DOCSLIB.ORG

Psychic Departures and a Discovery Institute

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Psychic Departures and a Discovery Institute 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 aura 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 United States. 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 "paranormal" 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 .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • A Field Guide to Critical Thinking
    A Field Guide to Critical Thinking Get back issues, subscriptions, and merchandise at the CSI store. Feature James Lett Volume 14.4, Fall 1990 CSI is not responsible for the content of these advertisements CSI is not responsible for the content of these advertisements There are many reasons for the popularity of paranormal beliefs in the United States today, including: 1. the irresponsibility of the mass media, who exploit the public taste for nonsense, 2. the irrationality of the American world-view, which supports such unsupportable claims as life after death and the efficacy of the polygraph, and 3. the ineffectiveness of public education, which generally fails to teach students the essential skills of critical thinking. As a college professor, I am especially concerned with this third problem. Most of the freshman and sophomore students in my classes simply do not know how to draw reasonable conclusions from the evidence. At most, they've been taught in high school what to think; few of them know how to think. In an attempt to remedy this problem at my college, I've developed an elective course called “Anthropology and the Paranormal.” The course examines the complete range of paranormal beliefs in contemporary American culture, from precognition and psychokinesis to channeling and cryptozoology and everything between and beyond, including astrology, UFOs, and creationism. I teach the students very little about anthropological theories and even less about anthropological terminology. Instead, I try to communicate the essence of the anthropological perspective, by teaching them, indirectly, what the scientific method is all about. I do so by teaching them how to evaluate evidence.
    [Show full text]
  • These Times for 1966
    THE WORLD IN PERSPECTIVE BY GORDON M. HYDE HEN the British electronics en- signals have been sent, and then re- of the system, one might wonder Wgineer Arthur C. Clarke predicted turned with a spread that covers one whether the gospel—the good news— in 1945 that man could put a satellite third of the globe. And this, say the will be given worldwide dissemination. into orbit above the earth in such a way delighted engineers, is but the begin- And if so, by whom will it be spoken? that it would hold a fixed position in ning. More and more sophisticated The gospel commission to go into relationship to the earth, and actually packages of electronic wizardry will all the world and preach the gospel calculated that it should orbit at 22,- soon be "on location" above the earth, and to make disciples of all nations 300 miles, men wrote him off as a making it possible to beam multiple- comes inevitably to mind as these fairly wild science-fiction writer. Clarke signal TV, radio, or telephone com- "heavenly" messengers take up their did prove to be an effective writer, but munications to any spot on the earth. stations in the sky. Will men permit the in May, 1965, his fiction turned to fact The rapid development of such a everlasting gospel of the love of God to in the launching of a stationary satel- world-embracing system of communi- be proclaimed to every nation, kindred, lite. cation has inevitat ly aroused plenty tongue, and people? Or will these de- When Clarke made his calculations of international reaction and has given vices of man's God-given genius be put twenty years ago, there was no rocket the Western World a new channel for to purely secular uses for national ad- more powerful than the German V-2, matching the propaganda attempts of vantage? and it could climb only 100 miles.
    [Show full text]
  • Jeane Dixon and Prophecy
    STATEMENT DJ010 Jeane Dixon And Prophecy JEANE DIXON, known to millions through her books and newspaper columns, claims to be a prophet of God, one who is doing “the Lord’s work.” In fact, she has gone so far as to say that “the same spirit that worked through Isaiah and John the Baptist also works through me.”1 This is quite a sobering claim. To be a prophet or seer of God, to speak for Him, and to reveal His will to the world is indeed a mighty calling. However, Jesus Himself warned us to beware of “false prophets” who would “mislead many.” (Matthew 24:11) How can we tell if someone is genuinely a prophet (or prophetess) of God? The best way to validate a person’s claim to a prophetic office is to compare him or her to the prophets of God found in the Scriptures. Since Jeane Dixon claims to be one such prophet, we must apply this test to her. CRITERIA FOR A PROPHET The first criterion for testing one claiming to be a prophet would obviously have to be a life that is pleasing to God. Obviously, someone who lived in rebellion to the Lord’s will, or who practiced things which God strongly condemns, could hardly be a reliable or true source of messages from God. Unfortunately, when one examines Jeane Dixon’s life, a rather significant problem emerges: Mrs. Dixon advocates astrology. Since her teen years, she has had an active interest in astrology and horoscopes, and she currently has a syndicated astrology column in numerous newspapers, across the country.
