Skepticism
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An Activist’s Guide to The Demon-Haunted World
Carl Sagan’s 1995 masterwork, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, stands as one of the most vital manifestos for critical thinking ever written. While framed around scientific skepticism, its message is profoundly radical: without the tools to spot deception, question authority, and resist pseudoscience, a society cannot remain free.
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Epistemological Parallels :
Cārvāka and David HumeComparing David Hume and Cārvāka, Bina Gupta examines skepticism across Eastern and Western philosophy. The essay explores how both traditions treat perception as fundamental, rejecting dogmatic metaphysics and necessary causal connections. However, Gupta highlights key differences: Cārvāka adopts radical materialism, whereas Hume’s epistemological framework leads to a more nuanced, mitigated skepticism.
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Leaping on Broken Glass.
This experiment demystifies the “Hatha Yogi’s Leap”—leaping barefoot onto broken glass. It demonstrates how preparing tumbled bottle glass, distributing weight across a deep granular bed, exploiting thick sole skin, and absorbing impact through vertical landings explain the demonstration entirely through fundamental principles of physics and physiology.
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Tattvopaplavavāda of Jayarāśi and its Alleged Relation to the Cārvāka/Lokāyata
Ramkrishna Bhattacharya challenges the classification of Jayarāśibhaṭṭa’s Tattvopaplava-siṁha as a Cārvāka text. Highlighting internal textual evidence, he argues Jayarāśi rejected all pramāṇas and claimed intellectual superiority over Bṛhaspati. Rather than endorsing materialism, Jayarāśi established a distinct, radical doctrine—tattvopaplavavāda—aimed at upsetting all philosophical principles and refuting all opposing views.
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Skepticism
Ancient ‘East’ and Modern ‘West’Explore the fascinating parallels between ancient Cārvāka materialism and David Hume’s empiricism in this unified comparative study. This article examines how both traditions challenged conventional metaphysics, questioned the validity of inferential knowledge, and reshaped critical philosophy by placing sense-perception at the very center of their skeptical inquiries into truth and reality.
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The “Spirit” in a Wick
This article deconstructs the “dancing wick” ritual from South Kanara, where a lit lamp wick wriggles after an oracle collapses. Rather than a divine spirit entering the cotton, the movement is caused by a trapped earthworm struggling against heat and suffocation. Simple physical inspection easily exposes this deceptive cruelty.
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The “Spirit” in the Coconut
antriks exploit families during exorcisms by claiming a self-moving coconut imprisons a captive spirit. In reality, the mechanical movement relies on center-of-gravity shifts caused by a small animal sealed inside and distressed by ritual smoke. Real healing requires medical care for psychological dissociation, not ritual fraud.
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God’s Blue Autograph
Godmen claim divine intervention when a sacred name suddenly manifests in deep blue upon their skin at the touch of holy water. In reality, pre-written invisible text of potassium ferrocyanide reacts with dabbed ferric chloride solution to precipitate intense Prussian blue, exposing a routine chemical reaction masquerading as divine authority
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God’s Autograph: his name in the ash
Ascetics and godmen claim divine grace when sacred names magically appear on their skin after rubbing ash from a ritual fire. In reality, the names are pre-written using clear soap or gum. Heat from the fire induces sweat, reactivating the dried letters so fine ash adheres exclusively to them.
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Burning Water with Psychic Power
Psychics claim elemental power when water erupts into flames at the pass of a hand. In reality, the performer secretly drops a piece of sodium metal hidden inside a thimble into hot water. The violent chemical reaction releases hydrogen gas, which ignites, leaving behind a hazardous solution of caustic soda.
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Unmasking the Miracle-Merchants:
An Interview with B. PremanandIn this candid interview, renowned rationalist Premanand discusses his lifelong campaign exposing fraudulent godmen across India. As the successor to Abraham Kovoor, he explains how scientific temper debunks widespread superstitions like holy ash, palmistry, and astrology, advocating for reason over religious exploitation while educating millions through nationwide scientific outreach workshops.
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The Heterodox Schools of Indian Thought
Donald H. Bishop examines the origins, metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics of Cārvāka materialism. He highlights its rejection of ether, inference, and theistic dogmas in favor of empirical perception and hedonism. Challenging priestly orthodoxy, Cārvākism provided a vital skeptical counterweight that shaped heterodox traditions like Buddhism and Jainism in ancient India.
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Basava Premanand – A Great Skeptic & Human Being
Honouring B. Premanand (1930–2009), the legendary leader of the Indian rationalist movement, this tribute and 2008 interview document his relentless crusade against spiritual fraud. From offering monetary challenges to expose pseudo-miracles to filing court petitions against prominent godmen, Premanand dedicated his life to scientific temper, critical thinking, and unyielding atheism.