Hypnosis: A Modern scientific Perspective

I've extensively rewritten my online paper 'Hypnosis: The Modern Scientific Perspective' at http://www.mheap.com/nature_of_hypnosis.html. This includes a consideration of the differences between clinical hypnosis and academic or experimental hypnosis.

Should the Royal Society of Medicine be doing this?

After many years membership, I have just withdrawn from the Royal Society of Medicine's section on 'Hypnosis and Psychosomatic Medicine'.  The section is due to host a workshop at the RSM on ‘Emotional Freedom Techniques: Tapping into Health’. 

See http://tinyurl.com/zyaw3ul.

 

Emotional Freedom Techniques is a form of therapy based on the ancient Chinese philosophy of chi, the 'life force' that flows throughout the body. During treatment, patients focus their minds on a specific problem while tapping with their fingers on ‘end points of the body's energy meridians’. The theory on which the treatment is based is contradicted by science and there is no convincing evidence that its efficacy goes beyond that of placebo. 

 

Over a couple of years ago I attended a lecture at the RSM arranged by the same section on the topic of ‘Spirit release Therapy’ by a psychiatrist who believes in spirit possession.  See http://tinyurl.com/hcv7fcl.

'He's Autistic'

The other morning I was walking as usual down the road to the newsagent's for my daily paper when I became aware of something pushing at the back of my lower legs.  I turned around and as I did so heard a woman's voice in a loud harsh tone saying (I have changed the name), 'Nathan, I've told you before not to let him get so close to the person in front!'  I then saw a young lad with a dog on a lead and realised what had happened.  There was also another child.  I wanted to say to the lad that I was not bothered at all but before I could the woman said to me in a voice as loud and harsh as before, 'He's autistic!'  After that, somehow what I wanted to say didn't get said.  I carried on and when I looked to the other side of the road I noticed the family had crossed over, the woman had taken charge of the dog, and the boy was trailing behind looking most disconsolate.  Not the best way to start the day.

Make of this what you will

Make what you will of this story about an event that happened recently.  I am only the messenger, so please - no personal insults, abuse, threats, etc.

In a charity shop two members of staff were watching two customers very carefully.  The customers were both big men who had been in the shop a number of times before and could be quite intimidating.  They were known to other local charity shops for their stealing.  Their modus operandi was for one of them to distract the assistant who was on duty, while the other stuffed items for sale into a bag.  They never actually bought anything.  

Thanks to the vigilance of the two staff members, on this occasion they left the shop empty-handed. 

I think most people would consider it despicable for someone to steal items donated by the public to raise money to help those less fortunate in our society.  And most people would have sympathy for the staff who have to deal with this problem regularly.

When the two men had gone, a young lady customer turned to the two assistants and announced, ‘I’m going to report you!’

What reason do you think this person gave for saying this?

‘For being racist.’      

16th European Skeptics Congress

Though not a huge meeting by today’s standards, the 16^th European Skeptics Congress, co- organised by ASKE and APRU (the Anomalistic Research Unit at Goldsmiths College) was a highly successful meeting and feedback has been uniformly enthusiastic.  The congress website is still operating (http://euroscepticscon.org/) and post-congress information will appear in due course. Some audio recordings of talks will be online soon and Klaus Schmeh has a video of his talk on parascientific codes on YouTube at https://youtu.be/jS56Pe_nfsE.  Photographs of the congress may be viewed at https://flic.kr/p/yq4rw4 and a short video prepared by Mark Williams can be watched at https://youtu.be/_o1Rx-2QkEw.  A video recording of the debate on skepticism and medicine is at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4erJFq1Ds0 and https://youtu.be/xyiuzE5fueo.

Latest on the 16th European Skeptics Congress

The three additional events at the European Skeptics Congress 2015 in September at Goldsmiths College  have now been finalised: 

·         Pre-congress event: ‘Codes, Coincidence and Chocolate Fountains: How Numbers Shape our Lives’. This is a fun Maths event with Simon Singh, Chris French, Helen Wilson and Rob Eastaway in the main congress lecture theatre,  Thursday September 10^th  2.30-5.00 p.m. Ticket £5.

·         Greenwich Skeptics in the Pub meeting: The Growth of Skepticism: the UK experience with Chris French, Wendy Grossman, Mike Heap, Mike Hutchinson, Deborah Hyde, Michael Marshall, Ian Ridpath and Richard Wiseman. Each will give a brief talk about the growth of skepticism in the UK. European colleagues are very welcome to share their experiences in their own countries. This meeting is in Goldsmith College's Students Union  on Thursday September 10th and the first speaker is scheduled from 7.30 p.m. onwards. Being a Skeptics in the Pub event, the atmosphere will be informal and there will of course be a bar!  Ticket £5

·         Greenwich Skeptics in the Pub meeting: 'The Science of Magic' by magician and psychologist Gustav Khun . This takes place in the Students Union on Friday September 11th starting at 19.30 hours.  Ticket £5

More details and the programme for the pre-congress Thursday event are available at http://euroscepticscon.org/node/56 (‘Other Events’).

Another reminder about the 16th European Skeptics Congress 2015: Promoting Science, reason and critical thinking

Promoting science, reason and critical thinking

http://euroscepticscon.org/

THE 16^th EUROPEAN SKEPTICS CONGRESS

September 11^th to 13^th 2015

Goldsmiths College, London

Speakers include Jim Al Khalili, Richard Wiseman, Edzard Ernst, Mark Lynas, Catherine de Jong, Chris French, Martin Mahner, Antonin Pavlicek, Stephen Law, Klaus Schmeh and many more.  Saturday is devoted to research at the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit of Goldsmiths College and the Koestler Parapsychology Unit of Edinburgh University, and testing claims of paranormal ability in Germany and the Czech Republic.  Details of affordable accommodation for delegates are provided on the congress website.