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Mentalist Gerard Senehi

steve s said:
though he repeatedly dismissed anyone who didn't believe in his abilities as skeptics.
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Aren't we? :)

Edit: After a bit of deliberation, I've decided to share a bit more of my conversation with my co-worker that made me a little suspicious of Mr. Senehi. Trying to be open-minded, I asked where I might be able to see one of his performances. I was told that he doesn't usually do public performances, but does mostly corporate events, "because he can charge a lot more money that way." Ok, fine.

Conversation goes on for a bit, and then near the end of it (upon realizing for the first time that my co-worker actually believes that this guy has powers), I said, "If he really has the ability to predict the future, why work at all? He could make a billion dollars in the stock market, no problem." My co-worker's response was, "He's not really that interested in making money. He just thinks it's important to show people that these things exist." I think he also said something about how he can't use the power for his own benefit, or something, but I don't see how that's consistent with using it as a paid profession. But in any case, it seems like if he's not interested in making money, the best way to spread the word about the existence of these things would be to give public performances, rather than appear only for well-paying corporate events.
 
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JamesDillon said:
Aren't we? :)

Edit: After a bit of deliberation, I've decided to share a bit more of my conversation with my co-worker that made me a little suspicious of Mr. Senehi. Trying to be open-minded, I asked where I might be able to see one of his performances. I was told that he doesn't usually do public performances, but does mostly corporate events, "because he can charge a lot more money that way." Ok, fine.

Conversation goes on for a bit, and then near the end of it (upon realizing for the first time that my co-worker actually believes that this guy has powers), I said, "If he really has the ability to predict the future, why work at all? He could make a billion dollars in the stock market, no problem." My co-worker's response was, "He's not really that interested in making money. He just thinks it's important to show people that these things exist." I think he also said something about how he can't use the power for his own benefit, or something, but I don't see how that's consistent with using it as a paid profession. But in any case, it seems like if he's not interested in making money, the best way to spread the word about the existence of these things would be to give public performances, rather than appear only for well-paying corporate events.
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"He just thinks it's important to show people that these things exist."

He may show the JREF audience that these things exist. Today. Donate the money to a charity, Mr. Senehi.



"He's not really that interested in making money."

Yep, that's believable. :rolleyes:
 
JamesDillon said:
Aren't we? :)

Edit: After a bit of deliberation, I've decided to share a bit more of my conversation with my co-worker that made me a little suspicious of Mr. Senehi. Trying to be open-minded, I asked where I might be able to see one of his performances. I was told that he doesn't usually do public performances, but does mostly corporate events, "because he can charge a lot more money that way." Ok, fine.

Conversation goes on for a bit, and then near the end of it (upon realizing for the first time that my co-worker actually believes that this guy has powers), I said, "If he really has the ability to predict the future, why work at all? He could make a billion dollars in the stock market, no problem." My co-worker's response was, "He's not really that interested in making money. He just thinks it's important to show people that these things exist." I think he also said something about how he can't use the power for his own benefit, or something, but I don't see how that's consistent with using it as a paid profession. But in any case, it seems like if he's not interested in making money, the best way to spread the word about the existence of these things would be to give public performances, rather than appear only for well-paying corporate events.
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I wonder if the co-worker is accurately speaking for Senehi, or being presumptuous. How well do they know each other? I don't see any explicitly bogus claims on Sehehi's site:

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. His corporate mentalist shows have an unusual effect on his audience. It is not education - it is strictly entertainment, but his impromptu approach to mentalism engages the audience while they witness things that are impossible right in front of their eyes, impacting them in ways that can only be experienced. He has also brought mentalism to a walkaround setting - ideal for many corporate events. (bold added)
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He makes implications about powers, but this is showbiz after all. I don't see anything wrong with a magician or mentalist implying real powers, but if they explicitly claim them offstage--that's a different story.

I haven't seen evidence that suggest Senehi is guilty of misrepresenting himself, although it appears others have: the co-worker and Ellen Degeneres.
 
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This thread is amusing to me, because it comes at just the time I'm preparing for a role as a spiritualist who believes in the existence of supernatural powers but nonetheless knows he's doing things by trickery because he can't quite get the powers to work for him.

