The Comité Para, in full Comité belge pour l'Analyse Critique des parasciences[2] ("Belgian Committee for the Critical Analysis of Parasciences"), is a Francophone Belgian skepticalnon-profit organisation. Founded in 1949, the Comité Para regards itself as the originator of the modern skeptical movement.[3][4] The group's motto (by Robert Rendu) is Ne rien nier a priori, ne rien affirmer sans preuve ("Do not deny anything a priori, do not assert anything without evidence").[1]
Comité belge pour l'Analyse Critique des parasciences
"Comité Para" originally stood for Comité Belge pour l'Investigation Scientifique des Phénomènes Réputés Paranormaux ("Belgian Committee for Scientific Investigation of Purported Paranormal Phenomena") until it adopted its present name on 19 June 2014.[2]
Challenging paranormal phenomena began long before the foundation of the Comité Para. For example, in the 19th century the debate raged about spiritism and the existence of spirits.[5] The illusionist Harry Houdini (1874–1926) is seen by skeptics as a debunker of mediums, and therefore regarded as one of the founding fathers of the modern skeptical movement.[6][7]
Discussion to form a committee that would regularly perform experiments with scientific controls to assess extraordinary claims originated in January 1947, after a group of academics was challenged to prove the validity of radiesthesia (the results were negative). The organisation was eventually founded by seventeen members including astronomer Sylvain Arend on 15 January 1949, and officially registered as an association without lucrative purpose on 4 June 1949.[1] It emerged in part as a response to a pressing consumer protection problem in the aftermath of theSecond World War: a predatory industry of bogus psychics was selling false hope to the grieving relatives of people who had gone missing during the war.[8] The Comité Para tried to combat clairvoyants, astrologers, dowsers etc. American philosopher Paul Kurtz was inspired by the Comité Para[4] to found the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal in the United States in 1976 after the debate around the Mars effect (that allegedly proved astrological influences). This made that the organised modern skeptical movement became an international one, and also gave a new impulse to scientific skepticism in Belgium. The Comité was formally bilingual, but after a sleeping existence it was revived by almost exclusively French-speaking members, most of them astronomers. When in 1976 teacher Jean-Marie Gantois founded the working group Prometheus within the Dutch-speaking Society for Astronomy (VVS), that besides astrology and ufology also began taking on other pseudosciences during the 1980s, discussion rose whether Prometheus was still compatible with the aims of the VVS. One proposal was to integrate the entire working group into the Comité Para, of which several people already had a membership, but the Comité concluded that founding a separate Dutch-speaking would be a better solution. This gave rise to the Flemish SKEPP as a sister society of the Comité in 1990.[4]
Jean Champenois is a former spirit medium who became an illusionist and skeptic, in the line of Harry Houdini, James Randi and also Gérard Majax. Currently he organises skeptic conferences in this domain. He uses his talents as a magician to imitate the techniques mediums utilise to convince their audience that they can contact the dead.
Jean Dommanget (1924–2014) was an astronomer and long-time president of the Comité, who took the lead in many astrology and dowsing experiments.[10]
Jacques Van Rillaer is the author of Les Illusions de la Psychanalyse (1980) and co-author Le Livre Noir de la psychanalyse (2005), criticising the theories of Sigmund Freud as pseudoscientific.[11]
^ ab"Une nouvelle dénomination". Comité Para website (in French). Comité Para. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
^(in French) For the events that led up to the formation of the group, see chapter Historique du Comité - Les grands évènements in Comité Para (Ed.) (2005). La science face au défi du paranormal. Brussels: Relie-Art.
^ abcTim Trachet (5 June 2010). "Twintig jaar SKEPP in 2010" (in Dutch). SKEPP. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
^. HistoryNet.com. 12 June 2006. Archived from the original on 17 May 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
^Hughes, Virginia (22 December 2011). . Last Word on Nothing. Archived from the original on 21 June 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
^. SGU Transcripts. 30 December 2010. Archived from the original on 19 February 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2016. Everyone knows who Harry Houdini was. He is a Hungarian-born American magician, an escape artist, and he is also well known within the skeptical movement as a famous skeptic. And in fact, he started the tradition of famous magicians also being popular skeptics.
^de Jager, Kees (December 1994). "Een Europese Skeptische organisatie". Skepter (in Dutch). Stichting Skepsis. 7 (4): 11.
