Skeptical Eye - Vol 05 No 2 - 1991

Magazine Overview

This issue of the NCAS Skeptical Eye, dated Spring 1991 (Vol. 5, No. 2), is published by the National Capital Area Skeptics. The magazine focuses on critical examination of extraordinary claims, pseudoscience, and paranormal phenomena.

"Unsolved Mysteries" Focuses on Virginia's Sleeping Prophet

This article by Elena M. Watson discusses an episode of the NBC television show "Unsolved Mysteries" that featured Edgar Cayce, a psychic diagnostician known for making medical diagnoses in a trance. The TV crew filmed in Norfolk and Virginia Beach, re-creating aspects of Cayce's life. The segment concentrated on his reputation for healing, with support from interviews with a chiropractor and a patient who claimed regained eyesight. The article notes the bizarre nature of some remedies, such as mashed potatoes for blindness or taking three almonds daily for cancer prevention. The Association for Research and Enlightenment (ARE), founded by Cayce's grandson Charles Thomas Cayce, is mentioned as holding 14,000 of Cayce's readings. The segment's director, David Vassar, stated they approached Cayce's story as a "phenomenon that is very mysterious" rather than as believers, and producer Kris Palmer noted Cayce's ability to determine people's physical and emotional states. The article suggests the producers did not make a significant effort to solve the mystery. Skeptics like Henry Gordon and James Randi are mentioned as finding Cayce less inscrutable, attributing his successes to his knowledge of osteopathy, homeopathy, and popular home remedies, as well as the placebo effect. The article also notes that ARE acknowledges Cayce's failures, with a book titled "The Outer Limits of Edgar Cayce's Power" attempting to explain them, though the explanations are deemed unconvincing. ARE's membership saw a significant increase in 1989 but had declined by November 1990. Edwin N. Johnson was reported to be taking over as chief operating officer.

Lucian and Alexander: Debunking in Classical Style

Walter Rowe's article recounts the story of Lucian of Samosata's encounter with Alexander, the founder of the cult of Glykon in Abonuteichos. Alexander, a self-proclaimed prophet, was exposed by Lucian as a charlatan. The article details Alexander's rise from humble beginnings, his training in mountebank tricks, and his scheme to establish an oracle using a human-headed snake god named Glykon. Lucian's satire exposed Alexander's methods, including forging seals on scrolls and using a confederate to provide the god's voice. The article draws parallels between Alexander's fraudulent practices and those of modern tricksters and psychics, citing James Randi's work. It notes that while Lucian's account is a satire, modern scholarship confirms the broad outline of the story, including the influence of the Glykon cult and the renaming of Abonuteichos to Ionopolis. The article concludes by highlighting Lucian's profound influence on later writers who exposed fraudulent claims.

Muscling in on Kreskin

Patti Maslinoff shares her experience attending a performance by "The Amazing Kreskin." While she found the evening enjoyable, it was not due to Kreskin's performance, which she felt spent too much time claiming to be "amazing" and too little time demonstrating it. Maslinoff, a skeptic, describes how Kreskin called her on stage and, through what she identified as "muscle reading," was able to detect her hand movements to guide him to a hidden object. She explains that muscle reading involves sensing unconscious muscle tension. Maslinoff notes that Kreskin's honesty about his abilities is questionable, as he implies psychic powers rather than admitting to using a trick. She also recounts an incident where Kreskin allegedly pocketed pieces of paper distributed to the audience and used a clipboard to conceal his actions while pretending to "divine" their contents. She concludes that Kreskin lacks even basic magician's skill and advises keeping one's eyes open.

Other Cool Stuff

This section provides brief announcements of upcoming events. Paul Kurtz, Chairman of CSICOP, is scheduled to discuss "Science, Skepticism, and the Paranormal" at Johns Hopkins University. The NCAS is cosponsoring a film series at the University of Maryland, featuring films like "Inherit the Wind" with commentary by NCAS board member Dr. Steve Shore. The University of Maryland's Physics Department is hosting a free lecture series called "Physics Is Phun." Additionally, philosopher Philip Kitcher will speak on "Evolution of Darwinian Thought" at the University of Maryland.

