Secrets of the Psychics

Secrets of the Psychics

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Ratings: 7.66/10 from 56 users.

Secrets of the PsychicsAre psychics power real or fake? This is a documentary that try to answer that question. Are some of us born with mysterious powers, able to move objects at will, read a person's thoughts, even cure physical ailments with the power of the mind? Follow master magician James Randi as he uncovers the secrets about psychics.

Can psychics predict the future? Many people seem to think so. Others argue that, in most cases, so-called psychic experiences are really misinterpretations of events. In this episode of NOVA, magician and confirmed skeptic James Randi challenges viewers to weigh the evidence for and against the existence of psychic phenomena.

Randi argues that successful psychics depend on the willingness of their audiences to believe that what they see is the result of psychic powers. The program highlights some of the methods and processes he uses to examine psychics' claims. Using his own expertise in creating deception and illusion, Randi challenges specific psychics' claims by duplicating their performances and "feats," or by applying scientific methods.

His goal is to eliminate all possible alternative explanations for the psychic phenomena. He also looks for evidence that they are not merely coincidental. His arguments can motivate your class to discuss the differences between psychic performances and legitimate cases of unexplained phenomena.

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issaidso
issaidso
1 year ago

Whatever you believe your special abilities or beliefs are, it is up to you to wrap them in a testable procedure if you wish them to be acknowledged by science, if that is so important to you.

Razzle Bathbone
Razzle Bathbone
1 year ago

Many people have approached the "Un-Amazing" Randi to prove their psychic abilities and he just ignores them if they might win that money. It's a PR grift by Randi to promote his "debunking" career. He is a professional for-profit debunker (whatever a debunker is) and has made a living smearing and harassing people. He spent decades harassing Uri Geller, while bolstering his own reputation, when Geller had ALREADY been tested at several top notch universities in serious scientific double blind experiments that proved his psychic abilities. Randi has been nailed for lying and omitting facts that did not support his debunking theories. He is an ex carny "showbiz magician" and not a scientist.

georgiypotulov
georgiypotulov
8 years ago

One time this person looked like he had to take a cr*p and sure enough he had to take a cr*p. Does this make me a psychic? All intuition is just refined thought, all thought is just memory in movement. Nothing mystical really..

Mmk Kirschbaum
Mmk Kirschbaum
9 years ago

Teresa, Great post. Yes, I have written several books on this issue. You cannot have "fakes" unless you have a "truth". We live in a world of good and bad duplications. In some cases, things are not really as they appear. I have seen, experienced and written about them. We have the truth in us but we continue to search and search and search. That is the way of life. Stay blessed. MMK

Teresa
Teresa
10 years ago

Psychicism and Religion are one in par insofar as disbelievers and sceptics are concerned. I am not religious and cannot prove or disprove that a God exists. Randi knows he's safe in his offer of a million (or whatever it is?) to try and get a psychic to prove his/her autenticity. It's absolutely impossible for me to prove to you my psychic experiences/dreams. One can never measure extra-sensory phenomena. Randi is very cleverly living off this fact.

Teresa
Teresa
10 years ago

Don't think Randi is on this show (or any other) for no money.....even if a genuine psychic nailed him, he would deny it because he is earning his living as a controversial sceptic. Emailed him and asked if anyone can explain how I dreamed of a murder before it happened and also a dream of my brother's death before it happened? All I got back was...,,,QUOTE: ''If you can predict the lotto numbers, that would be impressive''

Teresa
Teresa
10 years ago

The thing is, Randi knows it's not possible to prove anything psychic to a sceptic. No matter what they are told they can explain it away with a ''so called'' logical explanation. I once emailed Randi about precognitive dreams and got a reply saying...unless you can predict the lotto numbers then there is no proof? Coincidentally, I once did dream of five lotto numbers which came up some years ago...didn't play it myself but told some of my friends before the draw (who were very happy). It's a bit like religion, ''Is there a God?''.........who can ever prove that?? Of course there are some charletons out there and this is what keeps Randi in the media spotlight.......though it is grossly belittling to genuine psychics.

Kim Njore
Kim Njore
12 years ago

been searching the world wide web for really cool documentaries. Am home!

PaulJ1985
PaulJ1985
12 years ago

fraudsters caught with there pants down! always enjoyable viewing! good doc!

fifimsp
fifimsp
12 years ago

My favorite is the water. What a crock of s***.

robertallen1
robertallen1
12 years ago

If something scientific fails the scientific test, merely claim that it is not scientific.

robertallen1
robertallen1
12 years ago

The anthem of the psychic--Don't examine, accept!

Intbel
Intbel
13 years ago

Sponsored by Johnson & Johnson - say no more ...

ann
ann
13 years ago

i believe in psychic phenomenon because I have experienced it myself... as of now, some disprove of its existence because it is unexplainable...psychics are real, but i believe they tend to hide themselves because they don't want to be accused of demonic associations...many are scared. Others are trying to use some dirty tricks and call themselves psychics which I think is an advantage for some of the real psychics, so that they can live their lives as how are they living right now. However, soon enough, this phenomenon will be acknowledged as a fact, even those who are unbelievers right now will certainly attest its veracity.

Five
Five
13 years ago

Until I found James Randi I felt alone in the world with my beliefs (or lack of...) I will be forever grateful for his life work. Years ago I worked at a historical hotel and many of the customers asked me if I had seen the ghosts. I worked the night shift and never saw or heard a thing. I just told them,"Sorry, I am spiritually challenged."

Galloway Grumblefield
Galloway Grumblefield
13 years ago

@tomoa,
"I thinks randy’s excuse for not using mind altering/expanding drugs is a poor one. I feel like if your looking for the truth you would take plunges into the mind to experience some of the states of being above thought processes."

You misheard Randi. What he said was that he prefers to be in full control of his life, which is why he does not take narcotics or drink. He admitted that he forfeited a sense of comfort that other people enjoy from putting faith in external influences like fantasy and religion.

Kinsley
Kinsley
13 years ago

I think Randi was a great person for what he did. People were getting ripped off and spending money carelessly. He was a intelligent and brave man. So get off of him.

A. T. Heist
A. T. Heist
13 years ago

BUSTED

Patrick
Patrick
13 years ago

It's crazy how a person like Peter Popoff can go on scaming people. He's the real definition of the devil--someone who presents themselves as a man of God, but is really scamming and deceiving people.

Patrick
Patrick
13 years ago

You can't use science, which is a limited subject, to test something that falls out of what we know of science. That is why it's called paranormal.

Tracy
Tracy
13 years ago

circa 1993

Ashish
Ashish
13 years ago

I want that James Randi action figure!

wow
wow
13 years ago

oh he never added anything about Woo-Doo and any other type of magic. There are plenty curses and other beliefs that exist in this world, i don't think that everything is fake.... just saying :)

wow
wow
13 years ago

so harry potter isn't true ? :P

Randy
Randy
13 years ago

Let me just clarify-- I've only ever been to a strip club once in my life, on my 30th birthday. It was "Delialah's" the "gentlemen's club" (really?).

My wife let me go, on the condition that I never mention it, or ever go to another strip club ever again!

I had an "in" with the Italian mob that owned the clubs, (this was in Philly, but I think they had clubs in Atlanta and Atlantic City, of course...).

Actually, it was very clean and seemed very safe, (the Italian Mob always does it right...), but a little creepy...

The men there just stared evilly at the women dancing, and drank their 12 dollar beers. I was like, "Um... these woman are real human beings!"

I was standing up, cheering, clapping and fanning myself with my hand and, of course, I was rewarded by these women coming over to me and giving me special attention.

('Course I was young and cute then...)

Also, I had a 15 inch stack of one dollar bills that they loved.

But, the point of this story is this:

What was really funny is that I was right up on the stage, I mean there was a stage bar, a few inches lower than the stage, and I was drinking these long-neck texas beers, so the necks of the beers stood above the stage.

Well, these women all had on massive clear heels, like 7-8 inches tall. And when they writhed in front of me, they kept spilling my beers all over me, knocking them down with their heels.

Everytime, they came over and apologized, over the loud Van-Halen music, but I would just nod and grin and say, "That is totally all right! Spill all the beer on me you wish!"

Ah... good times...

(I'm sure this will be moderation... sorry Vlatko...)

