Hello.
Recently I heard about The Million Dollar Challenge made by James Randi Educational Foundation. The Foundation promisses to give one million dollars to a person, who could demonsttrate any kind of paranormal/occult power under their observing conditions. There are so many people pacticing magic, and so many occult societies that you woudn't want their leaders to seem without any powers. But why nobody ever claimed those damned million dollars? Your opinions? Have you ever heard about this challenge before?

Link to the Foundation's site:http://www.randi.org/research/index.html

Application and rules:http://www.randi.org/research/challenge.html

Yes I've heard of the challenge. Sounds like a group of skeptics looking for a miracle. Magick is not miraculous and I think works in such a subtle way that conventional science couldn't varify it anyways. Say for example I did a love spell. Not on a particular person but just to draw somebody close to me. Say after three weeks I get married. How do you scientifically prove that the spell was the cause? Sure I could find some random stranger and cast a spell on them to make them fall in love with me but I don't think magick works like that. I think if I did that they would probably fall for someone or feel stronger feelings for somebody they already love who is already very close to them.

Now if I could levitate, had psychic powers, could talk to ghosts and other entities, PK, or even if I could astral project and see whats inside some scientist's wallet - now that would be interesting.

So in the case of someone that has a spirit following how would it ever be proved? For instance i meditate very deeply and start bableing in a language i have no training in is that magic? OR i wake from a trance and show everyone how to sort out the golden mean is that magic or did i already know?

I can understand why someone would want to do this but its not a movie, there are no blazing fireballs to see. Even if one can travel while dreaming it cant be proved. You dont actually see demons or angels that are summoned you feel them. And even if you do see them yourself theres no saying that anyone else would.
How about if you punch someone from 6 inches away and they go flying 15 feet back is that magic? It is but would it win a million dollars?

Its almost like saying prove to me there is a one and only god and ill give you a million dollars.

By the way yes ive heard of it before.

This post has been edited by Enochian: Jun 30 2007, 02:20 PM

There is a small problem: One must have a media presence to apply.

"12. This offer is not open to any and all persons. Before being considered as an applicant, the person
applying must satisfy two conditions: First, he/she must have a “media presence,” which means having
been published, written about, or known to the media in regard to his/her claimed abilities or powers.
This can be established by producing articles, videos, books, or other published material that specifically
addresses the person’s abilities. Second, he/she must produce at least one signed document from an
academic who has witnessed the powers or abilities of the person, and will validate that these powers or
abilities have been verified." from Randi.org Challenge Rules

You wouldn't happen to know how one goes about gaining the medias’ attention, would you? Most people that appear in the news for their occult abilities are normally not someone that could win the prize. The only ones I have ever seen are crackpots and charlatans, not reputable occultists.

Not only that, the "media" will be looking for ways to expose you as a quote-unquote "fraud" to the world. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/butcher.gif)

Who wants to walk around wearing a bull's-eye on their chest? I certainly don't.




Jimmy Buffett said it best:

"You got fins to the left, Fins to the right
And you're the only bait in town."

I'm sorry, I'm not going to let them study me so they can cut me up into little pieces or what ever.

what about a spirit evokation on the physical plane? Why hasnt anyone done that as a demonstration?

I like that ... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)



"Analyze THIS!" (IMG:style_emoticons/default/evil.gif)

haha yea..i dont know why the prize hasnt been claimed through this method (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused012.gif)

I'm lead to believe it's largely a hoax as well, but as soon as I can reliably levitate something, turn invisible, etc., I'll at least give it a shot. It would be worth it to open the minds of millions.

However, I read this at psipog a while back, went and dug it up again - http://www.psipog.net/art-beware-pseudo-skepticism.html - so there are some questions and suspicious activities hanging around in the air about that lot. Not sure what to think.

Demonstrating a reliable paranormal ability, though, has a value far exceeding a pithy million bucks. If you had media presence already, you wouldn't need the million dollars.

peace

In the back of my paranoid mind I wonder "what if", what if this is really a trap set by some black ops agency that opperates outside the laws of our government to track and catch people who really can produce paranormal events. And they do so to either suppress their knowledge from tainting the hold of government power over the people. Or to study it and find military applications before anybody else does or before the knowledge becomes wide spread. I know that if i were some tap authority and know such paranormal abilities were real I would want to control such information as much as possible - that or explode it upon the world at my a time of my choosing after I studied it for years.