President's Column: We're Off to See the Wizard

Chip Denman, President of NCAS, announces the organization's new initiative: a movie series exploring alternative realities and fantastic elements in films. The series aims to pair films with speakers who will provide commentary, encouraging critical thinking about the science behind the stories. The series is a joint project with the University of Maryland and is free to the public. Films will touch on topics like UFOs, phony psychics, seances, "satanic" cults, and hypnosis.

The Great Realtor in the Sky

This short piece discusses the practice of using St. Joseph figurines to help sell houses, noting reports from the Washington Post and Washington City Paper. It mentions that sales of these figurines have increased nationwide, with religious supply stores reporting higher demand. The article briefly touches on varying opinions regarding the correct procedure for using the statuette and humorously notes that St. Joseph, as a carpenter and builder, might be expected to assist in home sales. It also mentions St. Jude as a patron for lost causes.

True Believers

This reprinted article from Science News, by Bruce Bower, explores the psychology of belief formation, contrasting the views of Aristotle, Descartes, and Spinoza. It argues that people are naturally credulous and find it easier to believe than to doubt. Daniel T. Gilbert's research suggests that initial comprehension of an idea involves accepting it as true, and that distractions can interfere with the ability to reject false information. Experiments are described where participants were more likely to accept false statements as true when their attention was diverted. The article also touches on how people tend to seek evidence that confirms their existing beliefs and how persuasion can be enhanced by competing tasks that divert attention. It concludes that the burden of proof has shifted from Descartes' theory of conscious analysis to Spinoza's idea of initial acceptance.

A Skeptic's Response: Cold Fusion

Steve Shore addresses the "hot news" of cold fusion, describing it as a model of a pseudoscientific phenomenon. He recounts the 1989 announcement by Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann at the University of Utah, and the parallel claims by Stephen Jones at Brigham Young University. The article details the intense publicity and speculation surrounding the discovery, which promised room-temperature nuclear fusion. It highlights the critical scrutiny of the initial papers, the lack of controls, and the difficulty in replication. Despite numerous attempts and partial replications, the scientific community largely dismissed the claims after reports from Yale and Brookhaven National Laboratory showed the observed effects were consistent with terrestrial backgrounds. The article notes the University of Utah's efforts to establish a Cold Fusion Research Institute and patent the process, but an Office of Technology Assessment report recommended against federal funding. The author criticizes the press for sensationalism and suggests that the cold fusion episode, while demonstrating how science works through checking claims, may have negatively impacted public perception of scientists.

Polywater vs. Cold Fusion: Pseudoscience in Fast-Forward

This comparative table illustrates the timeline of the "Polywater" phenomenon with that of "Cold Fusion," highlighting similarities in their rapid rise and eventual discrediting as pseudoscientific claims. Both generated significant media attention and initial interest before being debunked by the scientific community.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around skepticism, critical thinking, and the debunking of pseudoscience and extraordinary claims. The NCAS Skeptical Eye consistently aims to provide logical answers to questions that challenge conventional scientific understanding, as seen in the "A Skeptic's Response" column. The magazine promotes a rational approach to phenomena ranging from psychic abilities and ancient cults to controversial scientific claims like cold fusion. The editorial stance is clearly one of promoting scientific literacy and cautioning against uncritical acceptance of unsubstantiated claims, whether they originate from television shows, historical figures, performers, or scientific announcements.

Title: NCAS Past-Life Reporting
Issue: Spring 1991 (Volume 11)
Publisher: NCAS (National Capital Area Skeptics)
Date: Spring 1991

This issue of the NCAS Past-Life Reporting magazine delves into topics of UFO phenomena, past-life regression, and skepticism, featuring articles and reports from various contributors.

No More Good Flaps?