Randy
Randy
13 years ago

@ronanthem

HAHAHA! Absolutley correct! And I loved, (LOVED!), the use of the word "bullcrapistry"--- LOL!!!

And, you know, there ain't nothin wrong with no strippers, my friend...

OUCH! My wife just smacked me again...

Pacha
Pacha
13 years ago

You seem to know a lot about strippers ronanthem

Is there something you want to share with the group?

ronanthem
ronanthem
13 years ago

You know......I once saw a guy disapear into thin air and never come back. I was of course, baked out of my skull on weed at the time. Drugs may definately give you some kind of insight. But, I would have to say that Randi is correct in staying sober and trusting the normal currents of his own brain. If you want to see the genious-causing effects of 'E' and coke, you can have an inspired conversation with a stripper. They seem like lucid and intelligent people who surprisingly enough, are very much into - astrology, palmistry, and other forms of bullcrapistry. On the average. Not all strippers are this way. (*OK, most of them are*)

I love the matter-of-fact approach Randi takes in debunking this crap. He's not carrying the burden of proof and he shouldn't give them any lee-way in proving their claims. Afterall, these people are taking advantage of others' gullibility, insecurities, and fiscal status. Isn't he the same guy who made the baby-psychic cry? Good Doc! Thanks for posting it!

whatistruth
whatistruth
13 years ago

This may sound like a load of crap to every1 but about 15 years ago I went out to meet a friend. I was waiting at a post office(I had no cell phone back then) in the dead of winter with no heater in my car. I was there for about 15 minutes when a female voice in my head that I reconized as a girl at the party i was at said "Come back Thomas called and said he is not coming over." Well I'm not one that hears voice in my head not even my own, it freaked me out. I waited about 10 more minutes for the guy to show up he never did. I headed back to the party and confronted the girl whose voice I had heard. I asked her if she "talked' to me in my head she said yes. I asked her to repeat what she had said. She repeated it word for word, After she did I told her to stay the flock out of my head from then on needless to say. I don't know about talking to the dead but that girl proved to me ESP was real.

Hannah
Hannah
13 years ago

Thanks Pacha. Like they say, "it's hard to fill a cup that's already full."

Randi does a really important service of reminding that there are suckers out there and people who take advantage of them. I just think people need reassuring about the world they live in and hope for better. Some find it in the logical, concrete and others find it in the mystical. Either way, I'm sure both are hallow in excess.

joe
joe
13 years ago

I think Randi is the one with supernatural powers or what you would consider supernatural powers in our times:
He possesses:
common sense
unbiosed judgement
authentic interest to know the truth
repect for the individual
the desire to confirm, test, back with facts and genuine information anything he deems as true

Pacha
Pacha
13 years ago

@ Hate machine
Your parties don't sound like much fun to be honest :)

I dont want to get into an argument about what's real or not but I have personally had plenty of experiences with psychics, shamans, healers, ghosts, homeopathy etc etc.
And although I totally understand what he's getting at and concede that some of these things can be faked and some of the people involved do come off as a bit wacko and maybe it's the placebo effect working in some cases, I have rarely paid for any of the above services and I have received unending benefits and some startling, very personal readings.
I am a very sceptical person and even though I've studied and practiced some healing techniques and have been told that what I do is amazing, I still find it hard to believe. I even went to India to try and meet some spiritual leaders, to prove to myself that they were fakers but I have to admit I was blown away by some of the things I saw them do.

Randy
Randy
13 years ago

@HaTe_MaChinE

Yes. I agree, I have always loved James Randi... he taught me critical thinking. For that I will always be greatful.

(And, really, sorry again about being so b*tchy to you before! I think you and I are probably much alike... I hope we can still be pals!)

HaTe_MaChInE
HaTe_MaChInE
13 years ago

@Pacha - "He comes across way too arrogant."

He seems like a fun guy to have at a party if you ask me. Not arrogant at all. I found it that the people he was debunking sounded pompous. Randi was there to do a job. He was doing the best he could to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Maybe Randi hit a little too close to home for you. The fact remains that not once in history has a supernatural phenomenon been recorded tested or proved. It is just not real. And no matter how much you want it to be real it never will be.

I think that anyone that offers a service for money should have to describe the benefits of said service. If you cannot PROVE you are bestowing said benefits you should be fined and barred from performing said services in the future.

