# That Russian "Psychic"-What happened to Him? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 13, 2010, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-russian-psychic-what-happened-to-him/524842 "2010-01-13T21:49:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-russian-psychic-what-happened-to-him/524842/1 "2010-01-13T21:49:28Z")
I recall seeing a grainy black and white film clip, of an alleged Russian “psychic”-who was able to move matchsticks around a table top, by mind control. Was this guy exposed as a fraud? Has anyone ever demonstrated “psycho-kinetic” powers? ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-russian-psychic-what-happened-to-him/524842/2 "2010-01-13T22:03:28Z")
A. Probably. A. No. [www.randi.org](http://www.randi.org) if you’re into at least finding someone who does investigate and attempt controlled studies of those with such claims. ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-russian-psychic-what-happened-to-him/524842/3 "2010-01-13T22:21:32Z")
Do you mean [Uri Gellar](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uri_Geller)? (though he’s not Russian, but he’s one of the more famous spoon-bending psychic from the old days that comes to mind). He’s still around and trying to make a living via various television shows in diff. parts of the world. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-russian-psychic-what-happened-to-him/524842/4 "2010-01-13T23:17:25Z")
Almost certainly not Geller. The Russians were hugely into psychics who could move things with their mind. They surfaced so regularly that you’d think there was a Russian tv reality show that had talent searches. They were as real as Lysenko’s biology. Since the reality of moving stuff with one’s mind would overturn all of conventional science, finding someone who wasn’t a fraud would be bigger news than Einstein. If you have to ask the question, therefore, the answer is no. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-russian-psychic-what-happened-to-him/524842/5 "2010-01-13T23:53:21Z")
Perhaps not who you’re thinking of, but here’s [James Hydrick](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CASghTzNhc) moving not only matchsticks, but whole pencils, and turning the pages of a telephone book using his… powers. Then, Randi comes in and explains how it’s done… ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-russian-psychic-what-happened-to-him/524842/6 "2010-01-13T23:59:17Z")
Actually, I think [here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYGjtlgGtY4)’s Randi discussing exactly the psychic you’re looking for. ---
**Author:** ![Kelby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a587f6/32.png) [@Kelby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kelby)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-russian-psychic-what-happened-to-him/524842/7 "2010-01-14T00:21:05Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Has anyone ever demonstrated “psycho-kinetic” powers? Randi will give a million bucks to anyone who can…under scientifically controlled conditions. No one has cashed in yet. ---
**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-russian-psychic-what-happened-to-him/524842/8 "2010-01-14T01:02:49Z")
I have some spirit gum and a long very thin thread. I can make anything move using them. I could replicate what this psychic does with my eyes closed. Even if you took my thread I could palm a strong magnet a move a metallic object. \>Has anyone ever demonstrated “psycho-kinetic” powers? No. The field of “psychics” is nothing more than fraud. Its an easy buck for the unethical because skepticism is not very popular. If youre interested then you might enjoy the psychkinesis entry over at skepdic: [http://www.skepdic.com/kinesis.html](http://www.skepdic.com/kinesis.html) That said, I feel sorry for some of these people. Its clear that Owens was mentally disturbed and “children psychics” are forced to do tricks by their parents for profit. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-russian-psychic-what-happened-to-him/524842/9 "2010-01-14T01:43:12Z")
I don’t think it was the young guy on “TPIR” that the OP was referring to. I don’t recall his name, but I’m pretty sure I saw the same grainy footage on “In Search of. . .” I recall it was a woman, which leads me to believe that it was probably [Nina Kulagin](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWeEXkTk0DY). She is obviously the real deal. ETA: Who I see has already been cited in the Randi video. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-russian-psychic-what-happened-to-him/524842/10 "2010-01-14T01:54:12Z")
The real deal? Unless she’s a cola or a cola-like beverage, I really, really doubt that. ---
**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-russian-psychic-what-happened-to-him/524842/11 "2010-01-14T02:17:12Z")
\>She is obviously the real deal. What? I can do all these tricks. Theyre tricks. Nothing more.