i think also something has to be said about 'cop out's. yes it is very convenient to have someone say, "well, you thought negatively anyway, of course it's not going to work". it does sound like a cop out as whatever happens, (IM successful = it worked, IM not successful = not doing IM properly), there's no way to prove it. but conversely, just because it's not prove-able doesn't automatically qualify it as a cop-out, i feel. it's just the way it is. it may be true that the IM was not done properly but it may also be true that the IM was not succesful. There's no way to prove it, that's the main gripe! so, in the end, we just have to try it, and if it works, great! if not, oh well, it made you positive anyway right?
haha not a very intellectual assessment but it sure is fun discussing the possibilities!