SKEPTICAL INQUIRER Vol. 16, No. 1 FdlM991/$6.25 NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES In or Out of the Body? Multicultural Pseudoscience 1991 CSICOP Conference Classical Debunkers Science and Common Sense Spook Hill Illusion 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. 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. Contributing Editor Lys Ann Shore. Business Manager Mary Rose Hays. Art Valerie Ferenti-Cognetto. Chief Data Officer Richard Seymour. Computer Assistant Michael Cione. Typesetting Paul E. Loynes. Audio Technician Vance Vigrass. Librarian, Ranjit Sandhu. Staff Lynda Harwood (Asst. Public Relations Director), Leland Harrington, Sandra Lesniak, 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. Barry Karr, Executive Director and Public Relations Director. Lee Nisbet, Special Projects Director. Fellows of the Committee (partial list) lames E. Alcock, psychologist, York Univ., Toronto; Isaac Asimov, biochemist, author; Robert A. Baker, psychologist, Univ. of Kentucky; Irving Biederman, psychologist. University of Minnesota; 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; Cornells de Jager, professor of astrophysics, Univ. of Utrecht, the Netherlands; Bernard Dixon, science writer, London, U.K.: 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, lTJnion 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; Ray Hyman, psychologist, Univ. of Oregon; Leon Jaroff, sciences editor, Time; Lawrence Jerome, science writer, engineer; Philip J. Klass, science writer, engineer; 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; David Morrison, space scientist, NASA Ames Research Center; Richard A. Muller, professor of physics, Univ. of Calif., Berkeley; H. Narasimhaiah, physicist, president, Bangalore Science Forum, India; Dorothy Nelkin, sociologist, Cornell University. Joe Nickel), author, technical writing instructor, University of Kentucky; Lee Nisbet, philosopher, Medaille College; James E. Oberg, science writer; John Paulos, mathematician, Temple University; Mark Plummer, lawyer, Australia; W. V. Quine, philosopher. Harvard Univ.; Milton Rosenberg, psychologist, University of Chicago; Carl Sagan, astronomer, Cornell Univ.; Evry Schatzman, President, French Physics Association; Eugenie Scott, physical anthropologist, executive director. National Center for Science Education, Inc.; Thomas A. Sebeok, anthropologist, linguist, Indiana University; Robert Sheaffer, science writer; Dick Smith, film producer, publisher, Terrey Hills, N.S.W., Australia; Robert Steiner, magician, author. El Cerrito, California; Carol Tavris, psychologist, UCLA; Stephen Toulmin, professor of philosophy, Northwestern Univ.; 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. Subscribers to THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER may not speak on behalf of CSICOP or THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. 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) 636-1425. FAX: (716)-636-1733. 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. THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER is indexed in the Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature. Copyright *1991 by the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, 3965 Rensch Road, Buffalo, NY 14226. All rights reserved. THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER is available on 16mm microfilm, 35mm microfilm, and 105mm microfiche from University Microfilms International. Subscription Rates: Individuals, libraries, and institutions, $25.00 a year; back issues, $6.25 each. Postmaster: THE SKEPTICAL INQUIRER is published quarterly. Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. 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 Vol. 16, No. 1, Fall 1991 r ISSN 0194-6730 Journal of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal ARTICLES Near-Death Experiences: In or out of the Body? Susan Blackmore 34 Multicultural Pseudoscience: Spreading Scientific Illiteracy Among Minorities Bernard Ortiz de Montellano 46 Science and Commonsense Skepticism John Aach 51 Spook Hill: Angular Illusion Guss Wilder 58 Lucian and Alexander Debunking in Classical Style Walter F.Rowe 61 1991 CSICOP CONFERENCE Exciting Science, Hypnosis, Urban Legends, Pop Psychology... and a Controversy Lys Ann Shore 2 Further Notes, Observations, and Comments Kendrick Frazier 15 NEWS AND COMMENT 20 Biodynamic Baloney Exposed by Possum Pepper Test / P&G Cleansed of Satanism Charge / OBEs Found Common Among TMers / Weird Science Taught at Steiner School / Media Moguls Cowed by Chain Letters / Green Party Founder Enthralled with New Age NOTES OF A FRINGE-WATCHER Reader Feedback, from Urantia to Titanic Martin Gardner 27 I ~l PSYCHIC VIBRATIONS The Stamp of Pseudoscience, the Army of Saucerers Robert Sheaffer 31 I I BOOK REVIEWS Arthur Lyons and Marcello Truzzi, The Blue Sense: Psychic Detectives and Crime Robert A Baker 67 Kevin D. Randle and Donald R. Schmitt, UFO Crash at Roswell Philip J. Klass 71 Umberto Eco, Foucaulfs Pendulum Erik Strommen 76 James Randi, The Mask of Nostradamus Hugh H. Trotti 80 NEW BOOKS 82 ARTICLES OF NOTE 83 FOLLOW-UP 87 Unfinished ESP-Teaching-Machine Business / More on John's Statistics / More on Hi-Fi Audio Claims FORUM 92 Talking with Fast Talkers LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 94 Cover illustration by Bruce Adams. 1991 CSICOP CONFERENCE Exciting Science, Hypnosis, Urban Legends, Pop Psychology... and a Controversy LYS ANN SHORE cience and society were the twin foci of the Fifteeenth Anniver­ Ssary Conference of the Commit­ tee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, held May 3-5, 1991, in Berkeley/Oakland Hills, California. The setting was the Clare- mont Resort Hotel, a rambling struc­ ture whose grand style, spacious rooms, and wide corridors recall a bygone era. Perched on a hillside with Kurtz: Developing appreciation for science. a spectacular view of San Francisco Bay, the Claremont is a California- meeting furnished ample fuel for style health spa as well as a hotel. conversation, some of it quite fiery. According to the "Guest Directory" This year's conference, which was provided in each room, the spa offers cosponsored by the Physics Depart­ Shiatsu massage, reflexology, aroma­ ment of the University of California therapy massage, and an "acupressure at Berkeley and hosted by the Bay fresh cell facial" (whatever that is). Area Skeptics, continued in the new Presumably, the spa found few takers direction set at last year's meeting, among the 600 or so attending the which had scientific literacy as its CSICOP conference, especially since theme. Conference chairman Lee the busy schedule left little free time Nisbet and CSICOP chairman Paul to try out such exotic offerings. The Kurtz in their opening remarks dwelt scenic surroundings and mild weather on the importance of "promoting encouraged outdoor walks and discus­ recognition of genuine science" and sions between and after sessions, and "developing public appreciation for the this was a good thing since the methods