herbal medicines are, in some ways, like illicit street drugs. compounds are not directly related to the plant's energy pro­ When a drug user buys crack cocaine or heroin on the street- duction but are toxins synthesized by the plant in order to corner, the dealer has no idea what is really in the glassine ward off other plants, herbivores, and plant parasites. Thus, all envelope or plastic vial and neither does the trafficker who plant materials contain large numbers of chemical com­ supplies the local dealer. When a consumer buys herbal reme­ pounds, some of which may exert a desired physiological effect dies at a local pharmacy, his or her pharmacist and the com­ and others which may exert no effect whatever or any number pany that supplied them to the pharmacy have only limited of undesirable effects when consumed by humans. In fact, information as to what is in them; in many cases the supplier many herbs contain chemical compounds that act oppositely from the principal active ingredient (Beier 1990). John Allen is an associate professor in the Department of In addition to the issue of heterogeneity resulting from Chemistry, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN 47809. plant biosynthesis of large numbers of chemical compounds, it E-mail [email protected].

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER January/February 200' 37 merely repackages and distributes these products and pockets extolling the glories of the healing power of herbal medicines a hefty markup. As with street drugs, the dosage and purity of and dietary supplements and several shelves of books devoted herbal medicines are unknown. However, the effects upon the to the same topics. A little time spent surfing the Internet is human body produced by the active ingredients in many both instructive and disturbing. Web pages devoted to such herbal medicines are not as well understood as the effects of as astrology, rolfing, crystal therapy, colon cocaine or heroin. hydrotherapy, and electromagnetic therapy provide links to other Web sites devoted to the healing power of "natural" The New Age Mantra: herbs and "organic" dietary supplements. One can even buy Organic and Natural is Better "pyramid energized" herbs that are supposedly more effica­ The terms "organic" and "natural" have found widespread use cious because they have been stored under a pyramid. Of in a seemingly infinite variety of contexts. Organic gardening course, this powerful effect said to be exerted by pyramids is and natural foods come to mind at once. Advertisers fre­ not really surprising since some claim that storing razor blades quently claim that their products are "totally organic" or "one under a pyramid keeps them sharp indefinitely. The absurd and nonsensical practice of what is referred to as "homeopathic medi­ There is no doubt that many pharmaceutical cine" is quite different from the use of drugs produce a variety of adverse side herbal medicines, but it is instructive to examine some similarities shared by both. effects, but this is also true for herbal remedies. Homeopathic medicines are essentially sugar pills that may have some placebo hundred percent natural." What exactly do these phrases effect but contain no active ingredient at a high enough con­ mean? Most consumers are convinced through advertising that centration to have any direct physiological effect. However, organic or natural products are intrinsically safer and more homeopathic medicines as well as herbal medicines both pose effective than synthetic or "chemical" products. the significant risk that credulous patients with serious ill­ To the average consumer, organic means "good" because nesses may forgo effective medically supervised treatments in synthetic chemicals are "bad"; natural means "wholesome," and favor of treatments offered by New Age snake oil peddlers. anything else is probably loaded with chemicals (i.e., bad). In fact, some products are even labeled "chemical free." This, of What is Organic and Natural? course, is impossible since even the empty product container To a chemist, an organic substance is any substance that con­ has air in it which is composed of chemicals. All of this confu­ tains carbon atoms, and a natural product is simply one derived sion is the result of New Age propaganda and superstition as from plant or animal sources. It is really not possible to deter­ well as a certain amount of fear of chemicals. Part of the prob­ mine the meaning of the term "natural" as it is used in the pop­ lem is that the word chemical is so frequently used in conjunc­ ular literature and in advertising. Morphine that is extracted tion with pollution or carcinogen. This results in consumer con­ from opium poppies and morphine that is prepared syntheti­ fusion and anxiety and is exploited by those who derive income cally are both organic chemical compounds because they both from the sale of so-called organic or natural products. contain carbon atoms. However, there is absolutely no differ­ Unfounded and irrational fears of chemicals have been ence between natural morphine extracted from opium poppies amplified by clever natural food and herbal medicine advertis­ and morphine that has been prepared synthetically from bottles ing campaigns to such an extent that many consumers now of chemicals sitting on a shelf in the laboratory. fear pharmaceutical drugs. So-called natural remedies are There is also absolutely no reason to believe that exposure touted as safer and healthier alternatives to synthetic chemical to naturally derived chemicals is any less likely to be toxic than pills dispensed from the local pharmacy. There is no evidence exposure to synthetic chemicals (Ames 1991). For example, a to support this proposition; in fact the evidence suggests the completely natural organic compound called aflatoxin is syn­ opposite conclusion. There is no doubt that many pharma­ thesized by certain fungi that grow on improperly stored corn, ceutical drugs produce a variety of adverse side effects, but this peanuts, and plant materials such as herbs. Aflatoxin is thou­ is also true for herbal remedies. Of course, the rates of inci­ sands of times more toxic to humans than DDT, a much- dence and severity of side effects associated with the use of feared synthetic pesticide; it is also a very potent carcinogen herbal medicines are known mainly through anecdotal evi­ (cancer-causing substance). dence, although well-documented reports of serious adverse side effects are becoming more frequent. Reports of Herbal Medicine Toxicity in At any of the wonderful upscale book and coffee shops at the Literature local malls across America and probably in Europe as well, Most reports of toxic effects due to the use of herbal medicines there are entire sections of the magazine racks devoted to and dietary supplements are associated with hepatotoxiciry

38 January/February 2001 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER (liver toxicity) although reports of other toxic effects including are commonly encountered "natural" remedies. kidney, nervous system, blood, cardiovascular, and dermato- The ingestion of tripterygium wilfordii, a Chinese herb used logic effects, mutagenicity, and carcinogenicity have also been for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases published in the medical literature. The involvement of herbal for many years, frequently leads to blood cell abnormalities. A medicines in kidney toxicity is observed so frequently that it is recendy published report found that a significant hematotoxic referred to as Chinese herb nephropathy (CHN) in die medical effect is exerted on human bone marrow cells by this herb literature, a progressive form of renal fibrosis. (Pyatt et al. 2000). The risks of toxic effects associated with the use of herbal In 1989, approximately one thousand five hundred people medicines vary significantly from person to person. "Certain were struck down with a syndrome called eosinophilia myalgia users of herbs are at high risk of intoxication. These include that causes severe muscle pain, neuropathy, and a host of other chronic users, those consuming large amounts of a great vari­ symptoms after taking /-tryptophan dietary supplements. It is ety, the very young, fetuses, die sick, the elderly, the malnour­ estimated that thirty of them died as a result. Some of the sur­ ished or undernourished, and those on long-term medication" viving victims of this syndrome have been disabled for life. (Huxtable 1990). What follows is a small sampling of the There is substantial evidence that this syndrome was caused by many reports of adverse health effects associated with the use a chemical contaminant found in /-tryptophan from a partic­ of herbal medicines and dietary supplements found in the cur­ ular source (Kilbourne et al. 1986). The /-tryptophan that was rent medical literature. linked to this terrible medical condition was marketed as "nat­ Herbal preparations containing germander were with­ ural," "pure," and "safe." This topic was discussed previously drawn from the market after their use for weight control in the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER (Barrett 1995). It has also been caused a hepatitis epidemic. Mint tea containing pennyroyal found that chromium (III) picolinate, a common component oil (menthofuran and pulegone) was reported to be responsi­ of dietary supplements, causes chromosome damage in animal ble for the death of one infant and serious injury in another studies (Stearns, et al. 1995). Many dietary supplements are due to hepatic and neurologic injuries (Bakerink et al. 1996). ingested by consumers at dosages that far exceed medically- Herb mixtures containing chaparral (Gordon et al. 1995), recommended levels. aristolchia, ma-huang, germander, and Jin-bu-huan were reported to have produced life-threatening neurologic and cardiovascular manifestations after a single dose in a child, Herbal Supplement Ephedra and long-term use in adults has been associated with hepati­ May Be Deadly tis (Horowitz et al. 1996). St. John's Wort is a very popular over-die-counter herbal In early November 2000, scientists reported that the popular preparation used as an antidepressant. The active ingredient in herbal supplement ephedra (also known as ma huang) may St. John's Wort is a chemical compound called hypericin. cause stroke, heart attacks, seizures, and death in otherwise Other chemical compounds present in St. John's Won prepa­ healthy young people. Though some of the problems affected long-term users, others had been taking the drug rations, their concentrations, and human toxicities are essen­ for a few days or weeks. tially unknown and can vary widely depending upon the Researchers reviewed records from 140 ephedra users source of the herb and subsequent handling. Hypericin, how­ who suffered medical complications from 1997 through ever, absorbs certain frequencies of light and, when present in 1999. They found that one-third of the problems the the eye after oral ingestion of St. John's Wort, can result in patients experienced were "definitely or probably" caused alterations of lens proteins i ii.u can lead to cataract formation by the herbal drug, and another one-third were "possibly" caused by ft. (Roberts et al. 1999). This observation is indirecdy supported by a recendy published report (A. Colasanti, A. Kisslinger, and The ingredient is used alone or combined with other drugs in hundreds of products. Because herbal supplements F. Villani 2000) in which hypericin was found to produce pho- are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration totoxic effects in cells. Hypericin passes the light energy that it (FDA), uniform dosage standards are nonexistent and sup­ absorbs to oxygen molecules forming toxic species including plement labeling is often incomplete or misleading. This free radicals which can subsequently attack and damage a vari­ means that many of the estimated 12 million users of ety of biomolecules. ephedra may not even know that they are taking it. Podophyllin obtained from bajiaolian, a species of plant in The research was conducted by Dr. Neal Benowitz, chief of clinical pharmacology at the University of California at the mayapple family, used in herbal laxative preparations, is San Francisco, along with Dr. Christine Haller. The research reported to have caused coma and prolonged peripheral neu­ was commissioned by the FDA and appeared in the ropathy (damage to the nervous system) in several patients November 5, 2000, New England Journal of Medicine. (Dobb and Edis 1984). Odier herbal extracts, essence of sage which contains camphor, a well-known convulsant, and —Benjamin Radford essence of hysop which contains pinocamphone, a neurotoxin.

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER lanuary/February 2001 39 Scutellariae radix used in some herbal medications was found (46%) that their physicians recommended removal of their kid­ to cause fetal abnormalities and birth defects in animal studies neys and ureters in order to reduce their risk of cancer mortality. resulting in defects of offspring skeletal and urinary systems Surprisingly, this herb can still be readily obtained here in the U.S. (Kim et al. 1993). This herb damages the fetus as a result of the There are also reports that some herbal medicines can act as mother's exposure to the toxin during pregnancy, particularly tumor promoters (Norhanom and Yadav 1995). A tumor pro­ when exposure occurs during the first trimester of pregnancy. moter acts to induce the formation of malignant tumors as the result of exposure to another agent. The Chinese herb Use of Herbal Medicines and Increased wikstroemia chamaedaphen was found to act as a tumor pro­ Risks of Cancers moter of uterine cervical carcinoma (cancer) in mice. The herb Pyrrolizidine alkaloids present in comfrey tea and other plant euphorbia virgata has been demonstrated to promote squa­ materials are widely recognized as hepatotoxins. In addition, mous cell papilloma (a type of skin cancer) in mice (Upadhyay, these compounds have been identified as carcinogens. In an ani­ R., R. Samiyeh, and A. Tafazuli 1981). mal study done with Russian comfrey leaves and roots on rats, hepatocellular adenomas (a type of liver cancer) were induced in Herbal Medicine Risks and Human Longevity animals that received diets containing comfrey roots and leaves Proponents of the use of herbal medicines have argued that these and, less frequendy, hemangioendothelial sarcomas (cancer) of preparations have been used for a long time and that any serious the liver were also observed (Hirono, I., H. Mori, and M. Haga toxicity problems would have been identified by now. This argu­ ment is wholly without merit. Herbal reme­ dies have been used for hundreds of years but It is very difficult to make connections between their toxicities (and in particular their cancer- causing abilities) have, as yet, remained specific chemical exposures and cancer risks since largely unquantified. Even some pharmaceu­ people are exposed to so many different chemical tical drugs that have undergone extensive testing (e.g., thalidomide) have later been compounds during their lifetimes. found to exert unanticipated toxic effects. One of the most frustrating aspects of study­ ing chemical carcinogenesis is the long 1978). In a study conducted in the Philippines, users of herbal latency period between chemical exposure and the development medicines were found to have elevated risk (2.5X) of nasopha­ of cancers. This is problematic because it is very difficult to make ryngeal carcinomas (nasal and sinus cancers) versus non-users. connections between specific chemical exposures and cancer risks This effect is thought to occur through the ability of some herbal since people are exposed to so many different chemical com­ medications to reactivate die Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) or pounds during their lifetimes. Furthermore, many people who through a direct promoting effect upon EBV-transformed cells use herbal medicines use more than one herbal preparation. (Hildescheim and Dosemeci 1993). Another study found a 49- Thus, there are many difficulties posed by multiple exposures fold increase in nasopharyngeal carcinomas among those testing over long periods of time in unravelling cancer etiology. Another positive for EBV who also use herbal medicines (Hildescheim et obstacle to identifying cancer etiologies are the unquantified al. 1992). Thus, patients infected with EBV might well want to effects upon carcinogenesis associated with heredity; some people avoid some herbal remedies in particular. are just more susceptible to certain cancers than others. The use of medicinal herbs has been correlated with high Herbal medicines have found widespread use in China for incidences of esophageal cancer. Extracts of areca catechu, rhus centuries. If the life expectancy in China, let's say, two hundred coppallina, diospyros virginiana, sassafrass albidium, and years ago was short (e.g., thirty years), most people would have chenopodium ambrosiodes were found to produce tumors in rats died from other causes before they had lived long enough to (Kapadia et al. 1978). Madder root (rubia tinctorum I.) used in develop cancers as the result of chemical exposures such as herb herbal treatments for kidney stones was found to cause an ingestion. Furthermore, for most of the past two hundred years, increase in malignant liver and kidney tumors in an animal there has been no systematic public health surveillance of human study (Westendorf, J., W. Pfau, and A. Schulte et al. 1998). cancers. Thus, if as it appears that some herbal medicines are car­ It has been recendy reported (Nortier et al. 2000 and cinogenic we will not observe the effects upon cancer morbidity Greensfelder 2000) that, in addition to developing Chinese herb and mortality rates for several years in the U.S. assuming that nephropathy (discussed previously), a group of patients in widespread use of herbal medicines began ten to fifteen years ago. who ingested the Chinese herb aristolchia after it was mistakenly added to a dietary supplement have suffered signifi- The Modern Drug Discovery and Approval Process candy elevated risks of urothelial carcinomas (cancers of die kid­ A few years ago a movie called Medicine Man starring ney and ureter). The cancer risk for these patients was so high Sean Connery captured the popular imagination concerning

40 January/February 2001 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER breakthrough drug discovery; it was a partly true and partly ing synthetically produced drug is absolutely identical to the fictional account. There are many paths that lead to drug dis­ drug derived from plant material. covery. Sometimes, the development of a new drug comes Once the syndietic drug has undergone rigorous assess­ about by teams of researchers travelling to remote jungle areas ments of its safety and efficacy as per FDA regulations and is and collecting specimens of medicinal plants used by native found to be acceptable, it is approved for use by the public. people; other times by taking a closer look at an old-time The manufacture of the synthetic drug is strictly regulated by domestic herbal remedy. the FDA. Every step is carefully assessed and contaminants are When a natural product such as an herb appears to have quantified and reduced to a specified concentration level in some desirable medicinal property based upon anecdotal evidence, an investigation of the chemical constituents of die plant Regarding herbal preparations, there is material may be conducted. The first step is frequently to prepare a solvent extract of rarely any attempt to isolate the active the plant material. When an extract is pre­ ingredient (if one is actually present) pared from a particular medicinal herb, the plant material is dried, pulverized, and from the herbal plant material boiled in an organic solvent such as meth­ or herbal extracts. ylene chloride with collection and recycling of the solvent vapor in an apparatus diat somewhat resembles a still. The solvent is removed and an the final product. This process sometimes takes a very long extract or oil remains. This oil may contain hundreds or thou­ time and requires the expenditure of vast sums of money by sands of individual chemical compounds. In the case of many pharmaceutical companies. Once the drug is marketed, medicinal herbs, one or two of diese chemical compounds reports of any previously unrecognized side effects are moni­ may exert die desired physiological effect. The odier com­ tored by the FDA. If it becomes clear that the use of a given pounds present in the extract may be inert, or cause any num­ drug represents an unacceptable risk of unwanted side effects, ber of toxic effects when ingested by humans. its use may be restricted. The extract is then carefiilly fractionated by chromato­ This procedure contrasts quite sharply with die situation graphic separation methods. Chromatographic separations regarding herbal preparations. There is rarely any attempt to involve distributing the mixture of chemical compounds isolate the active ingredient (if one is actually present) from the extracted from the plant material between a stationary bed of herbal plant material or herbal extracts. The presence of delib­ solid particles and a flowing solvent. Under die appropriate erately added adulterants (i.e., drugs) and accidental contami­ conditions, each chemical component (or a fraction containing nants in die herb or herbal extract is always a risk when these a small number of chemical components) will migrate dirough products are not properly tested for purity. However, it should die bed of solid particles at a different rate. Each fraction is col­ be pointed out that some manufacturers of herbal medicines lected individually as it reaches the end of die particle bed. and dietary supplements do conduct testing in order to assure Each fraction is dien tested for die desired activity (usually that their products do not contain deliberately added impuri­ on mice or other small animals). When a fraction is found to ties or accidental contaminants. This testing may also involve have a desired effect, the components in diat fraction are sub­ determination and standardization of die concentration of an jected to further separation. These more finely separated frac­ active ingredient. Of course, product testing for purity and tions are then tested for activity. Ultimately, die goal is to iden­ standardization of dosage is essentially voluntary and is only tify a specific chemical compound present in the original plant conducted by die most reputable manufacturers and distribu­ extract that exerts the desired physiological effect. tors. As pointed out previously, many herbal toxicity issues are Once the active chemical compound has been identified, associated with the chemical compounds diat are present in the its molecular structure must be determined. This is done by herb itself rather than deliberately added or accidental contam­ such techniques as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spec­ inants. Thus, when testing for purity is performed, it provides troscopy. When die structure of die molecule (i.e., the way in only a limited assurance of safety. which all of die atoms in die molecule are connected to one another) is mapped out, a syndictic scheme is worked out to Caveat Emptor build the molecule from scratch. Scratch, in this context, The convoluted paths by which herbal medicines reach the means readily available chemical reagents. Since a given drug U.S. consumer may, in some cases, provide a protective molecule may contain as many as a hundred atoms or more, shield against liability on the part of the corporations who this can be a complex undertaking. Once the synthetic scheme market these products. Imagine the following fictitious sce­ is worked out, the drug is synthesized and purified. The result­ nario: plant materials sold as herbal medicines are harvested

