Ryan Shaffer
Ryan Shaffer is a PhD candidate in the Department of History, State University of New York at Stony Brook, and his current research is on political and social movements. His articles have appeared in several magazines, including Free Inquiry, Skeptic, and the Humanist.
Faith Healing and Skepticism in Pakistan: Challenges and Instability
Skeptical Inquirer Volume 36.6, November/December 2012
Article
With the rise of Islamic extremism in Pakistan, the country not only has to protect people from fraudulent healers but also has the challenge of protecting these fraudsters from violence.
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The Stolen Soundtrack of Faith Healing
Skeptical Briefs Volume 22.1, Spring 2012
Psychic Mary Occhino Doesn’t Know Best
Skeptical Briefs Volume 21.3, Fall 2011
Over the years, Occhino has claimed to assist in missing persons cases, talk to the dead, and peer into the futures of celebrity lives. This article delves into Occhino’s predictions and activities, revealing that while Occhino is short on claims, her claims are short on independent proof. . .
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An Old and Familiar Face Behind a ‘Phony’ Psychic Business
Skeptical Briefs Volume 21.2, Summer 2011
The Life and Death of ‘Living God’ Sathya Sai Baba
Skeptical Inquirer Volume 35.5, September/October 2011
Special Report
Sathya Sai Baba, a living god for nearly forty million people, died in April. He had a nine-billion-dollar organization and religious centers throughout the world. Who was Baba? Why was he thought to be a god?
Medium Allison DuBois Is Tested—and Fails—in the Real World
Skeptical Inquirer Volume 35.4, July/August 2011
Special Report
Allison DuBois, the best-selling author who inspired the recently cancelled television show Medium, claims to have amazing psychic abilities. But when her skills are tested in the real world—first with a missing-child case and then at a dinner party on reality-TV—they prove less than stellar.
Psychic Defective: Sylvia Browne’s History of Failure
Skeptical Inquirer Volume 34.2, March / April 2010
Article
The most extensive study of alleged psychic Sylvia Browne’s predictions about missing persons and murder cases reveals a strange discrepancy: despite her...
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Entertainment, Fakery, and Ambiguity: Examining New York’s ‘Fortune Telling Law’
Skeptical Inquirer Volume 34.2, March / April 2010
Special Report
On October 9, 2009, Tiffany Evans was arrested at the Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove, New York, for fraudulent accosting, attempted grand larceny, and three...
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Skeptic’s Web Site Becomes Advertising for Psychic Business
Skeptical Inquirer Volume 33.5, September / October 2009
News & Comment
In October, a Hollywood-based Web site selling psychic consultations and other products acquired a notable skeptic's Web site...
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Where’s the Responsibility? UK Broadcasting Code Prevents Re-Airing Psychic’s Failure
Skeptical Inquirer Volume 32.6, November / December 2008
News & Comment
In all of these television shows, not once has any psychic ability been demonstrated in a double-blind test.
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