Uri Geller

Click here for Geller's biography on his home page.

Geller was discovered by Andrijah Puharich, who brought him to the US for scientific studies. Under hypnoisis by Puharich, Geller claimed that he received his powers from the Nine (see Puharich's page for more details). Geller now seems to claim, in the Geller Effect, that his testimony was the result of False Memory, due to Puharich's suggestions and Geller's active imagination.

Geller was studied at SRI by Harold Puthoff and Russell Targ. While he was unable to bend metal without physical contact, Geller was allegedly successful in telepathy experiments involving copying drawings made by subjects. Geller also claims that he materialized a watch out of thin air at SRI, that it was filmed, but that this segment was never released to the public. (Geller, Uri and Playfair, Guy Lyon, The Geller Effect, Johnathan Cape, 1986, pg 39)

Sources that are positive towards these experiments include:

Skeptics have problems with these experiments, including flaws in statistical analysis and improper controls. Ray Hyman personally reviewed Geller, and his unfavorably conclusions caused DARPA to drop its funding.
Unfavorable reviews are included in:
While living in Israel, Geller allegedly worked for the Mossad and Shin Bet. (Schnabel, Jim, Remote Viewers: The Secret History of America's Psychic Spies, Dell, 1997, pg 133)

The SRI studies with Uri Geller (beginning 10/72) were funded by the Institute of Noetic Sciences. Reportedly, the CIA wanted SRI to evaluate Geller, to determine if he was genuine or, if not, how he cheats. Geller also claims to have briefed Isreali intelligence on the SRI studies. In the summer of 1973 a group of Israelis, supposedly military, showed up at SRI to ask if Geller was genuine. (Schnabel, 1997, pg 134)

After doing some experiments with Geller at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, some of the scientists began seeing strange "visions". The scientists were evaluated by CIA scientist "Richard Kennett" (probable aka Christopher Green), who had been involved with Geller's work at SRI. (Schnabel, 1997, 164-9)
October, 1973, did experiments with Eldon Byrd of the Naval Surface Weapons lab. Geller allegedly permanently bent a piece of nitinol metal, a feat impossible without applying great heat. (Byrd, Eldon, "Uri Geller's Influence on the Metal Alloy Nitinol", in The Geller Papers, Panati, Charles, ed., Houghton Mifflin Co., 1976, pg 67-73)
"Byrd said that Uri Geller put up $10,000 for his legal costs. Byrd and Geller are good friends, from back in the '70s.." (Farley, Dick, "False Memory Spindrome")
Geller claims that while in Mexico, he worked on behalf of "Mike", who was part of an inner circle of CIA psi believers. On Mike's request, Geller supposedly implanted thoughts in President Jimmy Carter's mind to support research for psychic phenomena. (Geller, 1986, chptr 3)

Psychically fixed electronic equipment for Nazi/NASA scientist Wernher von Braun. (Geller, 1986, pg 110-1) (Note: hardly evidence for pro-Nazi sentiment on the part of Geller, who is an Israeli)

1987, performed for Sen. Clairborne Pell. (Gardner, Martin, "Clairborne Pell: The Senator From Outer Space", Skeptical Inquirer, March/April 1996)
Geller is currently available as a business consultant (price: 1 million pounds) at Uri Geller Business Consultancy. He was involved with the Physics/Consciousness Research Group.
Author of:

Uri Geller Online: Geller's homepage.

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