Sanjay B. Jumaani Is Full of Shit

Let’s hope Google picks up on that headline.

Jumaani is a numerologist who’s getting paid obscene amounts of money to tell people what they want to hear. His advice boils down to: Change the spelling of your name to make it more unique or just be born on the right day:

According to Mr. Jumaani, people’s personalities and destinies are shaped by the interplay of various numbers. Among the most important are numbers derived from birth dates, like the sum of the digits that make up the day of birth. Babies born on the 28th day of a month, for example, are said to have a good life ahead of them because 2 and 8 add up to 10, and 1 plus 0 equals 1.

One, three, five and six are considered auspicious numbers: Mr. Jumaani points out that Bill Gates was born on Oct. 28, 1955.

Numbers correspond to the sun, the moon or a planet; one is the sun, two is the moon, three is Jupiter and so on.

But people who are not born on a fortunate date need not despair. While he cannot change their birth dates, Mr. Jumaani said clients can benefit by changing their names. (He would not disclose how numbers are assigned to letters.) Wearing appropriate gems and colors can also change fortunes.

In other words, 40% of the digits are special. And you can manipulate most numbers to get one of those four digits.

Even if Gates was born on the inauspicious Oct. 29, 1955, you could just as easily say 10/29 = 1 + 0 + 2 + 9 = 12 = 1 + 2 = 3 = Auspicious!

Moron.

Much like James Randi, the Science and Rationalists’ Association of India is trying to fight back against the pseudoscience.

“This practice caters to people’s craving to know, modify or improve their future,” said Prabir Ghosh, an author who has debated astrologers and numerologists on Indian television. “In this era of cutthroat competition intensified by the global recession people will do anything before going into a new venture.”

Mr. Ghosh, who is the general secretary of the Science and Rationalists’ Association of India, has said his group will pay numerologists, astrologers and other spiritual guides two million rupee ($43,000) if they prove that their practices work as advertised. He has made no payments so far.

Of course no one will try to claim the money. These numerologists and other deceivers know what they are doing — they have convinced themselves they have a special talent. They may not even be purposely lying, but they’re completely mistaken about their “gift.” They don’t have one. And they refuse to undergo any real scrutiny from skeptics because they know any real study would prove their “powers” to be non-existent.

As Ghosh says, people will do anything to get ahead, including consulting with numerologists and the like. The problem is that some of these people have little money to begin with. They’re giving up substantial amounts of money to be given a path to success from a person who can guarantee nothing of the sort.

All he has to offer is hope. That’s something a close friend could give you for free.

There’s no reason to give a single rupee to a con like Jumaani.

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Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised that all this is so pervasive in India. Even serious things like marriages are often only allowed to proceed if certain astrological signs are met.

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I think I should change my name to Hemaant Mehtaa. What do you think?

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I love this comment from hoverFrog:

I think the most auspicious day for Jumaani is when his clients were born yesterday.

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(Thanks to Prabhat for the link!)

jemand

you should definitely change your name to Xyzzy G.

It’s very auspicious!
Jim H

I remember a story by Isaac Asimov called “Spell My Name with an ‘S'”, in which a physicist working for the Energy Dept. (AEC?) went to see a numerologist at his wife’s insistence. The protagonist had some long name starting with Z, and after careful calculation tells the scientist to change the first letter of his name. It’s actually a pretty good story, examining the reactions (mostly paranoid) of the people around him. (The story was written early into the Cold War.)

Of course, this was a work of fiction, and I have no problem with such things in amusing stories. I totally agree with the headline above.
Sackbut

you should definitely change your name to Xyzzy G.

Sounds like an example of syzygy.

Also seems Sanjay B. Jumaani should change his name to Sendmi Jumaani.
Mike T

The real stupidity of numerology is that there is no reason mathematically to add up the digits in a number. So these assumptions only work as they do in our base-10 number system when all other mathematical operations will work the same in any base number system.

On a side note I have invented binary numerology. Number 1 is very lucky! My birthday is 07 22 1983. 7+22+19+8+3=59. In binary this is 111011. Add the digits and you get 5, which is 101 in binary. Add the digits again and you get 2 which is 10 in binary. Add those digits and you get 1!!! Holy crap! I’m going to be the next Jesus!
Googler

Sanjay B Jumaani is Full of Shit is the second result when you google his name, right under his personal wesbite. Well done.
Colin

Why bother with all of the letters, anyway. Just change your name to “6”.
Viggo the Carpathian

How does all this differ from asking the big sky fairy for favors? It’s just irrationality.
Valekhai

So, people get excited when numbers are added to make other numbers, and then those numbers are arbitrarily assigned a meaning?
Can’t they just play with a shiny object instead?
Tony Boling

RE: The title…

The “Friendly” Atheist just threw off the gloves!
Heidi

I feel like I should be exponentially auspicious, since I was born on 9/27.
Spurs Fan

I have the same birthday as Bill Gates-I’m destined for greatness (hope it comes soon)!
Lilith

I did change my name, but not for numeralogical reasons. i just never liked it.

And thanks for mentioning Xyzzy, Jernand, I’ve now been mentally transported back in time to the old text-based game, Adventure.
Alan E.

