Skeptics such as Milbourne Christopher have found that some cases of poltergeist activity can be attributed to unusual air currents, such as a 1957 case on Cape Cod where downdrafts from an uncovered chimney became strong enough to blow a mirror off of a wall and knock things off shelves.

Skeptics question its scientific value while proponents contend the practice can lead to higher levels of consciousness and have a positive influence on society.

Skeptics question whether SCI is actually scientific According to proponents, practicing the TM technique can lead to higher levels of consciousness and supernormal effects, including the Maharishi Effect.

Skeptics reason that the only benefit to eyesight gained from such techniques is itself imagined, and point out that familiar objects, including letters on an eye chart, can be recognized even when they appear less than clear.

Skeptics argue that fears of population control can be traced back to the traumatic legacy of the eugenics movement's " war against the weak " in the United States during the first decades of the 20th century but also the Second Red Scare in the U. S. during the late 1940s and 1950s, and to a lesser extent in the 1960s, when activists on the far right of American politics routinely opposed public health programs, notably water fluoridation, mass vaccination and mental health services, by asserting they were all part of a far-reaching plot to impose a socialist or communist regime.

Claimed fair use in Australian Skeptics, as no free substitute can be created.

Skeptics such as Robert Todd Carroll contend that auras may be seen for reasons such as migraines, synesthesia, epilepsy, a disorder within the visual system, a disorder within the brain, or due to the influence of psychedelic drugs such as LSD .< ref name =" fole ">< ref name =" ASID "> Eye fatigue can also produce an aura, sometimes referred to as eye burn.

Skeptics therefore regard numerology as a superstition and a pseudoscience that uses numbers to give the subject a veneer of scientific authority.

The new philosophies of the Hellenistic world were those of the Cynics, Skeptics, and increasingly the Stoics ; it's these philosophers who bring us into the world of Hellenistic philosophy.

Some skeptics, such as the members of The Skeptics ' Guide to the Universe podcast, oppose certain cults and new religious movements because of their concern about what they consider false miracles performed or endorsed by the leadership of the group.

Skeptics argue that the term " New Age movement " is a misnomer, generally used by conspiracy theorists as a catch-all rubric for any new religious movement that is not fundamentalist Christian.

The Skeptics Society was originally founded as a Los Angeles-area skeptical group to replace the defunct Southern California Skeptics.

* Skeptics: scientists who are skeptical of the claims of Darwinism, abiogenesis or macroevolution

Skeptics claim that there is a lack of a viable theory of the mechanism behind ESP, and that there are historical cases in which flaws have been discovered in the experimental design of parapsychological studies.

Skeptics also point to historical cases in which flaws in experimental design and occasional cases of fraud were uncovered.

Skeptics argue they are cases of postdiction ( prophecy after the events have already occurred ).

Skeptics claim that, in many cases, prison education produces nothing more than " better educated criminals ".

Skeptics point out that it is worth to think carefully before using it, as it will add little value in some cases.

Skeptics consider the religion to be controversial because of adherents ' reliance on healing through prayer and their rejection of medicine.

Skeptics such as James Randi suggest that his reputation as a prophet is largely manufactured by modern-day supporters who fit his words to events that have either already occurred or are so imminent as to be inevitable, a process sometimes known as " retroactive clairvoyance " ( postdiction ).

Skeptics reject the three above responses and argue that beliefs cannot be justified as beyond doubt.

The book is titled Understanding the Bible: An Introduction for Skeptics, Seekers, and Religious Liberals, and is meant as a kind of handbook to be read alongside the Bible itself.

Skeptics noted that Hu Jintao made a statement praising the governments of Cuba and North Korea ( in spite of their economic " flaws ") shortly after announcing Hu Yaobang's public commemoration, implying that it would be unlikely that the party would pursue a dramatic programme of political reform in the near future.

Skeptics initially doubted that SpongeBob could be popular in Japan as the character's design is very different to already popular designs for Hello Kitty and Pikachu.

Skeptics often focus their criticism on claims they consider to be implausible, dubious or clearly contradictory to generally accepted science.

Skeptics believe the Jersey Devil to be nothing more than a creative manifestation of the English settlers, Bogeyman stories created and told by bored Pine Barren residents as a form of children's entertainment, and rumors arising from negative perceptions of the local population (" pineys ").

Skeptics assert that rather than perfect goodness, it would be only the appearance of perfect goodness, reinforced by persuasion technology and probably brute force of violent technological escalation, which would cause people to accept such rulers or rules authored by them.

Skeptics contend that the match with the Shroud is based on a polarized image overlay technique, which may be subjective and unreliable.

Second, Trantor ’ s Junin-Sector “ Preservers vs Skeptics Society ” debate whether mechanical beings endowed with artificial intelligence should be built.

The Preservers ’ champion will be Joan, the Skeptics ’ champion Voltaire.

During an interview on the January 31, 2007 episode of The Skeptics ' Guide to the Universe, Teller claimed that the final episode of the show would be about " the bullshit of Bullshit!

Skeptics have argued that many of Kulagina's feats could easily be performed by one practiced in sleight of hand, through means such as cleverly concealed or disguised threads, small pieces of magnetic metal, or mirrors.

Skeptics, however, have questioned the usefulness and necessity of exploratory research in situations where prior analysis could be conducted instead.

Skeptics of claims involving ghosts and near-death experiences, such as Mobb and Watt ( 2011 ) have found evidence from MRI studies that experience of other-worldly substances may be due to neurotransmitter levels in the brain.

Skeptics argue that regardless of the exact mode of operation, if the output power is higher than the required input electrical power, the device should be capable of running " closed-loop ", producing excess power without external batteries.

Skeptics have relegated such notions to be much like the supposed inhabitants of Atlantis in Hellenic myth.

Skeptics imply that much of the claimed effect of the drug relies on the belief of the subject that he or she cannot tell a lie while under its influence.

Skeptics dismissed the photos as frauds ; seeing that the bird is in roughly the same position in both photos, they suggested they may have been of a mounted specimen.

Skeptics argue that the demonization of Western esotericism by conspiracy theorists is rooted in religious intolerance but also in the same moral panics that have fueled witch trials in the Early Modern period, and satanic ritual abuse allegations in the United States.

Skeptics of premonition use these terms in response to claims made by psychics, astrologers and other paranormalists to have predicted an event, when the original prediction was vague, catch-all, or otherwise non-obvious.

Skeptics argue that unfounded fears about an imminent or eventual gun ban, military coup, internment, or U. N. invasion and occupation are rooted in the siege mentality of the American militia movement but also an apocalyptic millenarianism which provides a basic narrative within the political right in the U. S., claiming that the idealized society ( i. e., constitutional republic, Jeffersonian democracy, " Christian nation ", " white nation ") is thwarted by subversive conspiracies of liberal secular humanists who want " Big Government " and globalists who plot on behalf of the New World Order.