Cincinnati Skeptic - Vol 02 No 01 - 1992

Magazine Overview

Title: The Association For Rational Thought News
Issue: Volume 2, No. 1
Date: October, 1992
Publisher: The Association for Rational Thought
Focus: Practicing the art of clear thinking in all walks of life, encouraging rational investigation of paranormal and pseudo-scientific claims.

Organization and Membership

The Association for Rational Thought (ART) is presented as a new organization dedicated to fostering clear, rational, and well-informed thinking. It aims to investigate paranormal and pseudo-scientific claims from a scientific viewpoint and disseminate these findings to the public. Membership is encouraged, with annual dues set at $15.00, which covers the newsletter and meeting notices. The newsletter is published quarterly.

Meetings and Events

The October meeting was scheduled for Saturday, October 10th, at the Greenwich Tavern and Restaurant, featuring reports on pseudoscientific hot spots and discussions for the year's meetings. The April 25th annual meeting saw the election of officers for the coming year: Keith Brabender (President), Dick McGrath (Vice-President), Mary Pacinda (Secretary and Membership Secretary), Peggy Borger (Treasurer), Joe Gastright (Investigations Officer and Media Resources Chairman), Virginia Jergens (Newsletter Editor), and Porter Henry (Publicity Coordinator). The Meeting Organizer position remained unfilled.

Military Deception and Perception

ART member Oran Dent, a psychologist and magician, delivered a presentation on the military's use of deception. Dent illustrated how deception exploits human perceptual processes, explaining that perception is not simply what is seen, but a hypothesis formed about visual sensations. If this hypothesis is faulty, the interpretation of reality is incorrect. Both generals and magicians, Dent explained, rely on leading their targets to form faulty hypotheses. He categorized deception into two types: simulation (creating what is false) and dissimulation (hiding what is real).

Simulation includes mimicking (e.g., a spy impersonating an enemy) and inventing false realities (e.g., rubber tanks, wooden guns). Decoys are also a form of simulation. Dissimulation encompasses masking (e.g., electronic jamming, smoke screens) and repackaging (disguising one thing as another). Dazzling, another form of dissimulation, aims to confuse the victim, making it difficult to form a coherent hypothesis. Dent emphasized that successful deception involves systematically rearranging what a victim perceives by choosing a strategic goal and determining what needs to be shown or hidden to produce a desired perception.

Dent suggested that magicians are valuable consultants in paranormal investigations because they understand how to lead observers to incorrect hypotheses. His presentation demonstrated that this method is invaluable for evaluating extraordinary claims.

Executive Committee Meeting and Finances

The newly elected Executive Committee met on August 8th to plan ART's second year. Investigations Officer Joe Gastright reported on his investigation into a family in Hamilton, Ohio, who believe they are troubled by ghosts. This report was scheduled for the November meeting. Treasurer Peggy Borger reported that ART had $314 in the bank, including a $100 gift. Articles of incorporation were prepared by Peggy Borger as a step toward non-profit status.

Monthly meetings are scheduled for the second Saturday of each month from October through June, with exceptions for CSICOP events. The committee raised annual dues from $10 to $15 to cover the costs of meeting notices and the newsletter.

Cold Spring Mary Sightings

The issue highlighted the widely reported predicted appearance of the Virgin Mary at St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church in Cold Spring, Kentucky, on August 31st. While a sizable crowd attended, it was not the predicted horde. Participants reported paranormal events, including rosary beads turning gold and the sun 'spinning.' The article cites Ari L. Goldman from the New York Times, noting that such Mary sightings have increased sharply across the country. Explanations offered include the influence of events like those in Medjugorie and the approach of the millennium. Periods of social and political change, especially during economic hardship, are also thought to provoke such sightings.

The article criticizes the news media for often accepting paranormal explanations by implication and notes that church authorities prefer to downplay these incidents as they can threaten the church's authority. The burden of providing alternative hypotheses falls on local skeptics. Sources recommended for further research include Dr. Sandra Zimdars-Swartz's book 'Encountering Mary' and standard psychology textbooks on perception.

Calendar of Events

The calendar lists upcoming ART and CSICOP events, including:

• October 3: ART Executive Committee Meeting, Greenwich Tavern.
• October 10: ART Business Meeting, Greenwich Tavern.
• October 16-18: 1992 CSICOP Conference in Dallas, Texas, with topics like 'Fairness, Fraud, and Feminism' and a keynote by Richard Dawkins.
• November 14-15: CSICOP & CODESH Workshops in Boston, covering 'Skepticism and the Paranormal' and 'What is Secular Humanism?'
• November 14: ART Executive Committee Meeting, Greenwich Tavern.
• November 21: ART Regular Monthly Meeting, Greenwich Tavern, featuring Joe Gastright's report on the Hamilton ghost investigation.
• December 12: CSICOP Workshop in Ft. Lauderdale.
• December 19: ART Regular Monthly Meeting, Greenwich Tavern, including a viewing and discussion of a Joe Nickell videotape on psychic demonstrations.

Regular monthly meetings for 1993 are also listed from January to June.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are skepticism, critical thinking, and the scientific investigation of unusual claims. The editorial stance is clearly in favor of rational analysis and evidence-based reasoning, actively promoting a scientific viewpoint against what it terms 'pseudo-scientific claims.' The newsletter serves as a platform for disseminating information that encourages a skeptical approach to phenomena, as exemplified by the articles on military deception and the analysis of Mary sightings. The organization positions itself as a 'Vital Voice for Reason.'