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Do you think Uri Geller is......

  • Absolutely genuine

    Votes: 1 1.4%
  • An entertainer with no special powers

    Votes: 22 31.4%
  • Not sure

    Votes: 15 21.4%
  • Conman

    Votes: 32 45.7%

  • Total voters
    70
The guy's an industry, and people keep buying his stuff.

One of his more interesting claims, totally unsubstantiated as far as I know, is that he was hired by oil companies in the early 80's to prospect for oil, and this is where he made his millions. I'd love to have been in that meeting:

"Boss, I've got an idea. Let's hire this guy who bends spoons and mends watches..."
 
Mr. Gellar isn't very happy with Sony. They have editted the picture he created for Micheal Jackson's new album.


luce
 
lucydru said:
Mr. Gellar isn't very happy with Sony. They have editted the picture he created for Micheal Jackson's new album.


luce

Oh great !

Now every PS2 in the country will malfunction.
 
I was talking about the music side of Sony not the gaming one.


luce
 
lucydru said:
I was talking about the music side of Sony not the gaming one.


luce

luce,

We all know that Uri has trouble being direct with his powers which is why reading FC are so unsuccessful.

Uri thinks "Sony Bad Sony Bad Sony Bad Sony Bad Sony Bad"
then ALL of Sony goes down the pan.

Wonder if Uri could scare them into reviving their Psi-Labs ??:rolleyes:
 
I'm not convinced about Uri Gellers "powers". He's made alot of money from his spoon bending . I'm sure he's an okay bloke but theres something about him that bugs me.He does not quite ring true.
 
Aben Zin said:
Fraud or no, he managed to fix my mum's watch...
She's got a watch, which I think belonged to her grandmother. Now this watch hadn't been working for years.
Then one day Uri was on TV and he said that anyone with a broken watch should put it on the television. Mum didn't do this, but after the show she decided to get her old watch out. It was working, and whatsmore, it was at the exact time.
Az
If you pick up an old, stopped timepiece (the type that runs on springs and cogs), it will often restart - the movement alone could be enough to shake loose just enough of the dirt that is stopping the spring/cogs from moving. This process is probably helped by putting it on a gentle heat source, such a a TV. So, actually , it was your Mum who got the watch working again.
 
Randi aarrggg!!!

Speaking of Randi I agree with your evaluation (poster 2 up). I once saw him on tv and he was trying to debunk Geller by bending a fork, he was literally bending the fork with great force and no slight of hand that was discernable! He turned to the presenter and said smugly "see what I mean, it's easy when you know how* or some such thing. The presenter coughed embarrassedly (probably wondering if she still had a job) and *moved quickly on....*

Geller, whether he has *the power* or not at least appears as if he has.
 
Cujo said:
I have no idea if Uri Geller is a genuine psychic, I doubt it but then I doubt most things. I do think he's a complete and utter twat and I would trust him about as far as I could throw him.

I also think Randi is a complete and utter twat and at least as big a charlatan as most of the phoney mediums he exposes.

I'm an equal opportunity slanderer.:D

I`m inclined to agree, Geller can`t do any thing a competant illusanist(sp) can`t do and Randi can`t do any thing a genuine psychic can`t do.

Wm.
 
Geller in declassified DIA document

The following is taken from the declassified version of the DIA's document - "Paraphysics R&D - Warsaw Pact", 1978.

[http://www.dia.mil/Public/Foia/pa_warsaw.pdf]

"The popular press in recent tears has carried many accounts of a rather spectacular type of psychokinesis; this has been referred to as the "Geller effect," named after the Israeli, Uri Geller.Unfortunately, these accounts of metal deformation or breaking have been difficult to verify, and due to his sometime apparent atempts at deception, no firm conclusions can be made. At least one physics laboratory (Kings College, London,
England) has studied Geller and others who claim similar ability, and has released confirming reports. Some of the experimental information reported appears suspect and this apparent controlled study should be treated cautiously. Another physics laboratory has studied fracture patterns of material alledgedly "broken" by Geller. Their conclusion is that the cause of these fractures was not mechanical in nature, nor a result of usual methods of fracture. This would tend to suggest unusual interactions did indeed occur and that this form of psychokinesis should be open to further study."
 
Easier to Fool

Proof that it's often easier to fool experts and researchers than it is to fool other stage magicians.
 
