THE DETAIL OF PARANORMAL METAL-BENDING

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Approved For Release 2001/03/07: CIA
Detail Of Paranormal Metal-Bending
By J.B. Hasted and. D. Robertson
Birkbeck College (University of London)
1 9mm ;-+-- CU
t ~I
t+ 2cm
Based on a paper delivered at the Second International Conference of the
Society for Psychical Research at Cambridge, March 1977. Reprinted by permis.
sion from the journal of the Society for Psychical Research, March 1979.
The detection of dynamic strain signals in paranormal metal-
bending 'action' (1) has enabled experimentation to be carried
out on the distribution of the action around the metal-bender.
A resistive strain gauge is mounted on or in a small metal
specimen, which hangs from its screened electrical connections;
electrical bridge, amplifier and chart recorder enable dynamic
stra ..data to be collected. It is found that the 'action' occurs
in is of extension or contraction, rather randomly distributed
in time, often at a rate of about fifty per hour.
An early result of experiments with several independent
embedded resistive strain gauges was the finding (2) that dynamic
strain pulses were frequently riSgistered simultaneously on two en-
tirely separate metal specimens. The data were interpreted in
terms of a crude physical model of a 'surface of action', at
points on which strain pulses occur. The configuration and
movement of this surface with respect to the metal-bending
subject can then be studied.
A further series of studies (3) were conducted with several
independent strain gauges on a single piece of metal. The linear
array of gauges along a thin strip of metal respond simultaneously
to the 'action', but the signals are strongest in thecentre of a
'region of action', which extends about ten inches, and can move
slightly from event to event. A series of experiments was also con-
ducted with strain gauges on apposite sides of the metal strip. For a
'pure bend' the signals should be in opposite directions, but these
conditions were only obtained in the limit of infinitely thin metal
strip; for strips of thickness in the region of 1 cm, one strain gauge
receives a much smaller signal than the other, as though the
pe aetration was incomplete.
Since there is no very strong reason for expecting the signals
to be of magnitude or sense uniformly distributed across the
thickness of the metal, it appears important to investigate the
profile of strains in thick metal specimens. We therefore mounted
six sensors throughout the thickness of a metal sp ciman, and
co,;' cter_' them to six separate battery-operated bridges and
two t itterent n-,c'rno os tyr rauriCauilh If it ~CI:1 J vrc,c 4 ~cu. ,,, .,,
the strain g:~u 7i s were rn t ted i id slots rehired in the metal; in from bottom left to top right. A pu! e extension would be re
the other l'i t"PrAlyos 14?~"c ide r ,Qal (i~,~lOt A7Jei~CIA-RW~3flt6~+~i7$S~OC (~90~1 10g 'I`=~5 ica,ly one ath,ve the
interleaved with spacers stuck together with epoxy resin; both othher.
methods are detailed in Figure 1. tJ t,.i 4 The arrays of signals recorded in experimental sexssior-s are
,,ierc, using two synchronized three-peen chart recorders.
~?? 11?2cm->1
1. Cross sections of metal specimens a) Laminar, and b) Solid eutectic alloy,
containing six strain gauges for investigation of dynamic strain profile.
Three experimental sessions were held with thirteen-
year-old Stephen N., and simultaneous strain signals were re-
corded at six strain gauges. The thick metal strip :ras suspended
horizontally radially in front of the subject.
The subject was seated and was able to reach foovsrd his
hand within a few inches of the end closest to him, but part of1he
time he did not hold out either hand, and many signals were ob-
served during,these periods. One author would superintend the
working of the equipment, leaving the other free to witness the
action without touch produced by the subject. Members of the
subject's family were often present. The normal time for an ex-
perimental session was sixty to ninety minutes.