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER January/February 2001 41 by poor peasants in Indonesia. Unfortunately, the peasants undergone only limited testing may be justified. For the who harvest the herbs also mistakenly pick a similar looking average relatively healthy person, however, the ingestion of but highly toxic plant that grows in the same area as the herbal medicines and dietary supplements represents the herbs. These are mixed together with some other herbs which assumption of unquantified, but potentially serious, health were sprayed with pesticides from an unknown source and risks and dubious benefits. stored in a damp basement for a couple of months and have become contaminated with mold. Most of the mold is cut off References and the plants are shipped by boat to Hong Kong where a Ames, B.N. 1991. Natural carcinogens and dioxin. Science of the Total Environment 104: 159-166. chemical stimulant is added to enhance the effect of the Bakerink, J.A., et al. 1996, Multiple organ failure after ingestion of pennyroyal herbs. These herbs are then sold to Natural Consciousness oil from herbal tea in two infants. Pediatrics 5: 944-947. Herbal Ecstacy, Inc. whereupon they are packaged and Barrett, S. 1995. Notes on the Tryptophan disaster. SKEPTICAL INQUIRER 19(4): 6-9 July/August. marketed in the U.S. Approximately one hundred consumers Beier, R.C. 1990. Natural pesticides and bioactive components in foods. suffer some degree of liver damage and two die as the result Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 113: 47-137. of ingesting these contaminated products. Who is legally Colasanti, A., A Kisslinger, and F. Villani. 2000. Hypiricin photosensitization of tumor and metastatic cell lines of human prostate. Journal of liable for these injuries and deaths? Natural Consciousness Photochemistry and Photobiolagy B 54: 103-107. Herbal Ecstacy, Inc.? Not likely. Besides, a small company Dobb. G.J.. and R.H. Edis. 1984. Coma and neuropathy after ingestion of such as Natural Consciousness Herbal Ecstacy, Inc., has few herbal laxative containing podophyllin. Medical Journal of Australia 140: 495-496. tangible assets. Litigation, even if successful, will therefore Gordon. D.W. G. Rosenthal, J. Hart, R. Sirota, and A.L Baker. 1995. yield little or no compensation for the victims from the Chaparral ingestion: The broadening spectrum of liver injury caused by herbal medicine distributor, and the chances of successful herbal medications. Journal ofthe American Medical Society215: 489-490. Greensfelder, L. 2000. Herbal product linked to cancer. Science 28S: 1946. recovery of damages from the overseas suppliers are quite Hildescheim, A., and M. Dosemeci. 1993. Non-viral risk factors for nasopha­ small indeed. ryngeal carcinomas in the Philippines: Results from a case control study. International Journal of Cancer 55: 722-727. Conclusions Hildescheim, A., S. West, E. DeVeyra, M.F. DeGuzman, A. Jurado, C. Jones J. Imai, and Y. Hinuma. 1992. Herbal medicine use, Epstein-Barr Virus, It is worth repeating that some herbal medicines have and risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Cancer Research 52: 3048-3051. demonstrated efficacy for the treatment or prevention of a Hirono, I., H. Mori, and M. Haga. 1978. Carcinogenic activity of Symphy­ tum officinale. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 61: 865-869. variety of illnesses. However, in many cases, equally effective Horowitz, R.S.. K. Feldhaus, R.C. Dan, F.R. Stermitz, and J.J. Beck. 1996. and much safer pharmaceutical drugs are available. The The clinical spectrum of Jin-Bu-Huan toxicity. Archives of Internal consumer of pharmaceutical drugs ingests very well charac­ Medicine 156: 899-903. Huxtable. R.J. 1990. The harmful potential of herbal and other plant prod­ terized chemical substances while the consumer of herbal ucts. Drug Safety 5: 126-136. medicines and dietary supplements ingests substances of Kapadia, G.J., E.B. Chung, B. Ghosh, Y.N. Shulka. S.P. Basak, J.F. Morton, essentially unknown chemical composition. If the use of a and S.N. Pradham. 1978. Carcinogenicity of some folk medicinal herbs in rats. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 60: 683-686. given herbal medicine or dietary supplement causes injury to Kilbourne, E.M., R.M. Philen, M.L Lamb, and H. Falk. 1996. Trytophan consumers, it may take a long time for this to become produced by Showa Denko and epidemic eosioplila myalgia syndrome. apparent, particularly regarding carcinogenicity. Thus, each Journal of Rheumatology 23: 81-88. Kim, S.H.. Y.H. Kim, S.S. Han, and J.K. Roh. 1993. Teratogenicity study of consumer of herbal preparations is acting as a sort of human scutellarica radix in rats. Reproductive Toxicology 7: 73-79. guinea pig in a poorly controlled drug study; if enough of Norhanom, A.W., and M. Yadav. 1995. Tumor promoter activity in Malaysian them are injured, the FDA can act to protect the rest. Euphorbiaccae. British Journal of Cancer 7 \: Tlfy-TT). Nortier, J.L., M.C. Martinez, H.H. Schmeiser, V.M. Arit. C.A. Bieler, Furthermore, successful recovery for damages on behalf of M. Petein, M.F. Depierreaux, L DePauw, D. Abramowicz, P. Vereer- injured consumers may be difficult or impossible. straeten. and J.L. Vanherweghem. 2000. Urothelial carcinoma associated with the use of a Chinese herb (Aristolchia Fangchi). New England Journal I do not wish to suggest that the sale of herbal medicines of Medicine Wl: 1686-1692. and dietary supplements should be subject to legal prohibi­ Pyart. D., W. Y. Yang, B. Mehos, A Le, W. Stillman, and R.D. Irons. 2000. tions; it is my position that each individual person should be Hematotoxicity of the Chinese herbal medicine Tripterygium Wilfordii free to assess the risks and rewards of ingesting chemical hook f in CD-34-Positivc human bone marrow cells. Molecular Pharmacology 57: 512-518 substances and act accordingly. However, most consumers Roberts. J.E., J.H. Wang. I.P. Tan, M. Datillo. and C.F. Chignell. 1999. seem to be oblivious to the potentially significant health Hypericin (active ingredient in St. John's Wort) Photooxidation of lens risks associated with the use of herbal medicines and dietary proteins. Photochemistry and Photobiology 69: 42S. Stearns, D.M., J.P. Wise, S.R. Patierno. and ICE. Wetterhahn. 1995. supplements. Chromium (III) Picolinate produces chromosome damage in Chinese Finally, for patients stricken with AIDS or cancer, waiting hamster ovary cells. FASEB Journal 9: 1643-1648. for the wheels of science, industry, and government to Upadhyay, R., R. Samiyeh, and A. Tafazuli. 1981. Tumor promoting and skin irritant diterpene esters of euphorbia virgata latex. Neoplasma 28: identify, develop, and approve new drugs may not be an 555-558. option. For these patients, the use of herbal medicines and Westendorf, J., W Pfau. and A. Schulte. 1998. Carcinogenicity and DNA dietary supplements as well as experimental drugs that have adduct formation observed in ACI rats after long-term treatment with madder root, rubia tinctorum 1 Carcinogenesis 19: 2163-2168. D

42 January/February 2001 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER Psychoactive Herbal Medications How Do We Know They Work?

Numerous psychoactive herbal medications are available to treat cognitive and emotional conditions. This article examines the evidence for their effectiveness and our assurances that it's not "all in our minds. "

MARCELLO SPINELLA

he use of psychoactive plants is a phenomenon com­ mon to all human civilizations. The psychological Tand behavioral effects of such plants were likely rec­ ognized in prehistoric times, and their uses have been passed down across generations. Plants are the oldest and perhaps still the primary source of medicines. We are now able to synthesize novel drugs, but the bulk of psychoactive drugs still derive from plant sources. For example, caffeine is per­ haps the most frequently used stimulant in the world, con­ sumed in the form of soft drinks, tea, and coffee. Many herbal medications with reputations for treating illnesses are freely available to the public, but the empirical basis for their effectiveness often remains obscure. This article examines the evidence for psychoactive herbal medicines.

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER January/February 2001 43 Discipline Contribution Botany Structure, function, and distribution of plants Biochemistry Chemical composition of plants, active constituents Pharmacology Effects of the drug in the body, effects of the body on the drug Psychopharmacology Effects of the drug on mind, brain, and behavior Pharmacognosy Scientific study of the medicinal uses of plants Ethnobotany, Ethnopharmacology Uses of medicinal plants/drugs in the context of culture Neuroanatomy Effects of drugs on brain or small-scale brain structure Neurophysiology Effects of drugs on neuronal function and signaling Neuroradiology Imaging of the functional brain effects of drugs Neurochemisty Actions of drugs on brain chemistry and receptors Clinical psychology, Psychiatry, Neurology Clinical effects of drugs in the treatment of mind/brain illnesses Neuropsychology Characterization and quantification of the cognitive effects of drugs

Table 1. Scientific disciplines contributing to herbal psychopharmacology

The Prevalence of Alternative Herbal Medications within a person. Thus, treatment consists of bringing these two Large surveys indicate rJiat the use of alternative medicine is energies back into balance. Ayurvedic medicine is an ancient prevalent in the United States (Eisenberg et al. 1998). Forty-two Hindu medical system that also employs herbs to treat illnesses. percent of the population acknowledged trying at least one form While such philosophies surrounding herbal medicine may of alternative medicine during die previous year, most com­ seem innocuous as long as the treatments are effective, an accu­ monly to treat chronic conditions such as back problems, anxi­ rate conceptual model can impede further understanding of ety, depression, and headache. The popularity of herbal medi­ how diey work and hamper the discovery of potential novel cine has enormous implications for medical professionals. Only uses. Pharmacognosy is a scientific discipline that seeks empiri­ about 40 percent of those patients surveyed informed their cal validation of the therapeutic use of plants dirough experi­ physician of their use of alternative medicine, and it was esti­ mental and clinical research (Robbers et al. 1996). This mated that 15 million took prescription medications concur- research requires money, time, and effort, but it yields results rendy with herbal medications and/or high-dose vitamins. This that are proven and reliable. Such research seeks to minimize presents an enormous potential for adverse interactions. For personal biases, extraneous influences, or pure chance. example, ginkgo biloba is known to prevent clotting and can Traditional Acquisition of Knowledge About interact with blood-thinning medications. At present, herbal Herbal Medicines medicines are sold as supplements as long as they are not repre­ sented as treatment for a disease (Dietary Supplement Health Traditional herbal medicine systems grew out of our serendipi­ and Education Act of 1994). While this may meet legal stan­ tous discoveries from interactions with plants. While tradi­ dards, it leaves consumers with little information to guide diem. tional systems have arisen to explain dieir therapeutic effects, the beneficial effects of herbs were originally discovered by trial Alternative Herbal Medicine and error. One does not need to know why an herbal medicine works in order to derive benefit from it. The herb's biochemi­ Several alternative medicine systems employ plant drugs to cure cal effects occur whether or not one has an accurate ailments. Homeopathy posits that "like cures like," so medica­ understanding of them. If the biochemical effects of an herb tions aim to mimic the symptoms of the illness and provoke a bring some form of benefit to an organism, its use will be compensatory reaction. Chinese herbal medicine suggests that behaviorally reinforced, provided that beneficial consequences die illness arises from imbalances of the yin and yang energy are reasonably contiguous (occur close in time) and contingent Marcello Spinella, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of psychology at (have a prediaive relationship). This does not require any Richard Stockton College in Pomona, New Jersey He has con­ explicit knowledge about the plant other than an ability to ducted research in the neuropharmacology of analgesia and his identify it. An extreme example of this comes from die forthcoming book. The Psychopharmacology of Herbal nascent field of zoopharmacognosy, which studies the thera­ Medications, will be published in 2001 by MIT Press. peutic uses of plants among animals. Tanzanian chimpanzees

44 January/February 2001 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER are observed to use the Aspilia plant, from which they derive expectations that influence the results of the study, espe­ no apparent nutritional benefit (Rodrigues et al. 1985; Page cially when one is studying psychoactive drugs (Straus and et al. 1992). However, the plant contains a chemical called von Ammon 1996; Gordon 1996). For example, placebos thiarubine-A, which protects against certain gastrointestinal can create temporary antidepressant effects, but they dif­ parasites and microorganisms. Aldiough the chimpanzees fer from real antidepressants in terms of the pattern and presumably do not have any detailed, formalized information persistence of the effect. In cases where it is difficult to about the plants, they derive some noticeable benefit from ethically justify a placebo group, and thus deprive subjects eating it and the behavior is reinforced. of needed treatment, one can instead compare the herbal medication with an established treatment. Do Psychoactive Herbal Medications Work It is also useful to employ several doses of the drug and and How? establish a dose-response relationship, showing diat the magni­ Several scientific disciplines contribute to our understanding of tude of effect varies with the size of die dose. This strengthens the herbal medicines (table 1). To fully understand die effects die pharmacological nature of die effect and helps determine of a herbal medication, we must obtain a botanical description die appropriate dose for clinical use. of the various parts of die plant and perform biochemical Another key element in the experimental study of analyses to identify die constituents responsible for its effects. psychoactive herbs is randomized assignment of subjects Pharmacological studies of the constituents determine their to the various control and experimental groups. Double- physiological effects and how die body metabolizes and elimi­ blindedness is also an essential facet of a controlled study. nates diem. Of particular concern is whedier the ingredients These features eliminate potential bias by die researcher and cross die blood-brain barrier in sufficient quantities to enter the any self-selection effects by the subjects. Finally, statistical brain. Ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology study die cultural analysis of the results is needed to ensure they are not likely context of plant drugs showing how diey are used and how due to chance occurrence. beliefs are instilled about what diey do. Neurochemical and neurophysiological studies of herbal Clinical Decisions: Quality of Evidence medicines can characterize the detailed effects of the drug on When evaluating a treatment for clinical use, one must neurons. Psychology and psychiatry assess the mental and consider die quality of evidence diat supports it. A Canadian behavioral effects of the herbal medicine through clinical task force developed such guidelines (table 3), which have studies. Neuropsychology is particularly equipped to quantify subsequently been adopted by other regulatory panels and evaluate the specific cognitive effects of plant drugs with (Canadian Task Force on die Periodic Healdi Examination batteries of psychometric tests. Ideally, functional brain imag­ 1979; Woolf 1992). ing techniques can be used to investigate psychoactive herbal The quality of evidence is categorized into three classes: medicines. The electroencephalogram (EEG) can grossly Class I means that the treatment has at least one random­ measure changes in the brain's electrical patterns after a herbal ized, controlled study to support it. Class II evidence medicine is given (Itil et al. 1998). More recent neuroimaging covers studies without randomization, cohort or case- techniques such as positron emission tomography (PET) and control studies, or uncontrolled research with dramatic functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) can detect results. Class III evidence includes the expert opinions regional changes in cerebral blood flow or glucose metabolism based on tesearch and experience. caused by a herb. While die latter classes of evidence provide useful infor­ Thus, a psychoactive herbal medicine can be examined on mation, Class I evidence should be sought for all herbal med­ multiple levels, from molecular interactions to behavioral and icines used clinically. Case studies and anecdotal reports can cognitive effects. Such results provide convergent evidence for provide useful information and should be treated seriously, the herb's proposed mechanism of action. but they should also be followed up with verification by empirical research. Essential Features of Herbal Drug Studies In addition to understanding how an herbal medication Necessary Elements might work, we must also evaluate whether the herbal medication really works. Experimental studies of drugs must have certain critical elements (see table 2). Many studies done on herbal medications lack proper method­ ology, making their potentially useful results unreliable. Studies need to have a placebo control group, in which Control groups (e.g., placebo) some subjects receive an inactive treatment that closely I Randomization resembles the active treatment. Placebos create powerful Table 2. Key methodological elementDouble-blins in herbadl drug studies Other Useful Elements Dose-response relationship ComparisoSKEPTICAn to an existingL INQUIRE, establisheR January/FeDruard treatmeny 200t 1 45 els of depression (Chatterjee et al. 1998a, 1998b; Okpanyi and Class 1 At least one properly designed, randomized Weischer 1987). Meta-analyses have evaluated mediodologi- controlled trial cally controlled human trials of St. John's Wort, in which it Class II proved superior to placebo (Linde et al., 1996; Kim et al. 11-1 Well-designed, controlled trials without ran­ 1999). Hyperforin was shown to be a responsible ingredient in domization some studies, and a dose-response relationship was obtained. A II-2 Well-designed, cohort or case-control ana­ few studies found St. John's Won to be equivalent in effective­ lytic studies, preferably from more than one ness to other standard antidepressants, including two selective center or research group serotonin reuptake inhibitors (Linde 1996; Vorbach 1994, Comparisons between times or places with­ II-3 1997; Harrer et al. 1994; Brenner et al. 2000; Schrader 2000). out intervention; dramatic results in uncon­ trolled experiments Although long-term safety of St. John's Won has not been Class III Opinions of respected authorities, based on evaluated, it has not shown any serious toxicity in published clinical experience, descriptive studies, or reports (Heiligenstein et al. 1998). Side effect are generally mild reports of expert committees and occur at a rate comparable to placebo (Ernst et al. 1998). (Canadian Task Force on the Periodic Health Examination, 1979) Further, it may have a better side effect profile dian pharmaceu­ tical antidepressants (Kim et al. 1999; Schrader 2000; Linde et Table 3. Quality of evidence for evaluating a treatment al. 1996). Phototoxicity has occurred in animals grazing on the plant, but this does not appear to be a problem in humans tak­ Psychoactive Herbal Medicines ing therapeutic doses (Brockmoller et al. 1997). However, phar­ The remainder of this article examines die research surround­ macokinetic interactions have been noted with the drugs war­ ing a few selected psychoactive herbs to illustrate some of the farin, digoxin, theophylline, cyclosporin, and die protease above topics: inhibitor indinavir (Nebel et al. 1999; Ruschitzka et al. 2000; Johne et al. 1999; Yue et al. 2000; Miller 2000). Given their St. John's Wort common mechanism of action, concurrent use of St. John's Wort St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) is an herb traditionally with other antidepressants is not recommended (Gordon 1998). used to treat depression, insomnia, and anxiety (Kowalchik and Thus, St. John's Wort's traditional reputation as an anti­ Hylton 1987; Heiligenstein et al. 1998). It contains several depressant is supported by neurochemical, animal, and human classes of chemical constituents rJiat may contribute to its phar­ clinical studies. Although much research remains to be done, macologic effects (Nahrstedt et al. 1997; Erdelmeier 1998). St. John's Wort is a prime example of a traditional herbal treat­ There are several possible neurochemical mechanisms by ment verified by multiple levels of scientific research. which St. John's Wort alleviates depression. Initial attention was Ginkgo drawn to hypericin and pseudohypericin since diey inhibit die enzyme monoamine oxidase (MAO), as do several pharmaceu­ Ginkgo biloba is a tree that grows characteristic fan-shaped tical antidepressants. However this effect is small at normal oral leaves. It has been known in die Chinese medical literature as a doses (Midler et al. 1997; Thiede and Walper 1994). Another treatment for memory loss for hundreds of years (Field and constituent, hyperforin, blocks reuptake of die neurotransmit­ Vadnal 1998). A class of chemicals have been found unique to ters serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine (Muller et al. gingko, termed ginkgolides A, B, C, M and J, and bilobalide. 1998). This mechanism is also common to other pharmaceuti­ Gingko extracts alter a number of neurotransmitter systems in cal antidepressants, which similarly prolong the activity of the brain. They increase the activity of acetylcholine, at con­ those neurotransmitters. For example, fluoxetine (Prozac) and centrations likely to be reached widi normal doses (Kristofikova sertraline (Zoloft) block reuptake of serotonin. Hyperforin also et al. 1992; Kristofikova et al. 1997; Taylor 1986). similarly causes adaptive changes in the brain over time (Muller Acetylcholine is a crucial neurotransmitter in memory and et al. 1994, 1997, 1998). Other neurochemical actions of St. other cognitive abilities. Ginkgo may also produce cognitive John's Wort have been discovered, but die actions of hyperforin effects by interacting with the neurotransmitters serotonin and may be sufficient to account for die antidepressant effect. norepinephrine (White et al. 1996; Ramassamy et al. 1992; Electroencephaiographic studies have shown St. John's Wort Huguet et al. 1994; Brunello et al. 1985). It relaxes arteries and creates changes in the brain activity consistent widi diose of prevents blood platelet-formation, which would allow for odier antidepressant drugs (Sharpley et al. 1998). A cognitive increased blood flow to die brain (Chen et al. 1997; Lamant et study in humans shows St. John's Wort to lack any negative al. 1987). Finally, ginkgo has antioxidant and neuroprotective effects on attention, concentration, or reaction time (Schmidt effects (Maitra et al. 1995; Lugasi et al. 1999). and Sommer 1993). The antidepressant effects of St. John's EEG studies show that ginkgo creates electrical changes in die Wort have been supported in born animal and human research. brain consistent widi cognitive activation (Kunkel et al. 1993; Itil A number of antidepressant-like effects are seen in animal mod­ et al. 1998). These effects are comparable to diose of die drug

46 lanuary/February 2001 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER tacrine (Cognex), which is prescribed for Alzheimer's disease. Ginkgo improves learning in several animal models, and several studies have assessed the cognitive effects of ginkgo in humans with Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, and age-related cognitive decline. A meta-analysis of controlled studies showed that ginkgo produces statistically significant improvements in people with Alzheimer's dis­ ease (Oken et al. 1998). While the magnitude of improvement with ginkgo is modest, it is comparable in size to the drug donezepil (Aricept), a standard treatment for Alzheimer's disease. Preliminary results indicate that ginkgo may also improve cognitive function in normal adults as well (Subhan and Hindmarch 1984; Warot et al. 1991).

