# How did Uri Geller (psychic) divine pictures people had written?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [March 7, 2013, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260 "2013-03-07T03:25:59Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@bri1600bv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bri1600bv)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2013, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/1 "2013-03-07T03:25:59Z")
Uri Geller was a famous “psychic” from the 1970s (I think he now admits he is just a magician/trickster).
One of his tricks was to have someone draw a picture (out of his sight, I guess) and then put it in an envelope. He would somehow divine the picture and draw his own picture.
There’s a famous youtube video of him doing it with barbara walters (who was totally convinced). The amazing Randi debunked him but he never explained how Geller did it.
Does anyone know?
He also bent spoons, but that isn’t that hard apparently.
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### Author:  [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2013, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/2 "2013-03-07T03:28:58Z")
He or an associate would get a glimpse of the picture, either by watching the person draw it or opening the envelope - maybe by switching it temporary for a lookalike.
That’s right: he cheated. That’s how.
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### Author:  [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2013, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/3 "2013-03-07T03:31:38Z")
Too bad his biggest trick bombed: he invited investors to fund a gold exploration company during the 1980s gold boom. Exploration method to be employed was, you guessed it, guessing. Few takers, I heard.
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### Author:  [@JWT\_Kottekoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JWT_Kottekoe)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2013, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/4 "2013-03-07T03:46:31Z")
Geller was the epitome of a charlatan. Apparently all his tricks were immediately recognizable to magicians as standard magic tricks, but he managed to find credulous people like Harold Puthoff and Russell Targ to help promote him as a psychic.
Johnny Carson, a former magician, saw right through him. He famously debunked him with the help of the Amazing Randi on the Tonight Show.
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### Author:  [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2013, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/5 "2013-03-07T03:47:03Z")
He also was a big friend of Michael Jackson.
Funny how he did not see his problems coming.
There are many ways how the drawing trick can be done:
> **[Skeptics Society--Newsworthy](http://www.theeway.com/skepticc/newsworthy04.html)**
> [@](#):
>
> What was truly amazing about Geller’s “performance” was how unoriginal it was. He did the same act he’s been doing for a quarter of a century–starting broken watches and reproducing a hidden drawing. That says a lot about American audiences, doesn’t it? Americans can be fooled over and over again by the same tricks. You don’t even need to be creative. Professional magicians work hard to come up with new routines and original presentations so as not to bore audiences. Apparently you don’t have to do this when you are claiming to have special powers.
>
> To the undying credit of Leno’s predecessor, Johnny Carson, when he had Geller on he first consulted with James Randi, who prepped Carson and the producers on how to prevent Geller from using magic tricks to perform his “psychic” power demonstrations. Lo and behold, wouldn’t you know it?–no magic tricks allowed and Geller’s psychic powers mysteriously disappeared. Apparently Leno would have none of that.
> [@](#):
>
> Alas, explanations of magic generally follow Occam’s razor: no need to multiply beyond necessity the complexity of the explanation, AKA parsimony.The drawing duplication is one of the simplest, and there are numerous ways to do it:
>
> 1. Use psychic powers to read your subject’s mind.\* Geller may do it this way, but he might have also chosen to . . .
> 2. Have the subject make a drawing on a pad of paper. Instruct him to tear off the top sheet and fold it and hide it so you can’t see it. When he gives you back the pad the impression of the drawing is on the sheet below. You can say something like “be sure to make it clear so everyone can see it” to get them to press hard on the pad. Or . . .
> 3. We all have checks chemically treated so that they leave an impression on the next sheet below. You can get special pads of paper like this. Or . . .
> 4. Get a special clipboard with a carbon sheet beneath the top layer that you peel back after your subject makes his drawing on top of it. Or . . .
> 5. Peek when the drawing is being made. Or . . .
> 6. Watch the top of the pen as it traces out the drawing. Or . . .
> 7. Use a confederate to help you get the drawing. Or . . .
> 8. The psychology of people: most will draw a house or a happy face.
- 😛
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### Author:  [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2013, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/6 "2013-03-07T04:26:36Z")
OK, this is going to be a complete mis-remembering but wasn’t there a psychic on the Johnny Carson show that had a celebrity (Liza Minnelli?) think of a name while he ground chalk between 2 sheets of slate and a name appeared. Easily staged I know but it was well acted.
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### Author:  [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2013, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/7 "2013-03-07T08:51:16Z")
I was watching Geller on TV with some friends and suddenly we went on a bender.
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### Author:  [@glaeken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glaeken)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2013, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/8 "2013-03-07T10:00:23Z")
Just at the OP I am fairly sure Geller has not admitted he is a charlatan. Certainly when I last saw him on something a year or so ago he stilled claims to have real magic powers.
He even claimed to have stopped Big Ben in London when it broke down a few years back. He said he contacted the UK government to have them confirm that how Big Ben had broken down was not normal but whoever he spoke to, if he actually really did, said they would not comment which of course equated to a cover up of Gellar’s powers in the way he presented it.
I know a couple of people into the whole psychic thing and they still very much believe Gellar is a real whatever it is you would call one of him.
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### Author:  [@Razncain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Razncain)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2013, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/9 "2013-03-07T10:39:04Z")
I haven’t keep up with Geller over the years, but I too, am not aware of Geller admitting to anything other than supposedly being genuine. Here’s the [original video](http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/jref-news/513-randi-speaks-conjuring-with-barbara-walters.html) with Randi commenting on it years later. Randi doesn’t give away the secret, but only says if you watch very carefully, magicians should be able to pick up on it. **GIGObuster** gives the various ways in which it is often done. Randi had more pressue on him when he did it, and had to come through under more difficult conditions, but he did. Perhaps Randi’s finest moment on TV. Watch the video.
