The JREF (James Randi) Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge

[Controversy]

http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/1m-challenge/challenge-faq.html

 

If anyone could really prove "paranormal" phenomenon, do you think they would even come to challenge, and for the money!? 

[Joe Fulton]

It is interesting that no one has come up with something outside of known laws of nature that is provable and reproducable.

One has to wonder why.  I have made a couple attempts at similar experiments and the response has always been a psychobabble of fear, mistrust and shouts of "non-believer".

So we are left with a conundrum.  There are spiritual realities which have been recorded and practiced as far back as we know of and their expression keeps evolving.  There are also claims of beings and of practices that do not stand up to scrutiny.  Does one negate the other.  I would argue 'NO'.  For example where people claim the ability to teleport objects, in controlled situations such as those that Randi is trying to bring about in his challenge, such an effect has not been generated, but does that stop the persistent rumors of governments looking into the issue?  No.  Does this somehow negate the concept of quantum teleportation?  No.  The same could be said for many other "abilities".  Are we so cynical that we have to chalk everything up to mental illness.  Again, no.  We are still nowhere close to understanding what the mind/brain is capable of and we keep finding new abilities and limitations on a regular basis.

One area where a lot of research needs to be done is in the area of the effects of meditation.  By Randi's logic, meditation should not have any effects.  Solid scientific evidence proves that wrong and there is a large body of research to back that up.  Many companies sponsor yoga and meditation programs for their employees.  The beneficial effects are beyond question.

I'll leave on a quote from Arthur C. Clarke, his three laws on scientific prediction:

1. "When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.
2. The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.
3. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

[J. E. Mead]

P.E.A.R. (Princeton) came up with solid correlations. However, one can always find something "unacceptable".

Some of the arguments (Debunking) against "Fringe" effects, and phenomena, can be more astounding and incredulous than the phenomena they claim is false. That is what is so fascinating.

One has to remember that professional Skeptics are a Religion in their own right. Their Belief system is very firmly held.

 

[Joe Fulton]

True.  And like all true believers the facts are an inconvenience that gets in the way. 

John, do you have a link to the P.E.A.R. work?

[J. E. Mead]

When the group folded there was a great quote that they could continue forever, and people would refuse to accept any results regardless of how data was created/collected and analyzed. That was in APS News. I may try to look it up.

http://www.princeton.edu/~pear/

[Michael A. Williams]

I have to disagree that there is no evidence of paranormal phenomena and no one has come with any reproducible experiments proving such. Nothing could be further from the truth. The evidence and experiments are too voluminous to list here.

For starters, though, one need only to peruse the works of eminent parapsychologists Dr. Charles Tart and Dr. Dean Radin to find otherwise. They are countless other investigators to cite. I also recommend a site, DebunkingSkeptics that does an excellent job of rebutting the reductionists/materialists pseudo skeptics:

 

http://www.debunkingskeptics.com/

 

In regards to James Randi, he has been exposed as a fraud and his so-called "challenge" a big lie. I won't take up too much space and time here, and let these three articles speak for themselves. Together, they thoroughly dismantle Mr. Randi and his "Psychic Challenge."

 

http://www.debunkingskeptics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=71

 

http://www.dailygrail.com/features/the-myth-of-james-randis-million...

http://michaelprescott.typepad.com/michael_prescotts_blog/2006/12/t...