Clinical studies of ginkgo have not reported any serious side effects, and the incidence of side effects is equivalent to placebo (Field and Vadnal 1998; Le Bars et al. 1997). The primary concern with ginkgo seems and sleeplessness has been reported in people taking inappro­ to be interactions with other blood-thinning medications priately large doses (Siegel, 1979). Litde is known about (Fugh-Berman 2000). the interaction of ginseng and other medications, but inter­ action with the anticoagulant warfarin and antidepressant Ginseng phenelzine have been reported (Janetzky and Morreale 1997; Ginseng (referring here to Panax ginseng) is a plant with a long Jones and Runikis 1987). history of use. Ancient Chinese writings note cognitive improvement to be among its uses. Kava The major pharmacologically active constituents of ginseng Kava (Piper methysticum) is a plant native to the South Pacific are the ginsenosides (Gillis et al. 1997; Robbers et al. 1996). islands. It is known traditionally for its relaxing properties, and Ginsenosides increase production of the neurotransmitter producing a calm but alert state. acetylcholine and stimulate its receptors (Benishinm 1992; The pharmacologically active chemicals from kava are the Lewis et al. 1999). It also dilates blood vessels, which could kavapyrones, also referred to as kavaiactones (Lebot et al. increase blood flow to the brain (Kim et al. 1992; Ko et al. 1997). Kavaiactones enhance the aaions of the neurotrans­ 1996). Two ginsenosides enhance electrical changes in the brain mitter GABA, which has a calming effect on brain activity. which are thought to underly the formation of memories (Abe Similarly, pharmaceutical antianxiety drugs such as Valium et al. 1994). Ginseng may also have neuroprotective effects, and Xanax also enhance the actions of GABA (Boonen and guarding neurons from damage caused by lack of blood flow Heberlein 1998; Jussofie et al. 1994; Davies 1992). (Wen et al. 1996). Kavaiactones also block sodium and calcium channels in the Several animal studies have shown ginseng to facilitate learn­ brain, which additionally dampens excitation in the brain ing and memory (Gillis 1997; Wang et al. 1995; Nina et al. (Gleitz et al., 1995; Gleitz et al. 1996; Magura et al. 1997; 1995; Petkov and Mosharrof 1987; Petkov et al. 1992). Schirrmacher et al. 1999). Kava may also increase the activity Unfortunately, very few cognitive studies of ginseng have been of monoamine neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine performed in humans. One study assessed several cognitive (Seirz et al. 1997; Uebelhack « al. 1998). functions, but found improvement only in mental arithmetic EEG studies of kava show that it slows down activity in (D'Angelo et al. 1986). Thus, ginseng has potential to serve as the brain, similar to other sedative drugs (Frey 1991). a cognition-enhancing herbal medicine, based on its neuro­ However, it does not seem to impair cognition at lower doses pharmacology and animal studies. However, there is a severe (Foo and Lemon 1997). A review and meta-analysis of lack of controlled human trials that would need to be done methodologically controlled studies of kava for treating of before any conclusions can be drawn. anxiety has shown kava to be consistently superior to placebo Typical doses of ginseng are not usually associated with seri­ (Pittler and Ernst 2000). One study additionally found it ous adverse effects (Robbers and Tyler 1999). A "ginseng abuse equivalent in efficacy to the benzodiazepine oxazepam syndrome" consisting of hypertension, irritability, nervousness. (Serax) (Lindenberg and Pitule-Schodel 1990). While it is

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER January/February 2001 47 likely that kava improves sleep, no clinical studies have yet binding sites in rodent brain. Pharmacology and Toxicology 71 (2): 120-6. Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994. 1994. Pub L been conducted to assess this. Given its neuropharmacologi- No. 103-417. cal mechanisms, combination of kava with other sedative Eisenberg. D.M., R.B. Davis, S.L. Ettner, S. Appel, S. Wilkey, M. Van drugs, including ethanol, is not recommended. Rompay, R.C. Kessler. 1998. Trends in alternative medicine use in the United States, 1990-1997: results of a follow-up national survey. Journal of the American Medical Association 280(18): 1569-75. Conclusions Erdelmeier, C.A. 1998. Hyperforin, possibly the major non-nitrogenous sec­ Several types of research provide information about the ondary metabolite of Hypericum perforatum L. Pharmacopsychiatry 31(Suppl l):2-6. mechanisms and effectiveness of psychoactive herbal Ernst, E., J.l. Rand, J. Barnes, and C. Stevenson. 1998. Adverse effects profile medicines. St. John's Wort and Ginkgo biloba are proba­ of the herbal antidepressant St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum L.). bly at the forefront in this respect, having the greatest European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 54(8): 589-94. bodies of research to support their use. Properly investi­ Field, B., R. Vadnal. 1998. Ginkgo biloba and memory: an overview. Nutritional Neuroscience 1: 2565-67. gated, herbal medicines may be a valuable ally in the Foo, H., and J. Lemon. 1997. Acute effects of kava, alone or in combination treatment of brain disorders. with alcohol, on subjective measures of impairment and intoxication and on cognitive performance. Drug and Alcohol Review 16(2): 147-55. To obtain such research requires time, money, and effort. Frey, R. 1991. Demonstration of the central effects of D,L-kawain with EEG Unlike pharmaceutical drugs, herbal medications are not brain mapping. Fortschritte der Median. Aug 30 109(25): 505-8. patentable, so private companies lack an incentive to fund the Fugh-Berman, A. 2000. Herb-drug interactions. Lancet 355(9198): 134-8. Gillis. C.N. 1997. Panax ginseng pharmacology: a nitric oxide link? research to establish their safety and effectiveness. Herbal Biochemical Pharmacology 54(1): 1—8. research at present is largely limited to private endowments and Gleitz, J., A. Beile, and T. Peters. 1995. (W-)-Kavain inhibits veratridine-acti- government funding. vated voltage-dependent Na(t)-channels in synaptosomes prepared from rat cerebral cortex. Neuropharmacology Sep 34(9): 1133-8. Despite this fact, the popularity of herbal medicines persists. Gleitz, J., J. Friese, A. Beile, A. Ameri, and T. Peters. 1996. Anticonvulsive It is therefore necessary to pool knowledge about herbal medi­ action of (+/-)-kavain estimated from its properties on stimulated synapto­ cines and coordinate research efforts. Education of me public somes and Na+ channel receptor sites. European Journal of Pharmacology 7(31511:89-97. and health professionals is die best way to ensure optimal and Gordon. E.E. 1996. The placebo: An insight into mind-body interaction. safe use of psychoactive herbs. Headache Quarterly 7(2): 117-125. Gordon, J.B. 1998. SSRls and St. John's Won: Possible toxicity? American References Family Physician 57(5): 950-1. Harrer, G., W.D. Hubner, and H. Podzuweit. 1994. Effectiveness and tolerance Abe K, H. Fujimura. K. Toyooka. S. Sakoda, S. Yorifuji, and T. Yanagihara. of the hypericum extract LI 160 compared to maprotiline: a multicenter 1997. Cognitive function in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Journal of the double-blind study. Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology 7 Neurological Sciences 148(1): 95-100. (Suppl !):S24-8. Benishinm, C.G. 1992. Actions of ginsenosides Rbl on choline uptake in central Heiligenstein, E., and G. Guenther. 1998. Over-the-counter psychotropics: a cholinergic nerve endings. Neurochemistry International' 21(1): 1-5. review of melatonin, St John's Won, valerian, and kava-kava. Journal of the Boonen. G.i and H. Heberlein. 1998. Influence of genuine kavaiactones enan- American College of Health 46(6): 2716. tiomers on the GABA-A binding site. Planta Medica 64(6): 504—6. Huguet. E, K. Drieu. A. Piriou. 1994. Decreased cerebral 5-HT1A receptors Brenner, R., V. Azbel, S. Madhusoodanan, and M. Pawlowska. 2000. during ageing: reversal by Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761). Journal of Comparison of an extract of hypericum (U 160) and sertraline in the treat­ Pharmacy and Pharmacology 46(4): 316-8. ment of depression: a double-blind, randomized pilot study, journal of Itil.T.M., E. Eralp, I. Ahmed, A. Kunitz, and K.Z. ltil. 1998. The pharmaco­ Clinical Therapeutics 22(4): 411-9. logical effects of ginkgo biloba, a plant extract, on the brain of dementia Brockmoller, J.,T. Reum, S. Bauer, R. Kerb, W.D. Hubner, and 1. Roots. 1997. patients in comparison with tacrine. 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48 January/February 2001 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER ity choline uptake in die hippocampus of old rats after long-term adminis­ Ramassamy, C, Y. Christen, F. Clostre. and J. Costentin. 1992. The Ginkgo tration of two nootropic drugs (tacrine and Ginkgo biloba extract). biloba extract, EGb761, increases synaptosomal uptake of 5-hydroxytrypt- Dementia 3: 304-7. amine: in-vitro and ex-vivo studies. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology Kristofikova, Z., and J. Klaschka. 1997. In vitro effect of Ginkgo biloba extract 44(11): 943-5 (EGb 761) on the activity of presynaptic cholinergic nerve terminals in rat Robbers. J.E., M.K. Speedier, and V.E. Tyler. 1996. Pharmacognosy and hippocampus. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders 8(1): 43-8. Pharmacobioiechnology Baltimore: Willams and Wilkins. Kunkel, H. 1993. EEG profile of three different extractions of Ginkgo biloba. Robbers. J.E. and V.E Tyler. 1999. Tyler's Herbs of Choice. New York: The Neuropsychobiology 27'(1): 40—5. Haworth Herbal Press. 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SKEPTICAL INQUIRER January/February 2001 49 Chiropractic Does the Bad Outweigh the Good?

Many people go to chiropractors for relief of back pain. But there is reason for caution. Much of what chiropractors do is nonsense, and they often misinform their patients.

SAMUEL HOMOLA

o you need to see a chiropractor? Many people think they do. Just about everyone thinks of a chiropractor Dwhen back pain is mentioned. There is considerable evidence that spinal manipulation can help relieve some types of neck and back pain. But neck manipulation can be dan­ gerous. And according to a study published in the October 8, 1998, New England Journal of Medicine (Cherkin 1998), spinal manipulation may be no more effective than physical therapy in the treatment of back pain and only marginally more effective than following a self-help instruction booklet. So what about chiropractic treatment? Should you—or any member of your family— ever go to a chiropractor?

50 January/February 2001 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER There is no doubt that dramatic relief of back pain will occasion­ chiropractors use "spinal adjustments" to treat disease and infec-tion ally occur when manipulation is used to unlock a binding spinal as well as back pain. The Association of Chiropractic Colleges bol­ joint. Many people with acute or chronic back pain experience stered support for this theory in 1996 when the presidents of all six­ relief of symptoms when the spine is loosened by manipulation teen North American chiropractic colleges reached a consensus and performed by a chiropractor, an osteopath, a physical therapist, or issued a position paper staring that "Chiropractic is concerned with an orthopedist. Manipulation is most readily available from chiro­ die preservation and restoration of health, and focuses particular practors, however, and a report issued by the Rand Corp. (Shekelle attention on the subluxation" (Association 1997). et al. 1991) revealed diat 94 percent of all such manipulation in The chiropractic profession continues to define itself as a the United States is done by chiropractors. For this reason, many method of correaing subluxations to restore and maintain people who have back pain will visit a chiropractic office where health, despite the fact diat there are no scientific studies to indi­ they will experience spinal manipulation for the first time. cate that vertebral misalignment or any other problem in the A survey of Consumer Reports readers, published in May spine is a cause of disease or infection. Basing their treatment on 2000 (Consumer 2000), revealed that 35 percent of 46,860 the vertebral subluxation dieory, many chiropractors claim to be respondents had used alternative therapies for a variety of prob­ primary care physicians capable of treating and preventing a lems, 40 percent of whom had chiropractic treatment for back broad scope of human (and animal) ailments. pain. The back-pain patients rated deep-tissue massage, chiro­ Some chiropractors advise that spinal adjustments should practic treatment, exercise, and physical therapy (in that order) begin at birth to correct subluxations caused by "birth as more effective than prescription drugs, acupuncture, over- trauma." The entire family may be advised to undergo reg­ the-counter drugs, and other forms of treatment. ular life-long spinal adjustments in order to maintain opti­ Obviously, many people with back pain are going to chiro­ mum health by "keeping the spine in line." Some chiro­ practors, and most of diem are satisfied with the care they practors specialize in chiropractic pediatrics. According to receive. But many are unaware of the controversy and the non­ the American Chiropractic Association (Goertz 1996), 10 sense associated with some forms of chiropractic treatment and percent of patient visits to chiropractors are made by chil­ often become victims of misinformation. dren and adolescents who are treated for such maladies as otitis media, asthma, allergies, infantile colic, and enuresis The Theory of Chiropractic (bed wetting). An article in the April 2000 American It is now generally accepted that spinal manipulation can relieve Medical Association journal Archives of Pediatric and some types of back pain. Most chiropractors claim to do more Adolescent Medicine (Lee 2000) warned that chiropractic than just treat back pain, however. Clinging to the scientifically pediatric care is often inconsistent with recommended med­ rejeaed theory that misaligned or "subluxated" vertebrae cause ical guidelines. "When 1 contemplate a chiropractor treating "nerve interference" that results in disease or ill health, many a 2-week-old neonate with a fever," said the editor in a side­ bar comment, "I get a gigantic headache." Studies conducted by chiropractors and published in "peer reviewed" chiropractic journals often recommend treatment for such conditions as infantile colic and asthma. A study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiobgical Therapeutics (Wilberg 1999), for example, concluded that "Spinal manipula­ tion is effeaive in relieving infantile colic"—a conclusion not confirmed with reliable, unbiased research. When medical researchers tested chiropraaic manipulation as a treatment of asthma in children, diey reported diat "die addition of chiropraaic spinal manipulation to usual medical care provided no benefit" (Balon 1998). Although chiropractic manipulation can be beneficial in the treatment of some types of neck and back pain, I always advise parents not to take their infants and children to a chiropractor, since the risk may outweigh any benefit.

Samuel Homola, D.C., practiced chiropractic for forty-three years. He is the author of twelve hooks, including Bonesetting, Chiropractic, and Cultism; Backache: Home Treatment and Prevention; and Muscle Training for Athletes. His book Inside Chiropractic A Patients Guide was published by Prometheus Books in 1999. He is now retired and lives in Panama City Florida, with his wife, Martha.

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER Unuary/F*bruary 2001 51 Limitations of Chiropractic sure heat and electrical activity over skin surfaces in a search for subluxations. The only treatment they may offer is a spinal Since chiropractors work on die back, most people think of the adjustment for whatever ails you. chiropractor as a back specialist. But when back-pain victims visit a chiropractic office, they may be given pamphlets suggesting that A good chiropractor who specializes in the care of neuro­ chiropractic treatment is also beneficial for asdima, infantile colic, musculoskeletal problems does not use instruments and ear infection, digestive disturbances, and a host of other organic or machines to diagnose and treat subluxations. And his treatment visceral problems. There are many good chiropractors who do a is not limited to the spinal adjustment. Physical therapy, mas­ good job treating back pain, but few voluntarily limit their treat­ sage, exercise, rest, home treatment with hot or cold packs —or ment to the care of back pain. Chiropractic colleges are still no treatment at all—are sometimes more appropriate than teaching die theory that using spinal adjustments to correct ver­ spinal manipulation. tebral subluxations will restore and maintain health. Unless you Avoid Unnecessary Treatment see a chiropractor who has been recommended by an orthope­ dic specialist or who works with physicians in a back-pain clinic, While an acute episode of back pain can be incapacitating your chances of finding a properly limited chiropractor are slim. and scary, remember that most back pains resolve in two to Poorly informed consumers may not know where to draw the four weeks. After limiting bed rest to a couple of days, most line when diey visit a chiropractor. back-pain victims can begin moving around and gradually "That spinal manipulation is somewhat effective sympto­ resume normal activities over a period of a week or two. If you matic therapy for some patients with acute low back pain is, I go to a chiropractor for relief of back pain, you should not believe, no longer in dispute," said the editorial in the New continue with treatment if your pain worsens during the first England Journal of Medicine (Shekelle 1998). But "... there week or if you are not any better after two weeks. If your appears to be little evidence to support the value of spinal symptoms persist after one month, see an orthopedic special­ manipulation for non-musculoskeletal conditions. For this rea­ ist for a definitive diagnosis. son, 1 think it is currently inappropriate to consider chiroprac­ A chiropractor who is reasonably competent in making a tic as a broad-based alternative to traditional medical care." diagnosis might immediately refer you to a specialist if certain There are some basic guidelines and caveats you should red flags are present, such as: fever; a history of cancer; pro­ observe when seeking chiropractic care for back pain. longed back pain unrelieved by rest; the possibility of a fracture resulting from advanced age, long-term use of steroids, or severe Be on Guard injury; and so on. In the case of a simple strain, you might be Look for a chiropractor who openly states that his or her prac­ advised that rest and time are the best treatment. But you can­ tice is limited to the treatment of neuromusculoskeletal prob­ not always rely on the diagnostic ability of a chiropractor. Some lems that have a mechanical origin. chiropractors "analyze" the spine in a search for subluxations There is a small group of chiropractors who are members of rather than make a diagnosis. They always find subluxations the National Association of Chiropractic Medicine (NACM) that require spinal adjustments. Such chiropractors are less likely who have openly denounced the chiropractic subluxation the­ to offer appropriate advice and are more likely to subject you to ory, but the chances of finding an NACM chiropractor in your prolonged and unnecessary treatment. community are small. If you cannot find a chiropractor who is Be wary if your chiropractor's diagnosis is "subluxated verte­ a neuromusculoskeletal specialist or who works in a back-pain brae." Be even more wary if you are given a treatment plan that clinic as a member of a back-care team, you'll have to be on recommends daily visits that are gradually reduced in frequency guard as an informed consumer if you are to protect yourself over a period of several months. Such plans usually lead into from the nonsense associated with chiropractic treatment. There "maintenance care" that requires one or two treatments a month are a number of chiropractic procedures and techniques that for the rest of your life! you should avoid, some of which can be dangerous as well as a waste of time and money. Popping Normal Backs As a general rule, chiropractic treatment, or manipulative treat­ Seek Appropriate Manipulation ment for back pain, should be discontinued when symptoms Properly performed spinal manipulation is always done by disappear and you are feeling well. It is not necessary to continue hand. Chiropractors who believe that slightly misaligned verte­ with occasional spinal adjustments unless you have a structural brae can cause disease often use machines or small hand-held problem that causes chronic back pain that can be temporarily spring-loaded mallets to tap misaligned vertebrae back into relieved with manipulation. Frequent and unnecessary manipu­ place. The National Board of Chiropractic Examiners reported lation may do more harm than good, causing you to seek treat­ in 2000 that 62.8 percent of survey respondents said they used ment for symptoms caused by the manipulation. an Activator mallet to adjust subluxations (Christensen et al. Normal spinal joints often make popping sounds when the 2000). Such chiropractors might also use instruments to mea­ joint surfaces are forcefully separated by manipulation.

52 January/February 2001 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER Chiropractic patients often interpret these sounds as movement factors can be better identified. Informed consent should always of vertebrae that are out of place. Some chiropractors use the be obtained from patients about to undergo cervical manipula­ popping sound to encourage patients to return for regular spinal tion. In many cases, massage, traction, and other forms of ther­ adjustments in order to "maintain vertebral alignment." While apy can be substituted for prescribed cervical manipulation. such treatment has a strong placebo effect, it is misleading and Tension headache, for example, is commonly treated with chi­ tends to perpetuate illness or fear of illness. ropractic neck manipulation. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Bove 1998) reponed that "Neck Specialists" spinal manipulation was no more effective than massage in Some subluxation-based chiropractors believe that most ail­ relieving episodic or recurring tension headache. ments, including low-back pain, are related to misaligned vene­ So be cautious. Until studies on cervical manipulation have brae in the neck. These "upper cervical specialists" always adjust been completed, don't submit to neck manipulation unless you the neck, usually the top two venebrae at the base of the skull. have a problem that cannot be treated any other way. A chronic This can be dangerous, since excessive rotation of the head and "cervicogenic" head pain, for example, in which pain is trans­ upper cervical spine places a strain on the vertebral aneries and ferred from joints in the cervical spine, can often be relieved can result in vascular injury or stroke. with appropriate cervical manipulation. But such manipulation There are special cases in which cervical manipulation can be should be done only after a conect diagnosis has been made and beneficial when vascular problems have been ruled out and head other forms of treatment have failed. rotation during manipulation does not exceed 50 degrees. But A good chiropractor can do a lot to help you when you have cervical manipulation should never be done routinely, especially mechanical-type back pain and other musculoskeletal problems. as a preventive-maintenance measure. Most of us will never But until die chiropractic profession cleans up its act, and its col­ need cervical manipulation. Upper cervical chiropractors who leges uniformly graduate properly limited chiropractors who spe­ manipulate the neck of every patient they see should be avoided. cialize in neuromusculoskeletal problems, you'll have to exercise Elderly persons, especially those who have vascular disease or caution and informed judgement when seeking chiropractic care. who might be taking blood thinners, should not submit to neck manipulation of any kind. References Association of Chiropractic Colleges. 1997. A position paper on chiropractic. The Dangers of Neck Manipulation Journal of ManipuIative and Physiological Therapeutics 19:633—637. Kill HI. J.. P. Aker, E. Crowther, ct al. 1998. A comparison of active and simu­ A 1996 Rand repon on The Appropriateness of Manipulation lated chiropractic manipulation as adjunctive treatment for childhood and Mobilization of the Cervical Spine (Coulter 1996) estimated asthma. New England Journal of Medicine 339( 15): 1013-1020. that stroke and other injuries resulting from cervical spine Bove, C. and N. Nilsson. 1998. Spinal manipulation in me treatment of episodic tension-type headache. Journal of the American Medical Association manipulation occurred about 1.46 times per 1,000,000 manip­ 280:1576-1579. ulations. It also concluded that only 11.1 percent of reported Cherkin, D.C., R. Deyo. M. Bailie, J. Street, and W.A. Barlow. 1998. A com­ indications for cervical manipulation could be labeled appropri­ parison of physical therapy, chiropractic manipulation, and provision of an educational booklet for the treatment of patients widi low back pain. New ate. A patient who receives regular, frequent, and totally unnec­ England Journal of Medicine 339:1021-1029. essary neck manipulation is subjected to greater risk. Since Christensen. M.G.. D. Kerkhoff. M.W. Kollasch. and L Cohn. 2000. Job many cases of stroke caused by cervical manipulation have not Analysis of Chiropractic. Greeley, Colo.: National Board of Chiropractic Examiners. 129. been recognized as such, studies are being done to determine Consumer Reports Survey. 2000. The mainstreaming of alternative medicine. how many stroke victims had neck manipulation prior to their Consumer Reports, May: 17-25- stroke. The incidence of stroke from cervical manipulation Coulter, 1., E. Hurwitz, A. Adams, et al. 1996. The Appropriateness of Manipulation and Mobilization of the Cervical Spine. Santa Monica. Calif.: might be much higher rJian indicated in past studies. A study by RAND, 18-43. the Canadian Stroke Consortium, published in the July 18, Goertz, C 1996. ACA annual statistical survey on chiropractic practice. Journal 2000, Canadian Medical Association Journal (Norris 2000), for of the American Chiropractic Association 33:35-41. Lee, A. H.L Dawn, and K.J. Kemper. 2000. Chiropractic care for children. example, reponed that stroke resulting from neck manipulation Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medical Journal 154(4):401-407. occurred in 28 percent of 74 cases studied. Other causes were National Association for Chiropractic Medicine, www.chiromed.org. sudden neck movement of various types. The most common Norris. J.W1( V. Beletsky, and Z.G. Nadareishvili. 2000. Sudden neck movement and cervical artery dissection. Canadian Medical Association journal finding was venebral anery dissection (splitting or tearing of 163(l):38-40. anerial walls with clot formation and embolism) caused by sud­ Shekelle. P.G.. A.H. Adams, E.L Hurwitz. R.B. Phillips, and R.H. Brooks. den movement or rotation of the top two cervical venebrae. 1991. The Appropriateness of Spinal Manipulation for Low-Back Pain: Project Overview and Literature Review. Santa Monica, Calif.: RAND. 3. Chiropractors commonly manipulate die upper cervical Shekelle. P. 1998. Editorial: What role for chiropractic in healthcare? New spine as a treatment for head and neck pain. But since such pain England Journal of Medicine 339( 15): 1074-1075. in itself can be a symptom of venebral or carotid anery dissec­ Wilberg, J.M., J. Nordsteen. N. Nilsson. 1999. The short-term effect of spinal manipulation in the treatment of infantile colic: a randomized controlled tion, especially following injury, it may be wise to forego neck clinical trial with a blinder observer. Journal of Manipulative and manipulation for sudden onset of head or neck pain until risk Physiological Therapeutics 22(8):517-522. D

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER January/February 20C1 53 Damaged Goods? What, If Any thing Does Science Tell Us About the Long-term Effects of Childhood Sexual Abuse?