When a metal strip is bent, either elastically or plastically, the
convex face experiences extension (positive strain), whilst the
concave .`ace experiences contraction (negative strain). At the
curved neutral surface, in the centre of the strip, there is no ch a nge
of strain. If a positive strain were represented by an arrow o?f length
proportional to its value pointing to the right and a negative strain
by an arrow pointing to the left, then the normal bending situation
could be represented by a series of arrows, as shown at the
left-hand side of Figure 2.
if an array of synchronous paranormal bending signals re-
presents a pure bend with the top face convex, then they could be
shown graphically as a set of data points extending diagtynaily
 44 45 46 47
gauge. A resistive thermal sensor (Micro-Measurements type S
},~.~ ,t ~vyas, c J l wi th series the -RAP pe cc am ~Jn l~ p}r~}sr al appearance nce the therr
2. Typical profile of dynamic strain signals across the thickness of a metal
specimen. Also shown at the left is the profile that would result from a pure
bend. Signals correspond to quasi-forces of about 20 gm weight.
more complicated than the above. A selection of typical arrays,
actually a series from session S, are shown in Figure 2.
A simple classification of arrays may be made on the basis of
the number of changes of direction in the line joining the data
points. Arrays with no changes are bends; those with one change
are symbolized by the letter V, those with two changes by N, those
with three by W and those with four by M.
In table 1 the numbers of signals arrays of each type are listed.
The action inside the metal is more complicated than might have
been supposed. The phenomenon might more appropriately be
,described as paranormal 'metal-churning' than metal-bending'. A
strain is localized to a depth of less than about a millimetre, and
may often be accompanied by a strain in the opposite sense at a
eighbouring strain gauge.
It is of course important to verify by other expert menu that the
signals do riot arise from paranormal action on the electronic
equipment or even on the pen of the chart recorder. Two
subsidiary experimental programmes were mounted for this
purpose. In the first a galvanometer mirror was mounted on a very
thin spring steel strip, with strain gauge attached. One end of the
spring was attached to a horizontal surface under a glass dome,
and an optical beam from a helium-neon laser passed through the
dome and was reflected through it again from the mirror and onto a
scale. The optical path was about 5 m. Small movements of the
light spot were seen to synchronize with strain gauge signals, and
some ringing was observed, due to the long-period mechanical
resonance of the system.
In the second experiment a dummy strain gauge was included
with real strain gauges on a metal strip. Typical signals were
observed on the real strain gauge chart record throughout the
TABLE 1. Numbers of signals sextets of different profile complexity in Stephen.
North sessions.
irolti.
S..s ten
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sensor is very similar to the resistive strain gauge (Micro-Measu
ments type EAOG 125 BT 120) but its resistance is insensitivE
strain although highly sensitive to temperature. Sudden?ternpe
ture changes are unknown to us in paranormal metal-bend
sessions, although temperature drifts usually occur, arising fr
environmental causes. Paranormal strain signals, on the of
hand, are sudden, in that they are sharpfronted pulses.
Although these experiments have vindicated the inters
tation that the paranormal action is an internal strain in the m,
or strain gauge or both, it must be stressed that dummy gay
techniques have not been used as standard practice in all the
periments reported here. It is our custom to introduce a dun gauge at irregular intervals, averaging one session in ten.
We now describe the use of the strain gauge as a deter
of directional effects in paranormal metal-bending. The exp
ments on the distribution of signals?along the length of a metal s
Dr. John Hasted with Will, G.
(3) had been conducted using strips of width 8 mm, only jus
ficient to mount the strain gauges. The assumption was ma
analysing the data that the extensions and contractions
directed entirely along the long axis of the specimen (typical
cm x 7.5 mm x 0.75 mm). It was decided to test whethe
directed assumption would be valid on wider metal strips.
We therefore experimented with a strip just sufficiently
for a strain gauge to be mounted across its width; the dimen
were 13.5 cm x 18 mm x 0.75 mm. Signals were in fact rec(
from action on this strain gauge, but they were much smallei
those recorded on the strain gauge mounted along the major
When a wider strip was used, larger signals were recorded. I
therefore decided to experiment systematically on the dire(
of the dynamic strain vectors in sheet-metal specimens.
On long thin specimens, with high axial ratio, there cot
a psychological factor which favours the production of
vectors directed along the major axis. This factor, whose errs
has not been proven, might be investigated on a subse
occasion; but in the first experiments, the safest course woi
to inv sti ?ate a round or square disc specimen in which the
DP9a iRO02 43tQQ-11,Zientation of the disc w
spect to the subject and to the horizontal. y1
 AN IMPORTANT PHYSICAL FACTOR
Approved For ReIT ~v9 ae Q, e: CIA-R[ P96-007
There is also an important physrca a r _t ' A?_,_ of n
(
p ,;
strain. When tens on
a '.filar disc, an extension (positive strain) will be recorded
e strain) will
ti
v
al r:,, that diameter, but an equal contraction (nega
Abe recorded along the orthogonal diameter. A more complicated
stress produces strains of different magnitudes along orthogonal
diameters. The strain tensor has many components, but it is
possible with three strain gauges to determine two orthogonal
components.
