Why has no one claimed the one million dollars?

[Rob S]

Why has no one ever won the one million dollar prize from James Randi for successfully demonstrating a psychic ability? Apparently, this offer has been there for many years and not only has no one won, but very few make it past the preliminary test.

I am not attacking anyone, so please don't take this as criticism. I am posting this question here because the description for this forum category is the following:
"Psychic & Paranormal" :Psi skills, psychic energy, dreams, lucid dreaming, astral projection, paranormal phenomena, non-physical entities, extraterrestrials, channeling, mediumship, clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, claircognizance.

So obviously people who post here are believers and perhaps posses these skills. In Deepak Chopra's books he claims people in India can plant a seed, and through the power and concentration of their mind, make the plant grow instantly (within a few minutes). Can't these people use a million dollars?

Steve had a blog entry once on Telepathy http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/06/telepathy/ Can't Steve and Erin use the one million dollars?

This is not an attack on anyone. Especially Steve and Erin.

There has to be an explanation as to why no one is able to collect the money. I know some may say the tests to prove your abilities to win the money may be to difficult, but I believe if you have the skill you should be able to prove it regardless of the conditions (within limits). I have not seen anything on James Randi's site to indicate they make the tests impossible to pass.

So? Any ideas? Randi started this offer in 1964 and no one has taken a dime from him since.


See James Randi's website: James Randi Educational Foundation — Home Page

[The David]

In order to be considered 'scientifically proven', something has to be repeatable, and observable by multiple participants. I have had some paranormal experiences that you probably could not make me doubt (I have witnesses), but if I tried to explain them to you, it would sound really stupid. You don't know me, so to you I may just be a schizophrenic.

As far as psychic abilities: I'm not sure if they are real or not, but if they are, they aren't necessarily predictable, and cannot necessarily be performed under laboratory conditions.

I think Erin wrote an article on this, which would likely be better than this explanation.

[ahimel]

I'm also not certain they'd actually care about the million dollars.

[AndyMartin]

My opinion? Most people perform intuitive practices based on faith rather than a post-rational formalized approach. (That is, an evolved analog to the scientific method, but predicated on different epistemological and phenomenological models.) Lacking a reliable understanding of their abilities outside their practice and whatever metaphysical (is religious) explanation they espouse, they are unable to create a sound methodology for reliably testing them. Just because someone is intuitively gifted does not mean they have an evolved/-ing consciousness. Erin is really a gem in that sense.

Personally, I look forward to a time when we develop trans-rational epistemological frameworks that account for both exterior (eg scientific) as well as interior (eg intuitive, spiritual) phenomena, though there are probably going to be a lot of bruised egos on both sides of the fence when that happens.

[moviestar]

Exactly, paranormal things can't be proven by 'scientifically proven'. That's why they are called paranormal! But just because we can't prove something doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by Rob S

Why has no one ever won the one million dollar prize from James Randi for successfully demonstrating a psychic ability? Apparently, this offer has been there for many years and not only has no one won, but very few make it past the preliminary test.

I am not attacking anyone, so please don't take this as criticism. I am posting this question here because the description for this forum category is the following:
"Psychic & Paranormal" :Psi skills, psychic energy, dreams, lucid dreaming, astral projection, paranormal phenomena, non-physical entities, extraterrestrials, channeling, mediumship, clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, claircognizance.

So obviously people who post here are believers and perhaps posses these skills. In Deepak Chopra's books he claims people in India can plant a seed, and through the power and concentration of their mind, make the plant grow instantly (within a few minutes). Can't these people use a million dollars?

Steve had a blog entry once on Telepathy http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/06/telepathy/ Can't Steve and Erin use the one million dollars?

This is not an attack on anyone. Especially Steve and Erin.

There has to be an explanation as to why no one is able to collect the money. I know some may say the tests to prove your abilities to win the money may be to difficult, but I believe if you have the skill you should be able to prove it regardless of the conditions (within limits). I have not seen anything on James Randi's site to indicate they make the tests impossible to pass.

So? Any ideas? Randi started this offer in 1964 and no one has taken a dime from him since.


