We’ve already covered the hilarious/hapless progress of the UK “Most Haunted” TV show – which we hear is due to be picked up by some brave channel here in the USA! – and the misadventures of Derek Acorah, their resident “psychic.” We knew there were some discovered tricks – see www.randi.org/jr/051404the.html#7 and other references – but now a major participant has blown the official whistle and shown us the insides of this mess.
Resident parapsychologist Dr. Ciaran O'Keeffe – who trained under Dr. Richard Wiseman, so he’s well prepared to keep his eyes open – joined the show in April 2004, and became suspicious of Acorah's actions on a shoot at Castle Leslie in Ireland, where a 17th-Century four-poster bed had been claimed to levitate. Dr. O’Keeffe recalls an amusing faux pas by Acorah:
As we walked into the bedroom, Derek touched the bed and came out with extremely accurate information… He insisted he got all the information just from touching the bed. But it was the wrong bed.
The production company claims that “mediums” like Acorah aren’t told where they’ll be filming, nor do they know any details about the locations. But Dr. O’Keeffe, certain that Acorah must have had prior knowledge, devised a plan to see if he could be trapped. He could. While on a shoot at a jail, the “psychic” described a long-dead South African jailer named Kreed Kafer, which was – unsensed by him – an anagram of “Derek Faker.” Says Dr. O’Keeffe:
I wrote the name down and asked another member of the crew to mention it to Derek before filming. I honestly didn't think Derek would take the bait. But during the filming he actually got “possessed” by my fictional character!
But Dr. O’Keeffe was only getting started. On another shoot he invented yet another fictional character, a highwayman named “Rik Eedles,” this being an anagram of “Derek Lies.” As expected, Acorah immediately sensed the presence of the departed soul of this fictional character, but not the anagram. The parapsychologist now says:
In my professional opinion we're not dealing with a genuine medium. When Derek is possessed he is doing it consciously – all we are seeing is showmanship and dramatics… I made up stories about Richard the Lionheart, a witch, and Richard's apparition appearing to walk through a wardrobe – the lion, the witch and the wardrobe!
Acorah, as expected, bought it all, failing to divine that Richard I reigned 500 years before Craigievar Castle – where he was “possessed” by Richard’s spirit – was even built. It appears that Acorah overcomes all such seeming difficulties with ease.
In a three-night special presentation from Manchester last month, Most Haunted claimed to be broadcasting live from the site of a Victorian asylum, a place where host David Bull (!) told the rapt TV audience that thousands had died in torment. The show actually took place in the ruins of an old convalescent home, and no one had died that way at that location. Of course, Acorah moaned and carried on as asylum patients in extremis would have done, his finely-tuned psychic senses once more betraying him by tuning in on a fiction.
Interviewed after the exposure, Dr. O’Keeffe verified that he’d been correctly quoted by the media in all his statements. But Acorah has had little to say. He knows that the public will forget this affair, and he’ll still carry on with his silly pretensions – and he’ll be believed.
The Unsinkable Rubber Duck Syndrome is manifested once again….
My friend John Atkinson in the UK reminded me about the once very famous English “seer” Maurice Woodruff (1920-1985) some of whose memorabilia has now shown up for sale on eBay. As John says, this auction achieved the amazing feat of doing even less well than the Geller spoon did recently (www.randi.org/jr/200511/110405please.html#i7): zero bids…. Go to cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4772871637. I’ll add that a spoon that I bent – the same way Geller does it – is currently up on eBay cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5634457415.
Reader Robert Steven Billups sends us to www.peeringintodarkness.com, where an ominous pair holds forth in true Halloween style. Says Robert:
I'm not sure this fits into the realm of the paranormal, but I have been increasingly disturbed by a podcast known as Peering Into Darkness, hosted by Derek and Sharon Gilbert. It's a touchy area, as they are overt evangelical Christians, but their weekly broadcasts claim to shed light on Satan's work here on Earth. Typical of their guests is Russ Dizdar's recent 2-part interview in which he claims that demon possession is 100% real, and then goes on to say that it is caused by ritualistic Satanic abuse. Apparently, the Satanists are so prevalent that they infiltrated the churches and the government with “sleeper” agents who wait to take over the Earth. The CIA, in case you didn't know, regularly abducts children to be used by high-ranking governmental figures in satanic sexual rites. The guy was recounting all kinds of personal encounters with these demon-possessed agents who have attempted to kill him. Interestingly, he never mentions any specific names of people in his investigations.
