One Million Dollars Offered to Anyone with Verifiable Evidence of a Paranormal Experience

The James Randi Educational Foundation, or JREF, is a non profit organization founded in 1996. According to the Foundations web-site its aim is "to promote critical thinking by reaching out to the public and media with reliable information about paranormal and supernatural ideas."

In keeping with the Foundations goal, JREF issued the One Million Dollar Challenge over ten years ago. To date no-one has managed to claim the one million dollar cash prize, though a log of the applicants who have sought the monetary reward suggests that many have tried.

Some of the past applicants have included a Canadian Telepathist, a Pendulum Chiro-Dowser, a Marital Telepathist, a compass manipulator, a person claiming to have magnetic hands, and a myriad of other unusual folk. The Challenge rules are very specific in regards to either demonstrating a supernatural ability or scientifically verifying a paranormal experience. Many prior applicants have failed to follow the rules of the challenge, which require the applicant to help devise a fool-proof method for testing the claim.

An interesting experiment took place with a "Swedish Friend of the Dead" who claimed that she could communicate with the dead, via contact with persons who knew the deceased, and objects that belonged to the person, while alive. After many months of negotiations and debates in regards to testing protocols the actual test of the woman's abilities took place at the "Archives of Nordiska Museet" a Stockholm museum for history and folklore" in the fall of 2006. The test involved a series of sealed diaries being presented to the "Friend of the Dead" who would then be able to tell the testers whether they belonged to either a man or a woman. The diaries were carefully selected so that the appearance of each one gave no impression as to the sex of the author. While initial reports stated that the woman "failed" the test, it was later suggested that some of the testing protocol had not been followed specifically, which may have altered the determination. The last report from JREF testing officials was that the results may have to be canceled and the test rerun.

In April of 2007 the JREF introduced a revised application and list of rules that Challenge-takers must adhere to. 16 specific rules now govern the Million Dollar Challenge, and each must be strictly followed, in order for the applicant to be considered for serious testing. Applications must be notarized, and must include a test suggestion, that will demonstrate how the applicant will successfully verify their claim.

The most recent challenge applicant appeared on Japanese Television, in front of a live audience, on June 4^th, 2007. According to the JREF web-site the applicant was to "communicate with spirits and divine the contents of 20 different envelopes - each of which contained a different symbol." The show featuring this Challenge applicant will air in Japan, on June 18th, 2007.

Anyone wishing to participate in the Million Dollar Challenge can visit the JREF web-site, to obtain complete details of the application process. A full log of all applicants to the Challenge, thus far, is also available on the web-site, along with further information about how you can support the James Randi Educational Foundation, or participate in their upcoming seminars and workshops.