An Account that Gets Lost in Mysticism, FSU In a Flap, That Bottle of Blood Again, Smart Girl, It's Worse Than You Thought, An Enthusiastic Fan Letter, Medium Very Well Done, Credit Due, and In Conclusion....


Table of Contents:


AN ACCOUNT THAT GETS LOST IN MYSTICISM

The Soviets use a term that translates as "reanimator," to define a doctor who studies the task of rescuing persons who have physically "died" either during medical procedures or as a result of an accident of some sort. Any condition in which the heart stops can be considered "death," but since many persons have been "brought back" by means such as a defibrillator — where the heart is literally shocked back into a beating mode by electrodes applied to the body — the more correct definition of death includes the leveling of brain-wave patterns, as well. Only a few minutes in a "dead" state usually results in a substantial deterioration of brain function, so that anyone re-animated after that period, is often severely handicapped.

In an article at Dutch site www.niburu.nl/index.php?showarticle.php?articleID=5866&lang=ENG we find an interesting discussion of the matter. In this excerpt, I have made several small changes that might clarify the translated text, which contains understandable errors, such as the use of "conscience" rather than "consciousness":

Soviet reanimator Academician Negovsky explained the afterlife experience in his book "Clinical Death As Seen by the Reanimator:"

Unfortunately, researchers in foreign countries (especially in the USA) are often inclined to interpret such phenomena as proof of existence of the other world. At that, researchers are guided by stories told by patients who experienced the near-death condition. They treat stories told by different patients (these stories are often identical) as the argument. However, this is a really poor argument, as the pathological product of dying or the reviving brain is of the same type with people in different countries. The evolutionary maturity of the brain is practically the same everywhere. The brain structure is standard, which means that the patterns of brain death or of reviving are typically similar, as well.

Randi: While reading this, bear in mind that Soviet authors are expected to provide views of reality that do not allow for religious beliefs such as survival-after-death. The account continues:

Besides, the academician said he never heard his patients tell stories about their near-death experience before they rose from the dead. Negovsky said that hallucination could occur during the near-death condition, but no actual clinical death is present at this moment. He added that people could not perceive the outer world during clinical death because the cerebral cortex is inactive at that stage. Said he:

We may suppose that the brain revives after clinical death and goes through the basic stages that it had experienced while dying; that is why people may have some experience typical of agony.

He also explained the phenomenon of "light at the end of the tunnel." He said it is "tunnel vision" that arises as a result of hypoxia in the occipital lobe cortex.

Russian reanimator Nikolay Gubin believes that the tunnel phenomenon is the result of toxic psychosis; and American doctor E. Rowdin supports this opinion. Patients say that they see episodes from various periods of their lives when they die. Doctors suppose that probably the dying process begins with newer [from the evolutionary view] structures of the brain and ends with the older ones. However, reviving of the brain is a reverse process where older parts in the cerebral cortex revive first. That is why episodes from earlier periods of life come back before others during the process of reviving.

Two years ago, Swiss researchers claimed they found out why people feel that they leave their physical bodies during clinical death. They say one particular convolution in the right part of the brain is responsible for this sensation, that it collects information from different parts of the brain to form an idea of where the human body is at any particular moment. In that process, signals of some nerves may follow a wrong path, and as a result the brain forms an incorrect picture in which people see themselves as if viewed from the outside.

But some phenomena of the afterlife experience are still a mystery, even now, such as how blind people could see what was going on in the operating-room at the moment they were dying. In fact, a research conducted by American doctor Kenneth Ring proves this phenomenon was registered with 200 blind men and women.

Randi: Note, it says here that blind persons could "see" events in the operating-room. I think it is more correct to say that they could describe events, and that such descriptions would be based on sensory input other than visual: motion, sounds, the content of conversations, and smell, without invoking anything paranormal. Expressions such as "Nurse, pass the scalpel," or "Clear!" have much information in them. This ability to interpret events would be more pronounced, of course, with blind persons who were once sighted.

However, there are some scientists who do not explain afterlife sensations by physiological processes going on in the human brain. Psychologist Watson thinks that people recall their birth while dying. He says that people see death for the first time in delivery when we come into this world. It is also supposed that such visions are connected with molecular and atomic changes in the energetic cover of the body. This structure also dies when a man dies; at that time it produces corpuscular radiation which people treat as strange visions.

