on@hpda.UUCP (Owen Rowley) (06/07/85)
> Thanks to Tim for an excellent presentation. I only want to add, as an > amateur magician (and not a very good one, although I used to be paid > for my performances when I was in practice), I have always been amazed > at the ease with which simple chicanery can fool even sophisticated > observers. Believe me, if you have never done this sort of thing, you > have no idea of the wealth of absolutely simple, yet effective methods that > are available. Professional integrity prevents my going into them here :-). > By the way, speaking of professional integrity, most professional > magicians consider that Uri's use of well-known stage techniques to > fake "psychic" powers is a breach of professional ethics. Yes, no, yes, yes, no,yes, no, no......... excuse me , just helping a friend sort some strawberrys.... oh yeah magicians , Uri Geller, people arguing about what they saw, or what they thought they saw, or .... are you people serious.............. light (waves or particles ) depending on your perspective, reflect off an object and pass through the lens of an eye, the rods and cones send an interferance pattern of waves to the brain where neurons process this interferance pattern against references of things that have been "seen" before. If the pattern is "new", the brain infers a potential interpretation which is either accepted and therefore "seen", or rejected and therefore "not seen".All of this is modified at each step (and more) by the imagination , and perspective of the viewer. Illusion is not the exclusive parlance of the stage magician. Mass hypnosis is occuring ALL THE TIME, show me whats "REAL" and I promise to be stubborn enough to deny its existence anyway. now that I've given vent to my sarcasm. I'l be serious. I too am a magician (and I am very good at it) I too have seen Geller perform, it was my opinion that I had seen another magician! But it also my opinion that one magician doesn't expose another magician. By the way this is written into a formal code of conduct for the various magicians organisations. The shAmazing James Randi committed a serious breach of this code in his exposition of Geller If Randi had any real talent he would not have to rely on cutting someone elses action in order to get media coverage. Carson should have known better too, why does Carson have Kreskin on his show and let that man perform parlor tricks off the magic store shelf, while taking every pain to bust Gelers act. Geller merely follows the first law of the mentalist... ie... NEVER,NEVER admit that you do "Tricks". Kreskin also wrote a biography which bills him as a psychic and conveniently leaves out reference to his membership in the magical fraternitys!!! Kreskin also tells a bullshit story about having an extraordinary metabolism and having "trained his mind to accomplish these amazing feats of psychic hoo-ha" It is true that Andrija Puharich was publicly proclaiming genuine paranormal and parareligious stuff about Geller, but its also true that Geller broke ties with Puharich when Andrija's madness became embarissing .I heard Geller publicly state that the claims in Puharich's book were Puharich's and that he (Geller) had no comment to make on it. When pressed to make spiritual connections apparent regarding his "act" Geller was very carefull to give any such idea no support whatsoever, The argument that he was trying to make a messiah of himself doesn't wash any more, and that is the claim that Randi and his supporters were using to defend their intrusion into Gellers gig. Magicians have been taking "psychic researchers " for a ride for a long time now, and personally I think it 's healthy. Keeps em on their toes. And most magicians I know also realise that there are genuine mysterys in this world. I have found that the same influences that make an occultist , also make a magician.My own interest in both these areas are strong,healthy, and keep a balance with my scientific outlook on life, the universe and everything.. there are people who do magic tricks and there are people who watch magic tricks, If you do a trick and then explain it youve ruined the trick.... and youve failed to entertain the spectator. This whole thing really doesn't mean much, because every performer,(and Gellers stuff...tricks or not is a perfomance for which he is paid) knows that publicity is good no matter what they say about you... as long as they spell your name right ....... LUX ...on Owen Rowley {ucbvax,hplabs}!hpda!on