# Dear parapsychologists, I invite you to convince me that you are scientists. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 20, 2007, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-parapsychologists-i-invite-you-to-convince-me-that-you-are-scientists/419924 "2007-09-20T22:57:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![lekatt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lekatt/32/7269_2.png) [@lekatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lekatt)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2007, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-parapsychologists-i-invite-you-to-convince-me-that-you-are-scientists/419924/261 "2007-10-05T13:09:18Z")
I have noticed on this board when the skeptics call for a cite, and one is given, they never comment on what the cite says about the debate. It’s like it’s invisible to them. Well, here we are calling for a real psychic again after I posted links to real psychics earlier. [http://noreenrenier.com/media/artic...ineresearch.htm](http://noreenrenier.com/media/artic...ineresearch.htm) then look here: [http://www.crimelibrary.com/crimina...hics/index.html](http://www.crimelibrary.com/crimina...hics/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2007, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-parapsychologists-i-invite-you-to-convince-me-that-you-are-scientists/419924/262 "2007-10-05T13:34:33Z")
[QUOTE=lekatt] I have noticed on this board when the skeptics call for a cite, and one is given, they never comment on what the cite says about the debate. It’s like it’s invisible to them. Well, here we are calling for a real psychic again after I posted links to real psychics earlier. [http://noreenrenier.com/media/artic...ineresearch.htm](http://noreenrenier.com/media/artic...ineresearch.htm) then look here: [http://www.crimelibrary.com/crimina...hics/index.html](http://www.crimelibrary.com/crimina...hics/index.html) [/QUOTE] First link doesn’t work. Second link is next to useless. It’s just a general link to something called a “Crime Library”. Can _you_ give me the _name_ of a real psychic. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2007, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-parapsychologists-i-invite-you-to-convince-me-that-you-are-scientists/419924/263 "2007-10-05T14:56:10Z")
[QUOTE=DocCathode] In your post about Randi, you give a lot of information about auras. Given that you seem to know so much about them, why can’t you prove they exist? If confronted with a community of deaf people, I could prove the existence of sound. If confronted with a group of colorblind people, I could prove the existence of color. If you can perceive auras, why can’t you prove to us that they exist? [/quote] [How to view the human aura.](http://www.chioshealing.com/HealingLevel2/ViewAura/viewaura.htm) (Be sure to ground & center first!) > [@](#): > > If real psychics occupy such an enlightened state of mind and seek to do good for humanity, why aren’t there more famous ones? Why don’t these people seek fame and wealth as _means_ of doing the most good? Wouldn’t fame allow them to take on more students whose consciousness they could raise? To experience true visions, you need to disconnect from people as much as possible. People are distracting. Becoming rich & famous (especially if you’re a celebrity like John Edwards) means you’re constantly _surrounded_ by people, and therefore too distracted to experience real visions. Therefore, becoming rich & famous is antithetical to experiencing visions. (John Edwards, btw, is a poor example – [he’s already been proven to be a total fraud.](http://www.skepticism.net/articles/2002/000029.html)) ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2007, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-parapsychologists-i-invite-you-to-convince-me-that-you-are-scientists/419924/264 "2007-10-05T15:10:21Z")
[QUOTE=KGS] [How to view the human aura.](http://www.chioshealing.com/HealingLevel2/ViewAura/viewaura.htm) (Be sure to ground & center first!) [/QUOTE] I did not ask how I could view an aura. I asked if you could prove it existed. Assume I’m ‘colorblind’ and cannot see auras. Can you prove to me that they exist? By the way, John _Edwards_ is not a fraud. He is a senator. John _Edward_ OTOH is fraud. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2007, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-parapsychologists-i-invite-you-to-convince-me-that-you-are-scientists/419924/265 "2007-10-05T15:25:29Z")
> [@](#): > > John Edwards is not a fraud. He is a senator A politician that isn’t a fraud? Even rarer than genuine psychics. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2007, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-parapsychologists-i-invite-you-to-convince-me-that-you-are-scientists/419924/266 "2007-10-05T15:28:01Z")
[QUOTE=Peter Morris] A politician that isn’t a fraud? [/QUOTE] It’s like the difference between a courtesan and a whore. ---