Agreed - sounds like a familiar story to the first wave of crop circles. "Experts" analysed the pattern of the bend/break in the corn and concluded that it could not be the result of just trampling/crushing.

Many of these "mysterious" circles have now been cleared up as being the results of hoaxes and pranksters.

Of more importance is to question as to why there was an initial and obvious misdiagnosis?
 
Experts Need Love Too

Originally posted by Bilderberger -- Agreed - sounds like a familiar story to the first wave of crop circles. "Experts" analysed the pattern of the bend/break in the corn and concluded that it could not be the result of just trampling/crushing.

Many of these "mysterious" circles have now been cleared up as being the results of hoaxes and pranksters.

Of more importance is to question as to why there was an initial and obvious misdiagnosis?

I'd guess the experts need to be seen doing something, and maybe, in the back of their minds they feared if they dismissed it that they'd be accused of being debunkers. And experts need love, too, right?
 
Gimmick

Either a gimmick spoon or chemicals on the fingers. At times both.
 
Re: Gimmick

FraterLibre said:
Either a gimmick spoon or chemicals on the fingers. At times both.
Didn't he also occasionally just use the ol' "Oh my God, look at that!" technique? (Known to prestidigitators as "Misdirection". Distract the subject with your chatter and/or gestures, and bend it while they're not looking.)
 
Gellar's Misdirection

Yes, I believe he probably did, when surprised into spoon bending when he wasn't prepared. By all accounts, he's not a very good stage magician. And by all accounts he may have had some odd experiences as a child, and a few even believe he's got unusual abilities. Most if not all, though, know he fakes most of his stuff, which isn't unusual among those with wild talents.

He obviously believes fervently that he's special somehow. Whether it's just buying into his own public relations or based on some strange experience is hard to say.

Reading Andrijah Puharich's book on Gellar is difficult, due to the high density of unbelieveable claims made on each page. It just keeps getting wilder until the suspension of belief turns into scoffing. He asks too much of the reader just as Gellar asks way too much of his audience.

As I said, though: If he's actually legit, and I doubt that utterly, then who cares anyway? It's not as if spoon bending will change the world for the better. In fact, after all these years of Gellar, the world remains unaffected. He's just not important in any way.
 
But I'd like to know how he got his money. He says he earned it from dowsing for oil and minerals for unnamed (natch) multinational companies. I just don't buy that - if he really could dowse for something as valuable as oil, somebody would have kidnapped or killed him by now.
I have my suspicions as to how he got his fortune (if indeed, he's as personally wealthy as he claims), but as I don't want to get FT involved in libel writs, I won't air them here.
 
No Libel Involved

A) Big oil companies do indeed hire and use dowsers and pay very well.

B) How is discussing a theory in any way libel?

C) You're right to doubt his alleged wealth, I'd guess.

D) How much are we talking about, anyway? Mere millionaires are a dime a dozen and can be created by savvy investing at age 15.
 
Mr Gellar is always appearing in my Daily Mirror (I buy it for the comics, alright) hawking crystals and premimum rate phone lines, and I imagine he's made some money thought TV appearences over the years and crappy book tie-ins.
Plus he's best mates with Wacko Jacko, so maybe he's running some sort of scam on Jackson (I mean he got him to buy into Stoke City Football Club which is strange enough).
Excellent link BTW - Mr. Knight - gives me another good reason not to start any of my work today :)
 
You might well be right, Chat. As to the libel bit - well, my theory concerned unlawful activities. Not that I am suggesting that Uri Geller is now or ever has been anything but honest and law-abiding, or that he has ever engaged in unlawful activities involving smuggling etc. And I am sure that the entire board and staff of Fortean Times agree with me on this.
BTW, let's have some references for oil companies employing dowsers. And the dowsers being successful.
 
Well

At least it wasn't suggested that Gelllar is a Mossad smuggler, hm?

As for references, dig 'em up yourself if you'd like, I have better things to waste my life with.
 
Re: Gellar's Misdirection

FraterLibre said:
As I said, though: If he's actually legit, and I doubt that utterly, then who cares anyway? It's not as if spoon bending will change the world for the better. In fact, after all these years of Gellar, the world remains unaffected. He's just not important in any way.
If Geller is legit (and I'm with you on that one), then it would provide evidence for the kind of powers he claims (not just spoon bending, but telekinesis in general, as well as an assortment of other psychic phenomena). This could mean such phenomena become respectable, and a part of mainstream science. (It would also mean that Randi owes him some money.)