A recent meta-analysis of child sexual abuse studies typifies a common problem when social science research is used to drive socio-political agenda. Empirical gaps are plugged with wish-list postulates of special interest groups.

MARGARET A. HAGEN

1fate worse than death. Scarred for life. Stolen child­ A hood. Damaged goods. This is the litany of merciless descriptions of the victims of childhood sexual abuse. Hearing these doleful judgments always makes me think of women in war who kill themselves or are killed by their men after the dishonor of rape. Better off dead, it is said. Well, they are not. I've been on the alert for several years for the opportunity to cry out against the professional victimologists, to extol the glorious resilience of human beings, yes, even of chil­ dren, and to let a little air and light in to the dark cabinets

54 January/February 2001 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER of our thinking about the psychological effects of bad sex. The publication in 1998 of a mega-study on the long term effects of childhood sexual abuse by three researchers, Bruce Rind, Robert Bauserman, and Philip Tromovitch seemed at first blush to provide such an opportunity. Entitled "A Meta-Analytic Examination of Assumed Properties of Child Sexual Abuse Using College Samples," this statistical analysis of fifty-nine past published studies looked at the effects of childhood abuse on young adults currendy enrolled in college. Rind and his colleagues reported that some of the students did not reveal any evident lingering sympto­ matic effects of the past abuse—loosely defined, that differ­ ences among individuals were large, that effects tended to be worse for girls than for boys, and worse when the sex was extorted by force or threat, that the family environment was the critical factor in predicting the degree of adjustment diffi­ culty, and that some young people—far more boys than girls—reported to researchers that they had found the experi­ ence neutral or positive. Using the findings of Rind et al., I figured I could point out that sex crimes are not all created equal, that the middle-aged married man in the closet who solicits sex from the State Trooper at the highway rest stop is not Jesse Timmendequas, the man who raped and killed Megan Kanka (of Megan's Law fame) after serving eight years for the rape and attempted mur­ der of another little girl. I hoped to use die study to say there are, in fact, differences between prepubescent children and teenagers, that there is, in fact, an important difference between adult males aroused by five-year-olds and men aroused by mature teens and that calling them all pedophiles is misleading. And I hoped to call attention to the fact that the illogic in our determination of ages of majority for various purposes has produced a system that deems youths responsible for their actions and competent to be tried and executed as adults some ten years before they are considered competent to purchase cigarettes. Lastly, I wanted to note that inevitable harm to each and every individual touched by a class of actions is not a prerequisite to prohibiting and sanctioning that class. I even had a crushing rejoinder for the 350 members of Congress who voted to condemn the Rind study and for those nationwide who advocate censorship by the American Psychological Association lest data be misused to further die agendas of organizations like the North American Man/Boy Love Association. (NAMBLA allegedly posted the study's con­ clusions on their Web page.) 1 was going to write: "Modern Inquisitors should remember this: That Satan's henchmen used Galileo's finding that Earth moves around the Sun to harm Holy Mother Church matters not at all to the facts. You may not want to hear it, but as Galileo whispered upon leaving the chambers of the Inquisition, 'Epur si mum*!" Alas, it was not to be. That rant is on hold. Rind, Bauserman, and Tromovitch in fact have given me no new findings to advance my causes. Indeed, politically, they have seriously undermined diem all. I began reading the Rind article at the end, and so first encountered these provocative conclusions: "One possible approach to a scientific definition, consistent

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER January/February 2001 55 with findings in die current review...is to focus on the young did not analyze for effects of die age of the child at the time person's perception of his or her willingness to participate and the abuse was experienced. his or her reactions to the experience. A willing encounter with In some of die studies, the general ages of the children at positive reactions would be labeled simply adult-child sex, a the time of the abuse are indicated with the rather vague nota­ value-neutral term" (46). tion, "before puberty." In one case the average age of the chil­ Here, these researchers are saying that their findings show dren was 12.5 years with a range from 6 to 15, in two others it is scientifically important to distinguish between child­ the age noted was 10 to 11 years. ren who consent to sex with adults and those who do not in What does this mean for die issue of consent? It should go without saying, although apparently it does not, that consent to sex with an adult is not at issue for preadolescents. This is not just There is an old saw in the sciences that you an arbitrary legal issue. You would be hard cannot prove the null hypothesis. You cannot put to find a developmental psycholo­ gist who would claim that a 6- or 10- or conclude that "nothing happened" just because 11-year-old's understanding of sexual you failed to find it. Your measure may be too relations is sufficiently complex to permit anything approaching informed consent to coarse or too fine, ill-timed, or simply off the mark. sexual acts with adults. However, not only do Rind et al. ignore the absence of reliable age data in conclud­ assessing the long-term effects of abuse. Elsewhere, they ing from their review that consent is a crucial variable in deter­ assert the critical importance of distinguishing between mining long-term effects of abuse, they go even further and young children and adolescents, and between children whose conclude from straight out diat older children are much less reactions reportedly were positive and those whose reactions likely to suffer later from sex abuse than younger children. How reportedly were not. would they know that? In the absence of data, any and all con­ clusions they reached about the effects of sex abuse being less Consent, Age, and Reactions of Children to Sex severe for "consenting" than for "non-consenting" children With Adults and less severe for older children than for younger must be Do the findings of this analysis really force us to the con­ drawn from unspecified sources—entirely independent of the clusion that consent, age, and reported reactions are critical "findings in the current review." to the determination of the long term effects of childhood What about that last supposedly critical variable, the retro­ sexual abuse? spective reports of these college-aged youths regarding their Let us look first at consent. Rind et al. claim that their reactions to their experiences? "The overall picture that review shows that die consent of the child is a crucial variable emerges from these self-reports is that (a) the vast majority of in determining whether the sex abuse was harmful or not. both men and women reported no negative sexual effects from Does it? their CSA experiences; (b) lasting general negative effects were The consent analysis covers a subset of forty-seven studies uncommon for men and somewhat more common for in which researchers asked college students "whether (their) women, although still comprising only a minority; and (c) CSA [Childhood Sexual Abuse] experiences were limited to temporary negative effects were more common, reported by a unwanted sex or also included willing sexual experiences." Of minority or men and a minority to a majority of women" (37). the boys, 1,957 reported that the CSA had been "both willing The researchers conclude that a significant number of young and unwanted," and 990 said it had been unwanted only. For people, mosdy boys who say that diey "consented" to the sex, the girls, 9,363 reported that their CSA had been "bodi will­ also say that they do not judge their CSA negatively. Does it ing and unwanted" and 2,268 reported that it had been necessarily follow that die experience was harmless to them? unwanted only. Of course not. Are we to take diese retrospective reports of college stu­ There is an old saw in die sciences diat you cannot prove die dents as reliable evidence for die importance of children's con­ null hypodiesis. You cannot conclude diat "nodiing happened" senting to sex widi adults? How old were these children when just because you failed to find it. Your measure may be too coarse diey reportedly consented? No one can say because Rind et al. or too fine, ill-timed, or simply off die mark. It is hard to imag­ ine what could provide a more telling illustration of diis princi­ Margaret A. Hagen is a professor of psychology at Boston ple than the case in point. Attempring to identify harm to chil­ University and is the author of the book Whores of the Court: dren from eady sexual experiences by asking 18-year-olds what The Fraud of Psychiatric Testimony and die Rape of American diey dunk about it is hardly the most appropriate measure, and Jusuce. She can be reached at: Department of Psychology, Boston concluding that the sexual exploitation of children is, in most University 64 Cummington Street, Boston, MA 02215- E-maib cases, over the long-term, harmless because some 18-year-olds do [email protected]. not see die harm in it is not only foolish, it is bad science.

56 lanuary/February 2001 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER The authors of the studies included in the meta-analysis do whether children who experienced severe abuse also suffered variously use measures other than self-reports to assess present more severe consequences. Three-fourths (73%) of the studies levels of functioning, including tests and reports of alcohol included in the Rind et al. meta-analysis included both con­ use, anxiety, depression, dissociation, and eating and other dis­ tact and noncontact sex in their definition of CSA. orders. But self-reports are central to both the design of the Unfortunately, only a little more than one-third (35.6%) of analysis and to its conclusions. The meta-analysis relies on the the fifty-nine studies contained information on the types of college sophomores' self-reports as mea­ sures not only of positive versus negative assessment of the earlier experiences during The Rind findings should lead both researchers the present college years, but of the princi­ and the public to seriously challenge the usefulness pal variables of consent versus no consent and positive versus negative responses at of any study that relies heavily on self-reports, the time of the abuse. Rind and not just those of teenagers. Self-reports, Tromovitch diemselves coded the fifty-nine studies for these self-reports. after all, are notoriously unreliable. The Rind findings should lead both researchers and the public to seriously challenge the usefulness abuse that occurred, with their frequencies. Rind et al. do not of any study that relies heavily on self-reports, not just those of report these data but do use them to estimate the prevalence of teenagers. Self-reports, after all, are notoriously unreliable. difference types of abuse generally experienced by children. Research has shown that it is hard to get anyone to admit to Relying on their estimates as indicators of the types of failures, mistakes, and shortcomings. abuse experienced by the children in the studies diat com­ People tend to overestimate their own contributions to joint prised the meta-analysis, we can conclude that, overall, about efforts, report after an event that they knew beforehand that it 6% of the children experienced oral sex and 17% vaginal or would happen, hide feelings of prejudice, overestimate die anal intercourse, attempted or completed. About 70% of the accuracy of their own predictions, overestimate their actual children were subjected only to exhibitionism and/or fondling. SAT scores by an average of seventeen points, and even mistak­ (Percentages do not total to 100% because of overlap across enly report whether they are right or left handed (Kassin 1998). groups.) A small minority of studies looked at severity of Conducting a study that asks teenagers about their sexual expe­ abuse, defined as levels of duration, force, and/or frequency, riences seems particularly fraught with peril, and compounding and/or the experience of incest and/or penetration. These that error with multiple studies will not improve the reliability analyses were performed on 3,859 subjects with many of the or validity of such an error-ridden measure. children serving as subjects in multiple analyses. (3,859 is less In addition to relying on the problematic yardstick of col­ than 11% of the 35,703 children serving as subjects in the lege sophomores' judgments of what was and is harmful to meta-analysis.) Thus, the number of children actually exam­ them, the researchers failed to provide enough information ined for effects of the severity of abuse was very small indeed. about the frequency, severity, or type of sexual acts experi­ The failure of researchers to differentiate the type of abuse and enced, or even the gender of the adults(s) to permit readers to examine the possibility of differential effects as a function of even to make guesses about what the students might have been severity essentially equates flashing with forcible sodomy. thinking when they reported either "consent" or positive reac­ Nor is it possible to tell whether the males who report their tions to abuse. experiences as neutral or positive are speaking of glimpsing Since most of the studies do not distinguish the number of the breasts of a female babysitter or being raped by a male victims from the number of acts of abuse, it is impossible to camp counselor, because the research reviewed often failed to tell what percentages of individuals made what kind of reports specify the gender of the perpetrator and made no distinction about how many different acts. In the six studies where it was between heterosexual and homosexual acts, or between vagi­ possible to distinguish people from acts, the self-report mea­ nal and anal intercourse. sure was, essentially, "How's your love life?" One study asked These numerous information gaps mean that the authors young men to assess the quality of their "adult" sex lives, simply did not have the evidence necessary to make the far- another asked about their "current" sex lives, and—big sur­ reaching and politically provocative conclusions they did. prise!—both questions uncovered only a minority of young men willing to report problems with their collegiate sex lives. Meta-mythology Nor is it possible from the meager data provided by both This information vacuum is at least as much a fault of the Rind et al. and the original researchers to tell what kinds of meta-analysis methodology as of any nefarious design on the sexual experiences these youths are reporting. As Dr. Laura part of the researchers. Schlessinger (the first to bring the Rind et al. study to national Meta-analysis is a statistical procedure that can give the attention) noted, studies disproportionately included subjects modern social scientist with an agenda a highly sophisticated whose CSA experiences were relatively minor, like exhibition­ tool for making insubstantial mountains out of statistical ism, and most of the studies in the analysis did not look to see molehills. When researchers cannot find a reliable relationship

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER January/Febiuary 2001 57 between some variable they care about and some effect they In real life, it makes a big difference whether a study has been wish to assign to that variable, they turn to meta-analysis to conducted carefully, thoughtfully, and comprehensively, ferret out the highly desirable—but hidden—connection. whether the definitions of the variables of the study are sensi­ Psychotherapy is a sterling example. Decades of research ble, and whether the measures of effects are, practically speak­ failed to discern any reliable relationship between psychotherapy ing, reliable. In the matter of determining and under­ standing die long-term effects of childhood Scientists skate on extremely thin ice intellectually sexual abuse, these issues are crucial. and ethically when they attempt to push a But It Didn't Hurt! social policy agenda, even one supported by Disregarding all of these flaws of self- report and meta-analytical studies just for reasonably solid scientific evidence, even the moment, let us assume that it is at one pursued with the best of intentions. least possible that some of these young people are right, that they were not them­ selves harmed by their experiences. A great many of us know at least one mid­ and die wellbeing of its coundess patients. A great deal was at dle-aged male who has said at a cocktail party that he would stake for both practitioners and patients. So mental health prac­ not have minded being in the shoes of the 13-year-old boy titioners turned to meta-analysis to justify their livelihood and lured into a sexual relationship by his young, attractive reassure their patients. Lo and behold, a meta-analysis revealed teacher in Washington state. that when numerous types of mental disorders are combined in Whether our friend would have minded is beside the point. a single analysis with numerous kinds of psychotherapy, it is Whether the child in that case actually minded is beside the possible to detect a very small, but nevertheless statistically point. It is even beside the point whether that particular child significant, positive effect of having been in therapy (Smith was harmed. Society does not have to prove that each and and Glass 1977). every target of an act is harmed by diat act, or even that any However, since meta-analysis combines apples and specific harm at all flowed from each and every performance of oranges—as well as peanuts and hamburger along with a an act, to outlaw it. dozen different methods of cooking them—it is not possible Every night, millions of people drive while impaired by from the analysis to tell prospective patients anything at all alcohol and cause no damage to anyone or anything. That about what kind of therapy might be of benefit to them for identifiable harm to a specific individual cannot be shown what kind of problem, and what might not. Nevertheless, die to follow from each and every act of driving while under field happily trumpeted the results, "Psychotherapy works!" the influence of alcohol does not lead to the conclusion Imagine if medical science were to justify itself by combin­ that drunken driving is harmless. The behavior is illegal ing into a single analysis of effectiveness every known physical because of the unnecessary elevation of the risk of harm to disorder of humankind with every known treatment and con­ people and property without any demonstrable compen­ cluded that overall there is some tiny, statistically significant, satory need or benefit. positive effect of seeking medical treatment, but no way of Likewise, it is not necessary to prove that every adult- determining whether a specific disorder might respond to a child sexual relationship results in specific harm to the indi­ specific treatment. This would not be a strong impetus for vidual child to conclude that such relationships are too risky increased funding of medical care. for children as a group and too risky for sociery as a whole Meta-analysis has a worse fault than skimming over the dif­ to be condoned. ferences that distinguish apples from oranges. It also is blind to We do not have to ask social scientists for an imprimatur any differences between good apples and bad apples. That an before passing laws to control behavior. independent variable—cause—is defined carelessly in one study and a dependent variable—effect—measured naively in "She blinded me with science ..." another makes no difference to the analysis. All the studies, Scientists, especially those in die health and social sciences, good and bad, are cobbled together with their relative scien­ skate on extremely diin ice intellectually and ethically when tific value irrelevant to die combination. However sophisti­ diey attempt to push a social policy agenda, even one sup­ cated the statistics of meta-analytical data dredging, as die ported by reasonably solid scientific evidence, even one pur­ early computer programmers observed, GIGO: Garbage In, sued with die best of intentions. Garbage Out. Decades of medical research have shown us that even with Enough of accepting the questionable practices of die the seemingly straightforward factual matter of measuring the meta-analysis enthusiasts. In real life—outside the abstract effects of experimental drugs on specific conditions, the expec­ world of the statistician—it makes a big difference whether a tations of both researchers and subjects have a huge effect on "statistically significant" result is also experientially significant. the outcome of die study. Indeed, recent research has shown

58 January/Ffbiuary 2001 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER that placebo effects are so strong that there is even some semi- ety with respect to sexual behavior need not be, and often have serious talk of both prescribing and regulating sugar pills. not been, based on considerations of psychological harmfulness or hi-.ilih. ... The current findings are relevant to moral and In the social sciences the web of myriad placebo effects legal positions only to die extent diat these positions are based is even denser. It is disingenuous to claim that a social on die presumption of psychological harm (46-47). scientist's extra-academic life can have no impact on the design of research or the measurement and interpretation Rind et al. may well be right that both science and law of data. The values, social goals, or politics, even the would be better served with a more differentiated articulation nationality and religion of the individual scientist can— of die definition of child sexual abuse as well as its conse­ and often do—bias a putatively disinterested scientif­ quences for young people. Unfortunately, their view is by no ic investigation. Even the choice of area to be research means driven by the research findings of their meta-analysis of ed is often driven as much by social-political as by intel­ the existing literature. lectual concerns. Social scientists are not in the business of policymaking and Rind et al.'s "scientific" meta-analysis of the long-term effects their attempts to do so through the back door of journal arti­ of childhood sexual abuse typifies a common problem when cle writing should be thwarted. Failure to do so renders a pro­ social science research is used to drive socio-political agenda—in found disservice to all science. their case, to reformulate the definition of "child sexual abuse" to Congress is in the business of policymaking, but it is not in exclude putatively consensual sex between adolescents and the business of conducting science. The effects of Congressional adults. Gaping empirical lacunae are filled in with items from funding are, of course, enormous for bodi conduct and dissem­ advocates' wish lists, and authors seem to become blind to the ination of research, and die hand of Congress is undeniably felt otherwise conspicuous limitations of die scientific data. particularly in matters sexual, broadly defined. But Congress's blanket condemnation of these scientists Lacking the necessary data on children's ages at the time and the American Psychological Association, their associ­ of the abuse, true "consent" to the experience(s), as well as ated scientific organization, for the publication of research past and present reactions to the abuse, Rind et al. neverthe­ findings whose validity was not questioned by the legislators less propose a sweeping reformulation of the construct of but whose social policy implications were unwelcome, harks "child sexual abuse," based on the child's willingness to par­ us back to Galileo and the Fathers of the Inquisition. If it ticipate. They write: happens that future research does in fact support the con­ . . . Moreover, die term child should be restricted to nonado- clusions of Rind, Bauserman, and Tromovitch—and there lescent children. Adolescents are different from children in are certainly hints in current work that that may well be that they are more likely to have sexual interests, to know so—then all citizens concerned with the pursuit of truth, whether rhey want a particular sexual encounter, and to resist an encounter that they do not want. Furthermore, unlike not just the scientists, must shout, not whisper, at our legis­ adult-child sex, adult-adolescent sex has been commonplace lators, "You may not want to hear it or even know it, but cross-culturally and historically, often in socially sanctioned Earth does move around the Sun." forms, and may fall within the 'normal' range of human sexual behaviors.. .A willing encounter between an adolescent and an adult with positive reactions on die part of the adolescent References would ihcn be labeled scientifically as adult-adolescent sex, Kassin, Saul. 1998. Psychology (2nd Edition). Upper Saddle Riven N.J.: while an unwanted encounter widi negative reactions would Prentice Hall. be labeled adolescent sexual abuse.... Rind, Bruce, Philip Tromovitch, and Robert Bauserman. 1998. A meta- analytic examination of assumed properties of child sexual abuse using If it is true diat wrongfulness in sexual matters does not college samples, Psychological Bulletin 124(1): 22-51. imply harmfulness, ... dien it is also true diat lack of harmful- Smith, Mary Lee, and G. V. Glass. 1977. Meta-analysis of psychotherapy out­ ness does not imply lack of wrongfulness. Moral codes of a soci­ come studies. American Psychologist (September): 752-760.

