Table of Contents:
STRING BELIEVERS TARGETED BY TARGET
Reader Jeff Trapp sends me an excerpt from an item in the New York Post:
In case anyone needed further proof that Kabbala, the branch of Jewish mysticism embraced by celebs like Madonna, is a money-making venture, look no further than Target. The store is now selling red Kabbala strings — like the ones Madonna, Demi Moore and Britney Spears wear — for $25.99. . . . Many mainstream Jewish leaders have blasted the Kabbala Center's commercial ventures like selling these strings and "Kabbala water."
Wait a moment! Religion — in any of its thousand varieties — is, first and foremost, a money-making business. It always has been. What's this big surprise? Is there much difference among selling holy water, crucifixes, Kabbala strings, mandalas, rosary beads, horoscopes, Buddhist prayer beads, or rabbit's feet as supernatural charms? It's all the same superstitious, simplistic, magical, wishful thinking, in my opinion. This item is just a 72-inch skein of red knitting yarn, no weirder than a cony's pedal extremity on a chain...
Under "Product Description" of this item, Target actually uses this incredible text:
A centuries-old spiritual tool used by Kabbalists, this red string is believed to protect against the evil eye, a negative energy source. What makes this particular piece of string so special is, in part, the fact that it has traveled to Israel, to the ancient tomb of Rachel the Matriarch, and returned, imbued with the essence of protection. The string is tied to the left wrist — the left being the body and soul's receiving side — and worn to essentially deflect the negative energy brought forth by unfriendly and envious stares, unkind glances and looks of ill will. A feeling we've all experienced, the evil eye is considered by Kabbalah to be a powerful force and an influential factor in regards to achieving goals and everyday well-being. The string draws upon the connection to and awareness of Rachel and must be tied on by a loved one and sealed with Rachel's protective energy by reciting the Ben Porat prayer (included on a card). From The Kabbalah Centre.
Madonna wears one, and we all know how perceptive and intellectual she is, so we'd better get in on it. But as I type this, Target reports that they're out of stock! Don't fret. No doubt a boatload of red string is steaming back from a visit to Israel right now, charged with Rachel's essence! We're saved!
Can you imagine what might happen if you had this tied to your right wrist, or had it fastened there by someone who really can't stand you, or it had been taken in error to the tomb of Murray the Barber instead of Rachel? If you got the Ben Porat prayer switched for a nursery rhyme, I can't bear to think of the disasters that would result.
A reader has reminded me that TV's Monty Python had a selling-useless-bits-of-string sketch, years ago. The owner of the string had inherited 122,000 miles of string, and wanted to sell it, so they worked up a commercial. Said the ad agency flack in the sketch:
There's this nude woman in a bath holding a bit of your string. That's great, great, but we need a doctor, got to have a medical opinion.
There's a nude woman in a bath with a doctor — that's too sexy. Put an archbishop there watching them, that'll take the curse off it. Now, we need children and animals.
There's two kids admiring the string, and a dog admiring the archbishop who's blessing the string. Uhh — international flavor's missing — make the archbishop Greek Orthodox. Why not Archbishop Macarios? No, no, he's dead. Never mind, we'll get his brother, it'll be cheaper. So, there's this nude woman....Wait, I see a television commercial...
But Target didn't even need to write an ad, nor to get a nude woman. They already have a cast of stars voluntarily — one hopes — plugging the string. Madonna supplies the religion angle for them — with her name and her devotion to the Kaballah, Demi Moore has done the nude stuff already and has the kids, and Britney Spears is... well, Britney Spears.
Folks, Target presently has more than 1,500 stores in 47 states. It's a leading American retail outlet that is actually selling Magic String, and proudly features it on its "Hot Buys" list! Will we ever grow up?
Reader Valentine Sedlovsky, in Israel, writes:
Yesterday was my last day of employment in a popular global franchise chain retail store (Office Depot) located in Tel Aviv, Israel.
At least those are the reasons I was given by the manager. My act had nothing to do with freedom of religion, he claims. I agreed, saying that my act was more of a freedom from religion than for, and that I believe that only thing I've hurt is somebody's imaginary world, in the same manner I could diagnose someone doing something I do not see as wise, and tell him that as a friendly gesture.
Well it's but a rant for which I would like maybe a piece of advice and just generally your opinion on the subject. Is it really that my egoistic urge is greater than necessary in this case, or is the manager biased and his belief system is the reason for my unemployment?
