...At The James Randi Educational Foundation

[Anonymous]

I'm an open minded skeptic. And I sometimes experience precognition/remote viewing of events, mainly applicable to my own life. I can't provide a mundane explanation yet so I sometimes participate on the JREF skeptic forum. One of the skeptics started a thread about my rv abilities and in my opening response I provided an example by predicting the location of a terrorist attack which, sadly, actualy occured later that day. You'll see my opening post, which predicts the name of the location, is second post in the following thread. Psironic? Or Coincidence?

http://www.randi.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?threadid=23702&highlight=ladybrook

 

[Anonymous]

.... the confirmation of the 'ladybrook' location in the BBC news appears on page 2 of the thread.

 

[Anonymous]

.... the confirmation of the 'ladybrook' location in the BBC news appears on page 2 of the thread.

Ughh... rather you than me, Lucianarchy - posters in this forum seems very smug, rude and self gratifying (as you may expect of 'sceptics'). Many probably had issues in the potty training department when toddling.

Why would you subject yourself to flaming and nastiness like that?

Even if you saw what colour underpants Handy-Bendy-Randi was wearing and whether they were button up or y-fronts, they still would not believe in you.

The word entrenched springs to mind.

Stay fortean, dump the 'open minded skeptic' label, mate, lest you be tarred with the same brush.

All the best.

 

[Mighty_Emperor]

An open mnded sceptic with rv and precog abilities - do you not believe yourself sometimes? Sorry

Anyway from what you say about your RVing requiring cooperating sentient subjects it seems more like telepathy.

If you are interested we can certainly test this - someone here could hold a certain object in their hand at a specified time and you could try and get an idea of it. Up for a challenge? I'm sure we could get enough volunteers to give you a range of people (in case the person being viewed is important).

[edit: Also if you have any precognitive intuitions thrwo them in here and we'll keep track of them - just flag them rather than just adding the word to a post like the ladybrook one]

Emps

 

[Anonymous]

An open mnded sceptic with rv and precog abilities - do you not believe yourself sometimes? Sorry

Anyway from what you say about your RVing requiring cooperating sentient subjects it seems more like telepathy.

If you are interested we can certainly test this - someone here could hold a certain object in their hand at a specified time and you could try and get an idea of it. Up for a challenge? I'm sure we could get enough volunteers to give you a range of people (in case the person being viewed is important).

Emps

See how nice we are compared to those nasty skeptics, open minded or not.

Emps is my proof, nice one emps.

I thank you.

:grouphug:

Ooops - boss has arrived, back to looking busy!

 

[Anonymous]

An open mnded sceptic with rv and precog abilities - do you not believe yourself sometimes? Sorry


Emps

No problem. I am sceptical of the action which enables the so-called 'psychic' perception. It happens. Of that there is no doubt. I question what provides or enables it within me. I have worked with scientists through the Koestler Inst. in respect of 'tests'.

 

[Mighty_Emperor]

See how nice we are compared to those nasty skeptics, open minded or not.

Emps is my proof, nice one emps.

I thank you.

:grouphug:

LOL - why thank you but I avoid group hugs. What you can't see is the blue smiley grabbing the pink smileys ass and this seems to happen in nearly every group hug

Lucianarchy: I know it wouldn't match up to rigorous lab tests but it might be interesting and/or fun - or do you need to be in the vicinity of the person/location you are RVing?

Also could you change your avatar? I've been tested and cleared of being an epileptic but it is still making me queasy

Emps

 

[Anonymous]

Lucianarchy: I know it wouldn't match up to rigorous lab tests but it might be interesting and/or fun - or do you need to be in the vicinity of the person/location you are RVing?

Emps

I don't claim to be able to do what you want. I never have. As often with many things 'Fortean', the 'psi' effect does not appear at will. It is, by its nature of being, a vary tantalising entity, often expressed in ironic or synchronistic events. Like my example of 'ladybrook', and perhaps like the New York Lottery drawing 9 1 1 on the first anniversary of the attack on New york. I call it 'psirony'.

