posted on Sep, 9 2010 @ 09:26 AM
Though I am in concurrence that many paranormal claims are chicanery, misbeliefs or efforts to earn money, I put very little faith (har har) in these
sorts of "rewards", because their intent is not to test anything, but rather to appear to provide proof of a negative merely by never being handed
out.
"There is obviously no such thing as ESP, or a psychic would collect the million bucks that James Randi is offering."
As stupid as this statement really is, that's what people are led to believe, and so it serves its purpose.
Why wouldn't the legitimate psychic fight against it by offering up a demonstration? Two reasons -- first, they don't have to, because people who
want to believe in this stuff will do so without such demonstrations, and secondly, they're aware that, because the whole of the skeptic's argument
is that no one HAS won the reward, no one ever WILL. Whatever test is contrived, whatever the analysis might be, and whatever the final judgement
might be will invariably lead to dismissal of the claim, because awarding it even once ends the whole argument.
As a result, the "real" psychic has nothing to gain, everything to lose, and he's effectively guaranteed to lose.