    [Show full text]
  • Expansion of Consciousness: English
    DOCUMENT RESUME ED 063 292 TE 002 911 AUTHOR Kenzel, Elaine; Williams, Jean TITLE Expansion of Consciousness:.English. INSTITUTION Dade County Public Schools, Miami, Fla. PUB DATE 71 NOTE 58p.; Authorized Course of InstructiGn for the Quinmester Program EDRS PRICE MF-$0.65 BC-$3.29 DESCRIPTORS Behavioral Objectives; *Compositior (Literary); Comprehension Development; *Emotic il Experience; Group Experience; Individual Development; *Perception; Psychological Patterns; *Sensory Experience; Stimuli; *Stimulus Behavior; Thought Processes IDENTIFIERS *Quinmester Program ABSTRACT A course that capitalizes on individual and group experiences and encourages students to expand their powers of observation and discernment is presented in the course, students analyzing their thoughts and translate them into written responses. The performance objectives are: A. Given opportunities to experience sensory and emotional stimuli, students will demonstrate an expanding awareness of each sense; B. Given opportunities to experience intellectual challenges, students will demonstrate an increasing comprehension with each situation; and C. Given opportunities to delve into moot phenomena, students will discern for themselves what is real and what is not real. Emphasis is placed on Teaching Strategies, which are approximately 178 suggestions tor the teacher's use in accomplishing the course objectives. Included are the course content and student and teacher resources.(Author/LS) ,, U.S. DEPARTMUIT OF HEALTH.EDUCATION St WELFARE I: OFFICE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEENREPRODUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THEPERSON DR ORGANIZATION ORIGINATING IT,POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED DO NOTNECES. SARILT REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICEOF EDU. CATION POSITION OR POLICY. AUTHORIZED COURSE OF INSTRUCTION FOR THE 3:0 EXPANSION OF CONSCIOUSNESS rims cm, 53.3.1.3.0 513.2 5113.10 533.4ao 5315ao 'PERMISSION TO-REPRODUCE THIS , -13 5116ao tiOPYRIGHTED MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED = BY DADL-TcLICAtTY RIEV-1 r cm: TO ERIC AND OMANI/KOONS OPERATING ce) UNDER AGREEMENTS WITH THE U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • The Spiritist, and Samuel
    SAU~ THE SPIRITIST, AND SAMUEL THOMAS O. FIGART Dean, Lancaster School of the Bible Two books have been written in recent years which expound the modern version of necromancy. The first is called A Gift of Prophecy and is the story of Jeane Dixon and her amazing series of predictions. The second book, A Search for the Truth, was written by the same author, Mrs. Ruth Montgomery,only this time the story revolves around her own adven­ tures in the realm of the psychic. She, too, like her friend, Jeane Dixon, has experienced contact with the "other side" through a "control" or a spirit who is able to impersonate the voice of the dead. In each case the woman cla in1s to be a devout believer in God. Mrs. Montgomery describes Jeane Dixon in this manner: ••• Jeane Dixon has declined to accept any remuneration for a talent which she believes God bestowed on her for a purpose. Devoutly religious, she will use her strange gift only for the benefit of others. She believes that if she were to take money she might lose this talent. 1 For Jeane Dixon, having a vision is similar to what David said in Psalm 23, "My cup runneth over." Once you have had a vision like that nothing in this world can awe you. You feel that at last you understand the word 'love.' You know what it is truly to worship God. You yearn to develop the talent that He has assigned you; to do His work on this earth. 2 Reference is made to the story of Saul and the witch of Endor (and many other supernatural appearances) as Biblical evidence that what they are doing is within the scope of the will of God.