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SKEPTICAL INQUIRER January/February 2001 59 BOOK REVIEWS

Why Paranormal Beliefs Are So Popular and Skepticism So Unpopular

JEFFREY S. VICTOR

Paranormal Beliefs: A Sociological Introduction. By Erich Goode. Waveland Press, Prospect Heights, Illinois, 2000, ISBN 1-5776-076-5. 310 pp. Softcover, $17.95.

ociologist Erich Goode's book certain essential questions. What causes and inadequate science education. (I'll should be read by anyone who the persistence and popularity of para­ say more about these questions later.) Swonders why so many people normal beliefs? Why do paranormal Goode's sociological analysis presents believe in paranormal phenomena. beliefs persist, despite increasing levels paranormal beliefs as socially "deviant" Readers who are familiar only with psy­ alternatives to the culturally dominant chological studies of paranormal beliefs scientific belief system. "Deviant" will find this book to be refreshingly dif­ means that the beliefs are widely disap­ ferent. Goode's sociological analysis is a proved as being wrong, eccentric, or useful antidote to psychological reduc- fraudulent, especially by scientific tionism, which seeks to explain die per­ authorities. (As a sociologist, Goode is a sistence of paranormal beliefs exclusively prominent specialist in the study of on the basis of individual personality social deviance and collective behavior.) characteristics. This is the first summary He employs a social constructionist per­ and integration of sociological research spective, which studies the social forces on beliefs in paranormal phenomena. that lead people to arrive at their beliefs Goode defines "paranormal" as about reality (the truths that people "Events, phenomena, or powers that sci­ assume about the nature of the world entists regard as contrary to die laws of in which we live). As a social construc­ nature" (18). He notes diat "Paranormal tionist, he avoids judgments about claims or stories invoke or make use of people's beliefs about reality in order to forces, factors, dynamics, or causes that genuinely and empathetically under­ scientists regard as inconsistent with a stand their beliefs. Therefore, he views satisfying, naturalistic or materialistic, scientific and paranormal beliefs simply cause-and-effect explanation" (18). as two contradictory belief systems Goode's study focuses upon four forms competing for adherents, much like two of paranormal beliefs: astrology and psy­ of education, technological moderniza­ different political or religious belief chics, creationism, , and tion and the dominance of the scientific systems. The issue of whether or not die belief that UFOs are real. belief system in society? Conversely, why paranormal beliefs can be verified by Goode organizes his study around does skepticism of die paranormal have scientific, empirical research methods is such little popular appeal? The answers held in abeyance as a secondary concern. Jeffrey S. Victor, Ph.D. is author of the challenge the preconceptions of some Some skeptics of paranormal beliefs book Satanic Panic and recipient of the skeptics diat paranormal beliefs persist may be disturbed by Goode's even- H.L. Mencken Book Award in 1993. due to ignorance, irrational thinking, handed, nonjudgmental analysis of

60 January/February 2001 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER BOOK REVIEWS paranormal beliefs. Goode's goal is to to everyday hopes and fears, aspirations two of college biology or chemistry will understand rather than to debunk such and anxieties. Many of these everyday "convert" a person to the scientific way beliefs. Yet this is exactly the goal that concerns are matters that science does of thinking. scientific investigators of beliefs in para­ not and cannot address. In tins regard, Goode's study also normal phenomena must hold, whether Third, most paranormal beliefs sup­ presents comparisons between scien­ or not they disapprove of such beliefs. port anti-elitist sentiment against the tific and paranormal epistemology and Goode suggests that skeptics of para­ dominance of scientists and the scien­ belief systems. He explains how believ­ normal beliefs should follow the same tific belief system. Scientific truth is not ers in the paranormal and scientific prescriptions that they demand of one in which everyone's personal "truth" skeptics arrive at their conclusions via believers in paranormal phenomena— is on an equal footing, and the commu­ very different and incompatible ways of to conduct careful, empirical research nity of scientists is structured around a thinking. Most important, die believ­ to test their assumptions. More specifi­ prestige hierarchy of authorities. In con­ ers' way of thinking is consistent with cally, he cautions skeptics to avoid trast, paranormal "truths" are personal the everyday ways of thinking of most jumping to conclusions about believers and accessible to everyone. people, while that of scientists is not in paranormal phenomena, without Fourth, the dissemination of para­ easily acquired and must be learned adequate scientific evidence. normal beliefs brings benefits to through disciplined effort. This is A social constructionist study of many diverse groups in society, some­ another reason why belief in the para­ paranormal beliefs focuses investigation times in the form of income, or by normal can be expected to persist far upon how such beliefs are communi­ increasing membership strength, or into the future. cated and publicized in society, sup­ by gaining influence. Goode's writing avoids sociological ported by the money and power of par­ Goode's study questions a commonly jargon and is accessible to anyone with ticular social groups, and learned by held assumption among skeptics that by some college education. He presents each new generation. Paranormal (and providing more and better science edu­ fundamental epistemological assump­ scientific) beliefs are socially con­ cation in schools, the general public will tions about how and why people believe structed and not simply products of abandon their beliefs in paranormal what they believe in an easily readable innate mental processes, in isolation phenomena. I personally agree. As a col­ manner. The book's extensive references from the world of people. lege professor, I can't see how a year or can also be a valuable resource. To come to conclusions about rea­ sons for the popularity and persistence of paranormal beliefs, Goode examines A Look at the research on social group variations in paranormal beliefs, their relation to reli­ Underside of Science gious beliefs, their dissemination in die TOM NAPIER mass media, and their involvement in politics and social movements. Goode The Undergrowth of Science. By Walter Gratzer. Oxford notes, for example, that die cognitive University Press, 2000. ISBN 019-850707-0. 328 pp. processes leading to paranormal beliefs Hardcover, $27.50. are promoted by certain religious groups to attract members, and by the enter­ tainment media to make money. t might seem odd that the Oxford dieir contents overlap, diese books are Goode concludes diat mere are several University Press should publish quite different in aim and style. sociological reasons for die persistence of IWalter Gratzer's The Undergrowth of Park's book discusses aberrations of belief in paranormal phenomena. Science within mondis of publishing science without regard to their source. First, paranormal stories and expla­ Bob Park's Voodoo Science [reviewed in Crackpots and hucksters with no nations are much more dramatic and SI, July/August 2000] since at first knowledge of science are tarred with the entertaining dian are scientific explana­ glance they are bodi concerned widi sci­ same brush as professional scientists tions for most people, regardless of their entific delusions. As it turns out, though who have let dieir critical guard slip. educational level. Scientific explanations This is useful since it is the crackpots are frequently abstract, complex, and Tom Napier, a former physicist and engi­ who have more direct influence on the boring for nonscientists. neer, has been a long-time skeptic. He ic and are more likely to do actual Second, paranormal stories and helped found the Philadelphia Association physical or monetary damage. There is explanations embody very ancient and for Critical Thinking and edited its no establishment checking and correct­ enduring symbolism and themes relative newsletter for five years. ing dieir results as there is within die

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER January/Ftbruary 2001 61 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1997 (vol. 21. no. 6): The Mars FILL IN THE GAPS IN YOUR effect in retrospect. Nienhuys I Hidden messages and the Bible code, Thomas I Science, scientism, and anti- science in the age of preposterism. Haack I The Elemental Man: An interview with Glenn T. Seaborg / Skeptical Inquirer COLLECTION Men in Black and Contact. Night and day, Summer I Intelligent design and Phillip Johnson. Gardner. • 15% discount on orders of $100 or more • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1997 (vol. 21, no. 5): Special Issue: Alternative Medicine in a Scientific World. Park, • $6.25 a copy. Vols. 1-18 ($5.00 Vols. 19-22). To order, use reply card insert • Beyerstein, Sampson. Green. Goodenough, McCutcheon NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2000 (vol. 24, no. 6): Th. face organ-snatching urban legends. Radford I Bigfoot's I The Numerology of Dr. Rashad Khalifa, Gardner. behind the Face on Mars, Posner / The new paranat- screen test Daegling and Schmitt I Tracking Bigfoot JULY/AUGUST 1997 (vol. 21, no. 4): Special Report: ural paradigm, Kurtz / Francis Bacon and the true ends on the Internet, 2"uef7e / Statement analysis. Shearer I Heaven's Gate, Kurtz. Gardner, Nickell I What really of skepticism. Friedberg I Worlds in collision: Where NAGPRA. science, and the demon-haunted world, happened at Roswell. Korff I Amazing free-energy reality meets the paranormal. Radford I Why bad Clark I Urine therapy, Gardner. claims of Dennis Lee. Krieg I Chiropractic: Science, beliefs don't die. Later I Supernatural power and cul­ MARCH/APRIL 1999 (vol. 23, no. 2): Special Report: antiscience. pseudoscience. Keating I Secrets of a tural evolution, Layng I The brutality of Dr. The ten-percent myth, Radford I Superstition and the Russian psychic. Polidoro. Bettelheim. Gardner. regression effect. Kruger. Savitsky, and Gllovich I SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2000 (vol. 24, no. 5): Voodoo Psychology of the seance, Wiseman I Dowsing and MAY/JUNE 1997 (vol. 21. no. 3): Is the sky falling?. science and the belief gene, Park I Rogerian Nursing archaeology, van Leusen I Hidden messages in DNA?, Morrison I Collective delusions: A skeptic's guide, Theory, Raskin I Sun sign columns. Dean and Mather! Larhammar and Chatzidimitriou I The real Chief Bartholomew I Scientific reasoning and achievement The psychic staring effect. Marks and Co/well I Seattle was not a spiritual ecologist. Abruzzi I Joint in a high school English course. Krai I Skepticism and Management of positive and negative responses in a pain and weather, Quick I Acupressure, zone therapy, politics. Fagin I Courtney Brown's 'Cosmic Voyage' into and reflexology. Gardner. spiritualist medium consultation, Greasley I The laws preposterism. Gardner. of nature: A skeptic's guide. Pazameta I Special JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1999 (vol. 23. no. 1): Special MARCH/APRIL 1997 (vol. 21. no. 2): The darkened cos­ Report: On ear cones and candles. Kaushall and Report: Armageddon and the prophets of doomsday. mos: A tribute to Carl Sagan / Hale-Bopp comet mad­ Kaushall I Little Red Riding Hood. Gardner. Fears of the apocalypse. Kurtz I The Bible and the ness plus An astronomer's personal statement on JULY/AUGUST 2000 (vol. 24. no. 4): Thought Field prophets of doom, larue / Science and pseudoscience UFOs, Hale I Biases of everyday judgment. Gilovrch I Therapy: Can we really tap our problems away?. in Russia. Kapitza I Testing dowsing: The failure of the The end of science?. Schick / The Book of Predictions: Gaudiano and Herbert I Absolute skepticism equals Munich experiments. Enright I A fallibilist among the IS years later, Tuerkheimer and Vyse I Farrakhan, dogmatism. Bunge I Did a close encc of the third cynics. Haack I The internet: A world brain?, Gardner. Cabala, Baha'i, and 19. Gardner. kind occur on a Japanese beach in NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1998 (vol. 22, JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1997 (vol.. 21, no. 1): The X-Files 1803?, Tanaka I Rethinking the dancing no. 6): Gaps in the fossil record: A case meets the skeptics: Chris Carte takes questions / The mania, Bartholomew I Has science edu­ significance of the millennium, Loew'nger / Quantum cation become an enemy of scientific study, Thomas I The Martian Panic sixty years later Bartholomew I The perils of quackery. Stenger I The myste is placebo. Dodes I rationality?, Ede I Krakatene: Explosive Bias and Error in children's books. Wiseman and Jeffreys pseudoscience from the Czech post-hockery, Ruscio I May the force be / Jean Houston: Guru of humani potential, Gardner. Academy of science, Slanina I David with you, Krauss I The Mead-Freeman Bohm and Krishnamurti. Gardner. controversy: A fresh look: Much ado NOVEMBER/DECEM8ER 1996 (vol. 20. no. 6): A strat­ about nothing The 'Fateful Hoaxing' of egy for saving science, Lederman I That's entertain­ MAY/JUNE 2000 (i ol. 24. no. 3): Special Margaret Mead, Cdti I Margaret Mead, ment! TV's UFO coverup, Klass I Scientific consensus Report: The new bogus MJ-12 docu- Derek Freeman, and the issue of evolu­ and expert testimony. Moore I The Dogon people ments. Klass 1 Mass delus ons and hyste- tion, Shankman I Second World revisited, Ortiz de Montellano I Cosmic menagerie. rias of the past millennium, Skeptics Congress: Science and reason, Tyson I Physicist Alan Sokal's hilarious hoax, Gardner. Bartholomew and Good e / Doomsday foibles and fallacies, and doomsdays / SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1996 (vol. 20, no. 5): Shades of fears at RHIC. Gu terrez I Save our sci- Science and the unknowable. Gardner. meaning: Science fiction as a new metric. Stewart / ence: The struggl t for r ationality at a SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1998 (vol. 22. no. The first World Skeptics Congress / Traditional medi­ French unive sity. Broch 1 5): Special Section: What are the chances?, cine and pseudoscience in China, part 2, Beyerstein Paraneuroscience?. Kirkland I Bohm's Coincidences: Remarkable or random?. and Sampson I Conspiracy theories and paranoia, guided wave theory, Gardner. Martin I Numerology: Comes the revolution. Dudley / Harrington I Isaac Newton. Gardner. MARCH/APRIL 2000 (vol. 24. no. 2): Risky business: Calculated risks, Cole I How to study weird things. Trocco / JULY/AUGUST 1996 (vol. 20, no. 4): Traditional medi­ Vividness, availability, and the media paradox. Ruscio I Why would people not believe weird things?, Anderson I cine and pseudoscience in China, Beyerstein and Physics and the paranormal. '( Hooft / Efficacy of Starkle, starkle. little twink. Hayes / Of planets and cogni­ Sampson I CSICOP at twenty, Kurtz I Maria's near- prayer. Tessman and Tessman I Can we tell if someone tions: The use of deductive inference in the natural sci­ death experience. Ebbern, Mulligan, and Beyerstein I is staring at us?, Baker I Assessing the quality of med­ ences and psychology, Schlinger Jr. I what's going on at Alternative health education and pseudocredential- ical Web sites, ten / The demon-haunted sentence. Temple University?. Gardner. ing. Raso / Pentagon grant funds alternative health Byrne and Normand I Mad messiahs, Gardner. JULY/AUGUST 1998 (vol 22, no. 4): Special Report Mars study, Selby and Scheiber I Thomas Edison. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2000 (vol. 24, no. 1): Special Global Surveyor photographs 'Face on Mars'. Morrison I Paranormalist Gardner. Report: The ten outstanding skeptics of the twentieth Magnetic therapy: Plausible attraction, Livingston I MAY/JUNE 1996 (vol. 20. no. 3) Delights and dangers of century / Two paranormalisms or two and a half?. Goode Biomagnetic pseudoscience and nonsense claims. sensory illusions. Wolf I The enigmatic battery of / Anna Eva Fay. Polidoro I The pseudoscience of oxygen Sabadelll Catching up with eighteenth century science in Baghdad, fggert / The claims of aromatherapy, therapy, Allen I Confessions of a (former) graphologist the evaluation of therapeutic touch. Ball and Alexander I McCutcheon / Fun and fallacies with numbers, Savant I Thpician I The Second Coming of Jesus. Gardner. Paranormal depictions in the media: How do they affect A study of fantasy proneness in John Mack's Abduction. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1999 (vol. 23, no. 6): The what people believe?. Sparks I Planting a seed of doubt Nickell I The great egg-balancing mystery, Gardner. Universe and Carl Sagan, Davidson I The millennium Shneour I Essiac: The not-so-remarkable cancer remedy. MARCH/APRIL 1996 (vol. 20. no. 2) Science and supersti­ thought contagion. Lynch I Debunking the debunkers: McCutcheon / Near-Earth objects: Monsters of Doom?, tion. Sagan / Special report: Evaluation of military's pro­ A response to astrology, Kelly I The physics behind Gardner. gram on psychic spying, Hyman I The role four amazing demonstrations, Willey I Another lunar MAY/JUNE 1998 (vol. 22, no. 3): Special of representativeness in erroneous and effect put to rest. Sweet I Special Report: Blooming Section: The Aliens Files. Abduction by pseudoscientific beliefs. Gilovich and shroud claims. Nickell I The star of Bethlehem. aliens or sleep paralysis?. Blackmore I Savitsky I Vampires of folklore and legend. Gardner. Before Roswell: The meaning behind Barber/ Miracle photos Nickell / Claiborne the crashed-UFO myth, Bartholomew I Pell: Senator from outer space. Gardner. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1999 (vol. 23, no. S): Special Case closed: Reflections on the 1997 Air Report: Flash! Fox news reports aliens may have built Force Roswell report. Gildenberg and JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1996 (vol. 20. no. 1) the pyramids. Carrier I Where do we come from?, Thomas I Gray Barker: My friend, the How to make an alien for autopsy. Stokes Pigliucci I Profits and prophecy. Wise I Projective mea­ myth-maker, Sherwood / A skeptic liv­ I EMDR treatment Lilienfeld I Psychic sures of personality and psychopathology. How well ing in Roswell, Churchill I Zero-point crime detectives, Wrsevnaa West and do they work?. Lilienfeld I What every skeptic ought energy and Harold Puthoff, Gardner. Stemman I Health statistics bad for our to know about subliminal persuasion. Epley, Savitsky, health, Paulos I Science and reason in film and Kachelski I Carlos Castaneda and New Age MARCH/APRIL 1998 (vol. 22. no. 2): and television, Evans / Post-Freudian anthropology, Gardner. Special Report The price of bad memo­ dream theory, Gardner. ries, Loftus I Science, delusion, and the JULY/AUGUST 1999 (vol. 23, no. 4): Special Issue: NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1995 (vol. 19. Science and Religion. Conflict or Conciliation? appetite for wonder. Dawkins I A mind at ploy: An interview with Martin Gardr no. 6) The GAO report on Roswell. (Class Celebrating creation, Raymo I Should skeptical inquiry / Why creationists don't go to psychic fairs. Taylor, Eve, be applied to religion?. Kurtz / The 'Science and Houdini and Conan Doyle: The story c friendship. Polidoro I Spontaneous hurr and Harrold I Eyewitness testimony and the paranor­ Religion' movement. Scott / Science and the versus of mal. Wiseman, Smith, and Wiseman I Objectivity and religion, Palevitz I Science vs. religion. Pazameta I tkm: Thoughts of a forensic biologist Benecke I Did Adam and Eve have navels?. Gardner. repeatability in science, Mussachia I Culture-bound Anthropic design. Stenger I Scientific skepticism. CSI- syndromes as fakery, Bartholomew I Freud's theory of COP. and the local groups. Novella and Bloomberg I JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1998 (vol. 22. no. 1): Testing new dreams, Gardner. Two mind-sets, Allen I God is dead, after the weather claims of dermo-optical perception, flenski and CRSSA and sports, fle/ss / Whence religious belief?. Pinker I SEPTEMBER/OCT08ER 1995 (vol. 19. no. 5) The para­ Scientists I Magnetic water and fuel treatment Powell dox of knowledge. Loevinger I Consciousness as a Non-overlapping magisteria, Gould I You can't have it I Dowsing the Rollrights. Hancock / Anomalous gold. both ways: irreconcilable differences?. Oawkins I The valid subject for science. Ingalls I School daze: review Brower I Open minds and the argument from igno­ of African-American baseline essays, flows / Mystical concerns of science. Mayr I The religious views of rance. Adlerl 200% probability and beyond: The com­ Stephen Gould and Charles Darwin. Gardner. medical alternativism. flaso / China, chi. and chicanery, pelling nature of extraordinary claims in the absence Huston I Fuzzy logic Gardner. of alternative explanations. McDonald I Psychic MAY/JUNE 1999 (vol. 23, no. 3): Special Section: Urban exploitation. Wiseman and Greening I Is cannibalism a For a complete listing of our back issues, call 800-634- legends. The snuff film. Stine I Bitter harvest: The myth?. Gardner. 1610, or see http://wvvw.cskop.org/si/back-issues.html. BOOK REVIEWS formal sciences. The media mostly James Randi get due credit. How John to select for desirable characteristics ignore crackpots. Only the skeptical Taylor was fooled by "telekinetic" rather than letting unselective breeding movement (and, very rarely, the law) schoolchildren is also described and the take its random course. This essentially comes between the gullible public and page or two about Uri ("I am not a magi­ reasonable idea has become so mired in the crooks, nuts, and charlatans who cian") Geller will no doubt draw the ire controversy and so confused with prey on them. By exposing crackpots to of diat litigious gentleman. (Geller has racism that it is now difficult to discuss fierce ridicule Bob Park performs a been recendy granted British citizenship it rationally. public service. and now wishes, according to his letter Unfortunately, the early enthusiasts Gratzer, by contrast, is mainly con­ in The Times on September 8, to be for eugenics were blinded by their prej­ cerned with the follies of professional known as "die alien Uri Geller.") udices. They encouraged forcible steril­ scientists. His book is more serious Fans of homeopathy will probably be ization of die "unfit" and categorized and thorough than Park's; his prose dismayed to see it lumped with such infectious diseases such as tuberculosis more stolid, albeit leavened by occa­ medical oddities as phrenology and the and syphilis as heritable traits. Hitler's sional flashes of wry humor. While implanting of monkey glands. As least Germany used the banner of eugenics to accessible to a lay audience—tricky homeopathy, if not efficacious, is safer justify the widespread sterilization or points of science are explained in end­ than the formerly fashionable imbibing elimination of undesirables. It encour­ notes—this is a book as much for the of ultimately lethal doses of radioactive aged SS officers to have many children, historian of science as for the skeptic. compounds—the appalling death of provided their brides were acceptable to Unlike Voodoo Science, Undergrowth is socialite Eben Byers is cited—or the the SS Race Office. Lamarckism pro­ no call for action. With the exception equally fashionable and destructive tected the USSR from similar measures; of cold fusion (which still counts lobotomy fad. after all, if heredity was a myth, better a dwindling handful of die-hard sup­ In the second half of his book breeding could have no effect. porters) and homeopathy, the cases Gratzer turns to the links between sci­ Today, Gratzer asserts, eugenics is a Gratzer addresses are dead and gone. ence and politics, how political ideol­ dead issue except in China. He catego­ Despite his similarity to Tesla, ogy has influenced what research is rizes it as pathological science yet Blondlot of N-ray fame has attracted acceptable and how bad science has acknowledges that the nature versus no latter-day disciples. been used to justify government policy. nurture question is still being debated, The classic lapses of twentieth cen­ An amusing chapter reveals the influ­ but widi positions based more on poli­ tury science are covered in detail. ence of chauvinism. The N-ray affair tics dian on the scientific facts. As he N-rays, polywater, and cold fusion each continued longer than it should says, the issue may never be resolved. I have their own comprehensive chapters. because dissenting work by German would add that if we shy away from it, Mitogenic rays, the midwife toad, and scientists could be ignored; only it never will be. Our increasing ability the flatworms that acquired memories French scientists had the necessary to detect genetic problems in utero through cannibalism share a chapter. sensitivity to observe N-rays. (How means we can no longer sweep this Irving Langmuir rates his own chapter, like today's therapeutic touch and topic under the rug. not as a kook but as a physical chemist dowsing debates where skeptics are At the end of die book Gratzer draws who investigated odd scientific claims. scorned for lacking the ability to sense die unremarkable conclusion that even He is remembered for Langmuir's rules, what is, after all, not there.) scientists can err or lose dieir objectivity. criteria to distinguish pathological sci­ The Germans, for their part, He fails to note that his entire book con­ ence from real science. denounced "Jewish" science and, much firms diat science as an institution is As Gratzer says, "High intelligence to dieir later cost, forced die emigration self-correcting. Scientists have an oblig­ and learning do not always exclude of some of the best German scientists. ation to submit dieir discoveries to peer unreason," a sentiment with which I The scientific aberrations of die Third review and replication. In every case wholeheartedly agree. This remark heads Reich are discussed in some detail, as is Gratzer mentions, individual scientists the only chapter that discusses the para­ the effect on agriculture in Stalin's USSR have erred but their fellow scientists normal and mentions a few non- of the dictum diat only the inheritance have detected and corrected these errors scientists. Mesmer's "animal magnetism" of acquired characteristics, as postulated without outside intervention. Thus I rates several pages, as do Crosses nine­ by Lamarck and Lysenko, was compati­ would have drawn the stronger conclu­ teenth century claims that electrolytic ble with Marxist philosophy. sion that, dirough this process of mutual cells created living creatures. Rhine's Gratzer's final chapter discusses criticism, reason ultimately triumphs. parapsychology research gets a passing eugenics. Sir Francis Gallon's word for Gratzer reveals the failures of individual mention and exposes by Martin the idea that if human characteristics scientists but attests to die strength of Gardner, die SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, and are largely inherited, then it pays society science as a whole.

