WEBVTT

00:00:00.755 --> 00:00:01.244
Thanks.

00:00:01.244 --> 00:00:03.174
We, uh, we have
only met...

00:00:03.174 --> 00:00:03.801
This scares me.

00:00:03.801 --> 00:00:04.687
This, this scares you?

00:00:04.687 --> 00:00:07.255
Well, this is - we just got some
things together here and...

00:00:07.255 --> 00:00:09.759
(narrator) I told them to provide
their own props and not to

00:00:09.759 --> 00:00:13.924
let Geller or his people
anywhere near them.

00:00:13.924 --> 00:00:15.820
... also one of our staff
members, um,

00:00:15.820 --> 00:00:18.416
did some drawings which have
been sealed in an envelope, uh,

00:00:18.416 --> 00:00:20.341
and I'd like you to take your
own pace when you feel like

00:00:20.341 --> 00:00:21.258
you want to try anything.

00:00:21.258 --> 00:00:24.320
Do you want to try that
particular experiment first?

00:00:24.320 --> 00:00:25.342
When I'll feel free.

00:00:25.342 --> 00:00:29.668
Sure.

00:00:29.668 --> 00:00:31.956
We'll start eliminating the ones
that do not have the water.

00:00:31.956 --> 00:00:32.405
Alright.

00:00:32.405 --> 00:00:34.419
Without touching them.

00:00:34.419 --> 00:00:36.621
He is really suspicious!

00:00:36.621 --> 00:00:39.009
I'm having a hard
time with you.

00:00:39.009 --> 00:00:40.008
I - I don't mean to be...

00:00:40.008 --> 00:00:44.169
Just, just keep looking.

00:00:46.396 --> 00:00:47.810
Okay, let me rest
a little, alright?

00:00:47.810 --> 00:00:50.161
Alright.

00:00:52.134 --> 00:00:54.410
You know I'm surprised because
before this program,

00:00:54.410 --> 00:00:57.257
your producer came and he read
me at least 40 questions

00:00:57.257 --> 00:00:58.431
you were going to ask me.

00:00:58.431 --> 00:00:59.520
Well, I can ask you all
kinds of questions if

00:00:59.520 --> 00:01:01.091
you'd like - if you'd like
me to ask you questions.

00:01:01.091 --> 00:01:03.346
I have to ..I have to have time.


00:01:03.346 --> 00:01:12.153


00:01:12.153 --> 00:01:13.270
Alright, we are back.

00:01:13.270 --> 00:01:15.852
Uri was telling me - you,
you don't feel, what,

00:01:15.852 --> 00:01:16.686
strong tonight?

00:01:16.686 --> 00:01:20.270
Not so strong.
It's not all tonight.

00:01:20.270 --> 00:01:23.766
Right now I'm feel - I'm feeling being pressed and that I
can't...

00:01:23.766 --> 00:01:24.887
I - I'm not trying to
pressure ya,

00:01:24.887 --> 00:01:25.714
I'm really not.

00:01:25.714 --> 00:01:27.557
No, you're only telling
me, "Well, you try that,

00:01:27.557 --> 00:01:29.316
or that, or that."

00:01:29.316 --> 00:01:33.155
But, I thought that was
the idea of, uh, of, uh...

00:01:33.155 --> 00:01:38.815
No, I'm not - I'm not
going to put you down.

00:01:38.815 --> 00:01:40.060
(narrator) Much to my surprise,

00:01:40.060 --> 00:01:45.779
The Tonight Show episode didn't have much effect on Uri Geller's career.

00:01:45.779 --> 00:01:49.087
Neither did the book
that I wrote about him.

00:01:49.087 --> 00:01:52.104
But, eventually his star
faded.

00:01:52.104 --> 00:01:54.970
Why people are so drawn to the
irrational is something

00:01:54.970 --> 00:01:57.915
that has always puzzled me.

00:01:57.915 --> 00:02:01.581
I want to be, if I can,
as sure of the world,

00:02:01.581 --> 00:02:04.304
the real world around me as
is possible.

00:02:04.304 --> 00:02:06.889
Now, you can only attain that to
a certain degree,

00:02:06.889 --> 00:02:09.014
but I want the greatest
degree of control.