**Author:** ![recessiveMeme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/46a35a/32.png) [@recessiveMeme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/recessiveMeme)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2007, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-parapsychologists-i-invite-you-to-convince-me-that-you-are-scientists/419924/267 "2007-10-05T15:35:56Z")
[QUOTE=Czarcasm] First link doesn’t work. Second link is next to useless. It’s just a general link to something called a “Crime Library”. Can you give me the name of a real psychic. [/quote] I don’t want to put links into **lekatt** ’s mouth, but I believe he was attempting to re-post these two from [post 240](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=9041131&postcount=240): [http://noreenrenier.com/media/articles/rhineresearch.htm](http://noreenrenier.com/media/articles/rhineresearch.htm) [http://www.crimelibrary.com/criminal\_mind/forensics/psychics/index.html](http://www.crimelibrary.com/criminal_mind/forensics/psychics/index.html) The link first goes to the website of self-proclaimed “psychic detective” Noreen Renier (name #1) where one can view a number of viciously-paraphrased testimonials and impressive-sounding unsubstantiated claims. The second goes to a 15-chapter editorial of sorts by a [Katherine Ramsland](http://www.katherineramsland.com/main.html) who, among other things, talks about her view of psychic powers in general, historical psychic phenomena, and various works of fiction pertaining to psychics. Though **lekatt** has thus far refused to indicate which specific aspects of either source he’d like to discuss, it seems your question of “current psychics” is somewhat addressed by [chapter 12](http://www.crimelibrary.com/criminal_mind/forensics/psychics/12.html) of Ramsland’s article, “The New Psychics.” It chronicles the life and times of [Allison Dubois](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allison_DuBois) (name #2) who apparently served as the inspiration for the TV series _[Medium](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medium_%28TV_series%29)_. As you can imagine, I don’t endorse either individual as a “current real psychic”-- I’m just trying to assist friend **lekatt**. ---
**Author:** ![recessiveMeme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/46a35a/32.png) [@recessiveMeme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/recessiveMeme)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2007, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-parapsychologists-i-invite-you-to-convince-me-that-you-are-scientists/419924/268 "2007-10-05T15:38:34Z")
[QUOTE=lekatt] I have noticed on this board when the skeptics call for a cite, and one is given, they never comment on what the cite says about the debate. It’s like it’s invisible to them. Well, here we are calling for a real psychic again after I posted links to real psychics earlier. [/quote] You’re not the only noticing things 'round here, bub. Allow me to direct your attention to [post 249](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=9041672&postcount=249). I’ll ask again, with added _emphásis_: [QUOTE=recessiveMeme] **Just out of curiosity, which of the links you provided should prove most enlightening?** The homepage of world-famous psychic detective Noreen Renier with it’s interesting color scheme and derth of verifiable facts? Or is it the strange editorial written by Kathleen Ramsland which, after offering some vague claims without references, proceeds to delve into a treatment of psychics throughout history? **Is there a particular piece of information from either source you’d like to discuss, or is the totality of both links supposed to produce some utterly convincing gestalt?** [/quote] Got any answers yet? Or will it be more of this? [QUOTE=lekatt] Just forget it, that’s the best course of action. I am not interested in whether you believe in psychics or not. There are much more important things in this world. [/quote] ---
**Author:** ![DiggitCamara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@DiggitCamara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiggitCamara)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2007, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-parapsychologists-i-invite-you-to-convince-me-that-you-are-scientists/419924/269 "2007-10-05T15:47:01Z")
[QUOTE=recessiveMeme] You’re not the only noticing things 'round here, bub. Allow me to direct your attention to [post 249](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=9041672&postcount=249). I’ll ask again, with added _emphásis_:Got any answers yet? Or will it be more of this? [/QUOTE] No, no, NO! Look: you’re supposed to go to those links, read them and return convinced! You’re NOT supposed to go there, read them critically and come back prepared to discuss them! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2007, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-parapsychologists-i-invite-you-to-convince-me-that-you-are-scientists/419924/270 "2007-10-05T16:31:08Z")