In my own opinion this is far more dangerous than fraud psychics and what not, because it is shrouded in mainstream Christianity. And I have no doubt that these people are sincere in their beliefs – but man oh man. Just look at Derek's maniacal smile on the website.
Was wondering if you or any of your affiliated organizations had looked into these people? They are asking for money to fund their bandwidth, and therefore preying on the public.
Always enjoy hearing you speak, regardless of how much I would like to believe in ghosts.
Well, Robert, looking in on this site, I find that the proprietors are a bit short-sighted. For example, they ask:
Look, we can understand non-Christians calling this [demonology] bunk, but one of the main components of the ministry of Jesus and the apostles was casting out demons. Why do 21st century Christians act as though the Fallen kindly decided to go away and leave us alone after the first century?
I gave that my very close attention and analysis for about 4 seconds, and decided that perhaps – just perhaps – there aren’t any demons, there is no “casting out,” and Mr. Fallen was never there in the first place. I know that’s not as exciting as believing that little horned guys are rushing around inside you, but it seems a bit more in line with reality and sanity. No offense, of course!
After reading such stuff, I have to look at a calendar to see if we’ve left the 14th century behind…
Reader David F. Mayer has come up with a likely curriculum for a few of our centers of higher learning, particularly in Kansas, if the present trend toward the educational standards expressed above, should continue:
Freshman year:
*Numerology: Secrets of calculation by cabbalist masters
*Alchemy: How to turn lead into gold
Sophomore year:
*Demonology: How to tell if you are possessed and what to do about it
*Astrology: How to use astral charts to make important decisions
Junior year:
*Creationism: How the entire Universe was created in only six days
*Spiritualism: Ghosts, spirits, fairies & elves and how to communicate with them
Senior year:
*Conjuring: Magic spells and how to cast them
*Alternative medicine: How herbs and sea salt can cure all diseases
Statement by the chairman of the Kansas Board of Education:
We are working hard to bring our children back into the 10th century.
Statement by Mark Twain over 100 years ago:
God made the idiot for practice. Then he made the school board.
While we’re in Kansas, Toto, we see that the Board of Education tried to rewrite the definition of science, so that it is no longer limited to “the search for natural explanations of phenomena.” As reader Nick Alcanter observes:
Even the munchkins came to their senses after they realized their deity was just an old man hiding behind a curtain. I wonder if these folks ever will.
Maybe so, Nick. The entire Dover School Board was just fired. Hallelujah.
Reader S. Bennett reports:
I belong to a professional association and we have a little get together once a month to chat and catch up, etc. Last week was most illuminating when I learned that one in our group is a “psychic.” She was passing out flyers advertising an animal fair for a worthy cause. On the flyer, among the list of things to do, was PET PSYCHIC. Well I wasn't about to let this go.
"Pet psychic?" I queried. "Yes," she replied, "I can tell you what your dog is thinking and how he feels. You should come." "I don't have a dog," I said. Not to be thwarted from a possible sale, she retorted with, "I can talk to cats, too."
"I had a cat but it died. I have an Umbrella Cockatoo now," I said. Her: "You should still come. It will be fun." "What do the animals tell you?" "I ask the dogs how they're feeling, if they're happy, if their food is good, stuff like that." "If I bring my neighbor's dog, can you ask the dog its name and then tell me?
It was here the conversation went from mildly amusing to absurd.
"You could bring your parrot and perhaps I could (pause).... can your parrot talk?" she asked. "Yeah," I replied "so I guess I really don't need a pet psychic."
The person sitting next to me leaned over and whispered, "You do realize you're going to hell don't you?" To which I replied, "You wanna play, too?"
Reader Christian Schwietzke of Rodgau, Germany, followed up on the “blind” woman mentioned last week – see www.randi.org/jr/200511/110405please.html#i1. The incident caused a lot of comment in Germany, as well as a deluge of mail from believers who chortled that at last I’d have to hand over the JREF prize. We were saved from that disaster by the fact that Ms. Simon doesn’t seem to want the million dollars, despite the GWUP skeptics group in her country waiting patiently by the phone for her to call. How strange! First, I should mention that the name of the TV show is, more correctly expressed, “Wetten Dass?”…. Christian tells us:
The moderator of "Wetten Dass?" has appeared in a talk show where he responded to the criticism he has received for Ms. Simon’s appearance in his show. He seemed to be quite angry at having been criticized, but to his credit, he had actually tried to find out if the had, indeed, been cheated.
