Page 36 - 201001 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - January 2010

January 2010_june_july_2009.qxd 02/02/2010 8:33 AM Page 36 36 Professor debunks paranormal Guelph professor likes Guelph professor likes debunking promoters of debunking promoters of the paranormal the paranormal Tony Saxon gsaxon@guelphmercury.com GUELPH — How come psychics and astrologers never tell you you’re going to meet the goat of your dreams? That’s just one of the questions posed by Guelph professor Christopher diCarlo, who spends a good chunk of his academic career scientifically debunking psychics and the paranormal. “Some people would obviously be into bestiality. Wouldn’t they know that?” joked diCarlo, who makes no bones about his disdain for psychic fairs, such as the annual Psychic Expo that makes its annual sojourn to Guelph this Friday through Sunday at the Best Western Royal Brock Hotel and Conference Centre. While perhaps a little crude, diCarlo’s point is that psychics can’t really read your mind or see your future. They read your body language, pay close attention to what you say He said psychic fairs like the one So far, he said, no one has. [] and feed off the information they learn about coming to Guelph will have a sign somewhere you. Then they tell you what you want to hear. that says “for entertainment purposes only.” Seacoast UFO claim “I welcome skeptics ... and am not afraid But, diCarlo said, that is to prevent customers to show what I can experience,” Colleen Cook, from suing for fraud if their readings don’t debunked one of the featured psychics at this weekend’s come true. fair, wrote in an email response to questions “If psychics told customers ‘I have no Continued from Page 33 raised for this story. “I am also not afraid to say powers, but for $40 I’ll give you some pseudo the truth of when I do not know or feel or see. therapy and entertainment,’ then that would be "I doubt very seriously that :34 is Therein lies the truth.” fine. Just don’t say you have these powers when (computer-generated imagery)," added Cook wrote she started using her gift you don’t.” highhorse313. around age seven or eight. She said she has Psychic ability “is a gift in different "Seems fake," wrote pidza21. obtained a doctorate of divinity and a doctorate forms that all of us have,” Cook wrote. "Creepy!," wrote Viperclan2. in holistic medicine. She also said “no other person can "At 26 sec, it appears that the driver is “I am a seventh-generation clairvoyant, control our thinking as we in fact know what we pointing in the direction of the triangle while he thus knowing at a very early age about the want to believe and accept.” ... seems to be waiting to get down off the side ability and gift I was given. Much like someone DiCarlo is also a member of the Centre of his truck," noted greyhound58. born into a foreign family and having to learn for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the "Hum ... interesting, indeed," said about their heritage and language, (that) is how Paranormal, an organization whose aim is to softearth. I like to best describe what was handed down to “promote scientific inquiry, critical "Smells kind of like elaborate hoax me.” investigation, and the use of reason in (though)," commented mechanism211. "I do Cook has made several predictions for examining controversial and extraordinary wish it didn't." Guelph in a news release promoting this claims.” "I am not saying it is true. Always weekend’s event. Among them: He said psychics use the same question it," wrote Cosmic23voyager, "but the •A large corporation will acquire techniques to give readings. They do research in people of the masses are really ignorant (and property in Guelph that has “something to do advance when possible, they take physical clues will fight to preserve that ignorance) that ET with electrical” and employ more than 300 off the customer, create a psychological profile (extra-terrestrial) could be there and people people. and, most of all, “get you to talk about will say it's some kid playing with a projector." •“The people of Guelph will become yourself.” It certainly wouldn't be the first time curious about what happens after the recycling They then use that information to tell extra-terrestrial activity was documented on the is gathered . . . Great ideas will lead to more you things you want to hear. Seacoast. Former Portsmouth resident Betty and work for fellow residents and the resulting “Love, jobs, money, health and family. her husband, Barney Hill, were in the national cottage industry will add to the personal feel of Those are the biggies everybody wants to talk spotlight for some time, as the first widely- the city.” about,” diCarlo said. “They build up a profile publicized claim of an alien abduction in 1961. •“More people will begin shopping and they’re very good judges of people and very Their account was later turned into a book and closer to home as the shopping patterns of the intuitive. television movie. Since then, other claims have residents attract more box stores.” “The more info they get, the more surfaced about paranormal activity in the If psychic readings were all for fun, chances they can take with their guesses.” Seacoast. Shortly after the video was posted diCarlo wouldn’t have a problem with it. He does contend that some psychics and Dec. 9, it was linked to paranormal Web sites “My main concern is basically that of ghost hunters actually believe they have and blogs and apparently reported to the Mutual nondisclosure,” said diCarlo, an assistant powers. He even invited one into his class to UFO Network. In the "related videos" portion of professor, whose course offerings at the address the students. the YouTube page are a number of videos of University of Ontario Institute of Technology in “I’m more than happy to give them the similar floating triangles or pyramids filmed in Oshawa, include one on critical thinking. opportunity to demonstrate that what they do is locations throughout the country. When asked “They’re letting people believe they possess real and give them an opportunity to prove me about the anomaly, Mayor Tom Ferrini laughed specific types of powers, which they don’t. It’s wrong.” and said, "That's classified and I'm not at liberty a perfect recipe for exploitation and fraud.” to disclose that at this time." []