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER January/Ftbruary 2001 63 NEW BOOKS

Listing does not preclude fitture review. (Courtney Brown, Heaven's Gate), more talcs. For young people. Along the way, they fringe science (Temple University's Center should pick up a fair doses of critical think­ for Frontier Sciences), religion, and The Last ing and appreciation for finding solutions. Word ("Science and the Unknowable.") Topics include astrology, Bigfoot, the Even if you read them in the original version, Bermuda Triangle, ESP, crop circles, the you will find Gardner's Addendums (some Loch Ness Monster, vampires, UFOs and quite extensive) to almost every essay well aliens, and "cool Web sites tor more infor­ worth reading for updated information, mation." Cartoon illustrations throughout. reactions to the original, and his responses. The Sokal Hoax: The Sham That Shook Einstein's Brainchild: Relativity Made the Academy. Edited by the editors of Relatively Easy! Barry Parker, Ph.D. Lingua Franca. 2000. ISBN 0-8032-7995-7. Prometheus Books, 59 John Glenn Drive, 288 pp. Softcovcr. $20. Can be ordered at Amherst, NY 14228-2197. 2000. ISBN 1- littp://unp.unl.edu/scripts/Cart/smari.pl?co 57392-857-7. 280 pp. Hardcover. $28. mmand=listitenis&ID=3934&tmp= 1. In Physicist and science writer Barry Parker May 1996 New York University physicist here attempts to speak to the broadest possi­ Alan Sokal revealed that he had tricked the ble audience in bringing Einstein's theories editors of the fashionable academic journal to life. Last year Time magazine named Social Text into publishing a sham essay titled Einstein "Person of th : Century," and Parker "Transgressing the Boundaries: Toward a thinks it fitting to dedicate a book to Transformative Hermeneutics of Quantum explaining in the clearest possible terms the Gravity." The essay was a parody ot post­ meaning and beauty of Einstein's theories. modernist thought intended to demonstrate Death of a Rat: Understandings and Illustrated with numerous line drawings and how little contemporary theorists and Appreciations of Science. William D. cartoons. philosophers like Jacques Derrida under­ Stansfield. Ph.D. Prometheus Books, 59 stand the science they invoke and criticize. John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228- The Sokal Hoax instigated a scandal both 2197. 2000. ISBN 1-57392-814-3. 360 pp. From the Wandering Jew to William F. inside and outside the academy that has had Hardcover. $29. A popular overview of the Buckley Jr.: On Science, Literature, and an enormous impact on scholarship and is major ethical and philosophical issues facing Religion. Martin Gardner. Prometheus still debated today. Collected here for the science today. "1 he Frankenstein Model" Books, 59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY first time are the most significant articles, considers such thorny issues as human exper­ 14228-2197. 2000. ISBN 1-57392-852-6. essays. Idlers, e-mail exchanges, and forums imentation, fetal cell research, and animal 300 pp. Hardcover. $27. A new collection of that have responded to and tried to make rights. "Dance Fever" shows how a "para­ Gardner essays and reviews other than those sense of the hoax. The original essay from digm hold" (e.g., bee dance language) can published in the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER Social Text is included as are news stories and redirect scientists away from giving alternate (although one SI piece, "Life Magazine and commentaries from the US and abroad. theories a proper test. "Grand Illusions" Astrology," does appear). Most, as he says, There are further responses from Alan Sokal looks at enticing scientific ideas like cold "are mainly attacks on bogus science and and the editors of Social Text. fusion that sometimes lead scientists down what I regard as religious superstition." the wrong path. "Strange Bedfellows" traces Among the books reviewed are Carl Sagan's the influence of religion and politics on the The Demon-Haunted World, Susan Black- Test Your Science IQ. Charles J. Cazeau. advance of science and on science education. mores The Meme Machine, Paul Edwards' Prometheus Books, 59 John Glenn Drive, "Brainstorms" asks how are things discovered Reincarnation, and Reuben Hersh's What is Amherst, NY 14228-2197. 2000. ISBN I- and where do great ideas in science come Mathematics, Really? Other topics include 57392-851-8. 350 pp. Softcover. $20. Can from? Other chapters explore a variety of Frank Baum's Oz books. Lewis Carroll. H.G. water in the ground be located by water other issues. Wells, and Hugo Gernsback. Gernsback's witching? Why do scientists say we evolved magazine Science and Invention was one of from a monkey? What is the most nutri­ Gardner's great delights as a boy, and tional fruit? Is there any historically certified Did Adam and Eve Have Navels? Gardner calls him not only the Father of Garden of Eden on Earth? Is there any nat­ Discourses on Reflexology, Numerology, American Science Fiction but one of the ural explanation for the parting ot the Red Urine Therapy, and Other Dubious nation's great science popularizers. Subjects. Martin Gardner. W.W. Norton & Sea during the Exodus of Moses and the Co, Inc.. 500 Fifth Ave.. New York. NY Israelites? Where did Grimm get his ideas for the fairy tales children still read? Are there 10110. 2000. ISBN 0-393-04963-9. 333 Ssuquatches From Outer Space: Exploring genuine cases of demonic possession? Is there pp. Hardcover. S26.95. Twenty-eight lively the Weirdest Mysteries Ever. Tim Yule. any scientific basis for telling the future by Gardner essays, all but one from his columns Illustrated by Keith Baxter. Prometheus reading a person's palms? These are just a few in the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. They're grouped Books. 59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY of the more than 450 intriguing science into ten topics: evolution versus crcationism. 12448-2197. 2000. ISBN 1-57392-847-X. questions, from the profound to the amus­ astronomy (The Star of Bethlehem), physics 130 pp. Softcovcr. $ 15. Who says skepticism ingly trivial, Cazeau addresses in this fun, (the egg-balancing mystery), medical mat­ can't be tun? Tim Yule, an elementary school informative book. ters, psychology (Freudianism. Jean teacher, explores strange and tunny mysteries Houston), social science (Alan Sokal's and teaches how, through simple hands-on Hilarious Hoax, Carlos Castaneda), UFOs experiments, to get to the bottom of the tall —Kendrick Frazier __

64 lanuary/Ftbruary 2001 SKEPTICAL INQUI RER ARTICLES OF NOTE

Aftergood, Steven. "Polygraph Testing evolution standards. He ranked six states her patients but gives no documentation. and the DOE National Laboratories." with an unsatisfactory D and thirteen with Loftus is also skeptical about Steinberg's self- Science 290: 939-940, November 3, 2000. an F or worse. The US is the only country proclaimed "breakthrough diagnostic tool" "Most scientists who have studied poly­ worldwide that does not treat evolution as (SCID-D). which shows no scientific valid­ graph testing are deeply skeptical of its use­ routine, which Lerner says has nothing to ity. At the end of this article Steinberg fulness in screening employees as a way to do with science but rather with religion responds. enhance security. However, many security and politics. His full report—which con­ professionals have an equally profound tains a complete analysis of each state's Weiss, Peter. "Breaking the Law: Can commitment to the polygraph and view it ranking—can be obtained from the Thomas Quantum Mechanics + Thermodynamics as an indispensable counterintelligence B. Fordham Foundation in Washington, = Perpetual Motion?" Science News, 158: tool. The collision between these two views, D.C. at 202-223-5452 or from www. 234-5. 239, October 7, 2000. Controversial accelerated by a congressional mandate that edexcellcnce.net. new proposals that challenge the laws of required polygraph testing for certain thermodynamics have been introduced by employees, has arguably diminished both Loftus, Elizabeth. "The Most Dangerous several groups of scientists and have many science and security at the weapons labs of Book You May Already Be Reading." physicists skeptical. These groups propose Los Alamos, Livermore, and Sandia Psychology Today, November/December "that the peculiarities of quantum mechan­ National Laboratories, which arc all sup­ ics permit what seems to be violations of one ported by the Department of Energy 2000, pp. 32-35, 84. In a plea to save patients unwarranted trips to a therapist, of the fundamental laws—at least on a (DOE)." This is the lead of a timely Science microscopic scale." Weiss says that "if veri­ and Society essay by Aftergood, a senior Loftus, a psychology professor at the University of Washington, cautions readers fied, the new findings . . . might indicate research analyst with the Federation of that a certain class of perpetual motion American Scientists. about Marlene Steinberg's controversial new book Stranger in the Mirror: Dissociation: The machines is, in fact, possible." He warns Secret Epidemic of Our Time. Steinberg that even if these findings prove significant, "the practical consequences could still prove Lerner, Lawrence S. "Good and Bad claims that 30 million Americans suffer from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), asso­ minuscule." Physicists are skeptical because Science in US Schools." Nature, 407: these findings have "yet to be put to the test 287-90, September 21, 2000. "One-third ciated with a repressed traumatic experience, which she says causes the victim to ulti­ in working devices." of US states have unsatisfactory standards mately develop alternate personalities. tor teaching evolution," says Lerner, who Steinberg claims a high success rate among conducted a nationwide study on academic —Jodi Chapman SCIENCE BEST SELLERS Top Ten Best Sellers in New York

The Code Book: The Evolution of Human Natures: Genes, Cultures, Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to and the Human Prospect Quantum Cryptography Paul R. Ehrlich Simon Singh Island Press Anchor Books lb Engineer Is Human: The Role of The Island of Lost Maps: A True Failure in Successful Design Story of Cartographic Crime Henry Petroski Miles Harvey Vintage Books Random House The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Just Six Numbers: The Deep Forces that Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest 8 Shape the Universe Martin J. Rees for the Ultimate Theory Basic Books Brian Greene Vintage Books Failure Is Not an Option: Genome; The Autobiography of a Mission Control from Mercury to Species in 23 Chapters Apollo 13 and Beyond Matt Ridley Gene Kranz HarperCollins Graphics Press

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By arrangement with Amazon.com, November 2000.

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER January/February 2001 65 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

attitudes expressed towatd nurses and nurs­ Laws of Nature ing by other health professionals, especially physicians. The latter clung stubbornly to In his "Laws of Nature: A Skeptic's Guide" the long-outmoded image of airheaded little (September/October 2000) Professor Paza- "nursic" tiptoeing along behind His Majesty meta described one them as the "Law of as he made hospital rounds, carrying his Entropy." His final conclusions are gener­ stethoscope on a silken pillow. We guys, ally correct. However, his warnings about sorry to say, experienced a lot less of this— the difficulty of entropy—and the serious the doctors could never quite figure out why misconceptions that he leaves with read­ a man would want to go into nursing. And ers—arise mainly because of his mixing they didn't often ask; many of us are big "order" and informational "entropy" with enough to be intimidating!. .. classical thermodynamic or Boltzmann- The nursing profession as a group well Planck statistical entropy, the only word understood the low opinion other profes­ for entropy that needs no quotation sions had of them. Casting about in desper­ marks. Entropy is simply like a ruler, a ation, some came up with a variety of novel counter, an indicator of energy change in a ideas meant to enhance nursings image. system of matter and energy (or of energy Rogerian theory is not unique, it's just the alone) as predicted by the second law of one that happened to catch on. Another idea thermodynamics. Entropy, because it is that was floated during my student days to the measure of the second law, is always make die idea of nursing as a profession associated with energy. acceptable was for nurses to begin to do Rogerian Nursing Theory nursing research. Informational "entropy" is sadly mis­ named. Shannon's superbly general Jef Raskin suggests that nurses ought to mathematical function, so useful in com­ Jef Raskin's article on Rogerian nursing theory do it, but there's a problem. Nurses are not munication theory and in many math (September/October 2000) is very accurate, trained researchers. Besides having little relationships, was jokingly named and given the current acute shortage of nurses more than an abbreviated introduction "entropy" at the suggestion of John von in most areas of the country, is also timely. into the ways and means of research in col­ Neumann {Scientific American, 225: 180, That such babble as Rogerian theory should lege (and not all colleges and universities 1971). Adopting that word without become so pervasive is understandable. offer even that) few of them have a solid quotes has cruelly misled generations of In 1950, the majority of nursing schools grasp of scientific theory. Adding sufficient younger students and nonscientists since were of the "hospital school" variety, with preparation in that discipline to an already then because informational "entropy" is many of them run by religious orders. They heavy academic load would necessitate not thermodynamic entropy; informa­ were an inexpensive means for a young much higher costs to a basic nursing edu­ tional "entropy" has no integral or woman to obtain a set of skills that would cation and probably add another year to required relation to energy and thus, with­ give her a great deal of financial indepen­ the time required. out lengthy explanation, cannot be con­ dence and autonomy, but they were also joined with thermodynamic entropy in a Not only is there no consensus regard­ resented by their students for a variety of popular discussion. reasons, most of which had nothing to do ing exactly what "nursing research" should with nursing. consist of, the returns to the individual "Order" among atoms and molecules nursing student and the profession simply was a useful crutch for evaluating thermo­ Some of the restrictions placed on the stu­ aren't enough to justify all the extra work dent nurses were just silly. Open-toed dress dynamic entropy change by Boltzmann in and struggle. I can put it in very personal the 1870s. In contrast, because Boltzmann shoes worn off-duty could get a gal sus­ terms: a graduate nurse makes less, with his pended, as could 3 strapless evening gown. No distributions could be attributed to or her four-year degree, than a Postal microenergetic quantum states since the social life; she got married, she got thrown out Service letter carrier, who needs no formal of nursing school! Not that they had many 1930s, it has long been misleading even as education beyond high school. And the a crutch for entropy: Students (and some opportunities for such sloth, especially in "benefits" such as health insurance and one's first yean students resided in dormitory instructors and texts) misuse it so much as retirement that are available to nurses are to extend entropy change to shuffled cards, facilities attached to the hospital and curfews laughable when placed alongside those the were early and stria.... messy desks, and disorderly dorm rooms. letter carrier is entitled to. The disorderly arrangement in macro In the 1960s, the support for the old- Rogerian theory was and is an unfortu­ objects such as these is not an indication of style diploma-granting, hospital-based insti­ nate reaction to a perception that is only an increase in thermodynamic entropy in tutions began to crumble. By the time I partly based in reality. That so many good, them from some initial "more ordered" entered nursing school in 1975. the hand­ caring people have allowed themselves to be state. Any entropy change in the process writing on the wall was clear: the old schools seduced by its pseudoscience is a continuing occurs in the agent or energy source that were going down and the university degree embarrassment. Nursing deserves better. moves them. was going to be the standard for entry into the profession. I was a student nurse in one William D. (Bill) Mayers, RT, RN Frank L. Lambert of the last classes to graduate from one of the St. Joseph Hospital School of Professor Emeritus (Chemistry) hospital schools. Nursing class of 78 Occidental College There was also intense resentment of the Canastota, New York Los Angeles, California