    [Show full text]
  • Bibliography of Occult and Fantastic Beliefs Vol.1: a - D
    Bruno Antonio Buike, editor / undercover-collective „Paul Smith“, alias University of Melbourne, Australia Bibliography of Occult and Fantastic Beliefs vol.1: A - D © Neuss / Germany: Bruno Buike 2017 Buike Music and Science [email protected] BBWV E27 Bruno Antonio Buike, editor / undercover-collective „Paul Smith“, alias University of Melbourne, Australia Bibliography of Occult and Fantastic Beliefs - vol.1: A - D Neuss: Bruno Buike 2017 CONTENT Vol. 1 A-D 273 p. Vol. 2 E-K 271 p. Vol. 3 L-R 263 p. Vol. 4 S-Z 239 p. Appr. 21.000 title entries - total 1046 p. ---xxx--- 1. Dies ist ein wissenschaftliches Projekt ohne kommerzielle Interessen. 2. Wer finanzielle Forderungen gegen dieses Projekt erhebt, dessen Beitrag und Name werden in der nächsten Auflage gelöscht. 3. Das Projekt wurde gefördert von der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Sozialamt Neuss. 4. Rechtschreibfehler zu unterlassen, konnte ich meinem Computer trotz jahrelanger Versuche nicht beibringen. Im Gegenteil: Das Biest fügt immer wieder neue Fehler ein, wo vorher keine waren! 1. This is a scientific project without commercial interests, that is not in bookstores, but free in Internet. 2. Financial and legal claims against this project, will result in the contribution and the name of contributor in the next edition canceled. 3. This project has been sponsored by the Federal Republic of Germany, Department for Social Benefits, city of Neuss. 4. Correct spelling and orthography is subject of a constant fight between me and my computer – AND THE SOFTWARE in use – and normally the other side is the winning party! Editor`s note – Vorwort des Herausgebers preface 1 ENGLISH SHORT PREFACE „Paul Smith“ is a FAKE-IDENTY behind which very probably is a COLLCETIVE of writers and researchers, using a more RATIONAL and SOBER approach towards the complex of Rennes-le-Chateau and to related complex of „Priory of Sion“ (Prieure de Sion of Pierre Plantard, Geradrd de Sede, Phlippe de Cherisey, Jean-Luc Chaumeil and others).
    [Show full text]
  • The Book of Predictions Fifteen Years Later
    The Book of Predictions Fifteen Years Later // is now possible to verify the accuracy of the first fifteen years of predictions in this popular book. ALAN M. T U E R K H E I M E R and S T U A R T A . V Y S E n newspaper and magazine articles and on various news and entertainment television programs, authorities, Iexperts, and psychics speculate about the future, but when the future comes, we rarely recall these predictions and assess their accuracy. The Book of Predictions provides an excellent opportunity to do just that. In 1981, best-selling novelist Irving Wallace and his children, Amy Wallace and David Wallechinslcy, published The Book of Predictions. The senior Wallace, who died in 1990, had previously written sixteen novels and seventeen works of nonfiction with worldwide sales of 145 million copies. Both Wallace's daughter and son were successful writers in their own right, and the trio had recently collaborated on The Peoples Almanac (1981), which included a few predictions. A num- ber of readers expressed interest in this section of the book, March/April 1997 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER and, as a result, the Wallaces undertook a separate volume were not particularly impressive visionaries, the experts fared comprised entirely of predictions. Amy Wallace was particu- better than the psychics. They tended to make fewer predic- larly suited to this task. She had "graduated" from the Berkeley tions' (an average of 7.3 each for the experts versus 13.3 for die Psychic Institute (a school where six-week classes are offered to psychics) and had a higher percentage of hits (16% versus help people nurture their psychic abilities) and was said to 6%), although this difference was not statistically significant.