 

[Anonymous]

LOL - why thank you but I avoid group hugs. What you can't see is the blue smiley grabbing the pink smileys ass and this seems to happen in nearly every group hug

Lucianarchy: I know it wouldn't match up to rigorous lab tests but it might be interesting and/or fun - or do you need to be in the vicinity of the person/location you are RVing?

Also could you change your avatar? I've been tested and cleared of being an epileptic but it is still making me queasy

Emps

 

[Mighty_Emperor]

I don't claim to be able to do what you want. I never have. As often with many things 'Fortean', the 'psi' effect does not appear at will. It is, by its nature of being, a vary tantalising entity, often expressed in ironic or synchronistic events. Like my example of 'ladybrook', and perhaps like the New York Lottery drawing 9 1 1 on the first anniversary of the attack on New york. I call it 'psirony'.

Ahhhhhhhhh well - I got excited there (and was even making a mental list of interesting objects to use). Pity

I'd have probably gone for psarcasm

Emps

 

[Alexius4]

Randi's board huh? After the Iron Cross, are we?

Like the idea of a test run, though. Tell you what, if ever you feel able to give it a whirl, let us know, lay down the conditions and let's see what happens.

And don't worry - we are well up on the dreaded psi 'Shyness Factor' - but we also enjoy hunting the Snark when the chance arises

 

[Anonymous]

Ahhhhhhhhh well - I got excited there (and was even making a mental list of interesting objects to use). Pity

I'd have probably gone for psarcasm

Emps

You cynics are so predictable.

 

[Anonymous]

Randi's board huh? After the Iron Cross, are we?

Like the idea of a test run, though. Tell you what, if ever you feel able to give it a whirl, let us know, lay down the conditions and let's see what happens.

And don't worry - we are well up on the dreaded psi 'Shyness Factor' - but we also enjoy hunting the Snark when the chance arises

Put another log on the fire for me, Alexius.

Would you like to choose an image?

The tell me something about where you will keep it.

Do you meditate or anything?

 

[Alexius4]

Now then....Lucien. In a flat in the historic heart of Istanbul there is an orange carrier bag beneath a book cabinet on a wooden parquet floor. Inside that carrier bag is a red plastic folder within which are a collection of images - the image I have chosen is the upper most.

The image I chose was the first thing that came to mind as I read your post, and is one I dearly like.

Do I meditate? After a fashion

Anything else you would like me to do to assist you?

As a control, may I have 2 volunteers to receive a description of the image by pm?

 

[Alexius4]

Okey-dokey....well meaning, warm controls in place....

Now, remember Lucien - you are under absolutely no pressure to perform. We know about the ups and downs of this kind of game, so take your time, relax, and enjoy the warm, gin-scented waters of FTMB.

 

[Mighty_Emperor]

You can PM me as a control if you wish.

Emps

 

[Anonymous]

Okey-dokey....well meaning, warm controls in place....

OK. Well the first impression I got, as an exploration, was not a picture. It has the feeling of a bowl shaped, it has the characteristic of being black and shiny.

Just an immediate perception. I'll be taking a better look later.

Alexius, can you try and spend some time doing a little visualisation? Wold you be able to create your image in your mind and (using whatever method suits you) take it with you to your own perception of an infinite point in space-time, a multidimensional crossroads where all points meet. I know it sounds naff, but just go with it. When you get there, visualise me however you wish and give me the image.

 

[stu neville]

You can PM me as a control if you wish.

Emps

Me too .

Remember, Lucianarchy, no pressure. Just in your own time, and we genuinely are open-minded.

 

[Alexius4]

Nothing naff about it, Lucien - consider it done. I shall perform the visulisation you requested at about midnight your time tonight, and will repeat it from time to time.

No need to rush.

 

[Alexius4]

PS I would like to scan the image to the controls and of course ultimately here when all is done...I have a scanner but, have no idea how to do the business. Can someone pm me to guide me through it?