Figure 3 shows the arrangement of the sensors and defines
the angles and magnitudes of the strains. A solution of the problem
of determining the magnitudes and angles 0 and 0+90 of the ex-
tension and contraction vestors le and Ic from the vectors 11, 12
and 13 recorded at the 'rosette' of strain gauges has been given by
Mr. Jankowski. The equations appear with'Figure 3.
Y
'7
4. 'Star diagram' for Stephen North session N. Solid lines represent extensions,
broken lines contractions. Lengths represent magnitudes, numbers indicate the
session numbers of the two corresponding orthogonal signals. Calibrations
show that the largest signals correspond to a quasi-force of about 100 gm
weight.
cx+
2
CL = 1,+ 1
0 = 2 arctan
tX-3
Ic 2
I,+I2
cos2 0
(2I3 - 1,- I2)
11+ I2
3. Directions of strain gauges 1,2,3, mounted in rosette. Equations connect the
measured signals t1, l2, l3, with the extension le and orthogonal contraction I.
Two different configurations of the disc with respect to the
subject have been used. In the first the disc is hung vertically and
radially in front of the subject. In the second the disc and electrical
connections are strapped upon the bare forearm of the subject,
who is presented with another target for his'action'. He normally
extends his arm to hold his hand about six inches from the target,
and the disc rests slightly above the hairs on the forearm.
or
iti
ve
each triplet of dynamic strain pulses represents a pos
,. -- -? -..tai
900. These may be represented on a diagram by two radial lines of
~ it . rtes Bonding to the strain magnitude. The signals during
t
NO PREFERRED DIRECTION
In the sessions with Stephen N. there were no very strong
preferences of direction. In particular we note session U, in which
a square metal specimen was suspended vertically from one
corner. As appears from the histogram of Figure 5, there is no
particular preferred direction, neither horizontal, vertical, nor
parallel to either side of the square.
Similarly, there is no particularly preferred relationship be-
tween the magnitudes of the corresponding extension and ortho-
gonal contraction signals; for a circular disc suffering a single
radial stress vector we would expect the corresponding signals to
be approximately equal. The histogram of ratios, shown in Figure
5a, demonstrates the absence of preferred ratio. Indeed there are a
certain number of pairs of corresponding signals which are of the
same sign, that is, both extensions or both contractions. These are
not included in Figure 5a. Such signals arise from a stress more
complicated than a single radial vector, and consist of at least a
pair of orthogonal vectors (i.e. simultaneous pulling or pushing by
two pairs of hands). The proportions of such signals are to be found
in Table 2.
It would appear from both types of experiment that there is
turbulence in the strain, localized to distances of the order of a
millimetre orless. Perhaps on some occasions there is action on
the strain gauges alone, hardly penetrating intothe metal. As has at
ready been noted, the phenomenon might be termed 'metal-
churning' rather than 'metal-bending'; and it is possible that the
churning takes place on a much smaller scalethan we can resolve
with arrays of strain gauges. It requires metallurgical investigatior
of the structure to settle the question; but early investigations (4
disclosed no significant differences between paranormally and
mechanically bent metal specimens.
STRUCTUAL EFFECTS SUBSTANTIATED
The first well-substantiated claim that paranormal action ca
produce structural change was made by Crussard arid F3ouvaist (I
who investigated the adult French metal-bender jean-F'ierr
Girard. Probably the most significant report they published "vi
that physical change could be induced in aluminium alloy
AU4SG-T351 and AU4G-T351, `without actual bending occur
ing. However there was some permanent deformation of ti
I icrons TF
m
RRK,9N FsQrFRLelQa8ec2G(MVO3fO7I a OIA-RD
a s ssi ,t
diagram'. We can see by inspecting such a diagram just what was
directional character of the signals in the session.
