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the Skeptical Inquire^0 Vol. 13, No. 4/Summer 1989 Paul Kurtz, Maureen O'Hara, Ted Schultz, James E. Alcock Graham Reed, Sarah Grey Thomason, George M. Lawrence, *v Rosen, and Henry Gordon Published by the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal 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, David F. Marks, 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. Assistant Editor Andrea Szalanski. Production Lisa Mergler. Chief Data Officer Richard Seymour. Computer Assistant Michael Cione. Typesetting Paul E. Loynes. Audio Technician Vance Vigrass. Librarian, Ranjit Sandhu. Staff Crystal Folts, Leland Harrington, Raymond Harrington, Lynda Harwood, Alfreda Pidgeon, Kathy Reeves. 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 (partial list) James E. Alcock, psychologist, York Univ., Toronto; Eduardo Amaldi, physicist, University of Rome, Italy. Isaac Asimov, biochemist, author; Susan Blackmore, psychologist, Brain Perception Laboratory, University of Bristol, England; Henri Broch, physicist, University of Nice, France; Mario Bunge, philosopher, McGill University; 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, philosopher, 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 Gell-Mann, professor of physics, California Institute of Technology; Henry Gordon, magician, 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, Indiana University; 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; Paul Kurtz, chairman, CSICOP, Buffalo, N.Y.; 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, space scientist, NASA Ames Research Center; H. Narasunhaiah, physicist, president, Bangalore Science Forum, India; Dorothy Nelkin, sociologist, Cornell University. Joe Nickell, author, technical writing instructor, University of Kentucky; Lee Nisbet, philosopher, Medaille College; James E. Oberg, science writer; Mark Plummer, lawyer, 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; Eugenie Scott, physical anthropologist, executive director, National Center for Science Education, Inc.; 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. (Affiliations 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. FAX: (716>834-0841. 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 £1989 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, $22.50 a year, back issues, $6.00 each. 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. the Skeptical Inquirer Journal of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal Vol. 13, No. 4 ISSN 0194-6730 Summer 1989 SPECIAL REPORT 338 California Court Jails Psychic Surgeon After State Investigation by Richard J. Brenneman THE NEW AGE: AN EXAMINATION 365 The New Age in Perspective by Paul Kurtz 368 A New Age Reflection in the Magic Mirror of Science by Maureen O'Hara 375 The New Age: The Need for Myth in an Age of Science by Ted Schultz 380 Channeling: Brief History and Contemporary Context by James Alcock 385 The Psychology of Channeling by Graham Reed 391 'Entities' in the Linguistic Minefield by Sarah Grey Thomason 397 Crystals by George M. Lawrence 401 Consumer Culture and the New Age by Jay Rosen 405 The Shirley MacLaine Phenomenon by Henry Gordon NEWS and COMMENT 343 Scientific Literacy / ICR Denied Approval to Give Science Degrees / California Supports Teaching Evolution / Cold Fusion Confusion / Cryptozoology at CSICOP Conference / New Age Publishing / Time- Life 'Mysteries' Series / New Age Ins and Outs / Vitamin Dowsing / Columbo Debunks a Psychic / Paranormal No Joke to Jackie Gleason NOTES OF A FRINGE-WATCHER 357 Robert Gentry's Tiny Mystery by Martin Gardner 361 PSYCHIC VIBRATIONS BOOK REVIEWS 409 Robert Basil, ed., Not Necessarily the New Age, and Henry Gordon, Channeling into the New Age (Wendy Grossman) 412 The Editors of Time-Life Books, Cosmic Connections; Mind Over Matter; Visions and Prophecies; and Psychic Voyages (Kendrick Frazier) 416 Russell Chandler, Understanding the New Age (Richard J. Brenneman) 417 Uma Silbey, The Complete Crystal Guidebook; John D. Rea, Healing and Quartz Crystals; and Wabun Wind and Anderson Reed, Lightseeds (Steven Okulewicz) 422 SOME RECENT BOOKS 424 ARTICLES OF NOTE 427 FOLLOW-UP 430 FROM OUR READERS ON THE COVER: Illustration by Pat Linse. Is there a baby in the New Age sea? This issue explores New Age beliefs. Special Report California Court Jails Psychic Surgeon After State Investigation Richard J. Brenneman ROTHER JOE, the man reputed The jail term meant at least a tem­ Bto vanish toxins from your blood porary hiatus in the career of a self- by swishing his hand amid your innards professed Philippine "psychic surgeon" "like a washing machine," was banished who was hauling in up to $500 an hour— to a California jail, but a Marin County cash only, thanks—for what law enforce­ church that teaches channeling has la­ ment called a "sleight-of-hand scam." beled him a martyr to the American Jose Bugarin drew a nine-month sen­ Medical Association. tence from a Sacramento County judge who rejected arguments by Bugarin's attorney that the diminutive Filipino had sacrificed himself to his religion. "He martyred himself with money, didn't he?" said Judge James L. Long during the September 27, 1988, sentencing. Brother Joe is a member of the Philippine fraternity that claims to heal anything and everything through knife- less, scarless "surgical" incisions made with their bare hands. A confessed ac­ complice told undercover investigators Bugarin could cure anything but warts. The "operations" were dramatic events in which the "surgeon" appeared to plunge his hand into patients' bodies to remove bloody masses from "incisions" that "healed" as soon as his hands were removed. Joe pulled "diseased tissues" from his patients' abdomens, knees, breasts, and throats. Clients were told they could see the messy goo, but couldn't touch it or take it. One victim said the Jose Bugarin (Brother Joe) dodges camera outside courtroom (Photo by the author.) stuff looked like coiled pasta. 338 THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 13 But it was all a scam, said Sacramento County prosecutor
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