May 2003 by Robert Novella Out-of-body experiences are interpreted by many believers as profound and telling events. These experiences are thought to provide compelling evidence or at least powerful testimony that our personalities and memories are not bound up in the matter of our brains but in an ethereal or astral substrate. Once freed, we […]
October 2001 by Robert Novella In the wake of the September 11th disaster, the credulous grasp at metaphysical straws looking to make meaning from chaos. It all started with an email in my inbox. Only days after the World Trade Center and Pentagon tragedies, I started receiving emails with amazing stories about how Nostradamus predicted […]
July 2001 (Updated August 2009) by Perry DeAngelis On July 23rd, 2001 the NESS decided “To Be A Part of History!” At least that’s what we and hundreds of others were invited to be by Dennis Lee’s ever-traveling huckster show of technological magic. This is the opening line of the advertisement announcing the beginning of […]
April 2001 by Jon Blumenfeld When you go to the movie theater, does it sometimes seem as though you’re seeing the same film over and over again? Are you tired of seeing a hero with hidden talents called reluctantly to greatness, guided by a knowledgeable mentor, faced with a series of challenges and with his […]
July 2001 by Robert Novella Ephemeral and ubiquitous, light has been mystifying to man since the first homo-sapien pondered its existence countless millennia ago. It remains so to this day but science has taught us much in the intervening time. Of all its bizarre properties, the most self-evident is probably its vast speed. Light is […]
May 2004 by Steven Novella, MD Why, as activist skeptics, do we do what we do? What claims and beliefs deserve the attention of our cold analysis and sharp criticism? Why should NEJS readers care about a careful dissection of the silly paranormal belief du jour? Shouldn’t we restrict our activities and attention to serious […]
July 2000 by Robert Novella You might think that the popularity of the weather channel would result in a much higher public saviness for meteorological concepts. While more people than ever are aware of cold fronts, dew points, jet streams, and high-pressure systems, many meteorological misconceptions are still deeply entrenched in the public consciousness. So […]
08.03Medium Dead
July 2000 by Jon Blumenfeld If you’ve ever wondered what the phrase ‘heebie-jeebies’ means, tune into the Sci Fi channel Sunday through Thursday at 11:00 p.m. and you’re sure to get a good, solid case. The show in question is called ‘Crossing Over with John Edward,’ and it features yet another medium using age-old carnival […]
July 2000 (updated June 2009) by Steven Novella, MD Lynne LaFountain lives in a modest condo in the small town of Winsted, CT, which NESS investigators were invited to visit this May. As we sat in her living room, this ordinary appearing middle-aged woman spoke to the small gathering in the voice of D’Hartma, the […]
October 2001 by Gerald Bergman, PhD Many modern religions make specific claims which are incongruent with reality and the results of scientific research. One of the best examples is religion-motivated medical neglect which in one church congregation alone resulted in the death of at least 64 children from 1975 to 1995 (Asser and Swan, 1998). […]