The Brain & Consciousness
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the Skeptical Inquirer $5.00 THE BRAIN & CONSCIOUSNESS — also — Explaining Alien- Abduction Fantasies Past-Life Regression: Misuse of Hypnosis The MJ-12 UFO Documents The Verdict on Creationism Published by the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal Vol. XII No. 2 Winter 1987-88 ""Skeptical Inquirer THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER is the official journal of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal. Editor Kendrick Frazier. Editorial Board James E. Alcock, Martin Gardner, Ray Hyman, Philip J. Klass, Paul Kurtz, James Randi. Consulting Editors Isaac Asimov, William Sims Bainbridge, John R. Cole, Kenneth L Feder, C. E. M. Hansel, E. C. Krupp, Andrew Neher, James E. Oberg, Robert Sheaffer, Steven N. Shore. Managing Editor Doris Hawley Doyle. Public Relations Director Barry Karr. Business Manager Mary Rose Hays. Systems Programmer Richard Seymour. Art and Layout Kathy Kostek Typesetting Paul E. Loynes. Audio Technician Vance Vigrass. Librarian, Ranjit Sandhu. Staff Michael Cione, Crystal Folts, Leland Harrington, Erin O'Hare, Alfreda Pidgeon, Kathy Reeves, Lori Van Amburgh. Cartoonist Rob Pudim. The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal Paul Kurtz, Chairman; philosopher. State University of New York at Buffalo. Lee Nisbet, Special Projects Director. Mark Plummer, Executive Director. Fellows of the Committee James E. Alcock, psychologist, York Univ., Toronto; Eduardo Amaldi, physicist, University of Rome, Italy. Isaac Asimov, biochemist, author; Irving Biederman, psychologist, University of Minnesota; Brand Blanshard, philoso pher, Yale; Mario Bunge, philosopher, McGill University; Bette Chambers, A.H.A.; John R. Cole, anthropologist, Institute for the Study of Human Issues; F. H. C. Crick, biophysicist, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, Calif.; L. Sprague de Camp, author, engineer; Bernard Dixon, science writer, consultant; Paul Edwards, philos opher. Editor, Encyclopedia of Philosophy; Antony Flew, philosopher, Reading Univ., U.K.; Andrew Fraknoi, astronomer, executive officer, Astronomical Society of the Pacific; editor of Mercury: Kendrick Frazier, science writer, Editor, THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER; Yves Galifret, Exec. Secretary, l'Union Rationaliste; Martin Gardner, author, critic; Murray Cell-Mann, professor of physics, California Institute of Technology; Henry Gordon, magi cian, columnist, broadcaster, Toronto; Stephen Jay Gould, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard Univ.; C. E. M. Hansel, psychologist, Univ. of Wales; Al Hibbs, scientist. Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Douglas Hofstadter, professor of human understanding and cognitive science, University of Michigan; Sidney Hook, prof, emeritus of philosophy, NYU; Ray Hyman, psychologist, Univ. of Oregon; Leon Jaroff, sciences editor, Time; Lawrence Jerome, science writer, engineer; Philip J. Klass, science writer, engineer; Marvin Kohl, philosopher, SUNY College at Fredonia; Edwin C. Krupp, astronomer, director, Griffith Observatory; Lawrence Kusche, science writer; Paul MacCready, scientist/engineer, AeroVironment, Inc., Monrovia, Calif.; David Marks, psychologist, Middlesex Polytech, England; William V. Mayer, biologist, University of Colorado, Boulder; David Morrison, professor of astronomy. University of Hawaii; Dorothy Nelkin, sociologist, Cornell University. Lee Nisbet, philosopher, Medaille College; James E. Oberg, science writer; Mark Plummer, lawyer, acting executive director, CSICOP, Buffalo, N.Y.; W. V. Quine, philosopher. Harvard Univ.; James Randi, magician, author; Milton Rosenberg, psychologist, University of Chicago; Carl Sagan, astronomer, Cornell Univ.; Evry Schatzman, President, French Physics Associa tion; Thomas A. Sebeok, anthropologist, linguist, Indiana University; Robert Sheaffer, science writer; B. F. Skinner, psychologist, Harvard Univ.; Dick Smith, film producer, publisher, Terrey Hills, N.S.W., Australia; Robert Steiner, magician, author. El Cerrito, California; Stephen Toulmin, professor of social thought and philosophy, Univ. of Chicago; Marvin Zelen, statistician. Harvard Univ.; Marvin Zimmerman, philosopher, SUNY at Buffalo. (Affilia tions given for identification only.) Manuscripts, letters, books for review, and editorial inquiries should be addressed to Kendrick Frazier, Editor, THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. 