Mentalist Gerard Senehi

[JamesDillon]

Has anyone heard of this person?

Mentalist, mindreader, and corporate entertainer, Gerard Senehi experiments in all areas of the paranormal. He is recognized internationally not only as a brilliant performer but also as a true master of the art of mentalism. Ever creative, and wanting to always push the edge of what is possible, find out what new ground he is currently breaking.

http://www.experimentalist.com/

He is a friend of a co-worker of mine, and recently gave a performance in our office that I was unfortunately unable to attend, but which I'm told by many who were in attendance included some impressive feats of mentalism, including sending a sealed letter to the office several days ahead of the performance that (I'm told) accurately predicted items in the news on the day of the performance.

Anyway, I told my co-worker about the JREF, and without any encouragement from me, he looked at the site and encouraged Mr. Senehi to apply for the million-dollar challenge. Mr. Senehi's response, I'm told, is that he is aware of Randi and the challenge, but that Randi is "afraid to meet

," presumably because Randi knows this guy is for real and doesn't want to be proven wrong.

Does anyone know if there is any history between Randi and Mr. Senehi? Has he applied for the challenge in the past?

Edit: To be clear, my understanding is that unlike some mentalists, Mr. Senehi claims to actually have paranormal mental abilities, including the ability to predict the future, read minds, and, yes, bend spoons.

 

[GzuzKryzt]

A quick googling of both their names turned up some stories, but no proof of a prior encounter.

If Mr. Senehi will apply - which I am 99% sure he won't - we will see if Mr. Randi is afraid to meet him or accept his application.

When in doubt, bet on the Skeptics.

 

[Overman]

I do not believe that Randi would be afraid to meet anyone. I do believe that anyone with 'real' powers would be very excited to prove Randi incorrect and get a cool mil while doing it.

Some mentalists have to keep that aura of woo around them for the purpose of the illusion that they create. This may include Randi bashing, while they might be magic friends on the side....

Not everyone is in the cause for/against skeptical thought...some people just like being magicians...

 

[JamesDillon]

Not everyone is in the cause for/against skeptical thought...some people just like being magicians...

That's true, but the impression I get in this case is that Mr. Senehi actively claims to have supernatural abilities. My co-worker is quite convinced that he does.

 

[GzuzKryzt]

Overman made a good point: Dissing Randi in public - especially in front of believers - might just serve a promotional aspect. Cheap, perhaps, but useful and unfailing.

JamesDillon, does your co-worker count to the easily convinced or to the not-so-easily convinced kind of people?

 

[JamesDillon]

Overman made a good point: Dissing Randi in public - especially in front of believers - might just serve a promotional aspect. Cheap, perhaps, but useful and unfailing.

JamesDillon, does your co-worker count to the easily convinced or to the not-so-easily convinced kind of people?

He's a very smart guy, though I believe his perspective on paranormal claims is not one of immediate skepticism as would be the case here. He knows Mr. Senehi through an organization with which they are both involved, Enlightennext (http://www.enlightennext.org/), which rejects the materialist hypothesis in favor of belief in a spiritual plane that I do not really understand well enough to explain here, but it sounds interesting.

 

[GzuzKryzt]

He's a very smart guy, though I believe his perspective on paranormal claims is not one of immediate skepticism as would be the case here. He knows Mr. Senehi through an organization with which they are both involved, Enlightennext (http://www.enlightennext.org/), which rejects the materialist hypothesis in favor of belief in a spiritual plane that I do not really understand well enough to explain here, but it sounds interesting.

Will you consider convincing your co-worker to post here? Or convince him convincing Mr. Senehi to post here?

So far, this is all chinese whispers.

 

[JamesDillon]

Will you consider convincing your co-worker to post here? Or convince him convincing Mr. Senehi to post here?

So far, this is all chinese whispers.

I've been in touch with Jeff Wagg, and have extended the invitation to my co-worker to ask Mr. Senehi submit an application for the million-dollar challenge, with Jeff's confirmation that he is eligible to do so (i.e., that Randi isn't "afraid" of him.)

Frankly, I'm a little hesitant to ask my co-worker to post here, because I suspect many people here would be very rude to him (not you personally, but I can think of quite a few people who would go for the jugular the moment he posts anything), and I'm afraid that might make our relationship awkward. If Mr. Senehi does decide to apply for the challenge, though, I might reassess that decision.

Edit: As for the "chinese whispers," you can get at least a flavor for Mr. Senehi's claims through the link I posted earlier. I'm not sure if there's a link to email him directly, but I would imagine there probably is.

 

[jimtron]

Some mentalists have to keep that aura of woo around them for the purpose of the illusion that they create. This may include Randi bashing, while they might be magic friends on the side....

There's lots of Randi bashing on this mentalist forum. If you search that forum for "randi" you'll find many threads.

The sealed letter prediction thing is a known mentalist (non-paranormal) effect. Does Senehi call himself a mentalist? Usually when that term is used, they don't claim supernatural powers (offstage at least). The ones that do mentalism effects and claim supernatural powers usually call themselves "paranormalists," which I believe Uri Geller does.

eta: Here are a few Randi threads; note that TAM guest Banachek is often mentioned as well. This one's a doozy. By the way, one of the particiapants in that thread is Jack Galloway, AKA Jim Callahan, who was mentioned in one of Randi's commentaries.

