REALL News - Vol 05 No 09 - 1997

Magazine Overview

Title: The REALL News
Issue: Volume 5 Issue 9
Date: 1997
Publisher: REALL (The Rational Examination Association of Lincoln Land)
Focus: Critical examination of paranormal claims and fringe science through a skeptical, scientific lens.

Psychics and Serial Murder (An Excerpt from The Killers Among Us by Steven A. Egger)

The lead article, an excerpt from Steven A. Egger's book "The Killers Among Us," delves into the controversial use of psychics in serial murder investigations. Egger notes that the contribution of parapsychology to such investigations is not well-documented, with a scarcity of empirical data beyond a survey by Sweat and Durm (1993). Despite the media attention psychics often receive, police agencies are frequently reticent to admit their involvement due to potential public and professional criticism.

Psychics often become involved in highly publicized serial murder cases by making predictions to the media or secretly advising investigators. The article highlights the case of John Wayne Gacy in December 1978, where a local psychic was consulted by Des Plaines, Illinois, police to find information about a missing teenage boy. The psychic's information was interpreted as accurate in describing Gacy's methods and victim disposal. Although Gacy was convicted of killing 33 young men and boys, the boy's body remained missing until April 1979, when it was found in the Des Plaines River. During the intensive search, both a local psychic and a well-known psychic from the east assisted the Des Plaines Police, providing "very pertinent information" that investigators believed could have led to an earlier discovery if not for weather conditions.

The article also discusses the involvement of Peter Hurkos, a Dutch mystic known in the early 1950s for assisting law enforcement in the US and Europe. In January 1964, Hurkos was asked to assist the Massachusetts Attorney General's office in the "Boston Strangler" case. After a week, Hurkos identified a suspect, a 56-year-old shoe salesman with a history of mental illness. However, an exhaustive investigation by Boston police ruled him out. Albert DeSalvo later confessed to these killings.

Several years later, in 1969, Hurkos was involved in the "Coed Murders" investigation in Washtenaw County, Michigan, which involved the deaths of six young females. Despite initial controversy, the Ann Arbor police provided limited cooperation. Hurkos left the investigation after a week, claiming the police were too hostile. The article also briefly mentions a psychic consultant used by the Atlanta Police Department in the "Child Murders" investigation, noting significant media hype and self-promotion as problems.

Egger acknowledges that psychic consultants are often used, especially when leads are exhausted, potentially as a way to demonstrate a willingness to use all available resources. However, he states there has been no known or credible evaluation of psychic effectiveness. While some investigators find psychics useful, most remain skeptical. Egger suggests that a potential unintentional benefit of involving psychics is that their different perspective and questions might prompt investigators to consider new avenues of inquiry.

REALLity Check (by David Bloomberg)

David Bloomberg's column addresses several topics related to pseudoscience and alternative medicine.

Therapeutic Touch (TT)

Bloomberg discusses articles published in the State Journal-Register by health writer Tony Cappasso concerning "Therapeutic Touch" (TT) offered at St. John's Hospital's Center for Mind-Body Medicine. Experts like Dr. Stephen Barrett, Dr. Henry Claman, Dr. John Renner, and James "The Amazing" Randi largely dismiss TT as quackery, citing a lack of scientific evidence for its purported mechanism, the "human energy field." Despite this, St. John's medical director, Dr. Ronald Deering, expressed an open mind to the concept. A simple scientific test conducted by a 4th-grade girl, where 15 TT practitioners attempted to determine the position of her hand without vision, resulted in them guessing correctly only 47% of the time, no better than chance.

American Medical Association (AMA) and Alternative Medicine

The column also touches upon a controversy involving the AMA potentially publishing a book on alternative medicine. This plan caused internal strife, leading to the resignation of officials involved. The AMA's Council on Scientific Affairs had expressed serious concerns about the book a year prior, but the council was not given the opportunity to review it. The book has now been put on hold pending a review to ensure it meets scientific integrity standards.

