Destroying Belief Is Life's Real Magic: Why NewAgers HATE James Randi (Facing Reality)

Watch Barbara's NewAge bubble burst - isn't it pretty?

"Oh, God, I'm going to cry. I believe; I care,..."

Meditation Is The Murder Of The Mind

The Deception Of A Magician

It has been but only eight years since the magician who is attributed with having given a face lift to magic, stimulating renewed interest in conjuring and whose fame soared to heights exceeding prior levitations, vanished. The name Doug Henning is seldom mentioned these days.

What happened? This Canadian illusionist rejected the stereotype of the top-hatted tuxedo-wearing mystifier. His hair was long, smile effervescent, clothes casual and flamboyant and he flitted about the stage like a butterfly creating wonder and receiving awards.

Martin Gardner, science genius and enthusiastic magic hobbyist, addresses the self-deception and ultimate disappearance of Henning in a chapter of his "Weird Water and Fuzzy Logic," published by Prometheus Books, Amherst, New York. Among extraordinary subjects e.g. “Eyeless Vision and God” and “Klingon and other Artificial Languages” – sixteen essays originally published in Skeptical Inquirer, is "Doug Henning and the Giggling Guru." Gardner, while listing Henning's triumphs, e.g. a magic show which ran on Broadway for four years and numerous television spectaculars and multiple other appearances, writes:

Then something happened to Doug on his way to a magic shop. He discovered TM (Transcendental Meditation) and became a pal of the founder.

By repeating the “mantra” and forking over thousands of dollars, TM promises that you will develop the ability to become invisible, see hidden things, to walk through walls, and fly through the air. Real magic – not stage stuff. Henning swallowed this. He is said to have asserted that “thinking so” would allow you to "levitate." You, having achieved a high state of consciousness, would be able to become invisible because your body "just stops reflecting light."

Henning was so imbued with the potential of TM that he abandoned his career, sold his effects to David Copperfield and others. He planned a center where the marvels would be demonstrated. This billion-dollar extravaganza would utilize extreme technology to astound visitors. He intended to include many of his magic illusion secrets. The paradox of his belief that Transcendental Meditation was valid yet his willingness to present trickery in the service of advertising TM is notable.

No source that this reviewer has consulted, implies that Henning was a charlatan. He was a believer. Sadly the health benefits attributed to TM didn't work for him – he died at age 52, in 2000, of liver cancer. This may be a testimony to the mystery of self-deception. It is generally thought that the hyper-educated such as university professors are prone to be deceived. How is it that a master of deception such as Doug Henning, fell prey to the false promise of TM?

Martin Gardner is a lucid author whose topics describe world-wide irrationality. He provides the antidote: informed writing. This book is highly recommended for thinking magicians and other life forms.

-- Joel A. Moskowitz M.D, on the destruction of a hero to children the world over, to the James Randi Education Foundation.

You Fools You Fools You Fools: You're All Fools

If there's a word that seems to be universally hated it's "cult". People don't want to admit there are cults, or they've been associated with cults, or that they've ever accepted the teachings of cults. Call someone a "cultist" and, man, you've got a fight on your hands. Someone told me it was the same as calling someone a "nigger" - which is bullshit - or an "idiot" - which is bullshit too:

The word cultist just describes anyone who's fallen under the spell of some stupid person's (or group's) ideology enough to start living by it, and/or repeating it's phrases, and even smart people are capable of doing that. Cults are a threat to our freedom, both, as individuals and a country.

"Fool" is a better way to think of a cultist, because, like "a girl in trouble", with a little hard work, foolishness can be reduced to a temporary condition.



Unfortunately - once it becomes clear how much influence cults have had on society - it's kind of hard not to throw the word around (as any regular reader of this blog can see.). Now that Sexy Sadie is gone, just think of all the people he's led down "the path to enlightenment". Entire American towns, and villages all over the world, have dedicated themselves to doing what that fraud (who used to claim he would never die) encouraged them to, when it's apparent, to anyone with eyes to "see", there was always a ruthless, fascist, means-to-an-end type of ideology behind all the giggling and lying: Oh, yea, it's hard as hell to challenge someone who takes advantage of others once they've convinced themselves they're doing it to "Save The Planet". The fact that the people they've hurt are part of "The Planet" is easily put out of their minds.

John Lennon ("The Smart Beatle") described Sadie's teachings best - and all other cultish NewAge belief for that matter - with the words, 'Look, forget it! Be happy!' Fucking idiot.", but that hasn't stopped Boomers from believing them anyway, saturating our culture for far too long. From presidential candidates, to TV personalities, songwriters, on down to the lowliest of souls, 'Look, forget it! Be happy!' has been twisted, by way of language manipulation (or as my foster mother used to say, making sure "the devil talks pretty") into the idiotic refrain that everyone should merely "move on" from whatever has occured before, no matter how devastating, no matter who got hurt.

But not everyone is capable of being indoctrinated into the "you create your own reality" way of thinking, since it's bullshit, so not everyone can "move on" from, for instance, tragic loss or whatever else has come before. Nor should they have to. "Moving on" is possible only when apologies are made and, then, forgiveness can be achieved to heal the breech. Sadie's death, for James Randi, reminds him of the awful death of magician (and Transcendental Meditation follower) Doug Henning, above, and though many people, worldwide, are mourning Sadie's demise, I doubt Randi is one of them. Hell, I know I'm not.



It'll be a long time before we're, all, able to put this ugly period of mental manipulation behind us. As a matter of fact, it's going to be a struggle, because too many willing "believers" are still with us, and will be, for many moons to come. My only hope is that I've started my own work in time. There's still lots and lots more that needs to be done.