arthwollipot
Observer of Phenomena, Pronouns: he/him
Tonight, some of the RatCap team and I went to a free seminar with animal telepath Jodi Ruckley (http://www.ourplaceonearth.com/ warning - serious risk of brain leaking out of ears at that site). It was... enlightening.
She has spent recent years in France, sitting in fields communicating with cows. Yes, cows. Apparently they are very wise, and have a lot to teach us. Like, for example, the fact that they live in harmony with nature - and that we can learn this from them.
I asked whether the cows were aware that they have been domesticated for 14,000 years and have been living in human environments all this time. This question was, er... not answered to my satisfaction. She mentioned that she had been approached by a cow who offered her milk - which she politely refused because she is a vegan. She can also communicate with plants - apparently the tomato plants are able to tell her when their produce is ready, and they offer it up gladly. I mentioned that plants have been bred by humans to produce food, just like animals have been bred by humans to produce food. Her response?
"Oh, no, I don't believe that's true."
Yes, she is an animal husbandry denier.
What struck me most about the whole thing is that most of the people in the audience (apart from the four of us skeptics) lapped the whole thing up with nary a question. And they came with their children! The credulous teaching their offspring how to be credulous!
There was one point where she said that she had taken her dog, Wayne, to a naturopathic vet, who had diagnosed him with terminal cancer. He had about a week to live. She then took him to an "energy healer" - a shaman - who did... something... and when she took him back to the "vet" a week later the cancer was gone! She said "Oh, I don't even know what the shaman did." A member of the audience sitting in front of me said "Well, obviously it worked!" Not even a single shred of skepticism about the claim!
I was intending to ask her whether she could also speak with pets that had "passed to the other side". I didn't need to! Someone else asked her that. And her response? "Yes - in fact I find it easier." Double
There's more, but I suspect that more at this point would simply be redundant. Suffice to say that it was a real eye-opener. It's one thing to academically know that there are people alive today who for all intents and purposes live on a completely different planet. It's entirely another thing to have them sitting there in front of you, barefoot, explaining how she can communicate telepathically with animals and plants.
There were times that I so wanted to stand up and challenge her on some of her more utterly ridiculous claims. But I couldn't. It was like there was a puppy sitting there, looking up at me with those big brown eyes - and me with a steel-capped boot poised and ready. But I couldn't. I just couldn't kick that puppy.
There'll be a segment on an upcoming episode, and we'll be describing our experience of the seminar at the next Skeptics in the Pub, this Sunday.
She has spent recent years in France, sitting in fields communicating with cows. Yes, cows. Apparently they are very wise, and have a lot to teach us. Like, for example, the fact that they live in harmony with nature - and that we can learn this from them.
I asked whether the cows were aware that they have been domesticated for 14,000 years and have been living in human environments all this time. This question was, er... not answered to my satisfaction. She mentioned that she had been approached by a cow who offered her milk - which she politely refused because she is a vegan. She can also communicate with plants - apparently the tomato plants are able to tell her when their produce is ready, and they offer it up gladly. I mentioned that plants have been bred by humans to produce food, just like animals have been bred by humans to produce food. Her response?
"Oh, no, I don't believe that's true."
Yes, she is an animal husbandry denier.
What struck me most about the whole thing is that most of the people in the audience (apart from the four of us skeptics) lapped the whole thing up with nary a question. And they came with their children! The credulous teaching their offspring how to be credulous!
There was one point where she said that she had taken her dog, Wayne, to a naturopathic vet, who had diagnosed him with terminal cancer. He had about a week to live. She then took him to an "energy healer" - a shaman - who did... something... and when she took him back to the "vet" a week later the cancer was gone! She said "Oh, I don't even know what the shaman did." A member of the audience sitting in front of me said "Well, obviously it worked!" Not even a single shred of skepticism about the claim!
I was intending to ask her whether she could also speak with pets that had "passed to the other side". I didn't need to! Someone else asked her that. And her response? "Yes - in fact I find it easier." Double
There's more, but I suspect that more at this point would simply be redundant. Suffice to say that it was a real eye-opener. It's one thing to academically know that there are people alive today who for all intents and purposes live on a completely different planet. It's entirely another thing to have them sitting there in front of you, barefoot, explaining how she can communicate telepathically with animals and plants.
There were times that I so wanted to stand up and challenge her on some of her more utterly ridiculous claims. But I couldn't. It was like there was a puppy sitting there, looking up at me with those big brown eyes - and me with a steel-capped boot poised and ready. But I couldn't. I just couldn't kick that puppy.
There'll be a segment on an upcoming episode, and we'll be describing our experience of the seminar at the next Skeptics in the Pub, this Sunday.
And even though I know dogs can understand many words, I am reminded of an old Gary Larson cartoon:
