Book Read Free

The Science of Miracles

Page 39

by Joe Nickell


  Moroni (angel), 279–80

  Morte d’ Arthur (book), 149

  Mother Cabrini Shrine, 258

  Mother Teresa, 52

  mummification, 170, 171

  Murphy, Rev. James, 62

  myrrh, 62

  Napoleon I, 152

  National Geographic Television and Film, 213, 215

  near-death experience (NDE), 293–94, 294

  Neumann, Therese, 325, 331

  Newton, Isaac, 142

  Nickell, Joe, 15, 43, 77, 103, 116, 128, 153, 196, 217, 218, 221, 270, 334, 354, 405

  Nicodemus, 153

  Nienhuys, Jan Willem, 101, 309, 311

  Nolen, Dr. William A. 209, 211

  Occam's razor, 15

  oil, 66–69, 71–78, 78

  testing, 74–75

  See also exuding effigies

  Oostakker, Belgium, 187, 189, 190

  Opsasnik, Mark, 379

  Osuna, Ric, 381, 383–84, 384

  Ouija board, 374

  Oviedo cloth. See Sudarium of Oviedo

  Owen, Sir Richard, 396

  Pachacamac

  idol, 27–30

  oracle of, 27–28, 30

  pyramids at, 30

  Palaeologan style, 113, 115

  Palmyra, New York, 279

  parables, 298. See also miracles, as parables

  pareidolia

  defined, 52

  See also simulacra

  Passion of the Christ, The (movie), 233–39

  Paul, St., 139

  Peerdeman, Ida, 309–13

  “Pentecostal Power,” 202

  Peron, Eva, 316–17

  “petrified” people, 169–170

  phosphorescent paint, 37–38

  photographs, 287

  Picknett, Lynn, 142–43

  Pío, Padre, 335–40

  canonization, 338–140

  exhumation, 340

  phenomena, 336–38

  Pius XI Pope, 252

  Pizarro, Francisco, 29–30

  placebo effect, 177

  Plantard, Pierre, 143

  Plogojowitz, Peter, 171

  poison immunity, 355

  Polidoro, Massimo, 140, 143

  Pollen

  on Shroud of Turin, 124–26

  on Sudarium of Oviedo, 136

  Poltergeist (movie), 387

  poltergeist phenomena, 311–12, 372–74, 376

  Popoff, Peter 197–203, 204

  Posner, Dr. Gary P., 203

  Possessed (movie), 380

  possession, 311–13, 369–379

  defined, 369

  poltergeists and Ouija spirits, 372–75

  and psychology, 369–71

  story behind The Exorcist, 371–79

  power, going under the, 202, 208–09

  Pozzuoli Stone, 145, 148

  Presley, Elvis, sightings of, 230

  Price, Robert, 238

  Prince, Clive, 142–43

  Priory of Sion (hoax), 143

  prophecy, 197–98, 252–55, 310. See also Fatima, “miracles” and “secrets”

  provenance, 103, 109–110, 113, 133

  defined, 133

  “psychic surgery,” 214

  psychosomatic conditions, 176–77, 216

  Radford, Ben, 378

  Ramaccini, Franco, 144

  Randi, James, 53, 198–99, 200

  Randles, Jenny, 292, 405

  Recoleta Cemetery (Buenos Aires), 317, 318

  Rees, Vaughn, 36, 193

  Reeser, Mary, 406

  reflectographic photographs, 108, 113

  Rega, Jose López, 317

  relics, miraculous, 91–172. See also specific relics, e.g., Holy Grail

  Rennes-le-Château, 143

  resurrecting the dead, 178–80, 182

  by Elijah and Elisha, 225

  by Jesus 178–180

  See also resurrection of Jesus

  resurrection of Jesus, 122, 225–230, 230, 231

  “retrofitting,” 255

  Ripley's…Believe It or Not, 363

  Rivas, Katya, 330–32, 333

  Robertson, Craig, 66

  Robinson, Cloretta (stigmatist), 325

  Rochas, François-Jean, 363

  Rogo, D. Scott, 60

  Rosales, José Sol, 32

  rosaries, transmutation of, 47, 259

  Rubio, Maria, 41

  Rudder, Pierre De, 187–90, 190

  Runciman, Sir Steven, 106–07

  Ryden, Vassula, 269–75

  Sagan, Carl, 294

  saints, popular, 315–17, 319–321

  Samarin, Dr. William T., 357

  San Francisco de Asis (church), 35, 39

  “Sangraal,” 153

  sangreal

  san greal (“holy grail”), 142

  sang real (“royal blood”), 142

  Santiago. See James, St.