He and a TV crew visited Ms. Simon at her home, along with that town’s pastor as a "neutral" witness. A new blindfolding arrangement, consisting of two sets of blindfolds plus a canvas bag over the head, was tried out on the pastor, who reported that he couldn’t see a thing. Then the arrangement was applied to Ms. Simon, who then repeated her feat of identifying the color of a piece of a shirt (blue and white stripes, in this case). Interestingly – and that’s the one possibility for cheating that even I detected – she held the shirt in question close to her chest, to "use the blouse as a reference against which to test the shirt," she said. While doing so, at least the bag would not have blocked her vision. The moderator said that this (minus the bag and second blindfold) was the same procedure as used in the show. I didn’t watch that, so I can’t say if it’s true, but I guess it would be really dumb to lie about that after millions of people saw the show.
This second test was filmed, and shown in that talk show, to dispel all doubts about Ms. Simon’s abilities. I, for one, remain skeptical of all this. One possibility would be that the fabrics of different colors also are made of different materials or show some other distinguishing characteristics that can be recognized by touching them. And I’m sure you could find more if you could analyze the tape.
First, I would have suggested – had I been asked, and I did offer my assistance, but was ignored! – that a far simpler and more definitive method would be to simply have this performer handle a fabric below the table at which she was seated. No blindfolds, no bags, nothing but a wooden table-top between her and the fabric…. And of course I cringed when I heard that they’d called in a pastor as their infallible witness. Just think: this pastor couldn’t work Ms. Simon’s trick, so she must be the real thing? If they had a violinist there, handed the pastor a violin, and he couldn’t play it, would that mean that the playing of a violin is a religious miracle? Are there no scientists or magicians in Germany? I could provide a long list, if I really researched the problem. The German skeptics group, GWUP, waited by the phone for a call, but apparently they didn’t have the expertise that this pastor did…
Christian also mentioned that when he first heard of Ms. Simon’s appearance:
The first thing that popped into my mind was "Oh, no... not again!" You see, maybe fifteen or twenty years ago, there was a minor scandal when one candidate on that show, who claimed he could determine the color of crayons by tasting them, later admitted he had cheated; as I recall, he used pretty much the same technique you describe test subjects using in the final chapter of your book "Flim-Flam!" He also turned out to be a journalist of a German satirical magazine much like today’s “The Onion.” If I recall correctly, "Wetten Dass?" improved their methods of preventing cheating after that, but it seems that their vigilance has lessened quite a bit since then. I am quite sure that this scandal happened before the current moderator took over, so it may be that the people on the show who still remember that incident are no longer working there.
I am neither a legal or medical expert, but I remember from the time I worked in old-age care in 1996/97 that at least some of the people who were considered "blind" did have at least some vision, at least enough to distinguish light and darkness – that is why some blind people wear dark glasses, as bright light hurts their eyes. It is easy to get fooled about the visual acuity of blind or severely visually-impaired people, however, since they are frequently (out of necessity) extremely skilled at making up for their impairment with their other senses, especially hearing. One woman could identify me and my colleagues most of the time by hearing our steps climbing the stairs to her apartment!
I have just consulted with my mother, who is doing volunteer work with a local association of blind and severely visually-impaired; she says that the "Wetten Dass?" appearance has upset quite a few people. They pointed out in letters to the TV channel and TV magazines that this could not have been the real thing. The Marburger Bund, which is the main German association of blind people, has protested to the TV channel for taking this woman seriously; it seems they are quite angry at this fake. My mother has confirmed that people who are legally blind in Germany have, at most, only some ability to distinguish light and darkness – anyone who can do more, is, legally speaking, at most "severely visually impaired." She is going to check with the association she works with to find out more about this woman, and to find out what degree of visual impairment would be appropriate for one who can still discern colors; I will get back to you once I know more.
A reader identified simply as, “Vincenzo,” amplifies Christian’s description of the previous time that this same program was hornswoggled by the very same trick:
In 1988 an employee of the satirical German magazine “Titanic” claimed on "Wetten Dass?" that he could identify colors [of wax crayons] just by tasting them. He was blindfolded and indeed managed to correctly identify all colors. Then, at a later stage Titanic admitted that their employee was actually able to see through the blindfold.
