Uri Geller

link to hard interview with Uri Geller

PLEASE SEE BOTTOM POST AS THIS LINK IS NO GOOD
The Stanford University tests no spoon bending was ever successful.An article written in the science journal Nature rejected the results.Gerald fleming offered Uri �250.000 to be paid to a charity of Uri choosing if he could bend a spoon of his choice in front of him.Uri has never taken up the challenge to date.Several law suits have been brought by mr geller that have failed and resulted in Mr Geller paying costs.

The above link is to a taped interview.The article written won The Impact award at the Guardian/NUS studant media Awards on the 26th September 1996.It resulted towards the end in both the interviewer and Mr Geller wreastling over the tape recorder as Mr Geller was not happy with the comments he had been made to answer and wanted the tape destroyed.Pity he didn`t use he`s psychic powers to avoid the interview

[edit on 6-10-2004 by weirdo]

[edit on 6-10-2004 by weirdo]

LINK TO URI GELLER INTERVIEW

I do not want to sound like an advocate of Uri Geller. However, I must answer on his behalf, as the authors is obnoxious, unprofessional, unfair and prejudiced and very self-opinionated. I think it is fair to say, the award does not matter.

This is all very odd. Uri Geller has claimed that he was paid by mining companies to psychically search for minerals, and yet he balks at winning the lottery! Stranger still, he has also refused to take up any of the lucrative challenges to reproduce his 'powers' under conditions that would exclude fraud. In 1988 British businessman Gerald Fleming offered to give �250,000 to charity if Geller could perform a spoon-bend under such conditions. Why hasn't he responded?

This is not very odd. Psychically searching for minerals, or remote viewing, and predicting all 6 lottery numbers to be churned out of a random generator, is something very different. It is only odd, because the author is uneducated about the psychic phenomena.

On skeptic challenges: As has been shown in parapsychology, the psychic can be adversely affected by skepticism(goat effect) Challenges, and excessive skepticism, breed subconscious expectations in the psychic, that impede on the psychics ability to shut down their left brain(logic) and enter a higher state of consciousness. This is why professional parapsychologists use free-response ESP tests and experiments for psychics, as results are more likely. One such test is the ganzfeld technique, which has produced very significant results.

Failiure designed experiments: The infamous Randi challenge, the award of $1 million to anyone who can demonstrate paranormal abilities, are experiments designed to fail. This is because they are based on negative experimental and investigative philosophies that are inherently unscientific and unethical - "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence" "guilty till proven innocent"

In other words, instead of proving the theory by empirical research, parapsychologists and psychics have to constantly provide proof that they are not cheating. A logical fallacy.

The amount of evidence that satisfies "extraordinary evidence" is directly proportional to how how compatible it is with our current paradigms of science and the world. Skeptics like Randi, and the author, take a subjective probability of 0, thus no amount of empirical data will be sufficient to establish the claim.

Another fallacy, is the demand for a full-proof and fraud-proof conclusive experiment, that would control all for all conceivable errors and experimental frauds. This is an empirical impossibility. All scientific theories are uncertain, and change when new observations are made. The same standards thus should be true for parapsychology too. This is why Randi's challenge has never found any winners, he ousts all the applicants in his preliminary failiure-designed tests.

Hence, why psychics are reluctant to be tested, because they already know they are going to fail. So I am definitely not surprised at URI's rejection of the test. I would do the same.

Well, in my opinion... there were some bendings and some film. Except that it wasn't good enough for them. Scientists want full proof under laboratory conditions. And the answer is very simple: when I'm put under pressure, I can't perform. Even the phenomenon I'm most known for. When I'm on stage, I'm not under pressure and it happens. In other important places, it happens. But in a laboratory where I really want it to happen, it's very hard for me."

This is an illustrated example of my above explanation.

Ridiculous indeed. As are his ostentatious attempts to claim the credit for all manner of newsworthy events. One example was his assertion that Reading Football Club was helped to a Premiership playoff by his psychic intervention.
"I believe so, because [of] the synchronicity that, after 124 years, to almost get to the Premiership... I really started that year helping John Madejski [Chairman of Reading Football Club]. What I do is just sit there and concentrate. So I believe, yes, that I contribute some kind of enthusiasm into the crowds."
They didn't quite make it, though, did they?
"Well, that's life. If you look at the numerology, maybe this year they will, because 125 years is a special number. But nevertheless they did come to the top, and I'm trying my best now to get them somewhere, because I go to every game at home."