^"Jean Dommanget (1924 - 2014)". Comité Para website (in French). Comité Para. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
^"Jacques Van Rillaer et le freudisme". Comité Para website (in French). Comité Para. 19 September 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
^Olivier Mandler (30 October 2014). "Sommaires des Nouvelles Brèves / Nouvelles Sceptiques". Comité Para website (in French). Comité Para. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
External links
(in French) Comité Para
ECSO
(in Dutch) SKEPP
May 10, 2023
comité, para, full, comité, belge, pour, analyse, critique, parasciences, belgian, committee, critical, analysis, parasciences, francophone, belgian, skeptical, profit, organisation, founded, 1949, regards, itself, originator, modern, skeptical, movement, grou. The Comite Para in full Comite belge pour l Analyse Critique des parasciences 2 Belgian Committee for the Critical Analysis of Parasciences is a Francophone Belgian skeptical non profit organisation Founded in 1949 the Comite Para regards itself as the originator of the modern skeptical movement 3 4 The group s motto by Robert Rendu is Ne rien niera priori ne rien affirmer sans preuve Do not deny anything a priori do not assert anything without evidence 1 Comite belge pour l Analyse Critique des parasciencesAbbreviationComite ParaFormation1949 1 TypeNonprofit organisationPurposeScientific investigation of paranormal claimsLocationBrussels BelgiumRegion servedFrench speaking BelgiumPresidentJeremy RoyauxWebsitecomitepara be Comite Para originally stood for Comite Belge pour l Investigation Scientifique des Phenomenes Reputes Paranormaux Belgian Committee for Scientific Investigation of Purported Paranormal Phenomena until it adopted its present name on 19 June 2014 2 Contents 1 History 2 Members 3 See also 4 Publications 5 References 6 External linksHistory EditChallenging paranormal phenomena began long before the foundation of the Comite Para For example in the 19th century the debate raged about spiritism and the existence of spirits 5 The illusionist Harry Houdini 1874 1926 is seen by skeptics as a debunker of mediums and therefore regarded as one of the founding fathers of the modern skeptical movement 6 7 Discussion to form a committee that would regularly perform experiments with scientific controls to assess extraordinary claims originated in January 1947 after a group of academics was challenged to prove the validity of radiesthesia the results were negative The organisation was eventually founded by seventeen members including astronomer Sylvain Arend on 15 January 1949 and officially registered as an association without lucrative purpose on 4 June 1949 1 It emerged in part as a response to a pressing consumer protection problem in the aftermath of the Second World War a predatory industry of bogus psychics was selling false hope to the grieving relatives of people who had gone missing during the war 8 The Comite Para tried to combat clairvoyants astrologers dowsers etc American philosopher Paul Kurtz was inspired by the Comite Para 4 to found the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal in the United States in 1976 after the debate around the Mars effect that allegedly proved astrological influences This made that the organised modern skeptical movement became an international one and also gave a new impulse to scientific skepticism in Belgium The Comite was formally bilingual but after a sleeping existence it was revived by almost exclusively French speaking members most of them astronomers When in 1976 teacher Jean Marie Gantois founded the working group Prometheus within the Dutch speaking Society for Astronomy VVS that besides astrology and ufology also began taking on other pseudosciences during the 1980s discussion rose whether Prometheus was still compatible with the aims of the VVS One proposal was to integrate the entire working group into the Comite Para of which several people already had a membership but the Comite concluded that founding a separate Dutch speaking would be a better solution This gave rise to the Flemish SKEPP as a sister society of the Comite in 1990 4 Represented by Arlette Fougnies the Comite Para became a founding member of the European Council of Skeptical Organisations ECSO in 1994 9 Members EditJean Champenois is a former spirit medium who became an illusionist and skeptic in the line of Harry Houdini James Randi and also Gerard Majax Currently he organises skeptic conferences in this domain He uses his talents as a magician to imitate the techniques mediums utilise to convince their audience that they can contact the dead Jean Dommanget 1924 2014 was an astronomer and long time president of the Comite who took the lead in many astrology and dowsing experiments 10 Jacques Van Rillaer is the author of Les Illusions de la Psychanalyse 1980 and co author Le Livre Noir de la psychanalyse 2005 criticising the theories of Sigmund Freud as pseudoscientific 11 See also EditSKEPP Het Denkgelag List of skeptical organizationsPublications EditComite Para Ed 2005 La science face au defi du paranormal Brussels Relie Art Nouvelles Sceptiques until 2009 named Nouvelles Breves 12 fanzine destined for members References Edit a b c Dommanget Jean 1993 Guest column The Comite Para A European Skeptics Committee PDF Journal of Scientific Exploration Society for Scientific Exploration 7 3 317 321 Retrieved 24 May 2014 unreliable source a b Une nouvelle denomination Comite Para website in French Comite Para Retrieved 14 December 2014 in French For the events that led up to the formation of the group see chapter Historique du Comite Les grands evenements in Comite Para Ed 2005 La science face au defi du paranormal Brussels Relie Art a b c Tim Trachet 5 June 2010 Twintig jaar SKEPP in 2010 in Dutch SKEPP Retrieved 17 May 2014 The Fox Sisters Spiritualism s Unlikely Founders HistoryNet com 12 June 2006 Archived from the original on 17 May 2016 Retrieved 8 August 2016 Hughes Virginia 22 December 2011 2011 Houdini Awards Last Word on Nothing Archived from the original on 21 June 2016 Retrieved 8 August 2016 Skeptics Guide to the Universe 5X5 Episode 98 SGU Transcripts 30 December 2010 Archived from the original on 19 February 2015 Retrieved 8 August 2016 Everyone knows who Harry Houdini was He is a Hungarian born American magician an escape artist and he is also well known within the skeptical movement as a famous skeptic And in fact he started the tradition of famous magicians also being popular skeptics Daniel Loxton 2013 Why Is There a Skeptical Movement PDF The Skeptics Society website p 3 Retrieved 1 September 2014 de Jager Kees December 1994 Een Europese Skeptische organisatie Skepter in Dutch Stichting Skepsis 7 4 11 Jean Dommanget 1924 2014 Comite Para website in French Comite Para Retrieved 14 December 2014 Jacques Van Rillaer et le freudisme Comite Para website in French Comite Para 19 September 2014 Retrieved 14 December 2014 Olivier Mandler 30 October 2014 Sommaires des Nouvelles Breves Nouvelles Sceptiques Comite Para website in French Comite Para Retrieved 14 December 2014 External links Edit in French Comite Para ECSO in Dutch SKEPP Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Comite Para amp oldid 1096843852, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
