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  4. This is why so many people believe in ghosts, spirits and the paranormal

This is why so many people believe in ghosts, spirits and the paranormal

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Science
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  • I Offline
    I Offline
    ILisa
    wrote on last edited by
    #16

    I'm not going to go through a novel's worth of referencs, but anyway (these are not hand-picked, I just searched and clicked the first one each time)

    http//www.annals.org/cgi/reprint/138/5/393.pdf - Most clinical trials are poor. Most report no effect over placebos. Some report positive effects - but "further rigorous research is needed".

    Aw come on, OPF, Here's from the same article...

    DOES HOMEOPATHY WORK?
    The evidence for homeopathy?s effectiveness includes
    three areas of research 1) general comparisons of homeopathic
    remedies and placebos; 2) studies of homeopathy?s
    effectiveness for particular clinical conditions; and 3) studies
    looking for biological effects from potencies, especially
    the Homeopathic Remedy More Effective than
    Placebo?
    Four comprehensive, independent systematic reviews
    or meta-analyses have examined the question of whether
    homeopathic therapies behave like placebo in randomized,
    placebo-controlled trials (Table 2). These have comprehensively
    searched for all clinical trials and have used standard
    methods for quality evaluation and analysis of clinical
    trials. These reviews have found that, overall, the quality of
    clinical research in homeopathy is low. When only high quality
    studies have been selected for analysis (such as those
    with adequate randomization, blinding, sample size, and
    other methodologic criteria that limit bias), a surprising
    number show positive results. For example, Kleijnen and
    colleagues (2 did a detailed quality evaluation of 60 homeopathic
    clinical trials and concluded that they ?would
    be ready to accept that homeopathy can be efficacious, if
    only the mechanism of action were more plausible."homeopathy is more effective than placebo in general.

    CONCLUSIONS
    Homeopathy is an alternative therapeutic system based
    on the ?Principle of Similars? and the use of ?minimum?
    doses. Homeopathy was a prominent component of 19th century
    health care and recently has undergone a revival in
    the United States and around the world. Despite skepticism
    about the plausibility of homeopathy, some randomized,
    placebo-controlled trials and laboratory research report
    unexpected effects of homeopathic medicines.
    However, the evidence on the effectiveness of homeopathy
    for specific clinical conditions is scant, is of uneven quality,
    and is generally poorer quality than research done in allopathic
    medicine (61). More and better research is needed,
    Until homeopathy is better understood, it is important that physicians
    be open-minded about homeopathy?s possible value
    and maintain communication with patients who use it.

    I'm not going to go through all of the articles, this conversation is getting plain fruity. You see what you want to see, and I know from experience what I know. I will not abandon my homeopathic practice, regardless of what you say. I know what I know to be true, whether or not I can 'prove' it to you, jonny, and Randi.

    So, to take this thread back to the Glorious Reading, to you, your way of life, and to me mine. peace

    Good day!

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    • U Offline
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      unknownuser
      wrote on last edited by
      #17

      I don't doubt homeopathy. I just don't actually see how it could possibly work. Maybe it is actually a wonder drug, the FDA does suppress an aweful lot of things deeming them unscientific (cannabis plant, for instance).

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      • I Offline
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        ILisa
        wrote on last edited by
        #18

        I don't doubt homeopathy. I just don't actually see how it could possibly work. Maybe it is actually a wonder drug, the FDA does suppress an aweful lot of things deeming them unscientific (cannabis plant, for instance).

        Ahh............ salve to my wounds. handshake

        sun

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        • J Offline
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          jonny_k
          wrote on last edited by
          #19

          Peace "Ilisa",
          Ok so you showed the results. This is the first step but how do i know these results were done under proper control and/or not faked delberately or not properly controlled as was the case with Uri Geller at the Stanford Resreach Institution back in 1982? How would i know this? Ok wht i can do is send these results to JREF and see what they claim. GOD Bless!

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            jonny_k
            wrote on last edited by
            #20

            Peace "Ilisa",
            I sent your results to the JREF and this is what Randi replied

            You have selected meta-analyses. These depend entirely on how the data is selected. And they are indicative, not proof.

            We accept only original evidence.

            James Randi.

            GOD Bless!