A claim that cannot be proven or disproven. However from the tone of the author, it is quite clear, he thinks URI's claim is debunked. Wishfull thinking indeed.

It seems that Geller has a lot of belief systems: psychic phenomena, UFOs, space aliens and numerology are just some of the things which mark him out as being rather credulous. Does he believe that his powers are a gift from God, I wonder?

It makes URI credulous, because he believes in psychic phenomena, UFO's, space aliens and numerology? The author should make a fine distinction between his opinions and facts. We can see that the author is very close-minded, even to the belief in God, which seems implied by his progression from the aforementioned beliefs to God.

First, I hand the spoon to Geller, and gather up my papers. He moves across to a radiator, claiming that the effect "works better near metal". I watch very closely, and the spoon appears to be bending very slightly at the point where the bowl meets the handle. All the time he is joggling it about. He proudly holds up the spoon, which has bent by about 10 degrees. Not much, certainly, but he then turns around to the table behind him, and as I move round to see, the spoon appears to have bent further still. As we walk outside to take some photographs, the bend has almost reached a right angle. He autographs the spoon, and the show is over.
So what really occurred? Although I thought that I had not taken my eyes off the spoon, I realised later that Geller may have had several brief moments when I was distracted. Considering his previous record in these matters, I am sure that I was fooled. His joggling of the spoon may have given me the false impression that it was bending before my eyes, and his constant moving about provided the distraction. As James Randi says, "If Uri Geller bends spoons with divine powers, then he's doing it the hard way".

So the author saw Uri Geller bend the spoon for him, and admits it was bending before his very eyes. Then later, the author concots a theory in his own mind that it could not have possibly happend, and he must have been distracted and then proudly proclaims it as a realization.

A lot of the author prose is unreliable, exaggerated and opinionated. I would have serious doubts of how authentic the authors information is. As that cannot be proven, this piece itself carries little weight, in fact largely insignificant.

I certainly do not agree with URI's attempts at rewinding his tape. Obviously, he felt uneased by what he said about the court case. As the interviewer was some student, I don't think URI cared much for the "contract"

[edit on 6-10-2004 by Indigo_Child]

We can see that the author is very close-minded

I don't believe from this article that we can judge if the author is close-minded or not. We can say that he is biased, but that could entirely be due to Uri's actions during the interview. We can't be sure that the author was biased before he went into the interview.

Having your tape recorder wrestled away from you is going to create a bias in anyones mind. Then Uri distracting the interviewer while he rewinds the tape says a whole lot. This action no doubt obviously created the doubts of the interviewer when Uri bent his spoon. And understandably so.

I think the bias and skepticism in this article is very appropriate given Uri's actions in the interview.

He has been doing interviews for god knows how long now and he should be used to answering skeptical questions, especially the timid ones presented by this interviewer.

So the author saw Uri Geller bend the spoon for him, and admits it was bending before his very eyes. Then later, the author concots a theory in his own mind that it could not have possibly happend, and he must have been distracted and then proudly proclaims it as a realization.

Again the interviewers doubts are warranted. Uri tried to distract the interviewer while rewinding the tape recorder, it is no leap of faith to assume he might have been doing the same with the spoon bending.

Does Uri have psychic abilities? I'm not sure. I would have to meet the guy before I make up my mind completely.

If he does have some physcic abilities I do not believe they are as strong as he claims them to be. I believe the vast majority of the time he resorts to stage magic to appease the people around him. From my own experience and that which I have read telekenisis is not easily accomplished, to say the least. Or perhaps he uses a combination of stage magic and phsyic skill to produce his results.