Got that? I'm a skeptic. I'll be pretending to be a spiritualist who really believes. But I'll be doing a sealed-envelope-reading thingy that the spiritualist knows he's faking for dramatic effect. Enough levels of reality there? :)

Anyway, my points are:

1) Nothing about Senehi so far negates the same possibility. Or the same except without the layer of skeptic underneath.

2) My role will be ad lib, so I need to have ready enough excuses to protect the illusion. Why don't you do it again so I can watch closer? Why don't you do it this way? Why can't you read my mind right now? For me, it's a one-time amateur gig. For Senehi, it's a living, so he's got to be ready for even more. Why don't you apply for Randi's million? Why don't you predict the stock market or the lottery? Having the excuses prepared is just as much a part of the schtick as the sleight of hand or the gaffed props.

3) Being a complete non-magician with some acting ability but no previous sleight-of-hand skills, I picked the simplest and oldest envelope-reading trick, and practiced at home on my wife, who of course knew it was a trick and even knew that she was working as my stooge. I told her to watch and see if she could catch how I did it. She couldn't figure it out. Oh, she knew how I read her first sealed envelope, because she'd already told me what was on it. But the others? No clue.

Four separate times I did it, on four separate days, nice and slow, full daylight. She tried to trick me by drawing pictures instead of writing words. Still worked, still no idea. I was as shocked as she was, because it seemed so obvious. But to non-magicians, even the oldest simplest tricks can be amazing, and again, Senehi isn't a rank amateur doing an old trick, he's got the incentive to hone his skills to be really good and come up with new stuff.
 
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I just watched the Ellen clip. Oh joy. Looks like we have a Geller for the new generation.

I was going to say I can't believe anyone is stupid enough to fall for that lame spoon-bending schtick, but as these things are cyclical, it's about that time for a new bloke. Now we need a new Randi to smack him down.
 
Good post, Pup.

For me, the downside to the very skillful act of a spiritualist, stage magician, mentalist, is the similarity to other make-believe arts, e.g. a hustlin' pimpin' playin' smokin' dopin' gangsta rappa.

Both very entertaining on various levels when done by pros. Both just pretending. And that's when the misunderstandings start.

They end with people shelling out big bucks to and virtually handing their lives to "mediums" and "spiritual teachers" and "psychics".

They end with white middle class teenagers staging "gang fights", "pimp slapping" girls and referring to themselves as "n*gg*z". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_cj77jym_U http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7S-lFPgyOzA&NR


Oh, the humanity. ;)
 
JamesDillon said:
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.
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Funny, but I was about to say that, reading from the same section, I got the impression that he is a magician with a facade of being paranormal. Specifically..

Is it real or illusion?
Ah-ha! Sorry on this one. My job is to make people ask this question not to answer it. And from the number of people (scientists, politicians, doctors, etc.) who ask me this question, I think it's working…
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This sounds like a magician's answer. Wouldn't someone who truly thinks they are paranormal say so?
 
Everything in the Ellen clip is standard magician material.

Hell, one can even buy the "cigarette flotation " directly from the creator right here.

The clip on creator fearson's site is a lot more impressive than the performance of it on ellen.
 
Well, this Thursday I'm off to see Max Maven who is a true mentalist! To quote from the WWW (sorry can't post the url due to my lowly status here):

"Max Maven is a magician and mentalist. He gives the impression that he uses advanced psychological principles and methods to "read spectators" minds
 
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Well, next Thursday I'm off to see Max Maven who is a true mentalist! To quote from thw WWW (sorry can't post the url due to my lowly status here):

"Max Maven (born Phil Goldstein in 1950) is a magician and mentalist. He gives the impression that he uses advanced psychological principles and methods to "read spectators" minds. Orson Wells is said to have written that Maven had the most original mind in magic. He has been a consultant with such magicians as David Copperfield, Penn & Teller, Siegfried & Roy and Doug Henning."

Friend of Randi and supporter of reality (such as it is).

Based on what I have seen of Max on TV, I expect to be completely and utterly mystified and there will be no nylon thread involved!

"Psychic" posers like Senehi do a disservice to rationality and to the general public. If he was any good he would admit "It's all a trick" like Max does. A pox on them all.
 
"Psychic" posers like Senehi do a disservice to rationality and to the general public. If he was any good he would admit "It's all a trick" like Max does. A pox on them all.
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Has he ever called himself a psychic or claimed paranormal powers? So far, I haven't seen any evidence that Senehi is making any bogus claims.

