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Staring - science or pseudoscience?

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Renesis

Mon Apr 12 2010, 09:18PM

Registered Member #2028 Joined: Mon Mar 16 2009, 08:13PM
Location: Norway
Posts: 319

Picked out of this youtube-page, where the doctor himself explains his theory.

DALLAS, April 5, 2010 Noted psychiatrist and author Colin A. Ross, M.D., has published experimental data that supports his scientific hypothesis that the eyes emit energy that can be captured and measured. Dr. Ross paper, The Electrophysiological Basis of Evil Eye Belief, is published in the current issue of Anthropology of Consciousness, a journal of the American Anthropological Association. The full paper is available at

Although nearly everyone has experienced the sense of being stared at only to find that a person or animal really was looking, Western science has long rejected that the human eye can emit any form of energy. Dr. Ross says his findings move human ocular extramission, which he also refers to as an eyebeam, from the realm of superstition to science.

We used our patent pending Electromagnetic Beam Detection System, which includes modified EEG neurofeedback equipment, to prove that the human eye emits an electromagnetic signal that can be measured scientifically, said Dr. Ross. I hope that future experiments will determine why energy emitted from the eye is so strong and whether it can be harnessed through focused attention.

Dr. Ross has been researching a new science and medicine focused on the human bodys electromagnetic field, which he detailed in his 2009 book, Human Energy Fields (ISBN-13: 978-0-9821851-0-0).

Dr. Ross previously made headlines by applying to the $1 Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge administered by the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) (

). Although Dr. Ross can prove that his eyebeam can make a tone sound out of a computer, JREF insists that no energy can be emitted from the eyes and mocked Dr. Ross with its Pigasus Award. JREF has not responded to Dr. Ross test protocol.

Dr. Ross is the author of 140 papers in professional journals and 23 books. He has lectured widely in North America, Europe, China, New Zealand and Australia, has reviewed for many different psychiatry journals, and received a number of research grants. His writing also includes short stories, poems, aphorisms, plays and essays on a wide range of topics. For more information about Dr. Ross and the Colin A. Ross Institute for Psychological Trauma, visit

Chris Russell

Mon Apr 12 2010, 10:16PM

... not Russel!
Registered Member #1 Joined: Thu Jan 26 2006, 12:18AM
Location: Tempe, Arizona
Posts: 1052

Pure pseudoscience. A sad case, really. If you have a read here:

all he is claiming in this case is that he can detect brain waves a short distance in front of the eye socket (not surprising, really). When he moves the goalpost around and starts claiming that the eye is emitting an "eyebeam," he is engaging in outright fraud -- there's a huge difference between electric field potentials and radiated electromagnetic energy. He then tosses around some fantastical notions about people somehow being able to detect the sensation of being stared at because of this "eyebeam," without any substantiation. Oddly enough there's no mention of how the human eye is supposedly "beaming" electromagnetic energy with a wavelength about twice the diameter of the earth. Neither is there any speculation as to how any human could detect it unaided, yet be unable to detect a similar field at a similar frequency with a magnitude many thousands of times higher, as with electrical mains or electric railway cables.

This is pure garbage, meant to be peddled to the masses. Having a credible explanation isn't important to him. More important is making it appear to the general public as if his ideas are being persecuted by mean old mainstream science, so that he can get attention and copies of his book sold.

Proud Mary

Mon Apr 12 2010, 10:48PM

Registered Member #543 Joined: Tue Feb 20 2007, 04:26PM
Location: UK
Posts: 4992

I just had a peek in Medline, and Colin A. Ross is the author of a number of papers on dissociative identity disorder (formerly called 'Multiple Personality Disorder'), a condition often considered to be of uncertain nosological validity outwith the United States, and privatized psychiatry generally.

Next we will be asked to believe that cattle have fallen sick because some eccentric old crone has put the 'Evil Eye' on them.

The fact that Ross has founded an institute named after himself, and has a qualification, will attract believers in the same way that the ramblings of crazy old air force colonels who have fallen on hard times can win new book deals about 'alien abduction.'

HV Enthusiast

Tue Apr 13 2010, 12:31AM

Registered Member #15 Joined: Thu Feb 02 2006, 01:11PM
Location:
Posts: 3068

Well, they do say looks can kill.

Coronafix

Tue Apr 13 2010, 04:20AM

Registered Member #160 Joined: Mon Feb 13 2006, 02:07AM
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 938

I walked into a pitch black room once and my eyes lit up whatever I looked at like dim torchlights. That was pretty freaky.

Bjørn

Tue Apr 13 2010, 04:35AM

Registered Member #27 Joined: Fri Feb 03 2006, 02:20AM
Location: Hyperborea
Posts: 2058

The idea is very old and goes back to Aristotle or further. It was not a bad idea back then but today it is lunacy without strong supporting evidence.

Renesis

Tue Apr 13 2010, 08:53AM

Registered Member #2028 Joined: Mon Mar 16 2009, 08:13PM
Location: Norway
Posts: 319

Notice how he avoids looking directly into the camera. I think you're right Chris, this is just a PR-stunt to sell his book. Sadly this is represented as a fact in the media, in a rather convincing way. It seems like dr. Ross has invented a brand new field of pseudoscience.

klugesmith

Tue Apr 13 2010, 09:20PM

Registered Member #2099 Joined: Wed Apr 29 2009, 12:22AM
Location: Los Altos, California
Posts: 1716

But we all know eyes -do- emit rays!

Hazmatt_(The Underdog)

Wed Apr 14 2010, 04:15AM

Registered Member #135 Joined: Sat Feb 11 2006, 12:06AM
Location: Anywhere is fine
Posts: 1735

No, not quite.. He felt me staring at his youtube video and shyed away, so he definately feels my eye-rays ;p

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