The North Texas Skeptic

Magazine Overview

Title: The North Texas Skeptic
Issue: Volume 14, Number 11
Date: November 2000
Publisher: The North Texas Skeptics
Country: USA
Language: English

This issue of The North Texas Skeptic delves into various topics through a skeptical lens, featuring an editorial on demons, research on false memories related to possession, an investigation into the 'Face on Mars' claims, and a humorous guide to identifying a skeptic.

Perspective on Demons

This editorial, written by John Blanton, challenges the concept of demons and demonic possession. Blanton notes the current popularity of exorcism and deliverance, even within the North Texas Skeptics (NTS) community. He argues that demons are often created to explain human social issues, such as indolence, disobedience, and envy. Blanton humorously questions the origin of demons, suggesting that if they were created to torment people, they would have been idle for billions of years before humans existed. He proposes two scenarios for the origin of demons: either they spontaneously appeared when the first person (Adam) arrived, or they evolved alongside other life forms, possibly tormenting microbes first. Blanton dismisses the first scenario as violating evolutionary rules. Ultimately, he concludes that demons are a human invention, and people who believe in them are "a tad stupid," while those who profit from this belief are running a "marvelous great scam."

New Wave of Exorcisms

This section features a press release from the University of Washington regarding research conducted by psychologist Elizabeth Loftus and her colleagues. The study, published in The Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, investigated how media and suggestive information can influence beliefs and memories about demonic possession. The research found that nearly one-fifth of individuals who initially found demonic possession implausible and believed they hadn't witnessed it as children later became more plausible and thought they might have experienced it. This was achieved through exposure to articles about demonic possession and suggestive techniques that linked their fears to childhood possession experiences. Loftus highlights the powerful effect of vivid depictions in movies like "The Exorcist" and "Possessed," which can create a "mini-epidemic" of people requesting exorcisms. The study involved college students in Italy, where demonic possession is considered more plausible. Loftus explains that people can develop memories of ideas suggested by others, a process that can be influenced by therapists and used in suggestive procedures related to UFO abductions, past-life trauma, or satanic rituals.

Face on Mars

This press release, from Amherst, NY, dated October 17, 2000, discusses Gary Posner's investigation into the claims of Richard C. Hoagland regarding the "Face on Mars." Hoagland, author of "The Monuments of Mars," proposed that a 1976 NASA Viking mission photo revealed an ancient Martian metropolis. The "Face on Mars" is described as a rock outcropping in the Cydonia region that vaguely resembled a human face. Posner, a consultant for CSICOP and executive director of Tampa Bay Skeptics, probes Hoagland's credentials. NASA released a higher-resolution image in 1998 that clearly showed the formation to be a natural feature, debunking the artificial structure theory. Posner's investigation into Hoagland's NASA appearances suggests they were for novelty rather than serious scientific inquiry. He also examines Hoagland's claims about oceans on Europa, noting that Hoagland was not the first to propose this idea and that other scientists had published on it earlier. The article also mentions the founding of CSICOP in 1976 by Dr. Paul Kurtz, an organization dedicated to the critical investigation of paranormal claims.

Top Ten Ways to Tell If You're a Skeptic

Written by John Blanton, this humorous list offers lighthearted ways to identify a skeptic. The list includes witty observations such as "Dionne Warwick doesn't return your phone calls," "You think 'energized water' is another name for vodka," and "Your lucky rabbit's foot? The rabbit has it." More serious points include studying evolution while others party and being able to spell transcendental meditation but not pronounce it. The number one way to tell if you're a skeptic, according to Blanton, is "There's a law suit from Uri Geller in your mailbox."

Skeptical Ink

This section features a comic strip by Prasad Golla and John Blanton, titled "Skeptical Ink." The comic depicts a conversation between two individuals. One claims to be a graphologist who can tell many things from a handwriting sample. The other individual's handwriting is analyzed, with the graphologist noting "large unclosed loops." The punchline is that the handwriting errors are not due to loops but "numerous punctuation errors," implying a lack of serious study.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme throughout this issue is the promotion of critical thinking and skepticism towards extraordinary claims, pseudoscience, and paranormal phenomena. The NTS, through its publications and meetings, aims to encourage a scientific and rational approach to understanding the world. The editorial stance is clearly against unfounded beliefs, particularly those related to supernatural or pseudoscientific topics, advocating for evidence-based reasoning and the debunking of myths and misconceptions. The issue emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between genuine scientific inquiry and unsubstantiated claims, and highlights how media and psychological factors can influence belief systems.