Paranormal Olympics

[BillHoyt]

While jokes about merging it with the "Special Olympics" spring immediately to mind, I'll refrain. On a serious note, though, someone ought to keep an eye on it and invite the winner to test for Randi's million. After all, the winner of such an esteemed competition should easily walk away with a cool million, eh?

Why wait? The winner already knows who she will be and should contact us now to tell us how the competition will go.

 

[Nyarlathotep]

Oh, my Ed... just the thread title, "Paranormal Olympics" gave me the first laugh of the morning! I envisioned a bunch of guys trying to detect mine fields by dowsing, and the one who arrived at the other side alive would be the winner. And now and then "poof" in smoke and fire! I'm also thinking in terms of telekinesis: the one who lifted the heaviest object would win. Do you think there would be a pillow fight? The mind boggles!

The torch lighting ceremony ought to be interesting though. who needs a torch? They all just stand around in a circle and concentrate really hard, and voila, flames.

 

[xouper]

This reminds me of a news item I read some time ago about a psychic contest (or some such thing) to see who was the stronger psychic. I have some doubts about the accuracy of my memory of this story and I am (so far) unable to find it again using google.

One psychic claimed he would make flowers wilt on stage within a certain time frame, and the other claimed he would stop the other psychic from wilting the flowers. May the stronger psychic win.

Does anyone remember this or anything similar to this or where I can find the story online?

 

[Zep]

Suggested poster for the Paranormal Olympics:

<h1>PARANORMAL OLYMPICS
All psychics invited
You know where
You know when</h1>

 

[Charlie in Dayton]

And of course, don't forget the track and field competition.

 

[VicDaring]

I was gonna register, but I don't know what to list under, "Psychic Strength."

Maybe I should go to a psychic gym and ask the physcic personal trainer or something.

 

[Luciana]

Why do they even need a competition, btw? Can't they just predict the winner and get this over with? Or at the very least give the trophies beforehand? Sure, because with so many psychics, I'm sure they will reach definite conclusions about the winners...

 

[espritch]

I think I should enter the competition. Every time I click a link, I get a pop-up congratulating me on winning something. I must be the world's luckiest man. Ummm...does luck count as a paranormal ability?

 

[Ed]

Geoff Wilkins, the owner of the site, appears to be a guy who is making some loot on new-ageish stuff. I have little doube that he is simply expanding.

Why not.

 

[wayrad]

This reminds me of a news item I read some time ago about a psychic contest (or some such thing) to see who was the stronger psychic. I have some doubts about the accuracy of my memory of this story and I am (so far) unable to find it again using google.

One psychic claimed he would make flowers wilt on stage within a certain time frame, and the other claimed he would stop the other psychic from wilting the flowers. May the stronger psychic win.

Does anyone remember this or anything similar to this or where I can find the story online?

I have read something like that. It's driving me nuts trying to remember where now...

It was not in the news, though, and it was quite some time ago. Possibilities I looked into and ruled out were 1) the Laputa chapters in Gulliver's Travels, and 2) the antics of the Order of the Golden Dawn.

It is beginning to come back to me that I read a second-generation and rather tongue-in-cheek account of the event, rather than an original source. It may have been in a popular history book or the skeptical literature. Or it may even have been a novel that borrowed the idea for comic effect.

I know that is no help, but at least you aren't the only one racking their brain now!