CONNIE SONNE, Dowser

[Uncayimmy]

The claim was that she could perform the dowsing, not that she could perform the dowsing in case the entities chose to. If the claim were the latter, she'd won the MDC. So, from my point of view she was wrong about her ability as per the claim in question.

You're being pedantic, but that's your right. I'll join you. She performed her end of the contract flawlessly. She was not required to dowse the cards correctly - she was required to make an attempt should she deem the conditions suitable. The results of her attempts were to then be evaluated. She did not breach the contract in any way, shape or form.

So, why should she apologize for fulfilling a contract? Had she passed, would you expect the JREF to apologize?

 

[Sean84]

Has the video been uploaded anywhere yet? If not, any idea when?

 

[ravdin]

It would be too much work to find a case where this doesn't happen. So, while I won't say this always happens... it is not surprising that it did.

It's sad, but not surprising, that it's easier to conclude that she's been cheated (how, we'll never know) than to reassess what kind of abilities she may be lacking.

 

[Jeff Wagg]

The JREF is aware of this post by Connie Sonne. We're in various states of travel as we return from TAM, and we'll respond when we've carefully considered what Connie has said. We do have video of the test and the press conference following the event.

 

[erlando]

Hi out there...now I know why Banacheck was "the card handler". I have been cheated. I did find the right cards. And there is one more thing. At the stage, Banacheck said to me BEFORE he even looked in the envelope I had cut...and here is spade ace, the one you looked for!!!! I first hit me now about that ....but maybe you can see it yourself if someone get the video. I don`t care about the money, that wasn`t the reason why I came. So no matter what you think out there......I was CHEATED!!!!!

Connie

Ooooh, you came SO CLOSE! You actually had a great many hardcore skeptics' respect for not coming up with lame excuses for the test failure. Even though you made one in advance.

And then you went and pissed it all away.

So close! And yet so par for the course..

 

[laca]

Hi out there...now I know why Banacheck was "the card handler". I have been cheated. I did find the right cards. And there is one more thing. At the stage, Banacheck said to me BEFORE he even looked in the envelope I had cut...and here is spade ace, the one you looked for!!!! I first hit me now about that ....but maybe you can see it yourself if someone get the video. I don`t care about the money, that wasn`t the reason why I came. So no matter what you think out there......I was CHEATED!!!!!

Connie

Now that's graceful... Thanks Connie for proving my earlier point. You're no different from all the other seriously deluded people out there.

 

[laca]

Gzuzkrytz, you are right about both. I can and will demonstrate everything. I can and will ensure you, that Ì have been cheated. I allready have the evidences. Check my name out in first in september. I will get a website where I will put it ALL, also in english. AND all the evidences about Maddie. So you can THEN decide if I´m deluded or not!! I can only say now....most of you people out there are wrong, very wrong. My last words here on this site.

Connie

Looking forward to that. Although we do not have to wait until september to see that you're way beyond deluded. And yes, most of us people out there are very wrong. About many things. Not about you though.

 

[laca]

You're being pedantic, but that's your right. I'll join you. She performed her end of the contract flawlessly. She was not required to dowse the cards correctly - she was required to make an attempt should she deem the conditions suitable. The results of her attempts were to then be evaluated. She did not breach the contract in any way, shape or form.

So, why should she apologize for fulfilling a contract? Had she passed, would you expect the JREF to apologize?

I never accused her of breach of contract. She made a claim. She couldn't live up to that claim. She was wrong.

If I say I can fly and then it turns out I can't, doesn't that mean I was wrong?

 

[steenkh]

Hi out there...now I know why Banacheck was "the card handler". I have been cheated. I did find the right cards. And there is one more thing. At the stage, Banacheck said to me BEFORE he even looked in the envelope I had cut...and here is spade ace, the one you looked for!!!! I first hit me now about that ....but maybe you can see it yourself if someone get the video. I don`t care about the money, that wasn`t the reason why I came. So no matter what you think out there......I was CHEATED!!!!!

Well, I thought it would come to this: an undignified exit by a deeply deluded person.

You declined to make a self test of your claimed ability before the event, even though you were advised to do so. You could have been spared the embarrassment if you had tried.

