Why is James Randi so against anything Paranormal

a reply to: 808Funk

I presume past and present especially with YouTube the Paranormal doesn't look good but the guy seems like a tunnel visioned idiot who shouts down like some sort of gay like god....what is his problem especially with the 0.09% genuine people who have seen stuff.

huh?

Why is James Randi so against anything Paranormal

is he?


I see it as completely the opposite.


He is so for the paranormal that he is offering anyone a million dollars to convince the world using very strenuous guidelines to make sure its for real.

I think he's actually in search of paranormal activities to harness its uses for possible personal gain. Kind of like what Houdini did, hoping to find a legitimate psychic so he could communicate with his mom.

So why haven't any of our astro travelers who post over at the remote viewers thread take the million dollar challenge? Not that I don't believe in astral projection, its used while skinwalking and I know that's all for real.

originally posted by: Wide-Eyes
a reply to: 808Funk

Because He is a highly experienced warlock and wants to flush out people with the gift. Maybe...

This answer seriously deserves more stars and I believe is the correct answer!

I mean I get the whole expose the charlatans, and so that means he has found there is zero magic I am dubious...

a reply to: LesMisanthrope

Fair point but the JREF forum made my eyes bleed. I've never read so many pompous pricks talk down to people on any other forum I've visited in my 14 years of internetting.

Horrible forum.

originally posted by: InhaleExhale
He is so for the paranormal that he is offering anyone a million dollars to convince the world using very strenuous guidelines to make sure its for real.

Unfortunately, the strenuous guidelines he sets up are his alone, and he is the sole judge as to whether or not a particular case or subject qualifies. And he is the one who selects the cases to judge. And how motivated do you think he is to find a good case considering he doesn't even have the million dollars he says is the prize?

He also refuses to allow meta analysis of previous scientific studies. He's more interested in the theatrics of making fakers look like fools than scientifically investigating and possibly discovering something truly paranormal. That would be this guy:

Rupert Sheldrake, Ph.D.

originally posted by: abeverage

originally posted by: Wide-Eyes
a reply to: 808Funk

Because He is a highly experienced warlock and wants to flush out people with the gift. Maybe...

This answer seriously deserves more stars and I believe is the correct answer!

I mean I get the whole expose the charlatans, and so that means he has found there is zero magic I am dubious...

Lol,thank you. I meant it tongue in cheek to a certain extent but I don't doubt the possibility.

originally posted by: Tearman
Maybe because no one has ever been able to prove their psychic abilities are real? like ever. And yet countless numbers of fraudsters promote belief in such things. How can you not have a problem with this?

There are certainly frauds out there, but that has been going on forever. In the Bible, they're called "prophets." As for "proof," from what I understand things like psychic effects (for lack of a better term) are extremely rare, subtle and transient. Asking for somebody to prove it up in a lab would be like trying to catch a meteor in a bucket on your roof.

Besides, if you were a person who really did have special abilities such as the kind Randi is "testing" for, why would you go to him? Why get yourself banned from every casino on the planet? Why be subjected to all the scrutiny? A million bucks? If you really had the ability, you wouldn't need it and you might not even want it.

Speaking of casinos, ever see that movie The Cooler? I would be interested to find out what the owners really think about psychic abilities. I get the feeling they are convinced that those abilities are real enough to act accordingly.

originally posted by: Wide-Eyes

originally posted by: abeverage

originally posted by: Wide-Eyes
a reply to: 808Funk

Because He is a highly experienced warlock and wants to flush out people with the gift. Maybe...

This answer seriously deserves more stars and I believe is the correct answer!

I mean I get the whole expose the charlatans, and so that means he has found there is zero magic I am dubious...

Lol,thank you. I meant it tongue in cheek to a certain extent but I don't doubt the possibility.

It oddly makes sense..."There can be only one" great story in the making if anything I am sure Randi would agree as he used to love to be a huckster!

originally posted by: Blue Shift

originally posted by: InhaleExhale
He is so for the paranormal that he is offering anyone a million dollars to convince the world using very strenuous guidelines to make sure its for real.

Unfortunately, the strenuous guidelines he sets up are his alone, and he is the sole judge as to whether or not a particular case or subject qualifies. And he is the one who selects the cases to judge. And how motivated do you think he is to find a good case considering he doesn't even have the million dollars he says is the prize?

He also refuses to allow meta analysis of previous scientific studies. He's more interested in the theatrics of making fakers look like fools than scientifically investigating and possibly discovering something truly paranormal. That would be this guy:

Rupert Sheldrake, Ph.D.

That guy Rupert Sheldrake is known for being a bit of twat.

originally posted by: Blue Shift

originally posted by: Tearman
Maybe because no one has ever been able to prove their psychic abilities are real? like ever. And yet countless numbers of fraudsters promote belief in such things. How can you not have a problem with this?

There are certainly frauds out there, but that has been going on forever. In the Bible, they're called "prophets." As for "proof," from what I understand things like psychic effects (for lack of a better term) are extremely rare, subtle and transient. Asking for somebody to prove it up in a lab would be like trying to catch a meteor in a bucket on your roof.

Besides, if you were a person who really did have special abilities such as the kind Randi is "testing" for, why would you go to him? Why get yourself banned from every casino on the planet? Why be subjected to all the scrutiny? A million bucks? If you really had the ability, you wouldn't need it and you might not even want it.

Speaking of casinos, ever see that movie The Cooler? I would be interested to find out what the owners really think about psychic abilities. I get the feeling they are convinced that those abilities are real enough to act accordingly.

If I had these abilities I absolutely would try to prove it scientifically, because the gain to scientific knowledge would be extraordinary. We would have to relook at all of the laws of physics.

The reason these abilities are so fleeting that they can't be tested is to provide a convenient excuse as to why they have never been proven.

i heard the worse side of the million dollar trick.
lets say you DO have super powers. you walk in, want that million.
lets say you can fly.

(out of 7 billion chances, anything is actually quite possible.)

so you walk in to the offices, and fly. he makes a phone call, 'you got the million'
only the phone call was not to the bank, it was to the powers that be, and you are never to be seen again.

listen, there is nothing stopping someone with superpowers from going straight to the evening news, or multipler different newspapers. You think those guys are gonna phone the government before getting their hands on that world exclusive footage? Especially in this day and age, there would be no way anyone could stop it from spreading across the internet.

He's not AGAINST it. He's just tired of people pretending they can do things that they can't.

If you watch the Netflix documentary on the guy, you'll see that this aversion of his started when he saw how real people were being taken for a ride and were making actual life decisions based on upon the advise of fakes pretending to be something they are not. It pissed him off.

originally posted by: Tearman
The reason these abilities are so fleeting that they can't be tested is to provide a convenient excuse as to why they have never been proven.

Also not to do the proper testing.

originally posted by: 808Funk
I presume past and present especially with YouTube the Paranormal doesn't look good but the guy seems like a tunnel visioned idiot who shouts down like some sort of gay like god....what is his problem especially with the 0.09% genuine people who have seen stuff.

I think he's got a million dollars riding on it...

originally posted by: kelbtalfenek
I think he's got a million dollars riding on it...

He doesn't have a million of anything.

originally posted by: Dudemo5
He's not AGAINST it. He's just tired of people pretending they can do things that they can't.

If you watch the Netflix documentary on the guy, you'll see that this aversion of his started when he saw how real people were being taken for a ride and were making actual life decisions based on upon the advise of fakes pretending to be something they are not. It pissed him off.

between watching that and reading 'the faith healers', i'm pretty sure his heart's in a good place. he only tests people who show up and ask for it. he only goes after people he feels are ripping others off.