Grace Dauer

Pseudoscience Homework
September 7, 2014

Reiki
Are the claims falsifiable?
The claims for what Reiki can do for humans are not falsifiable. Reiki is described to be a
healing mechanism to unblock the energy blockages that cause almost any kind of
sickness in the human body. Energy channels where these blockages are said to occur run
along invisible meridians in the body. There is no falsifiability in this because there is no
way to measure this invisible energy. The article even states that their way of
measuring accuracy is based on if the patient feels better, but this measurement is
ambiguous.
Are these claims based on peer-reviewed research?
These claims are not based on peer-reviewed research but on the writings of a Japanese
Buddhist monk named Mikao Usui Sensei. His technique called Reiki is based on
Sanskrit sutras belief related to cosmic symbols used by the Buddha for healing (The
International Center for Reiki Training, 2014).
Were findings replicated elsewhere?
Yes, others have been practicing Reiki since it began, but, as said above, there is no real
way of measuring if Reiki works. The findings are difficult to replicate because the
results are ambiguous, and in order to correctly practice reiki, one must attend a
ceremony of spirit to learn the mindset and techniques.
What aspects of your pseudoscience examples coincide with the illustrations of
pseudoscience described in the website above?
The supporters of Reiki fail to bring up refuting arguments of this technique.
Pseudoscience is also said to not progress and the practice of Reiki has not been
progressing or studied much further than what is known from the ancient texts which it
came from. Reiki can also be a pseudoscience because it uses the claim that science
cannot explain how it works; therefore, it can be true.

Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP)

Are the claims falsifiable?
Electronic Voice Phenomena is claimed to be an event in which human voices from an
unknown source are heard over a recording. The claims could, in a way, be falsifiable if
no unknown voices are heard in the recording. But, it is said by supporters that EVP does
not always work; therefore, it is not actually falsifiable.
Are these claims based on peer-reviewed research?
The claims of EVP are not based on peer-reviewed research, but are based on anyone
who tries to record EVPs and says they have succeeded.

Were findings replicated elsewhere?

Yes, to this day, people say that they record EVPs, but it has not always worked or
worked in the same location as before.
What aspects of your pseudoscience examples coincide with the illustrations of
pseudoscience described in the website above?
Supporters of EVP say that Thomas Edison tried to invent a machine that would
communicate with the dead, so to them, this justifies their belief in communicating with
the dead. This relates to the fact that many pseudoscientists claim that Galileo was
thought to be wrong, and therefore, they are not wrong either. Supports of EVP also use
made up language such as instrumental transcommunication which the pseudoscience
article states is a way of sounding scientific and technical (Wagner, 2014). EVP
supporters also say that EVP is a mystery and science cannot explain it, so there is no
way to say it is false.

Intelligent Falling (IF)

Are the claims falsifiable?
Intelligent falling (argues against gravity and says that God pushes objects to the earth) is
not falsifiable. There is no proposition of what positive evidence of IF would be. The
predictions are all negative and just say that science cannot keep up with IF.
Are these claims based on peer-reviewed research?
The claims are not based on peer-reviewed research and are based on skepticism and
religious belief.
Were findings replicated elsewhere?
There are no actual findings of IF because it is based on religion and the notion that it is
too complex to understand.
What aspects of your pseudoscience examples coincide with the illustrations of
pseudoscience described in the website above?
Pseudoscience is said to convince by appeals to faith and IF does just that. It claims a
higher intelligence pushes things instead of gravity and that people should believe this if
they have faith in God. IF also uses the excuse that IF is correct because the world is so
complex that science cannot explain everything.
References
Rosenau, J. (2007 April 30). Intelligent Falling Catches On. [Web log post]. Retrieved
from http://scienceblogs.com/tfk/2007/04/30/intelligent-falling-catches-on/
The International Center for Reiki Training. (2014). What is Reiki? Retrieved from
http://www.reiki.org/faq/whatisreiki.html

Wagner, S. (2014). All About Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP). Retrieved from
http://paranormal.about.com/od/ghostaudiovideo/a/All-About-EVP.htm