Psychic Samurai applies for MDC...apparently...

[arthwollipot]

This all sounds to me like The Professor is just going to try and sneak a piece of stage magic past Randi and the JREF.

Good luck with that.

 

[steenkh]

Recording a voice of an entity that is NOT THERE, NOT VISIBLE (Unless someone or video takes a cool photo) Not present in this reality as we know it. Why wouldn't that be Paranormal?

How would you prove unambiguously - no judging involved - that this entity is not present in our reality?

The voice will not be coming from me .. at least not from my voice box. Not physically.

Have you previously tested yourself under conditions that might be similar to what the JREF may demand?

 

[rjh01]

I just read what the professor has said. He makes no claim that he will do anything paranormal. It is up to him to say what he can do that we can say is paranormal.

 

[Cuddles]

OK, this is mostly just a rehash of what others have said, but I'm going to try asking some specific questions that would go a long way to providing some understanding here, and that will have to be addressed before any test takes place anyway.

Recording a voice of an entity that is NOT THERE, NOT VISIBLE (Unless someone or video takes a cool photo)

So is it visible or not? The test will be videotaped. Are you saying that the spirit will appear on a video? If so, that may be a much easier claim to test than hearing voices.

Why wouldn't that be Paranormal?

As others have explained, the question is not "Why wouldn't it?", the question is "Why would it?". This is not a challenge to prove that something we don't understand can happen, it is a challenge to prove that something specific definitely does happen. How do you plan on proving that something paranormal has actually happened?

The voice will not be coming from me .. at least not from my voice box. Not physically.

So will the voice come from you or not? If it comes from your body, voice box or not, there are all the problems others have mentioned about speakers, microphones, vetriloquism and so on. How do you propose proving that the voice is produced by a spirit and not by you?

I will try to fine tune the event description

Why does it need fine tuning? Do you not already know what you will do and what will happen? It would seem odd to be publicisng this all over the internet but not acutally know what it is you are publicising.

One thing I do find trying is that many skeptics try to tell ME what spirits, entities, or whatever paranormal forms, are capable of doing.

Firstly, what makes you think you know so much more about spirits than anyone else here? You are hardly alone in claiming to communicate with invisible entities, and the claims rarely agree with each other. What is so special about your claim that distinguishes it from all the others?

Secondly, as others have explained, no-one has actually tried to tell you what spirits can do. What we have done is ask you what they can do. The test you seem to want is almost certainly not suitable for the challenge. If you can give us details on spirits and their abilities, we can come up with other potential tests that are more likely to be acceptable. For example, if they can see hidden things or read minds, that is very easy to test. If all they can do is talk, but not say anything that you don't already know, they would seem to be fairly ineffectual spirits, and would it would be pretty much impossible to prove that they exist at all.

I don't understand the envelope question. Can spirits see through paper?

You tell us. Many people claim they can. Or simply that they know everything. Or could read the mind of whoever put something inside the envelope. Or see the future when the envelope is opened. Or any number of other things. We can't help you come up with an acceptable test unless you actually tell us what you think your spirits can do.

I also have some questions regarding the test you have proposed:

1) How, exactly, do you propose recording the spirits? What equipment will be used? What format will the recordings be? Will any processing be required? If so, what, specifically? How will you listen to the recordings?

2) Will the voices be audible during the test, or will they only appear on recordings?

3) What will the voices say? Will there be specific words or phrases? Will they answer questions? Will you not know what they'll say until you hear it? Will there be coherent sentences or will there just be a jumble of words? How clear will the voices be? Will they need interpretation and judgement like most EVP, or will it be obvious to everyone, with no prompting, what they way?

4) Who will decide what the voices are saying? Will you listen to the recordings and tell everyone what they say? Will it be obvious to everyone present? Would you accept an impartial third party to process, listen to and interpret the voices? Can you think of a way to analyse the recordings that would be entirely objective? These last two points are particularly important, since the challenge must be objective, with no subjective judegment involved.

