CIA Reading Room cia-rdp96-00787r000200080024-8: SKEPTICS CRITICIZED ON PARANORMAL ISSUE

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Approved For ReIe CIA-RDP96-0078000200080024-8 SKEPTICSCRITICIZED ONPARANORmN,ISSUE Merit Legitimate Inquiry Occult and U.F.O. Phenomena Scholar Tells Scientists That By BOYCE RENSB$RGER One of the scholars who helped start a' campaign to Investigate reports of paranormal phenomena has split with his former colleagues, contending that the movement became more preoccupied with denouncing such reports than with Inves- tigating them fairly. The scholar, Dr. Marcello Truzzi, it sociologist of science who teaches at Eastern Michigan University In, Ypsilanti, believes that the study of paranormal phenomena should not be dismissed out of hand: Dr. Truzzl resigned as editor of the .g'roup's magaine, then called The Zeta ic, and established a new journal whose consulting editors include both skeptics and believers. The older magaine is now called The Skeptical Inquirer, and the new one is called Zetetic Scholar. The first group, which calls itself the Committee for the Scientific Investiga- tion of Claims of the Paranormal, grew out of a widely published denunciation of astrology that was signed by 186 scientists and philosophers in 1975. Its leader, Dr. Paul Kurt, a professor of philosophy at the State University of New York at Buffalo, maintains that the nation is awash in a rising tide of irra- tionality and gullible acceptance of re- ports of occult and paranormal phenome- na, says this portends grave conse- quences for a society heavily influenced by public opinion. "This is absolute nonsense" said Dr. Truzzi, the leader of the breakaway group. 'Seeking Answers Through Science Dr. Truzzi said he saw littleger .in the current popularity of pa matters. The rising interest, he contends, reflects a trend in which believers in these topics are abandoning supernatural explanations and seeking answers through science. With the demystification of religions, Dr. Truzzi said in a telephone interview, beliefs that used to be the focus of secret societies and mysterious cults are now being tested for natural explanations. As examples, he cited the work of J. Allen Hyn,ek, an astronomer, to explain unidentified flying objects; T. B. tRhine, a Duke University bsloand Michel .extrasensory perception, Gauquclin, a French paycho4ogist, to test 'astrology statistically. . "I.,. think this Is only healthy," Dr. g'rutzi said, adding that he believed many such investigators were dealing Appro iia a :~991t~ THE NEW YORK +''MES, SUNDAY, JUNE 25, 1978 Opposes 'Outright Condemnation' 'I -don't doubt that 99 percent of oc- cultism is empirically false," Dr. Truzzi continued, "but the approach to it has to be based on an examination of the evidence by people qualified to do that, not on outright oondemnation. We shouldn't just dismiss these things out of hand" That, Dr. Truzzi added, is what he be- lieves Dr. Kurtz and his committee is doing. "The committee Is tarring everybody with the same brush," Dr. Truzzi sai