Paranormal Claims A Critical Analysis

by Farha, Bryan; Shermer, Michael; Barrett, Stephen; Beyerstein, Barry L.; Blackmore, Susan; Dean, Geoffrey; Farha, Bryan; Hyman, Ray; Nickell, Joe; Radford, Benjamin; Randi, James; Rosa, Linda; Sagan, Carl; Shermer, Michael

• ISBN13: 9780761837725
• ISBN10: 0761837728
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-04-26
• Publisher: UPA

Summary

This academic text features articles regarding paranormal, extraordinary, or fringe-science claims. It logically examines the claims of astrology; psychic ability; alternative medicine and health claims; after-death communication; cryptozoology; and faith healing, all from a skeptical perspective. Paranormal Claims is a compilation of some of the most eye-opening articles about pseudoscience and extraordinary claims that often reveal logical, scientific explanations, or an outright scam. These articles, steeped in skepticism, teach critical thinking when approaching courses in psychology, sociology, philosophy, education, or science.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. vii
Editor's Preface	p. xiii
Acknowledgments	p. xvii
General Critical Thinking
The Fine Art of Baloney Detection	p. 1
Why Smart People Believe Weird Things	p. 13
Fortune-Telling and Psychic Phenomena
Cold Reading: How to Convince Strangers That You Know All About Them	p. 31
Sylvia Browne: Psychic Guru or Quack?	p. 47
Afterlife and Related Phenomena
Deconstructing the Dead	p. 55
Near-Death Experiences: In or Out of Body?	p. 59
Numerical Anomalies
Number Manipulation: The Not "So Spooky" Tim McVeigh	p. 73
Alternative Medicine and Health Claims
Why Bogus Therapies Often Seem to Work	p. 79
A Close Look at Therapeutic Touch	p. 83
Chiropractic's Dirty Secret: Neck Manipulation and Strokes	p. 97
Magnet Therapy: A Skeptical View	p. 105
The Great Dilution Delusion	p. 111
Celestial Influence and Extraterrestrial
The Case For and Against Astrology	p. 115
Looking Up to Logic	p. 131
Faith Healing
Prayer and Healing: The Verdict is In and the Results are Null	p. 133
Benny Hinn: Healer or Hypnotist?	p. 137
John of God: ABC's Primetime Live Special About a Brazilian "Healer" Falls Far Short of Investigative Journalism	p. 145
Cryptozoology
Bigfoot at 50: Evaluating a Half-Century of Bigfoot Evidence	p. 155
About the Contributors	p. 165
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