clairaudience - The Skeptic's Dictionary (original) (raw)

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Clairaudience is an alleged psychic ability to hear things that are beyond the range of the ordinary power of hearing, such as voices or messages from the dead. Alleged clairaudients such as James Van Praagh and John Edward consider themselves 'grief counselors'. They believe they give comfort to the living by providing "messages from the dead," even if the messages are sometimes absurd ("Someone's nickname is Miss Piggy" or "Your dog wishes you hadn't given away his favorite dish").


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further reading

The Hundredth Monkey and Other Paradigms of the Paranormal, edited by Kendrick Frazier (Buffalo, N.Y.: Prometheus Books, 1991).

Science Confronts the Paranormal, edited by Kendrick Frazier. (Buffalo, N.Y.: Prometheus Books, 1986).

A Skeptic's Handbook of Parapsychology, edited by Paul Kurtz. (Buffalo, N.Y.: Prometheus Books, 1985).

Stein, Gordon. "Spiritualism," in The Encyclopedia of the Paranormal edited by Gordon Stein (Buffalo, N.Y.: Prometheus Books, 1996).

Randi, James. Flim-Flam! (Buffalo, New York: Prometheus Books,1982), especially chapter 13 "Put Up or Shut Up" where he gives accounts of tests done on several psychics who have tried to collect the 10,000RandiusedtooffertoanyonewhocandemonstrateanypsychicpowerSofar,noonehascollected,eventhoughtheofferisnow10,000 Randi used to offer to anyone who can demonstrate any psychic power So far, no one has collected, even though the offer is now 10,000RandiusedtooffertoanyonewhocandemonstrateanypsychicpowerSofar,noonehascollected,eventhoughtheofferisnow1,000,000!

Last updated 27-Oct-2015