Michael Cook (and Randi "Psychic Investigator" TV show)

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Ian Pegler
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Re: Michael Cook (and Randi "Psychic Investigator" TV show)

Post by Ian Pegler »

This thread is now over five years old and only five people have contributed to it. Even so, in all
that time some of the questions I raised about the movements of the map/board remain unanswered.
Also I am still not sure whether the YouTube footage is exactly what was shown on British television or
whether it was cut down a bit, and if not then why I seem to have memories of stuff that isn't shown on the YouTube
footage?

Dowsers need to document their own history better, or someone else will do it for them.

Where are the dowsers who were in that audience? I know it was a long time ago, but surely...?

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Re: Michael Cook (and Randi "Psychic Investigator" TV show)

Post by Ian Pegler »

I found a review of the book which accompanied the "Psychic Investigator" series in the Journal of the Society for Psychic Research (Jan. 1992, Vol 58, No. 826).

The reviewer (Tom Ruffles) says that the experiments "were not scientifically conducted". The successful map-dowsing test is dismissed with a statement that:
Journal of SPR, Jan '92 wrote:"it was possible that the person concerned had prior knowledge due to sloppy management by the production team"
The reviewer seems entirely dependent on the book he's reviewing for his information on what actually happened - which is a shame.

However, he is critical of the other tests too and on the whole it's a reasonably fair minded review of what he calls "an insubstantial pot-boiler".

So it's a bit of a disappointment to learn that the SPR have since funded dowsing tests devised by other TV skeptics. Back in 2006, Prof. Chris French of Goldsmiths Uni received a grant from them:
AN INVESTIGATION OF DOWSING
£1472 from the Society for Psychical Research. Application submitted jointly with Dr Elaine Beattie. Awarded August 2006.
A dowsing test done by French the following year was subsequently televised. Dr. Rupert Sheldrake at BSD Conference described it as "designed to fail".

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Re: Michael Cook (and Randi "Psychic Investigator" TV show)

Post by Ian Pegler »

The footage of Michael Cook beating Randi on Psychic Investigator has been removed from YouTube.

Mysteriously, a clip of a dowser failing a test from the very same show has been left in place.

That tells me everything I need to know.

Ian
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Re: Michael Cook (and Randi "Psychic Investigator" TV show)

Post by mike »

Watched that video and I got the ore sample right away after using the middle sample as a focus, but any dowser knows it works,its just the public who is not sure about it, and science who will not conduct a proper study anyway.
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Re: Michael Cook (and Randi "Psychic Investigator" TV show)

Post by mike »

The question that was asked about Dunfirmline Abbey and site of ancient stones/stone circle, which the chap dowsed to be close to the top left of the map Randi had laid out.If you dowse to the right of Dunfirmline Abbey you can see where Abbey Park Pl and St Margaret St meets a little square is on the building shown which if you click it shows Citizen Advice Rights Fife.This is the exact middle of a ancient stone circle some 6000 years old here, which is 114 feet across the middle in my opinion dowsing it just now.
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Re: Michael Cook (and Randi "Psychic Investigator" TV show)

Post by Grahame »

I'm bumping this thread as I've just restored the links to the video footage and the podcast mentioned in Ian Pegler's posts (thanks for the help, Ian!).

If you haven't seen this material before, it's worth a look (and listen) as an example of a dowser clearly and unequivocally, on national television, passing tests set by a sceptic , who then hastily tries to backpedal and deny the evidence.
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Re: Michael Cook (and Randi "Psychic Investigator" TV show)

Post by DowsingResearch »

Ian Pegler wrote: Sun Sep 13, 2015 5:17 pm This thread is now over five years old and only five people have contributed to it. Even so, in all
that time some of the questions I raised about the movements of the map/board remain unanswered.
...
Dowsers need to document their own history better, or someone else will do it for them.
...

Ian
I have documented dowsing data. Over 150 tests with nearly 4,000 datapoints dowsing for oil and gas in the US. I have been trying for years to find people with knowledge of dowsing to chat about the findings and subsequent hypotheses.

Better yet, if anyone out there has a research, physics, engineering, or academic background, I'd be thrilled to talk about the possible links to mainstream sciences that could help take some stigma off of dowsing.

Any help is appreciated.
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Re: Michael Cook (and Randi "Psychic Investigator" TV show)

Post by Grahame »

DowsingResearch wrote: Fri Jun 19, 2020 10:32 pm if anyone out there has a research, physics, engineering, or academic background, I'd be thrilled to talk about the possible links to mainstream sciences that could help take some stigma off of dowsing.
Well, from your handle of 'DowsingResearch' I assumed that you were connected with the BSD's Dowsing Research Group, but perhaps not? :)

Their website is here, and you could probably get a contact for them from the BSD... alternatively, I'd suggest getting in touch with Jeffrey Keen, as he definitely ticks your boxes.

Jeff's books are mentioned a couple of times in the forum:
The Mind's Interaction with the Laws of Physics and Cosmology

Consciousness, Intent, and the Structure of the Universe.
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The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it - Terry Pratchett.
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Re: Michael Cook (and Randi "Psychic Investigator" TV show)

Post by DowsingResearch »

Grahame wrote: Sat Jun 20, 2020 11:59 am
Well, from your handle of 'DowsingResearch' I assumed that you were connected with the BSD's Dowsing Research Group, but perhaps not? :)
No. I am an independent researcher in the US who has new evidence to sort out.

Thank you Grahame for the multiple links and suggestions! It appears that I have some reading to do.
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