False Memories and Hypnosis

Bloomberg briefly mentions a Reuters report about hypnosis potentially inducing false memories. A study indicated that 28% of hypnotized participants developed false memories about recent events, even after being warned about the possibility. This highlights the ongoing concern about therapies that might lead to the creation of false memories.

Quantum Spookiness

This section reports on a test published in the journal *Science* concerning "quantum action at a distance." The experiment demonstrated "spooky actions" where entangled quantum entities, like photons, maintained a connection even when separated by several miles. While this phenomenon does not allow for faster-than-light information transfer, the author anticipates that paranormal proponents will likely misuse this concept to justify their claims, emphasizing the need for actual evidence rather than scientific jargon.

Tribune Continues To Promote Nonsense

Bloomberg criticizes the Chicago Tribune for promoting what he deems "nonsense," particularly its extensive coverage of astrology. He argues that the Tribune's "Astrology 101" page misinforms readers by suggesting a link between astronomy and astrology, stating that astrology claims to study the effects of planets on people, which Bloomberg refutes as unmeasurable.

REALL on the Web

David Bloomberg writes about REALL's online presence at www.reall.org, run by Wally Hartshorn. He recounts an instance where a believer in paranormal phenomena labeled him an "extreme skeptic" in an online discussion, misrepresenting an article about his appearance on a talk show. Bloomberg also notes that REALL receives emails from individuals upset with their articles, including one woman who accused them of being anti-nurse and anti-women, despite the article in question being written by a female nurse.

An amusing incident involved a man from Arizona teaching magic courses who found an old REALL article by Bob Smet about cold reading and contacted Smet to borrow research books.

From the Chairman (David Bloomberg)

David Bloomberg announces that Professor Steve Egger, the author of the main article, will not be able to give his planned presentation. Instead, the meeting will focus on current issues, future planning, and a video about the Center for Inquiry in New York. He also mentions the September meeting featuring Wally Hartshorn, who shared "weirdest Web sites." The column concludes with information about REALL's board elections, with Wally Hartshorn moving to Secretary/Treasurer and Kevin Brown returning to a general Board position. Bloomberg also calls for volunteers to help REALL.

From the Editor (Bob Ladendorf)

Bob Ladendorf reflects on recent shocking events, including the death of Diana and the manhunt for Andrew Cunanan, noting that psychics did not predict these major historical events. He introduces the main article by Steve Egger, highlighting that it explores why psychics are consulted in murder cases but questions their effectiveness. Ladendorf also thanks David Bloomberg for his "REALLity Check" column.

Ten Important Criteria for Determining What is Science (from Science versus Pseudoscience, by Natan Aasey)

This section lists ten criteria for distinguishing science from pseudoscience:

1. Science is logical and rational.
2. Science makes well-defined claims.
3. Scientific hypotheses are falsifiable.
4. Scientific experiments are repeatable.
5. Science requires that claims be examined by peers.
6. Science views unexplained gaps in theories with suspicion.
7. Science requires caution in examining evidence.
8. Science requires objectivity.
9. Science does not accept coincidence as proof.
10. Science does not accept anecdotal evidence as proof.

Masthead Information and Purpose

The issue includes masthead information, listing the Board of Directors and Editorial Board of REALL. It also outlines the purpose of REALL as a non-profit educational and scientific organization dedicated to developing rational thinking and applying the scientific method to claims of the paranormal and fringe-science phenomena. REALL aims to conduct research, convene meetings, publish a newsletter, and disseminate information, primarily serving Central Illinois. The organization subscribes to the scientific method as the most reliable system for knowledge acquisition and commits to objective, critical inquiry.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the critical examination of paranormal claims, pseudoscience, and alternative medicine through the lens of the scientific method. REALL consistently promotes skepticism towards unsubstantiated claims, particularly concerning psychics in criminal investigations and various forms of alternative therapies. The editorial stance is clearly in favor of evidence-based reasoning, scientific rigor, and a cautious approach to phenomena that lack empirical support. The publication aims to educate its readers on distinguishing between science and pseudoscience, encouraging rational thinking and critical inquiry.