PREFACE
There has been much debate in the last few years over the "powers"
or, as some prefer to say, "prestidigitations" of the
thirty-year-old Israeli Uri Cener. Can he bend metal by gently
stroking it - or not touching it at all? Can he clairvoyantly
"see" the uppermost face of a die that has been shaken
in a sealed metal box before the lid of the box is opened? Can
he telepathically read the thoughts of others?
A growing number of professionals, most notably physical scientists,
believe Geller can do these things. They have tested him. They
have observed events for which there are no present scientific
explanations. Other people, however, among them magicians, see
Geller as tremendously talented, lightning-fast in his deceptions,
and disarmingly humble over his many failures. They take him to
task not because of his talent and theatrics, but because, according
to them, he pawns off what he does as "the real thing"
-the product of innate paranormal abilities.
The purpose of this book is to present firsthand observations
on the talents of Uri Geller and, in doing so, to bring to light
and offer for public scrutiny much material that has either never
before appeared in print or has surfaced only piecemeal in the
popular press. The book is written - through papers, reports,
diary entries, and letters - by the scientists and professionals
who, in various ways, have scrutinized Geller's talents, and feel
that Geller is an individual who deserves fuller scientific attention.
Since 1972, when he first came to worldwide attention, Geller
has been tested in seventeen laboratories in eight different countries.
The scientists who have worked with him have watched him deform
solid steel rods without touching them, cause part of an exotic
crystal to vanish from within a sealed container, alter the memory
of a rare metal alloy, erase information from computer tapes,
set Geiger counters ticking with only his thoughts, and read the
thoughts of others while he is sealed in a room that blocks out
all types of radio waves. They are men and women of probity, affiliated
with major universities and research centers throughout the world.
To prevent fraud the scientists have searched Geller for metals
that might be hidden under his fingernails and magnets sewn into
his clothing, x-rayed his teeth for evidence of minute electronic
devices, bound his hands, blindfolded his eyes, all but stripped
him naked. Many of the scientists flatly stake their reputation
on the genuineness of Geller's paranormal talents.
But scientists, it is rightfully said, should not be the final
arbiters in separating what is psychic from what is magic. And
they have not been. Four magicians have worked closely with Geller,
applied their own standards to prevent any sleight of hand, and
have observed inexplicable events. It is their unanimous opinion
that Geller either has paranormal abilities or is acquainted with
a form of magic unknown to the entire brotherhood of magicians.
Their observations are presented here along with those of the
scientists.
Some of the papers in this book were originally meant for publication
in reputable scientific journals - and several were submitted
to these journals. In each case it was the scientist's hope that
publication of his work with Geller would provide a platform for
healthful debate and would generate further and more exhaustive
experimentation. To date, however, only one paper has appeared
in a major scientific journal. It is not the purpose of this preface
to examine the procedures of scientific publishing, least of all
for such a highly unorthodox subject as parapsychology. Suffice
it to say that all of those papers appear here. No material in
them has been altered; no terminology diluted; the reports contain
all the original charts, diagrams, pictures, and references that
support the research. Geller's failures as well as his successes
are discussed.
Some of the papers are heavily detailed, giving all the specifics
necessary for a scientific investigation. Others are short sketches,
informal notes, or personal observations about the hours and days
a particular researcher spent with Geller. Fourteen papers are
by physicists, mathematicians, and engineers; three by parapsychologists;
four by magicians; one by a professional photographer (who witnessed
Geller take a "thought photograph"); and one (a letter
that appears in the Introduction) by a dentist who x-rayed Geller's
mouth for evidence of hidden devices. These men and women who
have tested Geller are convinced that he is a phenomenon worthy
of, indeed, demanding, the serious attention of science. As the
prestigious British technical journal Nature editoriaised,
Geller "has clearly created a prima facie case for
further investigation."
Who are the professionals who have investigated Geller? What are
their credentials? How rigorous or casual were their investigations?
Exactly what did they do? And, of course, what did they discover?
These questions will be examined, in part, in the Introduction.
It should be noted, however, that the Introduction is not meant
to be an evaluation of the papers; the papers stand or fall on
their own contents. Rather, because of the technical nature of
many of the papers and the sheer volume of the material they contain,
the Introduction will serve as a general review, for the layman,
of the major highlights of the research that has been done with
Geller.
There can be no doubt that this research will affect different
people in radically different manners. Geller-advocates who read
this collection of firsthand observations may feel confirmed in
their present opinion of him. His critics will dissect these papers
and will find large loopholes and countless faults with the experiments
and descriptions they contain, for all of the evidence presented
here is certainly not of equal quality. There is nevertheless
a considerable amount of new and impressive information -from
responsible scientists and professional magicians alike. Their
observations taken as a whole are hard to dismiss on the grounds
of simple fraud or mass delusion. But whatever one's opinion of
the events described in this book, the thoughtful reader should
give these reports a careful review before drawing final conclusions
on the phenomena associated with Uri Geller.
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