    [Show full text]
  • Oval Office Occult Copyright © 2008 by Brian M
    ,'yP-^aS Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2018 with funding from Kahle/Austin Foundation https://archive.org/details/ovalofficeoccultOOOOthom Oval Office Selected Other Books by Brian M. Thomsen Once Around the Realms The Mage in the Iron Mask Man of Two Worlds (with Julius Schwartz) Ireland's Most Wanted The Awful Truths Pasta Fazool for the Wiseguys Soul Edited by Brian M. Thomsen The Reel Stuff Mob Magic The American Fantasy Tradition Commanding Voices of Blue and Grey Blue and Grey at Sea True Stories of White House Weirdness Brian M. Thomsen Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC Kansas City Oval Office Occult copyright © 2008 by Brian M. Thomsen. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of reprints in the context of reviews. For information, write Andrews Mc- Meel Publishing, LLC, an Andrews McMeel Universal company, 1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. 08 09 10 11 12 MLT 10 987654321 ISBN-13: 978-0-7407-7386-0 ISBN-10: 0-7407-7386-0 Library of Congress Control Number: 2008925903 Avww.andrewsmcmeel.com ATTENTION: SCHOOLS AND BUSINESSES Andrews McMeel books are available at quantity discounts with bulk purchase for educational, business, or sales promotional use. For information, please write to: Special Sales Department, Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC, 1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. Fred Thomsen the II, Fred Thomsen the III, Isabelle Lincoln, Robert Lincoln, Michael Lincoln, Martin Miller, and Terry Malley, who all now have the answers to questions we discussed.
    [Show full text]
  • 0787677647.Pdf
    GEUUhttp-v3.quark 4/4/03 5:18 PM Page 1 GEUUhttp-v3.quark 4/4/03 5:18 PM Page 3 Brad Steiger and Sherry Hansen Steiger 3 Gale Encyclopedia of the Unusual and Unexplained Brad E. Steiger and Sherry Hansen Steiger Project Editor Permissions Product Design Jolen Marya Gedridge Lori Hines Tracey Rowens Editorial Imaging and Multimedia Manufacturing Andrew Claps, Lynn U. Koch, Michael Reade Dean Dauphinais, Lezlie Light Rhonda A. Williams © 2003 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale age retrieval systems—without the written per- Since this page cannot legibly accommodate all Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. mission of the publisher. copyright notices, the acknowledgements con- stitute an extension of the copyright notice. Gale and Design™ and Thomson Learning™ For permission to use material from this prod- are trademarks used herein under license. uct, submit your request via Web at While every effort has been made to ensure http://www.gale-edit.com/permissions, or you the reliability of the information presented in For more information, contact may download our Permissions Request form this publication, The Gale Group, Inc. does not The Gale Group, Inc. and submit your request by fax or mail to: guarantee the accuracy of the data contained 27500 Drake Road herein. The Gale Group, Inc. accepts no pay- Farmington Hills, MI 48331-3535 Permissions Department ment for listing; and inclusion in the publica- Or you can visit our Internet site at The Gale Group, Inc. tion of any organization, agency, institution, http://www.gale.com 27500 Drake Rd.
