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 Source/Author: Supreme Court of India |  Posted on: March 5th, 2011
Check out this landmark judgment given by the Apex Court of India, by Hon’ble Bench of M.B.Shah and K.T.Thomas. Excerpts below:
Sri Bhagwan Samardha Sreepada … vs State Of Andhra Pradesh & Ors on 15 July, 1999
A godman is now in the dock. One who was initiated by him as his devotee has later turned to be his betenoire, and the godman is facing a prosecution for the offence of cheating under Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code. …
Facts, thus far developed, are stated below:
An FIR happned to be registered on the complaint lodged by one Venkatakrishna Reddy with the Town Police Station, Nellore, containing the following allegations.
Appellant (Sri Bhagwan Samardha Sreepada Vallabha Venkata Vishanandha Maharaj) who is a youngman, son of a teacher of Gummaluru Village (A.P.) claimed to possess occult faculties and attracted a number of devotees. He represented to have divine healing powers through his touches, particularly of chronic diseases. Complainant approached him for healing his 15 year old daughter who is congenitally a dumb child. Appellant assured the complainant that the little girl would be cured of her impairment through his divine powers. He demanded a sum of Rs.1 lac as consideration to be paid in instalments. …
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Source/Author: PK Surendran | Posted on: February 21st, 2011
Reason it out, say freethinking techies
Rationalists of the world, unite, was the call of the day as young techies gathered to encourage the spirit of free thinking and scientific temper through information technologyat the two-day workshop of Bangalore Freethinkers and Karnataka Rationalists Association held at Vignan Bhavan, Banashankari.
Technologists and freethinkers, Pankaj Kulkarni, Anil Gulecha, and Varun John came up with proposals for social activism for the cause of freethinking.
They said that at a time when religious fervour and indoctrination were leading to dangerous consequences, such as terrorism, rationalists and freethinkers should go beyond the dialectical mode of rational thinking and get directly involved in social activities and humanitarian works for the sake of rational thinking and scientific enquiry.
They wanted the movement to take advantage of mass media and secular non-governmental organisations to spread the message that freethinking liberated them from the shackles of religious fanaticism and dogmas. The argument that the movement should leave the concept of god, and attack the priesthood and religious institutions to remove superstition and intellectual slavery were also raised.
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Source/Author: Satish KG | Posted on: January 24th, 2011
The article ‘Tower of inspiration‘ (Jan 24, 2011) made for an amusing reading. However, the article harps on certain themes without actually verifying the veracity or atleast, providing a scientific evidence of the claims of ‘Pyramid energy’.
Before I venture further into the topic, let me say this at the outset: it would be very difficult, perhaps even unjustified, to discard completely the positive effects of the so-called meditation. That’s because, if you strip off the halo of ‘spirituality’ around meditation, it is essentially a relaxation technique that can be performed without any supernatural baggage and still achieve similar results.
There are relaxation techniques such as Deep breathing, Autogenic training, Biofeedback, Progressive Relaxation, Power Nap etc.. that have got positive clinical evidence regarding their efficacy. The noted psychiatrist George Engel worked to arrive at a model to explain the significant role of biological, psychological (which entails thoughts, emotions, and behaviors), and social factors in the context of disease or illness namely Biopsychosocial model. All these medical techniques and models attempt to explain psychosomatic disorders and ways to mitigate them without having to appeal to anything supernatural.
Mr.P S R K Prasad (Director of Programs of Pyramid Valley International) makes certain remarks that can only be considered ‘preposterous’ in the absence of supporting clinical evidence. Let’s look at some of them (as reported in Bangalore Mirror dated Jan 24, 2011):
- “Pyramids are storehouses of energy. Their geometric design collects, radiates and stores cosmic energy” – Will Mr. Prasad care to explain what is ‘cosmic energy’ and how the design of pyramids help in its collection, radiation and storage?
- “Pyramids help reduce the level of stress and tension in the physical body” – How? No answer found in the article!
- “Over 640 natural Himalayan crystals are fitted inside the pyramid meditation hall to amplify the Pyramid’s energy” – High sounding words, no doubt, but I wonder whether it is empty sound. Because, there is no causal connection offered by Mr. Prasad (or the reporter) between the crystals and energy!
Interestingly, the popular TV program of Discovery Channel, ‘Mythbusters’ examined the claims that pyramids can magically preserve fruit, or even sharpen steel razor blades etc.. The tests, of course, yielded no appreciable differences between items in the pyramids and items outside! Editor of ‘Junior Skeptic’, Daniel Loxton wrote a great piece of popular science work in its Issue 23 on pyramid energy that effectively doused all its mythical fire! This popular myth prompted the famed skeptic Martin Gardner to write a scientific ‘joke’ on it way back in June, 1974! But, alas, the myth lingers on!
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