I think that this was a little different, Vincenzo. I’ve seen the crayon-tasting-while-blindfolded trick done by kids in Japan, China, and Mexico. Periodically, the word gets around on how easy it is to do this stunt, and a small flurry of wonder-children – wunderkinder? – appears for a while. The trick consists of bringing a crayon up to the lips, which puts it in the perfect position for peeking down the side of the nose…. The preferred blindfold is a sleep-shade style, which is what Ms. Simon used.
But, I was taken to task by reader CN, who corrected me on one important point:
In your commentary you describe “Wetten Daß?” as both “most popular” and “prestigious.” The first may apply according to some ratings interpretations. As to “prestigious,” I think that is reaching a bit. It’s a very silly game/celebrity interview show.
I did not see the show in question. If they presented the woman's “talent” as some kind of magical power, this is just as reprehensible on a goofy game show as it would be if they were purporting to be an information program. The show is on a state channel – BBC type arrangement – and has lost in popularity since the advent of more private channels. Your idea of showing the “powers” for ratings doesn't hold, however, as the “bets” are not previously advertised. Being state television, compared to other channels and shows there is hardly any advertisement for the show at all. They can't reveal the “bet candidates” beforehand, since it would deter from one of the premises of the game. At the most, there could be some publicity for the show in the discussions afterwards.
“Ratings” can also be applied to the producers’ records, Catherine. Any executive in TV – director, producer, marketing chief, writer, designer – wants a good record of repeat viewers to fluff up his/her résumé, remember. And, I assure you, any magical, quack, or psychic claim featured on any show, will increase those ratings immediately. Why do I hear “Larry King” and “Montel Williams” in my ear…?
Surely we’ll be hearing from Frau Simon any moment, so I’m staying near my telephone!
At johnl.edschool.virginia.edu/blogs/spedpro/2005/10/31/dismay-over-syracuse-appointment-of-dean you’ll see an important notice from prominent scholars who agree with my evaluation of Dr. Douglas Biklen as outlined at www.randi.org/jr/080505potential.html#16. I’ll just quote two paragraphs from the account:
The American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, American Association on Mental Retardation, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Association for Behavior Analysis, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the New York State Department of Health have all gone on record advising against the use of FC [Facilitated Communication]. Furthermore, the Commission for Scientific Medicine and Mental Health has expressed its criticism of Professor Biklen’s appointment, with which we concur.
As researchers and members of the teacher education communities in special education, we are deeply concerned by the harm to individuals with disabilities, their families, therapists, and teachers resulting from the use of FC. The harm to which we refer includes the false hopes, false accusations of abuse, wasted learning opportunities, and mis-education of teachers fostered by FC and training in its use.
I expect that this in-depth criticism and definitive evaluation of this most unwise move by Syracuse University will be ignored by those inside those ivory walls, at the expense of yet more victims of this farcical procedure. Need I add that Biklen – or anyone else! – can win the JREF million dollars just by demonstrating that FC works…? Hurry up, Doug, Frau Simon might beat you to it!
Why am I not making any change of plans in anticipation of this fevered competition for the prize?
There has been a long-delayed apology from one of the accusers in the notorious McMartin Pre-School molestation case. I’ve referred to it at various times on our web page. An L.A. Times account by Kyle Zirpolo, as told to reporter Debbie Nathan, begins:
My mother divorced my father when I was two and she met my stepfather, who was a police officer in Manhattan Beach. They had five children after me. In addition, my stepfather has three older children. In the combined family, I'm the only one of the nine children he didn't father. I always remember wanting him to love me. I was always trying excessively hard to please him. I would do anything for him.
The complete Times article can be viewed at: www.latimes.com/travel/destinations/pacific/la-tm-mcmartin44oct30,0,285518.story?coll=la-home-magazine. It is apt to enrage and dismay you, and provides evidence of this weaknesses of the examination process that is so often carried out on witnesses by amateurs or dedicated zealots who are determined to get the story they want.