This section features UFO expert Philip J. Klass, who has been studying unidentified flying objects since 1947. Klass presented at an NCAS program in December, where he discussed the history of UFOs. He recounted the Washington, D.C., UFO flap of July 1952, noting that President Truman took an interest in his report on it, though he was unaware of the supposed 1947 New Mexico crash. Klass also investigated the MJ-12 papers, which he concluded are a hoax, perpetrated either to incriminate William L. Moore or by Moore himself. His analysis focused on internal evidence like style, typeface, and handwriting, comparing them to genuine government documents from his own files. Klass expressed disappointment with the current media's reporting on UFO evidence, stating that there are "almost no good UFO reports anymore."

Skeptical Audience Undergoes Mass Hypnosis!

Hypnotherapist Seán O'Neill discussed his findings on past-life regression in an NCAS program on January 27. O'Neill explained that while some people spontaneously regress to a "past life" under hypnosis, this does not make him a believer, but rather serves as a reminder that "most people are contaminated on this subject." He noted the historical popularity of past-life regression, citing the Bridey Murphy case from four decades ago. O'Neill also mentioned practitioners in California who offer "future-life progression," which raises scientific and philosophical questions about time and immutability. The session concluded with a demonstration where O'Neill led the entire audience through a hypnotic exercise, involving progressive relaxation and guided imagery, followed by a gradual return to consciousness, aiming for a feeling of being "more relaxed and energized."

President's Column

The President's Column, continuing from page 3, discusses films under consideration for NCAS post-movie discussions, including "Harry and the Hendersons," "Earth vs. the Flying Saucers," "Fantastic Voyage," "Marjoe," and "The Manchurian Candidate." Readers are invited to suggest other films or lead discussions.

Film Commentary

Several films are reviewed with commentary:

• Thursday, February 21, Nightmare Alley: A film about the rise and fall of a sideshow psychic, featuring accurate portrayals of mentalist techniques and ethical dilemmas. Commentary by professional magician Jamy Ian Swiss.
• Thursday, March 21, Family Plot: A film involving a medium, her boyfriend, a sinister couple, a missing heir, diamond theft, and attempted murder. Commentary on spiritualism, seances, and mediums by Chip Denman.
• Wednesday, April 24, Inherit The Wind: Based on the Scopes monkey trial, focusing on a biology teacher on trial for teaching evolution. Commentary by Steven Shore.

The Last Word: A Skeptical Eye on the CSICOP Conference

By Lys Ann Shore, this article reports that Kreskin will participate in a panel discussion on "Controversies in Hypnosis" at the 1991 CSICOP Conference in Berkeley, California. The author notes that many topics at the conference, such as Hypnosis, are also addressed by NCAS. NCAS members plan to attend and will provide coverage in the Skeptical Eye, encouraging attendees to contact NCAS if they wish to cover sessions themselves. The article emphasizes NCAS's "distinctive view of the issues and a cool, skeptical voice."

Keep Your Eye Open

This section invites readers to submit writings or original art for future publication in the Skeptical Eye. Contributions should be 500-1000 words, typed, and can be submitted on floppy disks (WordPerfect or ASCII) along with hard copy. The address for submissions is Skeptical Eye, 8006 Valley Street, Silver Spring, MD 20910. The deadline for the next issue is May 1.

Membership Renewal and Information

An appeal is made for members to renew their NCAS membership. Information is provided for single memberships ($20), double memberships ($30), and full-time student memberships ($10). Checks should be made payable to NCAS and mailed to Grace Denman at 8006 Valley Street, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

Merchandise

NCAS T-shirts are available for $10 and sweatshirts for $20. Prometheus Books are offered at a 10% discount. Orders can be placed by calling Joe Himes at 703-280-2503.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently promotes a skeptical approach to paranormal claims, particularly UFOs and past-life regression. While reporting on these phenomena, the articles emphasize critical analysis, investigation of evidence, and the debunking of hoaxes. The NCAS actively engages with these topics through public programs, discussions, and publications, aiming to provide a rational and evidence-based perspective. The editorial stance is clearly in favor of critical thinking and skepticism towards unsubstantiated claims.