*shrug*

You could write paragraph on paragraph defending and giving reasons but it comes to one basic point that when skeptics are around old Uri has a bad day.It is simple if you have an abillity you should be able to prove it hidding behind excuses why you cannot basically means you are either not as gifted as you claim or false.
The media are tired of his claims,he was once a person to wonder about now since others a debunked and shown succesfully how Mr Geller tricked people he has without much succes other than natural statistically provable psyhcic claims.
In 2002 he did an experiment in North Wales using the net he choose from four symbols a star did a drawing and then claimed to send out a psyhcic message to everybody the symbol he choose.53% drew the correct star symbol.People after that made similar experiments without useing psyhcic powers and acheived between 45-68% success.If Mr Geller had made a drawing randomly without a choice to pick from and 53% got it right then that would be unexplainable.

Originally posted by dusran

We can see that the author is very close-minded

I don't believe from this article that we can judge if the author is close-minded or not. We can say that he is biased, but that could entirely be due to Uri's actions during the interview. We can't be sure that the author was biased before he went into the interview.

The author is close-minded, as he uses the argument of URI's beliefs in UFO's, space aliens and numerology for defamation. Then later, in the same breath, brings up God. This is close-mindedness. Yes the author is certainly biassed too.

Having your tape recorder wrestled away from you is going to create a bias in anyones mind. Then Uri distracting the interviewer while he rewinds the tape says a whole lot. This action no doubt obviously created the doubts of the interviewer when Uri bent his spoon. And understandably so.

I think the bias and skepticism in this article is very appropriate given Uri's actions in the interview.

Skepticism is appropriate. Bias is not, otherwise we do not get the objective truth. As we have both agreed the author is biassed, then we can agree that the recounted events are from the authors perspectives and feelings, as we do not have URI's perspestive for comparison, we cannot verify the validity of the authors interview.

For instance, did uri WRESTLE(Sensational language designed to elicit a feeling) or did he simply ask the author to omit what he had said, and then proceeded to do so. URI was not being interviewed on Art Bell, CNN or BBC, he was interviewed by a student, there really is no contract. There is certain sensitive information that we can sometimes divulge that can be used against us or misquoted, most celebrites have to be careful.

He has been doing interviews for god knows how long now and he should be used to answering skeptical questions, especially the timid ones presented by this interviewer.

I certainly do not agree with URI's actions with the tape, on an ethical basis. However, there was no contract, it was a student, there was no breach of professionalism here, because it was an unprofessional interview.

Again the interviewers doubts are warranted. Uri tried to distract the interviewer while rewinding the tape recorder, it is no leap of faith to assume he might have been doing the same with the spoon bending.

Doubts are very warranted, but the author proclaims it as a realization, and uses it as another attack on URI's credibility, implying he was using trickery. When in fact, the author saw the spoon bend before his eyes, and admits to watching it closely. Now as a skeptic, and considering what happend with his tape, the author would have been watching with all his attention, and as he says, he saw nothing.

An unbiased and objective reporting would be: Reporting URI bended the spoon before him, and there is no explanation, but there are some doubts. That is now what we get, we get a very direct insinuation, that it must have been a trick.

If he does have some physcic abilities I do not believe they are as strong as he claims them to be. I believe the vast majority of the time he resorts to stage magic to appease the people around him. From my own experience and that which I have read telekenisis is not easily accomplished, to say the least. Or perhaps he uses a combination of stage magic and phsyic skill to produce his results.

*shrug*

Telekensis requires very powerful concentration, clarity of thought, and solid intention. It is not easy, and that is why Uri cannot do it all the time. There are few psychic I have heard of, in fact none, that can replicate their feats every single time. There is always some margin of error.

Weirdo:

You could write paragraph on paragraph defending and giving reasons but it comes to one basic point that when skeptics are around old Uri has a bad day.It is simple if you have an abillity you should be able to prove it hidding behind excuses why you cannot basically means you are either not as gifted as you claim or false.

URI is having a bad day, because he is sensitive, and cannot cope under the pressure. In the same way some of us cannot think clearly under pressure. It is also about the [b[energy the person brings to you, as psychic we are sensitive, and if someone brings us negativity, like doubts, anger, fear, or has negative intentions towards us, we will feel it. I for instance, will find my mind blanking, and speech function being impaired in the company of certain individuals or groups. To use your psychic ability, you must be free from tensions, thoughts, expectations. The logical mind needs to be shut down.The goat and sheep effect is a documented and researched phenomena from parapsychology. All psychics are prone to some error, the strength of their ability is based on the percentage they get right and if it is beyond chance alone. This is normally 70-80% over multiple trials.