Any specific examples of wrongdoing by Senehi?

eta: I don't see a major difference between the way Senehi presents himself vs. the way Maven does; and so far I don't have a problem with either.

Max Maven site
Senshi site
 
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jimtron said:
Has he ever called himself a psychic or claimed paranormal powers? So far, I haven't seen any evidence that Senehi is making any bogus claims.

Any specific examples of wrongdoing by Senehi?
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Did you watch the Ellen clip? He defines what he does as something that cannot be explained by science.
 
tkingdoll said:
Did you watch the Ellen clip? He defines what he does as something that cannot be explained by science.
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Well, that's obviously not true, but in my opinion that's not so awful. He calls himself a mentalist and an entertainer; to me it's not so heinous to fib a little during a performance. It would be another thing if he went around (offstage) saying that he had true paranormal powers--that's what Geller did (as well as selling crystals and other snake oil).

If a magician, during an act, says "this box is empty;" that may be a lie, but so what? If, after the act, the magician claims what he does involves real supernatural power and not an illusion; that's a problem. But to lie a little during an act is no biggie, in my view. I'm pretty sure Maven lies during his act too.
 
No. I think they present two very fronts.

Like the Not-so-Amazing Kreskin, Gerard Senehi is ambivalent on how he does what he does. From his website:
"Is it real or illusion? "Ah ha! Sorry on this one. My job is to make people ask this question not to answer it. And from the number of people (scientists, politicians, doctors, etc.) who ask me this question, I think it's working"."

Max's site says:
"Using an advanced (and highly unorthodox) set of psychological principles and techniques, Max is able to discern the thoughts of total strangers. Subliminal persuasion and the power of suggestion are pushed to the limit. People magazine hailed his work as "a new form of participatory theater.""

Senenhi, while using tricks purchasable from magic shops pretends it all "might be" "real". Max says it is not outside of science (and his actions in the magic community support this).

Stage magicians love watching others in their profession do "magic" tricks. They say, "Wow. You did that well. Or, "How did you do that? I haven't seen that one before."

Society does not need people lending credence to parapsychological piffle using stage magic.

I'll let you know if Max tells any lies.
 
To clarify, I have no direct evidence that Mr. Senehi has ever explicitly claimed that his abilities are paranormal. However, I trust the word of my co-worker who claims that Mr. Senehi has made such statements to him. Obviously, my co-worker's word carries more weight for me than it does for people who don't know him. I can confirm that Mr. Senehi gave a free performance at my law firm's office, in gratutude for the pro bono work the firm has done for Enlightennext (this was confirmed in an office-wide email from the firm administrators that I received). From this, I think it's fair to infer that my co-worker is a close acquaintance of Mr. Senehi as he claims to be, and to accept the accuracy of my co-worker's account of Mr. Senehi's statements about his abilities. My co-worker is convinced that Mr. Senehi has actual paranormal powers, and that his performances are not mere magician's tricks. My co-worker also told me, again anecdotally, that Mr. Senehi has claimed that the spoon-bending trick is a manifestation of real psychic ability. Having not been in touch with Mr. Senehi myself, I can't confirm anything more than that.
 
FWIW, Senehy is clearly aware of the challenge:

The audience decides one of ten possibilities. No restrictions here. They can pick one of ten dates that they choose, one of ten names that they choose, etc. They can even consult the Amazing Randi to set up test conditions. Gerard will wager up to $5000 that he can correctly guess the selected of ten items. (Winnings will be donated).
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JamesDillon said:
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.
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More evidence that this is a standard trick, and you can learn to do it too, for the low low price of $75. Act now!

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=125760&forum=71

Instead of an envelope, the headline prediction is sealed in a glass box two weeks ahead of time, but otherwise everything else would apply.

From the ad:

It contains 3 HEADLINE PREDICTIONS that are 100% correct, and they have been notarized two weeks earlier! During this time the magician stands on the other side of the stage, NEVER TOUCHING THE BOX NOR THE SLIPS OF PAPER!

The press and VIP can take the notarized slip to the notary the next day and he will verify he READ and NOTARIZED this slip 2 weeks ago!
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I wish she had given him Geschwendigkeitsbegrenzung* instead of Que for that last trick but I guess they would have needed to extend the show another 10 minutes.


*German for speed limit
 
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