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Randy
SFN Regular
USA
1990 Posts |
Posted - 05/06/2012 : 19:02:42 [Permalink]
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Skeptical zombies, eh?
How about James Van Praagh. |
"We are all connected; to each other biologically, to the earth chemically, to the rest of the universe atomically."
"So you're made of detritus [from exploded stars]. Get over it. Or better yet, celebrate it. After all, what nobler thought can one cherish than that the universe lives within us all?"
-Neil DeGrasse Tyson |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
 Posted - 05/07/2012 : 05:18:49 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Randy
Skeptical zombies, eh?
How about James Van Praagh.
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You got it, Randy! Yes, the hot-and-cold-reading "psychic" James Van Praagh is indeed the guy in the photo. Van Praagh is a slick-talking scammer who employs the tools of the legitimate stage mentalist entertainer while pretending to be able to communicate with the spirits of the dead. He plays upon the emotions and hopes of the grieving, a wholly loathsome thing to do.
In addition to cold reading (educated guessing) and hot reading (cheating), Van Praagh has skillfully utilized an even more effective technique: Video editing to distill hours of fumbling guesswork down to a few impressive hits for his television audiences.
I hope Kil (and maybe Robert Lancaster?) will have more to say about James Van Praagh. |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 05/07/2012 05:30:14 |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2012 : 07:35:08 [Permalink]
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The JREF has been targeting high profile psychics like James Van Praagh. Here's an article/blog from the Huffington Post written by JREF president D.J. Grothe about Van Praagh's unwillingness to accept the million dollar challenge. They sent him several letters Including the open letter, reprinted in the blog that the JREF published in order to smoke Van Praagh out, all of which to date he has failed to respond to:
What Is James Van Praagh Hiding From?
Of particular fun, included in the letter is this link to a TV show that can only be described as an embarrassingly epic failure on the part of Van Praagh in front of an Australian TV audience durring a spot to promote one of his books.
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Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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Do You Know This Face? (79)