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### Author:  [@Rama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rama)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2013, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/10 "2013-03-07T11:32:33Z")
He’s been on Dutch television quite often over the last couple of years, still doing the same tricks.
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### Author:  [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2013, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/11 "2013-03-07T11:36:50Z")
> [@Floater](#):
>
> I was watching Geller on TV with some friends and suddenly we went on a bender.
:: groans ::
😛
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### Author:  [@Razncain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Razncain)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2013, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/12 "2013-03-07T12:00:08Z")
Randi was right, if you’re a magician and watch the video carefully, you might be able to pick up on how he did it. I didn’t the first time. The second time I did, but only after Randi said to go back and watch him carefully, and I’m not a magician, but have read a lot of magic and a few mentalist books that show a popular method of how to do this.
Geller’s method could have easily been done with the pad that **GIGObuster** talks about. I’m convinced Randi’s method didn’t use any of the 8 outlined in **GIGObuster’s** post. Since Randi didn’t reveal it, I won’t, and I’d appreciate others not doing so either if they pick up on it. If you turn up your volume and listen carefully, you’ll actually even hear what appears to be Randi’s pen scribing on the paper. Notice I said “appears” and that’s the only hint you’ll get. Keep your eyes on Randi, and if you’ve had any interest in magic at one time, you have a good chance of picking up on it.
Randi has got a hell of a lot of guts and nerves to do what he just did in front of that many people and to perform under those circumstances. He sold this beautifully.
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### Author:  [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2013, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/13 "2013-03-07T12:42:50Z")
Did the light in the studio go through the envelope when Barbara held it up allowing Randy to see through and get a rough idea of the image?
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### Author:  [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2013, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/14 "2013-03-07T13:06:22Z")
> [@razncain](#):
>
> Randi was right, if you’re a magician and watch the video carefully, you might be able to pick up on how he did it. I didn’t the first time. The second time I did, but only after Randi said to go back and watch him carefully, and I’m not a magician, but have read a lot of magic and a few mentalist books that show a popular method of how to do this.
>
> Geller’s method could have easily been done with the pad that **GIGObuster** talks about. I’m convinced Randi’s method didn’t use any of the 8 outlined in **GIGObuster’s** post. Since Randi didn’t reveal it, I won’t, and I’d appreciate others not doing so either if they pick up on it. If you turn up your volume and listen carefully, you’ll actually even hear what appears to be Randi’s pen scribing on the paper. Notice I said “appears” and that’s the only hint you’ll get. Keep your eyes on Randi, and if you’ve had any interest in magic at one time, you have a good chance of picking up on it.
>
> Randi has got a hell of a lot of guts and nerves to do what he just did in front of that many people and to perform under those circumstances. He sold this beautifully.
Are you saying Randi’s all thumbs?
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### Author:  [@Razncain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Razncain)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2013, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/15 "2013-03-07T13:26:13Z")
> [@stpauler](#):
>
> Are you saying Randi’s all thumbs?
😛
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### Author:  [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2013, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/16 "2013-03-07T16:26:41Z")
> [@Acsenray](#):
>
> Did the light in the studio go through the envelope when Barbara held it up allowing Randy to see through and get a rough idea of the image?
It’s not relevant to to the OP’s question of how Uri Geller did his tricks, but I’ve read that Randi broke off the end of his ball point pen’s cartridge and lodged it in his belt. He then --while looking at Walter’s revealed drawing-- moved the paper around his belly and drew the picture.
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### Author:  [@bri1600bv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bri1600bv)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2013, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/17 "2013-03-07T18:09:30Z")
OP here…
THe youtube video that I saw with Randi repeating Gellers’ tricks to walters (on her show)…they had the original show with Geller on Walters…they showed Geller actually drawing the picture and it matched Walters. So he didn’t use subterfuge in drawing it…maybe in knowing what to draw.
All magic is a little anti-climatic when you see how it’s done though. Youtube has a lot of videos on “secrets of magic” or some such, which was a show on TV. Kind of fascinating.
The funny thing is though, this parallels the religion argument. No matter how obvious it is that this guy is a fraud, some people will still say it’s true. They can’t be reasoned with.
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### Author:  [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2013, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/18 "2013-03-07T18:15:29Z")
> [@bri1600bv](#):
>
> OP here…
>
> THe youtube video that I saw with Randi repeating Gellers’ tricks to walters (on her show)…they had the original show with Geller on Walters…they showed Geller actually drawing the picture and it matched Walters. So he didn’t use subterfuge in drawing it…maybe in knowing what to draw.
Randi didn’t say that he was necessarily going to use the same technique as Geller did, just that someone could do it without claiming psychic powers. Gigobuster’s post lists several other possible techniques that Geller might have used.
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### Author:  [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2013, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/19 "2013-03-07T18:34:03Z")
> [@Baal\_Houtham](#):
>
> It’s not relevant to to the OP’s question of how Uri Geller did his tricks, but I’ve read that Randi broke off the end of his ball point pen’s cartridge and lodged it in his belt. He then --while looking at Walter’s revealed drawing-- moved the paper around his belly and drew the picture.
I watched it a few times and couldn’t figure it out - I thought maybe there was an envelope swap but that would have to be done ahead of time and wouldn’t be shown on the video like Randi implied.
But after your comment I watched it again, and DAMN, that’s some good work… she’s busy describing her picture while looking at it/the camera and doesn’t even see him moving his paper around in his lap.
It’s obviously not how Geller did it, but there are so many easy ways to pull this off.
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### Author:  [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2013, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/20 "2013-03-07T18:51:50Z")
> [@stpauler](#):
>
> Are you saying Randi’s all thumbs?
Very good. It took me several views but I can see how Randi did it. Unsure how Geller did his.
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