It’s also based on a calendar system that was arbitrarily invented by humans. There is no reason we must have 12 months with random amount of days. Why does February have 28? Why not give it 30 and take 2 days from 2 months with 31 days? 365 days in a year makes sense on earth because that’s the approximate time it takes for us to go around the sun, but why not have 5 months of 73 days each? Even our birthdays are relative to the earth’s cycle. They have different results when you set up a calendar system for the different planets and moons based on their yearly cycles.

Long story, short…It’s all bogus (and relative, but in Einstein terms)!
Nitwit Nastik

Hemant, almost a year ago I wrote an article on my blog criticizing JUmaani and the crap that he peddles. I was in fact surprised that he took the time to actually reply to my blog post with his mumbo jumbo.

He charges insane amounts of money from his clients, especially struggling Bollywood film actors and directors who change their names or the names of their films hoping that the change would make them or the film a success. But as many of your readers can guess the statistics prove otherwise.

Unfortunately, like everything in astrology and numerology, the hits are celebrated and jumaani is heralded as the next prophet while the misses are quickly forgotten and jumaani is exonerated from any wrong doing (even though the misses far outnumber the hits).

Ah ! but isn’t that what we have come to expect from the multitudes of god-fearing, astrology-believing dimwits (a sizeable population in India) everywhere.
Allytude

I think you should change your name to Hem@nt Meht@

Imagine how much more lucky a special character is
Justin S

Hemaant
-contains a ‘t,’ which also is the first letter of ‘two’ = 2
-contains two a’s, which on many GPA scales is a 4.0
t+a+a = 2+4+4 = 10 = Auspicious!
Matto the Hun

So what if I change my name to Godless McGodkiller?
Ben

I saw a program on TV not so long ago (can’t remember any specifics about date, station, title) about a guy who decided to debunk a few psychics. In order to expose them, he developed a fake company, with a fake history, and a fake owner who died horribly, complete with pictures, plaques, video, a website, flyers.

To their credit they took it quite well when exposed. No doubt they’re still out there conning the gullible, though.
hoverFrog

I think the most auspicious day for Jumaani is when his clients were born yesterday.
TruFru

No Hemant. You should change your name to Hemaxqnt – with ‘x’ and ‘q’ being silent! That will bring you a lot of luck (and a lot of points if you put your name on a Scrabble board!). I feel that Indians are the most pathetic when it comes to believing in woo-woo like lucky gems, numerology, astrology or even voodoo. I don’t believe in any of this stuff and I get comments like “you should follow these even if you don’t believe in them” from my parents. I tell them, “wow, you make it sound as if I have a choice!”
CatBallou

hoverFrog FTW!

Hemant, I recommend that you add some accents and maybe an apostrophe or two. Y’know, make your name seem exotic!
Lyvvie

I’m reminded of ad-man Siimon Reynolds of Australia – he’s the man who made the 1987 AIDS awareness ads with Reapers bowling AIDS balls down an alley and striking men, women and children down – he added the extra “i” to his name on the advice of a psychic who told him it would bring him success.
ckitching

I’m guessing the other reason why these charlatans don’t collect on these prizes is that scheming people out of money is far more profitable. Even those who have convinced themselves they have special powers could understand that failing this test could cripple their chances of separating fools from their hard earned money.
muggle

I changed my name to muggle and now I’m non-magical.

Oh, wait, he was serious?
ironflange

Hey, I was born on the 28th! When does the good stuff start?
littlejohn

I’m going to cut through the crap and simply change my name to “Bill Gates.”
Loren Petrich

What’s worse: numbers and letters and names are historical accidents.

We use a base-10 number system because we have 5 fingers on each of our 2 hands. If instead we had had 4 or 6, we’d be using base-8 or base-12.

As to adding up people’s names, try doing so for versions of them in different writing systems to see what you get. Or even try that with some phonetic representation of them.
PaulJ

I have it on good authority — or rather I have it on authority — or, actually, someone left a comment on my blog last year — that the way to tell the difference between a good numerologist and a bad numerologist is that a “good” numerologist uses the numbers 11 and 22. Simple really. So now you know.
sneha

Hi,
To begin with, Mr Jumaani does not charge obscene amount as mentioned, in fact i got a consultation done free of any charge as I had expressed to him my poor financial conditions.
Not only have I overcome my problems in terms of finance, but I have also done well with regards to my health which was also a matter of bother. Mr Sanjay has hardly increased his charges and for the kind of name and fame he has got because of his works, his charges of around 100 $ a person is not exactly OBSCENE. A visit to a spa or a beauty parlor can make us end up spending much more! And there is no way our lives can be bettered by previliging the health clubs. And Mr Jumaani is not after athiests who dont believe in the science. To an athiest even believing in God is superstition as no one can come ahead to prove Lored Krishna!
sneha

There have been quacks who charge 10 times more than Mr Jumaani and so what if he charges for his expertise?
Does a doctor treat you for free?
A psychiatrist or even a doctor doesnt neccessarily cure the patient but still has to charge for his or her living.
Perfect sciences fail too, so much that even doctors do not guarantee a successful operation, however small or simple. So you certainly have a personal grudge againt Mr Jumaani to use such words for him.
Heidi

Well in that case, I’ll read your tarot cards for $50. And it will be every bit as effective. I’ll even bring my own cards. (I have 3 different decks.)

