The Relationship Between Magic and Critical Thought in the Nineteenth Century

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In 18 forty eight, three young girls in a little town called hydesville, new york, which no longer exists near rochester, start talking to the devil. And this began a world wide, or at least in the sense of north america and parts of europe, england in particular, a religious phenomenon that lasted for a good 75 years. The idea that we could talk, we could communicate directly with the dead. There are entire books of spirit etictation through that process. We didn't have m t v a wy, that's a dated reference. I shouldn't be using that. But, you know, we didn't have m t v

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…