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Nary a Miracle in Sight

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Nary a Miracle in Sight (p. 322). ing the previous cold-fusion claims Taubes shows that, like Pons and covered in Huizenga's book. The Fleischmann, Bockris has a history of wealth of detail and insight into the making wild claims based on faulty operation of the cold-fusion sup- experiments. In 1982, for example, he porters more than makes up for this claimed to have found a "secret lack. The book is also more up to date catalyst" for a process to reduce water than the others, having been finished to hydrogen and oxygen. If true, the late in 1992. At that time, Pons and result would have greatly facilitated Fleischmann had set up shop at a the production of hydrogen. But it secret laboratory somewhere in wasn't true, and the ensuing contro- France, allegedly supported by funds versy "ran like a prototype of cold from a company called Technova, fusion" (p. 278). Bockris is now owned by Toyota. It is a great irony working on the "electrochemical that Pons now lives in Nice. One gets transmutation of elements" (p. 427). the sad image of this man spending Overall, this book is much less the rest of his life vainly trying to technical than the two mentioned convince the world of the reality of earlier. It also includes only a small cold fusion, just as Rene Blondlot did amount of material on previous epi- with N-rays in the same city so many sodes of pathological science, includ- years go. Nary A Miracle In Sight Looking for a Miracle: Weeping Icons, Relics, Stigmata, Visions and Healing Cures. By Joe Nickell. Prometheus Books, Buffalo, N.Y., 1993. 253 pp. Hardcover, $23.95. ROBERT A. BAKER n the latter part of the eighteenth metaphysical question of what is and century the Scottish philosopher is not possible in our sort of world. I David Hume asked himself the Recognizing that Hume's argument question, Are we ever justified in that the evidence against miracles is believing that miracles have in fact usually very strong, the multi- occurred? Hume's answer was no. He talented Joe Nickell nevertheless did not, however, claim to show that believes that we should never "put the miracles have never occurred, since cart before the horse by deciding, proving negative existence claims is antecedent to inquiry, whether or not notoriously problematic. Hume's miracles exist." Nickell insists that, claim is the importantly different one like other mysteries, the problem of that we are never rationally justified miracles should be neither fostered in believing that miracles have nor dismissed, but should be occurred. In essence, Hume is address- approached in a rigorous and fair ing the epistemological issue of what manner and investigated. is rational to believe, rather than the In Looking for a Miracle, the most 298 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 18 recent volume of his series of inquir- tecostal Powers, i.e., such things as ies, Nickell investigates a large healing via the "laying on of hands"; number of "miracles." Forgoing bib- glossolalia, or "speaking in tongues"; lical claims of the miraculous, Nickell prophecy, or the "gift of the spirit"; focuses instead on more modern snake handling and strychnine drink- "miracles"—those that, being more ing; and the eating of burning recent, can be successfully investi- materials. gated. While some biblical phenomena The next chapter explores claims have to be referred to occasionally, of faith healing, including those made Nickell's main focus is on the "ques- for the so-called "miracle" cures at tion of whether or not miraculous Lourdes. Most enlightening is a events are part of the reality of today's section on exactly how a faith healing world." To complete this mission "cures" the subject. Nickell's account Nickell looks first at the assertions of how many TV evangelists and other surrounding the Shroud of Turin, i.e., con artists carry out their swindles is claims that the Shroud is tangible amusing. Another section dealing proof of Jesus' resurrection. Then he with Mary Baker Eddy and the Chris- examines the claims surrounding the tian Scientists, as well as Edgar Cayce Image of Guadalupe—a supposedly and his naturopathic treatments, is miraculous self-portrait of the Virgin insightful—even for those familiar Mary—as well as other miraculous with these "healers" and their work. pictures. In the following chapter Chapter 7, which is concerned with Nickell looks at "magical icons," "Ecstatic Visions," looks closely at a animated statues, statues that weep number of Marian apparitions, i.e., and move and bleed and, on rare claims