E-mail Exchange Round 3
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Robert de Boer responded:
Subject: Re: Psychic Challenge
Date: Tue, 4 Sep 2001 12:41:07 +1200
From: "Robert de Boer" <[email protected]>
To: "John Blanton" <[email protected]>John,
[S]o you think these sort of experiences are normal. Well take twenty of your normal members of your Skeptic group and compare their predictive value of their dreams combined against mine. That is twenty normal dreamers against one person who is convinced his dreams are "inspired by God". Now the concept of God's Inspiration may come under your criteria of Paranormal does it not? By this I will demonstrate a "paranormal power". OK there has to be a written agreement called "the protocol", which will set out what power or ability is to be demonstrated, how it is to be tested, and what test results will constitute success or failure. Obviously we will have to agree here to what is fair before we sign up to this protocol. Now if you have some thoughts on how to check to see if the extent which my dreams are "Inspired by God" compared to the average Skeptic you are welcome to contribute your thoughts.
Claimant must describe the paranormal or psychic ability or power clearly and precisely. Claims must be specific enough to be scientifically testable. Claims must be clearly psychic or paranormal. Claim: Prediction of future events
Claimant must specifically describe any proposed test procedures which will be used to demonstrate the paranormal or psychic power. Claimant and challengers must agree to the test procedures to be used before any tests are performed. [ well how about conducting the test for a year, every dream within that period which each team owns up to as having "future predicting value" must be recorded and the results compared at the end of the second year to see how my set of dreams compared to your set based on the 20 people from your group.]
Claimant must describe exactly what test results will constitute success or failure. If success and failure will be described in terms of statistical results, such results must be significantly beyond chance expectation. The full results can be analysed at the end of two year period and published in some form and the general public can vote to see who has had the best results. Each dream when recorded by each group as one to test will be given a rating of how unlikely that was to happen just by chance.
For a dream to have been validated the predicted event must appear in a daily newspaper of some sort, and the dating of the recorded event must be after the recorded dream which are to be shared among the two teams as they happen and the date of the dream then is the date it first appears on the Internet as an Email (we can check that this is reasonable and allowances made for variations in local times, e.g. our computers could be set to GMT.
The Newspaper article is to be scanned in and shared over the internet as email attachments, and are to be copied as hard copies for a physical check at the end of the two year period.
If someone was to say they dreamt that there was going to be a car accident but these sort of things happen daily the value of that is low, but if either team was to name the person involved and the place that would rate as more unlikely. These values could be checked by an mathematician for being fair and reasonable and not likely to have been stage managed or a result of insider knowledge. No criminal activity of the parties is allowed to contribute to the outcome. For example don't predict a death and then get an assassin to carry that out.
Claimant and challengers will each be responsible for their respective expenses, such as equipment, travel, accommodations, consultant fees, or other expenses. From the sort of trial I am designing one could continue on in their daily routine and not incur any unreasonable expenses by travel and accommodation. Each would have to maintain a computer and email system for the two year duration.
In the event the claimant is successful under the terms and conditions of the protocol, challengers will immediately deliver the challenge prize to claimant or claimant's designee, in full settlement of all claims. Agreed
Claimant and challengers waive all claims, damages, and causes of action against each other arising out of the challenge, for any injuries or damages of every kind, whether to person, property, or reputation. Agreed
All agreements, protocols, correspondence, data, audio or video recordings, photographs or results made or obtained by either party during the challenge or negotiations leading up to the challenge may be used by either party in any way he or she may choose, including publication, and challengers and claimant both waive all exclusive rights to such information. Agreed
This offer is made by the challengers personally and not on behalf of The North Texas Skeptics or any other agency or organization, although others may be involved in the examination of claims. Agreed
After challengers have received claimant's offer to demonstrate a claimed psychic or paranormal ability or power, challengers will promptly enter into negotiations with claimant and attempt to arrive at a written protocol satisfactory to both parties. Neither claimant nor challengers shall have any right of action or damages against the other for failure to enter into the protocol or for failure to conduct any test or demonstration. Do you agree to the type of test proposed here?
To introduce a little humour here. You say you are looking for someone who has: "2. The ability to walk through walls. Literally, not figuratively." Well you have not seen the state of my house, the walls are rotten so it may be possible to walk through the walls as well!
Robert de Boer
We responded:
From: John Blanton
To: Robert de Boer
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2001 2:12 PM
Subject: Re: Psychic ChallengeRobert,
Very good. I think you have gotten the idea of what this is all about. Let's run a quick trial to see if you can do what you propose. Start sending me your predictions. I'm not going to compare them with those of anyone else. I just want to see how good you are. If you really can predict the future, we will set up a test for the prize.
By the way, it will help if you will tell me in advance how well you can predict the future. It will be best if the events are not something that can be predicted by anybody will normal abilities. An example is "Will Janet Reno win the next race for Governer of Florid?" A good political analyst would be able to make a very good call on this one. How about pridict some earthquakes. Even scientists are having trouble there.
Robert de Boer wrote:
...
To introduce a little humour here. You say you are looking for someone who has: "2. The ability to walk through walls. Literally, not figuratively." Well you have not seen the state of my house, the walls are rotten so it may be possible to walk through the walls as well!Actually, I threw that in there because we once had someone claim he could walk through walls. He declined to be tested. There really are people out there like that.
Best regards,
John Blanton
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