 

[JamesDillon]

The sealed letter prediction thing is a known mentalist (non-paranormal) effect. Does Senehi call himself a mentalist? Usually when that term is used, they don't claim supernatural powers (offstage at least). The ones that do mentalism effects and claim supernatural powers usually call themselves "paranormalists," which I believe Uri Geller does.

He does call himself a mentalist, but my understanding is that he also claims that his powers are genuinely paranormal, not just stage tricks.

Out of curiosity, how is the mailing the letter thing done? I couldn't figure out how he could have pulled that off, assuming that the description I heard from my friend was accurate.

Edit: Maybe Mr. Senehi's claims of paranormal abilities are just a self-promotion pretense, but if that's the case, he takes it very far, as my co-worker and he are apparently good friends, and my co-worker appears to sincerely believe that the man has actual supernatural abilities.

 

[jimtron]

He does call himself a mentalist, but my understanding is that he also claims that his powers are genuinely paranormal, not just stage tricks.

Out of curiosity, how is the mailing the letter thing done? I couldn't figure out how he could have pulled that off, assuming that the description I heard from my friend was accurate.

I predict that his paranormal powers will not withold controlled testing by someone familiar with this area.

Sorry, but I wouldn't want to divulge any mentalism secrets here. (eta)But paranormal ability is not required, just like spoon bending.

 

[GzuzKryzt]

I've been in touch with Jeff Wagg, and have extended the invitation to my co-worker to ask Mr. Senehi submit an application for the million-dollar challenge, with Jeff's confirmation that he is eligible to do so (i.e., that Randi isn't "afraid" of him.)

Mr. Randi isn't "afraid" of him? Quelle surprise!

Your actions regarding contacting Mr. Senehi and letting him know his application would be welcomed was pretty much what I had in mind when I asked if your co-worker would join the forum.

Well done, JamesDillion. Please follow up on your co-worker's contact with Mr. Senehi.

Frankly, I'm a little hesitant to ask my co-worker to post here, because I suspect many people here would be very rude to him (not you personally, but I can think of quite a few people who would go for the jugular the moment he posts anything), and I'm afraid that might make our relationship awkward. If Mr. Senehi does decide to apply for the challenge, though, I might reassess that decision.

Fair enough.

Edit: As for the "chinese whispers," you can get at least a flavor for Mr. Senehi's claims through the link I posted earlier. I'm not sure if there's a link to email him directly, but I would imagine there probably is.

Oh, I already got his "flavor". Reeks of trickery.

Let's just see if he is not afraid to apply for the Challenge.

He may donate the mil to found a new enlightennext chur--, eh, chap--, um, cathedr--, er, building...type...thing. Or go on a co-ho-ke binge with Andrew Cohen. Whatever.

 

[jimtron]

Maybe Mr. Senehi's claims of paranormal abilities are just a self-promotion pretense, but if that's the case, he takes it very far, as my co-worker and he are apparently good friends, and my co-worker appears to sincerely believe that the man has actual supernatural abilities.

I don't think this is terribly uncommon. At the forum I linked to above, there seem to be a lot of mentalists who either truly believe in supernatural abilities, or are "taking it far" by pretending to believe.

 

[steve s]

He's just an illusionist. He was on the Ellen DeGeneres show back in February. It took me all of 5 seconds to figure out how he did his tricks, and I don't even have any training in magic.

I started this thread about the tricks he did on the show.

Steve S

 

[JamesDillon]

He's just an illusionist. He was on the Ellen DeGeneres show back in February. It took me all of 5 seconds to figure out how he did his tricks, and I don't even have any training in magic.

I started this thread about the tricks he did on the show.

Steve S

Thanks for the info. It sounds like he did basically the same sort of stuff at my office function. I enjoy a good mentalist performance as much as anyone, but it's a bit disturbing that he seems to be trying to persuade people that he has genuine paranormal abilities.

We'll see if he accepts Jeff's invitation to apply for the challenge, but I don't think you have to be psychic to predict that he'll have some other convenient excuse.

 

[calebprime]

The sealed letter prediction thing is a known mentalist (non-paranormal) effect. .

I predict that his paranormal powers will not withold controlled testing by someone familiar with this area.

Sorry, but I wouldn't want to divulge any mentalism secrets here. (eta)But paranormal ability is not required, just like spoon bending.

Aww, C'mon. Please? I'm dying to know the sealed-letter trick. Is it simply some clever way of switching the letter? A hint?

 

[jimtron]

Aww, C'mon. Please? I'm dying to know the sealed-letter trick. Is it simply some clever way of switching the letter? A hint?

I'm sorry, but I'm not at liberty to divulge the information.

 

[calebprime]

I'm sorry, but I'm not at liberty to divulge the information.

On the Ellen show, it looks like he could be simply writing the word with his right hand ("Que") after she tells him what it is.

The floating cig trick, though, that's amazing!

But in fairness to him, doesn't he present himself as a magician who is just doing tricks, or is he claiming more?

 

[JamesDillon]

But in fairness to him, doesn't he present himself as a magician who is just doing tricks, or is he claiming more?

It appears both from his website (read the "Philosophy" seciton) and from what my friend has told me that he seems to be claiming that his abilities are not mere tricks, but are actual paranormal manifestations.

 

[steve s]

But in fairness to him, doesn't he present himself as a magician who is just doing tricks, or is he claiming more?

When he was on Ellen, she kept hyping him as the geniune article and that they weren't mere "tricks." Of course that was her saying it and not him, though he repeatedly dismissed anyone who didn't believe in his abilities as skeptics.

Steve S.