I have no problem with this account until it comes to the last two paragraphs that I've included above. From a rational discussion of the most likely explanations, the article suddenly degenerates into notions of "visions," "energetic cover," and "corpuscular radiation" — unfounded ideas that mystics have invented to fill endless books on metaphysical philosophy. Again, including accounts that seem to support the mystical as genuine, can blow away any reason that has — until that point — appeared to be present. What a pity.


FSU IN A FLAP

Here in Florida, a number of professors in the Florida State University College of Medicine are saying they will resign if FSU administrators continue to pursue the inclusion of a proposed chiropractic school, for which the legislature has earmarked $9,000,000. As many universities have discovered, there's money in teaching quackery, as well as in the practice.

Dr. Ian Rogers, an assistant professor at FSU's Pensacola campus, in a Dec. 15 e-mail, refers to the plan as "plainly ludicrous." This opinion, shared by other academics at FSU, reflects a belief held by many in the medical establishment that chiropractic is a pseudoscience that leads to unnecessary and sometimes harmful treatments. However, the American Medical Association, badly wounded by the outcomes of various court encounters with the chiropractors, are now very careful in making statements about the efficacy of this system. They have effectively been silenced by their fear of litigation.

If established, such a chiropractic school would be the only one of its kind in the USA. FSU professors are even circulating a parody map of their future campus that places a fictional Department of ESP Studies, a Bigfoot Institute, School of Astrology, and Faith Healing School adjacent to a future Chiropractic School.

The matter will be voted on this month before the FSU board of trustees and the state Board of Governors. Republican Senator Dennis Jones, who led legislative support for the school of chiropractic, said the concerned FSU professors were "overreacting." "If they resign, so be it," he said. Senator Jones is himself a chiropractor....

With the present atmosphere in Washington towards "alternative" modalities and "faith-based" projects — which this would certainly be — the school could also draw lucrative federal grants.

More than 500 faculty members have signed petitions against establishing the chiropractic school, and some of them say they're willing to do more than just sign a petition. They see the move as fatal to the FSU reputation. The faculty as a whole has not yet officially voiced their concerns about the chiropractic school.


THAT BOTTLE OF BLOOD AGAIN

Reader Steven Henry of Saint Petersburg, Florida, wrote to the Fine Living Channel with a complaint, hoping he might hear back from them. He says, "My 'psychic vibes' are telling me that I probably won't." This concerns a miracle claim to which Professor Luigi Garlaschelli in Italy has devoted much time. Here's Steven's letter to the TV channel:

My comment is in regard to your December 4th, 2004, airing of Smart Travels with Rudy Maxa. It was an interesting show, up until the point where the host talked about the Feast of St. Gennaro. He mentioned how this dried saint's blood would become liquefied twice a year or else disaster would strike. He apparently has no scientific curiosity, because he stated that "no scientist can offer an explanation." If he were just slightly curious, he could have done an Internet search and found an explanation. I have a possible explanation below. It took me all of one minute to find. My problem with his comment relates to the fact that there is too much misinformation and non-critical thinking on television. Unfortunately, this episode confirms my beliefs. If you can, pass a note to the host, let him know that a little research can go a long way. Some great sources are the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal www.csicop.org/ and James Randi's Educational Foundation www.randi.org/. These organizations are in the business of examining claims like this.

The article below is from: http://www.rathinker.co.kr/skeptic/refuge/bunk13.html

May 8, 2000. "The substance some Neapolitans believe is the dried blood of their patron, St Gennaro, liquefied on cue for a twice-yearly event the faithful believe is a miracle." So begins a Reuters' story published on Yahoo!.News.

The powder mysteriously turns to liquid twice a year — on the saint's feast day on September 19 and on the first Saturday in May. The event has been recorded on the two days almost without fail for the past 600 years....

Randi: No, not a "powder" at all. It's a gelatinous mass that sits firmly in the bottle until vigorously shaken. And, during the twice-yearly ceremonies, it's paraded about for an hour or so, and shaken periodically. This is congruent with Garlaschelli's theory — see up ahead — that it is a thixotropic mixture. Read on:

Italian scientists have confirmed that the substance inside the closed vial is blood but cannot explain why it liquefies regularly.

