I would agree with Lance that it is difficult to study infrequent events which are reported as people's individual experiences. THAT is expressly why I stay away from that in discussing so-called psychic phenomena.

But what the wealthy and popular psychic mediums we have discussed here do is not in that category. It is reproducible every time they have a television show, seminar or book signing. In involves the specific association of spirit communication with a particular individual in the audience. THAT (and MANY other assertions of the paranormal) is easily tested as I have suggested by my experimental protocol.

Note that despite the personal transmission and discussion of this document DIRECTLY to and with no less than Dr. Gary Schwartz, the experimenter who is cited by these psychics as "proving" their claims, nobody has performed or scheduled such simple direct tests to date.

Take for another example, Zak's claim to be able to perform telekinesis. If he can do it JUST ONCE in a controlled setting, it would win him a million dollars. You don't see him rushing to do THAT test. We might learn why because I posed the question to him about this once more.

It might be tough to evaluate claims for some UFO sightings and for ADC's, OBE's and other subjective experiences.

But other paranormal claims are extremely easy to evaluate. Chief among those are detection of underground water (dowsing), auras, telekinesis, remote viewing, and the style of speaking to the dead which is currently earning such big bucks for con artists using mentalist tricks on an uninformed and needy public.

Surely you don't think testing Zak's claim that he can move objects without any physical connection to them is rocket science to test? But it does require a MAGICIAN be on the testing team. Uri Geller and his experiences at the Stanford Research Institute proved that it is all too easy for scientists to be fooled by magicians.

By the way I'd like to address the whole issue of what passes as evidence and proof in the legal profession and why but that will be another string if and when I can find time or someone else starts it. It is a very interesting topic.

I'd like to add that your intelligent writing is very much appreciated and I hope you will continue to tolerate the discomfort and continue posting here.
 
 
 

Pierre