# 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:** 7
### Author:  [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2013, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/121 "2013-03-11T01:02:45Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#):
>
> inazin, I’m a bit late to the thread, but from skimming, it seems to me that you’ve repeatedly said variations on “I’m not claiming Geller is _X_” and “I never said Geller was _Y_” and “I never said _A_ was _B_” etc.
>
> Putting aside what you’re _not_ claiming, what (if anything) _are_ you claiming, about Geller or anything else?
All that I was trying to do in this thread was supply some factual corrections, regarding a small number of points, where I thought such corrections might be helpful and in the spirit of the SDMB. I’m sorry if I inadvertently ruffled any feathers, which was never my intention.
Obviously, if someone attributes a view or a comment to me that doesn’t actually come from me, it’s okay for me to gently point this out, and I’ve tried to do so. Not in an argumentative spirit, but just by way of clarification.
Regarding my beliefs about psychic and paranormal claims, I personally have not yet experienced or heard of anything that I think requires the psychic hypothesis. The usual caveats apply: I could be wrong, I don’t know everything, I haven’t seen everything, new evidence could turn up tomorrow and my opinion doesn’t matter to anyone anyway. It’s not as if anyone is going to change their views based on anything I say or believe.
I am friends with Uri Geller, James Randi and some other people who are involved in psi research or mentalism. I have also worked with both Geller and Randi professionally on several occasions. I like both of them, and have enjoyed good times in their company. I have my differences of opinion with them both, but I believe friends can disagree and people who disagree can be friends.
---
### Author:  [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2013, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/122 "2013-03-11T04:02:21Z")
Except you haven’t just supplied some factual corrections, you have asserted an opinion about Uri:
> [@ianzin](#):
>
> I’ve been friends with Uri for years, and I think he’s a really nice guy.
Up to you who your friends are, and what constitutes being “a really nice guy” is of course a highly subjective matter. Let me give you my own opinion on what is very much _not_ being a very nice guy - ripping off the gullible public by spouting paranormal bullshit, by trading on one’s reputation as someone who can genuinely perform paranormal tricks, while knowing that those tricks are just illusions.
Here is the Amazon web listing for [Uri’s Crystal Pendulum Dowsing Kit](http://www.amazon.co.uk/Uri-Gellers-Crystal-Pendulum-Dowsing/dp/1842931946). Here is some of the text he uses to sell it:
> [@](#):
>
> All of us have the instinctive power of our intuition, but in this modern world, we have become disconnected from this ancient art. **Uri Geller is famous around the world for his paranormal skills**. In this amazing kit, he guides you step by step into the hidden world of dowsing. The box includes: a crystal pendulum - the essential tool for successful dowsing; a pair of divining rods - used by dowsers for thousands of years to locate water, oil, or precious objects underground; and “Learn How to Dowse Guide” - a fun, practical book which explains dowsing techniques in detail. **This kit teaches you basic skills you need to dowse using a crystal pendulum or divining rods. It then explains how to use these skills to find lost objects, water, fossils, oil, treasures and archaeological remains**. Uri Geller reveals how dowsing can help you on the path to success, health and happiness. With this amazing kit - go on, trust yourself!
My emphasis added.
He’s a fraud, or a gullible fool who has (somewhat implausibly) actually managed to maintain a belief in the paranormal despite knowing he uses magic tricks to convince others of his paranormal abilities. I don’t for a moment believe the latter.
No doubt he has personal charm. Maybe that’s what you mean by “really nice”. I don’t think he’s “really nice” by any means. I think he’s a criminal.
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2013, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/123 "2013-03-11T04:54:53Z")
Well, I’ll cheerfully admit I’m more interested in the truth (or falsehood) of Geller’s psychic claims than who his friends are, about which I care nothing.
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### Author:  [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2013, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/124 "2013-03-11T06:01:18Z")
> [@Princhester](#):
>
> He’s a fraud, or a gullible fool who has (somewhat implausibly) actually managed to maintain a belief in the paranormal despite knowing he uses magic tricks to convince others of his paranormal abilities. I don’t for a moment believe the latter.
>
> No doubt he has personal charm. Maybe that’s what you mean by “really nice”. I don’t think he’s “really nice” by any means. I think he’s a criminal.
Just out of interest, when was the last time you watched Uri Geller perform?
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### Author:  [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2013, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/125 "2013-03-11T06:06:57Z")
What bearing does that have?
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### Author:  [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2013, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/126 "2013-03-11T06:14:06Z")
Quite a lot, actually. Should be fairly obvious why.
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2013, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/127 "2013-03-11T06:17:02Z")
If I may speculate, Peter is suggesting that Geller no longer makes (or no longer makes as many) claims of possessing paranormal abilities. I wouldn’t find this particularly notable, as Geller’s star has pretty much fallen since the mid-eighties. I guess it’s fair to say Geller is not _currently_ a significant pro-paranormal figure, which is quite the contrast from his late-1970s persona.