Randi: No, not at all. All that's been established — back more than a century ago in 1902, when proper light-absorption techniques were not available — was that the gel looked like blood, and since then we've found that the imitation substance prepared by Garlaschelli has very similar appearance and characteristics.

To its credit, the article does note that historians have no record of this alleged blood relic before 1389, more than a thousand years after Gennaro's alleged death. I say "alleged death" because there is no record he even existed (Nickell, "Looking for a Miracle" 1993, p79). Also, the Italian scientists who examined the vial of blood in 1902 and in recent years were not allowed to take a sample of the stuff to the lab, were only allowed to shine a light through the vial and on the basis of a spectroscopic analysis concluded the substance is blood (Nickell, p78). It is not true, however, to say that scientists can't explain why the stuff in the vial liquefies regularly. A professor of organic chemistry at the University of Pavia, Luigi Garlaschelli, and two colleagues from Milan offered thixotropy as an explanation. They made their own "blood" that liquefied and congealed, using chalk, hydrated iron chloride and salt water. Joe Nickell did the same with oil, wax and "dragon's blood" — a resinous dark-red plant product.

The article does mention that the Neapolitans are a superstitious people, but it does not mention that there are about twenty allegedly miraculous vials of various saints' blood and nearly all of them are in the Naples region, "indicative of some regional secret" (Nickell, p79). The article also suggests that their superstitions may be justified. The number Neapolitans associate with miracles, 66, came up in the national lottery on May 6th. The article also notes that the Neapolitans believe that if the blood fails to liquefy, disaster is around the corner.

Disaster has struck on at least five occasions after the blood failed to liquefy, including in 1527 when tens of thousands of people died from the plague and in 1980 when 3,000 people died after an earthquake that devastated southern Italy.

What isn't mentioned is how many times disaster didn't happen after the blood failed to liquefy and how many times disaster did happen after the blood did liquefy. A bit of selective thinking seems to be going on here.

The article also suggests that the "miracle" is a con. It is noted that Cardinal Michele Giordano, who carried the vial in this year's May procession, is "under investigation on suspicion of complicity in loansharking, extortion and criminal association following the arrest of his brother in 1998." But the article doesn't mention that the ritual used to also be performed on December 16, "but the liquefaction occurred relatively rarely on those occasions — apparently due to the colder temperature — and those observances have been discontinued" (Nickell, p81). Most skeptics are convinced that whatever is in the vial is reacting to some natural phenomenon, such as temperature change or motion. Even some religious thinkers consider such "miracles" frivolous and unworthy of God.

I refer readers to Joe Nickell's excellent book — one of many — from which some of the above material was taken. It's "Looking for a Miracle," published by Prometheus Books. You can ask Joe questions at TAM3 — less than a week away! And some of Joe's books will be offered for sale, too.


SMART GIRL

Reader Jeff Wagg has informed us — as if we had to be told — that science and rationality have once more served us much better than any superstition or mythology. Says Jeff:

Here's a rather inspiring article of how a little bit of science taught to a 10-year-old girl saved hundreds of lives in Phuket, Thailand, when the tsunami hit there. That's more than any psychic or cleric can claim.

Summed up, a British schoolgirl named Tilly Smith saved the lives of hundreds of people in the area by warning them that a wall of water — a tsunami — was about to strike. She'd learned about the phenomenon in geography class, and obviously took benefit from that lesson. Tilly was holidaying with her family on the Thai island when she suddenly realized what was taking place and alerted her mother. Her intuition was enough to raise the alarm and prompt the evacuation of Maikhao beach and a neighboring hotel before the water came crashing in.

Miss Smith had learned about this kind of event during her last school term, when her geography instructor, Mr. Andrew Kearney, taught his class about earthquakes and how they can cause tsunamis. Tilly observed that "the tide went out all of a sudden," and knew what that meant. Mr. Kearney had explained to his class that there was about ten minutes from the moment the ocean drew out before the tsunami strikes. The area was alerted, and people quickly fled inland.

As Jeff points out, no psychics or astrologers predicted anything of this sort — but elementary science, through a bright and concerned student, went into action and saved lives.