00:02:09.014 --> 00:02:10.924
I don't - I'd never involve
myself in

00:02:10.924 --> 00:02:12.966
narcotics in any kind, I don't
smoke,

00:02:12.966 --> 00:02:19.681
I don't drink because that can
easily just fuzz the edges of my rationality,

00:02:19.681 --> 00:02:21.182
fuzz the edges of my reasoning

00:02:21.182 --> 00:02:25.218
powers and I want to be as aware
as I possibly can.

00:02:25.218 --> 00:02:28.223
That means, uh, giving up
a lot of, uh, fantasies

00:02:28.223 --> 00:02:29.921
that might be comforting
in some ways,

00:02:29.921 --> 00:02:33.011
but I'm willing to give that up
in order to live in an

00:02:33.011 --> 00:02:37.227
actually real world, as
close as I can get to it.

00:02:43.339 --> 00:02:46.698
During the 1980s, I entered a
world that I found filled

00:02:46.698 --> 00:02:49.544
with fantasy and rife
with abuse,

00:02:49.544 --> 00:02:53.071
the world of faith healing.

00:02:53.071 --> 00:02:55.470
I developed a special interest
in a television

00:02:55.470 --> 00:02:58.463
evangelist named Peter Popoff.

00:02:58.463 --> 00:03:00.871
...and God told me, he said,
"You smite that

00:03:00.871 --> 00:03:04.918
cancer with your fist!"

00:03:04.918 --> 00:03:07.368
At the time, Popoff was
pulling in nearly four

00:03:07.368 --> 00:03:09.998
million dollars a year
healing people on his

00:03:09.998 --> 00:03:12.751
miracle crusades.

00:03:12.751 --> 00:03:15.585
... you've got cancer
of the stomach.

00:03:15.585 --> 00:03:19.407
Are you ready for God to burn
that cancer out?

00:03:19.407 --> 00:03:27.335
Here it goes in the mighty -
devil, back off.

00:03:27.335 --> 00:03:29.299
Back off, devil!

00:03:29.299 --> 00:03:34.082
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!

00:03:34.082 --> 00:03:35.653
(offscreen voice) You really believe
you're healed?

00:03:35.653 --> 00:03:36.636
Yes.

00:03:36.636 --> 00:03:39.964
(offscreen voice) Do you think your
cancers are gone now?

00:03:39.964 --> 00:03:43.082
Yes, I believe that,
because God never lies and

00:03:43.082 --> 00:03:45.462
you stand in his word.

00:03:45.462 --> 00:03:46.670
Praise the Lord.

00:03:46.670 --> 00:03:48.372
I tell ya from now on
you're going to have a

00:03:48.372 --> 00:03:52.136
soul of victory in
your heart, Amen!

00:03:52.136 --> 00:03:57.168
(narrator) To his followers, Popoff
seemed to have divine powers.

00:03:57.168 --> 00:04:01.237
Is it Gould?
Alice Gould?

00:04:01.237 --> 00:04:02.623
He knew their names...

00:04:02.623 --> 00:04:03.861
Stand up, Alice.

00:04:03.861 --> 00:04:06.620
...as well as the
afflictions they'd come to cure.

00:04:06.620 --> 00:04:10.285
God is touching that
thyroid condition right now.

00:04:10.285 --> 00:04:12.831
God is touching your
nerves right now.

00:04:12.831 --> 00:04:14.120
God is touching your eyes.

00:04:14.120 --> 00:04:15.173
Just lift up your hands.

00:04:15.173 --> 00:04:17.061
Get ready, here it comes.

00:04:17.061 --> 00:04:20.462
(narrator) He also knew the personal
details of their lives.

00:04:20.462 --> 00:04:21.808
You're going to hear good
news from Charles before

00:04:21.808 --> 00:04:22.605
everything is over.

00:04:22.605 --> 00:04:24.692
I tell ya, he's going to
be completely delivered

00:04:24.692 --> 00:04:27.355
because of your prayers,
because of your faith.

00:04:27.355 --> 00:04:30.939
Here it comes, complete healing
in Jesus' - woo -

00:04:30.939 --> 00:04:34.051
mighty name right now!

00:04:34.051 --> 00:04:34.982
Amen!

00:04:34.982 --> 00:04:36.732
It's alright to
praise the lord.

00:04:36.732 --> 00:04:39.234
(narrator) I suspected that Popoff's
revelations were other

00:04:39.234 --> 00:04:42.243
than divine.

00:04:42.243 --> 00:04:44.195
A radio scanner we'd
brought to the hall picked

00:04:44.195 --> 00:04:50.612
up a decidedly
worldly source.