tr I ecame thinner by severa
o OT i ors QQ21 at many points of tl
u.,
etcctahJmicrohardness of the metal; an easily dl enhanceme
 p ip a ~ -T--- 'r- i
feaC~1 1' r,Ll~I
C
1 5 t tTatMTf1`j M1T11rt ; gfnVed on
each o e two _ t e a 'r,--RD,P96-007tR0020001300I
scope of the foils from the hardness-enhanced section revealed a 126 - ? ? ?. ? '
122'x.. ?-co x k Y~y: .r..s.
high density of loop and other dislocations. ? ~~? ?? '? c " d ? "''
11$
114
oL 1 - I
0 0'2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
R --
SN, O, N, U, Z,CC
n
SN.U
I---------i--------1---j-------------
140 160 0 20 40 60 80 100
0 (deg)
5. a) Histogram of ratios of corresponding extension to contraction signals
obtained during Stephen North sessions. b) Histogram of directions of signals
(Irrespective of their magnitude) obtained in session SNU.
s, .
,M C
PSI
atiy. ?r
?D.cc.?n
Ear,.R
M uo.r ?r I ?..e.r .r? I e~,.n.rc lion
lease 20
rgv.e0
b 1/0'3/0
Hardness
(takers 130
VPN
kg/r m'126
122
118
114
I
80
x(mm)
6. Paranormal hardness variation at centre of either side of aluminium alloy
Open data points taken byDr. Desvaux (Lea therhead), closed datapoints t
Bouvaist (Voreppe). Solid lines represent mean of pre-exposure data (t)
points shown as crosses).
This claim is of such significance that it has been a m,
of great importance that it be confirmed or disproven.
therefore invited metal-bender Jean-Pierre Girard to London
under witnessing exposed a similarly prepared specimei
AU4G-T351 to his action. A small decrease (3 pm) in
thickness of the specimen was monitored during exposure. wards the microhardness of both sides of the specimen
independently measured by Dr:"Desvaux at the Electrical
search Accociation and by Dr. Bouvaist at the Pechiney laF
tories. The comparison between their data is seen to be satisfa<
in Figure 6, and a local hardness enhancement is clearly s
Similar experiments with metal-bending children are in piog
When a metal is bent, physically or paranormally, the v
hardening at the bend is associated with new dislocations. 7
are not usually loop dislocations, which can be produce
exposure to nuclear radiation. Metals in which dislocations
induced do not always bend, but internal strains are set up, it
these are of appropriate magnitude. and configuration, p1
deformation can occur.
We could make a reasonable supposition that a 'prin
event in the paranormal metal-bending process is the formati,
loop and other dislocations. These need not necessarily rest
actual plastic deformation. In this way both hardness enh~
ment and bending could be classed as the same type of e
differing only in geometrical configuration of the action.
We have seen that the elastic dynamic strain signals
continually in their geometrical configuration (1,2,3). It is
that these represent the dynamic strains caused by the produ
of the dislocations; when there is a sufficient gradient of res
strain, the yield point is reached, and permanent deform
occurs.
Thus the paranormal metal-bending action, albeit lin
macroscopically to a 'surface of action'(2), which is still a i
aft q aftq os essentially an ini
ac to t c t it was "information v
brought about dislocations in the lattice; this 'information'
moll ho r-nnnprt with the role of the observer in qu2
 mechanics (7) and might be termed 'mentally induced tunnel
effect . oApp-G e4c"rsRc,149 2p 01t /07as'CIA-RDP996-00788 R002000130011-5
force field acting on the metal.
The detailed structure of the surface of action is a kind of
Sin of rainfall', enveloping certain lattice points and causing
the onset of loop dislocations. However, these produce hardening
and not softening of the metal, and we recall that there is good
evidence, both in early observations and in unpublished observa-
tions of Crussard and Bouvaist, of temporary and permanent
softening, sometimes so extremee that it has been referred to as
'plasticization' of the metal before fracture.
If we hypothesise that the surface of action is sometimes
capable of specific action at grain boundaries (taking on a kind of
irregular honeycomb configuration), then a softening mechanism
similar to the well-known quasi-viscous creep becomes possible.
In this high temperature process extremely thin layers of atoms at
the grain boundaries actually liquefy; but in the paranormal
plasticization the temperature rise is unobservable, thus implying
extreme specificity of the action, which would have to ensure that
only a minute proportion of the atoms ever reached the high
temperature phase. Electron micrographic evidence for the lique-
faction has been obtained by Crussard and Bouvaist in the
paranormal permanent softening process.