See James Randi's website: James Randi Educational Foundation — Home Page

Hi Rob

What a great question! Treading carefully in answering this, I also dont want to offend anyone, but the reason why no one has claimed the $1m is because it is impossible to, because it is all hocus pocus.

The great late Alfred Wallace, co-founder of the theory of evolution, destroyed not only his career but his reputation by being taken in by bogus so-called supernatural communicatyors in 'seances', and left his scientific principle behind in favour of moving glasses on table tops and flickering lights in shady back room parlours of the deluded or plain criminal.

A sad loss of a great mind.

What I do not deny however, is that people can hear voices in their heads!

[Rob S]

Originally Posted by moviestar

Exactly, paranormal things can't be proven by 'scientifically proven'. That's why they are called paranormal! But just because we can't prove something doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

I don't think Mr. Randi is looking to put psychics under a test tube or finding some chemical or biological answer. This is not really science experiment. In fact one of the tests is that a psychic is asked to give 10 people (10 believers in psychic ability) a reading. The reading is done with the person hearing it. The reading is documented and then placed in to an envelope. The 10 people are then brought into a room and the 10 envelopes are placed on a table. Each person is to go through the envelopes to determine which reading is theirs. If the reading does in fact contain information specific for that person it should be obvious. If however the reading is a so called "cold reading" then the information could be completely useless and very generic (it could apply to anyone).

Also, what sort of scientific test do you need to prove telekinesis? You can either move an object or you can't. Move Mr.Randi's chair while he sitting on it and the money is yours.

Telepathy, you can either hear the other person in your head or you cannot.

Again, I am not trying to offend anyone. In fact I was shocked when I learned about this million dollar offer and that no one has stepped forward. Why?

Perhaps as part of the Pavlina community we should make it our mission to find someone to prove this to the world, because winning the million dollars will achieve more than financial gain for the individual who does it, it will be an act of enlightenment on humanity. That is greater than any financial gain in my mind.

[Erin Pavlina]

I heard John Edward say that proving his abilities to skeptics is not a high priority for him. Proving his abilities to scientists with an open mind is a priority and he has done that. He has worked with scientists at some university that escapes me now.

James Randi creates his tests not based on the claim of the psychic but based on what he and his community of skeptics claim a psychic SHOULD be able to do. He also says if he can reproduce their results with trickery than that must be how the psychic did it.

He makes his living based on not finding anyone who can claim the million dollars. It's like the soy industry having to prove to the dairy industry that soy is beneficial. Do you think the dairy industry will be particularly open to that?

[Gonzo]

There are people who stepped forward but no one was 'for real' according to Randi. He offers the price money in bonds, not real cash. They can even be completely worthless at the time they are paid out.

There is a good article about the experiences of 'Sean Connely' the webmaster of PsiPog (now archived).

Here is the article containing a lot of information about how Randi pulls it up and makes sure that he doesn't loose his money.

Good day!

~Gonzo

[Steve Pavlina]

I think Randi's challenge is bogus... a publicity stunt to feed his ego and a tool to attack his perceived enemies. Since he controls the test, he can always prevent a winner.

I think Randi just needs a hug more than anything else.

So here's the Pavlina challenge:

I'll offer a $10,000 cash prize (that's cash, not bonds) for a 60-second hug between James Randi and Sylvia Browne. That's $5000 each for 60 seconds of their time. They can donate the money to charity if they wish.

Maybe over time we can build the prize even higher and encourage them to forgive each other. How much will it take to crack their mutual resentment?

As human beings we have more important things to do right now than fight amongst ourselves.

[Shaden]

If I got paid for 60-second hugs I'd be a very rich man

[Rob S]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

I think Randi's challenge is bogus... a publicity stunt to feed his ego and a tool to attack his perceived enemies. Since he controls the test, he can always prevent a winner.

I think Randi just needs a hug more than anything else.

So here's the Pavlina challenge:

I'll offer a $10,000 cash prize (that's cash, not bonds) for a 60-second hug between James Randi and Sylvia Browne. That's $5000 each for 60 seconds of their time. They can donate the money to charity if they wish.

