$1,000,000 Challenge

[Tricky]

Re: the filpside of the JREF challenge

There is a flipside that I think is an interesting perspective on the challenge, and that is to design a test for someone well known for claiming that supernatural ability does not exist. I wrote about this before in one of my own threads. Create a test wherein the subject would be hypnotised and connected to the realm of his own superconscious reality.

I don't think even hypnotists (at least not many of them) claim that one is connected to "the realm of his own superconscious reality" when under hypnosis. In fact, hypnosis is most often used to let people connect to their subconscious. To be superconscious, you would have to be more alert and aware of the world around you than usual. Relaxing and emptying your mind would be the exact opposite of what you would want to do to become "superconscious".

But perhaps I am misunderstanding what you mean by this. Could you explain more?

This way, even mr James Randi could be put to the test and discover that he is able to do things that he may not be able to when in a normal state of wake consciousness.

I don't believe there is a stipulation that a person must be conscious in order to win the prize. If a reincarnated Edgar Cayce showed up, I'm sure he would be allowed to put himself in a trance, as was his modus operandi, and attempt to diagnose an unknown ailment. All you have to do is state what paranormal thing you can do, then do it.

On a broader scale, given the talent of the subject medium (everyone has these abilities in one form and grade or another) it could be a strive to finally point out the person with the best abilities, unmatched by anyone. I think that such a person should be throned as paranormal king of the year.

LOL. Yes, everybody has the exact same abilities as a medium. So far, they are equally untapped. Some, however, are much better than others at convincing people they are tapping them.

 

[Aster]

To be superconscious, you would have to be more alert and aware of the world around you than usual. Relaxing and emptying your mind would be the exact opposite of what you would want to do to become "superconscious".

Superconscious to me is to be consciously aware within a larger scale of the brain frequencies.

Rgds.,
Aster.

 

[Polux]

For the challenge it doesn't really matter.

The claim is that you can get the information, saying you can get the information via ESP, supersonic-Psi or mediumship is the theory or explanation and the JREF makes it quite clear it isn't interested in that.

I agree: if mediumship is claimed, a result that can be only attributed to mediumship OR other kinds of ESP, does after all confirm a paranormal ability, which is a success.

However I like the question raised: what if we really want to determine whether the medium is communicating with a dead person - how can you tell? how do you set up the test?

In my opinion, it needs involvement of the dead person... naturally, before he/she dies
Let's say I write some message and cipher it with a password that I make up and I don't tell anybody. And I promise to tell it only when I'm dead and a medium contacts me.
The test continues after I die - hopefully not soon . A medium simply has to discover the message.

Of course there are a number of controls to apply. A computer should be set up specifically for these tests, with no chance for anybody to see its contents, and only accessible through a special software with a tight interface. There must be no way to crack the ciphering algorythm. It can store the messages from a great number of volunteers. The messages need not be secret... they're not needed actually; the system must be able to tell you whether the password entered matches the person you're contacting. The living volunteer may be required to prove once a year that he remembers his password (by showing that the system confirms the match). There must be certainty that the entering of a password can't be peeked, videotaped or registered in any other way.

I find only one problem: how can we tell that the volunteer has never told anybody his password. A medium might want to buy some

 

[Tricky]

In my opinion, it needs involvement of the dead person... naturally, before he/she dies
Let's say I write some message and cipher it with a password that I make up and I don't tell anybody. And I promise to tell it only when I'm dead and a medium contacts me.
The test continues after I die - hopefully not soon . A medium simply has to discover the message.

Interesting, Pólux (and welcome to the forums).

This has actually been tried. Escape artist and spiritualist debunker Harry Houdini devised exactly such a message with his wife and agreed that whoever died first would try to contact the other with that message. After he died, his wife allowed many mediums (media?) to attempt to deliver the message, but none was successful. Ms. Houdini eventually declared that her husband was truly and completely dead.

 

[Navigator]

I think that such a person should be throned as paranormal king of the year.

*Thunk*

This is where science and charlatism part company.

imo

I am convinced that supernatural abilities are myth.

The unexplained is not.

It is like G_D....we have many myths which turn some on and turn others off.

But these are myth.

 

[Polux]

Interesting, Pólux (and welcome to the forums).

Thanks, and hi... we have met before in the previous incarnation of these forums, where I was known as Ger . Nice to meet you. This is my cartoonist pseudonym.
Did Elvis leave a message? Perhaps he's not yet "really dead" as Houdini!

 

[Navigator]

Internal Link = Answer To Anders W. Bonde

 

[Paul C. Anagnostopoulos]

Aster said:
Superconscious to me is to be consciously aware within a larger scale of the brain frequencies.

I do not have any idea what this means.

~~ Paul

 

[rppa]

Superconscious to me is to be consciously aware within a larger scale of the brain frequencies.

Rgds.,
Aster.

What are the "brain frequencies", in Hertz, and what does it mean to be "consciously aware within X Hz to Y Hz"?

 

[Aster]

Delta: 0-4 Hz. Theta:4-8Hz. Alpha: 8-12Hz. SMR: 12-16 Hz. Beta: 16-20Hz.

Rgds.,
Aster.

 

[Dancing David]

Uhm, err isn't that like deciding about the desitination of the car from the rpm?

Sorry I just don't see what brain frequencies have to do with determining consious contents.

 

[Moose]

Delta: 0-4 Hz. Theta:4-8Hz. Alpha: 8-12Hz. SMR: 12-16 Hz. Beta: 16-20Hz.

*looks innocent*

You sure they aren't just a little high, Aster?

 

[rppa]

Delta: 0-4 Hz. Theta:4-8Hz. Alpha: 8-12Hz. SMR: 12-16 Hz. Beta: 16-20Hz.

Rgds.,
Aster.

You answered only part of the question. What does it mean to be "consciously aware within a larger scale of the brain frequencies?"

For that matter, what does "a larger scale of the brain frequencies" mean?