3025 Palo Alto Dr., N.E., Albuquerque, NM 87111. Subscriptions, change of address, and advertising should be addressed to: THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Box 229, Buffalo, NY 14215-0229. Old address as well as new are necessary for change of subscriber's address, with six weeks advance notice. Inquiries from the media and the public about the work of the Committee should be made to Paul Kurtz, Chairman, CSICOP, Box 229, Buffalo, NY 14215-0229. Tel.: (716) 834-3222. Articles, reports, reviews, and letters published in THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER represent the views and work of individual authors. Their publication does not necessarily constitute an endorsement by CSICOP or its members unless so stated. Copyright ©1987 by the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, 3159 Bailey Ave., Buffalo, NY 14215-0229. Subscription Rates: Individuals, libraries, and institutions, $20.00 a year; back issues, $5.00 each (vol. I, no. I through vol. 2, no. 2, $7.50 each). THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER is available on recordings from Associated Services for the Blind, 919 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19170 (215-627-0600). Postmaster: THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER is published quarterly. Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Printed in the U.S.A. Second-class postage paid at Buffalo. New York, and additional mailing offices. Send changes of address to THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Box 229, Buffalo, NY 14215-0229. Skeptical Inquirer Journal of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal Vol. XII, No. 2 ISSN 0194-6730 Winter 1987-88 137 SPECIAL REPORT: The MJ-12 Crashed-Saucer Documents by Philip J. Klass ARTICLES 148 The Aliens Among Us: Hypnotic Regression Revisited by Robert A. Baker 163 The Brain and Consciousness: Implications for Psi Phenomena, by Barry L. Beyerstein 174 Past-Life Hypnotic Regression: A Critical View by Nicholas P. Spanos 181 Fantasizing Under Hypnosis: Some Experimental Evidence by Peter J. Reveen 184 The Verdict on Creationlsm by Stephen Jay Gould NEWS AND COMMENT 114 Harmonic Convergence / MacLaine Boosts Occult Sales / Recent New Age Books / E. J. Dingwall's Book Collection Sold / Computer Tele conference / Fortune-Teller Loses Case / 1984 "Colossus" / Society for Scientific Exploration / French Wines and Pyramids / Media Trends / German Astrologer Fails Test NOTES OF A FRINGE-WATCHER 128 Irving Kristol and the Facts of Life by Martin Gardner PSYCHIC VIBRATIONS 134 Jackie Gleason as UFO Buff, Leo Sprinkle as abductee, and extrater restrials as genetic engineers by Robert Sheaffer FORUM 189 Sensory Thresholds and the Concept of 'Subliminal' by Tom Bourbon 191 Questionable Publishing Judgments by John F. Baker PAST/PRESENT 192 Carl Jung's Pragmatic Use of Astrology by I J. Good BOOK REVIEWS 194 Paul Kurtz, The Transcendental Temptation (James E. Alcock) 200 Michael Talbot, Beyond the Quantum (Harry Eagar) 201 Charles P. Flynn, After the Beyond: Human Transformation and the Near-Death Experience (Susan J. Blackmore) 202 SOME RECENT BOOKS 204 ARTICLES OF NOTE 211 FROM OUR READERS ON THE COVER: Design by Kathy Kostek. News and Comment Harmonic Convergence: Peace, Harmony, and Cosmobabble HE HARMONIC Convergence is individuals all linked together through Tnow safely in the past, and it ap resonant attunement." This cadre "repre pears its main effect was to enliven an sents the minimum human voltage neces otherwise dull August. sary to leap the imagination of 11 per To some the weekend-long gathering cent—or a 550 million minimum critical at special "sacred sites" around the world mass of humanity—into the significant was nothing more or less than a summer turnaround stage for establishing the in festival of celebration, an expression of frastructure of a new world order. These good will, good feelings, and an appeal 144,000 humans, the equivalent of the for peace, harmony, and understanding. Hundredth Monkey, are a resonating To others, including growing bands core whose number signifies the harmonic of New Age believers, it had far more of light—144." cosmic connotations. This special astral- The timing of the event drew on planetary significance, elusive to the non- Arguelles's interpretations of the Mayan indoctrinated, was ballyhooed far and and Aztec calendars. There was also wide in the puzzling language of Shirley- much talk of the earth slipping out of its speak and psychocosmobabble. time beam, special planetary alignments, "The Harmonic Convergence signals and predictions of massive UFO sight a phase shift—marking the passage from ings. a collective determination to view things The jargon and silliness helped ob from a perspective of conflict to a collec scure a well-meaning idealistic vision of, tive determination to view things from a in one organizer's words, "a world of perspective of cooperation," according to beauty and sophistication, of harmony the event's guru, historian/author/ mil- and balance." lennialist Jose Arguelles. This "planetary No one quite knew what to make of renaissance" represents an "awakening it all. The event was a natural for the from a cultural trance" extending back media and received copious news and to the time of the Atlantean culture. The feature