66 January/February 2001 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

In his article "The Laws of Nature," Zoran pseudo-random order as Marks and Colwell Was Elian a miracle child? Certainly his Pazameta says, "However small this waste may suggest, then Sheldrake's results would have survival on the water was fortuitous. But if be, it is never zero—that is, no natural or been replicated in the absence of staring. events had been truly miraculous, wouldn't man-made process can ever be 100 percent the entire group of refugees have made it to Thaddeus M. Cowan efficient." If the process in question is to pro­ die United States? According to the prayers duce heat, can't it be 100 percent efficient? Emeritus Professor of of the Cuban exiles, shouldn't the "divine Psychology In his book The Fabric of Reality, David intervention" that saved him from death also Kansas State University Deutsch says, "This property is related to the keep Elian in the U.S.? Yet it didn't happen second law of thermodynamics, which states 1. Sec Kaufman, Lloyd. 1974. Sight and Mind. that way. that ordered energy, such as chemical or New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 278-281. Again, many thanks to the tireless Mr. 2. Cowan, T.M.. D.R. Dickson, and G. gravitational potential enetgy, may be con­ Nickell. Misceo. 1998. EfFerence and die extension of con­ verted entirely into disordered energy, i.e., sciousness. In Scott Jordan, Ed. System Theories Kevin M. Wolf heat, but never vice versa" (emphasis added) and A Priori Aspects of Perception. New York: (p. 286, paperback). This may be a finer Elsevier. Somerville, Massachusetts point that Professor Pazameta wanted to consider in his "Skeptic's Guide." Little Red Riding Hood, Sex Allan D. Halderman Ear Candling, and More Oregon City, Oregon Symbols, and Fairy Tales? Bravos to Philip and Justin Kaushall for their daring experiments on ear candling ("On Martin Gardner in "Little Red Riding Ear Cones and Candles," September/ Hood" (September/October 2000) skepti­ Testing the Staring Effect October 2000). I'm sure I would hesitate to cally chided psychoanalysts for reading psy­ put a hollow, burning candle in my ear. In chological and sexual meanings into fairy The excellent article by David Marks and replications, the use of an otoscope to visual­ tales. How could he ignore ail the sex and John Colwell on the staring effect ize the wax (or lack thereof) in the ear canal violence known to have been "read out" or (September/October 2000) contained one pre- and post-testing might prove to make scissored out instead of "read in"? factual error and a missing control condi­ results even more convincing. Gardner touched on this briefly in men­ tion. The statement that Sheldrake intro­ Let it never be said that alternative med­ tioning Pcrrault's French version of Little duced "... a radically new theory of percep­ icine practitioners leave an orifice Red Riding Hood published in 1697. The tion" is not quite correct. The idea that uncleanscd, and we can only hope that the wolf disguised as granny persuades Little Red images are an outward projection of the courageous Kaushalls will further expand to undress and climb into bed. In the later mind through the eyes of the observer was their expertise in the arena of orifice can­ (1812) German version published by the first proposed by Johannes Kepler almost Brothers Grimm, the girl stands by the bed 1 dling. I think I am on safe ground saying 400 years ago. More recently, Dale Dickson, that the practice of "Butt Candling" and stays clothed. Giovanni Miscco, and myself; suggested that (hrtp://buttcandle,mutate.nct/index.cgi?op= That was far from the only bowdleriz­ die conscious extent of an image (say, the Home) has been relatively free of investiga­ ing. In the earlier centuries-old version of redness of a rose) is a phenomenological pro­ tion. Working on the same principle as ear another story, the prince does much more jection to some distant point from the candling, a "vacuum will be created within than just kiss Sleeping Beauty. Then she observer. I hasten to add that we did not sug­ the rectum and thereby draw out the stub­ gives birth and her child jostles her gest that the projections is through the eyes, born fecal material." awake. That early edition also contained as Kepler and Sheldrake would have it, but adultery and attempted cannibalism. The rather the illusion of the rose's redness Bun candles, however, come with extra prince is married and the jealous wife located at die position of the distant rose is long matches. attempts to devour Beauty cooked but, probably determined by afferent and/or Linda Rosa, RN through a deception, the dish contains efferent signals of the nervous system. Loveland, Colorado only goat stew. As for the missing control condition, The bachelor-princc/just-a-kiss edition there are two different kinds of controls one published by the Grimms is the sanitized one could use to demonstrate that a pseudo-ran­ The Elian Case known today but the brothers were censored dom procedure is responsible for Sheldrake's also. In the story of Rapunzel. the prince results: The first, used by Marks and The September/October SKEPTICAL climbs her long, golden hair to visit her in Colwell. eliminates the pseudo-random pro­ INQUIRER was well worth reading from cover the tower where she is held captive. cedure, replacing it with a truly random pre­ to cover. However, I was especially pleased According to Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, sentation, under conditions of staring, with with Joe Nickell's comments on the Elian she gives birth to twins while in die tower. the expectation of chance results. This expec­ Gonzalez case. Whatever one's feelings about Check the children's section of your local tation was met. die political ramifications of this extended bookstore and you will find diat in most The second, not employed by Marks and drama, the religious aspects should be seen rewrites the twins have disappeared. Colwell, but one which would have really in their true light. Television showed grand­ According to the Brothers Grimm, die made their case, would be to keep standing by Elian's Miami family and its sup­ huntsman who is supposed to kill Snow Sheldrake's pseudo-random order but elimi­ porters combined with near-hysterical dis­ White fools the wicked queen by bringing nate the staring (unbeknownst to the sub­ plays from die most fervently religious mem­ back the heart of a young boar. The queen jects). If Sheldrake's results were due to the bers of the Cuban expatriate community. has the heart salted and cooked, then eats it.

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER lanusry/February 2001 67 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

In the Disney cartoon and various rewrites, list what they thought. Why a red riding been off base when, in reference to Sam the he shows her the heart but no luncheon fol­ hood? Here are some replies: Sham's song, he stated that the tune ends with Sam repeating "I mean baaaad!" What I lows. In even prissier versions, he just tells Just because the color red was associated her he did it. with sexuality by the upper middle classes hear is an allusion to a wolf in sheep's cloth­ Snow White's wedding ball concludes by the time Freud was writing doesn't ing; subsequent to his letting out a wolf the story. The wicked queen is forced to mean thai ii always had that meaning, For howl, what Sam says is, I mean, "Baaaaa!" a long time green was associated with wear white-hot iron shoes and to dance The singer is admitting to the listener that he uncontrolled sexuality because of the idea is feigning the innocence of a lamb in order around in them until she drops over dead. of impulsive intercourse on the grass to get close to Little Red. Play it again. In post-Grimm or not-so-Grimm revisions, which would give a woman a "green- Sam—er, Martin—and give one more listen Disney kills her off sans torture with a bolt gown." Red wool for cloaks and red flan­ to sec if you agree. of lightning. In Classic Comics, she goes nel for petticoats arc very common in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries insane and runs raving into the forest. A with the working classes. Alan Miesch children's stage version has her imprisoned Rochester, New York in the magic mirror. Anything to avoid a Well, I'm no psychologist but if I had to hot-tootsy tapdance that surely must have hazard a guess (why red cloaks arc com­ been the life of the party. mon), I would say that maybe the reason is the same as today. In the cold dark dreary I enjoyed Martin Gardner's column about According to the Brothers Grimm, months of winter, it's good to have some­ Little Red Riding Hood. However, I must Cinderella's wicked stepmother takes a thing red to cheer you. It contrasts so well correct one thing he said about the song kitchen knife and cuts a big toe off of each with the grey skies, the black trees and the little Red Riding Hood by Sam the Sham bad stepsister so the glass slipper will fit. white snow. We have red in abundance at and the Pharaohs. At the end, the wolf says, Trickling blood exposes the trick. During Christmas and at Valentine's Day, which covers the worst of the year. In almost all "I mean Baaaah! Baaaah!" not "I'm bad!" Cinderella's wedding, the two limpers get the high-end tashion lines, red is a staple The clue is that about halfway through is their eyes gouged out by mystical birds. In of winter. the line, "I'm keeping my sheep suit on." Disney, the bad stepsisters end up grump- The wolf is willing to appear to be a harm­ faccd but unharmed. At Dalton's and I had always heard that it was a psycholog­ less sheep until he convinces Red that "even Waldenbooks, Cinderella marries them off ical feeling that sine • •-•d is a warmer color, bad wolves can be good." garments that were meant to keep some­ to lesser nobles. one really warm were red in color, i.e.. Sorry to be pedantic on so small a point, In some storybook illustrations, Hans capes and bloomers. but you must know how we baby boomers Christian Andersen's "Little Mermaid" is teel about our music. bare-breasted like the bronze statue in And what about safety? Hunters, at least in the U.S., wear "Blaze Orange" clothing so Copenhagen. In others, she wears two oys­ Howard F. Heller they can be seen, and not shot, bv other Mountlake Terrace. Washington ter shells as a bikini top. Look how much is hunters. Also, when traveling in the snow, done to protect children from being unset­ red clothing may make the difference tled by anything stronger than Porky Pig between freezing to death or being found by rescuers. Martin Gardner misses the point of I.ink- and Captain Kangaroo. No morning sick­ Red Riding Hood. The story did not ness for Rapunzel. No fry pan booties for According to "War in Britain" by Tim become popular with children because it the queen. Perhaps the psychoanalysts who Newark (English Heritage, HarperCollins. cautions them against failing to heed their "read in" are just putting back what Miss 2000). red and blue were the favored col­ mothers. There is an underlying sexual Grundy and Reverend Scissorhands have ors for uniforms because they only need one stage of dyeing, and were therefore theme, and every five-year-old understands cut out. cheapest. rhat Little Red recognizes the wolf in Greg Donio grandma's bedroom. Note that the wolf So you see, a red cloak and hood in the New York, New York waits until he gets her into bed before eighteenth century (and earlier) signifies very pouncing. Both the wolf and Little Red arc little indeed . . . except perhaps to show engaging in deception; the wolf pretends to Little Red Riding Hood's social status as I read with great delight Martin Gardner's be the grandmother, and Little Red pre­ being lower or middle class. column on the interpretations of Little Red tends she doesn't know what is going on. Isn't it wonderful how the investigation Riding Hood. I was particularly amused by Gardner gives away the hidden meaning of even a simple children's fairytale can draw the various sexual or otherwise profound when he relates the earlier version in which in so many seemingly unrelated disciplines symbolisms given to the color of her cape Little Red unwittingly joins the wolf in eat­ and illuminate life and thinking in the eigh­ and hood: Red. I am a costume designer and ing her grandmother's flesh and drinking maker and am particularly fond of the eigh­ teenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries. her blood. This is a subtle reference to the teenth century. I have noticed over the years Gray Hunter eucharist. The fable mocks Christianity's of making and researching women's clothes Wilmington, North Carolina denial of natural sexuality. The wolf repre­ of that century that red wool cloaks were sents the corrupt priesthood, feigning asex- very common. Now, my goal is to make cos­ uality while lusting after young maidens. tumes, not to document die colors of outer As usual. Martin Gardner's report—this one When the hunter removes rhc two victims wear, so I didn't know for sure, but I had a on the yxcptAbcsceni femme fatale Little Red from the wolfs belly and replaces them notion that a red riding hood was a very Riding Hood—was much appreciated. To with stones (representing testicles), he is common garment. So I asked my learned correct a trivial (but entertaining) point, I exposing the wolf/priest as a sexual male, colleagues on the Historic-Costume mailing would suggest that Mr. Gardner may have causing his downfall.

68 January/February 2001 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

To think that fundamentalists are Ernest Patridgc writes that seven of the to counteract the flood of pseudoscientific denouncing Teletubbies while Mother Goose "winners" are all CSICOP founders, sug­ nonsense, take an interest in your local pub­ is purveying this antireligious. X-rated filth gesting that "the list turned out to be lic library. to our little kiddies! CSICOP's celebration of itself." I presume, If you haven't visited your library in a however, that it is just the other way while, do so. Stroll the aisles. In addition to Richard Morrock 'round, and that those seven people are many fine books, magazines and videos, you Bay Terrace, New York CSICOP founders because they are out­ may be surprised to find a lot of nonsense. standing skeptics. You arc likely to encounter materials about "Most were or are active in the final UFOs. haunted houses, quack medicine, A Thank You quarter of the century"; probably the reason "unsolved mysteries," astrology, and that old is thai during the first half of the century, stand-by. crcationism. Chance arc, you won't I am simply writing to give thanks. The sci­ when the skeptical movement was not what see SI on the shelves. entific reasoning used to show scams and it is now, few authors wrote so many Many libraries depend heavily on hoaxes for what they truly are, and to also debunking books and articles as, for donations. Purveyors of creationism are show that logic can prevail, is a credit to the instance, Martin Gardner and Paul Kurtz. particularly generous donors. Well, we integrity of work done at SKEPTICAL And maybe for a similar reason all ten win­ can make donations, too. Books, maga­ INQUIRKR. The information is always accu­ ners arc men, not women. zines, audio tapes, and videos in good rate and a pleasure to read. I owe much of condition are generally accepted. They my current philosophy on life to the scien­ Jean Meeus will likely accept gift subscriptions to SI tific minds working at SI (and many other Erps-Kwerps, Belgium and other reputable magazines. The chief institutions and publications as well) I "lien librarian will be happy to discuss it with wonder what the world would be like if it you. If enough of us do it, we can make was run by skeptics. I believe it would be the Clued-Up TV Critic a real difference. closest to an idealistic world we could come to at our current place in time. It is easy to get depressed by the seemingly Victor Commisso Keep up the excellent work. endless credulity and stupidity of the mass Lebanon, Pennsylvania media, so I think it is important to salute Adam Michael Misosky those individuals who stand up for the cause misosky. I @osu.edu of reason. 1 hope your readers enjoy this For the Record excerpt from a review by Victor Lewis-Smith in the London Evening Standard of a televi­ Two of the persons referred to in the book Wire-Dowser's Wire sion program shown here in the United review of Therapeutic Touch (November/ Kingdom called "UFOs over Phoenix": December 2000) are deceased: Martha It's a very small matter in comparison to the Three years ago, the residents of an Rogers died March 13. 1994. Dora van debunking, but in the News and Comment Arizonan city professed to have seen sev­ Gelder Kunz died August 25, 1999. section ("Dowsing for Truth," September/ eral lights and "darks" (connected in a V- October 2000) James Undcrdown talks formation) hovering above them in the about wire, saying at one point, "the thinner night sky. and many of them still hold reg­ (12-gauge) wire ...." I assume he is saying ular meetings to discuss the potential thinner than 16-gauge wire. Of course 12- celestial significance of these brief sight­ ings. While I can. with difficulty, just The letters column is a forum for gaugc is thicker, not thinner. This is only to about understand why medieval man was views on matters raised in previ­ clarify that the wire was in fact thicker...so fascinated and overawed by the sight of the investigators were even more generous. unfamiliar objects hurtling across the ous issues. Letters should be no heavens, our night skies are nowadays Jack Curtis crammed to overflowing with all manner more than 225 words. Due to the [email protected] of planes, rockets, satellites, and weather volume of letters not all can be balloons, so surely only a moron would regard > few unusual lights as a sure sign of published. Address letters to James Undcrdown replies: the Second Coming, or of intcrgalactic vis­ itors seeking to land in the vasmess of the Letters to the Editor, SKEPTICAL Sorry about the mix-up on the gauge of the desert? INQUIRER. Send by mail to 944 wire in our experiment. The numbers were Deer Dr. NE, Albuquerque, NM transposed. I have rarely seen the skeptical attitude 87122; by fax to 505-828-2080; towards UFO sightings so well put. or by e-mail to [email protected] Toby Poynder Top 10 Skeptics' London. (include name and address). Controversy

The ankle "The 10 Outstanding Skeptics of Donate to Libraries the Twentieth Century" (January/February 2000) generated much criticism (May/June I'd like to make a suggestion to my fellow 2000. pages 62-63). readers of SI. If you want to do something

