Ethics of Peddling the Paranormal
Is it OK for non-believers to sell the paranormal?
Filed under Alternative Medicine, Paranormal
| Skeptoid #04 October 24, 2006 Podcast transcript | Listen | Subscribe Also available in Japanese |
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By Brian Dunning, Skeptoid Podcast
Episode 04, October 24, 2006
http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4003
This is where I break ranks with the majority of the skeptical community, and come out, surprisingly, generally in favor of those who peddle the paranormal, in cases where no harm is done.
In our society, people have the right to purchase things they want that are of no benefit, or even harmful. Cigarettes, alcohol, expensive cosmetic products containing questionable ingredients like "extract of oleander" — these are just a few examples. It's a free country, and most people want these things. We've decided, as a nation, that the preferences of a few should not curtail the freedoms of the many. And I believe most skeptics would agree: paranormal services from palm readers to homeopathy stores have every right to exist. I hope my kids don't become customers, but I feel education is a better way to address it than government intervention.
Since we agree that these services have the right to exist, and that people must be free to make their own choices about using them, I personally would have no problem stepping up and selling my own psychic predictions. I would love to be able to perform a good cold reading. My dream is to start a church and become fabulously wealthy, with the world's happiest customers. These customers are people who are already believers, whose minds are not about to be changed by a few skeptics. They are going to buy these services: and if they don't buy them from me, they're going to buy them from the psychic next door. I could do a good job. I could be perfectly convincing and tell them exactly what they hope to hear for their money. In fact, the customer's experience will be identical to that they'd receive from the "real" psychic next door. We agree that customers have the right to spend their money on whatever they want. We agree that a customer is being deceived whenever he buys any supernatural product, no matter who sells it. We agree that no power on earth could convince that customer that he's being deceived. Add it all up, and we have a customer who insists on being deceived, and who has the right to purchase that deception. I believe that it's perfectly acceptable — and perfectly ethical — for me, even as a skeptic, to take advantage and sell the same product.
If you're like most people, you're disagreeing with me. You're probably saying that I'm being dishonest and lying to the customer, while the real psychic (though his powers are no more real than mine) is at least being honest. He's wrong, but he's honest. We're selling the same thing, and both giving the customer a satisfying experience. I see it just like a supermarket manager who allows cigarettes to be sold in his store. He knows they're a bad product, but people want them, and that's the way it is. Yet I never hear my detractors criticize the supermarket manager.
The best argument I've heard against my position is that I'm taking away the customer's dignity, in removing his right to make a choice. I'm being disingenuous, telling him that I'm someone I'm not, when my psychic competitor next door is being honest in claiming psychic powers. The customer chooses to go to a psychic. I'm lying to him, while the psychic next door is not. I understand this argument, and I agree that it's true. But the reason this argument doesn't convince me is that it's irrelevant — the net result is exactly the same. My personal beliefs have no bearing on the transaction (just like the supermarket manager), and focusing on this question is ignoring the elephant in the room: the person wants to buy nonsense. The personal feelings or opinions of the person selling it are simply not part of the equation.
Now, it's time to address the point that's probably foremost on your mind. What about the cases where the pseudoscience being purchased is either harmful, or takes the place of essential medical or psychiatric care? I said at the very beginning: I'm generally in favor of those who peddle the paranormal, in cases where no harm is done. And this is the vast majority of cases. What about the exceptions?
Here's a hypothetical case where the customer really needs medical care: they have treatable cancer, but prefer to pay me for New Age healing by the laying on of hands. I assure you that I am neither completely stupid, nor irresponsible, nor in any particular need of blood money. In this case, I would put on my best New Age hat, and explain to this person in New Age terms that I hope they would understand and accept, that New Age healing can only help when applied alongside conventional cancer treatment. I'm smart enough to realize that if I tell him New Age healing is bunk and he should go to the doctor, he'll write me off as a debunker and not listen, and go instead to the psychic next door. Here is where my New Age services are better — infinitely better — than those of the "real" psychic, who genuinely believes that laying on of hands should be used to the exclusion of real medicine. And people tell me that I'm the one being unethical. The "real" psychic in this case should be imprisoned.
