Herbert Preuss, Feng Shui Dowser

[KRAMER]

This claim came in during May of 2004, from Germany. The correspondence between myself and the applicant ended rather quickly, and after referring the applicant to GWUP for testing, I never heard from him again. The file was closed in May of 2005.

It has come to my attention that the applicant did apparently contact GWUP in Germany last year, but was unable to do much more than offer theories and hypothesis. An test protocol was never agreed upon, and the correspondence eventually died out.

Mr. Preuss has now resurfaced, and he has been advised that I will happily accept a new application.

Dear Mr. Randi,

I am the owner of a German engeneer office, that makes evironments measurings. My firm analyses the Background of Feng Shui and Dowsing.

In draft of my method I developed a measuring method to proof the effects you are looking for, thats means measuring in numbers and the numbers can be reproduced.

Off course I praticise dowsing, but I prefer the measuring method because its more excat than the dowsing root.

As I said I haven't a paranormal talent, but for practices dowsing you don't need a paranormal talent because dowsing is based on a physical phenomenon.

And I can show you fundamentals of this measuring method to locate this physical phenomenon.

-Herbert Preuss

 

[KRAMER]

Dear Mr. Preuss,

Thank you for your recent correspondence and JREF Paranormal Challenge application.

We are in receipt of your application. However, before it can be processed, we would need to know the following:

A- What, SPECIFICALLY, you claim to do as a demonstration of
your abilities?

B- Under what CIRCUMSTANCES?

C- With what degree of ACCURACY?

As stated clearly in the JREF literature, we are NOT interested in hypothesis or theories explaining WHY your powers work, how you came to possess them, or ANY claims of an anecdotal nature. No explanations, please. We simply request that you submit to us a brief, two-paragraph synopsis of what you will do as a demonstration of your “ability”.

Please refer to our website (www.randi.org) for the JREF ONE MILLION DOLLAR PARANORMAL CHALLENGE rules and specifics.

Also, if there is an email address through which we might reach you, it would certainly help to expedite matters.

 

[KRAMER]

Dear Mr. Kramer,

Thank you for your prompt reply.

To "A"...

I've developed a measuring method to locate the phenomenon of dowsing. The development is in the beginning and up to now I don't know every connects. But I can locate wather in the ground with out digging. An with out a dowsing root.

To "B"...

The phenomenon must be exist, but it exist very often in different intensity. But there are limits.

To "C"...

It's a measure method. I think there are only the usual flaw, because I have no comparable measuring.

In the appendix they are a example of the method. The first film called by name anamolie shows the measuring in the earth magnetic field to locate the local maximum. The measuring is in milligaus. Here for example the point is approximately 30 per cent over the normal strength.

The second film shows the content of the ground and what the earth field carries with it. Both films are in WMV format.

Yours,

Herbert Preuss

=======================================================

Dear Mr. Preuss,

Thank you for your answers to our questions, but I do not understand much of what you have said, and I do not think you have actually answered the questions.

As regards the two films you have sent as attachments in WAV format, we cannot accept them as evidence. We do, however, videotape preliminary tests so that no doubt can be left as to the results.

I think it best that you now contact our associates at GWUP in Germany. They are most qualified to negotiate an acceptable test protocol with you, and to test your claim under controlled conditions, as per the rules of the JREF Paranormal Challenge.

Your application has been processed and accepted. Now you must work toward a test protocol. Good Luck!


I received no response to this email, sent on May 5, 2004.

 

[KRAMER]

On Nov. 22 I received the following email from Dr. Martin Mahner at GWUP. The subsequent exhanges all took place within a few hours thereafter.

=============================================================

Hello Kramer,

Do you have a formal and accepted application of a Herbert Preuss from Germany? He claims that he was accepted by JREF on May 5, 2004.

Thanks for letting me know.

Best,
Martin Mahner

=========================================================

Hello Dr. Mahner,

Yes, that is correct. We accepted his claim on May 5, 2004, and we told him to contact GWUP, and then we never heard from him again. His file was CLOSED on May 6, 2005.

Please tell Mr. Preuss that he is free to submit a new Challenge application. However, right now, he is NOT an applicant. You may also want to advise him that if he does chose to apply again, he should not wait a year before contacting you.

JREF Challenge applications are closed if correspondence with the applicant stops.

-Kramer, JREF

============================================================

Hello Kramer,

Thanks. Actually, he did contact Amardeo Sarma, but we were unable to figure out what his exact claim is. He sent in a lot of "theory", but no testable claim. So I wonder for what specific claim he was accepted by you back then. As far as I know claimants have to submit a concise statement to you, not endless pages of "theory". In any case, his missing the one year period may be partly due to us. So I don´t want to be overly harsh with him...

Thanks, MM

============================================================

Hello Martin,

His claim rambled on about Feng Shui and Dowsing. He claims that it is NOT a paranormal talent. He offered films/videos of his successes, and when I asked him HOW he proposed to demonstrate his claim, he just rambled on some more, and offered no real answers. Then he disappeared.

I don't want to be harsh with him, either. However, I feel that he needs to be made to understand that his theories do not interest us. I think if we simply re-opened his file, he would simply resume his attempts to talk us into oblivion.

I think the best thing for us to do is to ask him to re-apply, while making absolutely certain that he now understands what he needs to do to make the process move forward quickly.

Tell him that his application has been closed because the 12-month period passed without any test protocol in sight.

