Skeptical Inquiries

The Replication of the Birth and Death Study

 

Brian T. Johnston, Bsc.

 

Two further studies were undertaken to see if the results of the previous study were due to synchronicity, or were verifiable results. The premise is that the number of deaths that occur on a day where the natal sun is aspected by the transiting sun by an aspect of the 24th  harmonic, or every fifteen degrees, than at any other time. Astrology since the time of Jung has been under the stricture that the results are somehow due to a mantic, magical procedure. In other words fortunetelling. This has of course been an accusation of astrology since ancient times. During the 12th and 13th centuries astrology was being re-introduced into Western and Northern Europe and the main criticisms were as they had always been that the stars could not possibly affect life on earth, let alone an individual person. The results of the many different astronomical studies that now link the positions of the planets and electro-magnetic weather of the solar system are too many to reference. The studies started with the astronomers of the 19th century who were convinced that the planets were affecting the rate of sunspots. Professor Carrington was one notable in this field at the time. (A Practical Treatise of Astral Medicine and Therapeutics - 1912, Dr D.M. Duz, Bogata, Colombia, pg 15.) The University of Colorado studies ( http://brianjohnston200.wix.com/skepticsand-science#!planetary-harmonics-and-the-aurora/curf)prove that not only do the planets positions affect the rate of sunspots. but they can be correlated with climate changes on the earth over vast periods of time. Now we can see that the forces at work in the basics of astrology are physical and not a phantasmagoria.

 

To answer the age old question the planets do affect life on earth and the repetition of the birth and death study is enough to say that it is affecting individuals. Many studies over the years have shown good results and if they were in any other field of study they would have been taken seriously. I have read many good and valid studies in the International Astrologer and other reputable magazines and journals that would be valid if they were not considered to be pseudoscience.

 

In the first study the same procedure was followed as in the original test. Thirty one famous people were selected at random from the website: http://www.famousdead.com/category/historical/  and http://www.famousdead.com/category/historical/page/2/ .

It was found that out of the selected individuals 11 of them died when the sun was aspecting from the 24th harmonic with an orb of three degrees. The expected is 6.2. Six of them died with an orb of one degree. 2.1 is the expected number.

 

A second study of another 31 famous people who have died was randomly selected from the same website at these pages:  www.famousdead.com/archive , www.famousdead.com/archive/?=1 www.famousdead.com/archive/?=2 , www.famousdead.com/archive/?=3 and www.famousdead.com/archive/?=4 .

It was found that out of the 31 people found 19 of them died within three degrees of an aspect of the 24th harmonic. The expected number is again 6.2. The number who died when the transiting sun was within one degree of an aspect of the 24th harmonic was 8. The expected was 2.1.

Between the two studies 30 people died when the transiting sun was within three degrees of making an aspect with the natal sun. This is 48.4% of the total. The expected was 20%. When the sun was within 1 degree of making aspect there were 14 deaths. The expected number of deaths was 6.7%. In fact 22.6% of the people died during these periods.

 

For both studies then we have 62 individuals randomly selected from the above data bases of which 30 died within 3 days of and aspect by the transiting sun with their natal suns. The expected number is 12.4. The number of people who died within an orb of one degree of the aspect is 14, the expected number is 4.2. This is of course impossible if there is not a correlation with the timing of the deaths and the solar aspects.

 

If we return to our original study, which has been modified slightly to include 109 deaths from the same sources (see: http://brianjohnston200.wix.com/skepticsand-science#!data-births-deaths/cle4 ) we find that there were 47 deaths within three degrees of a solar aspect of the 24th. harmonic. The expected was 21.8. There were 43% of people who died during these periods when compared to the expected 20% which is quite startling. By combining all three studies of 171 death timings there were 88 people who died within 3 degrees of an aspect occurring, or 51.5% of people died during these periods. The expected number of people to die during these periods is 34.2, or 20%. This is the same as throwing a 5 sided die 171 times and getting 88 fives, when you should only get 34 fives. You have a 99.82% chance of this not happening. In other words impossible and not related to any synchronicity.

 

Here are the results of unpaired t-test against random numbers:

 

P value and statistical significance:  The two-tailed P value equals 0.0018  By conventional criteria, this difference is considered to be very statistically significant.   Confidence interval:  The mean of    Group One minus Group Two equals -16.32  95% confidence interval of this difference: From -26.55 to -6.09   Intermediate values used in calculations:  t = 3.1391  df = 340  standard error of difference = 5.199   In the observations made of the analysis of the three combined batches at the 72nd. harmonic there are peaks at 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 105, 120, 135 and 150. The peaks at 0 and 180 degrees is very low, but they add to the overall statistics. Just after 120 degrees there is sharp decline, which may account for why trines are considered positive, but it would appear just when they separating. The highest concentration is around 90 degrees giving the square it’s justified negative connotations.   In conclusion we can now confidently state that the transiting solar aspects against the natal sun of the 24th harmonic produce states of stress that result in greater than number of deaths than would be expected if the results were due to random chance. The results show that the astrological influences of the planets do affect people in profound ways and must be incorporated into the mainstream of science and medicine. No doubt with this preknowledge many lives could be saved if the proper preventions were in place to guard against these critical times.