5) Can you define exactly what would count as a pass and what would count as failure?

6) Have you actually done this specific act before, or do you just believe it will work because of what you know about spirits and the time/location?

7) You have cited examples of similar things happening in different locations at different times. Why are you limited to this one place on one date, when apparently others could talk to spirits on demand? This is another very important point, since limiting a possible test to one date may mean the JREF is unable to test if no-one is available at that time. Given that there are only two months to go, it is almost certain that a test will not take this year since your application has not even been accepted yet, let alone had a protocol agreed.

8) Congratulations on the wedding and enjoy your honeymoon.

 

[Mojo]

Charlie Carlson is an Expert in the field. He is also on the Board of Directors for a Museum.

What museum?

In any case, I'm not sure that being on the board of a museum automatically makes someone an "academic". their status as an academic would depend on what they did in their day job rather than their mere presence on the board of a museum. For example, many of the directors of this museum (a random selection from the first page of a Google search for museum and "board of directors") would not appear to come under the definition of "academics".

He lectures extensively and is a consultant on more than one upcoming TV show soon to be on the History Channel I believe. (I might be wrong about the station)

Where does he lecture? To be considered an "academic", I suspect that he would need to be a lecturer at one or more universities or further education colleges. You really need to find someone who would fit that description.

 

[petre]

To illustrate some of the legwork that is yet required in your protocol negotiation, note that whatever setup is used will have to conclusively demonstrate that known sound technology is NOT behind the phenomenon.

http://www.woodynorris.com/Articles/USAToday2.htm

A summary for those uninterested in reading the entire article: Using a hypersonic sound projecting device, it is possible to project sound to a small concentrated area 100 yards away (or perhaps even further, the technology is over 5 years old already, and even in the article 100 yards is just an example given, not a limit). So therefore for your question "is sound coming from an unseen source paranormal?" the answer is: No. Any solid object is capable of turning this specially-tuned hypersonic sound into audible sound that will appear to originate at the solid object (which could be the recording device itself).

Perhaps you could enclose the Devil's Chair in a bubble impervious to hypersonic sound. That option may also be prohibitively expensive though.

As others have noted, there could be some quality to the sound produced from paranormal entities that would distinguish it from non-paranormal sound. If it were able to provide information that could not be gained in a non-paranormal way (identifying hidden contents, making predictions about future events like coin flips or dice rolls, etc) then it could be identified as paranormal sound.

 

[Azrael 5]

What museum?

In any case, I'm not sure that being on the board of a museum automatically makes someone an "academic". their status as an academic would depend on what they did in their day job rather than their mere presence on the board of a museum. For example, many of the directors of this museum (a random selection from the first page of a Google search for museum and "board of directors") would not appear to come under the definition of "academics".



Where does he lecture? To be considered an "academic", I suspect that he would need to be a lecturer at one or more universities or further education colleges. You really need to find someone who would fit that description.

Mojo a quick Google of Mr Carlson will reveal him to be a believer in parnaormal and author of books on "haunted Florida",therefore hardly independent academic.

 

[Cuddles]

Mojo a quick Google of Mr Carlson will reveal him to be a believer in parnaormal and author of books on "haunted Florida",therefore hardly independent academic.

In all fairness, the JREF never said anything about "independent". While it doesn't seem entirely clear how they define "academic", I don't think they would discount someone just because they believe in the paranormal, and I'm fairly sure they've accepted such in the past.

Far more important is whether The Professor has actually sent a signed statement from this, or any other, academic to the JREF. As I understand it, all he has said is that the knows some academics, but has not actually sent the statements as requested. Until he does so, he does not have a valid application. The same is true for his media presence, which he has yet to confirm has anything to do with this claim.

 

[Mojo]

Mojo a quick Google of Mr Carlson will reveal him to be a believer in parnaormal and author of books on "haunted Florida",therefore hardly independent academic.