Maybe over time we can build the prize even higher and encourage them to forgive each other. How much will it take to crack their mutual resentment?

As human beings we have more important things to do right now than fight amongst ourselves.

Thanks for your response Steve. I think it's unfortunate that you chose to discredit James Randi rather than try to find a away to prove psychic abilities. I am sure it is very easy to misunderstand my words. I probably sound like a non-believer and that I am trying to root out a hoax. In fact I am trying to do the exact opposite. Right now a major part of the world see's all of the paranormal activity such as psychics, astral projections etc as a delusion. Without proof you stand beside each church claiming their dogma as the word of God. Accepting all of this paranormal activity is yet another belief system. Perhaps you (and many of us) have been sitting in the "new age" box far to long, and it's time to get inside another box and look through that lens to see what this new age world looks like. It's easy to critisize fwhen looking from the other side. I learned from you that you cannot appreciate a belief system unless you dive in become that belief system. James Randi is not the only person out there who doesn't believe in this. There are millions of non believers. Imagine the impact if one person, could prove without a doubt, any of the psychic abilities. You would show all of the those red lens wearing people that a blue lens exists, and they need to try it on. As of right now, they only know of the red lens.

How about we forget the Randi experiment. I'm not interested in peace between him and Sylvie Browne as they are at two ends of magnetic pole that will never meet. I am interested in enlightment. Aren't you? Isn't Erin? You have over 1 million people that hit your site every month. Not one of them has psychic abilities to demonstrate to the world?

I believe that if one person comes forth with real psychis powers, or telekenesis, proof of astral projections, proof of clairvoyance etc, they will put that vision into the minds of millions who will then have witnessed something of enlightment. Through visualization more people will have these powers as the thought streams throw all of our connected minds.

So I ask again, doesn't anyone out there want to show people the blue lens?

[Steve Pavlina]

Originally Posted by Rob S

So I ask again, doesn't anyone out there want to show people the blue lens?

Heck, Erin does this nearly every day. Psychic and paranormal experiences are have become a fairly routine part of our lives.

Skepticism is the psychic equivalent of colorblindness. Skeptics don't have such experiences because they tune them out, just as my (colorblind) eyes tune out certain colors. In my opinion anyone who perceives the color purple must be a total loon.

[Liara Covert]

I think its useful to point out that individuals with psychic and paranormal abilities are routinely sought out by research scientists and by crime investigation squads to help crack unsolved cases. The point is not always to publicize who is doing what and where while its going on because this would often undermine the classified nature of investigations or negatively slant scientific test results. Talented psychics seem to focus on helping people not in making money from engaging in publicity stunts.

Alison Dubois is an interesting case. She is the focus of modern television program called Medium that has very high ratings over multiple seasons. She has chosen to use her abilities in different ways to help people both in the public eye and in private spheres. The t.v. programs are supposedly ficticitious, based on real cases she has helped solve in past with police. In reality, she has published books which apparently chronicle some of her experiences; "Don't Kiss Them Goodbye" and "We Are Their Heaven: The Dead Never Leave Us." Alison also explains how she has been part of the Veritas research program which has demonstrated her abilities in blind studies to individuals such as Deepak Chopra. He has clearly earned international credibility with his abilities and views concerning alternative medicine and life after death.

The recent Australian and New Zealand t.v. programs "Sensing Murder" were promoted as efforts to engage psychics in helping to solved unsolved crimes. Although many of the televised crimes have not yet been solved, it has been noted by participating psychics that police and other authorities have often chosen not to follow psychic leads precisely because of public scepticism about their professional credibility. A best-selling book by a participant explains. Australian Sceptics offer $110,000 for real leads they think would solve the msysteries. This hasn't yet been claimed.
Vic Skeptics: Sensing Murder

This site notes how other countries, such as India and England, also offer prizes for psychics who can 'prove their power' and these prizes have not yet been claimed. Ask yourself why real psychics would choose to do what they do. Consider why people might choose not to take the advice of a person with psychic ability. If you were scared someone could know things about you, would that hold you back? Ask yourself also what kind of proof you would need to believe people who claim to have clairvoyant ability. Ask yourself what reason you would have to be sceptic without consulting one professionally to see what they could do for you.

