James Randi Encourages Skeptics to "Overdose" on Homeopathic Medicines



James Randi, the grandfather of modern skepticism and founder of the Fort Lauderdale-based James Randi Educational Foundation, has for decades offered a $1 million prize to anyone who can successfully demonstrate any paranormal ability in a laboratory setting. Now he's extending the offer to manufacturers of homeopathic medications while at the same time encouraging skeptics around the world to demonstrate the inefficacy of these treatments by "overdosing" on them.
 
Randi has railed against these treatments for years, calling them "one of the biggest health scams in America" and pointing out that homeopathy is not, as many people believe, simply an herbal or "natural" medicine. Rather, homeopathic treatments are not medicine at all, with no active ingredients.

Saturday morning, hundreds of consumer advocates in more than 20 cities in ten countries all took many times the recommended dosages. One group in West Virginia met at a bar to take large numbers of homeopathic sleeping pills. They didn't die -- or even fall asleep.

This was part of the "10:23" campaign," which originated in England and tells people: "Homeopathy -- there's nothing in it." As part of the campaign, Randi opened up his Million Dollar Challenge to the product manufacturers and retail sellers, taunting them in his recent video with remarks like "What are you waiting for?"

Randi suggests that misleading the public in such a potentially dangerous way should be a crime. He calls retailers like Walgreens and Walmart "silent accomplices in this scam," adding, "They sell these fake pills right alongside real medicines, with no warning or information about the bogus ideas behind homeopathy. They simply don't care."



Follow The Juice on Twitter: @TheJuiceBPB.

My Voice Nation Help
19 comments
???
???

I have been using it for years. I OVERDOSED TODAY! Proving it works. I took a homeopathic remedy for pain. Too high of a dose. Not a typical drug overdose by amount taken at once, but by strength of dosage and how many times you repeat the dose. I sit here in horrible pain, 10 times worse that I was an hour ago. It was my own stupid fault, but I know with this overdose, that the pain will go away, and I won't die from it. How can you judge something if you haven't put the time in studying it. And observing it. I have been working in this for 10 years, using it on animals, and they don't lie.

Natural Remedies
Natural Remedies

Hello,I really like the concept of this post, it is quite interesting and is very unique as well. I highly appreciate your work for compiling up knowledge regarding such a rare topic.Well done.:)

Rev. E.M. Camarena, PhD
Rev. E.M. Camarena, PhD

Hey, folks, lest we forget:OPINION |əˈpinyən|nouna view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge---Got that? Your OPINION of homeopathy or your OPINION of the Million Dollar Challenge/Scam mean nothing. Opinions mean nothing.

Tubajedimaster
Tubajedimaster

It's not an opinion. It's a fact. Homeopathy is nonsense. Your comments, are nonsense. Homeopathy IS a scam, and people selling homeopathic medicines are scammers. This is not an opinion, this is 100% provable, demonstrable fact. Not only is it easy to prove, but it has been several times since its inception.

Rev. E.M. Camarena, PhD
Rev. E.M. Camarena, PhD

Comments like "You should take on the challenge for a million dollars!" are what the phony challenge were designed for. To stop discussion. If you read the rules of the alleged challenge, you would see that nobody can participate unless they have what is called "media presence" defined as having been on TV and had newspaper/magazine articles written about him or her. Kind of kills participation by most people, right? Further, nobody has yet qualified to take the challenge. Not one applicant has EVER gotten past the preliminaries. They ALWAYS get weeded out by the people on the JREF payroll. Then there is crowing about how yet another fake was uncovered. It is pure PR, this challenge. When you know nothing about something, it is better not to bring it up. As I noted above, in my book I have a full expose of this fraud.http://spoonbend.wordpress.com...

Tubajedimaster
Tubajedimaster

If someone did have genuine paranormal activity of some kind, I'm fairly sure they COULD get a paper printed about them. It wouldn't be very hard to do. You could probably even get on TV.

FGFM
FGFM

Noted goat gland quack and broadcaster John R. Brinkley used to sell water with a touch of bluing at a tremendous price along with a lot of other useless if not actually harmful nostrums. Lots of people swore by that stuff too!

ReallyGoodMedicine
ReallyGoodMedicine

This stunt proves only three things:

Homeopathy is safe (whether the remedy matches the patient or not). But why go to such lengths to demonstrate something already proven in scientific studies? (EECH Study, 2009; Reilly et al., 2005)

Randi and friends don't know anything at all about homeopathy. If they did, they would know that only the remedy matching the person's symptoms and constitution will have an effect. Remedies taken randomly--no matter in what quantity--and not correct for the patient will have no effect whatsoever either negative or positive.