In a perfect world, with a perfect psychic, sure we would expect to get correct results everytime, but it is not a perfect world, and there are no perfect psychics. We have a complex mind, that is shuffling about conscious and unconscious thoughts, psychic thoughts and spiritual thoughts. When we have so many thoughts at a given time, how do we discern which is a psychic or which is a spiritual thought? It is very difficult, and it requires you being able to filter the psychic thoughts from your own, and with every filiteration, some of your own also do also seep through. We are not machines.

The media are tired of his claims,he was once a person to wonder about now since others a debunked and shown succesfully how Mr Geller tricked people he has without much succes other than natural statistically provable psyhcic claims.

Again I reiterate, there have been NO scientists or skeptics that have succesfully performed the feats he does in the same conditions, scrutiny and scientific analysis. He has not been debunked at all, simply because the media cannot accept his claims, or the scientific community cannot, does not mean he's been debunked.

In 2002 he did an experiment in North Wales using the net he choose from four symbols a star did a drawing and then claimed to send out a psyhcic message to everybody the symbol he choose.53% drew the correct star symbol.People after that made similar experiments without useing psyhcic powers and acheived between 45-68% success.If Mr Geller had made a drawing randomly without a choice to pick from and 53% got it right then that would be unexplainable.

URI geller is a good psychic, but he's not THAT good, and he's kidding himself that he can affect masses with his thoughts. Remember something, everyone is psychic. If the public can get 45-68%, when chance allows only 20%(1/5) it suggests a mass psychic phenomena. However, in an investigative study, this would be done over several trials, to completely eliminate the factor of chance.

In such cases such as the above, it is not only the sender(psychic) that needs to be psychic, the receiver also has to be psychic, for a succesful result. Telepathy, like a vocal conversation, requires that both can speak telepathically, only then a dialogue can take place. However, it is possible, provided the psychic has substantial telekinetic ability, for psychic mind control. I don't think URI has.

URI is only demonstrating something we all have potential for, and something we can all develop. There have been some people in the past who were purported to have very powerful telekinetic powers, such as the PK man.



[edit on 6-10-2004 by Indigo_Child]

Even though I still agree with the tone and direction that article took, I feel no need to argue on behalf of an interviewer I don't even know so I will let this argument drop here.

On the topic of Uri, I believe in psychic abilities so I must concede that Uri may have them. However there seems to be as many skeptics as believers and as much "evidence" as non-evidence. So I withhold my judgment until the day I meet him and witness things for myself.

Originally posted by dusran

Does Uri have psychic abilities? I'm not sure. I would have to meet the guy before I make up my mind completely.

I don't have to be believed, but the answer is no, he does not.

Originally posted by Indigo_Child

Originally posted by dusran

We can see that the author is very close-minded

True but the point of interest is the way uri reacts not the opinion of the interviewer.
The interview was conducted in a proffesional manner, as the award given is one highly regarding within the media industry if any breach of protocol by the studant the award would not have been given.It was not awarded because the interview had been staged to cause Mr Geller to react unproffesionally.Had any of the points published on that site or within the article published in The Guardian newspaper Mr Geller could have taken legal proceedings.

Originally posted by Indigo_Child
Weirdo:

URI is having a bad day, because he is sensitive, and cannot cope under the pressure. In the same way some of us cannot think clearly under pressure. It is also about the [b[energy the person brings to you, as psychic we are sensitive, and if someone brings us negativity, like doubts, anger, fear, or has negative intentions towards us, we will feel it. I for instance, will find my mind blanking, and speech function being impaired in the company of certain individuals or groups. To use your psychic ability, you must be free from tensions, thoughts, expectations. The logical mind needs to be shut down.The goat and sheep effect is a documented and researched phenomena from parapsychology. All psychics are prone to some error, the strength of their ability is based on the percentage they get right and if it is beyond chance alone. This is normally 70-80% over multiple trials.

Mr Geller is not a sensitive person he is well used to performing in front of large crowds.Being unable in front of skeptics is frankly an excuse used to hide behind.There is a differance between an error and unable to carryout the abillities you claim to have (aimed at Mr Geller not all psychics).

