One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge

[no_leaf_clover]

Randi Backs Out of Challenge with Homeopath George Vithoulkas

All seemed to be going well when in August 2006, Vithoulkas received a signed agreement from Randi in which he stated that he was satisfied with the suggested protocol. He also waived the need for a preliminary test - the part of the process that had foiled every applicant up to that point. However Randi then delayed the start of the experiment owing to health problems and lack of sufficient funding. Apparently Randi was asked by Vithoulkas to assign a representative in his absence while funding was being sought but Randi refused to do so. He also told the homeopaths that he needed 6 months to recuperate from his unspecified health problems.

This 6 month period, according to Vithoulkas, was critical. It coincided with the appointment of a new Mayor of Athens who installed a new chairman of the scientific committee and a new president of the hospital that was to be used for the experiment. Vithoulkas claims that Randi knew of theses impending changes and was looking for a way of getting out of the challenge. It certainly was the most rigorous and well organized attempt to win the one million dollars that had ever been attempted. The Homeopaths believe that Randi got cold feet for this reason.

After a further 2 years of negotiating with the new authorities, the Homeopaths finally got the go ahead in Athens and started putting the final touches to the arrangements. In September 2008, a two day meeting was held in Greece between two of Randi`s representatives, plus Dr. Menachem Oberbaum, principal investigator of the experiment, and George Vithoulkas.

After this meeting the homeopaths thought everything was ready to go ahead but they were in for a rude surprise. In October 2008, one month after the meeting, they received the following communication from Randi:

"Forget all previous correspondence exchanged on the subject. What appears here is the current status. First, we require that George Vithoulkas submit a regular, properly-filled-out application and submit it just as we require everyone to do. After that has been received, we`ll go ahead as with any regular applicant - with the arrangements, including the requirement for the preliminary stage".

This new turn of events understandably infuriated Vithoulkas after his 5 years of toil. To make matters worse, Randi, according to Vithoulkas, claimed on his website (www.randi.org) that the homeopaths had withdrawn from the experiment. This accusation is strenuously denied by Vithoulkas.

http://www.naturalnews.com/025627.html

[UmmaGumma]

This is the first I've heard of it.  The problem that I have is that I cannot OBE or astral project at will.  I can only have the experience when I have fallen into the sleep-paralysis state.  Now, if there is some way that I can be put into the sleep-paralysis state, h*ll, I'd be more than happy to prove it.  As a matter of fact, my ex can do it much easier than me.  He might be able to do it.  I just might have to look into this...

[UmmaGumma]

http://www.naturalnews.com/025627.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw_O9Qiwqew   Get to the last part.
http://www.skepticalinvestigations.org/New/Examskeptics/skepticism_suppressedscience.html


A possible reason why R. didn't want to test Radin.
http://deanradin.blogspot.com/2008/12/will-to-disbelieve.html

After looking at this- do you think having 'fair' rules is the same as following them?
  Au Contraire.  I know it's real because I've received validations that I couldn't prove to others.  So I just think you have decided to set a series of parameters that are impossible to cover (because validations are done in the RTZ, and most of the time we don't know if we're in the astral or etheric (RTZ) and then use them to measure something that just isn't measurable that way.

Be that as it may, it's obvious to me that you made up your mind a long time before this post was made.

CFTraveler, you are so right.  My ex and I proved to each other that it is real.  He showed up in my OBE one night.  He was in the form of a dark shadowy figure.  I recognized his silhouette---especially that of his hair!  I flew past him on the stairs the first time, and then the second time I decided to fly straight threw him.  He came over a few days later and asked if I had seen him.  I was ecstatic!  I said, "Yes!  I knew it was you."  He then went on to say that at one time, our heads collided with each other.  Again, I was amazed!  I told him our heads had collided when I flew straight threw him because I past threw him from the neck up.  And I have other stories that validate my experiences.

[UmmaGumma]

Well, gee whiz, no wonder no one has agreed to do it.  Have you guys read all the conditions and terms that must be agreed upon?  A lot of these conditions are ridiculous, such as you have to have a "media presence", or in other words, you must have been written about by the media.  I mean, come on.  And you have to provide your own transportation costs, etc.  Oh, and no use of illicit drugs.  My ex can have his experiences much easier after smoking pot. 

Now I can see why no one has taken up the challenge.  The foundation has written up so many terms and conditions that it practically assures its self that no one will fit every little criteria expected of him or her.  Boy, what a waste of time...

[dbmathis]

UmmaGumma, I tend to agree that it might be a waste of time, however if someone is good enough at entering a trance and then projecting into the RTZ, it seems like it should be easy enough to prove. Then again people would most likely blow it off as some cheap magicians trick or something.

It really boils down to proving it to yourself and then don't stress about the others. Has James Randi even tried to AP himself is the question we should be asking?

I mean proving it to someone else serves no purpose other than to put the human race on a evolutionary path worth being on. , but I doubt I will be able to make a difference by showing others what I can do (the magician trick thing above). Instead it might be more productive to simply motivate people to try for themselves but this would require a serious change in belief systems. I live in the U.S. and a problem that I see around me are people who are brainwashed by either science or religion. I am lucky that I live in Austin and people here actually question things, but out of the other 17 states I have been in most people gravitate to one or the other and rarely ask questions, think outside the box or step outside their comfort level.

Maybe that should be a new goal of mine, to travel around the world and question everything and be a motivational speaker on AP.