It also reveals "Charlie Carlson's Museum of the Strange & Unusual, a mini-version of an old time tented circus sideshow".

In all fairness, the JREF never said anything about "independent". While it doesn't seem entirely clear how they define "academic", I don't think they would discount someone just because they believe in the paranormal, and I'm fairly sure they've accepted such in the past.

Far more important is whether The Professor has actually sent a signed statement from this, or any other, academic to the JREF. As I understand it, all he has said is that the knows some academics, but has not actually sent the statements as requested. Until he does so, he does not have a valid application. The same is true for his media presence, which he has yet to confirm has anything to do with this claim.

He says that Mr Carlson "has mailed his affidavit to the JREF". The question, though, is not whether or not Mr. Carlson is "independent" or "a believer in the paranormal", but whether he is an academic.

 

[Moochie]

So The Professor is a ventriloquist?

No, I believe he's going to channel Edgar Bergen.


M.

 

[petre]

Agreed. I expect wrt the challenge, an "academic" would be "someone who stands to lose credibility if this applicant they've supported ends up unable to demonstrate as agreed".

 

[Piggy]

Agreed. I expect wrt the challenge, an "academic" would be "someone who stands to lose credibility if this applicant they've supported ends up unable to demonstrate as agreed".

I would expect an "academic" to be someone who has a full-time teaching/research career at an accredited post-secondary educational institution (or emeritus).

 

[RemieV]

I would expect an "academic" to be someone who has a full-time teaching/research career at an accredited post-secondary educational institution (or emeritus).

The definition of an academic in the context of the Challenge is:

An individual previously unknown to the applicant who has a background in critical thinking and/or the scientific method.

 

[Piggy]

The definition of an academic in the context of the Challenge is:

An individual previously unknown to the applicant who has a background in critical thinking and/or the scientific method.

Thank you.

A mighty generous definition, I should say!

 

[Gord_in_Toronto]

No, I believe he's going to channel Edgar Bergen.


M.

So the Professor is Charlie McCarthy?

 

[Mojo]

The definition of an academic in the context of the Challenge is:

An individual previously unknown to the applicant who has a background in critical thinking and/or the scientific method.

Are you currently able to comment on whether Mr. Carlson fits the profile?

 

[RemieV]

Are you currently able to comment on whether Mr. Carlson fits the profile?

No. Under normal conditions, Mr. Carlson would not be considered an academic. Due to the time constraints as stipulated by the profile, we are willing to bend a little this once in the interest of actually running the test - should protocol negotiations work out favourably.

It's still too early to make a prediction on whether or not they will as I remain applicationless.

 

[TheDoLittle]

So the Professor is Charlie McCarthy?

...Mortimer Snerd.

 

[Piggy]

No. Under normal conditions, Mr. Carlson would not be considered an academic. Due to the time constraints as stipulated by the profile, we are willing to bend a little this once in the interest of actually running the test - should protocol negotiations work out favourably.

Well, I know my opinion doesn't mean a hill of beans, but boy, I wish you wouldn't.

All indications are that this is not an honest attempt at proving paranormal phenomena, but that it is instead a stunt, a performance, a willful hoax.

I may be wrong. But given what we've seen so far, it seems to me that bending the rules in this case is unwise.

 

[Chris H]

No. Under normal conditions, Mr. Carlson would not be considered an academic. Due to the time constraints as stipulated by the profile, we are willing to bend a little this once in the interest of actually running the test - should protocol negotiations work out favourably.

It's still too early to make a prediction on whether or not they will as I remain applicationless.

Remie,

Is it likely that the application will be forwarded to you at your present location? Otherwise, approximately when are you likely to be back at the JREF HQ to collect your mail? I believe that The Professor got married over the weekend, so I doubt he will be online anytime soon to make comment. I am, along with others here, interested in how his application is progressing though.

Cheers,

Chris