,,SKEPTICS CRITICIZED
           ON. PARANORMAL ISSUE
                                scholar Tells Scientists That
                                Occult and LI.F.O. Phenomena
                                  Merit 1.6gitimate Inquiry
           By BOYCE RENSMIRGER
           One of the scholars who helped rtart
           a, campaign to Investigate reports of
           paranormal phenomena has split with Ids
           former colleagues, contending that the
           movement became more preoccupied. With
           denounding mrb reports than with Inves-
           tigating them fairly.
                     The s6olar, Dr. Marcello Truzzi, a
                =1t of science who teaches at
                st
                cbigan University In, Ypsilanti,
           Mi@ves'that the' study of paranormal
           ghenomena should not be dismissed out
           fhand.
                Dr. Truzzl resigned as editor of the
           .group's magaine, then called The Zetet-
           Ic. and established a new journal whom
           consulting editors Include both skeptics
           and believers. The older mapine is now
           called The Skeptical Inquirer. and the
           new one is called Zete4lc Scholar.
                The first gr4DUP, which calls itself the
           Committee for the,Scientific Investiga-
           tion of Claims of the Paranormal,
           out of a widely published denun=
           of astrology that was signed by 186
           scientists and philosophers in 1975. Its
           leader, Dr. Paul Kurt, & Professor Of
           philosophy at the Staft University Of
           Now York at Buffalo, maintains that'the
           nation is zwasb In a rising tide of iffa-
           tionality and gullible acceptance of re-
           ports of occult and paranormal phenome-
           na, and says this portends grave conse-
           quences for f society heavily LvAuenced
           by public opinion.
                uTh said Dr.
           I is is absolute nonsense,
           Truzzi, the leader bf the brealtawaY
           ymp.
           Beeking Answers Tbroullh Sclencs
                Dr. Truizi said be saw little danger
           in the current popularity ot paranormal
           Matters. The rising interest, he contends-
           reflects a trend in which believers in
           these topics are abandoninF supernatural
           -explanations and seeking answers,
           through science.
                With the demystification Of religions,
           Dr. Truzzi said in a telephone Interview,
           beliefs that used to be the focus of secret
           societies and mysterious cWts are Dow
           being tested for natural explanation$.
                As examples, he cited the work Of 3-
           Allen Hyrvek, an astronomer, to explain
           unidentified flying objects; I. B. Rhine,
           a Duke University -psychologidt 'to test
           .extrasensoryI perception, , and Michel

           

           Gauquelin, a French psyphok*gt, to test
           astrology statistically.
                -I thij* this is only healthy' Dr.
           ,@Truiti said, adding that hrft believed
           @.vhany such lnvwbgatOrs wm dealing
           Appro@e4f.r.M 11AM9
                CIA-RDP96-0078?JO00200080024-8
           THE NEW YORK',.!MES, SUNDAY, JUNE 2S, 1978
                                    opposes outright condemnation!
                                4'1 -don't doubt that " of oc
           cultism Is empirically MI;7T! T-ruzzf
           continued,- "but the approach to it has
           to be based on am examination of the
           evidence by people qualified to do that,
           not on outright oondemnation. We
           shoWdn't just ilismiss these things out
           of hind." 1. :'. , ,
                That, Dr Truzzi added, is wha-t he be-
           lieves Dr. Kurtz and his oomn-tittet is
           doing.
                "The cornmittee Is tarring everybody
           with the same brash,'@ Dr. Truzzi said.
           #%When ou do that, you're cutting your-
           self offyfrom what may not be just a
           'bunch of kooks, but from what I would
           calla protoscienee." , - L
                Dr. Kurtz, taking Assue with Dr.
           Truzzi's assertions, said, "We are inter-
           ested In fair investigations of claims of
           ie paranormal, but we do believe It's
           Important that,-when claim of the para-
           normal get wide public attention and be-
           lief, the skeptical po"on Wso get media
           :attention." i
           Chief Dl@greement Cited
                lDr*. Kurti saW his chief disagreement
           I with Dr. Truzzi wa's ever how much em-
           phasis to place .on reaching the public
           with skeptical comments on paranormal
           Issues. Dr. Kurtz said this was an impor-
           tant. mission of his organization; -Dr.
           Truzzi said he woulld prefer to establish
           a credible body of contrary evidence be-
           fore publicly denouncing something.
                When Dr. 7Yuzzl resigned his editorship
           of The Zetetic, Dr. Kurtz and his commit-
           tee hired -a new editor, Kendrick Fraser,
           formerly an editor of a popular science
           magazine, to change the magazine's con-
           tent and format to have greater public
           appeal.
                The address of The Skeptical Inquirer
           k P.O. Box 5, Amherst Branch, Buffalo,
           N.Y. 14226. Subscriptions are $10 a year.
           The address of Zetetic Scholar, also $10
                Doartment of Sociology, East-
           i igan University, Ypsilanti, Mich.
           CIA-RDP96-00787ROO0200080024-8