In a perfect world, with a perfect psychic, sure we would expect to get correct results everytime, but it is not a perfect world, and there are no perfect psychics. We have a complex mind, that is shuffling about conscious and unconscious thoughts, psychic thoughts and spiritual thoughts. When we have so many thoughts at a given time, how do we discern which is a psychic or which is a spiritual thought? It is very difficult, and it requires you being able to filter the psychic thoughts from your own, and with every filiteration, some of your own also do also seep through. We are not machines.

Nobody is asking for correct results everytime.Just that to claim to be psychic and perform infront of people and taking there money and becoming a rich very rich person without doing anything that cannot be explained by trickery or mathmatical probability would be nice.

Again I reiterate, there have been NO scientists or skeptics that have succesfully performed the feats he does in the same conditions, scrutiny and scientific analysis. He has not been debunked at all, simply because the media cannot accept his claims, or the scientific community cannot, does not mean he's been debunked.

That can be turned around.There are no psychics including Mr Geller that have been able to perform the feats he claims to be able to do under scrutiny and scientific analysis.This does mean he has been debunked.If the scientific community claimed they cannot give a reason for the abilities then there is an element of possibility.To date all Mr Gellers claims can be explained scientifically and mathmatically.

Originally posted by weirdo
Mr Geller is not a sensitive person he is well used to performing in front of large crowds.Being unable in front of skeptics is frankly an excuse used to hide behind.There is a differance between an error and unable to carryout the abillities you claim to have (aimed at Mr Geller not all psychics).

Nearly all psychics are sensitive. They are sensitive to subtle thoughts and energies. In the face of adversity, they would not be expected to perform successfully. I have some psychic friends who find it very difficult to go out into public places, because they are affected by all the energies in the room.

To see how sensitive URI is, try and watch a re-run of a UK reality tv show: Back To Reality(channel 5) He left in the first week due to some weird reasons that offended his sensibilities.

Nobody is asking for correct results everytime.Just that to claim to be psychic and perform infront of people and taking there money and becoming a rich very rich person without doing anything that cannot be explained by trickery or mathmatical probability would be nice.

It cannot successfully be explained by trickery or probability. As I said before, to date, there are no skeptics or scientists who can replicate it.

That can be turned around.There are no psychics including Mr Geller that have been able to perform the feats he claims to be able to do under scrutiny and scientific analysis.This does mean he has been debunked.If the scientific community claimed they cannot give a reason for the abilities then there is an element of possibility.To date all Mr Gellers claims can be explained scientifically and mathmatically.

Geller has been able to perform under scrutiny and scientific analysis, in labs all over the world. There is technical evidence to corroborate this. Look for it. Again, it is a blatant lie, that Gellers feats can be explained by the scientific community. Of course there are some in the scientific community that can explain it; the parapsychologists and paraphysicists.

[edit on 9-10-2004 by Indigo_Child]

So is this guy for real?

part 1- www.youtube.com...
part 2- www.youtube.com...

the other parts are there.

[edit on 5-5-2007 by NLDelta9]

Check out the links to Uri's site. Especially interesting are testimonials from the likes of Werner Von Braun, and other leading scientists, supporting Uri's abilities.
If he has bad days, like Carson's show, who doesn't?
He has been tested, and observed, countless times, successfully doing his thing.
What is there to doubt?

James Randi exposes Uri Geller

Uri Geller is about as fake as Micheal Jackson nose, i cannot believe no one has posted this clip. You got to love how Geller is not
imprest when he discovers the staff on the show have provided there own props

As an avid fan of Howard Stern, the only time I have ever heard him come unglued, was the day Uri Geller came on his show back in like... 1996-97.

Uri had Gary go out into the streets to bring back a bunch of people for an experiment. I believe there were about 7 people, including a couple of homeless guys. First he had them place their hands on top of a desk. Uri then channeled energy through them, and the desk, chairs, and other objects in the studio began shaking violently.

Everyone in the studio was freaking out, including Howard, and robyn.

As a radio listener, you could clearly hear the banging of the table and chairs over the radio. Howard was giving a play-by-play of the whole scene.

