REALL News - Vol 11 No 05 - 2003

Magazine Overview

Title: The REALL News
Issue: Volume 11, Number 5
Date: May 2003
Publisher: The REALL News
Country: USA
Language: English

This issue of The REALL News features an in-depth article by David Bloomberg, titled "NBC Reveals Psychic Secrets." The article critically examines a recent NBC television program that aimed to expose the methods behind various psychic phenomena. Bloomberg, who writes about skeptical topics, analyzes several demonstrations from the show, revealing them to be elaborate magic tricks and deceptions rather than genuine psychic abilities. The issue also includes a quote from James Randi, a prominent skeptic, stating, "It's a very dangerous thing to believe in nonsense."

NBC Reveals Psychic Secrets

David Bloomberg discusses his experience writing about skeptical topics and reality television, noting how these two areas converged in a recent NBC show. The program, "Secrets of the Psychics Revealed," which reached over nine million viewers, aimed to unmask "psychic" tricks. Bloomberg compares it to Fox's "Masked Magician" shows but deems the NBC program superior in its exposure of tricks that psychics claim are more than mere magic.

The show featured various "psychics" performing tricks in both studio settings and simulated street-corner "shops." Each performance was followed by an explanation of how the trick was executed.

Trick Explanations

Card Trick: A volunteer picks a card, and a "psychic" identifies it. This was achieved using marked cards, visible to the performer, and a code transmitted via phone to a cohort who then relayed the card's identity. The trick was simple but convincing when presented as a psychic ability.

Number Prediction: Audience members picked numbers between 1 and 1000. Three numbers were written down, and a fourth volunteer added them up, matching a pre-determined total from a sealed envelope. The trick involved a sleight of hand where the notebook was flipped, revealing pre-written numbers that matched the sum, even if the initial numbers chosen by the volunteers were different.

Telekinesis (Shattering Glass): A "psychic" claimed to move objects with their mind. By having the audience focus on a wine glass, it appeared to shatter due to mind power. The secret was a thin metal rod with a pointed tip, attached to a spring in the table, which triggered the glass to shatter with extreme speed and force, making it nearly invisible.

Spoon Bending: This classic trick, presented as mind over matter, was revealed to be a pre-cut spoon. The performer used thumb pressure to break the spoon, pretending it was bending with mental power. Bloomberg notes that James "The Amazing" Randi refused to demonstrate his method, stating that showing one or two ways might not prevent future deception if a psychic uses a different technique. He also pointed out that if psychics truly possessed mind power, they wouldn't need to resort to such methods when sleight of hand is effective.

Telepathy (Image Transfer): A "psychic" claimed to transfer images from a volunteer's mind. The volunteer drew three pictures, and the "psychic" described them. This was accomplished with an accomplice hidden behind the volunteer, using a microphone to whisper the descriptions, which the "psychic" then presented as mind-reading.

Mind Reading (Dagger Trick): A volunteer placed a dagger face-up into one of three slots covered by cups. The "psychic" smashed two cups, avoiding the one with the dagger. This was done using a hidden peg on the side of the box that popped out to indicate the dagger's location.

Remote Viewing: A "psychic" claimed to see through the eyes of a volunteer at her home. The "psychic" described the exterior and interior of the house in detail. The information was obtained by an accomplice who scouted the house earlier, even gaining entry by pretending to be lost. The host emphasized that "good information is the psychic's best friend."

Needle Through Arm: A performer appeared to push a needle through his arm and then heal it with psychic power. This was a trick involving pre-loaded rubber cement strips. The performer would slide the needle in, then fold the rubber cement strips over the skin to make it appear as if the needle had gone through. Removing the needle and separating the strips simulated healing.

Blindfolded Card Guess: A blindfolded performer with hands tied behind his back guessed a card picked by an audience member. The blindfold was rigged to allow downward vision, and a mirror on the performer's shoe allowed him to see the card.

Moving Matchstick (Telekinesis): A wooden matchstick appeared to move and stand on end on a table, with two volunteers present. This was achieved with a powerful magnet in the table and a small nail pre-loaded into the matchstick, which reacted to the magnet.

Ring Trick (Psychic Shop): In a psychic shop setting, a psychic claimed communication with a deceased spirit by making a ring move on a pencil. This was done with a thin hair attached to the pencil, over which the ring was slipped.

Psychic Slates: In the same psychic shop, blank slates were used to reveal a "specific message." This involved an accomplice hiding under the table, hearing the story of the deceased relative, and then providing a personal question. The accomplice then loaded the slates, which appeared blank until a cover slipped to reveal the message.

Heat Generation: A "psychic" claimed to generate heat with his mind, making a metal spring turn red-hot. The spring was painted black on one side and red on the other, and the performer gently turned it to create the illusion of heat.

Self-Folding Dollar Bill: A dollar bill appeared to fold itself. This was achieved with fish line rigged in a zig-zag pattern, which, when pulled, caused the bill to fold.

Talking with the Dead: The article describes how "talking with the dead" demonstrations, a popular TV segment, are faked. Performers select volunteers and then use information gathered by accomplices who discreetly interview audience members before the show. This information is memorized and presented as communication from deceased relatives.

Conclusion of the Show

The host concluded that the show exposed "some classic tricks." The article ends with a reminder that "seeing is not believing" once the secrets behind psychic phenomena are known.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme throughout this issue is the debunking of psychic phenomena and supernatural claims. The editorial stance, as presented by David Bloomberg and the publication The REALL News, is firmly rooted in skepticism. The magazine aims to educate its readers about the deceptive practices employed by individuals claiming psychic abilities, highlighting that most phenomena presented as supernatural are, in fact, explainable through magic, trickery, and psychological manipulation. The publication encourages critical thinking and a discerning approach to claims of paranormal abilities, particularly those seen on television or in commercial settings like psychic shops.