D. Khoury, Aura Manipulator & Astral Traveler

This is our most recent application, having arrived last week when our server was temporarily disabled. The claim letter that accompanied the application was not "a brief, two-paragraph description" (as per the Challenge rules), but four pages of mostly irrelevant data.
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I would like to take the One Million Dollar Challenge to prove my mental psychic abilities. I would like to demonstrate to you that there is a link between the mind and our aura & energy fields contained within and around our bodies.

I will prove that by using my mind, I can change the color of my aura to whichever color I chose/designate it to change to. I will even allow you to pick some colors if you like. I will also prove that the energy within my body can be lowered or amped up and can even be directed to, through and out certain parts of my body (of our chosing) using my mind.

I will also light up my chakra chain to prove it exists within our bodies. And yes they do resonate with vibrations. The higher up the chakra, the higher the vibration/note. The lower on the chakra, the lower the vibration/note.

For these tests, I will need a bed (to relax on/I usually close my eyes), and some kind of soothing music, and whatever kind of scientific equipment you have that can pick up, measure and record these activities.

My name is D. Khoury, married twice, divorced twice...

(I have edited out all the unnecessary personal data offered by this applicant, including but not limited to; work history, lifestyle, when the powers revealed themselves, the manner in which they became stronger over time, the ensuing "search for answers", how she found the JREF website, ruminations on the scientific community and how it will respond to her powers when they are revealed to the world, and Randi's personal appearances in her dreams, to which she offers...)

I have medium length curly reddish hair with green eyes, in case I ever pop up in one of YOUR dreams.

I have pondered over this for several weeks as to whether to actually contact you or not, but I finally came to the conclusion that there have been too many signs pointing me in your direction during the last few weeks. I could not ignore them.

(The applicant then goes on at length regarding her personal finances, etc, etc, etc.)
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I accepted this claim, and included the following within my response:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.
As we are not aware of the existence of any "scientific equipment"
that can "pick up, measure and record" your proposed "chakra" fluctuations, we cannot imagine how you will provide evidence of the validity of your claim. Please advise. Additionally, if you are claiming to manipulate your "aura", you must first prove that auras actually do exist, as science has no confirmed evidence of such.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Also attached to this application were two pages of "poems"...



...Higher and Higher through the sky and the stars
Through some spaceships, aliens perhaps from Mars
Through the masses of angels, far beyond my count
The angels let me pass, I come in peace, no doubt...

An email complaint to Randi James

Randi James,

I have recently sent in an application to take part in the $1 million dollar challenge. However; all I am getting back are unfruitful letters from someone named Kramer in your organization. Since I sent in the application, I have looked up sites dedicated to you and your research into the paranormal. You have put a lot of time, energy and effort into this field. But have you found what it is your looking for? You say you are looking for proof. You seem to be searching to no avail for proof of someone actually having real psychic/mental abilities. You also appear to be looking for proof of existence of things that are not seem by the normal human eye, but are fabled to exist. I have proposed a couple of different experiments. My experiments Randi, will finally give you that proof you seek, the question is will you accept my challenge? To allow me to perform my experiments so that I can give you your proof. I said I would do experiment #1 for the $1 million dollar challenge (energy detection/contol experiment). After I am given the chance to perform Experiment #1 for the money, Experiment #2, if your interested and have funding to cover the cost, I will do solely for the sake of advancement in science , knowledge and forward thinking. You could look at it like a buy one & get one free deal.



Randi, I am confident in my abillities and I can give you a 90%-100% accuracy on these test/experiments. The question is, will you allow me to show you. Are you finally really ready for your proof and to let go of the $1 million dollars. I am sure you will well get your money's worth back and then some, so parting with the $1 million dollars won't feel so bad. I have other experiments in mind, but I won't go into any details at this time. First we have to get past Experiment #1 for the money. In case Kramer hasn't informed you of my Experiment #1. It works like this:

In a room, with a bed or something to lay down on, with my eyes probably closed throughtout most of the time, with an energy/electrical reading device that has electrodes to attach to different parts of my body( hands,feet,head,legs,arms,heart, etc.). Is there not some sort of device that can detect energy or electrical currents in the human body yet? This is what Kramer claims. With such device, I will be able to show you that I have an energy source within my body & that by using my mind I can direct it to the different parts of my body and can also regulate it's intensity. I can also make it breath in & out, I can swirl it, I can vibrate it (make it shake), make it go up & down, there possibly is no boundry to what I am able to do with this energy that rages through my body. But, I am very interested to find out and I guess I thought you would be interested too after looking for so long for proof of something. Randi, I just hope this doesn't turn into a very frustrating experience for me and yourself. It's pretty cut & dry. Either with this type of device I can do what I say I can or I can't. It's that simple. Either it works or it doesn't. No props, no trickery or slight of hand involved here. But, I deserve the opportunity to show you whether it works or doesn't. Just like people have been given the chance to try to read inside an envelope stuck to their forehead, or spin things using their minds, or bend things using their minds, or try to read other peoples thoughts, or trying to diagnose someone's illness using energy or aura reading, or claiming to be able to levitate, etc.

I have a question for you. If an applicant claimed that they could levitate. Would you allow them to do an experiment to show you & prove to you that they could levitate for the $1 million dollars? Or would you have Kramer send them a letter telling the applicant that first they would have to prove that there is scientific proof that there is such a thing as real levitation before he could come in & levitate for you? Would not the experiment itself if found to be legitimate (pass your scrutiny) and the applicant is able to levitate as claimed beforehand be proof of real levitation. Proving existence of levitation via the experiment. The experiments Proof would show levitation exist. However, the applicant could not have proved it's existence beforehand.

I cannot provide to you proof before the experiment that the human energy field exist and I don't know if scientist have made these type of advancements yet. But, I can prove to you that I have an energy within and around my body that I can manipulate this energy to do different things, while hooked up to this device. I plan to amaze YOU, Randi, if given the chance. Are you ready to go from The Amazing Randi to Randi The Amazed? I await your response.

Have a great day!

Donna Khoury

Randi responds:

>But have you found what it is your looking for? You say you are looking for proof.
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No. I’ve never said that. Where did you get that notion?
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>if your [sic] interested and have funding to cover the cost<
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That has nothing to do with it. We don’t fund anything. Read the rules.
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>If an applicant claimed that they could levitate. Would you allow them to do an experiment to show you & prove to you that they could levitate for the $1 million dollars?<
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JUST DO IT. And my name is not Randi James. Deal with Kramer from now on. - James Randi

Re: An email complaint to Randi James

KRAMER said:

Is there not some sort of device that can detect energy or electrical currents in the human body yet? This is what Kramer claims.
Donna Khoury

Click to expand...

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Ms. Khoury is mistaken. I never stated that there were no devices available that could detect and measure electrical currents. What I did state, however, is that there is no device that can detect or measure the human "aura", and that science has not been able to offer proof that it even exists.

more from Ms. Khoury (11.10.2004)

Kramer,
I have been doing some research and have found out that the energy in my "human energy field" that I am going to consciously control using my mind has the Scientific name of - the "electric currents in my electro-photonic field in & around my body". I have also read that Scientist/Physist have performed some testing & research into this field, but nothing as advanced as I am wanting to go with it. I have been communicating some by email with Dr. Tom Chalko (Scientist) in Australia, talks were progressing or so I thought until he started wanting to talk about "burning books" or was it "burning bushes", anyway totally trying to take us off of the discussion of the actual experiment & testing. I'm trying to talk to him about actual scientific experiments and he starts wanting to talk in Rhymes & Riddles. Lost my patience with him to say the least. I have since sent an email to the American Physical Society to their Questions Dept. asking if they can refer my to a Physist in there Association that would be interested in doing the experiment with the "electric currents in my electro-photonic field in & around my body". Do you have any connections in this area of study, perhaps at the American Physical Society, that would be willing to fund and conduct such an experiment using their equipment? I know that James Randi must have these types of connections- so we can get on with the Challenge. I have a couple of different ideas for testing , but they use different types of equipment and I would like to be able to consult with an actual Physist/Scientist about the experiments first to decide which is the best testing device. Any help you could possibly send my way, would be much appreciated. I really want to get moving on this.