IT'S WORSE THAN YOU THOUGHT

Several readers, noting how appalled I was at the $485 tuning knobs I cited last week, told me that I was about to be even more surprised when I looked into what the Reference Audio quacks had to say about the mysterious "C37" lacquer that they sell. They were right. Be sure you're seated, then look at www.referenceaudiomods.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=RAM&Category_Code=C37 and I guarantee that your mouth will drop open. Is there no limit to what stupid people will buy, or to what they'll be offered by the scam artists? They pay $60 for a half-ounce of this lacquer! Just look at www.tnt-audio.com/accessories/c37_e.html and see that, as expected, a prominent product reviewer has decided that it works! Just how does it work? The "discoverer/manufacturer," one Dieter Ennemoser, makes the incredible statement that he "found after some research that carbon is the decisive element in sound quality." Ah! I was wondering what element decided that! Dieter explains that he "eventually found this in human bones."

Duh!

Bear in mind that the con-artists are laughing along with you as they read this, but for a much different reason. They have a full understanding of the fact that some people will buy anything — at any price — if it's accompanied by sufficient gibberish and endorsed by enough high-priced magazines. Serious, adult, human beings — not chimps out of a tree — actually lay out cash for such nonsense! In itself, that's just sad, but bear in mind: these people also vote....

C37 lacquer = snake oil.


AN ENTHUSIASTIC FAN LETTER

Bearing a "subject" line stating "None," this message arrived for me from someone named "Bubbles," which might be a reference to her cranial contents....

Nobody gives a shit about your tests or whether you believe or not. Your [sic] giving Sylvia allot [sic] of power by such strong reactions and long winded blogs about her. You look like a reactive,fear [sic] based little rodant [sic]. Everyone knows you're a dark soul so give it up. The light does not have anything to prove to darkness. Your email will be instantly deleted!

Another one of those smooth talkers! And that last threat has me in tears!


MEDIUM VERY WELL DONE

Questioned about Arizona's Allison Dubois — the "psychic" upon whom NBC-TV has based their new series "Medium," the North Phoenix County Attorney's Office says they take her seriously enough that they have "used her at times." Bill Fitzgerald, spokesman for the office, says, "She has worked for us unpaid." He doesn't provide details but says she has been used for such things as jury selection. What?

Hey, that's nothing! I've encountered cases in which judges have turned to astrology when sentencing convicted persons, and others who have told the jury that they should believe in psychic powers such as those claimed by Allison. But I'm thinking that maybe I should restrain comments on this woman. In a recent interview, she stated, "I tote a gun, and I believe in the death penalty." Whoops.

We were amused last week when we received a nine-page tirade from a legal firm representing Dubois, complaining about our use of the photo of Dubois with Professor Gary Schwartz, the pride of Arizona State University. We were told to — their wording and spelling:

....immediately cease and desist from using, displaying, or using in any manner whatsoever, the Photograph.

Well, in order to spare Joseph Dubois, the alarmed photographer, from any further unbearable dismay, anguish, trepidation, or emotional damage, we yanked the photo and the results can be seen at www.randi.org/jr/121704no.html#5. Just scroll down to where the photo used to be....

In response to those many readers who have suggested that I formally offer the JREF challenge to Allison Dubois, please believe that she is fully aware of it, and it's up to her to make application; we don't go after applicants. She will of course never apply, since she knows she cannot pass any proper examination; her encounter with Gary Schwartz must have been a breeze for her, knowing his standards for security and evaluation. But we're not about to spend any time trying to coax Allison into being tested; just look at how successful we were when we specifically offered the prize to Sylvia Browne; it's now been 1,402 days — that's 3 years, 10 months, and 2 days — since she agreed to take the test, and she still is unable to find me, it seems!

Maybe I should just let the TV series take its natural course to oblivion.

But that gun Allison says she totes, has me concerned. Nice psychic. Here, have a candy. Have two....


CREDIT DUE

I've just been informed by reader Dann Simonsen that it was our Danish friend Claus Larsen, at TAM1, who gave me the "alien" superegg that was also given to Uri Geller by extraterrestrials.... Sorry, Claus, I'd forgotten! You can speak to Mr. Larsen next week in Las Vegas at TAM3! For previous references, see www.randi.org/jr/051002.html and www.randi.org/jr/121704no.html#6.


IN CONCLUSION....

As I write, registration for TAM3 stands at 520....