Interview with filmmaker and crop circle researcher Suzanne Taylor examines the enduring scientific mystery of crop circles. UPDATE 10/16/2014: Soon after publishing this episode the good folks of the Skeptiko forum started tearing apart the Crop Circle phenomena and many of the claims made herein.  I got the story wrong.  The best evidence suggests Crop Circles are a man-made phenomena. Claims of paranormal activities surrounding the making of, and being in, crop circles may or may have merit, but should considered separately.  These claims shouldn’t obscure the evidence suggesting Crop Circles are man-made by ordinary means.  I hope...

Interview with energy healing researcher and practitioner examines the Bengston Method of energy healing. Join Skeptiko host Alex Tsakiris for an interview with Bernadette Doran of Equilibrium Energy + Education.  The interview is included in Tsakiris’ soon to be published book, Why Science is Wrong: About Almost Everything: Click here for Bernadette Doran’s website Listen Now: Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. Download MP3 (60 min.) Read It  Like a lot of middle-aged men, I don’t...

Interview with journalist and author examines resistance to evidence suggesting consciousness survives death. Join Skeptiko host Alex Tsakiris for an interview with Patricia Pearson,  author of, Opening Heaven’s Door, Investigating Stories of Life, Death and What Comes After. During the interview Pearson discusses the willful ignorance of the science media: Alex Tsakiris: … the reason there is so much research of near death experiences on cardiac arrest wards is  because we can control the medical conditions of the patients, but it doesn’t mean  that’s the only time when people experience [NDEs]. As you just...

Interview with research psychiatrist and and author, Dr. Jeffrey Schwartz examines the mismatch between science-as-we-know-it and human experience. Join Skeptiko host Alex Tsakiris for an interview with Dr. Jeffrey Schwartz,  author of, The Mind and the Brain. During the interview Schwartz discusses the limits of materialistic science: Alex Tsakiris: What about people in academia who see this mismatch, who have to say, “[materialism] is a wonderful suit” because they can’t say the emperor has no clothes. Dr. Schwartz: It’s funny because there’s a huge amount of historical precedent for situations like this. The human drama really is the...

Interview with consciousness philosopher and author, Tim Freke examines the absurdity of science-as-we-know-it. Join Skeptiko host Alex Tsakiris for an interview with Tim Freke,  author of, The Mystery Experience. During the interview Freke discusses what science has become: Alex Tsakiris: Do we really need to embrace science, or do we need to take a step back and clean out the wood shed a little bit, and say that there’s some real real problems, not only theoretically and philosophically but experimentally with this idea of reductionism. With this idea that we can measure things… that we can be certain. We’ve known that’s not true....

Interview with journalist and author, Roy Davies reveals how Charles Darwin lied about the help he received from Alfred Russell Wallace. Join Skeptiko host Alex Tsakiris for an interview with Roy Davies, author of, The Darwin Conspiracy. During the interview Davies unravels the evidence of Darwin’s fraud: Alex Tsakiris: Even among your critics, there is agreement that this is either an incredible coincidence or something more. It’s a coincidence that Darwin has this explosion of ideas, and announces to his colleagues he has had this incredible breakthrough during these two weeks after he might have received the letter from Wallace....

Interview with neuroscientist and author, Dr. Michael Graziano examines how mainstream science views near-death experience research. Join Skeptiko host Alex Tsakiris for an interview with Princeton neuroscientist Dr. Michel Graziano. During the interview Graziano likens near-death experience research to Astrology: Alex Tsakiris: Name one who has published anything in the near-death experience literature, or the out-of-body experience literature – I have interviewed a bunch of them. None of them have any knowledge… Dr. Michael Graziano: The problem is that literature.  I’m sure if you go to people or you go to astrologers you would get...

Interview with author and consciousness explored, Peter Russell examines how science ignores questions of consciousness. Join Skeptiko host Alex Tsakiris for an interview with author and consciousness expert, Peter Russell. During the interview Russell discusses how the term science views consciousness: Alex Tsakiris:  This mind/brain duality problem is a consciousness issue.  It says we can’t measure things the way that we thought we could. We now have to realize that we have to put an asterisk by everything we measure because we haven’t factored in consciousness. Peter Russell: I think it was through just observing my own experience...

Interview with investigative journalist, Russ Baker explores how the term “conspiracy theory” can taint serious  journalism. Join Skeptiko host Alex Tsakiris for an interview with investigative journalist and best-selling author, Russ Baker. During the interview Baker discusses how the term “conspiracy theory” is used: Alex Tsakiris: And I also wanted to touch on the term “conspiracy theory”, which of course your work gets labeled with even though you take this very serious journalistic approach. I have always maintained that conspiracies are how money and power work.  My experience from the business...

Interview with regression specialist, Scott De Tamble explores hypnotic regression and the possibility of remembering our life between lives. Join Skeptiko host Alex Tsakiris for an interview with regression specialist Scott De Tamble. During the interview De Tamble explains the regression process: Scott De Tamble: Three things I will tell you about regression and how to work this regression that we’re going to do. Number one, the way this whole thing works is through your impressions. You’re going to receive impressions of some kind, whether you see it, hear it, have thoughts in your mind, have feelings – physical feelings like, ‘I feel...

Interview with filmmaker Oliver Hockenhull about the resurgence of psychedelics as medicine, and his film Neurons to Nirvana. Join Skeptiko host Alex Tsakiris for an interview with Oliver Hockenhull, director of, Neurons to Nirvana. During the interview Hockenhull explores the links between psychedelics and consciousness: Alex Tsakiris: So status quo scientists, mind=brain scientists would have expected that if you ingest psilocybin it’s going to go fire off your brain like crazy and that’s why you’re going to have these amazing experiences and these emotions attached to it. And then Dr. David Nutt does this work and he gives people...

Interview with Joseph Atwill examines criticisms of his controversial theory about the founding of the Christian church. Join Skeptiko host Alex Tsakiris for an interview with Joseph Atwill author of, Caesar’s Messiah. During the interview Atwill offers a different explanation for the origins of the gospels: Alex Tsakiris: So what you’re saying is that if one matches the history we know of with the biblical accounts they only can lead us to one conclusion. And that is that the Bible was written in a way to point towards Titus as being the Messiah.  And the motivation for that obviously would be to get people to believe that the new...

Interview with Dr. David Lane reexamines Dr. Patricia Churchland’s Skeptiko interview, and the implications of near-death experience science for academia. Join Skeptiko host Alex Tsakiris for an interview with Mt. San Antonio College Professor of Philosophy, Dr. David Lane. During the interview Lane offers a different perspective on Dr. Churchland’s materialistic explanation of the mind: Alex Tsakiris: I am having an interview with her to expose how ridiculous it is for this person to be writing books on consciousness. To be teaching our children these ridiculous ideas that she can’t defend in the most basic way. I am just...

Interview with University of Virginia professor Dr. Jim Tucker about research of children who remember past lives. Join Skeptiko host Alex Tsakiris for an interview with University of Virginia, Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences Dr. Jim Tucker, M.D. about his new book,  Return to Life: Extraordinary Cases of Children Who Remember Past Lives.  During the interview Tucker talks about the database he’s compiled: Jim Tucker:Ian started studying these cases in the early 60s and the work just continued ever since and it has been 50 years now. So we have got over 2,500 cases from essentially all over the world. Wherever...