Skepticism and the Paranormal
News and Recent Posts
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Wondering about what has been going on in the world when it comes to skepticism and claims of the paranormal? It seems like there is always something new going on - crop circles, bigfoot, psychics, astrologers, faith hearling, etc. Staying current on what is happening isn't easy, but here you have a handy index about all sorts of news stories dealing with paranormal claims and general skepticism. Included as well are reviews of recent books on these issues.
Only the initial part of a story is listed - to read the rest, you will have to click on the links. Stories are listed in reverse order, with the most recent news appearing first.
News on Skepticism and the Paranormal
-->Parents Consult Fools, Baby Dies
Adults who want to use wacky or nonsensical medical "treatments" on themselves should be free to do so - and why not? But when they...
Read more...Raelians Reverse Aging Process?
The Raelians are at it again, claiming another amazing scientific advance despite the fact that there is absolutely no evidence to back any of it...
Read more...Faith and Healing
There has been a lot in the news recently about the relationship between religion and health. Many believe that religious beliefs can lead to better...
Read more...Water Dowsing Nonsense
Quite a few people believe in the ability of "water witches" - individuals who posses the ability to detect the presence of water (or, sometimes,...
Read more...Rorschach Inkblot Test: No Good?
The inkblot tests developed by Swiss psychiatrist Hermann Rorschach are famous around the world - but do they deserve fame as a valid means for...
Read more...Tom Cruise: Super Psychic
Not only has he used scientology to cure his dyslexia, but Tom Cruise is also blessed with amazing psychic powers. That's right, he's able to...
Read more...Embracing Irrationality
Science purports to offer brute facts about the nature of our world; it does not always do so perfectly and it can often be sent...
Read more...Psychics vs. Catholics
Christianity has traditionally been opposed to all occult and paranormal practices - Tarot cards, astrology, and so forth. It isn't usual, however, for that opposition...
Read more...Raelian Clones a Hoax?
At the end of December, 2002, The Raelians announced that the first cloned human baby had been born. For some reason, though, no actual evidence...
Read more...Scientology Luring Firefighters Away from Medicine
In New York City, many of the firefighters who worked in the ruins of the World Trade Center sought relief and emotional counseling in a...
Read more...False Memory Syndrome
Most sensible psychologists and counselors will agree that "recovered memories" of alien abductions and the kinky experiments that occurred while on a spaceship are not...
Read more...Teacher Tells Girl that Jesus would Heal Her
One of the reasons why public schools are places where the separation of church and state should be especially well guarded is that teachers have...
Read more...Psychic Scams Profiled
There seems little doubt that psychics don't really have the supernatural and paranormal powers that they allege. At best, they are fooling themselves - and...
Read more...Herbal Remedies Questioned
On the internet you can find a lot of sites selling herbal remedies that are supposed to help you with just about any illness or...
Read more...Energy Department Ends Use of Lie Detectors
For far too long government employees have been forced to submit to questioning with a device that isn't even admissible in courts: the lie detector....
Read more...Parents Use Prayer, Not Medicine - Get Jail
Sadly, some people believe that prayer is a more effective way to fight illness than medicine. Although they have the right to subject themselves to...
Read more...Nazi Aliens in Germany
Believer insist that crop circles made in farmers' fields must come from aliens who are trying to communicate with us. If that is the case,...
Read more...Hands-on Healing, or a Con?
The British Association for the Advancement of Science has debating so-called "Alternative and Complimentary" medical treatments. Are they cons or do they deserve further scientific...
Read more...Psychics More Mainstream
Fortunetellers, astrologers, palm readers, and psychics of all sorts are becoming more mainstream, offering their services to the public more often and in a greater...
Read more...Dangers of Alternative Cancer Treatments
Cancer can be a very difficult disease to treat and survive - so difficult, in fact, that sometimes the success of conventional treatments is not...
Read more...Science Needs Religion?
Is science in need of religion? Absolutely, according to some - they argue that a totally amoral science isn't good, but a moral science needs...
Read more...Site Critical of NXIVM Can Remain Online
As reported earlier on this site, NXIVM Corp., also known as Executive Success Programs, sued the owner of a website because NXIVM was called a...
Read more...Global Warming and Confirmation Bias
This site has an explanation of the phenomenon known as "Confirmation Bias" - the selective use of evidence and arguments in order to support prior...
Read more...Infrasound Causing Strange and Religious Experiences
A source of many strange experiences may have been located - in sound. Frequencies lower than 20 Hertz are largely inaudible to humans, but in...
Read more...Psychiatry: No Better Than Astrology?