In any discipline, there exist charlatans and qualified individuals. Having a negative experience with a chalatan or knowing someone who has doesn't mean you should assume no one in that discipline is qualified and credible. You can find very talented physicians who save lives and help many people and we have all heard of quacks with folding tables who give doctors a bad name. Choosing to believe or disbelieve is part of what makes us who we are. I personally think if you have faith in something, you attract a positive outcome. If you are sceptical about something, you will be less likely to attract people who will provide proof to convince you otherwise.

[JHL]

In any discipline, there exist charlatans and qualified individuals. Having a negative experience with a chalatan or knowing someone who has doesn't mean you should assume no one in that discipline is qualified and credible.

Thats true, but what is also true is that the public is exhibiting an insatiable appetite for the services of "psychics" and new-age esoterica, spawning a multi-billion dollar industry which, unfortunately, includes a vast number of opportunistic charlatans - or even well-meaning people who erroneously think they have some sort of "gift". Ergo, it is prudent to be at least somewhat discerning about such things.

For me, Rob S has raised a very intriguing point, and the best responses to it thus far in this thread have not exceeded the level of being glib or dismissive. Not very convincing. The question remains: if such powers do in fact exist, how is it that not one person has been able to reliably demonstrate them?

Randi may be able to skew tests and results to prove his own case, but, honestly, how difficult would it really be for someone who possesses supernatural powers to prove it? As a result they would become an overnight sensation, not to mention likely very rich and very influential. In fact they would probably achieve God-like status as a result of the sensation they would create. Particularly in the context of todays esoterica-adoring society. Call me a cynic, but I find it hard to believe that a person capable of achieving such dizzying heights could resist such temptation. In fact I find it almost impossible to believe that every single person allegedly possessing these powers has so far resisted. Unless you equate such abilities with saintliness? On the other hand, perhaps the world could use a saint right now!

My own feeling is "pscyhic" powers do exist, but they are tenuous and unreliable. I think they rely on the channel to interpret what they (think) they see. Sometimes they get it right, sometimes they dont.

Having said that, I must concede that I am hardly in a position to comment on what is possible and what isnt. I do not presume to be an expert on human potential. Why, I can barely prepare a good soft-boiled egg (now THAT'S a real trick!).

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by JHL

I do not presume to be an expert on human potential. Why, I can barely prepare a good soft-boiled egg (now THAT'S a real trick!).

If you'd like to read about a psychic experiment with an egg, click here. You will also read about numerous experiments done by many scientists, with the same psychic. Extract, about the egg:

"One of Kulagina’s strangest filmed experiments involved the effect of her powers on a raw egg floating in a tank of saline solution almost two metres away from her. Using intense concentration, she slowly separated the yolk from the white of the egg, and moved the two apart; if she focused her energies for long enough, she could put the egg back together again. But the most unusual experiment of all took place in the Leningrad laboratory on 10 March, 1970. Satisfied that Kulagina had the ability to move inanimate objects, scientists were curious to know whether Nina’s abilities extended to cells, tissues, and organs. Sergeyev was one of the many scientists in attendance when Kulagina attempted to use her energy to stop the beating of a frog's heart, floating in solution, and then re-activate it. She focused intently on the heart and summoned all her powers. First she made it beat faster – then slower, and, using intense will power, she stopped it."


If you really acquaint yourself with the scientific literature on the toic, you would most likely conclude that there is no doubt that "psychic powers" exist. The real questions relate to it's how's and why's, not the fact of its existence.

Psychic/faith healer Matthew Manning gave five years of his life to continuous research by university researchers at Cambridge. Surely that's enough to prove that "psychic powers" exist? At some point, he must get bored with that, and move on with his life. Nowadays he just heals people. Occasionally he gives lectures to doctors and medical associations like the Royal Society of Medicine.

[JHL]

Psychic/faith healer Matthew Manning gave five years of his life to continuous research by university researchers at Cambridge. Surely that's enough to prove that "psychic powers" exist?