The direction of work in progress is to test the hypotheses that
the dynamic strain signals correspond in number and strength to -
the density of dislocations produced in the lattice, and to the
degree of liquefaction at the grain boundaries.
We are grateful to the New Horizons Research Foundation,
and to the Society for Psychic Research for financial support of
these studies.
147 ''1 B. MASTED, Ph. D. Professor of Experimental Physics;
H 'ad, Department of Physics, Birkbeck College, University of
London, London, England. Pioneered research in opening up
the microwave region of the electromagnetic spectrum in
communications; specialized training in chemistry, Author of
books on atomic collisions, and on dielectrics, and many
professional papers, including MY GELLER NOTEBOOKS (to
be published). D
. *Aluminum with small proportions of copperand magnesium,
heat treated in a specified manner, for use in supersonic aircraft
1. J.B. Hasted, "An Experimental Study of the Validity of Meta!-Bending Phenomena".
Journal of the Society for Psychical Research. Vol. 48, No. 770, 1976. pp. 365-383.
2. J.B. Hastcd, "Physical Aspects of Paranormal Metal-Bending". Journal of the Society
for Psychical Research. Vol. 49, No. 773, 1977. pp. 533-607.
3. J.B. (lasted, "Paranormal Meta!-Bending". in couuse of publication in New Horizons
(1978). "features of Paranormal Metal-Bending" in ~(cme of publication in Zeit. fur
Parapsychologie and Grenzgebiete der Fsychologie. (1978)
4. P. Bar,aes, J.W. Jeffery, O. Batemen, T. Gate, T. Southern, Birbeck College, University
of London, private communication, 1974.
M. Crussare and J. Bouvaist, Memcires Scientifiques Revue Meteflurgique, 1978
y, p. 117.
6. J.R. Hastcd in The Geller Papers. Ed. Charles Panati, Houghton Mifflin Co. Boston.
1976, pp. 183-196, 197-212.
7. E.P. Wig er, Approved EFor BRelease 12001 /03/07li1a Ctes,
1.J. Good, lleinern.mn, London, 1961. Symetrres and Reflections, Indiana University
Press, Bloomington, 1967.
788R002000130011-5
One of Peter's Sci.i lures
 Actually, the first observable thing that ever happer
me wasn't cracking or bending an object, it was movir
Approved For Release 2001/03/07 :.CIA-RDP96=0i( 7,8R0O2,00ttZO0151w&pened by coinciden
lie school, when I was about seven years old.
1. Metal m e 1 1 i t In class I noticed that my watch would show a dif
II s which began to happen
wa
h
Controversy
in Literature and Lab
,
at rt rea y
hour than w
frequently. I complained to my mother about the wrist
being broken; she examined it and said that it kept goo<
for her. But it continued to happen, so one day in class I 1
off and held it in my hands, watching it very closely. I be;
notice that the hands would change their positions
instantaneously - very fast - likedematerializing from on to another. When I tried the same thing alone, outside of c
wouldn't happen; so I realized I had to be in class - a
people - for it to happen.
Not long after that, the wristband bent and broke. Th
actually the first time I became aware of something be
and breaking near me. (1)
And then from his autobiography, MY STORY:
I soon began to notice other things besides the ha
watches moving and bending, which made me feel more
freak. One time my mother had made some mushroom
There was good white bread with the soup, and I dipp
bread into it and ate. Then I started eating the soup w
spoon. I'm left-handed, so I held the spoon in my left har
took several sips of the soup..My mother was standing
kitchen stove. i was lifting a full spoonful up to my mouth,
suddenly the bowl of the spoon bent down and spilled h(
into my lap. Then the bowl of the spoon itself fell off. I v
there holding on to the handle. (2)
by SAT BIR SINGH KHALSA
1. INTRODUCTION
11. THE DATA ON PKMB
i) Uri Geller
a) Anecdotal Observations..
