TO FELLOWS OF THE COMMITTEE FOR THE SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION OF CLAIMS OF THE PARANORMAL FROM THEODORE ROCKWELL

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Body:  December 5, 1977
 Approved For Release 2001/03/26 : CIA-RDP96-00787R000200080012-1
 TO:                l:el lows of the Committee for the
 Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal
 The enclosed article will appear next month, Just before the annual
 national meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Wash-
 ington.  Because nearly a thousand reprints have already been requested, and because
 the name of the Committee has been repeatedly invoked in the national news media, I
 expect to be asked --- and yo  may be asked -- if the type of attacks described in the
 article represent the thinking of the individual Committee members.  Therefore, I felt
 that courtesy required that I show you the article in preprint.
 The question is not whether you "believe in" psychic phenomena,
 nor even whether you believe the research is being done competently or is worth doing.
 The question is whether the sweeping attacks being made indiscriminately by a few in-
 dividuals against a wide range of beliefs, life styles, and scientific research repre-
 sents your thinking as to how these issues should be addressed.
 Prof. Kurtz and Mr. Randi have managed to convince much of the
 media that they speak for "a growing number of scientists, philosophers, and other
 defenders of logic and the scientific method" (NY Times, Nov 20/77).  The credibili-
 ty of this claim rests heavily on the willingness of you and other respected Fellows of
 the Committee to have your names used in this way.
 Some members of the Committee have told me they are disturbed that
 their names are being used to legitimate such actions, which they consider betray
 both the principles of the humanist movement and the essence of logic and the scien-
 tific method.  A great many thoughtful letters to the editor of The Humanist have ex-
 pressed similar concerns in forceful terms.  The American Ethical Union has with-
 drawn its support of The l-lumanist.  Yet the Chairman and a few others continue to
 claim they are speaking fear you.
 Dr. Truzzi has told you why he resigned on August 10 as Co-
 Chairman of the Committee and as Editor of The Zetetic, and later from the Commitlr,?e
 itself, asking that his name not be used by the Committee.  However, you may not
 realize that his name is still being cited as Co-Chairman and as Editor in Novemt c:r
 correspondence sent to the newspapers, several hundred __IV stations, both l Iouse>
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 -2_.
 ress, and various agencies of the Federal Government.  Your name also ap-
 of pear-, Cong on these letters, which are causing considerable concern.
 When I am asked whether the rioted scholars and logicians on the Com-
 mittee personally condone this approach to "scientific investigation of claims of the
 I want to reply factually.  That is why I have written you.  It is not
 paranormal,
 enough for one to say the authors and The F-lumanist do not officially speak for the Com-
 mittee.  As Dr. Truzzi learned, the constant use of the Committee's name in connec-
 tion with these attacks has rendered such a response fatuous.
 I assume that all humanists agree that claims of the paranormal
 A
 should be scientifically investigated.  But if you have any reservations at allrectl to how
 this is now being done in your name, I would appreciate hearing from you
 stamped self-addressed envelope is enclosed for your convenience.
 'Z4~~
 Theodore Rockwell
 SGFOIA3
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 VW
 Irrational Rationalists: A Critique of
 The Humanist's Crusade Against
 Parapsychology
 THEODORE  RocKWLLL,  ROBERT  ROCKWELL,  AND W. TEED
 RoC:KWF.LL'
 CPYRGHT
 The IHuntanist, the voice of the American Humanist Association
 and. until recently. of the American Ethical Union. has published a
 number of articles devoted to "debunking" parapsychology in gen-
 eral and certain individuals in particular. It also set up and sponsors
 a Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the
 Paranormal (CSICP). Although the magazine claims that its intent is
 to bring rationality to a discussion often characterized by emotion
 and misinformation, the writings have not lived up to that aim. We
 submitted a paper to The Humanist to point out and document the
 extent to which its articles have departed from this objective. With-
 out discussing the merits of parapsychology, the paper charged that
 The Ilunaanist has so outraged the rules of rational discourse in this
 area that it has compromised its claim to the rationalist platform.
 The Ilmnanist was willing to publish only excerpts from the intro-
 duction to the paper. but the Editor told the authors that "we have
 made a serious mistake--a marked departure from our stated aims"
 and that "we intend to proceed differently from now on." Yet,
 shortly thereafter. the Executive Committee of CSICP, under the
 leadership of the Editor of The Humanist, called a press conference
 whose content was fairly indicated by the following headline in the
 New York Times (August 10. 1977): "Panel Fears Vogue for the
 Paranormal. Scientists Say Belief in Astrology and Parapsychology
 May Bring a Society of 'Unreason.' "
 The Editorial Board of T7,e Ilnmanist contains some philosophers
 and scientists of stature. and the magazine has had an impact from
 time to time in other fields. In view of this, the Journal considers it
 t Our th:uiks to Dr. K. A. McConnell. who read an earlier draft of this paper and
 made mans helpful sugLe.tiun. for its unptovcrnenl.
 The hruntul of* the Artteric in Sucie!v h w
 J'.+crhkul R