[QUOTE=DocCathode] By the way, John _Edwards_ is not a fraud. He is a senator. John _Edward_ OTOH is fraud. [/QUOTE] Typo. My bad. 😉 > [@](#): > > Assume I’m ‘colorblind’ and cannot see auras. Can you prove to me that they exist? Well, if you had genuine [dyschromatopsia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyschromatopsia), you would have to take on faith that red, green, blue, yellow, and all the other shades of visible light and you are one of those rare people who cannot see them. You could also apply science to understand the variant electromagnetic frequencies that stimulate retinal cones which are connected via the optic nerve to the brain’s visual cortex and thus interpreted as color, and therefore reach the conclusion that some part of your visual matrix is defective. However, if you _refuse to believe_ that what I just told you about color perception is the truth, and that everyone who says “red” or “green” is deluded by some conspiracy…then no, I couldn’t convince you that colors exist. This analogy’s a bit faulty, because what I just described has been accepted & verified as scientific FACT, and color blindness (especially total color blindness) is quite rare. So if 95% of the world perceived color, and 5% do not, it’s easy for those 5% to accept the existence of color without understanding the biological mechanism. Meanwhile, if 5% of the world can see auras, and 95% do not, and there’s no _accepted_ scientific methodology to demonstrate how auras work…then it’s natural to assume those 5% are either deluded or downright mentally ill. In other words, it all comes down to peer pressure. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2007, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-parapsychologists-i-invite-you-to-convince-me-that-you-are-scientists/419924/271 "2007-10-05T16:34:27Z")
By the way, I’ve been wondering lately if there’s a link between [synesthesia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia) and the ability to read [auras.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aura_(paranormal)) Turns out I’m not the only one: [http://jeff.zaadz.com/blog/2006/3/the\_human\_aura\_what\_is\_it](http://jeff.zaadz.com/blog/2006/3/the_human_aura_what_is_it) > **[Rainbow Coalition of the Brain](https://www.wired.com/2005/03/rainbow-coalition-of-the-brain/)** > > New research suggests people with synesthesia may be better problem solvers. Tasting sounds and smelling colors could be good for cognition. By Rowan Hooper. > **[Psychic powers that enable people to see auras around others may simply be a...](https://www.news-medical.net/news/2004/10/18/5619.aspx)** > > Supposed psychic powers that enable people to see auras around others may simply be a quirk of the brain, according to a University College London (UCL) study of a rare form of synaesthesia where some people see colourful ‘auras’ around their loved... ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2007, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-parapsychologists-i-invite-you-to-convince-me-that-you-are-scientists/419924/272 "2007-10-05T16:45:19Z")
There’s a simpler way to prove the existence of color to a colorblind person. Get a few pieces of cardboard and paint them in equally bright colors. Mark on the back which is which. Then over multiple trials identify the colors by looking at the front. After a while, you get a figure much greater than random chance. Why not a similar procedure for auras? Assume I can’t see auras. You say you can. There has to be test that could prove it. My first exposure to Randi was a television special that included a test for an aura claimant. The woman picked ten audience members who she said had bright auras that extended at least a foot from their bodies. Randi had them stand behind a wall just an inch or so taller than their heads. The woman failed the test. But, it seems sound to me. ---
**Author:** ![DiggitCamara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@DiggitCamara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiggitCamara)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2007, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-parapsychologists-i-invite-you-to-convince-me-that-you-are-scientists/419924/273 "2007-10-05T17:18:24Z")
[QUOTE=KGS] By the way, I’ve been wondering lately if there’s a link between [synesthesia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia) and the ability to read [auras.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aura_(paranormal)) Turns out I’m not the only one: [http://jeff.zaadz.com/blog/2006/3/the\_human\_aura\_what\_is\_it](http://jeff.zaadz.com/blog/2006/3/the_human_aura_what_is_it) [http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/news/2005/03/66770](http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/news/2005/03/66770) > **[Psychic powers that enable people to see auras around others may simply be a...](https://www.news-medical.net/news/2004/10/18/5619.aspx)** > > Supposed psychic powers that enable people to see auras around others may simply be a quirk of the brain, according to a University College London (UCL) study of a rare form of synaesthesia where some people see colourful ‘auras’ around their loved... [/QUOTE] Interesting. But isn’t synesthesia something that is located in the observer, not the object? Wouldn’t “aura reading” then be a perception, more than an actual, objective property of the person who’s being observed? Because in that case it would be like saying that a myopic person, by the mere fact of seeing people blurry, had “special powers” instead of saying that because of some property of their eyes their perception of objects is distorted. ---