I’m a regular artist, not the con- kind, but I think I am in the wrong business here.
vishal

Mr. Ghosh, who is the general secretary of the Science and Rationalists’ Association of India, has said his group will pay numerologists, astrologers and other spiritual guides two million rupee ($43,000) if they prove that their practices work as advertised. But who are they to question the belief of millions of people? In India where it is a culture to match horoscopes before a marriage, the divorce rate as opposed to other countries is at least 3 to 4 times lesser! This is proof enough to shut the mouth of stupid westerners who scoff at such beliefs but at the same time what happens to them on Friday the 13th? It is believed that many dont frequent out on such a day, making the economy lose millions!
And I remember Mr Jumani predicting a very good year for Sonia Gandhi as she is a Number 9 in her 63rd year. She did wipe out opposition in the elections!
So what if we ask Mr Ghosh to prove Jesus? Or Lord Rama? Or Shree Ganesh? And if they cant, then millions thronging temples, churches etc are idiots?
Heidi

So what if we ask Mr Ghosh to prove Jesus? Or Lord Rama? Or Shree Ganesh? And if they cant, then millions thronging temples, churches etc are idiots?

Yes, yes they are. I might have put it more politely, but there you go.

Millions of people believe in flying saucers and alien abductions, too. Are their numbers high enough to make them automatically right?
Owl700

I recently caught an interview with the author Malcolm Gladwell on “The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulus”.He suggests successful people have actually practiced their craft for ten thousand hours. When Bill Gates was a young man ,for example, he had access to a home computer long before it became the norm. He also had contacts to help him along the way. Makes much more sense than a numbers game.
Saiom

We consulted with Sanjay Jhuani too and are utterly disappointed. We had some questions that he was unable to answer. Besides he just sent us a general numerological predictions that is availale for free online. When asked if I could pseak with him and get my questions answered, he emailed back saying that “numerology is more of a solution based science than a predictive based one”. I would never go to him again…
mahesh

I believe too in Numerology being a ‘Solution’ based science, just like Vaastu or Feng Shui , sciences which cannot predict much but still enhance the vibrations for a better future.
Why, even a prescription given by a doctor helps only after following its course, or taking the medicine!
Just looking at the prescription cant help!
romeo8

Hey, notice all negatives against Jumaani on the same frigging date? The 7th? Meaning were these comments doctored?
Looks like fame has a price to pay here!
A few jealous nut cases doing their bit!
Heidi

Uh, romeo? Hemant made the blog post on the 7th. That would be why most of the comments were made on the 7th. Reading is fundamental.
Manish

hey people i understand your feelings, but you know when a person is down with his confidence level these are the people like astrologist, numerologist and other people who say they can change their path and secure there future makes a deep impact on the minds of the people who suffer and that impact can really help them to gain his lost confidence this what motivational speakers do guys. Before coming to any conclusions pls see deep inside you you will understand much better. they YOU KNOW THE GREATEST THING ONE CAN DO IS HAVE FAITH. AN UNSHATTERD FAITH ON ANY THING CAN CREATE MIRACLES JUST HAVE FAITH MANTHATS WHAT IS REQUIRED.
vishal

Kudos! Rightly said. Atleast half the battle is won once you start to think positevely.
Heidi

Guys, you need to realize that you lost this battle before it even began. You’re at a site full of atheists praising the ideal of belief without evidence. If you don’t realize the futility of your situation, then I feel even sorrier for you than I did when you started praising the magic woo-woo in the first place. You’re just embarrassing yourselves now, and it’s getting tiresome. Enjoy your delusions. Just don’t expect me to read anything else you have to say about them.
Ajay Dabade

it’s your smart and hardwork that can make you successfull. talk about bill gates to dhirubhai….All were very smart and hardwork and most important ..they had a never ever give up attitude..take a example…dhirubhai was born on 28 dec 1932..as per numorology..He is No 1 and the total also come to number 1…and that is reason they say that he was so successfull. Now the question… there might be so many others who might have born on same dirth date…then why all of them did not became a dhirubhai…guys…just believe in yourself ..work hard/smart…and the miracle is bound to happen.
Praavin surii Numerologist

Well this discussions has not end. I am also practicing numerology. And I always tell me clients in advance, through numerology, I can suggest some remedies, which needs to be followed on regular basis. Moreover, it does not means that your good time starts just to listen your stars and change of name spelling. I believe, numerology or for that matter any other occult science branch, can have not more than 40% role in your life. It is the karmas which u do have more effects on your life than anybody else. So numerology is just like to identify yourself, take help of planets which are missing or whose strength may benefit u and follow good karmas in life to get best for yourself. Remember, it is u who can change your life, nobody else can do for u. If I suggest a mantra which should be recited daily, you have to do it yourself and not by anybody. Remember, if we have to satisfy our hunger, we have to have food. So think positive, do good karmas and pray to the planets regularly, will certainly change your life – on positive side only.