My position was put at risk after I put a baloney sandwich into, what I seem to be aware of now, a "dairy only" shared toaster, near which there are no signs of warning. Nor are there any alternative toasters dedicated to my culinary pleasure and for me avoid the hurt emotions of my coworkers. The reason for my unemployment is "being egotistic" and "not caring for other folks' beliefs."
Valentine, I've no way of knowing the possible biases of your former manager, but I can understand his action. Israel, after all, is essentially a theocracy operating as a democracy. Religious symbols and talismans are openly flaunted by politicians, and the religious leaders have much to say about what will or will not be tolerated by government actions. Here in the USA, with our president — and every other prominent politician — invoking a deity and the power of incantation at every opportunity, we have the same problem, not at the moment as heavy and prevailing as in your country, but getting there rapidly. We now invoke a deity when we recite our Pledge of Allegiance, and our currency clearly proclaims the basis of our laws; can compulsory adherence to Christianity be far behind?
A reader named Williams refers to the author of Extraordinary Popular Delusions & the Madness of Crowds, recently referred to here:
Unfortunately I cannot give you credit for introducing me to Mackay's excellent book; that credit goes to Martin Gardner. I doubt there are any hard feelings that Mr. Gardner should have the credit for this. More to his credit, as well, should be that since he introduced me to Mackay, I have prowled the used book stores for copies and have handed them out to all my friends. If I'd happened to be a high school teacher, I would have spent an entire semester teaching this book. It is the one book, of the thousands I have read, that I think everyone should read. It is far enough back historically to not ruffle any — many — feathers, readable enough for the average student, and critical without being condescending. It is also practical; because of the lessons in this book I got out of the stock market in 1999. The similarities between the South Sea Bubble and the recent Internet Bubble were too close for my taste. Enough said.
As happens regularly, last week we got yet another request for verification of the existence of the JREF million dollars to satisfy the challenge, this one from Australia and accompanied by further accusations of perfidy. The first matter is covered succinctly at www.randi.org/research/challenge.html, and this writer noticed where it clearly says, "Validation of this account and its current status may be obtained by contacting the Foundation by telephone, fax, or e-mail," and he simply asked the all-powerful Linda, who responded herself to the first part and referred the second to me. Here, so you can see a small part of what we handle regularly here at the office, we publish the original message from Andrew Gould, and our response:
Can you please advise how I can verify the existence of the money?
He also said that the US Geological Survey (USGS) and the Australian Geological Survey Organisation (AGSO — www.agso.gov.au/) in our own country routinely employ dowsers to uncover water sources. Have you ever verified their ability to do so? I searched on their website for "dowsers", "dowsing" and "dowse" and received no results. If they are using dowsers, they're keeping quiet about it.
He says that Dick Smith was publicly embarrassed on the Four Corners TV program by his test of dowsing some years ago, which I assume was the one written up at www.skeptics.com.au/journal/divining.htm, and which is contrary to the information I have found about that particular testing process — because the guy they tested actually found a bore. I was under the impression that the dowser was not looking for a bore at all, but rather for some buried containers of water. Again I failed to verify this by searching the website www.abc.net.au/4corners/. Can the JREF provide any further information about this particular test?
A close friend of mine, whose judgment I otherwise trust, has made the statement to me that the [JREF] $1 million dollars does not exist. As is previously stated in the Commentaries, verification of this can be made by application to the Foundation. Neither he nor I have any claim to make, but we got into an argument about skepticism in general, and he said that the Foundation has absolutely no intention of ever giving away the alleged $1 million dollars, and he in fact claimed that the Foundation does not have $1 million to give away.
I responded:
Dick was never "embarrassed" by any results. This is the first time I've ever heard this being suggested. All tests he's done have been negative, without exception — or we'd already have given over the million dollars. As you noted, the dowsers always try to find something — anything — that appears to be significant in their errors. I even had one claim that since his results were so negative, he was unconsciously using "negative dowsing" powers. When he repeated the tests a year later for someone else, he got almost exactly what chance would call for, and he ascribed that to his ability to suppress the "negative" powers. They never "fail," they just sail on as if they were successful....
I've tested over a thousand dowsers in Canada, USA, Australia, Germany, France, UK, Mexico, Hungary, Russia, Spain, China, Philippines, Ecuador, Sri Lanka, and Italy, over the past half-century. None have shown their powers to be real, but they recall only the times they came out at one end of the bell-shaped curve, and they conveniently forget about the rest of the distribution.
Your friend has chosen to repeat the same old canards that circulate on the Internet: there's no million dollars, dowsers have proven their powers, governments successfully use them, etc., etc.