**Author:** ![lekatt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lekatt/32/7269_2.png) [@lekatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lekatt)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2007, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-parapsychologists-i-invite-you-to-convince-me-that-you-are-scientists/419924/274 "2007-10-05T17:46:14Z")
[QUOTE=Czarcasm] First link doesn’t work. Second link is next to useless. It’s just a general link to something called a “Crime Library”. Can _you_ give me the _name_ of a real psychic. [/QUOTE] Sorry about that link. Here is the correct one and a quote: > [@](#): > > You may have seen Noreen as a guest on the Nancy Grace and Larry King shows or, recently, on an episode of Court TV’s popular Psychic Detectives series. For over two decades this gracious woman has matched wits with murderers, rapists, and child molesters, using only the powers of her mind. She is the only psychic to be recommended by both the FBI and police, and has worked on more than 400 cases with law enforcement agencies in 42 states and 6 foreign countries. > > [Noreen Renier - Psychic Detective](http://noreenrenier.com/media/articles/rhineresearch.htm) As you can see she is a real psychic who works for the FBI and police departments, I have seen her on TV many times and she is very good. Anyone who says she is not a real psychic probably needs to contact some of the police departments she has worked for and/or the FBI to clearify her credentials. I know from experience a skeptic will never give up their position no matter how strong the proof may be. But for the record there are psychics and a lot of good psychics. One of them helped me a lot, and I have many friends that are psychics. Reality won’t go away just because science can’t measure it or because it conflicts with some of science’s doctrine. If they are those who wish to talk intelligently about psychics I would be happy to answer their posts. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2007, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-parapsychologists-i-invite-you-to-convince-me-that-you-are-scientists/419924/275 "2007-10-05T17:51:17Z")
[QUOTE=DiggitCamara] But isn’t synesthesia something that is located in the observer, not the object? Wouldn’t “aura reading” then be a perception, more than an actual, objective property of the person who’s being observed? [/QUOTE] If what you say is true, then it’s logical to assume that “aura reading” takes place entirely within the observer’s mind, and therefore no energy transfer takes place. (Which doesn’t explain why [aura meters](http://www.realmagick.com/articles/93/993.html) apparently work…but we’ll worry about that later.) [QUOTE=DocCathode] My first exposure to Randi was a television special that included a test for an aura claimant. The woman picked ten audience members who she said had bright auras that extended at least a foot from their bodies. Randi had them stand behind a wall just an inch or so taller than their heads. The woman failed the test. But, it seems sound to me. [/QUOTE] If James Randi had really studied “aura reading” from a New Age/Wiccan perspective, he would know that the FIRST thing you are taught is that you have total control over your aura, you can “allow it to fill the room” or “pull your aura next to your skin” using a simple mental exercise. Also, if auras are truly a synesthetic response (which has yet to be proven) then you must see at least _some part_ of the subject in order to visualize any aura at all. Therefore one of two conditions must be true: (1) James Randi is totally ignorant about how auras work, or (2) James Randi knows _exactly_ how auras work, and deliberately uses methods to _make the experiment fail_, for the purpose of fulfilling his own self-aggrandizement and perpetuating the myth that psychic science is just a bunch of hocus-pocus. I suspect (2) to be the case. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2007, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-parapsychologists-i-invite-you-to-convince-me-that-you-are-scientists/419924/276 "2007-10-05T17:58:55Z")
Your link goes to an article on divining rods, I don’t see anything about aura meters. Why should James Randi know how auras behave? He does not believe they exist, since he has seen no evidence of them. You are claiming that auras behave a certain way, but you still have not shown any evidence that they exist or that you can see them. Surely some experiment can be set up to prove these things. **Lekatt** You linked to a page on the "psychic"s own website. Where is the proof? I see a paragraph without cites or evidence. ---