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### Author:  [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2013, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/128 "2013-03-11T06:18:25Z")
A week or two back. Although what I watched was a clip of him from a number of years before that, on some Israeli show. In which he very clumsily moved a compass using a magnet poorly concealed in one of those false thumb things while spouting woo nonsense IIRC. But let’s say he now doesn’t make the psychic claims. I wonder if he has now denounced the claims made that are used to sell his Crystal Pendulum Dowsing Kit, or disclaims royalties from same? I’m guessing the answer is he has not, but I’m open to being told differently.
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### Author:  [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2013, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/129 "2013-03-11T06:23:07Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#):
>
> Quite a lot, actually. Should be fairly obvious why.
I’m quite stupid. Be more specific, please.
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### Author:  [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2013, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/130 "2013-03-11T06:24:02Z")
> [@Bryan Eckers](#):
>
> If I may speculate …
Nope. Try again.
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### Author:  [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2013, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/131 "2013-03-11T06:25:51Z")
I cannot have a conversation with you if you are not going to be upfront with your arguments.
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### Author:  [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2013, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/132 "2013-03-11T06:35:18Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#):
>
> I’m quite stupid. Be more specific, please.
Oh, just checking.
I wanted to see if Princhester was one of those people who condemn a work without actually having seen it, as in protests against The Satanic Verses.
Or [razncain](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16080383&postcount=88)earlier in the thread.
So, Princhester has actually seen the thing he condemns, unlike some people. Good for him.
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### Author:  [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2013, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/133 "2013-03-11T06:39:36Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#):
>
> I cannot have a conversation with you if you are not going to be upfront with your arguments.
I wanted to see Princhester’s reply before I gave the reason.
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### Author:  [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2013, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/134 "2013-03-11T07:07:35Z")
If watching a youtube clip of Uri Geller acting in a manner more than reminiscent of a psychic is enough to condemn him, then razncain is as justified in his disapproval as Princhester.
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2013, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/135 "2013-03-11T07:08:29Z")
I like my answer better and will operate on the premise that it is the correct one.
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### Author:  [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2013, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/136 "2013-03-11T07:14:02Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#):
>
> If I may speculate, Peter is suggesting that Geller no longer makes (or no longer makes as many) claims of possessing paranormal abilities.
Whether he does it on his show or not, he was selling dowsing kits at least as late as 2006. His website still says he uses dowsing to find coal and diamonds. And if he’s not still claiming to have such powers, he should probably write a letter to Nature magazine and inform them the “Geller Effect” think was a hoax.
Here is a blog post from his website dated 2012:
> [@](#):
>
> I found this ley line by dowsing. This is something I have been able to do for decades, in fact it was Sir Val Duncan the then chairman of Rio Tinto Zinc who first made me realise that I could use my abilities to find just about anything, including coal, oil, diamonds and gold. The president of Mexico granted me Mexican citizenship for helping the national Mexican oil company to find their substantial oil reserves, and I have helped several other companies to locate natural resources - so there is no doubt as far as I am concerned that dowsing is a real ability, and in fact people have been using dowsing for centuries, best known for it’s ability to locate water.
>
> I also sensed that there were other items present on the island, but I cannot say what these items are or how it would be possible to find them. Maybe one day I will spend longer there trying to look, but it’s so difficult just getting on and off the island, and activity on the island is very limited due to not wanting to disturb the seabirds, so perhaps whatever is there will forever remain a mystery.
The whole post is all ley-lines and ancient Egyptians and UFOs. He may or may not have toned down the claims to super-powers in his act (where ironically, I don’t really have a problem with it) but he still claims to have magical powers to his fans.
Anyhoo. We’re coming somewhat adrift from the OP here. I don’t think anyone linked to [this video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRKLvscWe04) yet. It’s James Randi showing a video of Geller performing the trick the OP describes. Randi freeze frames it at the end so you can see the trick, but even without that its pretty easy to catch. Geller rather blatantly peaks at the drawing while pretending to cover his eyes.
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### Author:  [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2013, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/137 "2013-03-11T07:14:45Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#):
>
> I wanted to see if Princhester was one of those people who condemn a work without actually having seen it, as in protests against The Satanic Verses.
>
> Or [razncain](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16080383&postcount=88)earlier in the thread.
I haven’t seen everything there is to see about Geller but enough to form an opinion. I suspect **razncain** may be similar.
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### Author:  [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2013, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/138 "2013-03-11T07:44:28Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#):
>
> If watching a youtube clip of Uri Geller acting in a manner more than reminiscent of a psychic is enough to condemn him, then razncain is as justified in his disapproval as Princhester.
So, you haven’t actually watched it either, right?
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### Author:  [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2013, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/139 "2013-03-11T13:47:39Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#):
>
> Just out of interest, when was the last time you watched Uri Geller perform?
How is this relevant to criticizing the “dowsing” kit Geller sells?
The next “logical” question would be to inquire how one can condemn selling this crap when one hasn’t tried using the kit. :dubious:
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### Author:  [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2013, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-uri-geller-psychic-divine-pictures-people-had-written/652260/140 "2013-03-11T14:04:35Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#):
>
> So, you haven’t actually watched it either, right?
I consider it an established fact that Uri claims to have actual psychic powers. If you think otherwise, you’re more than welcome to link to something that supports the position that Uri does not claim actual psychic powers.
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