Need a new strategy? Now that the James Randi Foundation (http://www.randi.org) are planning to close two years from now, I feel urged to hurry up with the protocol proceedings. My claimed ability is part of all my senses, and is not something I frequently pay attention to. To me, sensing information from human tissues is no different than the ability to read writing, and the colorful chemicals I see and feel no different than the colors we all see with our eyes. Human health problems come with among the strongest information that captures my attention the most, so it is with this I have gathered most of my experience. I have often been interested in checking the accuracy of what I found, especially when what I've found is very specific and seems unusual! So far I have had a 100% accuracy. It was only natural that, among all the types of information my ability can access, I would want to have my ability tested on human health problems. Over the past winter I have been corresponding with Mr. Andrew Skolnick (http://www.aaskolnick.com/), who was one of the persons involved in designing a test protocol for Natasha Demkina (http://csicop.org/specialarticles/demkina.html) whose paranormal claim had resemblance to mine. I understood right from the start when I submitted my suggestions on a test protocol to the IIG West that there are some complications involved in testing for medical diagnose and on human subjects, and this was also brought to my attention by Mr. Skolnick. Now with the time restraint due to the scheduled closing of the JREF Challenge I am considering the possibility of testing my ability, with the JREF, on some of its other strengths. Chemical Identification I had great fun one day describing all the wondrous things I was sensing in a friend's medication! I did not know prior what their names were, or what they were for, and simply felt the chemicals by looking at them and said what information the feeling translated into. A medication used to lower high blood pressure, I described as having the effect of stopping blood flow. The higher the dose, the greater the effect. To stop blood from flowing is, I suppose, one way to lower high blood pressure. Another medicine, I said is nothing but an extreme toxin, and should not be used for medical purposes just because one of its side effects in the body could alleviate the symptom of an illness. The medicine contained a strong toxin, which the body responds very strongly to. It causes damage to the liver. The body responds in panic, washing the toxin out from the body, using much more water than would normally be placed into urine, all to get rid of the lethal toxin. This has the effect of dehydrating the body, or, as I guessed it right, to battle with water retention. It was a diuretic. I am now considering whether to test my ability on chemical identification. A test protocol would be very straightforward. There could be no subjectivity or uncertainty in answers, as there might with the identification of health problems. It would not involve human subjects, and to set up the test should be very quick and easy. I have done some preliminary tests at home with a friend to help me shuffle the containers. I tested my ability on various types of chemicals from the drugstore that had a stronger "feel" to them than others. Unfortunately I am unable to have access to prescription drugs that might have an even stronger feeling to them, also it seems inappropriate to "play around with" prescription medicines. Some of the chemicals I used were Calcium supplement and Cranberry extract. I can conclude that chemicals do not need to be visible. I am equally successful when chemicals can not be seen with the eyes and are concealed in containers. That allows us to not have to powderize samples for a test in attempts to make them all look equal, and significantly simplifies a test protocol. I initially had one type of pills in one paper cup, and other paper cups containing other types of pills and had to pick out which was where. To ensure that I was not using external cues, three cups were placed into each making them thicker, and the tops were covered as well as elevated from my line of sight. I found out that having contents in one cup, and all other cups empty, made it easier. My friend was unable to obtain the same positive results as I during these tests. I tried various types of items and obtain the best results using copper pennies! They are very dense. Interestingly, I am very successful with locating the coins several tries in a row, after which I become unable to feel them! If those used coins are removed, and new coins are put to use, I can feel the new ones successfully! It really seems as if when I "feel into" the coins, I am draining them of their "energy". Also noteworthy is that after a few trials, and continuously "draining the coin energy into myself", I start feeling very sick. Although it should seem that having a total of two or three cups would be easier, it is easiest for me to have a total of four cups, one with the contents to be found and three empty ones. That way I can easier contrast them and find the one that feels different from the others. Five might be too many. On practice trials at home, I will either easily feel in what cup the coins are located, or I will not be able to feel them at all. I rarely am confident in a choice to find out that I was wrong. On trials of three cups, one with contents to be found, and with ten tries in a row, on average I was correct 80% of the time. I do not know if that is good or not. I need to arrange trials using something better than paper cups, although that was all I could find at that time that would provide containers that look the same. I will continue with more trials and post the results here soon. If I am successful with these trials, I will arrange for a demonstration with an academic as a witness, as required by the JREF prior to applying for the paranormal challenge. My original intentions were to test my ability with the IIG West and, if I pass test it again with the JREF, since the JREF place more requirements on their applicants. It now seems I will be an applicant with both at the same time. I will leave it to the IIG West to decide whether to test my ability on human health problems, chemical identification, or something else, and apply to the JREF once and if I find out that I am confident in chemical identification, since such a test would be straightforward enough to be done before the closing of the JREF.   Comments, e-mail me at;  brightstar@visionfromfeeling.com