How good are Liz's protocols when getting a medium reading? Are they different than Kenny's? What are ways to detect cold-readings? Kenny shares some really entertaining "ghost hunts," and how to make sure you assess everything skeptically. Both Liz and Kenny like evidence, try to avoid belief, have the sense of humor of a twelve-year-old, and challenge how one another think, all of which makes this an especially fun episode.
Kenny Biddle is the Chief Investigator for the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, skeptical investigator and has a column in the Skeptical Inquirer. Despite his skeptical take (more so than Liz), he has taught a class alongside Loyd Auerbach at The Rhine Education Center "Skeptical Approach to Parapsychology." He used to "believe it all," unskeptically, but after some absurd experiences, he changed his mind and learned how to logically evaluate.
While he has concluded differently than Liz and Loyd, and has not concluded an afterlife (or PSI) in general is highly probable, he shares how to protect against fraudulent psychic mediums, how to detect cold-readings, and shares some of the most ridiculous frauds out there, such as $300 ghost-detectors. He has some really fun stories from the field of "ghost-hunting," and he and Liz actually do not disagree on techniques and most of the conclusions.
Follow Kenny Biddle: Facebook | Skeptical Inquirer | YouTube
Full Notes for: Assess Afterlife Evidence and Medium Readings Critically and Avoid $300 Ghost Detectors with Kenny Biddle, Chief Investigator for the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry Episode 48
In this episode:
- Kenny had been a ghost-hunter, like the ones on TV
- He realized he had not thought critically
- He avoids dogmas and belief and likes to have ideas
- What does he think or reincarnation? The work of Dr. Jim Tucker?
- What cases did Kenny work on as a ghost-hunter
- What are some of the most ridiculous cons and tricks he has seen
- In most of the cases he has uncovered, are the people intentionally fraudulent or do they genuinely believe
- How do people react when he uncovers what is going on
- He was a Catholic and believed everything with our assessment
- Does he think any of the Psi evidence is valid
- How can one recognize a cold-reading or avoid a fraudulent medium reading
- What was his "turning point"
- Has he had anything that “shook his skepticism to the core”
- Can Kenny explain logically how Liz bent a spoon
- What’s the death clock?
- How good a sitter is Liz in terms of recognizing cold-reading
- How good are Liz's protocols when getting a medium reading?
- How can anyone be a really good sitter
- Has Kenny had a reading with any of the scientifically verified mediums
... and more
View all episodes
