March 12, 2012 Podcast

The return of the Chupacabra? UFO Congress convention news and Morgan Freeman chimes in the debate of what would happen if we met an intelligent alien species. I wanted to try the "Tip of the Week" segment, but decided instead of talking about listener email that I felt needed to be discussed.

Why am I posting about a podcast? Good question, but not one I'm going to answer yet! I'm am trying something here that may be integrated with something else real soon. If it works it will be very cool, but for now it's just an experiment.

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Soul Has Weight, Physician Thinks

This is what a headline read of the New York Times on March 11, 1907. Dr. Duncan MacDougall from Haverhill, Massachusetts, had placed barely living subjects on a bed which constantly weighed them as they slipped into death. MacDougall felt that the soul was material and had mass, therefore it could be measured.


His first of six human subjects died and immediately lost three-fourths of an ounce, which is 21.3 grams. MacDougall’s experiments and findings were also published in the American Medicine journal as well as the Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research. This experiment has lead to the belief that the soul does indeed weigh 21 grams and that the body will drop weight upon death. The former statement is folklore and the latter is true, yet not from the departure of the life force.

What about the other five bodies MacDougall experimented with? Two results were discarded due to the scale not being adjusted in time as the patient died quickly. Two showed an immediate loss in weight followed by more weight loss as time went by and one showed an immediate loss in weight with no further change. One showed a loss followed by gain and subsequent loss again. MacDougall’s results were questionable at best and a public debate ensued with other professionals through the New York Times and other articles.

The biggest scientific error was the basic methods used. MacDougall and his colleagues involved in the experiment had a difficult time in determining the exact moment of death. Obviously the sample size was not large enough to come up with a distinct number, the belief of 21 grams is based upon the folkloric belief that perpetuated after this experiment was deemed inaccurate by the scientific community- but others still believed it was real. The equipment used to weigh the subjects was precise, albeit unreliable. The subjects were placed on a bed which was affixed to a giant scale that could weigh the individual with an accuracy of within 5 grams. The scale required constant adjustment and the experiment needed constant observation of the body to determine loss due to sweat (no mention of gaseous loss, not sure why they did not use an enclosure) and other potential issues. Overall the experiment was a poor example of the scientific method from beginning, as MacDougall displayed scientific bias alone by already determining he knew what would happen, to end with the equipment issues and small sample size.

Dr. MacDougall did try other similar experiments with dogs and found no loss in weight at the time of death. This, he felt, gave credence to his experiments with humans as he thought dogs had no soul. He again made headlines in 1911 as he was experimenting with x-ray photography during the death process and MacDougall claimed to have seen the soul leaving the body when he observed “a strong ray of pure light”. He went on to perform other experiments in order to prove the soul existed and left the body at death, but he himself died in 1920.

References:

Schneider, Reto U (2009). The Mad Science Book. New York. Fall River Press

The New York Times (March 11, 1907, Pg. 5). Soul Has Weight, Physician Thinks.

Snopes.com: http://www.snopes.com/religion/soulweight.asp

Skeptical Reality of Ghost Hunting

I typically ignore what the hardcore skeptics have to say about the paranormal field. A healthy dose of skepticism is good for any type of scientific endeavor in order to keep things balanced, but many times the hardcore skeptics have an axe to grind and will argue just for the sake of arguing. I will admit, however, that I will frequently read skeptical magazines and view skeptical websites just to see what is going on with the other side as well as to keep myself grounded.


Please click here to read the rest of this blog post on my ParaNexus blog home. I will be adding some new blog posts here in the future (including the rest of this one), but have concentrated my efforts into generating some traffic for ParaNexus.

New Book Release- Handbook for the Amateur Paranormal Investigator II: The Art and Science of Paranormal Investigation Share

"The Art and Science of Paranormal Investigation" picks up where “How to Become a Successful Paranormal Group”, the first book in this series, left off. This book is geared toward those who know the basics beyond what is portrayed on television and the internet and this next chapter takes a step forward into the world of client centered paranormal investigations. Learn the art of the interview including basic body language that can help in interviews as well as everyday situations. Learn advanced interview techniques that are simple to use that will help your client remember the most detail and provide you with an accurate picture of your upcoming investigation of the location. Evidence review, and other topics that are rarely mentioned with investigations, are discussed tool by tool. Learn the reality behind the tools and methods used in the field of paranormal investigation that goes against the popular ways of doing things.

The above is from the back cover of the book and serves as the general description. It's actually my third book, but the second book ("Betty's Ghost: A Guide to Paranormal Investigation") was a companion written for the first book since I was unable to put that content into the first book. The problem for me is that I publish these books through a print on demand company. While this cuts out a lot of hands, time and expenses, it actually drives the cost of a single book up. My first book was a slender 135 pages, which I had to thin out to that size to keep the overall cost of the book to under $20 and still make a little money. The good news is since the costs of doing business for a print on demand company have gone down over the past two years I have been able to put a bit more content into a book for a much more affordable price. The first book is available at most online book stores, but this new release won't hit the virtual book shelves for a few weeks or months, but it is available (along with my other two titles) at Lulu. However, the best deal to get my book without the middle man is from me directly. I'll be at the Ohio Paranormal Convention in August and the Other Side Symposium in November (and hopefully another library tour in between).

My passion for writing these books comes from my frustration felt about the direction in this field years ago as well as my natural urge to want to pass on what I know by teaching others. I have been at my wits end in years past and was told by others in this field to either quit complaining or do something about it, I decided to do both!

My overall goal with these books is to help raise the bar when it comes to the average paranormal group and get groups to understand the difference between having fun, being scientific, as well as helping a client and releasing the urge to "be a part of" the investigation. Along with this, I hope to educate groups and individuals on what science really is, as well as other skills that they won't learn on television, and ultimately pass on some of the knowledge, skills, and resources I have gained in my time in this field. When it's all said and done, I can leave a lasting mark on the paranormal field and culture whether I actually accomplish anything of scientific, or other value, in the field or not.