If he's so sure of all this, why doesn't he (a) find a dowser, (b) have him apply, (c) have him win, (d) be refused payment by the JREF when he does win, and (e) simply sue us for the million? That would be worth a million US dollars, wouldn't it? Confront him with this, then sit back and listen to the endless excuses as to why he doesn't want to win a million dollars. We've heard 'em all....!
We — the JREF — were not involved in the Australian tests about which you inquire, but I'm sure that you can find information on that matter by contacting the folks at www.skeptics.com.au. And go to http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/lifestyle/dows28.shtml for the opinion of the USGS.Andrew: In doing your search, you might want to try the spelling "douse," which is often used. However, I can tell you that government agencies all over the world try to use dowsers, they think they get results, and then when we've tested their dowsers, they've always failed, without exception. Two of those we tested in the many tests we've done there in your area, were employed from time to time by the NSW [New South Wales, Australia] agencies.
After I sent this message to Andrew, he proposed to his friend the a/b/c/d/e offer I made above. The doubter answered that he refused to
. . . get a dowser to apply for the Challenge, because he says that people with "real" abilities won't be interested in a million dollars (which I've also seen on your Commentaries page). I wouldn't understand, he said, because it's a "mindset thing" and I don't have the right mindset.
Yes, that mindset is — simply put — that he's thoroughly aware the abilities are bogus and he won't allow his cherished delusions to be shown to be wrong. He's living in a fantasy. I'm sure that he also tosses salt over his shoulder and won't walk under a ladder; that's SOP for the naïve — and for the terminally stupid.
If this discussion continues, we'll keep you apprised of the correspondence.
Synchronicity again...! Following my recent mention of Richard Feynman on this page, Ian Macmillan wrote to remind me that a recent drive to have a US postage stamp dedicated to Dick, was unsuccessful. Now we have another opportunity to get this done. Please do this: click in on www.fotuva.org/feynman/rpf_stamp.html and follow the instructions. It requires actually writing a letter on paper — remember that? — and it might result in having Dick honored as he should be. I can assure you that the JREF would invest in a huge number of Feynman stamps, forgoing the use of our postal meter for some period of time, if that stamp were to be published. PLEASE consider doing this, folks. The guy behind this drive is Ralph Leighton, whose background you'll find at that web site.
I'll tell you once again, if you're not subscribed to Bob Park's "What's New" page, drop everything and send a blank message to join-whatsnew@lists.apsmsgs.org to get on there — free. Bob is just so refreshing and to-the-point, and so dedicated to real news, that he should be read by everyone who has any interest in what's really going on in Washington from the science point of view. Subscribe, and you'll be a better-informed person.
From Mother Earth News, reader Brett Campbell of St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada, sends us a bizarre ad touting yet another kind of water that is claimed to cure everything from hangnail to hiccups. The ad asks: "Is This the Answer to Cancer?" and tells us, in part, the terrifying news that:
Fifty years ago the hydrogen bond angle in water was 108 degrees and you rarely heard of anyone with cancer. Today, it's only 104 degrees and, as a result, cancer is an epidemic!! By using our machine you can increase the bond angle to 114 degrees and, unlike any other water, doctors can see an immediate change in the red blood cells under a microscope! It's truly amazing!!
(Wait. Indulge me on another matter. Read that last long sentence again. What sort of water can "see" things through a microscope? And what kind of water are doctors? Forgive me. I'm one of those crazies who pronounces "007" as "zero zero seven" because "oh" is not a digit. I pronounce the route a postman takes, as "root" because it is not the fleeing of an army — a "rowt." And I don't use "willy-nilly" to signify "any old way" because it really means "willing or not." I'm annoyed by interviewees who can't ever say, "Yes," but use "Absolutely," even when they're not at all sure. NBC-TV TODAY Show guests — as well as those on other similar shows — always begin every answer with the useless word, "Well…," and that makes me nuts, too. Why? Because verbal communication is one of our most potent weapons against ignorance; to disregard proper grammar, usage, punctuation, and spelling, puts that tool in jeopardy. End of tirade, back to business...)
