Magicians have confounded intelligent observers since before the birth of science; they continue to do so today despite revolutionary changes in science and technology. Why should a prominent worker of wonders speak out in an attempt to discourage credulity?
In his lecture/demonstration on The Illusion of Psychic Powers, Jamy Ian Swiss reviews some of the history ofparapsychology; addresses the difference in ethical constructs between those who use magic to entertain and those who claim to have paranormal powers; describes the basic principles of conjuring techniques and psychology as used by both magicians and self-styled "psychics;" and demonstrates how the latter use these techniques to deceive the public and scientific community alike. By combining his unique expertise in deception with compelling presentations of apparent mind-reading and other psychic phenomena, he dramatically challenges such academic preconceptions as the suggestion that mere innate intelligence and/or formal education can serve as adequate protection against fraud; illustrates how and why scientists have so often become the defenseless targets of fakery; and demonstrates why the conjuror's specialized expertise in deception is the only adequate defense against such charlatanism.
"It was more than entertaining, it was a lesson, and a particularly poignant one for scientists. You demonstrated that we scientists are not only gullible, but particularly unequipped to handle blatant fraud." — Joseph Dickey, Ph.D.,President USNA Sigma Xi (National Scientific Research Association)
"Our organization has been in existence for over 30 years, and I had several 'old-timers' remark that it was the best section meeting they ever attended." — Michael Epstein, Ph.D. Research Chemist, National Institute of Standards and Technology (N.I.S.T.)
"You … managed to strike the perfect balance between a scientific approach to your subject and that of a pure entertainment approach … You persuaded us to re-examine our own scientific methods … an evening well spent … it will be difficult to generate similar interest in the rest of our program this year." — John R. Moody, Chairman, Society for Applied Spectroscopy Washington Chapter
See the 4-minute video of this extraordinary show of mind-to-mind mystery — watch it now!
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