Psychiatric treatments have long played an important role in helping people with psychological problems - but are psychiatric labels and concepts no more than a ...
Read more...Ghost Professor at Swedish University
Lund University, one of the oldest educational institutions in Scandinavia, is creating a new post: professor of parapsychology, hypnology and clairvoyance. This isn't the first ...
Read more...Killer Christ Icon Removed
Can Christ kill? That seems to be the consensus among workers at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. There you can find an icon ...
Read more...The Will to Believe in UFOs
Book of the Day: Roswell: Inconvenient Facts and the Will to Believe, by Karl T. Pflock. So what really did happen in Roswell, New...
Read more...Mars to Blame for Mumbai Blasts
Most people probably imagine that Islamic militants caused the Mumbai bomb blasts that killed 52 people - but at least some astrologers are sure that...
Read more...False Memories at Seances
Those who attend seances sometimes report all sorts of strange things happening; this, in turn, can be used as evidence to validate belief in the...
Read more...Faith Cures Sick People, Not Doctors
Jesus taught that with faith, you could accomplish anything - few Christians today really take that seriously, though. They may rely upon faith in a...
Read more...Baby Dies Because of Religion
When religion interferes with good sense and basic reasoning, it is often the weakest and most innocent who suffer most and most quickly - including...
Read more...Autistic Boy Dies During Prayer Service
Although Jesus is portrayed as healing apparent mental problems by casting out demons, most people today have dispensed with the notion that demons are responsible...
Read more...Hospital Bans Atkins Diet
The Atkins diet has been hugely popular in recent years and many people swear that it is effective. Some scientific studies suggest that it may...
Read more...Transcendental Meditation: Too Expensive?
The lure of a quick buck is sometimes too powerful to resist - but giving in can have unintended consequences. That may be the lesson...
Read more...Time Twin Study Discredits Astrology
Originally tracked as part of a different medical study, data about a group of 2,000 people all born within minutes of each other demonstrates rather...
Read more...Healing Water or Health Hazard?
Dodgy treatments for difficult medical conditions have long been a staple of religious groups - when modern medicine fails to work or to work quickly...
Read more...Blind Priest Exorcises Demons - With Sex
Evidently, demons really don't like sex - that must be the case because a priest in South Africa reportedly tried to exorcise demons from young...
Read more...Atkins Diet: Dangerous Pseudoscience?
Some studies have suggested that the Atkins diet may be helpful, but Dr. Susan Jebb, of the Medical Research Council's Human Nutrition Research Centre in...
Read more...Skeptic Profile: Martin Gardner
Martin Gardner, now 88 years old, has been an important figure an writers for the skeptical movement for decades now. One of his earliest works,...
Read more...Japanese Team Hunts Yeti
Do you believe in the abominable snowman? Some people do - and a team of them from Japan is setting off to see if they...
Read more...Colloidal Silver
Were you looking for more information about Colloidal Silver? Once a common ingredient in a variety of alternative medical treatments, but primarily for killing bacteria,...
Read more...Benny Hinn Continues Crusade
Despite strong criticism from both Christians and nonbelievers. Benny Hinn's travelling crusades and daily television program keep moving along - to the tune of $100...
Read more...Teens Admit to Crop Circles
Recently in Fairfield County the largest crop circles ever to be seen in the United States appeared, leading to a rush of visitors and, of...
Read more...Crop Circles vs. Property Rights
Crop Circles are very popular among believers in the paranormal. Are they created by aliens? By beings from another dimension? No, they are fakes created...
Read more...Growth in Spiritualism
The belief system identified as spiritualism first developed in America during the 19th century. Today, it is making a real comeback - thanks largely to...
Read more...Extraordinary Events not so Extraordinary?
Book of the Day: What are the Odds? Chances of Extraordinary Events in Everyday Life We can see the use of statistics in a...
Read more...Sylvia Browne: Psychic Guru or Quack?
Sylvia Browne is one of the more popular and famous mediums in the United States. According to her, she can cure illness, speak to the...
Read more...Questioning Alien Abductions
Are there people out there who have been abducted by aliens? Well, quite a few people certainly think that they have - indeed, they are...
Read more...Wishful Thinking: What Does it Do?
Book of the Day: Healing Yourself with Wishful Thinking Can meditation really help you achieve optimum physical and psychological health? Can you really get...
Read more...Exorcist Calls for Crusade
Are the occult and paganism threatening the foundations of Western society? Well, that seems to be what Father Jim McManus thinks. One of the...
Read more...Powers of Prophecy and Fortunetelling
Book of the Day: Dreaming the Future Since the beginning of human history, people have wanted to learn about the future. Despite this common...
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