Questions about spiritism and Sai Baba(for all open-minded people)

[No-where-man]

1.Is it true that spiritistic mediums like Minnie Harrison and Florence Cook were able to create ectoplasm and than materialize the ghost of an person who was daughter of Henry Morgan-the pirate?

2.Has any today's spiritistic medium-any medium who has supposed ability to create ectoplasm and than materialize the ghost of an person been tested in tightly focused laboratory conditions?

3.Can we say that just about ALL(100%) spiritistic mediums(the ones who can talk with the dead and the ones who can create ectoplasm and than materialize the ghost of an person) are merely very adept frauds and possesses the power of suggestion plus subconsciously created reactions (which is created by the power of suggestion,because from my personal experience,I simply know that when you believe in something that exists,you simply see it,although it's not there-that's the power of suggestion/auto-suggestion)?

4.About Daniel Dunglas Home-a spiritistic medium:It was said that Daniel Dnglas Home has never been caught in a fraud in all of his 1500 seanses,also he was explored by William Crookes(the English chemist and physicist who discovered element thalium)-but Crookes was also fanatic in spiritism.Home not only supposedly materialized things on seanses but also supposedly teleported,aported,and was even flying from the 2nd to the 3rd floor of the house-that was reported,but I bet he was fraud,only was it possible to prove that Home was a fraud?


5.Sai Baba's materializations have never been tested in the tightly laboratory conditions.Scinetists offer him 4 or 5 times to be tested to prove that he really has those materialization powers,so Sai Baba is a fraud.
For example Nina Kulagina has been tested in tightly laboratory conditions and and proved that she possesses telekinesis.
I don't know if she ever proved levitation.

6.Has levitation or any other form of parapsychology/paranormal ability been proven in the laboratory conditions?
Thanks,everyone.

 

[the number 42]

5.Sai Baba's materializations have never been tested in the tightly laboratory conditions.Scinetists offer him 4 or 5 times to be tested to prove that he really has those materialization powers,so Sai Baba is a fraud.

There was a documentary last year that showed footage of Sai Baba apparently materialising ashes in a very similar way to a common-or-garden conjurorer. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/this_world/3791921.stm

6.Has levitation or any other form of parapsychology/paranormal ability been proven in the laboratory conditions?
Thanks,everyone.

In Covent Garden I once saw someone floating in the air, apparently supported by just a stick under their head. It was about 6 feet away from me in plain sight, and I couldn't believe my eyes.

I'd like to know exactly how David Blaine does it. Its got to be camera angles, but it looks cool anyway.

 

[brewnog]

In Covent Garden I once saw someone floating in the air, apparently supported by just a stick under their head. It was about 6 feet away from me in plain sight, and I couldn't believe my eyes.

I've seen this too, it was pretty spectacular. I remember thinking not "this must be something paranormal" but more "how have they done that?"!

 

[Alkatran]

There was a documentary last year that showed footage of Sai Baba apparently materialising ashes in a very similar way to a common-or-garden conjurorer. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/this_world/3791921.stm



In Covent Garden I once saw someone floating in the air, apparently supported by just a stick under their head. It was about 6 feet away from me in plain sight, and I couldn't believe my eyes.

I'd like to know exactly how David Blaine does it. Its got to be camera angles, but it looks cool anyway.

It's actually very simple: he stands so that you face his side, and uses his far foot to lift himself up slightly. Your angle of vision is such that you see his foot closer to you blocking the one behind it. Very good illusion.

 

[brewnog]

When I saw it the person was lying down on their back, and was not aware that they were going to be the subject of such a 'levitation'!

 

[the number 42]

It's actually very simple: he stands so that you face his side, and uses his far foot to lift himself up slightly. Your angle of vision is such that you see his foot closer to you blocking the one behind it. Very good illusion.

This is all that Blaine does? It looks much better on TV.

 

[the number 42]

When I saw it the person was lying down on their back, and was not aware that they were going to be the subject of such a 'levitation'!

The person I saw was floating on their back about 4-5 feet off the ground, with only a stick at their head. I don't know whether the person was a volunteer or not, as it was an open-air gig and they were already afloat. I'd love to know how its done.

 

[Alkatran]

This is all that Blaine does? It looks much better on TV.

He might use other techniques as well.

 

[SGT]

If those people were really able to do all those portents, without appeal to trickery, they would win James Randi's Million dollar challenge.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

This is all that Blaine does? It looks much better on TV.

What I was told about Blaines TV levitations:
When Blaine is supposedly just walking around on the street preforming illusions he has a whole enterage with him. He shows people how most magicians levitate by using rigs with wires which is video taped then he shows them his little levitation trick which involves lifting himself with one foot as described by Alkatran and video tapes the audiences shocked responses. Before the footage is shown on TV it is edited to show the audience responding to the little trick but they show footage of him doing the wire levitation along with it to make it seem as though these people are genuinely shocked to see him levitating so high off the ground.

 

[Chronos]

Illusions, nothing more. They are notorious bunk artists. Need some links?

 

[the number 42]

Blaine ... shows people how most magicians levitate by using rigs with wires which is video taped then he shows them his little levitation trick which involves lifting himself with one foot as described by Alkatran and video tapes the audiences shocked responses. Before the footage is shown on TV it is edited to show the audience responding to the little trick but they show footage of him doing the wire levitation along with it to make it seem as though these people are genuinely shocked to see him levitating so high off the ground.

That would be bare-faced lies! Do many bystanders who see the performance live go to the press?

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

This is just what I have been told. I admittedly have not actually read an article on the subject. It does make sense to me though since in the first shows he did the levitation was rather impressive then in the later shows he only did the little levitations unless he was on stage and now I don't think I have even seen him preform that trick in a while either.

 

[the number 42]

I did a quick google and found a couple of sites that explain the illusion. However, this...
http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/Stage/7308/balduccianimation.html

...does not resemble this:
http://www.ellusionist.com/order/king.htm

(unless the guy has a false sole on his right trainer, which I find a bit hard to believe, the price of trainers these days )

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=15580&forum=112
http://www.penguinmagic.com/discuss/viewtopic.php?t=44845&start=0
Never thought of it before but forums for magicians are the perfect place to find info for debunking things like this.