that the Virgin Mary has occasions, even move about as if in appeared, often to peasant children, search of someone or something. in such remote places as Fatima, In Chapter 4, Nickell reviews the Portugal, and Medjugorje, Yugoslavia. "mystical relics like the periodically Also noted is the poignant Garabandal liquefying blood of Saint Januarius." hoax in the mountains of northwest- Also studied are the reputedly "incor- ern Spain and the apparitions that ruptible" bodies of a number of other showed up in the Coptic St. Mary's saintly figures, such as Saint Cecilia, Church in Zeitoun, Egypt. Saint Sperandia, Saint Philip Neri, Nickell closes the book with a Saint Alphege of Canterbury, and fascinating survey of a number of numerous others whose bodies were mystical or sanctified powers, such as claimed never to have deteriorated. A luminosity, i.e., halos or radiance particularly intriguing phenomenon surrounding the head or entire body; that has, thus far, received little levitation as claimed by St. Teresa or attention is that of "burning hand- Joseph of Copertino; and bilocation, prints"—prints found scorched into i.e., being in two places at the same the pages of books or onto consecrated time. Finally, the author takes a close cloth—which are alleged to be from look at the problem of stigmata—the the unrequited spirits of the dead. duplication of the wounds attending Nickell's reproduction of these mys- Christ's crucifixion. All these phe- terious handprints and his exposure nomena are, to a degree, comprehens- of how they are accomplished are both ible in terms of wishful thinking and clever and entertaining. Chapter 5 is the intense fervor of belief. The phe- particularly stimulating because it nomenon of inedia, however, which concerns claims of the so-called Pen- is the alleged ability to forgo all eating Spring 1994 299 and drinking, brings to mind the natural human affinity for the mar- claims of the contemporary philos- velous and our inclination toward opher Wiley Brooks. Brooks argues superstition. According to the philo- that people only need lots of very fresh sopher William Grey in his excellent air and huge amounts of sunshine to essay "Skepticism and Miracles" (New survive and thrive. Wiley, is perhaps Zealand Skeptic, June 1993, No. 28, pp. the chief proponent of Breatharian- 1-6): ism—the belief that the human body can get along perfectly well without Hume believed that the inclination food, water, or sleep. Unfortunately, of mankind towards superstition and the marvellous may receive Brooks's top assistant deserted him a some check from sense and learn- few years ago in total disillusionment. ing, but he also seems to have Seems he caught Brooks and other believed that it could never be Breatharians sneaking into their thoroughly extirpated from human rooms at night with Big Macs and nature. Hume, one suspects, would other junk food. not be surprised to find beliefs in astrology, UFOs, crystals, channel- In his summary of his lengthy ing, and similar credulous ideas in search for a simple, ordinary, run-of- the twentieth century. the-mill miracle, Nickell figuratively shakes his head and concludes that he is forced to agree with David Hume: Not only does Nickell agree, but in the evidence against miracles is very answering the question "Do miracles strong. If we weigh the evidence that exist?" he cites the lack of compelling a miraculous event happened against evidence for the existence of miracu- the evidence that it did not, we lous phenomena beyond the range of invariably find that the latter evidence nature and man's natural capabilities. outweighs the former. Moreover, Nickell confidently asserts that those even though evidence in favor of who claim otherwise bear the burden miracles might outweigh the evidence of proof. This burden, it appears, has against them, in practice this never not been met. happens. Hume also tells us that all claims for miracles suffer from a Robert A. Baker is professor emeritus of credibility gap, and we must face the psychology at the University of Kentucky problem of human credulity—the and author of Hidden Memories. Fire in the Body? Spontaneous Human Combustion. By Jenny Randies and Peter Hough. Dorset Press, New York, 1993. 224 pp. Hardcover, $7.98 GORDON STEIN pontaneous human combustion body, without an external source of (SHC) is supposedly the condi- flame. The net result, it is claimed, is S tion in which a very hot fire a fire so hot that the body is reduced erupts from the inside of the human to ashes. Some of the more thoroughly 300 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER, Vol. 18 .
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