  Santiago de Compostela, 157–168

  Santistevan, Corina, 36

  Santo, Audrey, 219–222

  Santo, Linda, 219, 222

  Santos, Lucia, 249–55

  Satan

  “Devil's step,” 391–93, 93

  footprints, 395–400, 402

  voice of, 312

  See also exorcism

  Saunière, Bérenger, 142

  Schafersman, Steven D., 125

  Scherpenheuvel, 23–25

  schizophrenia, 369

  Schulemburg, Guillermo, 33

  scrying, 280

  serpents, 347–52, 353

  eastern tradition, 348–49

  rod-to-serpent, 347–48

  sideshow features, 352, 354

  snake handling, 350–51

  “Shadow of the Cross,” 35–40, 40

  Shaw, Steve, 53

  Sheehan, Michael, 363

  Shermer, Michael, 53

  Sherr, Lynn (ABC), 220

  “shotgun” technique (faith healing), 206, 207

  Shroud of Turin, 109, 119–28, 128

  artist of, 120–21, 129–132

  “blood” on, 122–24

  C-14 dating, 126

  image of, 122, 128

  image replication, 129–31

  pollen claims, 124–26

  scandal at Lirey, 120–21

  secret study, 122–23

  shrouds, bogus, 119–120. See also Besançon, Shroud of

  “shroud science,” 123–24

  Siffrin, Msgr. Robert, 85

  “signs,” 285–87

  photographic, 287

  simulacra, 32, 41–44, 52–56, 55–56, 287

  defined, 41

  pareidolia and, 52

  Skeptical Inquirer (magazine), 81, 83, 140, 216, 344

  “slain in the spirit.” See power, going under the

  “sleep paralysis,” 289. See also “waking dream”

  Smith, Joseph Jr., 277–83

  fantasizer, 280–82

  snake charming, 348–49. See also serpents

  snake handling, 350–51. See also serpents

  Snedeker, Allen, 387–89

  Snedeker, Carmen, 387–89

  Snedeker, Philip, 387–89

  Soldado, Juan (“Soldier John”), 319–321, 322

  “Soldier John.” See Soldado, Juan

  spiritism, 214

  Spiritualism, 214, 281, 285, 374

  spontaneous human combustion, 403–406, 406

  spontaneous remission, 176, 216

  staircase, miracle. See Loretto staircase

  Steiger, Brad, 291

  stereomicroscope, 41, 43

  Stewart, David, 74

  stigmata, 234, 323–32

  defined, 323

  evolving phenomenon, 323–26

  proven frauds, 329–30

  stigmatic profile, 326–29

  See also stigmatists

  Stigmata (movie), 323

  stigmatists

  Bernas, Lilian, 341–44, 345, 346

  Francis of Assisi, 323–25

  Neumann, Therese, 325, 33
1

  others, 323–330

  Pío, Padre, 334–40

  Rivas, Katya, 33–32, 333

  Sudarium of Oviedo, 133–38

  suggestion, 209

  Sullivan, Randall, 71, 73, 76

  “sun dog,” 245

  sun miracles, 251–52, 259

  “surgeries, invisible,” 214

  “Swami Yomahmi.” See Walker, Stephon

  Swank, Hilary, 15

  Swierz, Rev. Michael, 84, 85

  syncretism, 31

  Taylor, Glenn, 32

  Taylor, James, 215

  Templar Revelation, The (book), 142, 143

  testimonials, faith-healing, 203

  Theiller, Dr. Patrick, 185

  thermographic photographs, 108, 113

  thixotropy, 144, 145

  Thomas, Cal, 238

  Thomas, St. (the doubter), 139

  Titulus Crucis, 95–96, 98

  tomography, 113, 203

  Tonatzin (Aztec goddess), 31

  tongues, speaking in. See glossolalia

  Tourette's syndrome, 369

  Trachet, Tim, 101

  Transfiguration (of Jesus), 228–29

  transmutation. See rosaries, transmutation of

  Transubstantiation, 241, 242, 311. See also Eucharistic miracles

  True Cross, 91–99, 99, 146, 149

  Tryon, Victor, 124

  Turin, Eucharistic miracle of, 243–46, 247

  Turin Shroud. See Shroud of Turin

  Tyrrell, G. N. M., 229

  Unsolved Mysteries (TV show), 45, 47

  Valley Hill, Kentucky (miracle site), 45

  vampires, 171

  “vaporography,” 122, 129

  veneration (of images), 57. See also idolatry

  Veronica's Veil, 106, 111–12, 235–36

  “victim soul,” 219

  Vigilantius of Talouse, 139

  Vignon, Paul, 129

  Virgin Mary. See Mary (mother of Jesus)

  “visitations,” 285–294

  Vískontas, Indre, 71, 72, 73, 76. See also Miracle Detectives

  Voragine, Jacopo da. See Jacopo da Voragine

  “waking dream,” 228–29, 230, 264, 279

  Walker, Stephon, 215–16

  Walking on Water, 304–05, 307

  Warren, Ed, 381–82, 288–89

  Warren, Lorraine, 382, 388–89

  Weber, William, 383

  “weeping” effigies, 23–25, 25, 58, 60–62, 65–69, 69, 71–78, 259

  weeping icon kit, 65–66, 68

  Whanger, Alan, 127, 136

  Wheeler, Nancy, 170

  William of Tyre, 151

  Williams, Ben, 386–87

  Williams, Jean, 386–87

  Willin, Melvyn, 267

  Wills-Brandon, Carla, 291, 293

  Wilson, Ian, 109, 127, 135, 235

  Wilson, Sheryl C., 275, 281. See also fantasy-prone personality

  winding stairs. See Loretto staircase

  Woodward, Kenneth L., 159

  X-rays, 108, 113, 210

  Yavorsky, John, 84

  Zanic, Bishop Pavao, 257–58

  Zeis, John, 344

  Zimdars-Swartz, Sandra L., 252, 253–54

 

 

 


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