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Ah, James Randi, I love this guy I think he's great, I've seen him on numerous TV shows. There is another guy in India, a Guru Buster! Who goes around uncovering charlatans, I think this is valuable work. Revealing people who pray on the superstitions and beliefs of others.
Kind regards
Marcus
Namo Amitabha Buddha Namo Amitabha Buddha Namo Amitabha Buddha
On the other hand, one could argue that Randi is the one preying on the superstitions and beliefs of others!
The Randi Challenge is designed to do one thing -- debunk. That is what he does. I highly doubt that a guy with his attitude is going to attract anyone with genuine powers. Even if he did, would he allow those people to "beat" his test? I doubt it.
There is fundamental flaw in logic with such tests. The basic assumptions run so deep that most people can't even see them. One assumption is that the burdon of proof is on the people with paranormal powers. Another assumption is that no one can refuse a big wad of money.
A quote from "The Art of Chi Kung" is relevant:
A similar experiment was performed by a chi kung master in China some years ago for a team of American scientists who were investigating the working of chi. When the scientists asked the master to stop sending chi, the volunteers in the other room continued to move. The scientists asked the master to control the volunteers and stop their movements; but the master said he could not because their chi was still flowing and would continue to do so for some time.
The scientists therefore said that the exercise was fraudulent, as the experimenter had no objective control over his experiment. Since the volunteers' movements were caused by the master's chi, the scientists expected the master to be able to start and stop their movements at will.
Sifu's guidelines for research are also helpful:
This experiment illustrates a few important points which may be useful to researchers.
First, there was a communication gap: neither side was quite clear what the other wanted.
Secondly, it was unfair for the scientists to impose their terms on a situation where those terms would not be appropriate. Perhaps the scientists felt that their rigid scientific investigative methods were the best, and any experiments that could not be measured in their terms could not qualify as scientific or valid. What they did not realize, or refused to accept, was that these terms might not apply to chi kung, which uses a totally different paradigm - in the same way that if the Chinese were to use their principles of yin-yang and the five elemental processes as a yardstick, many routine scientific experiments might not `work'. It is reasonable to expect that someone who wants to know about chi kung, should at least listen to what a chi kung master has to say, and then test him on his terms of reference.
Thirdly, there was a conflict of attitudes. The scientists thought they were helping the chi kung master, providing him with an opportunity to elevate his art to the status of science. If they had been negative, they might have done everything they could to discredit the master, irrespective of the evidence. On the other hand, the master rightly felt that he was doing the foreigners a favour, sharing with them secret information which he would not even have told his neighbours. He would not care a hoot whether his art was labelled scientific or otherwise; after all, it had worked for him and other people for centuries.
Ah yes, perception is everything isn't it? One man's dream is another man's reality. You've no doubt heard the saying..."I'll believe it when I see it" or "Seeing is believing", haven't you? Well, recently, I came across a large wall poster with a beautiful white Unicorn pictured amidst a wonderful magical
fantasy background. The wise caption read..."Some things need to be believed to be seen"!
It is often, when something so "unbelieveable" is shown to those who are
very skeptic, they whilst may have seen the phenomenon, will always doubt what they have seen and will put it down to some sort of trickery.
Truly if you are going to see something so unbelieveable you should at least have level of belief to actually see.
I love that! I'm going to make it my thought for the day (and hopefully for many more days!)
I might even have made it my signature if I knew how to do that
I have always been (and still am) of the "I'll believe it when I see it" school of thought, although I have changed slightly now that I have seen some things!
I suppose I would class myself as an open-minded doubting thomas - a contradiction in terms yes, but what I mean is I believe certain things may be possible, but I don't accept them as facts until I see/experience them for myself.
Well you wouldn't have to give up the kebabs (and besides what sort of big Jessie eats them without chilli sauce ) - although Doner Kebabs in themselves are death on a stick. The Buddha wasn't a vegetarian (and off the top of my head died after eating some dodgy pork). Mind you being enlightened I doubt he went in for the old Doner (as I guess he never needed them as he probably didn't go for the ten pints to which the only known partial antidote is the kebab ).
Keep working on that blockage re chilli sauce
Mike
"If you realised how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought." Peace Pilgrim.
Have I eaten one whilst sober? I have eaten one when sober, I have also heated up remains of them and eaten them whilst sober (although the fact there were remains gives more weight to your big jessie argument) and I have eaten the remains of them cold!
This is known as the art of "Iron Stomach" and as with other arts the key is regular practice
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) - although Doner Kebabs in themselves are death on a stick. The Buddha wasn't a vegetarian (and off the top of my head died after eating some dodgy pork). Mind you being enlightened I doubt he went in for the old Doner (as I guess he never needed them as he probably didn't go for the ten pints to which the only known partial antidote is the kebab 
).
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