The problem with Geller being genuine is that he is such a git. If we are to have a real telekinetic/psychic, I hope it's someone with a bit more humility.

BTW: I am reminded of an ad that aired here a few years back for a variety of yoghurt that came with a folding spoon. It showed Uri and his wife enjoying said dairy treat on a picnic. His wife takes the spoon out and straightens it manually, then Uri takes it out holds it up in front of his face, and it opens out of its own accord. I can just imagine the production meetings for this.

"So, Mr Geller, you take the spoon out and use your psychic powers to open out the spoon."

"Great concept. How are you going to do the trick? A wire? A small spring?"

"No, you use your psychic powers to unfold it."

"Yeah, I get the idea. I think we need a spring, because a wire would be a bit clumsy."

"Mr Geller, perhaps you don't understand. We have built our entire campaign around your ability to bend silverware. Are you telling us that you're a fraud?"

(Yeah, I know it wouldn't have been like that, but it amused me at the time.)
 
Dark Detective said:
Nonsense! See how he bends a pipe with mind power alone!
If he convinced Stan Lee, the he must be genuine...

Seriously, if Daredevil didn't blow the lid off his scam, then I don't want Matt Murdock to work on my defence. (Then again, there was a Spiderman comic a couple of years back in which Peter Parker got taken in by a psychic surgery con. Of course, they had someone explaining to Mary-Jane that it was all a con while it was happening.)

(Why is everyone looking at me funny?)
 
And surely Daredevil would hear Uri's heart beat faster as he is an (alleged) con man.
Bullseye or Electra should kick his arse.
Foggy was always the better lawyer though.
 
Uri Geller leaves psychic powers at home for celebrity Survi

http://www.ananova.com/entertainment/story/sm_650039.html
Uri Geller leaves psychic powers at home for celebrity Survivor

Uri Geller says he won't be using his psychic powers on the celebrity version of Survivor.

He says it would give him an unfair advantage.

Geller is flying out to a remote Australian island for I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! next week.

The show will be broadcast live every night on ITV1 from Sunday August 25 at 8pm.

Geller says he hopes to be able to give positive energy to the group, which also includes Christine Hamilton, Tony Blackburn, Rhona Cameron, Nigel Benn, Tara Palmer-Tomkinson and Nell McAndrew.

"I believe that we are all connected to each other with an invisible spiritual thread through which we can transmit energy and feelings and emotions," he says.

"I ask people who are going to watch us, beside voting us out or in of the challenges, to also send us warm energy to help us because we are going to be under tremendous pressure."

"I am asking everyone, if they are watching us, no matter if they like us or dislike us, to support all of us because there is a risk factor, this is not Big Brother."

Viewers will be able to vote by phone to choose which celebrity tackles a difficult task to earn their food, as well as selecting who goes home early.

Proceeds from the show, which is presented by Ant and Dec, will go to charity.
 
Uri Geller leaves psychic powers at home for celebrity Survivor
Perhaps he keeps them in a tumble beside the bed these days?

Geller says he hopes to be able to give positive energy to the group, which also includes Christine Hamilton, Tony Blackburn, Rhona Cameron, Nigel Benn, Tara Palmer-Tomkinson and Nell McAndrew.
Prussic acid would be more appropriate, by the looks of it. If he survives that lot I may start believing in his powers myself.
 
BUT, when something really freaky happens like, oh, I don't know, he predicts what crappy picture somebodys put inside an envelope or cutlery gets bent, watch Mr Geller claim all the glory........

Hmmmmmm, Geller, Christine Hamilton, Tara Palmer-Tomkinson......tell you what, just add Vanessa Feltz and Anthea Turner and I'll go other there myself and finish them off!!:devil:
 
Uri Geller and the Hoova

Watching that Uri Geller documentary the other day, I was reminded of the time when Geller used to say he was a UFO contactee. He said he was in contact with aliens called the Hoova.

Does he ever mention this anymore or is he a bit embarrassed about it? They didn't ask him out about it in the documentary, unfortunately.
 
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