b) Controlled Observations
ii) Other Individuals Manifesting PKMB
a) Anecdotal Observations
b) Controlled Observations
III. THE DISCUSSION OF THE DATA ON PtMR
i) The Criticisms
ii) The Defense
IV. THE DEEPER ISSUES
i) Pt(MB In Perspective
ii) Directions For The Future
1. INTRODUCTION
Since a large segment of the published literature on psycho-
kinetic metal-bending (PKMB) concerns itself with Uri Geller, the
first to "demonstrate" it, it is convenient to consider his material
separately in section Il - The Data on PKMB. The majority of the
PKMB data has been reported in non-technical journals and is of
an anecdotal nature; the attempts at controlled observations are
therefore considered separately. Discussion of the data involves
issues which, for the most part, are common to both Geller and
the other individuals manifesting PKMB and are considered as a
whole, with presentation of the pro and con approaches respect-
ively. The final section will examine the overall approach to the
PKMB phenomenon, the controversy generated, andsome of the
conclusions arrived at.
The goal of this review is to acquaint the reader with the
literature and so consists largely of extracts taken directly from it;
it is hoped that this will allow the reader to come away with more
of a first-hand experience of the issue.
U. THE DATA ON PIWaQ
i) UIU GELLER
a) Anecdotal M,.-aaerial
Geller has had a passion to perform his talents and his pe
antes soon drew attention of the local media, of which h
As far as my performances in Israel are concerned,)
hundred shows and got`neaft all positive reaction frc
press, although I was never checked in the laboratorie
scientists. Israel is a small place and by that time
everyone had seen me. But then a very negative article
out accusing me of using laser beams to bend and break
that I had pliers, mirrors, and springs hidden on r
However, the material on Geller from his time in l:
fragmentary at best, and it was not until parapsych
Andrija Puharich met Geller and brought him to the
States that the published literature on Geller became
inous.
Nowa celebrity, he demonstrated off stage forscienti
journalists which effort has resulted in a large number o
dotal reports.
The classical anecdote of PKMB is one wherein Gelle,
strokes a key or spoon and it then is observed to ben(
occasion to fracture. More convincing are those instance.
PKMB was reported without physical contact, and exam
this will be presented. Alan Vaughan writes of his exp,
with Geller and the editor of "PSYCHIC" magazine:
Taking a hotel room key, Bolen first attempted to be
manual means. He succeeded only in raising a blood
He handed it to Geller who, holding it by the handle, ho
to me. I grasped the key by the large end and put my oth,
on top. Geller put his hand lightly on top of mine. He asl,
my hands felt any sensation, but they did not. Then he as
to look at it. It was bent about 30 degrees and was still
bending as I watched. The whole procedure was wits
came to attention via Uri Geller whose stage Bolen. (45)
1 11-
performances of his ability in Israel began his rise to worldwide Even more extraordinary was a filmed (movie) exra
repsQ edeFeQrs ,easiia,20O,1~/0t3/O7sK,C AbF+ift$P96-OW6i6fZO'ON( 9t 3()69f ren he was visiting C
including clairvoyance and precognition, but it was the novelty Ossining, New York. Bolen irst tested a fork to see i; i
of PKMB which drew attention. In a 1973 interview he tells us: bend easily manually, but it did nqt. -i he4i Geller took
 and r olen began to film Geller's actions. "Uri was moving "his bay. with a new toy. He played it like an accordian for a few
left thr~8~1)Slt'~f tf~A_R ands then oxocd it up and down four or five times
fork as I w/ s fi min rm,says"Bolen, I e 7 n i met C r~i~ ~#tQ ~ ~t$?Qir~r~g~~eel coil dropped off
gas becoming soft and that it was beginning to bend. I zoomed onto the floor-all this right before my (and a friend's) eyes. Did
i on his hands and the fork. I asked him to open his fingers to Geller have a chance to get at this ahead of time? No, that's the
reveal the area. As he did, the prong part began falling away point of bringing a "curveball" device. He doesn't know what
slowly, as though the metal had become plastic where he had you've brought; can't prepare duplicates, or otherwise tamper
held it. It then came completely apart, with the prong part with the "props" as Johnny Carson calls them,
falling down, but as it fell it drew away a short threadlike piece I showed Charlie Reynolds (a Geller critic) another of the
of metal I examined both pieces of the fork at the break, which curve balls 1 had thrown Geller - a set of ceramic magnets.