This child “lied” only under pressure from the “experts” who were questioning him. That’s the procedure: force the child to say what you want him/her to say. Why are those questioners not being prosecuted? BECAUSE NO ONE CARES. Well, some do, and they can be heard from at www.fmsfonline.org. On the strength of this story alone, I just sent them a donation. Please, if you’re as infuriated as I am at this gross miscarriage of justice and rationality, do the same.
Go to www.fmsfonline.org/fmsfmemb.html and assist this sterling group.
Reader J. Cooper is rightly angered:
This past week I had one of those encounters that left me very nearly catatonic with shock and dismay. I went to visit a buddy of mine who, for reasons I don't need to go into, is currently confined to the Memphis Mental Health Institute, a bona fide asylum. Incidentally, this is a state-run facility that actively and forcefully pushes xtianity on people and gives Bibles to each patient. As he's still functional and lucid, he asked me to bring him some books. I brought him two novels – "Choke" and "Fight Club" by Chuck Palahniuk, and three 'science' texts – Hawking's "A Brief History of Time," Shermer's "Why People Believe Weird Things," and Sagan's "The Demon-Haunted World." I was forced to leave these at the front desk with the attendants, as I could not take any items into the visiting room. I had my hour visit time and returned to the front desk to sign out before departing.
A word about the Palahniuk novels: His main characters, and many ancillary ones, are crazy. Not wacky or zany or boisterous crazy, I mean plain ol' psycho CRAZY. (I'm not much into euphemisms.)
"These two books are not allowed," said the desk attendant. I turned and looked down and saw... the Shermer and Sagan books!!!!!
"What's the problem with them?" I demanded.
"Books about... those subjects are not deemed appropriate."
"NOT APPROPRIATE!!!" I bellowed. "IT'S ABOUT SCIENCE!! How is science not appropriate??" I grabbed the Sagan book and it fell open to the "Dragon in my Garage" chapter, my absolute favorite section Sagan ever wrote. "This is about critical thinking and SCIENCE!!"
By this point the security guard had come over. "Sir, take it up with the case worker Monday. Until then, they aren't allowed. I'm telling you to leave now." And with that I felt a light but authoritative grip on my arm that told me that I was done with this conversation.
Thus I left. I was stung, bitter, and completely brainbroken. By the time I reached my car, my phone rang. It was my buddy, who was as incensed about the censorship as I was. What the staff told him, and I REALLY wish I were making this up, was that the books were about "devil worship" and that the xtian staff would not allow them in their presence.
Yes, really. Yes, I felt like crying too.
That two books about crazy people were admitted and two books about science and clear thinking, deemed "devil worship," were censored tells me all I need to know about the state of this union. And it makes me ill.
Reader Shawn Bishop:
Found this article for your general reading. Astronomers have now detected the light from the Universe's first generation of stars: www.newscientistspace.com/article.ns?id=dn8255, now having peered back as far as just a few hundred million years after the birth of everything known to exist. Gives one goosebumps to think of how close we are getting to t=0 of the Big Bang.
When I see news such as this, in addition to the goosebumps, I'm also left with a mixed sense of pity and disdain that there are so many people, such as those Young Earth advocates described in Shermer's latest E-skeptic, who, if they had their way, would drag all of us back to that bleak and dark chapter of humanity's ignorance we know as the Dark Ages. It must enrage them and the I.D'ers to read news such as this and my personal logical circuitry short circuits whenever I try to imagine a mind capable of decrying all that we now know of the world we occupy on this plane we call existence and choose to instead revel in favor of blind stupidity, superstition, and willful, deliberate ignorance.
Their minds are nothing more than fossils of superstition embedded in the rock of ignorance.
Reader Jay B. Spry observes:
It occurred to me many years ago that religion begins just beyond the frontier of science – that any phenomenon adequately explained by the scientific method is thereby removed from the domain of faith. We don't believe in the solar system on faith; we know it as fact. Even priests – now – accept it as such. Religion therefore represents the sum total of our ignorance, and God is the personification of that ignorance.
Intelligent design is not an explanation. It is an attempt to capitalize on our lack of total knowledge regarding evolution. The basic thesis is this: "The complexity of the universe cannot be explained except in terms of an Intelligent Designer..." The truth is, it has not yet been explained by science. Once again, an appeal to ignorance is proof of a matter of faith.