What follows in this gobbledygook by the water-sellers is a 173-word ramble describing in detail the headquarters of the organization that's going to straighten out our water for us, then we get to the real motive, the nitty-gritty of the campaign, and another assault on reason, facts, and the English language:
God, in his infinite wisdom, uses a process of heating and cooling in an environmentally friendly fashion. Our machines [for preparing the special water] accentuate this heating and cooling because present day methods don't remove the disease markers from the toilet to faucet waste of billions of people on the planet! That's why the purest bottled water that hastens our demise and is sold even on religious programs, has an expiration date or put it into a hot tub and, without treatment, you will notice the horrible smell of disease markers from human waste!!! As a result of present day methods, God's wrath is upon us! One out of every two people will get cancer and 90% of all men will develop a swollen prostrate and suffer the possible consequences! How can we prove it's God's way??
This is followed by an incredible crackpot account of how the water-enhancement miracle is accomplished; it turns out to be heating and cooling the water...! It's 256 words of pure drivel, telling us that they're "using God-given proprietory [sic] secrets," and warning that
As in the past, the only people that God will allow to survive, so that mankind can survive, are those that [sic] have adhered to God's teachings and warned others of impending disaster.
One wonders if better grammar and/or spelling will also result from using this "proprietory secret." Brett comments:
You can then write for free information by sending a form to Crystal Clear in Westbrook, New York. It seems that the person who wrote that has serious mental issues, a fact which again makes me wonder why Mother Earth News would print it. Very sad and depressing indeed.
Need more? Listen to a toll-free recording at 1-800-433-9553, and hear some loony running on about all the evil he can avert if you'll only get involved in his delusions...
John W. Cooper, Greenbelt, Maryland, is dismayed, and for good reason.
OK, I just can't let go of this peculiar event, so I'll hand it over to you folks for a little humor and possibly some empathy.
All of this is probably quite mundane in the world of dowsing, I'm sure. But the time and place struck me as somewhat significant. You see, the large government organization I work at is none other than NASA, and the date was July 20th, which my father has fondly called "Moon Day" ever since 1969.
That's right — thirty-five years after transporting men safely to the Moon and back, we're still paying government dowsers to demonstrate their subconscious motor "skills" while surveying NASA property.
Please, please reassure us that this is just a spike in the noisy data of ignorance, and that science and technology continue to advance beyond superstition and folderol despite the peripheral dowsers, quacks, spoonies, etc.
Thanks a bundle for your efforts to teach people how to observe accurately and think rationally. I'm one of the many people you've helped through life — especially during my younger days, investigating and dispelling my own superstitions.
I'm an engineer for a large government organization. Last week as I was walking back from lunch with a physicist friend, he pointed out a guy about 50 feet away from us, who was using two long thin sticks to dowse for who-knows-what. The dowser, a fellow in construction pants and a plaid shirt (who, it happens, looked a bit like you, Mr. Randi) walked along slowly until the sticks turned away from each other, then he'd either bend over and spray paint a mark on the ground, or shake his head and continue dowsing. His coworkers were standing idly by with actual surveying equipment (tripods, laser rangers, and such), waiting, I guess, for the dowser to finish his important job.
John, municipal water agencies, telephone companies, government offices, and well-diggers still use and swear by professional dowsers. And they pay them handsomely for waving those sticks, even though they get random results; canceling any decision made by the boss is hard to do. Importantly, you should know that none — not one — of those professionals will take the JREF million-dollar challenge, for reasons we can only suspect. I'm not at all surprised that some official within NASA has decided that this is cutting-edge science, and has instructed minions to engage dowsers. After all, we live in a faith-based society, we're told...
I must point out, many dowsers claim on the Internet that NASA regularly employs them...
John ended his e-mail message with this note: "It is my firm belief that it is a mistake to hold firm beliefs."
I firmly believe that.
A reader has a few words about "hi-end" audio matters:
The first person who told me that people who claim supernatural powers never seem to be able to make them work in the presence of magicians, was an old friend named Paul Ierymenko. He worked for me designing and building various electronic products in the mid 70's. He is now the head of R&D at QSC Audio. They're one of the makers of the ABX Comparator. I remember talking with him, back then, about the differences between the sound quality of various audio devices, especially amplifiers. He maintained that any reasonable quality amplifier, operating within its specified limits, is acoustically indistinguishable from any other. Ditto for many other devices as well. He had nothing but contempt for the claims of manufacturers of high end speaker cables and other magical crap like the stuff described in your recent commentary.
This ABX Comparator is the ideal setup to test audio devices and systems. It generates a random "A or B" switching signal, so that the user does not know whether the item or variable being examined is in or out of the circuit, and it accepts the user's decisions and stores them. When the Moment of Truth arrives, the user sees the results of a proper double-blind test. This is a setup that the audio quacks strenuously avoid, in fear that their fakery will be exposed.
