[James Randi]: Some people cannot believe that a magician can fool them in such a way that they can’t figure it out. But magicians can and magicians do. Storyville: Exposed: Magicians, Psychics & Frauds, aka An Honest Liar, 2015
It’s OK to fool people as long as you’re doing that to teach them a lesson. ibid.
I’ve always had my battle with the psychics … People who are scheming money from the public. ibid.
A good magician needs to be a little bit of a conman, I think. He needs to be a criminal type but not have enough guts to rob banks. ibid.
‘His point is to widen your scope of vision.’ ibid. comment
People really do believe this nonsense. ibid. Randi
Uri Geller: He Denies He’s a Magician. ibid. TV caption
Carson’s people had followed the instructions I had given them. ibid. Randi
During the 80s the faith-healing racket was very prominent. ibid.
James Randi: The Truth About Uri Geller. ibid.
From the earliest days man has believed that dreams, supernatural, are in some way real. All of the world psychics demonstrate powers that their followers accept as modern-day miracles. Nova: James Randi: Secrets of the Psychics, PBS 1993
Three out of four Americans say they have had a psychic experience. ibid.
Uri Geller: a young Israeli who claimed to have supernatural powers … in the early 1970s Geller became a superstar … Then of course there was Mr Geller’s appearance on The Tonight Show … Eventually, his star faded. ibid.
During the 1980s I entered a world that I found filled with fantasy and ripe with abuses: the world of faith healing … Peter Popoff Ministries … pulling in nearly $4 million a year … Popoff was being prompted by his wife through a wireless ear-piece; she got her information through prayer-cards … ibid.
Wanderers, wizards, mysterious sorcerers, and heavenly beings with unimaginary power. Throughout the ancient world magic was used for everything from healing to communicating with the gods. But what if it was more than trickery. What if it had come from an other-wordly source. Ancient Aliens s6e4: Magic of the Gods, History 2014
The grand wizard Merlin … He launched a quest to install the young Arthur as king using his formidable powers … But who or what was Merlin? ibid.