Great to find out that I am not the only one whose mind working in such a paranoid way. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) I was thinking about a very similar scenario, only without the government agency part. I mean like an individual with his personal agenda behind the above-mentioned thought.

Yeah like an evil super villan type - only in real life. Still though I don't trust the government. They'd have to be involved some how. like maybe granting amnesty or funding the prize. However I also have to agree if I could produce undeniable paranormal activity I would seek my own media channels and make FAR more than a mere million exploding that knowledge onto the public.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) Yes, a much more agreeable way to exploit ones magickal talents, I must admit. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Simply from curiosity, (as I don’t practicing magic, so it doesn’t concern me in any way), I read the application form.

First of all it gave me a very unpleasant impression. A mixture of arrogance, inconsideration of others feelings and… I can’t say exactly what else. But I instinctively disliked the author of the text.

Secondly, it doesn’t answer my main question, the question that I always have, when someone offering something: “What does HE get of this?”

I mean by this: Is he a skeptic, who doesn’t believe in magic and consequently, is absolutely sure that he won’t have to pay the price and so, just aiming to get free publicity in others expense? Does he intent, to cover this amount and make on top profit, by exploiting the material (photos, videos, etc.), in case of someone succeeding? You see I am an economist, I think about this in profit-expenses terms. What does he hope to gain of this? Just a millionaire’s whim? Well, I believe “whim” to be an excuse that we use when we don’t want to rationalize our actions.

Does anybody know the answer to this question? Anyway. As long as I can’t answer this question in a satisfying way, I‘ll continue to produce in my head all kind of paranoid scenarios about this challenge.

Magick takes the path of least resistance. What Randi seeks are nothing less than outright MIRACLES.


It's entirely possible to use magick to levitate a glass of water -- but wouldn't it be easier just to pick it up yourself? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused012.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) lol you have a great point! also I don't see why I would ever want to try something like this challenge because what if you did do it and got the million dollars but then more and more people want to have you do it again and agian over and over until your magickal powers hit their limit and you arent able to conjure or do anything as well PLUS you have been using your magick against it's teraching which is to better yourself (and others) but over all you would be doing this for greed after a while and you could become corrupted and when you arne't able to produce the results you used to everyone will end upo thinking your a fraud anyways...

~myroku

P.S. its just a thought! lol

I'd be interested in doing it for the name of science. That is if I had some super power. But I wouldn't need a million dollars to demonstrate the feat at all. Besides anybody who goes ppublic about such powers and can prove they are the real deal will rich some way, if they want.

There have been days when I'd pay a TRILLION dollars just to get rid of a particularly annoying perception.
I think it's a plea from someone who sees themselves trapped in a less than ideal world, desperate for freedom. Maybe they think the limitations in the requirements protect them from charlatans who would crush their fragile dreams of escape, while really serving to repulse the very people who would help achieve those dreams. I imagine it's an egotistical balancing act; by always searching and never finding, cherished hopes are protected AND the self isn't in jeopardy of a potential fatal change in the world-view.
(Not that any of that makes sense.) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sweatdrop.gif)

It reminds me of that scene in Austin Powers after Dr. Evil returns... One Million Dollars has a ring to it, but like Acid09 said, there's probably more to be made with the great ship Entrepreneur.

This post has been edited by SeekerVI: Aug 4 2007, 06:16 PM

Acid, I think you nailed the point better as exactly as one possibily can. Besides let's consider the fact that the amazing Randi really isn't anyone that would be worthy of a demonstration for demonstration sake. Just look at the guy, do you really want one million of his dollars? I sure as hell don't, it's one thing to sell out, but anothe rthing to sell out for that tub. Selling out to Randi's challenge is the kind of publicity magic doesn't need, it needs someone with a pure heart and purpose, true royalty who would look with a sort of contempt upon something as primitive as this. In other words don't be a pimped by Randi.

As for his million dollar challenge if you pm MR Merlin he would be able to tell you more .According to him he and numerous of his acquaintances who are all bonafide and well tuned psychics have attempted to cash in over the years. The result, an endless stream of paperwork, paperwork that you may very well have to pay for. In other words he'll give you a million after you pay him 1,000 dollars in paper work fees that will go on endlessly.

If you had the power,
then
you would not need a million dollars.

Thy riches would be infinite.