The Discovery of Witchcraft by Reginald Scott

3min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

The discovery of witchcraft by reginald scott, published in england in 15 84. The book was intended to debonk the witch trials of the era. This is just pre jamesan before james takes the throne. And he reversed the point of the perspective, saying that the people who were on trial were actually the victims of this whole notion of witchcraft. He talked about mental illness, and that much of what was being seen was a case of mental illness.

The most fundamental lesson that all magicians learn is that seeing is not believing. In episode 195, Michael speaks with internationally acclaimed sleight-of-hand artist and 35-year activist for scientific skepticism, Jamy Ian Swiss, about his lively, personal book, The Conjuror’s Conundrum, that takes readers on a magical mystery tour of the longstanding connection between magic and skepticism. Shermer and Swiss discuss: Swiss’s first encounter with fraud, the paranormal and supernatural, magic and mentalism, hot/cold/universal readings, pychics, talking to the dead, James van Praagh, belief, the afterlife, “the amazing” Kreskin, the Alpha Project, and more…