Will you now try a self test afterwards to see if you really can do this trick that you attempted for the very first time in front of a big audience?

 

[rjh01]

If she earns money from her abilities she does not have then her income will go down. There are lots of blogs that have commented about her in the last 24 hours. All of them say she failed. From now on anyone googling her name will find that she failed. It would not be hard to find this thread even though the searcher may not have heard of JREF before.

 

[laca]

If she earns money from her abilities she does not have then her income will go down. There are lots of blogs that have commented about her in the last 24 hours. All of them say she failed. From now on anyone googling her name will find that she failed. It would not be hard to find this thread even though the searcher may not have heard of JREF before.

Good.

 

[Pixel42]

You declined to make a self test of your claimed ability before the event, even though you were advised to do so. You could have been spared the embarrassment if you had tried.

The problem of course is that such people think the self-testing they have done is equivalent to the sort of test JREF will do. Read her description of how she convinced her parents again:

I have tested all my abilities in different way with different witness many times. The first time ever, I told my parents of this, I convinced them like that: I wrote all the letters down on cardboards. Placed them in a horseshoeshape on the table with the backsid up. It was very thick cardboards, so I couldn`t see the letters at all. My dad mixed the cards and placed them on the table in front of me. His name is Viggo, and I spelled his name, by dowsing, without one missing letter ! He was convinced.

Now anyone who knows how the ideomotor effect works will be able to see problems with this test. Assuming this is an accurate recollection of what actually happened (and we all know how the memory can cheat) one possibility is that the cards she made herself were sufficiently different from each other to be distinguished upside down, those differences were stored in her brain, and her unconscious mind used that information to indicate the appropriate card via the ideomotor effect. I'm sure others here can think of other possibilities. But it's easy to see how someone who is already convinced of her abilities would not see the need to duplicate the JREF protocol exactly, not understanding that it is specifically designed to eliminate the many ways in which she could have inadvertantly fooled herself with her own self-testing.

 

[prewitt81]

Though the excuses and finger-pointing are typical of test failures, it's still sad. Her accusations will be easily refuted once video of the challenge is released.

 

[wardenclyffe]

lovenwlink wrote:

"It does seem like they should have had someone else handling the cards / envelopes, running the test and had Banachek standing to oversee the protocol. If nothing else just to avoid such claims of impropriety."

I agree with this and I agreed with it before Ms. Sonne made her ridiculous accusations against Banachek. We all trust him to perform honestly in a test like this, but he's still a magician by profession. I felt a little weird every time he had her confirm that an envelope was empty. Every time a magician asks me to confirm that an envelope is empty, I know that shenanigans will ensue. If Banachek had made the security guard do all the "handling" I would have felt more comfortable. It all could have been done under Banachek's supervision, but he wouldn't have been handling the cards.

I don't think there was anything wrong with the test as it stands, but I think in future tests, it might be wise to have the professional magician supervise, but be less "hands-on." One would think that this would take away the possibility of an accusation of cheating, but I'm sure they'll find another way to accuse.

Ward

 

[laca]

lovenwlink wrote:

"It does seem like they should have had someone else handling the cards / envelopes, running the test and had Banachek standing to oversee the protocol. If nothing else just to avoid such claims of impropriety."

I agree with this and I agreed with it before Ms. Sonne made her ridiculous accusations against Banachek. We all trust him to perform honestly in a test like this, but he's still a magician by profession. I felt a little weird every time he had her confirm that an envelope was empty. Every time a magician asks me to confirm that an envelope is empty, I know that shenanigans will ensue. If Banachek had made the security guard do all the "handling" I would have felt more comfortable. It all could have been done under Banachek's supervision, but he wouldn't have been handling the cards.

I don't think there was anything wrong with the test as it stands, but I think in future tests, it might be wise to have the professional magician supervise, but be less "hands-on." One would think that this would take away the possibility of an accusation of cheating, but I'm sure they'll find another way to accuse.

Ward

I'd say they asked Banachek to handle the cards exactly because of him being a "magician". That way more attention is drawn to mak sure he's not messing with the cards. If the security guard would have handled the cards there would have been less of that for sure. And who's to say the guy in uniform is not a disguised magician himself?

