Greetings!

The Philadelphia Association for Critical Thinking (PhACT), the Philadelphia Area Nurses and Skeptics Alliance (PANSA), the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) and PBS's Scientific American Frontiers would like to invite you or someone you know to demonstrate your Therapeutic Touch (TT) talents. An award of $1,100,000 will be given to the first TT practitioner who is able to show a portion of that talent under test conditions. The test conditions will be described later in this letter.

In a previous test held on November 8, 1996, a TT practitioner had failed to prove that she was able to feel an energy field. However, she is just one of over 40,000 active practitioners who claim to have this amazing talent developed by Dr. Dolores Krieger. For the purpose of our test, we are interested in the assessment phase where the TT practitioner "feels" the human energy field checking for differences and problems. The North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA) lists "Energy Field Disturbance" as a legitimate Nursing Diagnosis based on the work of TT practitioners. In light of the fact that science has no way of measuring or detecting this energy field, the only known way of testing it is with the hands of a TT practitioner. The test we propose is designed to prove that a TT practitioner can actually feel an energy field. We feel that this is an excellent opportunity for the TT community to step forward and prove to the world that their work is a legitimate phenomenon. In the spirit of good Science and good Nursing, it is time to show that at least one TT practitioner has the ability to feel this field.

The JREF, PhACT, PANSA and Scientific American Frontiers are jointly conducting this test of TT. The award of $1,100,000 is fully guaranteed by the James Randi Educational Foundation of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The testing will be supervised and videotaped by Scientific American Frontiers for a program to be broadcast on PBS in November of this year. Scientific American Frontiers is an objective 3rd party unaffiliated with either skeptics groups or proponents of TT. They will be the official judges for this test. Also to be present for the test are Time magazine and Der Spiegel (Germany).

The test will be conducted at the JREF Building in Ft Lauderdale Florida on June 2, 3 & 4, 1997. The test will include the use of a fiberglass construct that has two sleeves and that allows for the insertion of a subject's arms. This construct will be placed on a table and covered with a simple sheet. There will be three stages to the test using the same basic format. This format will be based on a random coin-flip which will determine whether the right or left arm is inserted into the construct. The TT practitioner will then assess the energy emanating from the construct to determine which sleeve is occupied. In Part 1, a series of ten "open" trials will be done where there will be a clear view of which arm is occupying the construct. This will establish the TT practitioner's ability to feel the field and to allow them to become comfortable with the format.

In Part 2, a curtain will be drawn to bar the TT practitioner from seeing which arm is in the construct. A series of twenty double-blinded random trials will be performed. A score of 15 or greater will be considered a positive result and will allow that practitioner to advance to Part 3. Part 3 is to be done the following day using the same format as Part 2. A score of 20 out of 20 in Part 3 will win the $1,100,000 award.

For further information on the test or to register contact Bob Glickman RN, President of PANSA, Philadelphia Area Nurses & Skeptics Alliance, PO Box 21970, Philadelphia, PA 19124. (215) 533-4677. E-mail - WJKH96A@prodigy.com Or contact the James Randi Educational Foundation, 201 SE Davie Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale FL 33316-1815. (954) 467-1112

Please pass this invitation along to any other TT practitioners that you know.

Thank you,

Bob Glickman