00:04:50.612 --> 00:04:51.730
Hello, Peetey.

00:04:51.730 --> 00:04:52.924
Can you hear me?

00:04:52.924 --> 00:04:54.893
If you can't, you're in trouble.

00:04:54.893 --> 00:04:59.018
Popoff was being prompted
by his wife through a

00:04:59.018 --> 00:05:01.367
wireless earpiece.


00:05:01.367 --> 00:05:07.124
Julie Johnson.

00:05:07.124 --> 00:05:09.201
She'd gotten her
information from prayer

00:05:09.201 --> 00:05:14.823
cards filled out by the
faithful before the show began.

00:05:14.823 --> 00:05:17.206
She'd like to get
rid of the walker.

00:05:17.206 --> 00:05:23.532
You want to get rid of
this walker, sister?

00:05:23.532 --> 00:05:24.126
Oh glory.

00:05:24.126 --> 00:05:26.782
How long have you been
walking on that walker?

00:05:26.782 --> 00:05:28.333
About three years.

00:05:28.333 --> 00:05:29.537
Three years.

00:05:29.537 --> 00:05:32.429
She lives at 1627 Kent Street.

00:05:32.429 --> 00:05:35.782
1627 Kent Street, is that right?

00:05:35.782 --> 00:05:37.206
That's right.

00:05:37.206 --> 00:05:40.267
She has arthritis all
over.

00:05:40.267 --> 00:05:45.374
Burning arthritis right
out of your body!

00:05:45.374 --> 00:05:47.724
Take a few steps just
to make the devil mad.

00:05:47.724 --> 00:05:48.624
Hallelujah!

00:05:48.624 --> 00:05:49.862
Just move around
a little bit.

00:05:49.862 --> 00:05:51.544
There she goes.

00:05:51.544 --> 00:05:53.432
Just walk with me.

00:05:53.432 --> 00:05:56.551
Oh glory to God; she's not going
to need that walker anymore!

00:05:56.551 --> 00:05:59.215
God is just putting new
strength, new health,

00:05:59.215 --> 00:06:02.720
burning that arthritis out of her body!
Just keep going!

00:06:02.720 --> 00:06:05.005
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!

00:06:05.005 --> 00:06:06.753
(narrator) I was able to arrange for
another broadcast of the

00:06:06.753 --> 00:06:10.132
Miracle Crusade on The
Tonight Show,

00:06:10.132 --> 00:06:15.164
but this time the wireless
prompting was included.

00:06:15.164 --> 00:06:21.333
In 1987, Peter Popoff
declared bankruptcy.

00:06:21.333 --> 00:06:27.712
Greater is he!
Greater is he!

00:06:27.712 --> 00:06:30.937
(narrator) The laying on of hands
takes on new meaning in

00:06:30.937 --> 00:06:33.491
the Philippines where
psychic surgeons perform

00:06:33.491 --> 00:06:38.835
miraculous operations
without knives.

00:06:38.835 --> 00:06:41.135
I investigated this
phenomenon,

00:06:41.135 --> 00:06:45.567
then went on The Tonight Show
to demonstrate what I'd learned.

00:06:45.567 --> 00:06:48.742
Believe me, what you're
seeing is strictly special

00:06:48.742 --> 00:06:50.763
effects, it's sleight of
hand and nothing more.

00:06:50.763 --> 00:06:54.565
And this is the way it looks.

00:07:07.612 --> 00:07:10.120
A little animal blood
and a few chicken parts

00:07:10.120 --> 00:07:14.197
complete the illusion.

00:07:14.197 --> 00:07:18.793
A bone.

00:07:23.701 --> 00:07:24.500
That's a bit better.

00:07:24.500 --> 00:07:26.328
Just a second, just
one second now.

00:07:26.328 --> 00:07:29.034
It may be better for you.

00:07:29.034 --> 00:07:31.792
You don't feel any better?

00:07:38.597 --> 00:07:41.599
Wow, that doesn't come up.

00:07:52.450 --> 00:07:54.779
This is where I live with
several birds and an old

00:07:54.779 --> 00:07:59.279
red cat outside of Fort
Lauderdale, Florida.

00:07:59.279 --> 00:08:01.335
From here, I run my
investigations,

00:08:01.335 --> 00:08:07.450
write my books and go
about lecturing.