Anyway, the whole event was filmed from different angles. I'm fairly sure any mischief would be spotted in no time.

ETA: Not to mention that a professional illusionist/mentalist/whatever is perfect for making sure that the test subject is not messing with the cards.

 

[pakeha]

connie sonne

Hi, I'm new here.
While awaiting for my application for membership to approved I've read and reread this thread and the others on the subject of Connie Sonne.
And watching the livestreaming of the event at TAM7, along with at one point over 1,600 others.
If the lady feels cheated, let her follow the steps which correspond to that.
Connie Sonne was a Danish constable, if I've understood correctly, and so obviously knows what needs to be done in a case of cheating in this context.

 

[wardenclyffe]

I agree completely that the test was valid and the videotapes should prove that.

Of course, anyone could be a magician in disguise---and that's probably what Connie would have said had the security guy handled the cards. I'm just looking for ways (in a future test) to make such claims appear more and more ridiculous.

I believe Banachek SHOULD have been there in close proximity to watch for cheating. I just think if he was in a "look, but don't touch" position, he could have looked for cheating on the part of the applicant without running the risk of being accused of same.

I agree with you that "a professional illusionist/mentalist/whatever is perfect for making sure that the test subject is not messing with the cards." I just believe that that illusionist can perform that duty without messing with the cards him or herself.

Again, the test is valid. She failed with flying colors. I'm not calling for a do-over. I'm not questioning JREF's motives or methods. I can only account for my personal feeling when Banachek would hold a large envelope open for Ms. Sonne to confirm there was nothing in it. It seemed like he was about to pull a rabbit out of the envelope. He didn't, and I don't believe pulled any other switcheroos, but if anyone could.......

I wasn't going to say anything at all because I was afraid that it would seem like an attack on Banachek or JREF. When lovenwlink posted his/her comment, I figured I wasn't completely alone. I think it's worth considering the next time around.

He should have been there. He should have been in close, making sure no one was trying to pull anything.

I've tried to find every way to say this while still making sure that it's clear that I believe everything was on the up and up. I probably failed.

Ward

 

[laca]

Hi, I'm new here.
While awaiting for my application for membership to approved I've read and reread this thread and the others on the subject of Connie Sonne.
And watching the livestreaming of the event at TAM7, along with at one point over 1,600 others.
If the lady feels cheated, let her follow the steps which correspond to that.
Connie Sonne was a Danish constable, if I've understood correctly, and so obviously knows what needs to be done in a case of cheating in this context.

Welcome to the forum.

By all means, she should go ahead with the proceedings if she feels she has been cheated. I don't remember anyone suggesting that she don't. My prediction is that she won't, because that would prove her definitely wrong. And to a deluded person that is like taking away their air.

 

[fromdownunder]

So, Ms Sonne knows she was cheated. The obvious thing to do is take JREF to Court and sue for the $1M and provide the evidence - but instead, she will wait until September and post her accusations on tha intratubes?

I think we all know why she chose the latter action, rather than attempting to clear her good name in a court of law, unless she also suspects that the USA justice system is in league with James Randi?

Ms Sonne, your attitude is surely pathetic and a gut reaction to your failure to do what you claimed to be able to do. Go home, think about this for a while, and then reconsider the idea of making yourself even more of a laughing stock than your post-test posts on this forum made you look.

You may at least attempt to maintain the little respect of others, and dignity that you have left.

Norm

 

[pakeha]

Welcome to the forum.

By all means, she should go ahead with the proceedings if she feels she has been cheated. I don't remember anyone suggesting that she don't. My prediction is that she won't, because that would prove her definitely wrong. And to a deluded person that is like taking away their air.

Thanks for the welcome, laca.
Obviously no-one here has suggested the lady desist from the appropriate action and I'm very sorry if my post implied such a thing.
I'd be willing to bet CS never goes near a legal action, which is a shame. Since the venue was Nevada, I'd love to watch a trial where a "dowser" tried to prove that a 'magician' cheated her of her opportunity to win a million dollars before a jury of 12 Nevadans.