Uri Geller

<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

Uri Geller (born December 20, 1946 in Tel Aviv, Israel) is a self-proclaimed psychic.

He rose to fame in the 1970s. His most famous demonstration is apparently causing spoons (and other things) to bend through telekinesis, although the appearance of doing this is a common magician's trick which anyone can learn. He typically lightly strokes the spoon, which will then bend, sometimes to the point of snapping. Skeptics claim that he has "stressed" the spoons beforehand, and cannot accomplish the same trick without his own spoons. However, he has conducted many demonstrations with spoons and other objects brought to him by interviewers and audience members.

His claims are challenged by a number of people, especially the Amazing Randi, a stage magician and skeptic, who exposed him as a fraud on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and drastically reduced his popularity in the United States. He has been accused of cheating (using magnets, etc.) on several occasions which are caught on videotape, and some would consider him simply a magician.

Geller has also claimed to be able to locate hidden items (including remotely on a map), read minds to be able to sketch what a person is thinking, and more. He has been tested under controlled circumstances, although the tests have not been accepted by his critics. Testing included work at the Stanford Research Institute.

The story took another twist when it was suggested his powers had been given to him by extraterrestrials.

In 2007, Geller and illusionist Chris Angel launched the NBC reality series Phenomenon featuring individuals claiming to be mentalists with unusual powers.

Geller has also written several books.