I agree, perhaps with slight differences. I’ve always thought that well before anything that could properly be called “science” existed, religion “evolved” – no pun intended! – as an effort to explain observed phenomena that lacked obvious causes. I suggest a few consolidating steps that might have taken place: First, a god responsible for thunder, another for rain, and yet another for lightning, could be logically melded into a single deity. Second, atmospheric, biological, celestial, and other large phenomenal categories could be corralled into the venue of a more-encompassing single deity. What followed was the further inclusion of creation, morality, and everything else into a single, all-powerful general-purpose entity. A useful corollary to this definition would be that this god is jealous, capricious, vengeful, fearsome, and generally grumpy and nasty, in order to explain everything from simple rashes to earthquakes and hurricanes.
Jay’s comment that now “even priests accept” certain facts, can be attributed to an official decree from The Head Office – not to any individual epiphanies. “Galileo was right,” and “Evolution does take place,” are examples of grudging admissions that have emerged as patches on the rapidly-deflating and sinking balloon of religion….
Jay adds:
Perhaps we could start an "Ignorant Design" movement to explain the multitude of cosmic screw-ups we see, eh?
To which I say, be sure to include the vermiform appendix, variola major, tobacco, bad comedians, and cholesterol, on that list…
Reader Mark S. Anthony, M.D., of Elmira, New York:
My wife is home, on bedrest, recovering from an illness. I was sitting with her when the "Montel Williams" show came on, with Sylvia Browne as his guest. One of the audience members was asking Sylvia about the voices she heard on her nursery monitor. Without skipping a beat, Sylvia blithely pronounced that the voices were from her "spirit guide." She then went on to say that the invention of nursery monitors has been very helpful in proving the existence of the paranormal! Even my wife, who is much less of a skeptic than I, had to laugh. We once lived in a housing development, and can attest to the fact that nursery monitors are a great way to make an informal survey of parenting techniques amongst one's neighbors. I am less convinced of their utility in receiving messages from the "spirit world."
I wonder how many times, since Marconi started his radio transmitter company in 1897, that people have thought that they were receiving messages "from beyond." You would think that, after over 100 years, most people would have figured out that if ghosts do exist, they probably do not possess radio transmitters.
We handled this back at www.randi.org/jr/042205modern.html#11, but Sylvia doesn’t read this page, I’m told…
Reader Robert C. Cox came upon a site that got him wondering. It was www.sciencedaily.com. Then he saw the section at www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Quirks&article=UPI-1-20051018-18061600-horoscopes-10-19.xml and sent them this inquiry:
I just recently found your site, still deciding whether it is worth my time or not. Leaning towards yes, but then today, I found horoscopes! I know it is under the "quirks" section, but how can a science site have horoscopes on it? Please assure me that this is a simple error and not something you do all the time. Or are tea leaves and knuckle bones next?
Okay. Curious, and always willing to be shown, I visited the Science Daily horoscope, and found this for my “sign”:
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You can meet people under strange circumstances. You tend to interpret them as fated, but you may be reading your own needs into a chance situation. Treat relationships more rationally, less superstitiously.
Analysis: The first statement is absolutely true. The second is 100% wrong. The third is impossible: I cannot be more rational, nor less superstitious than I already am. Bad score.
Reader Ian A. D'Souza, of Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, refers us to the University of Maryland Medical Center, Department of Complementary Medicine, at www.umm.edu/familymed/comp/index.html, where he found:
Here is their discussion of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, a little real medicine followed by a whole load of text on nonsense cures with not a word of their lack of efficacy, presented as a viable alternative to real medicine for those readers who don't know better. To give them the benefit of the doubt, perhaps they are counting on making use of the placebo effect to weed out people with only imagined pain: www.umm.edu/altmed/ConsConditions/CarpalTunnelSyndromecc.html
A combination of the following herbs in equal parts may decrease inflammation, provide some pain relief, and enhance healing. Cramp bark (Viburnum opulus) St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) Wild yam (Dioscorea villosa). These herbs are available as dried extracts (pills, capsules, or tablets), teas, or tinctures (alcohol extraction, unless otherwise noted). If you use the teas, add 1 heaping tsp. of herb to 1 cup of water and steep for 10 minutes (roots need 20 minutes). The recommended dose is 1 to 3 cups of tea per day or 30 drops of tincture three times per day.