    [Show full text]
  • A History of Egypt
    A history of Egypt, [ Book ] 932 BREBreasted, James Henry, 1865-1935 Published 1912 Shakespeare's theater, [ Book ] 792 Published 1916 The book of the ancient Greeks : an introd [ Book ] 938 MILMills, Dorothy Published 1925 Flowers of coast and sierra, with thirty-two plates in color, [ Book ] 582 Published 1928 Life in Elizabethan days : a picture of a typical English community at the end of the sixteenth century [ Book ] 914 Published 1930 The story of civilization [ Book ] 901 DURDurant, Will, 1885- Published 1935 Cleopatra : the story of a queen [ Book ] BIO CLELudwig, Emil Published 1937 English literature [ Book ] REF 820 WEEWeeks, Ruth M Published 1937 Gift of the river : a history of ancient Egypt [ Book ] 932 MEAMeadowcroft, Enid Published 1937 They wrote on clay; the Babylonian tablets speak today, [ Book ] 913 Published 1938 Renaissance and Reformation times [ Book ] 940 Published 1939 Turtles of the United States & Canada [ Book ] 598 Published 1939 Seat weaving [ Book ] 746 Published 1940 Art in the Western World [ Book ] 709 ROBRobb, David M Published 1942 A treasury of the familiar, [ Book ] 808 Published 1942 Sixteen famous European plays [ Book ] 808 Published 1943 Anna and the King of Siam [ Book ] 915 Published 1944 Pioneer art in America [ Book ] 745 BAIBailey, Carolyn Sherwin Published 1944 Yankee from Olympus; Justice Holmes and his family [ Book ] BIO HOLBowen, Catherine Drinker, 1897-1973 Published 1944 Age of Jackson [ Book ] 973 Published 1945 Animal tales : an anthology of animal literature of all countries [
    [Show full text]
  • Psychics, Clairvoyance, and the Real World: a Social-Psychological Analysis
    Psychics, Clairvoyance, and the Real World: A Social-Psychological Analysis Gary Alan Fine The literature on parapsychology is filled with studies which seek to con- firm or deny the existence of parapsychological phenomena (Rosenthal 1973; Murphy 1961; and Carrington n.d.). The ideal in these experiments has been to conduct the research under perfectly controlled conditions, so that no partisan can attack the results of the study as due to an artifact (Rosenthal and Rosnow 1969) or deception by the experimenter (Hansel 1966). This is essential for the proper determination of whether these effects—ESP, telepathy, clairvoyance, PK, and so on—exist and operate in the manner in which their practitioners claim. A second, more "conventional" social-scientific approach has been to determine the nature of predictions of "normal" subjects. McGregor (1938), having collected 3500 predictions from 400 college students, noted that the most important element in accuracy of prediction is the quality of information that a person has available, and that both the amount of information an individual is aware of and his "sophistication" are less important. Hadley Cantril (1938), in expanding McGregor's approach, maintained that predictions give structure to current events and provide closure for unfinished events. Little attention has been given to the systematic study of clairvoyance outside the laboratory. Many people claim that they have powers which are considered "psychic or extrasensory." Whether they claim that these powers derive from God (Dixon 1969), from nature, the devil, or elsewhere, it is appropriate to test their claims and to understand the nature of their social roles.
    [Show full text]
  • The Skeptical Inquirer Iridology: Diagnosis Or Delusion?
    the Skeptical Inquirer Iridology: Diagnosis or Delusion? •V? I0» How the Nazca Drawings Were Done Pseudoscience and the University Numerology/ Psychics/ F^luxy Footprints VOL. VII NO. 3 SPRING 1981 Published by the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal 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 George Abell. Martin Gardner. Ray Hyman. Philip J. Klass. Paul Kurtz. James Randi, Consulting Editors James E. Alcock. Isaac Asimov, William Sims Bainbridge. John Boardman. Milbourne Christopher. John R. Cole, C.E.M. Hansel. E.C. Krupp. James E. Oberg. Robert Sheaffer. Assistant Editor Doris Hawley Doyle. Production Editor Betsy Offermann. Business Manager Lynette Nisbet. Office Manager Mary Rose Hays Staff Stephanie Doyle. Maureen Hays, Alfreda Pidgeon 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, Executive Director: philosopher. Medaille College. Fellows of the Committee: George Abell, astronomer. UCLA: James E. Alcock, psychologist. York Univ.. Toronto: Isaac Asimov, chemist, author: Irving Biederman, psychologist. SUNY at Buffalo: Brand Blanshard,philosopher. Yale: Bart J. Bok, astronomer. Steward Observatory. Univ. of Arizona: Bette Chambers, AHA.: Milbourne Christopher, magician, author: L. Sprague de Camp, author, engineer: Bernard Dixon, European Editor. Omni: Paul Edwards, philosopher. Editor. Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Charles Fair, author. Antony Flew, philosopher. Reading Univ., U.K.; Kendrick Frazier, science writer. Editor. THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER: Yves Galifret, Exec. Secretary. I'Union Rationaliste: Martin Gardner, author. Scientific American: Stephen Jay Gould, Museum of Comparative Zoology.
    [Show full text]