00:08:07.450 --> 00:08:09.338
Recently, I resolved to
give a class of college

00:08:09.338 --> 00:08:12.783
freshman a chance to
evaluate one of the oldest

00:08:12.783 --> 00:08:16.238
systems of fortunetelling:
astrology.

00:08:16.238 --> 00:08:17.617
Well, I started out life
as a - as a magician.

00:08:17.617 --> 00:08:19.038
I still am a magician, I guess.

00:08:19.038 --> 00:08:21.114
I think it's in the
DNA, I'm not too sure.

00:08:21.114 --> 00:08:24.703
But, uh, I'm an actor playing
the part of a wizard.

00:08:24.703 --> 00:08:26.117
I know how people are
deceived,

00:08:26.117 --> 00:08:28.289
I know how they deceive
themselves, and many magicians,

00:08:28.289 --> 00:08:30.694
most magicians really allow

00:08:30.694 --> 00:08:33.035
people to deceive themselves.

00:08:33.035 --> 00:08:35.116
Would you like to
see me fool ya?

00:08:35.116 --> 00:08:36.698
Who's wearing a wristwatch
here, a regular,

00:08:36.698 --> 00:08:37.660
ordinary wristwatch?

00:08:37.660 --> 00:08:39.785
Hmmm.

00:08:39.785 --> 00:08:41.401
You've been a good
girl, haven't you?

00:08:41.401 --> 00:08:42.699
Yes.

00:08:42.699 --> 00:08:43.534
That's a Seiko.

00:08:43.534 --> 00:08:44.952
I thought it was a
Rolex for a minute.

00:08:44.952 --> 00:08:45.612
Oh well!

00:08:45.612 --> 00:08:47.057
Now, what time does
it say on your watch?

00:08:47.057 --> 00:08:48.435
It says nine minutes before
three and it

00:08:48.435 --> 00:08:51.115
says it's the second of October, right?

00:08:51.115 --> 00:08:51.673
Yes, it does. Very good.

00:08:51.673 --> 00:08:53.642
Open up your hand for me
flat like that.

00:08:53.642 --> 00:08:54.537
The clean one.

00:08:54.537 --> 00:08:57.146
She almost changed, notice that,
almost changed.

00:08:57.146 --> 00:08:58.863
Now, I'm going to put the watch
face down.

00:08:58.863 --> 00:09:00.896
Put your finger of your other
hand on the back of the watch.

00:09:00.896 --> 00:09:01.643
Okay?

00:09:01.643 --> 00:09:02.641
Very good.

00:09:02.641 --> 00:09:05.006
Now, my watch says nine
minutes to three,

00:09:05.006 --> 00:09:08.696
so we disagree slightly, but not
enough for any nevermind.

00:09:08.696 --> 00:09:10.596
Okay.
Watch.

00:09:10.596 --> 00:09:13.400
I'm really
concentrating now.

00:09:15.016 --> 00:09:16.302
Oh, I think I hurt myself.

00:09:16.302 --> 00:09:19.735
Don't laugh;
this is science!

00:09:19.735 --> 00:09:21.975
Let me see now, holding
it only by this...

00:09:21.975 --> 00:09:23.657
Oh, would you tell the
folks what time it says on

00:09:23.657 --> 00:09:27.378
your watch now, please?

00:09:27.378 --> 00:09:28.781
It says 3:40, but...

00:09:28.781 --> 00:09:31.936
3:40, how time flies
when you're having fun!

00:09:31.936 --> 00:09:33.321
Isn't that wonderful?

00:09:33.321 --> 00:09:35.206
Now, let me show you something -
this is like a little,

00:09:35.206 --> 00:09:36.317
tiny, itty, bitty watch.

00:09:36.317 --> 00:09:37.745
Here, hold it
tightly in your hand.

00:09:37.745 --> 00:09:38.426
Don't lose...

00:09:38.426 --> 00:09:39.464
Oh my goodness!

00:09:39.464 --> 00:09:41.712
What happened?

00:09:41.712 --> 00:09:43.164
Oh, the gentleman was
carrying it over here

00:09:43.164 --> 00:09:44.831
behind his waist and he
didn't even know it.

00:09:44.831 --> 00:09:46.332
There ya go.

00:09:50.598 --> 00:09:53.263
The trickster
never works alone.

00:09:53.263 --> 00:09:54.430
His audience assists him.