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            • I Offline
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              ILisa
              wrote on last edited by
              #21

              Peace "Ilisa",
              I sent your results to the JREF and this is what Randi replied
              You have selected meta-analyses. These depend entirely on how the data is selected. And they are indicative, not proof.

              We accept only original evidence.

              James Randi.
              GOD Bless!

              Greetings jonny-k

              Thanks! This is a step forward, at least now they are saying 'indicative'!!!

              What do they mean by 'original evidence' ---that we have to do the research ourselves?? Or that we do something in front of them?

              Seriously, there is a homepathic remedy that I have repeatedly seen make bumps from an accident go down in front of my eyes. If we could only find two volunteers....one to hit and the other to be hit somewhere (like the shin), we'll watch the bump start to come up, then I'll administer the remedy and we'll all watch it go down. Would that be 'original evidence' enough for the randi foundation?

              I'm serious. No joking. Want to do it??

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              • U Offline
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                unknownuser
                wrote on last edited by
                #22

                Greetings jonny-k

                Thanks! This is a step forward, at least now they are saying 'indicative'!!!

                What do they mean by 'original evidence' ---that we have to do the research ourselves?? Or that we do something in front of them?

                Seriously, there is a homepathic remedy that I have repeatedly seen make bumps from an accident go down in front of my eyes. If we could only find two volunteers....one to hit and the other to be hit somewhere (like the shin), we'll watch the bump start to come up, then I'll administer the remedy and we'll all watch it go down. Would that be 'original evidence' enough for the randi foundation?

                I'm serious. No joking. Want to do it??

                Do you realise you would need around 100+ people of all different shapes, sizes, ages, races, etc to carry that out with a hint of credibility?

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                  Angel
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #23

                  the FDA does suppress an aweful lot of things deeming them unscientific (cannabis plant, for instance).

                  what do they suppress?

                  and why?

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                  • I Offline
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                    ILisa
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #24

                    Do you realise you would need around 100+ people of all different shapes, sizes, ages, races, etc to carry that out with a hint of credibility?

                    Why 100 if we do it in front of their cameras? However, they can choose who the people are and the number of participants. I don't care. It doesn't matter.

                    We can, indeed it with all the participants of their choosing even. (Actually it would take 200 then...one to kick and one to be kicked. Or you could have some device hit them --whatever it would take to give them a 'goose-egg' in a relatively harmless spot.)

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                    • J Offline
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                      jonny_k
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #25

                      Peace "ilisa"

                      Seriously, there is a homepathic remedy that I have repeatedly seen make bumps from an accident go down in front of my eyes. If we could only find two volunteers....one to hit and the other to be hit somewhere (like the shin), we'll watch the bump start to come up, then I'll administer the remedy and we'll all watch it go down. Would that be 'original evidence' enough for the randi foundation?

                      I'm serious. No joking. Want to do it??

                      JK- Yes i think it would be but under controlled conditions meaning that the selected volunteers you choose would have to be agreed upon by Randi as well as you and some of the JREF members will see to it that the volunteers chosen are not magicians. Then there would also be scientists present there to watch the phenomena again which both you and Randi would agree upon. As for the eg you mentioned, do you mean that the bump would go down in a couple of minutes just before anyones eyes through your homeopathic remedy? If thts the case and itd be proven then Randi would surely provide you not only with million USD but youll be world famous amongst all skeptics. Would you like to write to the jref yourself (www.randi.org) or should i regarding this? GOD Bless!

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                      • I Offline
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                        ILisa
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #26

                        Greetings jonny_k

                        You can watch it go down before your eyes in a matter of minutes. If you want, and we give the remedy immediately, no bump will form, but for the sake of proving a point, we could let the bump begin to form so that no one could tell us that the bump wasn't going to form any way.

                        What the heck, I'll write Randi.....but if I get the million, I'll give you a slice!! handshake

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                        • I Offline
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                          ILisa
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #27

                          Greetings again jonny_k,

                          Just when it was starting to look like we were getting somewhere with this, I've just been to Randi's site and I was reading the terms for the JREF Million Dollar Challenge and I came up against this road block

                          "12. This offer is not open to any and all persons. Before being considered as an applicant, the person applying must satisfy two conditions First, he/she must have a ?media presence,? which means having been published, written about, or known to the media in regard to his/her claimed abilities or powers. This can be established by producing articles, videos, books, or other published material that specifically addresses the person?s abilities. Second, he/she must produce at least one signed document from an academic who has witnessed the powers or abilities of the person, and will validate that these powers or abilities have been verified."