Today I sent out the following e-mail letter to eleven audio reviewers who showed up on the web pages of the Shakti Stones and P.W.B. Electronics, as endorsers of some audio nonsense mentioned here last week, and to both manufacturers of the devices as well. The letter explains itself:
As a reviewer for a major audio publication, I'm sure that you will find the following offer of great interest, both from the point of view of validating your expert judgment, and adding substantially to your net worth.
Please refer to www.randi.org/jr/073004an.html#3 and go to the item "THE JREF MILLION IS SURELY WON" to learn of the items — the "Shakti Stones" and P.W.B. Electronics' "Electret Foil" and "Red X Pen" — that I am referring to here. In my opinion — and I have none of your expertise, I freely admit — these are farcical in nature. Yet experts such as yourself have endorsed these products, and that support indicates that the JREF million-dollar prize should surely be offered, either to you personally, or to the manufacturers of these products — who have been similarly informed on this date.
If you require further information concerning details of this endeavor, please contact me at randi@randi.org and inquire. This is a valid offer, a serious offer, and a sincere offer. Should any of these products prove to work as advertised, the first person who is able to demonstrate the efficacy of any of them, will be the winner of the JREF prize as described in the rules and details to be found at the above references.
I await your response with great interest.My name is James Randi. I am the president of the James Randi Educational Foundation (address and contacts listed below) and I am an investigator of unusual claims. This Foundation has a prize of one million dollars that we offer, details of which are to be found at www.randi.org/research/index.html and www.randi.org/research/challenge.html.
The above e-mail message was sent to:
Frank Doris, at The Absolute Sound: frank.doris@fm-group.net
Clay Swartz, Clark Johnson, and David Robinson at Positive Feedback: cswartz@positive-feedback.com, cjohnsen@positive-feedback.com, and drobinson@positive-feedback.com
Larry Kaye, Wayne Donnelly, and Bill Brassington at fi: kaye@umbsky.cc.umb.edu, Waynewrite@aol.com, and bbrassington@planethifi.com
Bascom King at Audio: bhk@rain.org
Wes Phillips at SoundStage: wes@onhifi.com
Jim Merod at Jazz Times: jim@onsoundandmusic.com
Dick Olsher at Enjoy The Music: senioreditor@enjoythemusic.com
Peter and May Belt at "P.W.B. Electronics": webmaster@belt.demon.co.uk
Benjamin Piazza at "Shakti Innovations": info@shakti-innovations.com
Let's see what reaction is received — if any — to this clearly-outlined challenge. Remember, all we're doing here is asking the reviewers — the trained, experienced experts, the responsible endorsers of these products — to repeat their tests of the items, but this time under double-blind, secure, conditions. And we're making the same offer to the manufacturers, who we would expect to be even more sensitive and capable of performing such tests.
WE ARE OFFERING ONE MILLION DOLLARS IF THEY CAN DO WHAT THEY CLAIM THEY CAN DO, WHAT THEY DO PROFESSIONALLY, IN A FIELD WHERE THEY CLAIM EXPERTISE FAR BEYOND THAT OF MERE MORTALS. WE ASK FOR NO INVESTMENT FROM THEM, WE DO NOT CHARGE THEM FOR PARTICIPATING — AND WE STAND TO GAIN NOTHING BUT WE DO RISK THE LOSS OF THE MILLION DOLLARS PRIZE MONEY.
I am a mere mortal, unencumbered by academic degrees or claims of audio expertise. Show me, and win a million dollars...
(Sylvia Browne just called and offered refuge and professional evasion advice to all the above-listed.)
Go to www.bbspot.com/News/2004/07/feng_shui_motherboard.html and see a computer motherboard designed according to Feng Shui principles. Hilarious!
Reader David Syphers:
"Mrs. O [reading her horoscope]: You have green, scaly skin, and a soft yellow underbelly with a series of fin-like ridges running down your spine and tail. Although lizardlike in shape, you can grow anything up to thirty feet in length with huge teeth that can bite off great rocks and trees. You inhabit arid sub-tropical zones and you wear spectacles.
Mrs. Trepidatious: It's very good about the spectacles.