looked as though it had melted apart. Uri did not seem to feel Geller had made a crack through one of them and then made
any heat. He was excited and I was excited at having captured half of the broken magnet disappear. Reynolds broke one of
this on film, apparently for the first time. It was a heady the other magnets by hand. It took two distinct movements and
experience." In another experiment, Bolen filmed Geller bend- made a less jagged break: this had also been my experience.
ing a key ... (46) Reynolds' response was that he'd like me to arrange a meeting
Physicist Wilbur Franklin reported: with Geller. Unfortunately, Reynolds had already accused
Dr. Edgar Mitchell and I first observed Geller fracture a Geller of fraud at the TIME. demonstration upon which. TIME
ring, after which the ring continued to bend by itself as I partly based its scathing March 12, 1973 story. So Geller
observed it lying on the table beside me, on August 25, 1972, in wanted nothing to do with Reynolds. (51)
the home of the venerable psi researcher, Dr. Andrija Puharich. A common characteristic of Geller's attempts at PKMB is that
Parapsychologist Stanley Krippner observed Geller in one of his he is often unsuccessful, although it is difficult to judge how
performances and wrote: often from the literature, since the media prefers to report only
While a member of the audience grasped the earpiece of a successes. A brief reference to this is given by Dr. Joseph Hanlon,
pair of glasses loaned to Geller by another spectator, Geller after a sitting with Geller and Dr. Bernard Dixon:
held the volunteer's hand. I was sitting in the front of the room; I gave Uri my housekey, which he worked with unsuccess-
as far as I could see, Geller did not touch the earpiece itself. fully.
Soon, the other earpiece began to bend as if tremendous heat Dixon commented afterwards that he was struck by the
was being applied. The volunteer removed her hand from the extent to which Geller stressed his failures - constantly saying
earpiece and the bending continued over the next few minutes, he did not think he could do it and telling us stories about his
even though neither Geller nor the volunteer was touching the failures on TV and elsewhere. Indeed, he talked far more about
pair of glasses. (48) failures than successes. (52)
In E IENCE NEWS" we have the report: A typical failure of PKMB was reported by Dr. Eldon Byrd:
Duting the interview, I held a heavy key between lily
thumb and forefinger. The key began to bend-too slightly to be metal alloy called nitinol). I told hiin"'(hat I wanted to see if he
perceptible - after Geller rubbed it lightly with one finger. The could alter the block's hardness. Also, I asked him if he would
key was then placed on the desk and it continued to bend try to alter the magnetic properties of the material. He said he
slowly for several minutes until it reached about a 20-degree would try to do both.
angle. There was no obvious way the key 1 supplied could have He handled the block for some time. Finally, he said he
been switched. Geller had no chance (by slight of hand or other thought he would not be able to do anything to it because he
trickery) to bend the key by force. And he didn't have a laser up somehow did not have a "feel" for the material. in a last
his sleeve, as some have suggested. (49) attempt to influence the block, he asked for a piece of metal of
and a brass plate was given to him. He placed time
any kind
,
Occasionally, Geller has also been the apparent cause of block on the plate and held his hand over it. Several times he
"teleportation" or "dematerialization" phenomena, However pressed dowfi on the block, but gave up, saying that he did not
we shall confine ourselves to PKMB, save for this report by think he would be able to affect the material. (53)
physicist Thomas Coohill in the company of 2 other physicists, Claims that Geller cheats (uses non-psychic abilities) are not
among others:
restricted to his time in Israel.
We did not ask Geller to bend anything for us at lunch, nor At least five people claim to have seen Geller actually
did he suggest that he do so. However, after we had easten cheat. This is a difficult area, because if we cannot trust the
Geller and I went into my living room and began talking about reports of observers who say Geller does miracles, why should
caving (spelunking). After about a minute we both heard a we give any more credence to those who say he cheated? (56)
metallic "clink"; it sounded as though something metallic was
dropped on a solid floor. Looking around, I saw a spoon lying
behind my desk. It was bent.