Er, I'm not sure the one thing logically leads to the other, but thats besides the point. I do believe that psychic powers exist and stated as much in my post.

The million-dollar (as it were) question is: why has nobody publicly and irrefutably been able to prove it?

With regard to Nina Kulagina, a brief bout of research quickly raises sufficient reasonable doubt to challenge the integrity of these claims. To mention but two: the testing conditions were far from rigorous and Russia, at the time, had a vested propoganda interest in exaggerating and hyping her claims. Having said that, her feats could well be true! But I'm afraid I cannot bring myself to believe them simply on that basis of reading about them on the internet.

Why do I reason that way? Because if these phenomena were reliably true in this sense - one would not have to read of obscure or not-so-obscure reports and such on the internet - they would be every-day occurences, surely? One should be able to go to the local mall and see a person performing magical feats for money, or street performers who amaze and startle with their gift, much like any artist does. I do not mean to trivialise such gifts, you understand, I'm merely pointing out that if they reliably exist -why would you have to point to some obscure russian woman who do things with egg yolks that would make Jamie Oliver turn green with envy?

Why arent you telling me about the guy who lives down your street who's won the lottery 50 weeks in a row? Or the kid at the school you went to with who aced every exam he wrote because he could see the papers in advance?

I've seen many attempts of so-called psychics trying to prove their gift on TV under reasonable scientific scrutiny, and failing miserably. If I see just one attempt where they succeeded under these reasonable conditions, I would become a believer. Its as simple as that. Its just that I have yet to see it, and I cant understand why.

[jamasiel]

One aspect is that most things out there ~are~ fraud or misperception - most ghosts are a night breeze, most "telepathy" is coincidence, most telekinesis is fishing line. I'm not adamantly saying it all is, but this is why most comes up false. However, some negatives don't mean something doesn't exist - the bilking of Darwin's partner is an example of charlatanism, not a counter-example to the existence of what may be called "supernatural."

For things that are "paranormal", there are valid answers already given for parts of your question: those who can feel no need to "prove" to the world, many who call themselves skeptics are out to prove them false (vs. discerning the actual validity), and also the "real" things that happen don't necessarily fit the definition demanded by skeptics*. There might not be such a thing as telekinesis as we expect it to be, but if there is some form of ESP, those demanding evidence of telekinesis are wasting time by insisting on narrow results. Now, I know you're not making telekinesis-specific demands, but the point is insisting on a narrower range of results than what ~may~ be possible.

Additionally, many things we ~call~ supernatural/paranormal are context specific - the person who "hears" a warning when their life was in danger, the connection between specific people, dream visits from dead loved ones, focused desire for a life goal producing physical and otherwise inexplicable results. I couldn't bottle these things for James Randi, even if I cared to get the cash reward for my personal experiences.

Essentially, it's like some versions of the New Testament say:
"`If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.' "
(Not to make this a religious thing - it's just a handy quote for the topic)
I think healthy skepticism is important as a tool for examination.
Making it the goal falls outside my definition of 'healthy skepticism'.

A more important point for me is that when we say supernatural (etc.), there seems to be an assumption that it means "magic and therefore beyond scientific understanding" - and so when a scientific explanation is produced, it makes the supernatural aspect "false." I tend to view the supernatural as "the areas where science hasn't explained things yet." It's all a part of the same system, and when something supernatural happens, I can accept it both as possible and reasonable, even with a scientific eye. I guess the point of that is that it's unfortunate that most of the words - e.g. "supernatural" "paranormal" - imply being outside of science, which is silly - it's simply what we've not been able to study scientifically...yet.

I'm not here to convince you or anyone of the existence of these things - I have questions myself and would ~love~ irrefutable evidence for quite a few things. I have plans with friends to visit supposedly "haunted" sites, for example, just to see if something will happen that will convince me with more certainty. I don't even need absolute certainty - it just needs to be enough. I've had experiences which may have currently understood scientific explanations (e.g. "just a dream", hallucinations, misperception of lights/shadows, sheer coincidence) - but evidence on hand seems to indicate something science can't currently explain, to my knowledge.
I just can't deny them simply because I can't provide citations.

[KellyM]