Mrs. O: It's amazing!I am rewatching Monty Python's Flying Circus episodes, and came across one that deals with horoscopes ("What the Stars Foretell," episode 37). Two women, "Mrs. O" wearing glasses, are amazed at the accuracy:
Reader and JREF Forum Member Patricio Elicer of Santiago, Chile, tells us:
As you might expect, the subject was also treated in the JREF forums. A forum member named "Wipeout" speculated on the "Oil Flare" possibility just 4 days after the footage was made public. He, along with Thomas Strunch and other forums members, did a fine investigative job about the case, and it's quite possible that other researchers had referenced their work to subsequently compose theirs. So, without much risk of being wrong, and this is my point, I'd say that Wipeout was indeed the first to come up with the said theory. You can view his first post on the matter here: www.randi.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&postid=1870458800#post1870458800
If the "Oil Flare" theory turns out to be correct (and there's every reason to think it is), it would be a triumph for Wipeout, but also a small triumph for the JREF, and a good reason to believe that the JREF Forums are serving the JREF mission. Don't you think?With regard to the "UFO Shot Down" section in your latest Commentary, I'd like to draw your attention to one point. The "Oil Flare" theory as a plausible explanation for the Mexican UFOs was first (as far as I know) stated and documented in the net by a Capt. Alejandro Franz, exactly 15 days after the footage was released to the media. After that, this theory rapidly spread out in related circles in the net. You can view his document here: www.virtuallystrange.net/ufo/updates/2004/may/m27-011.shtml.
Agreed, enthusiastically, Patricio!
THANK YOU NOTE FROM DOWN UNDER
Sandra Quincey, of Brisbane, Australia:
I work as a teacher aide in a high school here in Brisbane Queensland and my daughter is studying to be a high school teacher. We both come across an amazing number of people who believe in all sorts of weird crack pot ideas and products. The weeping statue of Mary at a church in Brisbane has been shown to have tiny needle holes drilled in so that scented oil could be injected; the results were published in our paper today. People had been flocking to the church and leaving lots of lovely money.
A few years ago a woman died here when she tried to become a "Breatharian" and only live on air. She was living in a caravan in a backyard of a once-practicing doctor and his wife or partner who was helping her to live only on air. She went without food and water for almost two weeks before collapsing and dying. The TV shows interviewed the leaders of the sect and they insisted, particularly the woman, that she sometimes drank a bit of tea but was able to live on air. Former workers at the sect said that they had seen her eating many times.
Unfortunately we have some stupid TV interviewers who give these people air time. I had to grit my teeth and walk past the "magnetic products" stand at my local shopping centre the other day. Your book could have been written recently — only the names of the dowsers and children reading with blindfolds etc. have changed, and of course your prize money has grown. I love reading your site each week.I was thrilled to come home from work the other week to find my daughter waiting with a gift behind her back. It was an autographed copy of your book "Flim Flam" and it was an early birthday present for me. My birthday is still another week away but I have had so much enjoyment from reading that book that I am glad she didn't wait.
Reader Chris Turner of Swindon, UK, tells us that we can get "Vortex healing" of musical instruments — and people — from Beliefnet by going to www.suzimorris.co.uk. A questioner asked the "experts" this:
Can you please describe the healing procedure for a guitar — step-by-step, if possible.
The answer followed:
Ok, but it is in nomenclature... If I am sitting, then instrument (guitar) is place on my legs or on the floor in front of me. I channel various forms of wizard thread, (depending on level this can be one thread type or many), from my navel out my hands and into the instrument. No the naked eye can not percieve [sic] this unless they are very psychicly [sic] gifted (for example I see auras plain as day, as well as some chakras, but I do not see the thread however I feel it physicaly [sic] leave my hands/fingers). I intend the thread to form "a structure that will fix and heal this guitar as much as possible as well as improve the musical sound it makes as much as possible" or some other simular [sic] thought. Then the structure is put in the instrument. After that, I perform a "full navel hook up" to the instrument, (while touching it lightly with my palms or not touching) where I ask Merlin (Mehindra) to fix it and repair it as much as possible while I concentrate on using Mauma. I ask Mauma to do a "full vortex healing on the instrument" and Mauma does. Two or 3 min. later, the instrument sounds as good or better than new (most often, but if it is litteraly [sic] junk, don't expect a miracle [sic] although they do happen...)
A full navel hook up is an energetic embilical [sic] cord of sorts that allows you to hook up to a person or thing and then act as a channel through which Merlin (Mehindra) and Mauma can work directly on the issue, ect. [sic] You can feel physical pressure in the navel when turning it on, as well as energy moving through it. 
Wizard thread comes from an "energy ball" that is in the navel of someone who has taken the advanced class. Other classes have other "balls" that are also given as gifts of power to all students. You can do structures for nearly anything, and some of them can give instant results for many situations.
That's about all I can stand for this week...