HELP!
Have a great day!
Donna Khoury

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I've advised Ms. Khoury that we have no "connections" to the APS.

Ms. Khoury has consistently displayed a fundamental misunderstanding about the very nature of the JREF Challenge.
She wants our "help". We only offer a cash prize to anyone who can demonstrate the existence of paranormal phenomenon.

A revised protocol?

This just came in from Ms. Khoury...

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Hello Kramer,
Hope you are well today. It looks like what I have to do here is exactly what you said. I will be sending in a new claim letter claiming my mental ability to alter, control and project the natural electrical field in & surrounding my body. Do you or James know what devices Scientists(Physist) have that is able to pick up these electical currents. I think James might. Is there one with electrodes that attach to various parts of my body to pick up these readings? And if there is, how do we get a hold of one for the testing? James might know this also. He told me in his previous email, that there was such a device, but he didn't say what it is called or if he could get access to one.
And Kramer I am not claiming to have magical powers. I am claiming to have advanced mental abilities/capablities. If people choose to look at it as a magical thing, that's up to them. Without testing me, I do not see how you can come to the predetermined conculsion that I will fail and show myself to be self-deluded. Maybe it because so many before me have failed your challenge. And yes I do still want to be tested. Kramer, over the past several years, I have developed quite the thick skin, I do not embarrass easily or am I easily dissuaded. I look forward to the actual testing. Any help regarding the electrical reading device is much appreciated. I will start working on my new claim letter and test protocol. Thanks for your help.
Have a great day!
Donna

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I responded thusly...

Hello Donna,
I arrive at my pre-determined conclusion that you are MOST LIKELY to fail because we have tested these sorts of claims hundreds of times, and each and every time, the results are identical; the powers the applicants believe they possess are NOT real, but imagined. This is called self-delusion. Each applicant who fails to prove their claim goes right on believing that they possess the "power". No demonstration can convince a believer otherwise. I look forward to seeing you become the exception. If you prove your claim, however, it would be a most welcome egg on my face.
In answer to your question, one device that measures electrical fields in the body is quite common; an EKG machine. They are quite common. As per the Challenge rules, each applicant must provide what they need for testing. JREF will bear none of the costs of renting an EKG machine.
Also, your revised claim can only be accepted if you can tell us (prior to testing) HOW you will alter the readings - that is, in what manner will they be altered, and in what direction. If you are claiming that you can do this, your revised protocol will be accepted. The reason for this is simply that EKG readings change on their own. In fact, they are always changing. So, you must tell us HOW you will alter your EKG readings. Is this acceptable to you?
Kramer, JREF Paranormal Claims Dept.

4 Months Later...

After 4 months of dead silence from this applicant, I received the following email this morning...

Hello Kramer,
It has been a while. This is Donna Khoury. I still have not managed to get the extra money together yet that it would take to rent the EKG machine, so I can prove to you some of my abilities. However, something has happened that I think you skeptics at the JREF foundation should know about and have the opportunity to send someone from the California area to see and examine with your own eyes. I do not know how long it will stay in good shape. Seeing it as soon as possible would be my suggestion. Also I am looking into products for palm print transfering to keep as proof. It has a visible palm print on it with the skin lines, but I am not sure if the fingerprints will show up on it as well. Let me explain:

Sunday, April 3, 2005 at approx. 9:30pm my daughter who is 11 years old was in my downstairs bathroom taking a shower. She was alone - no one else in the bathroom with her. I was in my bedroom which is right next to the bathroom. She always steams the bathroom so that the mirrors are completely covered with a solid thick layer of shower fog (steam). I heard her turn the water off when she was done. Within a few seconds in a panicked kind of voice she said, "Mom, come here very fast". I told her I was sitting on the bed relaxing. She said it again with more panic "Mom come here very fast." At the apoint I knew something was not right. I got up walked into the bathroom. She was just standing there staring at the mirror. I turned around and saw what she was staring at and I saw. Right in the middle of the mirror which was completely covered in fog steam, was this fresh LARGE handprint (complete with palm, fingers, skin prints on the palm that stuck to the mirror are still there). I have told anyone that comes into the house they are not to touch it. I want it to stay there untouched long enough for whoever wants to examine it, photograph it, test it, print transfers, etc. It is a left hand print.
This hand does not look normal. It is very long and skinny, fingers are long and skinny, the pinky and the ring finger are crooked (bent). A very scary looking hand print, placed there by something invisible that was in the bathroom with my daughter. Sounds far-fetched, I know, but you can come and examine it for yourself. Matter of fact, I am reqwuesting you as a skeptic, to please come and look at it and see if you can come up with any sound logical explanation. So far no one can. I am giving you, as a professional, first dibs at examining it, but that won't last for long. And I am afraid the more time that goes by the harder it will be to examine it in it's better shape. Time is a factor. Please let me know, as soon as possible,if anyone there wants to come examine it, before it is gone. I look forward to your response.
Have a great day.

-Donna Khoury

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Dear Ms. Khoury,

We have absolutely no interest whatsoever in the palm print on your bathroom mirror. Thanks anyway.

We hereby reject your initial claim and officially close your file.

-Kramer, JREF Paraormal Claims Dept.

One Hour Later...

That's fine, Kramer, because I have come to the conclusion that you are not open or worth dealing with. I expect to see no mention of me or my mirror incident what so ever on James's weekly commentary or any other James Randi Education Foundation site or affiliated site or materials, you have no first hand expert opinion on it, since you refuse to see it. Therefore, any mention of it or me will be considered slander. I will look for other experts in the field who would like to examine it & test it for it's authenticity.
Have a great life!
Donna Khoury

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There is no need to respond to such inanity, so we won't.

A Link

Ms. Khoury has taken to sending us emails void of any text or message, containing only links to websites that support her delusions.

This morning I received one with the following words in the message header: PARANORMAL REAL PROOF SEE FOR YOUR SELF ENJOY!!!

The link brings you to a re-telling of her Hand In The Mirror saga. It seems that she considers this to be PROOF of, well, you know.

And here's the link:

http://www.CinderellasMirror.com

Ms. Khoury's application has been rejected, and we will offer no response to her emails.

More Nonsense

James and Kramer,
Here is my claim and evidence of such claim is attached. The notorized hard copy will be put in the mail 7/15/05 and on it's way to you. See attached word document and pictures.

Have a Great Day!

-Donna Khoury

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This email arrived today along with over two dozen attached pics of a foggy mirror with a hand print in it, a shag carpet, a wall, a bathroom corner, a bedroom corner, a blue sky, several shots of white dots on a pale background, a tiled shower stall, and what appears to be a camera flash reflected in a foggy mirror.

I responded simply by reminding Ms. Khoury that we would not accept her application.

And now, the threats begin...

If there is no Paranormal evidence there as you say, then that will be proven when you come & examine it for yourself. I however Claim, have seen it, studied it, photographed it, watched it, examined it, and done my own tests on it. IT IS THERE. And this is just your way of trying to get out of paying me the $1,000,000.00 once you come & it is proven. You figure, you blow me off , don't come & see the proof & evidence, then you don't have to pay out the money. PERIOD. Why is it Kramer that you will not give me the time of day like you would, say for instance, Sylvia Brown? If she were to claim that she had a Mirror & a Carpet with a paranormal/supernatural design (pattern) consisting of all this stuff and that she wanted to put it up to your Challenge, Would you not accept? Of course you would, James would jump at the chance. I expect the same chance. If you do not accept my challenge, I am going to announce that your challenge is a fraud. My hard copy is still on it's way.

Have a great day!

Donna Khoury

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The JREF does not respond to threats.

DONE

Ms. Khoury continues to send pointless, threatening and harrassing emails to us on a weekly basis. We will not respond to them, and we will post no further data on her or her emails.

This thread is now closed.