It's the same in cases where the customer needs psychiatric care. Let's say his mother died, and for some reason he has developed real psychological problems, and wants me to contact his dead mother. This is not someone who wants me to predict tomorrow's horse race, this is someone who probably needs help beyond my pretended abilities. In this case, I'd dim the lights, hold as convincing a seance as I could, and tell him that his mother is worried about him and begs him to seek some professional help. If you tell him in this manner, he's likely to actually listen, and the doctor can handle it from there. If you take the usual skeptical path, and explain to him that talking to the dead is bunk and only a real doctor can help him, he won't listen, he'll go to the "real" psychic next door, and his problems will continue. Again, my services are good because they'll actually lead to a professional solution; the "real" psychic's services are bad, because they perpetuate the harm.
I argue that paranormal services are better provided by people who understand their limitations, rather than by those who believe they can do something they can't. In fact, if paranormal services were regulated, this would be the law. Think how much better off believers would be if the paranormal services they received always led them to trained professionals in cases where such is needed.
However, these cases are in the minority. Most of the time, people who buy paranormal products or services — be it goddess worshipping seminars, homeopathy, acupuncture, or psychic readings — are buying completely harmless services that P.T. Barnum would have been happy to sell. If money is changing hands, and responsible adults are going into it with their eyes open, they receive exactly what they want, and they are completely satisfied with the results, then I would have no problem participating in such a transaction and profiting from it. The customer is happy, the peddler is happy, nobody is hurt, everybody involved is enriched by the transaction. This is their choice. They don't have a problem with it, why should you? It's none of your business.
© 2006 Skeptoid Media, Inc.
References & Further Reading
Bok, Sissela. Lying: Moral Choice in Public and Private Life. New York: Vintage Books, 1999. 203-219.
Farley, Tim. "What's the Harm?" What's the Harm? Tim Farley, 18 Jan. 2009. Web. 18 Jan. 2009. <http://whatstheharm.net/>
Irwin, H. The Psychology of Paranormal Belief: A Researcher's Handbook. Hertfordshire: University of Hertfordshire Press, 2009.
Kelly, Lynne. The Skeptic's Guide to the Paranormal. New York: Thundermouth Press, 2004. 34-35.
Randi, James. The Mask of Nostradamus: The Prophecies of the World's Most Famous Seer. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 1993. 140-142.
Smith, Jonathan. Pseudoscience and Extraordinary Claims of the Paranormal. West Sussex, U.K.: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., 2010. 21-46.
Reference this article:
Dunning, B.
"Ethics of Peddling the Paranormal." Skeptoid Podcast. Skeptoid Media, Inc.,
24 Oct 2006. Web.
20 May 2013. <http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4003>
Discuss!
10 most recent comments | Show all 66 comments
Sure Ric, that's fine you living the way you want.
If you are happy and not hurting anyone else, why not?
Firstly "Current scientific research supports acupuncture's efficacy in the relief of certain types of pain and post-operative nausea." Wikipedia.
That doesn't mean that acupuncture should be used as an alternative ( an unfortunate word ) to western medical science.
I have proposed that it be more thoroughly investigated and used as a complementary system, that's all.
There may well be placebo effects noted, as well, but surely systems as old as acupuncture and ayurveda did not survive all those years without having some benefits.
"False argument or not acupuncture DOES NOT WORK !!!"
Work for what ?
Urgent life-saving surgery ? Of course not. That's what I mean about the danger of comparing different therapies for the same condition.
"The world 'created' by the human mind has NOTHING to do with woo woo wishful thinking about special mind powers or supernatural entities or forces."
So what have religions of all sorts with their "angels" "demons" and other non-scientific entities played their part in Mankinds history, both modern and ancient?
How much woo is there in "democracy" "socialism" etc etc that millions have lived and died for ?
After all, they are constructions of the mind aren't they ? The bridges, buildings, weapons etc only serve those basically imaginary purposes at the end of the day.
Much of our motivation for life is based on woo.
