Is there a scientific explanation for the near-death 'tunnel' experience? This article was first published in the British & Irish Skeptic and is reprinted with the kind permission of Dr Blackmore.

When Benjamin Creme first visited New Zealand in January 1989, I was overseas. Fortunately, the prophet of the returned Christ decided to pay a return visit.

The New Zealand Woman's Weekly has been the recipient of a New Zealand Skeptics' Bent Spoon Award. Does Broadsheet, "New Zealand's feminist magazine", make a more intelligent response to matters of interest to Skeptics?

An intention to celebrate the New Zealand Sesquicentennial with a series "Great Paranormal Moments in New Zealand History" has been abandoned. Readers may, however, be interested in the following item from "100 Years of News', a publication of the New Zealand Herald on the occasion of its centennial in 1963.

The New Truth articles on the "Disappearing Regiment" were examined in New Zealand Skeptic No. 15. A curious sequel to these stories, headed "Mystery clouds hold secret to rail horror!", appeared in New Truth's issue of 20 October 1989. After reading the "Disappearing Regiment" articles (25 August and 1 September 1989), Mr Jack Bramley, a wood carver now living in Whitianga, told New Truth of three clouds he had seen from Taupo and which had remained in the same position near Mt Ruapehu for the three days before Christmas 1953. In the article the clouds were linked to the disaster which occurred when the Wellington-Auckland express was plunged into the Whangaehu River shortly before 10.30 pm on 24 December 1953.

Anabolic steroids were in the news during the Commonwealth Games and Dr Michael Kennedy has been studying their use by athletes for the past ten years. His conclusion is that "anabolic steroids have no effect on aerobic sports, such as running and swimming, but may lead to a small improvement in the performance of trained weightlifters." He quotes a 1972 study that showed when athletes were given placebo and told they were steroids, they got stronger and trained harder.

The following item was sent by Bernard Howard of Christchurch. It appeared in the (Christchurch) Observer of 22 January 1990 under the headline "Hagley visits on UFO agenda—claim".

The following may interest those who hesitate at the idea of "mushroom rings" being evidence of UFO landings—or of fairy shindigs.

With immigration a topical issue, some New Zealanders may be interested in an article in a recent Omni (January 1990) which looks at apocalyptic prophecies. In it Mark Harwell of Cornell University's Global Environment Program offers cheer to those fearful of nuclear winter: "Move to New Zealand. It's way the hell south and has 30 sheep per capita. You can survive on lamb chops until the smoke clears out of the stratosphere."

The following item was sent by Mr A.S. Hamlyn of Dargaville. It appeared in The Northland Times of 23 March 1990 under the headline "Sceptic flabbergasted by Indian holy woman".

Experience of synchronicity (co-incidence) has occasioned thoughts on the inter-connectedness of things.

(From the London Sunday Times Supplement)