                          I am not a 'media presence'. So, now what to do?

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                          • U Offline
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                            unknownuser
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #28

                            Why 100 if we do it in front of their cameras? However, they can choose who the people are and the number of participants. I don't care. It doesn't matter.

                            We can, indeed it with all the participants of their choosing even. (Actually it would take 200 then...one to kick and one to be kicked. Or you could have some device hit them --whatever it would take to give them a 'goose-egg' in a relatively harmless spot.)

                            What I mean is that you need a broad number of people for testing. Most medicine trials take a significant amount of people from everywhere, 100 was just a random number. It may work for one person, but not all.

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                              AlFajr
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #29

                              What about giving 1 person two bumps? And then applying the remedy on one and leaving the other. That could be pretty indicative I think.

                              Peace
                              Al

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                              • J Offline
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                                jonny_k
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #30

                                Peace "Ilisa",

                                Greetings again jonny_k,

                                Just when it was starting to look like we were getting somewhere with this, I've just been to Randi's site and I was reading the terms for the JREF Million Dollar Challenge and I came up against this road block

                                "12. This offer is not open to any and all persons. Before being considered as an applicant, the person applying must satisfy two conditions First, he/she must have a ?media presence,? which means having been published, written about, or known to the media in regard to his/her claimed abilities or powers. This can be established by producing articles, videos, books, or other published material that specifically addresses the person?s abilities. Second, he/she must produce at least one signed document from an academic who has witnessed the powers or abilities of the person, and will validate that these powers or abilities have been verified."

                                I am not a 'media presence'. So, now what to do?

                                JK- Yeah i forgot to tell you that. Theyve changed the rules i beleive at the beginning of this year since too much people were applying without any significant results so Randi wanted to focus on the more famous people in order to expose them since theyr misleading many. But dont let that sacre you. Do write to the JREF and if they wont accept ask themwhether they have any smaller communities, related to them and whose testimonies they accept, in the US and whether you could perform ceratin preliminary tests thre first. once you pass those Randi will surely invite you to take the major test in his own presence. Good luck and GOD Bless! sun

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                                • I Offline
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                                  ILisa
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #31

                                  Greetings jonny_k,

                                  Okay. Done. I'll let you know what comes of it....

                                  Thanks.

                                  Lisa

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                                    Angel
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #32

                                    deleted

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                                      ILisa
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #33

                                      .....I'm back. And this is what I got from JREF (Alison Smith to be exact)

                                      Lisa Newlin,

                                      Thank you for your interest in the James Randi Educational Foundation's Million Dollar Challenge.

                                      We do not allow any testing protocols that involve injury or risk to the volunteers. There is simply no way to control exactly how injured someone gets when you try to bruise them.

                                      I would not be surprised at all if Arnica Montana could reduce swelling in a patient. However, an herb is not the same thing as a homeopathic remedy. A homeopathic remedy is diluted to the point where you can honestly say that throwing seven molecules of the active ingredient in the ocean and then drinking some of the Pacific would be equally effective.

                                      If you are saying that a homeopathic remedy of Arnica Montana would reduce swelling, then I suggest you come up with other viable ways of testing that and apply.

                                      However, keep in mind that the testing is under time constraints. Whoever was using the remedy could not leave the sight of the testers after they had used it, and the amount of time we would ask volunteers to devote to the test would have to be reasonable.

                                      Thank you again for your interest,

                                      JREF Challenge Desk

                                      Doesn't seem that their biggest concern is proving whether homeopathy truly works or not, but rather finding a way to offer the Million Dollar Challenge, but not really! P

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                                        jonny_k
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #34

                                        Peace "Ilisa",
                                        Ok well tell them you could get hold of a perosn who already has swellings so theres no need to induce any, and then apply the remedy. GOD Bless!

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                                          ILisa
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #35

                                          It works then, but not so dramatically, because the physical symptoms by that time are already well-established. Especially for making a point, it works best when the injury is still quite new and there are fewer extraneous factors that will be affecting the rate of healing.

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