Now, if you know Howard, and Robyn Quivers, they're both complete skeptics, and neither would have attributed any powers to Uri, if he really didn't astound them.

It got stranger: The homeless guy, was so freaked out by what had happened, that he began shaking. When Uri asked him what was wrong, the homeless guy asked him about his brother that had been missing for some time. Uri touched him on the arm, and the homeless guy made a sound that sounded a lot like a shuddering sigh, screaming, "Oh my god!"

Then Uri says, "I'm afraid your brother is dead. He was murdered."

The homeless guys begins to cry, and then he starts calling Uri a devil. From the sound of the commotion that ensued, the homeless guy tried to attack Uri, but was restrained. He kept screaming, "I felt my brother's soul pass through me!" he had to be escorted out of the building.

And it got even more strange: After everything calmed down, Uri put 5 of the Howard's rat pack under hipnosis. I don't remember now who was there, but I do remember Crack Head Bob, as one of the people put under.

Now, if you have ever heard the Howard Stern Show, you know that Crack Head Bob, got his nickname because he was once a serious crack abuser, and his mind was so f'ed up, he could barely put two words together, let-alone a whole sentance.

Now, Howard loved Sam Kenison, and he laughingly requested that Uri see if he coud conjure up Sam so he could interview him from beyond the grave. The next thing you know, Crack Head Bob is speaking in a voice that clearly sounded like Sam kenison, albeit, a subdued version, but without the studdering that is normal for Crack H.B.

In Sam's voice, Crack Head Bob is telling Howard that he was in hell, or a place he believed was hell, and Sam was warning people about doing drugs, and drinking too much. He said: "Listen man, I really f'ed up my life. I didn't do a damn thing for anybody but myself. Look man, I hate it here. You don't want to come to this place. Don't do the drugs man while you're alive, you'll have all the time to do them when you get here."

Well, Howard was beside himself. I mean, he was angry! he kept saying "That ain't Sam! Sam isn't in hell!" You could tell it wasn't a bit, and that he was really pissed at Uri - and suddenly, the radio went silent.

Now you can be as skeptical as you like, but the one thing that really floored me, either Crack Head Bob was doing one of the best impressions of Sam kenison I have ever heard, or he was channeling Sam.

When they came back from break, it wasn't a live show anymore. It was a repeat of a previous show. Howard never mentioned the incident again - and it was never discussed on the show, as far as I know.

Perhaps there are some folks out there who heard the same broadcast, who can fill in some of the blanks to my memory of the events that took place that day. But ever since that day, I had a whole different opinion of Uri Geller.

[edit on 7-5-2007 by eyespy2]

[edit on 7-5-2007 by eyespy2]

Yeah, Geller's real.

I went to his house in the mid-90's and interviewed him for a magazine article I was writing. He did the classic spoon bend, and replicated a drawing that I did without him seeing. (I drew a Christmas tree -- thought it was something a Jewish guy like Geller would not think of if he was just guessing... but he replicated it perfectly.)

One interesting thing. When he bent the spoon (one I brought myself) -- not by holding it with his thumb and forefinger, but with me holding the bowl end, and him just lightly rubbing the neck part, then watching it go like plastic before bending -- he said it helped him to stand by metal for better results, so stood by a radiator.

I always thought that if he was fake, why mention something like that and not just go "Abracadabra!" and bend the spoon for more effect?

Anyway, all true, just recounting my meeting with him. Very nice guy, and seemed very genuine and down to earth.

Cheers,
Chaz.

p.s. I still got the spoon and a photo of us for proof!

Nice to hear there is come good testimony on this thread. Uri was debunked, but I still think there is great possiblity that some of his powers were true.

In the early days I was surpirsed to hear that Uri worked beside Dr. Edgar Mitchell at one point in time. To my surprise, Dr. Edgar Mitchell said that after the show he would receive calls from the mothers of kids who saw the show, the mothers were excited and told Dr. Mitchell to come over there ASAP, so Dr. Mitchell bought his own spoons, went over to the houses and the kids were bending them.

i don't think he is a fake simply because he was recruited by the CIA to take part in the stargate project...something to do with remote viewing i believe.....

he also has links to SRI