A 'typical' response...
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Education by itself is no paranormal prophylactic. Although belief in ESP decreased from 65 percent among high school graduates to 60 percent among college graduates, and belief in magnetic therapy dropped from 71 percent among high school graduates to 55 percent among college graduates, that still leaves more than half fully endorsing such claims! And for embracing alternative medicine, the percentages actually increase, from 89 percent for high school grads to 92 percent for college grads.
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It seems to be his belief that people are subscribing to the 'paranormal' or irrationality in their investigation of the systems he mentions. There are likely explanations within the grasp of future science that may validate a lot of what he dismisses offhand simply because of a lack of research in these areas. Leaning on 'science' as justification for dismissing outright things we don't yet understand or have a rigorous knowledge of betrays smallmindedness.
ESP :
Bem,D and C. Honorton 1994. Does psi exist ? Replicable evidence for an anomalous process of information transfer. Psychological Bulletin 115:4-18
Radin D and R.Nelson 1982. Collapse of the state vector and psycho-kinetic effect. Foundations of Physics 12:565-81
Mario Varvoglis. Nonlocality on a Human Scale : Psi and Consciousness Research. Toward a Science of Consciousness. First Tucson Discussions and Debates.
Magnetic Therapy :
James L,Oschman. What is Healing Energy ? Journal of Body Therapies.
Zimmerman J. 1985. New Technologies detect effects of Healing Hands. Brain/Mind Bulletin 10:2
Seto A Kusaka, C Nakazato, S Huangu, Sato T, 1992 Detection of extraordinary large biomagnetic field strength from human hand. Acupuncture and Electrotherapeutics Research International. 17 pages 75-94.
Trials on 'Energy Healing' and Crops - Serena Roney Ph.d (http://www.theecologist.org/archive_article.html?article=327&category=59)
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Take care and control.
Bricoleur.
---- This message was posted by bricoleur to the Virus 2002 board on Church of Virus BBS. <http://virus.lucifer.com/bbs/index.php?board=51;action=display;threadid=26308>
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