And last but not least, that illusionists should stick to what they know........illusion. But then again, maybe that's exactly what they did stick with here.

Tubajedimaster
Tubajedimaster

I'm fairly sure that being sleepy is a symptom that would be cured by a sleeping "medicine".

Sceptic
Sceptic

If homeopathic remedies only work when designed for a specific indivudual as you say, then doesn't it stand to reason that homepathic drugs sold over the counter at pharmacies cannot work? In this case, the sale of these remedies is a sham and Randi is right to point this out. So, if you are agreeing with Randi that homepathic drugs sold in drugstores will have 'no effect whatsoever', where's your beef?

ReallyGoodMedicine
ReallyGoodMedicine

Of course homeopathics sold OTC work. Homeopathics are sold OTC because they are safe, not because they are a one-size-fits-all medicine. There are a handful of remedies to choose from to treat any condition, acute or chronic. If the patient has no knowledge of homeopathy, he or she will consult with a homeopath. The homeopath will choose the one correct remedy for the patient based on the totality of his symptoms and his constitution. (Consulting with a homeopath is a must when dealing with severe or chronic illness.) If the patient knows how to choose the correct remedy (by knowing the constitutional type, observing the symptoms and matching both to the correct remedy), he can treat himself for acute conditions without seeing a homeopath.

As I mentioned, James Randi and the people involved in this stunt know nothing about homeopathy.

PKHons
PKHons

Of Course! You should take on the challenge for a million dollars! If you would do us the favor of giving the full text links to your "studies", let's have a look at them and look at the "science" behind them. Maybe we can get Mr. Randi to give you that money :)

ReallyGoodMedicine
ReallyGoodMedicine

You can find these studies and all the 100's of studies proving homeopathy works by going to PubMed and searching homeopathy.

PKHons
PKHons

Mr. Randi,

I think the homeopathic practitioners are making millions already on their sales of bogus remedies. Perhaps the price needs to go up exponentially.

Rev. E.M. Camarena, PhD
Rev. E.M. Camarena, PhD

Isn't it heartwarming to see a man like Randi, who is an expert on EVERYTHING? He is not a skeptic, he is a denier. In my new book, Bending Spoons With Your Mind, I have a large chapter documenting what a complete fraud this man is. Including his publicity scam called The Million Dollar Challenge. He solicits millions of dollars annually from gullible fools with this con-job, and enriches himself. He was supposed to end this racket of his last year, but as I predicted in my book, he did not. It is too lucrative to the man. lt keeps the money flowing. You should see what he charges the rubes for his cruises! No kidding. Randi has the all-time most remunerative list of suckers since Barnum.http://spoonbend.wordpress.com...

OneBornEveryMinute
OneBornEveryMinute

You have got to be kidding me. I should trust YOU, rather than James Randi? I went to your website - what a bunch of mumbo jumbo. Do you know what "projection" is? It's a psychological defense mechanism where a person (such as YOURSELF) unconsciously (or maybe consciously in your case) denies his or her own attributes, thoughts, and emotions, which are then ascribed to the outside world, such as to other people. Randi may make a few bucks, but it's from being COMPETENT, TRUTHFUL - and even ENTERTAINING.

Rev. E.M. Camarena, Phd.
Rev. E.M. Camarena, Phd.

Obviously you do not know the difference between opinion, which is defined as a belief not based upon fact, and conclusion. As I mentioned, I deal in conclusions. You denounce my conclusions without even reading them. That is not only rank opinion, but willful ignorance. But there is another thing you clearly have in common with "James Randi." Neither of you has the guts to use your name. Thus, why should anyone trust you?Peace. In your delusions.

Madhubalaa
Madhubalaa

hi sir..... please have a thorough study about homoeopathy. if its a fake one, millions of people wont use it. they use only because the success rate is good. it has limitations too. i accept with that but its not a scam.

Sceptic
Sceptic

There have been thorough studies and it has been shown not to work any better than a placebo.

The number of people who believe something does not affect whether it is true. We do not decide what medicines work by popular vote, like some episode of American Idol.

Blood letting was widely used to cure all manner of diseases for many years (up to and including the point it contributed to the death of George Washington!). It takes time to change the public opinion, and that is what this campaign is about.

Now Trending

From the Vault

 

Services

General

Browse Voice Nation
  • Voice Places Broward / Palm Beach

    Voice Places

    Find everything you're looking for in your city

  • Happy Hour App

    Happy Hour App

    Find the best happy hour deals in your city

  • Daily Deals

    Daily Deals

    Get today's exclusive deals at savings of anywhere from 50-90%

  • Best Of

    Best Of...

    Check out the hottest list of places and things to do around your city