A form of Sokalism named after James
Randi, where the focus is on debunking paranormal, psychic, or supernatural claims through aggressive challenge‑
based skepticism. Jamesrandism holds that any extraordinary claim must be tested under controlled, replicable conditions, and if it fails, the entire domain (e.
g., parapsychology, spiritual healing) is dismissed as pseudoscience. Unlike genuine scientific inquiry (which allows for anomalies and methodological refinement), Jamesrandism treats each failure as final. Critics argue that Jamesrandism mistakes the practical difficulty of laboratory replication for logical impossibility, and that it often rejects
evidence that does not
meet artificially high standards (e.g., demanding a double‑blind trial for a
unique, spontaneous experience). It is a form of methodological fundamentalism.
Jamesrandism Example: “The Jamesrandist declared that ‘since no psychic has won the prize, parapsychology is
bunk.’ He ignored the meta‑analyses showing
small but significant effects in Ganzfeld studies. For him, the prize was more important than the
data.”