As I held it in my hand and called the other people into the
room, the spoon suddenly began to bend in another plane (at a b) Controlled Observations
right angle to the handle ... ). It seemed as if the spoon were
observed by all present. (50)
Another report reads: There are indeed critics who would argue that there have
e can handle curve balls nicely - he likes the challenge. for the purposes of this review we shall consider those tests
that kids walk down steps) with the idea that he should try to vation or where they have claimed them to be controlled. One of
~'on r _ s f~~j ~j ~{B - mode by Russell Tang
deiniinsion-see Martin Gardner's THE AM11 0 r OL15 - afro llCl/t'tf> P f~ stl~ . s I having published in
UNIVERSE). Of course, Geller did not such thing. He was like a NATURE the results of ESP tests with Geller}
 One of their tests involved Uri's efforts to affect the weight mately a minute. The key was about 15 inches from my e
-Ajfpro tl'rift"!! 001E i l7s` l~`1~dP96- I ~, tr leery. (76)
covered by an aluminum can, a l-so on the scale, ancTt ten the ltino is a mMb b et oyy ich Aa pa physical memory fo,
entire scale with weight was covered by a glass bell jar to shape in which it formed at the time of manufacture." Geller
eliminate the possiblity of deflection by air currents. The entire tested for PKMB with nitinol wire by Eldon Byrd and he write
experiment was filmed. The first part of our protocol involved his second session with Geller:
tapping the bell jar; next tapping the table on which the The diameter of the wire was about 0.5 mm. One r
apparatus rested; then kicking the table; and finally jumping on was used as a control and was not taken to Connecticut. A
the floor, with a record made on strip chart of what these tape recordings were made during all observations.
artifacts looked like. I held one of the other pieces by both ends as I
In this experiment Geller's efforts resulted in deflections previously done and Geller stroked it as before. A kink fora
correponding to weight gains and losses on the order of one took a second piece of wire, held it by one end, and C
gram, well out of the noise level. The signals he produced were stroked it unilaterally. It, too, developed a kink. The third r
single-sided pulses of about one-fifth-second duration, unlike of wire was given to Geller to do with as he pleased. He rol
the artifacts, which resulted in two-sided ocsillations that between his thumb and forefinger and it kinked share
slowly died out. In tests following this experimental run, a Geller had clearly influenced the alloy nitinol in a
magnet was brought near the apparatus, static electricity was unusual way: it was as if the kinks he produced had act
discharged against the apparatus, and controlled runs of day- been manufactured into the wires, even though it had
long operation were obtained. In no case were artifacts ob- conclusively determined before any experimentation the
tained that resembled the effects that occurred during Geller's permanent configuration of the wires was that of straight
efforts, nor could anyone else duplicate the effects. We have no No explanation has been given by nitinol experts, who
ready hypothesis on how these signals might have been been consulted as to how kinks could have been fo
produced. (74) without using high temperatures and mechanical stress.
Dr. John Taylor in England has reported a test which al- chanically produced kinks in nitinot leave obvious marl
though he feels cannot be regarded as "absolutely fraud proof", the surface of the wire. Geller-formed kinks do not.
avoids a number of possible fraudulent techniques'available to Byrd concludes:
Geller. All of the bends that Geller had produced thus for a n
rmanent deformation -the wires c~
n
b
h
pe
ee
ave
...Geller stroked the upper surface of a strip of metal wire
which was screwed down to the top of a letter balance. The crumpled or twisted into any shape by hand, but on I
pressure he was applying could be monitored directly by the heated to a temperature of about 2100F. all the wires reti
balance dial (accurate to 7 grams) as well as measured the shape Geller had imposed upon them.
automatically by a shielded metal plate placed vertically above How did Geller achieve such results? At the pre
the metal top of the balance and connected to a quadrant have no scientific explanation for what happened durinf
electrometer (sensitive to 5 oz.). A bending of 100occurred in testing periods. I can say that the possibility of fraud on G,
one session, which I closely observed, during which no part can be virtually ruled out. (77)
pressure greater than 10 grams was applied. In any case the A team of scientists in England consisting of John Ha
bend was upwards. This experiment is presently being repeated David Bohm, Edward Bastin and Brendan O'Regan observe
with videotape. (75) following phenomenon:
The plasticization, by handling, of about 2 cm of the
Parapsychologist and magician William Cox is confident of of a stainles steel teaspoon (phenomenon 7) took place
his test for PKMB with Geller. He reported in the JOURNAL OF course of informal conversation around a desk. The teas
PARAPSYCHOLOGY: which had previously been handled and bent through
My hope was to witness static PK under what could be thirty degrees by a child who also displays PK ability, wa