Macky, Auckland
August 30, 2012 1:10pm
Ric says
"You are a delusional woo believer"
I certainly am NOT. I require evidence to substantiate my actions and attitudes towards life. If they work for me, they are not delusions or woo.
"You cite wiki as 'evidence' that acupuncture works?"
Here's a little bit more evidence that acupuncture is at least taken seriously
"In this country acupuncture is recognised by health insurance companies and organisations such as Southern Cross, ACC, Winz, the Police, NZ Post and Air New Zealand" NZ Herald article
To what extent is the profession accepted in the U.S.?
"AOM is one of the most requested forms of treatment in the fast-growing field of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and holds promise as one of the key modalities to be used in current and future integrative medical settings. Both the World Health Organization (WHO) and a 1997 National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus Statement have recognized acupuncture as effective in treating a wide variety of health conditions"
http://www.acupuncture.org.uk/
http://www.cbiatc.com/en/index.aspx China Beijing International Acupuncture Training Center（CBIATC） was set up in 1975 at the request of the World Health Organization (WHO) and with the approval of the State Council.
Note the World Health Organisation mention.
You are right in one of the things you posted
"Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored"
Can you honestly say that all these people are engaging in nothing more than woo, Ric ?
Macky, Auckland
September 03, 2012 1:01am
Sory Macky, acupuncture is a fraud. In defending it you are a woo believer.
It got its own personal nail in the coffin in 2006. By acupuncturists no less.
That and the inability to explain chi as anything else but bullshido has dealt the final blow to acupuncture.
Its made on magic mate and you being an antipodean should spend your great resource finding this out for yourself.
Hows the etheric polisher going?
Insurance companies are starting to withdraw claims for guff like acupuncture. This should be a bit of an alarm bell that minimal populism doesnt draw the holy dollar (or 87c) like it used to...
Mud, At virtually missing point, NSW, OZ,
September 05, 2012 12:30am
Here's some more woo believers, Mud.
The World Health Organisation
http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/en/d/Js4926e/5.html
"1. Diseases, symptoms or conditions for which acupuncture has been proved-through controlled trials-to be an effective treatment:"
28 of them.....
You can let them know that their bullshido is made on magic and to stop wasting their time on woo.
You might get a job out of it, you never know......they obviously need someone like yourself to make them see the error of their ways.
Macky, Auckland
September 14, 2012 2:39am
I do Macky, I actually ask directly.
Acupunture is all fine and good except, there is no reason for it to work and has never shown to work in any evidential trial of note.
May I further add that WHO does not recommend any alternative therapies in any treatments.
Macky, Who invests an insane amount of money annually in grants to alt modalities and no findings are ever reported by the researchers. The same holds for NCCAM's.
But here is the killer... you would think a "health specialism" is worthy on on 28 recommended claims?
Acupuncture relies on a life force. For acupuncture to claim any credibility since it was described as we know it (about 60 years ago) it has to find that life force rather than gussing the amount of money in your self establishment commitment.
Please Macky, this requires physics. Please post the physics.
If it an any energy can be stopped, the medium by which it stopped on a regular basis should have describably consistent properties.
This is not the case in my life time and certainly not yours.
You do realise that "yellow" is a far more useful concept in medical science tha acupunture could ever be.
Yellow is a concept. Acupuncture is Bullshido.
Now obviously, if acupuncture does seredipitously find a real cure, the concept of acupunture would dissapear in scientific study.
Yellow will stay!
Mud, sin city, NSW, OZ
October 07, 2012 12:41am
Okay, so let's get this straight, Mud.
The link in my last post IS, or IS NOT a page from the World Health Organisation.
If it IS NOT, then I apologize for running you and other readers up the gum-tree.
If it IS, then you are directly contradicting what that page clearly states, that
"1. Diseases, symptoms or conditions for which acupuncture has been proved-through controlled trials-to be an effective treatment:" and a list of 28 conditions.
The page goes on to list a whole lot of conditions which express doubt to some degree or other, organised into three categories.
What is it that you are skeptical about this information, assuming the page is genuinely from the World Health Organisation ?
