PSYCHIC VIBRATIONS ROBERT SHEAFFER

Psychic Departures and a Discovery Institute

he well-known "psy- comedienne Ellen DeGeneres was sup- chic" Jeane Dixon, posed to have a run-in with the Secret Twho supposedly had Service or "a burly fan" while sneaking a "Gift of Prophecy," died about the Clinton inaugural festivities, suddenly of a heart attack and depart Washington posthaste. If this in her home in Washing- happened, the news media did not ton, D.C., on January report it. Dixon included a section of 25 at age seventy-nine. predictions about world leaders but Only three weeks earlier, failed to foresee that the leader of China, the tabloid the Star car- Deng Xiaoping, would die. We will just ried what was to become have to wait until the end of 1997 to her last set of annual evaluate the remainder of Jeane Dixon's "psychic predictions" for final annual predictions. If she was cor- the New Year. rect, by the year's end "a grape-based It is interesting diet will show remarkable results against that in them she several common illnesses" and "chess gave absolutely clubs in inner cities will boost academic no indication that performance." this year's predictions would be her last. Another megastar of the psychic As I write this, the realm who recendy passed to a higher year 1997 is only a few months plane was Thelma S. Ross, who died in old, yet already Dixon's predictions February, also at age seventy-nine. An are, as usual, looking rather bad. Right actress and screenwriter, Ross also at the top, Dixon predicted "Cos blows taught medical psychology at UCLA his top—Somebody will get under Bill from 1966 to 1979. She was best known Cosby's skin and a very high-level per- for her work in Kirlian photography of son is going to be fired or a relative the human and boasted of earning could be turned out of the house." the Douglass Dean Award from the What she failed to foresee was that United Nations for her accomplish- Bill Cosby's son would be mur- ments in bringing that advanced form of dered, and that far from "blowing Soviet technology to the . his top," the self-control that She also served as a consultant to several Cosby displayed in handling major motion pictures including The the tragedy could serve as a Exorcist, Poltergeist, and Ghost. She con- splendid example for everyone. The PSYCHIC VIBRATIONS continued on page 65

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER May/June 1997 21 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The Pope's Neo-Darwinlsm As you pointed out, John Paul lis pro- fascinating avenues that might allow us to moting evolution from "a serious hypoth- understand a bit more about ourselves. In your comment on the pope's alleged esis" to "more than an hypothesis" did lit- What does the pope say? He says this is a acceptance of evolution theories (SI, tle more than underpin what the Catholic matter of theological contention only, and January/February 1997) you seem to Church already accepted almost fifty years that any materialistic and scientific praise his attempt to "bring the church earlier (Pius XIIs "Humani Generis," approach to human nature is against the into accord with science." Indeed, this 1950). On die other hand, he took the dignity of human beings. To "rehabilitate" view hit the headlines of most American opportunity to assail the scientific effort to Galileo, and partly Darwin, was unavoid- and European newspapers following John apply evolution theories in the investiga- able; the pope's speech is a dashing move Paul Us talk at the Pontifical Academy of tion of human behavior, brain develop- to launch a new witch-hunt in this coming Science last October. I wonder if you had ment, consciousness and free will, moral middle age, while we applaud. a chance to skim through the unabridged and aesthetic sense. version of the pope's text, and how many At the end of the "decade of the brain," Sergio Delia Sala commentators did so. science is on the verge of uncovering new Aberdeen, U.K.

PSYCHIC VIBRATIONS for its unreliability. tion in scientific journals of the National from page 21 Recently, Bigelow has attempted to Institute for Discovery Science's papers hire first-rate scientific talent to apply the documenting and explaining the remark- tributed a chapter to die book The Geller disciplines and techniques of mainstream able happenings on its new property. Papers (edited by Charles Panati), science to unravel the mysteries of the Another individual who seems to describing the wondrous properties of Beyond. His organization's ad in Science have inherited more money than talent Uri (idler's Kirlian aura. The magician magazine (March 1, 1996) attempts to for critical thinking is multimillionaire David Alexander relates how Moss recruit scientists who are "capable of Laurence Rockefeller, who has been demonstrated the way a box allegedly employing accepted scientific methods to donating substantial sums to various filled with orgone energy (a "discovery" novel or unconventional observations or UFO research groups. Recently of Wilhelm Reich's) would deflect a theories, while maintaining the highest Rockefeller financed the publication of a compass needle, unfortunately neglect- ethical and quality standards." However, ing to repeat the experiment using a dif- book titled UFOs—The Best Available ferent box having the same amount of his group has not, as yet, made any dis- Evidence, which was given to approxi- metal, only without the orgone energy. coveries concerning the "" mately one thousand political leaders that were considered worthy of publica- and other decision makers in the U.S. tion in mainstream scientific journals. and around the world. The Bigelow peo- The Las Vegas Sun reported last October ple sneered at that book, noting that If anyone is in a good position to 23 (archives on-line at http://www. much of it was a re-hash by editor finally provide answers to long-standing lasvegassun.com) that when Bigelow Richard H. Hall of his book The UFO "paranormal mysteries," it is Las heard about a supposedly "haunted Evidence, published by the National Vegas-based millionaire Robert Bigelow. ranch" near Fort Duchesne, Utah, he Investigations Committee on Aerial Real-estate magnate and heir to a for- negotiated to purchase the ranch for Phenomena (NICAP) in 1964, at that tune from the well-known tea company, approximately $200,000 so it could be time the largest UFO group. The New he has provided substantial funding to properly investigated by his Institute. York Daily News noted (August 24, found a National Institute for Discovery Not only have many UFOs reportedly 1995) that Rockefeller has been lobbying Science in Las Vegas (http://www. been seen on this ranch, but cows are the Clinton administration to open up acccssnv.com/nids), just down the road mysteriously mutilated, crop circles supposed UFO secrets that he believes from MGM's Emerald City of Oz. appear, and lights emerge from circular are buried in government vaults. The Bigelow also played a major role in fund- dimensional "doorways" that hover in newspaper reports rumors that the ing the 1992 Abduction Study midair. The seller of the ranch, Terry eighty-five-year-old Rockefeller hopes Conference at MIT and the Roper Poll, Sherman, claims to have received higher that advanced alien technology will con- which asked about supposedly abduction- offers from other buyers but turned them tain secrets of longevity. Asked about related phenomena and is now notorious down to avoid placing others at risk. such rumors, Rockefeller spokesman Meanwhile, heedless of dangers to his Frasier Sietel replied, "I don't know Robert Sheaffers World Wide Web page for own safety, Sherman has remained as about any anti-aging cure. But UFOs and other skeptical subjects is at caretaker of the ranch, an employee of Laurence's interests are broad. He's a real httpilldebunker. com/- sheafferlufo. html Bigelow. We eagerly await the publica- eclectic fellow." D

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER May/lune 1997 65