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER january/february 2001 69 THE COMMITTEE FOR THE SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION OF CLAIMS OF THE PARANORMAL AT THE CENTER FOR INQUIRY-INTERNATIONAL (ADJACENT TO THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT &UFFALO| AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION Network of Affiliated Organizations International ARGENTINA. CAIRP. Director. Ladislao Enrique EUROPEAN COUNCIL OF SKEPTICAL ORGANIZA­ MALTA. SICEC (Society for Investigating The Marquez, Jose Marti 35 - "C". (CP. 1406). Buenos TIONS. Amardeo Sarma.' Secretary, Postfach 1222, Credibility of Extraordinary Claims) Vanni Pule 48, Aires. E-mail: deschave8cvtci.com.ar. D-64374 Rossdorf (Fax: +49 6154 81912). Sirti Street San Gwann, SGN 07 Malta. (+356 381994) AUSTRALIA. General Inquiries: skeplicsOmail.kasm. FINLAND. Skepsis. Ilpo V. Salmi. Chairman. Veikko pulevanQkeyworld.net. com.au. National: . Contact: Joutsenlahti, Secretary. P.O. Box. 00101 Helsinki, MEXICO. Mexican Association for Skeptical Barry Williams, Executive Officer, P.O. Box 268. Finland. E-mail contact: Jukka Hakkinen. Jukka. Research (SOMIE), Mario Mendez Acosta*. Roseville, NSW 2069. (Phone: 612-9417 2071. Fax: hakkinenOhelsinki.fi. 612-9417-7930, E-mail: skepticsekasm.com.au). Chairman. Apartado Postal 19-546. Mexico 03900, Regional: Australian Skeptics in Tasmania, P.O. FRANCE. Cercle Zetetique. Contact: Paul-Eric D.F. Box 582, North Hobart. TAS 7000, E-mail: thor- Blanrue, 12 Rue David Deitz. 57000 Metz. Comite Francais pour I'Etude des Phenomenes NETHERLANDS. . Rob Nanninga. nettenetspace.net.au. Australian Skeptics, (Vic), Secretary. Westerkade 20. 9718 AS Groningen. GPO Box 5166AA. Melbourne VIC 3001, E-mail: con- Paranormaux, Secretary-General, Merlin Gerin, [email protected]. Canberra Skeptics, P.O. Box RGE/A2 38050 Grenoble Cedex. Union . New Zealand Skeptics. Bernard 555. Civic Square, 2608. Darwin Skeptics, P.O. Box Rationaliste, Contact: Jean-Paul Krivine, 5 rue Howard, Secretary, 150 Dyer's Pass Rd.. 809, Sanderson NT 0812. Gold Coast Skeptics, PO Leredde. Paris F 75013, France. Association 2. N.Z. Vickie Hyde. Chair-entity. South Pacific Infor­ Francaise pour I'lnformation Scientifique Box 8348, GCMC Bundall OLD 4217, E-mail: mation Services. Box 19-760. Christchurch S, N.Z. Fax: winkleeonthenet.com.au. Hunter Skeptics, P.O. (AFIS) 14. rue de I'Ecole Polytechnique. Paris F- 75005, France. +64 (03) 385-5138. E-mail: nzsmOspis.co.nz. Web: Box 166, Waratah NSW 2298, E-mail, bulwie http://www.spis.co.nz/skeptics.htm. admin.newcastle.edu.au. Queensland Skeptics GERMANY. Society for the Scientific Assoc. Inc. P.O. Box 6454. Fairfield Gardens QLD Investigation of Para-Science (GWUP). Amardeo NORWAY. Skepsis. St. Olavsgt. 27, N-0166. Oslo. 4103. E-mail: qskepticeuq.net.au. South Australia Sarma,* Convenor, Postfach 1222, D-64374 Rossdorf PERU, CIPSI-PERU, Contact: MA. Paz y Mino, Skeptics, P.O. Box 377, Rundle Mall, SA 5000. E- (Phone: +49 61S4 695021, Fax: +49 6154 695022, E- Director, El Corregidor 318. Lima 25 Peru. E-mail: mail: lakesesenet.com.au. Western Australia mail: infoegwup.org). Skeptics, P.O. Box 899, Morley WA 6062, E-mail: cipsiperuOyahoo.com. Web: geocities.com/cipsiperu BronsoneWantree.com.au. Web site: httpjrwww. HONG KONG. Hong Kong Skeptics. Contact: Brad PHILIPPINES. Society of Skeptics and Freethink­ skeptics.com.au. Collins, P.O. Box 1010, Shatin Central Post Office, ers, Contact: Marco Licinio F. Gingoyon, 252-z Shatin. NT. Ascension Urgello St., Cebu City, Philippines. BELGIUM. SKEPP, W. Betz. Secretary, Laarbeeklaan HUNGARY. Hungarian Skeptics. Gyula Bencze, PORTUGAL.CEPO Ludwig Krippahl, Apartado 334, 103, B1090 (Fax: 32-2-4774301). Termeszet Vilaga. P.O. Box 25. Budapest 8,1444. (Fax: 2676-901 Odivelas. E-mail: cepoeinteracesso.pt BRAZIL. Opcao Racional, Luis Gutman, Rua Santa 011-36-1-118-7506). http7rwww.cepo.interacesso.pt/. Clara, 431, Bloco 5, Apt. 803. Copacabana - Rio de INDIA. Indian Skeptics, B. Premanand, Chairman. 10 RUSSIA. Contact: Dr. Valerii A. Kuvakin, Zdravyi Smysl Janeiro 22041-010 (+55-21-547-2088 or +55-21- Chettipalayam Rd., Podanur 641-023 Coimbatore (Common Sense), 119899 Russia, Moscow, Vorob'evy 235-2476). Tamil Nadu. Indian Rationalist Association. Gory, Moscow, State University, Philosophy Contact: Sanal Edamaruku, 779. Pocket 5. Mayur Department. BULGARIA. Bulgarian Skeptics, Contact: Vladimir Vihar 1. New Delhi 110 091. Maharashtra Daskalov. Krakra 22. BG-1504 Sofia, Bulgaria. Superstition Eradication Committee, Contact: SLOVAK REPUBLIC. Society for Advocacy of E-mail: egosheveeinet.bg Narendra Dabholkar, 155 Sadashiv Peth, Satara-415 Critical Thinking (SACT), Igor Kapisinsky. Secretary, CANADA. Alberta Skeptics. Heidi Lloyd-Price, 001. Dravidar Kazhagam. K. Veeramnani. General Pavla Horova, 10, 841 07 Bratislava. Slovak Republic. Secretary, P.O. Box 5571, Station A, Calgary. Alberta Secretary. Periyar Thidal, 50, E.V.K. Sampath Road. T2H 1X9 British Columbia Skeptics, Contact: Lee Madras - 600 007, Tamil Nadu. SOUTH AFRICA. Assn. for the Rational Investiga­ Moller, 1188 Beaufort Road, Vancouver V7G 1R7. tion of the Paranormal (ARIP). Marian Laserson, Ontario Skeptics, Henry Gordon. Chairman. 343 IRELAND. Irish Skeptics, Contact: Peter O'Hara, St. Secretary, P.O. Box 46212, Orange Grove. 2119 South Clark Ave West. Suite 1009, Thornhill Ontario L4J Joseph's Hospital, Limerick. Africa. Cape Skeptics, c/o Leon Retief. 5N 7K5. E-mail: hgordoneidirert.com. Ottawa Skep­ ITALY. CICAP (Comitato Italiano per il Controllo Agapanthus Avenue, Welgedacht Bellviile 7530, tics, Contact: Greg Singer (skepticeottawa.com). delle Affermationi sul Paranormale), P.O. Box South Africa, E-mail: leonrOiafrica.com. President. P.O. Box 1237 station B, Ottawa, Ontario, 1117. 35100 Padova; Tel. Fax: 39-426-22013. Scienza Canada KIP 5R3. Sceptiques du Quebec Alan S Paranormale, , Editor, P.O. Box SPAIN. Aftemativa Racional a las Pseudociencias Bonnier, CP. 202, Succ. Beaubien. Montreal H2G 3C9. 60, 27058 Voghera (PV); e-mail: editorOcicap.org. (ARP). Carlos Telleria. Executive Director. Apdto. E-mail: www.sceptiques.qc.ca. 1516, 50080 Zaragoza. El Investigador Esceptico. JAPAN. Japan Skeptics, Jun Jugaku, Contact Person. Contact: Felix Ares De Bias. Gamez/Ares/Martinez. CHINA. China Association for Science and Business Center for Academic Societies Japan, 16-9 P.O. Box 904. 20080 Donostia-San Sebastian. Technology, Contact: Shen Zhenyu, Research Honkomagome 5-chome. 8unkyo-Ku, Tokyo 113. Center, CAST, PO Box 8113, Beijing, China. JAPAN. (Japan Anti-Pseudoscience Activities SWEDEN. Vetenskap och Folkbildning (Swedish Network) c/o Ohta Publishing Company. Ryutarou Skeptics), Sven Ove Hansson, Secretary, Box 185. 101 CZECH REPUBLIC. Czech Club of Skeptics, Jiri Minakami, Chairperson. Epcot Bid IF, 22. Arakichou. 23 Stockholm. Grygar, Institute of Physics. Czech Academy of Shinjukuku Tokyo. JAPAN (Fax: +81 3 3359-0040. e- Sciences, Na Slovance 2, a - 180 40 Prague 8; Tel. mail: skepticOe-mail.ne.jp.) TAIWAN. Tim Holmes. P.O. Box 195, Tanzu, Taiwan. +420 2 6605 2660. E-mail: grygarOfzu.cz. KAZAKHSTAN. Kazakhstan Commission for Inves­ UNITED KINGDOM. Skeptical Inquirer Representative. DENMARK. Association of Independent Danish tigation of Anomalous Phenomena (KCIAP), Michael J Hutchinson, 10 Crescent View. Loughton. Skeptics, http://www.skeptica.dk. Contact person: Contact: Sergey Efimov. Astrophysical Institute, Essex IG10 4PZ Association for Skeptical Enquiry Mogens Wintner, Nydamvej 10, 6400 Sonderborg. Kamenskoye Plato, Alma-Ata 480068. Kazakhstan. (ASKE). Contact: Wayne Spencer, 15 Ramsden Wood Denmark. E-mail: 2836Qpo.ia.dk or Willy Wegner: KOREA. Korea PseudoScience Awareness. Gun-ll Rd., Walsden, Todmorden. Lancaster OL14 7UD. E- skepticaeskeptica.dk. Kang. Director, 187-11 Bukahyun-dong Sudaemun- mail: askeOdoofa.demon.co.uk. The Skeptic maga­ ESTONIA. Contact: Indrek Rohtmets, Horisont, EE ku, Seoul 120-190. Korea. E-mail KOPSAO zine. Editor. Wendy Grossman, P.O. Box 475, 0102 Tallinn, Narva mnt. 5. chollian.net www.kopsa.or.kr. Manchester M60 2TH.

United States ALABAMA. Alabama Skeptics, Emory Kim- Association for Rational Inquiry, Contact Keith ILLINOIS. Rational Examination Assoc, of brough, 3550 Watermelon Road, Apt. 28A, Taylor, 858 Auburn Ave., Chula Vista, CA 91913 (619- Lincoln Land (REALL), David Bloomberg, Chair­ Northport. AL 35473 (205-759-2624). 421-5844 or 619-233-1888, Fax; 61*696-9476). E- man, P.O. Box 20302, Springfield IL 62708 ARIZONA. Tucson Skeptics Inc James McGaha, mail: ktaylor470juno.com. (217-726-5354), E-mail: chairmanOreall.org. Chairman, 5100 N. Sabino Foothills Dr., Tucson, COLORADO. Rocky Mountain Skeptics, Bela KENTUCKY. Kentucky Assn. of Science AZ 85715, E-mail: JMCGAHAePimaCC.Pima.EDU. Scheiber,' President P.O. Box 7277, Boulder, Educators and Skeptics (KASES), Chairman, Prof. Phoenix Skeptics, Michael Stackpole, CO 80306 (Tel.: 303-444-7537. Fax: 303-447-8412. Robert A. Baker, 3495 Castleton Way North, Chairman. P.O. Box 60333, Phoenix. AZ 85082. Web: Dcn.boulder.co.us/community/rms, E-mail: Lexington. KY 40502. CALIFORNIA. Bay Area Skeptics. Wilma Russell, rmscentralOmindspring.com. LOUISIANA. Baton Rouge Proponents of Secretary, PO Box 2443. Castro Valley, CA 94546 D.C CAPITAL AREA. National Capital Area Rational Inquiry and Scientific Methods Center for Inquiry-West 5519 Grosvenor Ave, Skeptics, c/o D.W. "Chip" Denman. 8006 (BR-PRISM), Marge Schroth, Director. 425 Los Angeles, CA 90066 (Tel. 310-306-2847) East Bay Valley Street. Silver Spring, MD 20910, Skeptics Society, Daniel Sabsay. President, 70 Carriage Way, Baton Rouge, LA 70808-4828 Yosemite Avenue #309, Oakland, CA 94611 http-yAivww.ncas.org (301-587-3827). (225-766-4747). (510-420-0202). Sacramento Organisation for FLORIDA. Tampa Bay Skeptks, Gary Posner. 1113 MICHIGAN. Great Lakes Skeptics. Contact: Rational Thinking (SORT). Contact Ray Normandy Trace Rd.. Tampa, FL 33602 (813-221- Lorna J. Simmons. 31710 Cowan Road. Apt. 103, Spangenburg/Kit Moser, 4024 Knoll Top Court. 3533), E-mail: garyposOaol.com, Web address: Westland. Ml 48185-2366 (734-525-5731) E-mail: Carmichael. CA 95608 (916-978-0321). Sacramento http-y/members.aol.com/tbskep/mdex.html. skeptic 310aol.com. Tri-Cities Skeptics, Skeptks Society. Terry Sandbek. 4300 Auburn GEORGIA. Georgia Skeptics, Becky Long, Contact: Gary Barker, 3596 Butternut St., Blvd. Suite 206, Sacramento. CA 95841, (916-489- Saginaw, Ml 48604 (517-799-4502). E-mail: 1774). E-mail: tsandbekQMOTHER.COM. San Diego President 2277 Winding Woods Dr., Tucker. GA 30084. garyOearthvision.svsu.edu. MINNESOTA. Minnesota Skeptics, Robert W. 12305. New York Area Skeptics (NYASk), ContactX.: dclphia Association for Critical Thinking (PhACT). McCoy. 549 Turnpike Rd., Golden Valley. MN Jeff Corey. 18 Woodland St.. Huntington, NY 117433.. Eric Krieg. PO Box 1131. North Wales. PA 19454-0131. 55416. St. Kloud ESP Teaching Investigation e-mail: jcoreyeiiu.edu. Web: http://www.ph3ct.orci. Tel: (215) 885-2089. Committee (SKEPTIC), Jerry Mertens. NORTH CAROLINA. Triad Area Skeptics Club. Coordinator. Psychology Dept. St. Cloud State b. TENNESSEE. Rationalists of East fcrmessee. Contact Univ., St. Cloud, MN 56301. Contact Eric Carlson, Physics Department. Wakce Carl Ledendecker. 2123 Stonybrook Rd. Louisville. TN MISSOURI. Kansas City Committee for Skeptical Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109. E-mail,11:: 37777. (865-982-8687). E-mail: AletalLeaol.com. Inquiry, Verle Muhrer, Chairman, United Labor ecarlsonewfu.edu Tel: 336-758-4994 Web: http'II* TEXAS. Houston Association for Scientific Thinking Building. 6301 Rockhill Road. Suite 412, Kansas City, www.wfu.edu/-ecarlson/tasc. (HAST). Darrell Kachilla, PO Box 541314. Houston, TX MO 64131. Gateway Skeptics. Chairperson, Steve OHIO. South Shore Skeptics. Jim Kutz. 8271 Midlan,d 77254. North Texas Skeptics, Joe Voelkenng. Best, 6943 Amherst Ave., University City, MO 63130. Rd., Mentor. OH 44060. Tel: 440-942-5543 E-mailil : President. P.O. Box 111794, Carrollton, TX 75011-1794. NEW ENGLAND. New England Skeptical Society jimkutzeearthlink.net. Association for Rationaall VIRGINIA. Science and Reason in Hampton Roads, (NESS), Contact: Steve Novella, MD. PO Box 185526. Thinking (Cincinnati area). Joseph F Gastrightit,. c/o Lawrence Weinstein. Physics Dept. Old Dominion Hamden. CT 06518, E-mail ctskeptic©compuserve. Contact. 111 Wallace Ave.. Covington. KY 4101144 University. Norfolk. VA 23529. Web: www.physics. com. Connecticut Chapter, Contact: Jon Blumenfeld, E- (606 581 7315) Central Ohioans for Rationaall odu.edu/-weinstei/srhr.html. mail: jon8jblumenfeld.com. Massachusetts Chapter. Inquiry (CORI). Charlie Hazlett, President, 4820 Contact: Sheila Gibson (a/k/a "chairchkk"), P.O. Box !0 WASHINGTON. The Society for Sensible Sulhvant Ave. Columbus. OH 43228 (614-771-2179)I); Explanations. P0 Box 45792. Seattle, WA 98145- 2537, Acton. MA 01720. E-mail: skepchikehotmail.com. E-mail: charlieehazlett.net. New Hampshire Chapter, Contact J J Kane, 89 Glen 0792. Tad Cook. Secretary. E-mail: tadeaa.net garry Drive, Stratham. NH 03885 Tel: 603-778-6873. OREGON. Oregonians for Rationality. Daviid WISCONSIN. Contact: Mike Neumann. 1835 N. 57th || Street Milwaukee. Wl 53208 (414-453-7425, Email: NEW MEXICO. New Mexicans for Science and Chapman, President Tel. 503-292-2146. E-mail: e. mikeeomnifest.uwm.edu). Reason, David E. Thomas. President. PO Box 1017. dchapmaneiccom.com. Contact: Josh Reese, secre­ Peralta, NM 87042, E-mail: detert66.com. John tary, 7555 Spring Valley Rd. NW, Salem. OR 973044.. • Member, CSICOP Executive Council Geohegan. Vice President, 450 Montclaire SE. Tel: 503-364-6255. E-mail joshrencn.com. Webb: "Associate Member. CSICOP Executive Council www.o4r.org. Albuquerque. NM 87108. Web: www.nmsr.org. The organizations listed above have aims similar to NEW YORK. Center for Inquiry-International, PO PENNSYLVANIA. Paranormal Investigating Comn-­ those of CSICOP but are independent and Box 703, Amherst, NY 14226 (Tel. 716-636-1425) mittee of Pittsburgh (PICP). Richard Busch. Chairir­- autonomous. Representatives of these organizations Inquiring Skeptics of Upper New York (ISUNY), man. 8209 Thompson Run Rd.. Pittsburgh. PA 1S23177 cannot speak on behalf of CSICOP. Please send updates John A. TyO. 32 N. Ferry St. - Apt. 5. Schenectady, NY (412-366-1000). E-mail: mindfuietelerama.com Philaa- to Barry Karr, P.O. 8ox 703. Amherst. NY 14226-0703.

SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL CONSULTANTS

George Agogino, Dept. of Anthropology, representative, Europe Chris Scott, statistician, London, England Eastern New Mexico University Philip A. lanna. assoc. professor of astronomy, Stuart D. Scott, Jr., associate professor of Gary Bauslaugh, educational consultant. Univ. of Virginia anthropology, SUNY. Buffalo Center for Curriculum, Transfer and William Jarvis, professor of health promotion Erwin M. Segal, professor of psychology, Technology, Victoria. B.C., Canada and public health, Loma Linda University. SUNY. Buffalo Richard E. Berendzen. astronomer, School of Public Health Carla Selby, anthropologist/archaeologist Washington. D.C. I. W. Kelly, professor of psychology. University Steven N. Shore, associate professor and Martin Bridgstock, lecturer, School of Science, of Saskatchewan chair, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, Griffith University, Brisbane. Australia Richard H. Lange. M0, Mohawk Valley Indiana Univ. South Bend Richard Busch, magician/mentalist. Pittsburgh, Physician Health Plan. Schenectady, N.Y. Waclaw Szybalski, professor, McArdle Pa. Gerald A. Larue, professor of biblical history Laboratory, University of Wisconsin-Madison Shawn Carlson, physicist. San Diego. Calif. and archaeology, University of So. California. Ernest H. Taves, psychoanalyst. Cambridge, Roger B. Culver, professor of astronomy, William M. London, consumer advocate. Fort Massachusetts Colorado State Univ. Lee, New Jersey David E. Thomas, physicist, mathematician, Felix Ares de Bias, professor of computer sci­ Rebecca Long, nuclear engineer, president of Peralta. New Mexico ence. University of Basque. San Sebastian. Georgia Council Against Health Fraud, Spain Atlanta, Ga. Sarah G. Thomason, professor of linguistics. Michael R. Dennett, writer, investigator. Thomas R. McDonough, lecturer in engineer­ University of Pittsburgh Federal Way, Washington ing, Caltech, and SETI Coordinator of the Tim Trachet journalist and science writer, hon­ Sid Deutsch. consultant. Sarasota, Fla. Planetary Society orary chairman of SKEPP. Belgium. J. Oommanget astronomer, Royale James E. McGaha. Major. USAF; pilot Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist, Princeton Observatory, Brussels. Belgium Joel A. Moskowitz, director of medical psychi­ University and the Hayden Planetarium Nahum J. Duker, assistant professor of pathol­ atry, Calabasas Mental Health Services, Los Richard Wiseman, Senior Research Fellow in ogy. Temple University Angeles. psychology. University of Hertfordshire Barbara Eisenstadt. psychologist, educator, . mathematician, Univ. CSICOP . clinician, East Greenbush, N.Y. of Eindhoven, the Netherlands Subcommittees William Evans, professor of communication, John W. Patterson, professor of materials sci­ Georgia State University ence and engineering, Iowa State University Astrology Subcommittee: Chairman, I. W. John F. Fischer, forensic analyst. Orlando, Fla. James Pomerantz. Provost, and professor of Kelly, Dept. of Educational Psychology. 28 Robert E. Funk, anthropologist. New York cognitive and linguistic sciences. Brown Univ. Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Sask., Canada. State Museum & Science Service Gary P. Posner. M.D.. Tampa, Fla. 57N-OX1 Eileen Gambrill, professor of social welfare. Daisie Radner. professor of philosophy, SUNY. Council for Media Integrity: Network University of California at Berkeley Buffalo Director, Barry Karr. CSICOP. P.O. Box 703. Sylvio Garattini, director, Mario Negri Michael Radner, professor of philosophy, Amherst NY 14226-0703. Pharmacology Institute, , Italy McMaster University. Hamilton, Ontario, Health Claims Subcommittee: Co-chairmen. Laurie Godfrey, anthropologist. University of Canada William Jarvis, Professor of Health Promotion Massachusetts Robert H. Romer, professor of physics, and Education. NCRHI, P.O. Box 1276, Loma Gerald Goldin, mathematician, Rutgers Amherst College Linda. CA 92354. and Stephen Barrett M.D.. University, New Jersey Milton A. Rothman. physicist. Philadelphia, P.O. Box 1747, Allentown, PA 18105. Pa Donald Goldsmith, astronomer; president. Parapsychology Subcommittee: Chairman. Interstellar Media Karl Sabbagh. journalist Richmond, Surrey. Ray Hyman.' Psychology Dept, Univ. of England Alan Hale, astronomer. Southwest Institute for Oregon, Eugene. OR 97402. Robert J. Samp, assistant professor of educa­ Space Research. Alamogordo. New Mexico UFO Subcommittee: Chairman. Philip J tion and medicine. University of Wisconsin- Clyde F. Herreid. professor of biology. SUNY. Klass.* 404 -N- Street S.W.. Washington. Madison Buffalo DC. 20024. Steven D. Schafersman, asst. professor of Terence M. Hines. professor of psychology. geology. Miami Univ., Ohio Pace University. Pleasantville, N.Y. •Member. CSICOP Executive Council Michael Hutchinson, author: Sxfrnou. INQUIRER Beta Scheiber.' systems analyst Boulder. Colo. "Associate Member. CSICOP Executive Council .•MilM*M«lil«!l» IC 418: The Spirograph Internation Nebula

... to promote and defend reason, s Glowing like a multi-faceted freedom of inquiry in all areas of human endi jewel, the planetary nebula IC 418 lies about 2,000 light-years THE COMMITTEE FOR THE from Earth in the constellation SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION Lepus. In this picture, the Hubble CLAIMS OF THE PARANORMA telescope reveals some remark­ able textures weaving through the nebula. Their origin, how­ ever, is still uncertain. R INQUIRY- Credit: NASA and The Hubble IONAL Heritage Team (STScl/AURA).

lHj-Bi -1425 CENTER FOR INQUIRY—MIDWEST The Committee is a nonprofit scientific and United Labor Building educational organization. The SKEPTICAL INQUIRER 6301 Rockhill Rd., Suite 412. is its official journal. Kansas City, MO 64T Tel.: (816) 822-9840 ne Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the paranormal encourages the critical investigation of paranormal and CENTER FOR INQUIRY—WEST inge-science claims from a responsible, scientific point of view and 5519 Grosvenor Ave., Bisseminates factual information about the results of such inquiries to phe scientific community, the media, and the public. It also promotes Los Angeles, CA 90066 cience and scientific inquiry, critical thinking, science education, and Tel.: (310) 306-2847 |the use of reason in examining important issues. To carry out these •objectives the Committee: CENTER FOR INQUIRY—MOSCOW Professor Valerii A. Kuvakin Sponsors publications • Convenes conferences and 119899 Russia, Conducts public outreach efforts meetings Moscow, Vorobevy Gory, Maintains an international • Conducts educational prograi at all age levels Moscow State University, [network of people and groups [interested in critically examining • Does not reject claims on a Philosophy Department ranormal, fringe-science, and grounds, antecedent to inquiryz\, CENTER FOR INQUIRY—GERMANY Qther claims, and in contributing but examines them objectively consumer education and carefully Dr. Martin Mahner Arheiliger Weg 11 [Encourages research by objective land impartial inquiry in areas D-64380 Rossdorf, Germany Skeptical Inquirer W! Tel.: +49 6154 695023