Robert LAMAR's "SkepTricks"

Thanks to Nielsen Magic for permission to use the above image.

Supernatural (adjective) - "attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature." *

Paranormal (adjective) - "supposedly beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding." *

Pseudoscientific (adjective) - "beliefs or practices mistakenly regarded as being based on scientific method." *

* Definitions derived from the Compact Oxford English Dictionary available at www.askoxford.com.

The world is filled with many strange, mysterious and wonderful things. However, many of these strange, mysterious and wonderful things aren't so strange, mysterious nor wonderful when looked upon with a critical eye. One does not have to look very far to find someone who believes in ghosts, psychic phenomena, UFOs, alien abductions, cryptozoology (Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, etc.), alternative medicines (acupuncture, homeopathy, naturopathy, etc.), faith healing, conspiracy theories, or any of a number of paranormal, supernatural or pseudoscientific claims. Turn on your television or radio, open a magazine or newspaper, surf a website or a blog, and you are sure to be inundated with a copious amount of, what I would call, spurious claims. It is because of this that possessing the skill set of a skeptic - that is, harbouring the skills and traits of a critical thinker - is more important today then ever before.

People are taken in everyday by charlatans, frauds and those that are just simply self-deluded. How you may ask? Aren't people smarter than that? Aren't people in today's technological age able to see through all this fraud and chicanery? The simple answer is, "No!" In today's world we are bombarded by information on an almost continuous basis. It therefore can be difficult for the average person to sort through all that information and separate the truth from the information that is not so true. And the difference between the two can be very subtle and hardly noticeable. Sometimes it is just easier to accept what one hears or sees as being valid without applying much critical thought. It's takes time and effort to question that which we see or hear. And if we do question those items that we are not sure about, our questions, at times, aren't very probing. Sometimes we don't ask the right questions. Compounding the problem is the fact that many proponents of the supernatural, paranormal and pseudoscientific claims are really quite good at marketing their beliefs to the general public, making their claims seem very plausible and, hence, believable.

Before going any further, let's take a moment to highlight just a few items, claims if you will, that are being perpetrated - marketed - in today's world. Rather then take these claims at face value, we should question their actual veracity...

Can televangelists like Peter Popoff or Benny Hinn really cure people by faith healing alone without any medical intervention.
Can Pastor Bob Larson really exorcise demon spirits from "infected" individuals?
Can magnets, as utilized in magnetic therapy, really heal all that ails you?
Can John Edward really communicate with the dead?
Can Sylvia Browne really see into one's past and future and can she really solve murder and missing persons cases through psychic means?
Was the United States Government involved in the 9/11 attacks as some 9/11 Conspiracy Theorists would have you believe?
Concerning horoscopes, can the alignment of the stars and the planets really determine your future as Astrologists claim?
Does Feng Shui really provide "balance" in one's chi or qi (life energy force) based on the organization of one's human built environment?
Does such a creature as Bigfoot or Sasquatch really exist?
Has earth been visited by UFOs - Unidentified Flying Objects?
Have human beings really been abducted by aliens for intergalactic research purposes?
Can a person really be hypnotized and taken into a past life through a process known as Past Life Regression?
Does Kevin Trudeau really possess the truth as he claims he does in his infomercials and numerous books: "Natural Cures," "The Weight Loss Cure" and "Debt Cures?"

This list is far from exhaustive. Whether it's claims for the medicinal efficacy of aromatherapy or homeopathy; the claims for the genuineness of the paranormal abilities of Uri Geller, James Van Praagh or Allison DuBois; the claims that products such as the Q-Ray Bracelet or the Get Slim Slippers actually work. It can be a real chore to uncover the truth behind such claims.

It is important to realize that anyone can be convinced into believing any spurious claim. And, speaking as a conjuror, I do mean anyone! One does not have to be gullible to be lulled into believing a supernatural, paranormal or pseudoscientific claim. Intelligence, though important, is not a shield that will protect one from buying into such claims. The only way to truly avoid being taken in by such claims necessitates that we become skeptical of any and all claims that are being made. And we become skeptical by implementing critical thinking.