In a moment of memory lapse, I typed in the address for the Skeptics Guide to the Universe site with the wrong top level domain. Rather than typing in http://www.theskepticsguide.org, I typed in http://www.theskepticsguide.com/ and was lead to a site for someone who needs to use a dictionary when choosing a name for a book.

“The Skeptic’s Guide to the Adventures of Life” is a light-hearted look at life’s deeper lessons and mysteries as it chronicles business strategist Connie Siewert’s personal experiences, and those of her healers, during a three year journey to wellness.

The table of contents reads as a who’s who of pseudoscience:

• Past Life Regression-Hypnotherapist
• Healing Touch/Guided Imagery/Trauma Release
• Reiki Master/Shaman/Earth Goddess
• Iridologist and Doctor of Naturopathy
• Colon Hydrotherapist
• Angel Channeler
• Astrologer
• Medical Intuitive/Healer
• Gem and Mineral Show
• Our Connection with Colors
• Acupuncture/Chinese Herbalist
• Reflexologist
• Sounds and Vibrations
• Equine Assisted Psychotherapist
• Psychics, Dowsers, Intuitives, Channelers
• The Traveling Soul

I checked out some sample excerpts on the site, hoping that maybe this was a skeptic who went in with mind open, but not empty. I was hoping that this might be a good resource from the perspective of someone evaluating claims directly. Instead, I find poorly written examples of dictionary definition gullibility and empty-mindedness; very zen, but not at all skeptical.

Regarding Reflexology;

Just when you think you have learned everything you need to know about different energy modalities, you have an experience that helps you understand there is still a wealth of information out there to explore that you have yet to even touch on.

Well, she hasn’t learned everything, but she’s learned to speak the mumbo-jumbo with the best of them;

It was during this part of the session that I started seeing purple energy blobs appear in my closed-eye darkness. I am always entertained when something like this happens, but this was even more unusual than what I had experienced before. Typically I would see little purple blobs changing shapes and coming towards me indicating little spirit guides coming to aid in the healing process. But this time, the purple blobs were big and coming from behind my eyes and then disappearing into a yellow blob of energy.

Being a skeptic does not mean that you’re a blank slate waiting for any loonie to come along and fill in what you should believe in chalk. It’s not about being so open minded that your brain falls out; it’s about evaluating evidence and judging.

What we have here is a skeptic that believes everything she’s told by anyone who uses the word ‘energy’. What’s next, cats that bark? atheists that pray? a Pirates of the Caribbean movie that’s good?

(from foo.ca)