“Failure to Project: Now let us consider why psychic projection may end in apparent failure. We say “apparent,” because all experiences of this kind necessarily involve a degree of success on some level of our being, even though you may not be objectively aware of it. According to the reports that some members have sent to us on the subject, the reasons may be generally broken down into the following five categories”

The Burden of Scientific Proof

Scientific investigation is based on the principle that all phenomena can be explained via natural processes. Now that doesn’t mean that scientists only accept the existence of natural phenomena; it simply means where an exceptional event occurs, scientists will ascribe a possible natural explanation to the incident where no alternative is offered. This perspective is often referred to as methodological naturalism and is expounded upon by renowned Scottish economist and philosopher David Hume in a theory known as “the principle of minimum astonishment.”

According to this theory, any testimony which offers a supernatural explanation for a supposedly miraculous event should be discounted as the possibility of fakery or fraud is simply far more likely; thus in order for a miracle to be conclusively proven, the rational evidence against it would have to prove even more unlikely. While the anecdotal explanations put forth by Rosicrucian Order AMORC in this monograph may not constitute fraud or fakery, they’re certainly the product of individuals who are committed to the Rosicrucian teachings, thus their testimonies must certainly be tempered with a hint of skepticism.

Thankfully, we don’t have to rely on subjective information to make our final judgments; years of scientific experimentation and research have created a stringent set of objective criteria for the evaluation of any claim. Here are some of the pertinent criteria:

• Theories must be logically consistent with no internal contradictions
• There must be certain situations in which the theory is invalid (logically falsifiable)
• It must be limited in scope (logically falsifiable conditions need not apply for the theory to be true)
• Must not contain unnecessary ideas
• Must lead to reproducible results that can be double-checked
• Explain any and all data produced by earlier theories
• Be consistent with all related theories
• Must admit that it might not be correct

One the first count, this experiment in psychic projection doesn’t hold up to close scrutiny. The first justification Rosicrucian Order AMORC gives for an apparent failure in psychic projection is as follows:

“Some members will fall asleep when they attempt to stimulate the Psychic body. This simply indicates that you are too tired to achieve a controlled psychic projection. The subconscious thus induces sleep so that you can rest.”

Compare this to very first line of the anecdote Rosicrucian Order AMORC produced to lend credence to their theories on astral projection.

“This is what happened a short while after I went to bed. After following the method indicated in the Seventh Degree and, I admit, without much belief that I would succeed, I suddenly found myself out of my body”

The glaring contradiction is quite obvious. This woman’s body induced her into a deep state of rest and yet she was still able to achieve results that committed non-skeptical followers found difficult to replicate. Similarly, Rosicrucian Order AMORC states that some failures occur due to sufficient stimulation of the psychic body, and yet the woman in their own account was attempting no stimulation when her OBE occurred. How then do we explain this woman’s success, amidst the failures of some many dedicated pupils? Not only does this create inconsistency in Rosicrucian Order AMORC’s own teachings, it makes it almost impossible to identify logically falsifiable conditions for their psychic projections.

By the same token, the amount of unnecessary information contained within Rosicrucian Order AMORC’s teachings is extensive. In the previous analyses, we were able to condense reams of material down to seven instructions, yet in the monograph, those simple steps are provided with a variety of disclaimers, clarifications and additional notations. If this set of monographs truly serves as the final key to achieving supernatural abilities, then why must one try it again and again in so many different ways? Where is the easy reproduction required by scientific theory?

On the last point, Rosicrucian Order AMORC has an easy out. Were the society simply to claim their teachings as inconclusive, or agree that there may be further research needed, then we could as open-minded, individuals accept them fellow truth seekers. Unfortunately, such a confession does not occur at any point in section titled “Failure to Project.” On the other hand, the text does contain five explanations for why the experimenter (or scientist) himself is inadequate in his practice. Thus, science has failed and the cult believer’s faith remains undisputed.