This is important

E

Ellimist

"Nothing of consequence."
Registered Senior Member
I, and others, would like to know why people who claim to have supernatural or special abilities, such as telepathy, remote viewing, telekinesis, speaking to the dead, and the like have NOT attempted to win the $1 million prize offered by James Randi.

http://randi.org/research/index.html

I have heard so many references to studies and the "evidence" that "proves" psi abilities exist. Come on, people. Prove it once and for all. Randi and his scientists have nothing to lose or gain. A corporation is putting forth the money. They neither support nor oppose the probability of psi abilities. All the claimant has to do is show through experiments performed by Randi's scientists that they have supernatural or "special" abilities they claimed to have.

It does not give them any merit to just appear on television and write books. This tells us nothing. It becomes nothing more than superstition and mere belief. Randi is giving the "special people" the opportunity for the world to know.

I would like to know. Tell me why they haven't taken up this offer, knowing full well that this offer exists. Sylvia Browne, the self-proclaimed medium said she would take up the offer, but never did.

What is going on here?
 
I'm going to warn you right now that the people who are about to argue with you do not believe in logic... or even thought. It may be best if you avoid drinking as you read the posts, as you will likely choke laughing.
 
Persol said:
I'm going to warn you right now that the people who are about to argue with you do not believe in logic... or even thought. It may be best if you avoid drinking as you read the posts, as you will likely choke laughing.
Click to expand...
You're on a roll....trying new beverages of the alcoholic kind perhaps?
 
The only responses I have ever heard when Randi's offer was mentioned to believers were those of "they don't need the money," "scientists are biased," "science is fake," "that ability doesn't work when you're watching"...

Unfortunately, those are things I truly have seen. I am hoping some of those are here. It will be quite amusing. Drinking will have to be kept at a minimum.

Where is everyone? Get out here! Support your strongly held beliefs.

I have this thing about one being unable to support ones beliefs kind of takes away from his/her merit. Much like my government class. I offer my opinion and observations of the american government, and then after class 3 or 4 people tell me they are mad at me because they disagree with me. Upon asking why they didn't respond in class, they said, "I don't know... You would have said I was wrong..."

Ha, fun.
 
sargentlard said:
You're on a roll....trying new beverages of the alcoholic kind perhaps?
Click to expand...
Ah, boom put me 'in the mood'. Must have been all the horse sex talk *shakes violently*
 
Ellimist said:
The only responses I have ever heard when Randi's offer was mentioned to believers were those of "they don't need the money," "scientists are biased," "science is fake," "that ability doesn't work when you're watching"...
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It's funny how many people use those... not even original:)
 
In the application it says: "In all cases, applicant will be required to perform the preliminary test either before an appointed representative, if distance and time dictate that need, or in a location where a member of the JREF staff can attend. This preliminary test is to determine if the applicant is likely to perform as promised during a formal test. To date, no applicant has passed the preliminary test, and this has eliminated the need for formal testing in those cases. There is no limit on the number of times an applicant may re-apply, but re-application can take place only after 12 months have elapsed since the preliminary test. "

So there you have it, nobody has passed the preliminary test.
I would love to apply because I would looove to have one million dollars! But I have found psychic abilities to be very unreliable and unpredictable and something that is very hard, impossible in my case, to control and perform on cue. And, I can't afford to go there anyway.
 
Yes said:
I have found psychic abilities to be very unreliable and unpredictable and something that is very hard, impossible in my case, to control and perform on cue.
Click to expand...

=

Ellimist said:
"that ability doesn't work when you're watching"
Click to expand...

HAHAHAHA!!! ::cough cough:: damn gin.

For the rest of you, whose abilities are reliable, I think the 1 mil+ dollars will more than enough cover your travel expenses.
 
For me, it's not even "that ability doesn't work when you're watching". I have no control over it whatsoever, it comes whenever I least expect it. So maybe it's in the nature of this ability to be unpredictable, for many.
And, it's not like the person who does the test gets a million dollars in advance. Only if you succeed you get the money. So if you're not living in the immediate Fort Lauderdale area, or are going there anyway, it's an economical risktaking if you're not 100% sure that you will pass the test.
Since I'm living on another continent....
 
If you cannot control it, then perhaps it isn't anything out of the ordinary.

That is reasonable.

Most abilities are only coincidences. Like the infamous, "When I picked up the phone to call my friend, she was calling me at that instant."

Well, what about the other thousands of times you picked up the phone? How many different people do you call? How often do you and she talk?

Critical thinking needs to be implemented in claims of supernatural abilities. Think about what you believe about yourself and come back.
 
My "supernatural" abilities involves clairvoyant dreams mostly. I'm also very critical, I often dismiss coincidents just as coincidents. Sometimes they can't be dismissed though and then one has to accept that something out of the ordinary happened.
I think psychic abilities have a similar function as inspiration, or any other feeling for that matter, for example. That can also be hard to produce on cue. So how do we prove feelings?
 
Merely because one cannot explain something does not give it psychic value or that it is out of the ordinary. That is how theists think. Well, I don't know how this works, so the gods must have done it.

I, too, have had "clairvoyant" dreams. Usually, you don't know they were clairvoyant until after the event actually happens... Then, it can be attributed to false deja vu.

There are many possible explanations for such subjective ideas such as psi abilities. They just need to be understood.
 
It is possible that the test is designed for failure. Like having two people tossing a ball back and forth to study gravity.
 
You do not seem to understand. If you claim to have an ability it must show itself some time. Having dreams which happen to come true is not an ability any more then luck. There are tons of people who claim they can move things with their minds, have ESP, can talk to dogs, whatever. All of these are obviosuly testable... and even if they don't work 100% of the time, that is what multiple trials and statistics are for.
 
Persol,
You do not seem to understand that the so-called esp thing may exist outside the parameters that you want to impose.
 
Part of the problem is that those who believe in the exsistence of the paranormal don't subscribe to a philosophy that involves logic or understand the value of the scientific method.
They can't appricate that most of the things they take for granted in the modern world were developed using the scientific method. (Not to say that these discoveries all ways work out for the best, but that's another discussion.) They are basically living in a fantasy world.
 
This looks interesting,

I would apply to do this test, I wouldn't accept the money though..

Right now I can't afford to fly to the USA, I am a poor student, but maybe in a years time. I can use the time to perfect the skill, it's not too reliable right now.
 
You can't afford to fly to the USA? Uh huh. You could just accept enough money to pay for your troubles.

What exactly do you think you can do?
 
I do not believe we have the level of technology to define what we precieve as the paranormal. We get hints about what it may be but defining it is beyond our capabilities. We have been able to document the work of some medical intuitives but how they do it is not known.
 
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