To use homeopathy, they tell patients with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome:
An experienced homeopath can prescribe a regimen for treating CTS that is designed especially for you. Some of the most common acute remedies are listed below. An acute dose is three to five pellets of 12X to 30C every one to four hours until symptoms clear up. Apis mellifica for joints that are red, hot, or swollen Arnica montana, four times per day, for a bruised, beat-up feeling, soreness, achy muscles after trauma or overuse; this treatment may be especially effective if the gel or cream form is used topically. Guaiacum for CTS that is improved by the use of cold applications.
To use acupuncture for CTS:
According the National Institutes of Health, acupuncture may be useful in treating CTS. Studies suggest that acupuncture restores normal nerve function and can provide long-term relief of pain associated with CTS. Acupuncturists treat people with CTS based on an individualized assessment of the excesses and deficiencies of qi located in various meridians. In the case of CTS, acupuncturists will often target the liver, gallbladder, and kidney meridians.
And applying chiropractic to CTS:
CTS is commonly treated by chiropractors. The methods most chiropractors use to treat CTS include manipulation of the wrist, elbow, and upper spine, ultrasound therapy, and wrist supports. Two studies support the use of chiropractic treatment for CTS.
In the first study, 25 individuals diagnosed with CTS reported significant improvements in several measures of strength, range of motion, and pain after receiving chiropractic treatment. Most of these improvements were maintained for at least 6 months.
A second study compared the effects of chiropractic care with conservative medical care (wrist supports and ibuprofen) among 91 people with CTS. Both groups experienced significant improvement in nerve function, finger sensation, and comfort. The researchers concluded that chiropractic treatment and conservative medical care are equally effective for people with CTS.
Randi comments: Note that no double-blind provisions for these tests are mentioned, and in the end, the conclusion is that “chiropractic treatment and conservative medical care are equally effective”! And “Two studies support the use of chiropractic treatment for CTS.” Wow! Two whole studies! The NIH is left holding the bag on acupuncture – as they should be – and the homeopathic doses are outlined in Latin for glamour, but consist of ZERO dosages! What total nonsense! Can the University of Maryland Medical Center, Department of Complementary Medicine, be seriously recommending such quackery only because they make money from providing such useless flummery? Are they knowingly swindling their patients? I sincerely hope they’re simply ignorant.
We’re currently number 225 on an interesting list that ranks science-related websites according to the number of hits they get. Number 1 on the list is NASA with 60,000,000 points, not to anyone’s surprise, followed by NOAA as number 2 with 35,300,000 points – perhaps hurricanes elevated that ranking. The JREF site got 169,000 points. You’ll see it all at www.top100science.com. I figured that 225 was a pretty good position, then Tony Youens – who until this point was a welcome correspondent! – pointed out to us that www.blueletterbible.org/ – a Bible reference site – is at position number 44! What science there is in this site, I cannot fathom... I’d like to think that’s because the Bible is so unbelievable that people just have to go there to find out if some inane statement actually is in the book, but I admit that on occasion I live a rich fantasy life.
What interested me very much was the list of subjects that people were searching for when they were directed to the JREF page. In order from most sought-out to least, these are:
Critical thinking, Yuri, supernatural, amazing, magic, Cottingley, debunk, Nostradamus, lecture, conjuring, Geller, faith healer, Randi, fraud, paranormal, hoax, psychics, JREF, Sylvia Browne, cold reading, million dollar challenge, John Edward, Uri Geller, Van Praagh, Pigasus, dowsing, skeptic, flim flam, clock, weird things, and occult.
I’m sure that “clock” reference is for the Sylvia Browne clock on the opening page. I’ve omitted 12 references that were only wrongly-entered URLs. Three of the remaining 31 refer to Uri Geller, and 3 to other current “psychics.” Interesting indeed.
But the real shaker-upper is the list of four subjects that the Google system has looked up and associated in their “ad” section with our website: “Connect with Your Angels,” “Free Love Psychic Reading,” “Detailed Psychic Reading,” and “Free Psychic Reading.” That’s the Google computer trying to make commercial connections, of course…
Next week, we’ll have an account of our friend Dr. Luigi Garlaschelli’s dealings with weeping Madonna figures and other such assorted miracles in Italy, and items about other wonders that you can examine….
TAM4 registratios are just over 400, and U.S. astronaut Ed Lu has agreed to not only speak to the assembly, but also to be levitated for you folks….! Damn! Do we come through for you, or what?