I think that if he realizes now that he needs to follow the Challenge rules and stop trying to lecture us on WHY he thinks dowsing works, things may move more quickly for all of us, and GWUP may spend a lot less time on this claim.

I know how very busy you are, so perhaps this is the best way to proceed. He needs to re-apply, and he needs to stop talking and DEMONSTRATE his claim. He needs to understand that we do not care about anything but a demonstration. I don't think that this is harsh in any way.

What are your thoughts on this, sir?

-Kramer, JREF

=============================================================

Hello Kramer,

I agree. But I still wonder why he was accepted in the first place if he didn´t really say what exactly he can demonstrate. Or maybe I misunderstand your procedures: are acceptance as a claimant and acceptance for the test two different things?

Enlighten me!

Thanks, MM

============================================================

Hello Martin,

Yes, this is true. If the claim is truly a paranormal one, and if it is clear to us what the claim actually IS (as in this case, the claim was clearly DOWSING), we accept the application.

Then, we try to work together on a mutually acceptable protocol. In this case, it was clear to me that without being fluent in German, I would not get far in negotiations with Mr. Preuss. That is when I chose to point him in your direction, hoping that you would quickly be able to figure out whether or not a test would be possible. I knew it may not have been possible, based upon my brief correspondence with him, but to be completely fair to the applicant, I thought the best thing to do was to have someone deal with him in German.

I think that if we explain to him that THIS TIME he needs to work toward a test protocol or his application file will once again be closed, he may concentrate more seriously on what he actually must do in order for a test to take place. Do you agree?

-Kramer, JREF

 

[KRAMER]

Dear Mr. Kramer,

Above two years ago, I applied for your one million Dollar Challange - The Matter of Dowsing -

In March 2004 Mr. Kramer (Randi.org) has confirmed my Claim. In his mail Mr. Kramer gave me the adress of Mr. Sarma in Germany. After that I have contacted Mr. Sarma three times. At the end, three month and after a few mails later Mr. Sarma contacted me. But after a short contact, Mr. Sarma didn't contact me any more. At the moment I be waiting since 18 month for the test. But nothing happens. In this 18 month I have phoned, send a few faximile and a lot of emails, but Mr. Sarma didn't react.

And now my question to you: who can test my solution for your Challange?

I don't like the feel to wait any longer! How this will be going on?

Best regards,

Hubert Preuss

=========================================================

Hello Mr Preuss,

Your JREF Challenge application has expired. You must now submit a new one. Please do so at your earliest convenience, and address it to the JREF (to my personal attention). If you wish to see the application process move more quickly this time, we strongly suggest that you avoid any temptation to discuss your theories and hypothesis. This will only serve to stall the process.

In your original application of 2004, you neglected to address the issue of a test protocol. This requirement is clearly outlined in the Challenge rules on the application form. I described very clearly in my previous email to you (dated May 5, 2004) exactly what you needed to do next, but you chose to ignore my instructions. I then put you in touch with GWUP, but during your correspondence with them, you again chose to ignore the requirement for a test protocol, and chose instead to lecture them about your theories. You must now understand that your theories are of no interest to us whatsoever.

You must submit a test protocol proposal with your forthcoming Challenge application, according to the Challenge rules.

The only thing we are interested in is an actual demonstration of your claimed ability. If you submit another Challenge application that does not contain a claim letter which adheres to the Challenge rules, your application will be immediately rejected. So, if you wish to become a Challenge applicant, and if you wish to see your claim tested, tell us what you claim to be able to do, SPECIFICALLY, and then tell us HOW you propose to demonstrate it for us. Nothing more is required. The other points can be worked out between yourself and Dr. Mahner, if your application is accepted.

We look forward to receiving your properly executed JREF Challenge application, after which we will contact Dr. Martin Mahner at GWUP and request his assistance in working with you toward finalizing the preliminary test protocol. If the test protocol is mutually agree to between yourself and Dr. Mahner, a test date and location will be determined, and Mr. Randi will then sign your Challenge application and return it to you.

Only then will you have become an official JREF Paranormal Challenge applicant.

Have a nice day.

KRAMER, JREF Paranormal Claims Dept.

 

[KRAMER]

The New Application & Claim Letter

Dear Mr. Kramer,

Though I didn't believe that I have paranormal power, I apply for the Challange - The Matter of Dowsing - Cause I convinced that - The Matter of Dowsing - based on a chemical-physical phenomenon, which only not recognized right. This phenonenon can be measured.

That means I am able to predict in a controlled test, at which place the phenomenon exists. And in this test the phenomenon is artifical produced.

With more exacter devides than mine, it is possible to distinguish the phenomenon. It is intentional to me, that this measure is not a paranormal power.

But the question of the Matter can be solved. And when you know, for what you have to look for, itis easier to find the natural paranormal power and such things.

And now my question to you: is this enough for the Challange?

I think it's enough, because all discussions about the dowsing became an end.

For this reason I apply myself the One Million Dollar Challenge. And I hope that you accept my claim.

=========================================================

I have accepted this new application from Mr. Preuss and directed him once again to Martin Mahner at GWUP to see if an acceptable test protocol can be agreed to.

Dear Mr. Preuss,

Your application has been accepted. Please continue your protocol negotiations with Dr. Mahner at GWUP and keep me informed. Good Luck!

-kRAMER, JREF