March 8,1997
The $1,094,000 Therapeutic Touch Challenge!
The James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF), Philadelphia Area Nurses and Skeptics Alliance (PANSA) and PBS's Scientific American Frontiers are jointly conducting a test of Therapeutic Touch. The award of $1,094, 000 is fully guaranteed by the James Randi Educational Foundation of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The testing will be supervised and videotaped by Scientific American Frontiers for a program to be broadcast in November of this year.
In the Nursing profession, Therapeutic Touch (TT) is known as an energy- based healing system. According to the TT hypothesis, the human body radiates an energy field 4-8 inches from the skin. The practitioners are supposedly able to feel, assess, and correct abnormalities in this field. They claim that they do this simply by waving their hands over the recipients without ever actually touching them. Since the time of its inception, no one has actually proved that this field exists.
In a previous test held on November 8, 1996, a TT practitioner had failed to prove that she was able to feel an energy field. However, she is just one of over 40,000 active practitioners who claim to have this amazing talent. In the spirit of good Science and good Nursing, it is time to show that at least one TT practitioner has the ability to feel this field.
The test will be conducted at:
The JREF Building in Ft Lauderdale Florida on June 2, 3 &4.
The test will include the use of a fiberglass construct that has two sleeves that allows the insertion of a subject's arms. This construct will be placed on a table and covered with a simple sheet. There will be three stages to the test using the same basic format. This format will be based on a random coin-flip which will determine whether the right or left arm is inserted into the construct. The TT practitioner will then assess the energy emanating from the construct to determine which sleeve is occupied. In Part 1, a series of ten "open" trials will be done where there will be a clear view of which arm is occupying the construct. This will establish the TT practitioner's ability to feel the field and become comfortable with the format.
In Part 2, a curtain will be drawn to bar the TT practitioner from seeing which arm is in the construct. A series of twenty double-blinded random trials will be performed. A score of 15 or greater will be considered a positive result and will allow that practitioner to advance to Part 3. Part 3 is to be done the following day using the same format as Part 2. A score of 20 out of 20 in Part 3 will win the $1,097,000 award.
Scientific American Frontiers is an objective 3rd party unaffiliated with either skeptics groups or proponents of TT. They will be the official judges for this test.
The integrity of the nursing profession is important. Thus, it is important that the TT concept be understood and utilized to its fullest potential.
Inquiries for information and registration will be taken starting March 16, 1997. Contact Bob Glickman RN, President of PANSA, Philadelphia Area Nurses & Skeptics Alliance, PO Box 21970, Philadelphia, PA 19124. (215 ) 533-4677. Or contact the James Randi Educational Foundation, 201 SE Davie Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale FL 33316-1815. (954) 467-1112
This page has been hit times.
since Nov 15 1996.
Go Back to Therapeutic Touch page ,
Comments can be sent to eric@voicenet.com I'm happy to publish critical responses to my claims.