**Author:** ![DiggitCamara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@DiggitCamara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiggitCamara)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2007, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-parapsychologists-i-invite-you-to-convince-me-that-you-are-scientists/419924/277 "2007-10-05T18:11:18Z")
[QUOTE=KGS] If what you say is true, then it’s logical to assume that “aura reading” takes place entirely within the observer’s mind, and therefore no energy transfer takes place. (Which doesn’t explain why [aura meters](http://www.realmagick.com/articles/93/993.html) apparently work…but we’ll worry about that later.) (snip) Also, if auras are truly a synesthetic response (which has yet to be proven) then you must see at least some part of the subject in order to visualize any aura at all. Therefore one of two conditions must be true: (1) James Randi is totally ignorant about how auras work, or (2) James Randi knows exactly how auras work, and deliberately uses methods to make the experiment fail, for the purpose of fulfilling his own self-aggrandizement and perpetuating the myth that psychic science is just a bunch of hocus-pocus. (snip) [/QUOTE] Well… yes. The thing is, if “aura meters” work (and no, I didn’t see anything about aura meters in your link either), then there would be no reason to link it to a synesthetic response. And if they work, Randi’s actions shouldn’t have an effect on the people who are able to read auras, or even if they did, they would be irrelevant. Overall, I would see two possibilities: 1. It’s linked to a synesthetic response. Thus, it’s not an “energy transmission” at all, but, literally, in the eye of the beholder. It wouldn’t be paranormal at all. 2. It’s an “energy transmission” and you can build an “aura reader”. In that case a simple “blind” test should be able to prove its existence. You would depend on performing your test on people who, when tested, don’t “voluntarily retract their auras to their skins”, but that shouldn’t really be a problem, would it? ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2007, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-parapsychologists-i-invite-you-to-convince-me-that-you-are-scientists/419924/278 "2007-10-05T18:17:03Z")
[QUOTE=DocCathode] Your link goes to an article on divining rods, I don’t see anything about aura meters. [/quote] They are the same thing. [Here’s a better link.](http://www.psi-tronics.com/OracleHealingKit/oraclehealingkit.htm) > [@](#): > > You are claiming that auras behave a certain way, but you still have not shown any evidence that they exist or that you can see them. Surely some experiment can be set up to prove these things. We can do that right now, if you like. I don’t always see auras in real life, but I can read them via the Internet. I’m also willing to reveal my methodology and how it pertains to synesthesia and the art of cold reading. (And if your hypothesis is that “aura reading” is merely a shorthand to cold reading…then we’re on the same page. This is all about fighting ignorance, after all.) And yes, [I have synesthesia.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=8993409&postcount=16)🆒 ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2007, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-parapsychologists-i-invite-you-to-convince-me-that-you-are-scientists/419924/279 "2007-10-05T18:23:52Z")
[QUOTE=KGS] We can do that right now, if you like. I don’t always see auras in real life, but I can read them via the Internet. [/QUOTE] Previously you stressed the importance of being able to see a body part to read an aura. Now you say you can read them over the internet? What kind of information do you get from reading auras? ---
**Author:** ![DiggitCamara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@DiggitCamara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiggitCamara)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2007, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-parapsychologists-i-invite-you-to-convince-me-that-you-are-scientists/419924/280 "2007-10-05T18:55:05Z")
[QUOTE=lekatt] Sorry about that link. Here is the correct one and a quote: As you can see she is a real psychic who works for the FBI and police departments, I have seen her on TV many times and she is very good. Anyone who says she is not a real psychic probably needs to contact some of the police departments she has worked for and/or the FBI to clearify her credentials. (snip) [/QUOTE] A couple of points: 1. I don’t know if you have noticed, but the link to Noreen Renier announces a speech of hers in June of 2006. So, the site doesn’t seem exactly current 2. The [FBI search on their site](http://search.fbi.gov/search?q=psychic&btnG=Search&site=my_collection&submit22.y=12&output=xml_no_dtd&submit22.x=25&client=my_collection&proxystylesheet=my_collection&oe=UTF-8) doesn’t exactly show a lot of reports containing the word “psychic”. It doesn’t contain any references to “Psychic detective Renier” (and I tried using different variations on that theme). So, though I didn’t actually contact the FBI, her credentials concerning her work with them seems, at first glance, suspect 3. Seeing someone on TV isn’t exactly proof of anything. Neither is information on the internet trustworthy by its mere existence. Usually if something is true, it can and will be corroborated by several sources. So far your evidence about “true psychics” has been wanting at best [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-parapsychologists-i-invite-you-to-convince-me-that-you-are-scientists/419924.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-parapsychologists-i-invite-you-to-convince-me-that-you-are-scientists/419924.md?page=15)