Just my opinion.

Randy
Randy
13 years ago

Addendum: Of course, the really big illusions need some prior preperation and help from assistants.

Randy
Randy
13 years ago

@Canadian

Yes. That's what I was talking about earlier.

He's a bad magician, I agree. Because he's just not very bright.

A good magician can do magic anywhere, with anything at hand.

Canadian
Canadian
13 years ago

Let me tell you guys from inside the magic circle, Cris Angle is a horrible Magician. His magic are low on technique, and mostly can't be done live. It's normal for him to film with all planted paid actors, I am talking about even the mass "demonstrations" in "public". It's normal for him to film from specific angle and take hundreds of shots and edit it down so everything is perfect. It's all camera trickery.

mr savage
mr savage
13 years ago

me too!
i was looking forward to a little physics doc!
perhaps this is more proof that the mind sees what it wants to see.

in reference to tomoa's penultimate comment, i fully agree, without the occasional 'trip' into the unknown, we would never have come so far so quickly. infact one of albert einstein's great visions may have been partialy due to the local ergot contamination that occured during the same fortnight in which he had his 'experience' from which he 'saw' how mass affected speed/velocity.... something about the speed of light etc...

Pacha
Pacha
13 years ago

He comes across way too arrogant.
Maybe some of this stuff is faked but I dont like the way he discounts everything as though he's all seeing and all knowing.

tomoa
tomoa
13 years ago

the axiomatic* <--and that is ironic

tomoa
tomoa
13 years ago

I thinks randy's excuse for not using mind altering/expanding drugs is a poor one. I feel like if your looking for the truth you would take plunges into the mind to experience some of the states of being above thought processes. If anything, in an attempt to simply understand more; I personally feel great insight can be gained into the nature of the mind and what we are. Randy saying that these are simply fantasies seems to refute his own logical standing, a 'rational' person can clearly see axiomatic differential that we each experience is essentially an illusory fantasy-like perceptual island in which we each are the center of our own worlds.

Randy
Randy
13 years ago

@capricious

See? Exactly what I have been saying and what James Randi and Penn Joulet and Ricky Jay have been saying for years...

Also, Richard Dawkins and Carl Sagan and... many others...

This stuff actually HURTS people! If we eliminate fantasy and religion, we have people looking out for people and none of this...

*sigh*

(I'm sorry, capricious... that sounds terrible!)

Randy
Randy
13 years ago

I'm sorry Vlatko, I used the "I" word which is offensive...

Please allow me to re-phrase:

By the way, Chris Angel can walk on water and he is a not very intelligent, not well educated man!

@HaTe_MachIne:

Hello! Sorry to be pi**y with you when Dio died!

Randy
Randy
13 years ago

@satir

My point exactly...

satir
satir
13 years ago

Yuri Gellar, until recently was vigorously defended by his followers as a true magician. It was only really when Cris Angel's followers were getting as rabid as they were that he came out and labeled himself as an illusionist. Truly great illusionists can really pull of illusions that will make almost anyone believe they are actualy performing magic... it's an amazing mind over matter excercise in reverse...

Randy
Randy
13 years ago

Alistair Crowley, Israel Regardi, and Anton LeVay all said essentially the same thing:

[Paraphrased], "If you can levitate a tea cup with wires, and the dupes believe it, what do you need with real magic powers?"

This character you call Yeshua/jesus/esu, his "miracle" of the loaves and the fishes was a magic trick. People went nuts over it!

This is the very origin of religion.

Anyone remember the "Amazing Kreskin"? He was a mentalist from the 50's... a brilliant man! He was banned from Eastern Europe, (in the 80's!!!), because he was considered a "black magician"...

Really? What year is it?

Anyways, thank you, Vlatko!

tomoa
tomoa
13 years ago

I agree with Ryan.

LifeQuest
LifeQuest
13 years ago

Is it me or does Randi with a cloak seem very.. Jedi-like? :P

Ryan
Ryan
13 years ago

James randi: I like how he smokes out the rats, but on the other hand, i think he's also a professional "wet blanket" with no imagination or sense of fun.

Seb
Seb
13 years ago

ditto Hate_Machine, he is a true legend