Schwartz's major research focus has been in the field of parapsychology. The stated goal of The VERITAS Research Program is "using individuals called mediums to communicate with the deceased" and using scientific methodology and protocols to measure the results. Subject mediums have included John Edward and Allison DuBois.
Controversy
Schwartz has been criticized by claimed psychics and skeptics alike. The skeptics include James Randi, Robert Todd Carroll, Paul Kurtz and Psychologist Ray Hyman. Schwartz wrote a response to Hyman in May 2003 to which Hyman wrote a rebuttal to in the same May issue.
Some of Schwartz research subjects have been critical of him. For example, DuBois criticized Schwartz's book The Truth About Medium as a "feeble attempt to cash in" on her publicity. Claimed psychic Laurie Campbell appeared on Geraldo at Large and when asked by Geraldo if Schwartz was ethical Campbell replied, "Well, I think with my resignation it kind of shows in 2005 that I felt he was highly unethical and I can no longer be connected to his program or the university.
On October 6, 2007 two parents of a deceased son appeared on Geraldo at Large claiming that Schwartz sought 3.3 million dollars from them. The parents said that Schwartz claimed "He was going to become a chairman of a new corporation that was going to exist from the otherside and was going to help the world, but what I wanted was ... all Knopf had to do, the professor said, is provide him with $3.3 million". Michael Knopf wrote him out an installment check of $50,000. Geraldo noted that investigations by the Arizona Attorney General found that while his actions were unethical, he did not violate any laws. Even still Geraldo criticized Schwartz's actions and the university for funding him.
In reponse to the news report Schwartz wrote the 'Geraldo at Large' "...segment was highly selective and biased in its reporting". He further added that, "Geraldo made a point on the show of reporting that Dr. Schwartz did not return their calls, with an implicit negative connotation."
References
Books
- Gary E. Schwartz and William L. Simon, "The Truth About Medium: Extraordinary Experiments with the real Allison DuBois of NBC's Medium and other Remarkable Psychics," Hampton Roads Publishing Company (October 2005) ISBN 1571744592
- Paul M. Lehrer (Editor), Robert L. Woolfolk (Editor), Gary E. Schwartz "Principles and Practice of Stress Management," (The Guilford Press; 2 Sub edition, January 29, 1993) ISBN 0898627664
- Richard J. Davidson (Editor), Gary E. Schwartz (Editor), David Shapiro, "Consciousness and Self-Regulation, Advances in Research and Theory Volume 4," Plenum Press (April 30, 1986) ISBN 0306420481
- Gary E. Schwartz, William L. Simon, and Deepak Chopra (Foreword). The Afterlife Experiments (Mar 1, 2002) ISBN 074343658X
External links
- The VERITAS Research Program at the University of Arizona
- "How Not to Test Mediums: Critiquing the Afterlife Experiments", a critique of Gary Schwartz' research from The Skeptical Inquirer (January 2003)
- "Follow Up: How Not to Review Mediumship Research", Gary Schwartz' response to the above critique from The Skeptical Inquirer (May 2003)
- "Follow Up Reply: Hyman's Reply to Schwartz's 'How Not to Review Mediumship Research'", Ray Hyman's response to the above critique of his critique from The Skeptical Inquirer (May 2003)
- What If Gary Schwartz Is Right? by Robert Todd Carroll, at Freethinker, mukto-mona.com, a Bengali humanist website (March 2005)
- Gary Schwartz's Subjective Evaluation of Mediums: Veritas or Wishful Thinking? by Robert Todd Carroll (April 2006)
- Gary Schwartz and Intelligent Design by Robert Todd Carroll (May 2006)
- Conman or Psychic on Geraldo at Large
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Last updated on Wednesday June 25, 2008 at 15:57:01 PDT (GMT -0700)
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