Ta!

 

[Alexius4]

Righty-ho....I'm going to try to scan the image to Emps this evening, so controls - pm Emps to learn how to have a ganders.

On the scoring system....I propose to use the system used during telepathy experiments during the 70s whereby the image received is graded according to the numner of points of correspondancy with the stimulus.

For example - if the stimulus were a piicy of Big Ben, a set of received impressions involving clock faces, towers, water and London would be considered a fair hit.

If anybody can suggest other criteria for assessment, do feel free

As I've never sent a detachment before, sending the image may take a while - so thanks for your patience and forebearance in advance.

 

[Alexius4]

After a great deal of trauma, the image is wafting across to Emps as we speak (Inshallah Te'ala)

 

[taras]

Bah, Randi's lot annoy me. They believe they're enlightened, but really they're as bad as the church was in the 14th century.

So we've discovered everything there is to know already, have we? We're the pinnacle of the human race?

No wonder it attracts mostly smug, self-interested cynics.

 

[Alexius4]

I took a look at their message board and was shocked by their immaturity and boorishness.

They really ought to clothe their minds with more taste - at the moment most of them seem to be swanning around saying 'Look at mt gorgeous Saville Row suit'' when they are wearing something crumpled from C&A.

 

[Anonymous]

Nothing naff about it, Lucien - consider it done. I shall perform the visulisation you requested at about midnight your time tonight, and will repeat it from time to time.

No need to rush.

OK, see you later.

 

[Mighty_Emperor]

OK sorry about the delay (I went to the pub in between) I got it fine, uploaded it and have PMed you the link.

Emps

 

[ArthurASCII]

Bah, Randi's lot annoy me. They believe they're enlightened, but really they're as bad as the church was in the 14th century.

So we've discovered everything there is to know already, have we? We're the pinnacle of the human race?

No wonder it attracts mostly smug, self-interested cynics.

IMHO Any fortean ought to have a healthy respect for James Randi, he's done a lot to expose bad science and charlatanism. Some folk seem to have a downer on him just because he's "burst their bubble".

There are many MBs devoted to blind acceptance. It doesn't hurt to find an MB that is the polar opposite.

Shame about the closed minds on the MB though, I think I'll stir things up a little over the next few weeks and see if there are any posters whose minds are still a little more open.

Good luck with your experiment, but don't let your enthusiasm or aspirations colour your judgement of the result - it's happened too many times before.

 

[taras]

I pointedly wasn't saying anything about Randi, but rather the people like those on that message board, who seem to think they are "doing his work" by simply refuting every single thing that comes along without considering all the arguments and possibilities.

 

[Anonymous]

At the risk of carping. Yes, Randi has exposed charlatans but he does it with the enthusiasm of a Zealot, and if presented with something that may actually put at risk his 'million dollar reward', the goal posts are subtley altered to make what could be a genuine phenomenon outside the box...

Also his philosophy of 'I can do that with stage magic so that's the only way it can be done' is irksome. Simply because he can reporduce it, doesn't make it the only way it can be done.

I have small time for his gastapo methods, and his chorus of brown shirted, brown nosed, catamites 'doing the Master's work'...

Sorry but he makes my teeth itch... such people throw the baby out with the bathwater everytime.

 

[Anonymous]

The other issue is that Randi himself has been accused of being a bit of a fraud.

Nothing wrong with exposing fraudsters - in fact, it is an interesting topic in itself.

I've a beef with people who transpose the word 'skeptic' with 'cynic' - a lot of scientists do this. Scientists have been responsible for committing some of the biggest and most spectacular frauds (and Randi has exposed some of these, too, bless him) and most heinous crimes in the pursuit of their holy grails and yet as a group seem to claim the moral high ground through some false sense of 'objectivity'. It's a pity that the tag 'healthy skeptic' seems to mean 'unhealthy closed minded-ness' all too often these days.

Good on ya, Mr. ASCII - I'll watch with great interest the open vs closed mind experiment.