Is it the nature of their controlled trials that you object to ?
Do you even know their methods of trialing, in order to arrive at their conclusions, and then to yours ?
Be honest Mud. I don't use acupuncture myself either.
But if YOU simply do not believe in anything other than Western conventional drug/surgery therapy, just say so, because all you are doing so far like others, including Brian, is simply denying acupuncture in the face of increasing amounts of evidence from notable authorities, that I am posting, that supports acupuncture.
BTW, when science can gather some chemicals and electricity together, and build a human being, or even a dog, without any pre-life whatsoever as a catalyst, I'll happily drop my belief in some sort of fundamental life-force.
Macky, Auckland
October 07, 2012 1:20pm
Sorry that I took so long to reply . What you quoted is a blurb about the document.
I havent got a copy of the document itself (althought I would dearly love to own one).
Macky, dont make insuations about my posts other than what I write. Acupuncture is based on magic and has never been shown to work.
People who practice acupuncture are "magicians" and frauds. People who see acupunturists are hypochondriacs or deluded.
Given that I have had to suffer the death of two people in my life due to their prediclection over seeing a medico, a person with injuries (burns and infections) I advise all..stay away.
Acupnture was shown never to work in the german trials unless you like the spin that was put on it.
I dont know why you persist with acclaiming bullshido.
Mud, sin city
October 16, 2012 6:19am
Mud, I am very sorry that you have had to suffer the death of two people in your life, especially for the reasons you stated.
I have never suggested that acupuncture should be used as an alternative therapy, only complementary.
I've given you a link from a WHO page and asked you questions about the mentioned controlled trials which you haven't addressed.
Never mind.
With respect for your loss I will say nothing more about this subject.
Macky, Auckland
October 17, 2012 12:39am
The problem I have, Brian, is about honesty. A grocer selling cigarettes is not telling people that they're ok. They're clearly marked as not being such, and people assume the risk based on the warnings and common medical knowledge.
But to knowingly tell a person their horoscope or future when you, yourself don't believe that you have the ability to do so, is lying. And that is a moral question that needs to be addressed.
My mother always told me that whatever I did needed to be honorable. Honor is not a matter of religion, although many religions would hold that it is. But honor demands that you do something you truly believe in. Something that does not require you to participate in a lie.
It goes beyond not doing something that you know will hurt people. It also touches on not harming yourself. Honor matters.
You mentioned a difficult conundrum, however: somebody who has cancer or some other treatable disease or condition that won't seek actual help otherwise, and if left to the people who truly believe that they have powers to cure or predict the future, never will.
That's a hard one, Brian. A very hard one. And in the end, I fear I agree with you. But that is a very specific, and delicate, situation.
As scientists, we're taught to seek for truth. We ought to tell it as well.
Sara, Salt Lake City
January 24, 2013 4:36pm
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@ Macky, Auckland
Hmmm so you have studies that prove sticking pins in folks works as a cure then?
Acupuncture has been shown to be a load of bollix, the best it produces is a placebo effect. You are the one that claimed a fake procedure is actually a sophisticated treatment.
False argument or not acupuncture DOES NOT WORK !!!! No argument about logic will make it work.
Like all placebos it requires belief of the 'patient' that the treatment does anything at all. Fair to say that all treatments have some element of placebo about them but proper medical interventions also have a placebo plus effect.
Macky, the thing is, all of these things that mankind has accomplished with his or her mind, are things that required REAL science, REAL engineering and a REAL PHYSICAL INTERACTION. None of mankind's achievements have any connection with some supernatural agency. It all took physical human effort to create such things or create the machines that make such things possible.
The world 'created' by the human mind has NOTHING to do with woo woo wishful thinking about special mind powers or supernatural entities or forces.
The world that I live in is demonstrably physical in its existence and construction.
The one you apparently live in is entirely imaginary.
If you could prove to me, using the real physical world that I live in, that your woo woo bullshyt world exists, then I would be over-the Moon.
Until then, I'll let the real world science and existence lead my way.
Ric Gardy, Chester, Engerland
August 30, 2012 10:30am