Back in the twenties, the great magician Harry Houdini embarked on a second career as a psychic investigator, debunking mediums and psychics. The work continued after his death-for years, the Houdini estate offered a reward to any paranormal communicator who could extract a secret message from Houdini's spirit and communicate it to Houdini's widow. No one ever did.
Recently, in India, a different but related series of events unfolded when a self-proclaimed rationalist challenged one of the nation's premier black magicians to use his dark arts and kill him. The rationalist, Sanal Edamaruku, who has spent years battling the nation's superstititions, dared the tantrik, or black magician, Pandit Surinder Sharma, to do his worst. Sharma did. Edamaruku was unharmed. The battle between reason and black magic was televised; several hundred million people watched as Pandit Surinder Sharma unleashed his dark arts upon Sanal Edamaruku-writing Sanal's name on a sheet of paper and ripping it up, waving peacock feathers over Sanal's head, and finally making a kind of voodoo doll out of dough. Nothing had any effect on the rationalist.
Mo Rocca has appeared on a bunch of shows, including 'The Daily Show,' 'I Love the 80s,'...
Mo's Blog Roll
Resources
Black Magic Man: An Indian Dark-Arts Challenge
Posted Mar 24th 2008 10:53AM by Ben Greenman
Mo's Video
The Sound of a Smoke-Free Barack...Almost two years ago we speculated on how Barack Obama's voice would change if he stopped smoking. ...
Most Popular Stories
- Don't Like Goodbyes...
- Pittsburgh Steelers: Is it Time to get some Cheerleaders?
- How NOT to give an Oscar Acceptance Speech
- Could Jim Belushi Win the Nobel Peace Prize?
- Spring Break Sexy T-Shirt Removal Training!
- Quest for the Crown 5: Plastic Wrap to Make you Less Fat!
- Quest for the Crown 4: Work Those Heels!
Most Commented On
-
Coming Soon
Recent Comments
- Roert Dean on General Clark is Absolutely Right!
- Jerry Brown on Obama and the Reagan Doctrine
- Saint Brian the Godless on Obama and the Reagan Doctrine
- Saint Brian the Godless on Obama and the Reagan Doctrine
- Saint Brian the Godless on Obama and the Reagan Doctrine
- FL Chick on Jesus Statue Stolen By Dog Haters?
- GearHedEd on Obama and the Reagan Doctrine
Mo's Bio
Mo Rocca appears on a bunch of shows, including CBS News Sunday Morning (with the indescribably wonderful Charles Osgood), The Tonight Show on NBC, and NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! He's a sometime judge on Iron Chef and was featured on Telemundo's Amore Descarado. Last year he starred on Broadway in the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. His expose "All the President's Pets" was published by Crown in 2004.
Top News Headlines
Political Machine Blog
- Abortion in Ireland: Does the Church Ask Too Much?
- More Negative Marks for Obama on Health Care
- Voters Render Split Decision on Whether Obama Will Be Re-Elected
- Chaos Theory - Still Have Cash? Wall Street Wants to Talk
- Matt Lewis on MSNBC: Climategate and Sarah Palin's Op-Ed
- The Curious Science of Sarah Palin
- Brooke Magnanti: Call Girl, Blogger . . . and PhD
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 2)
1. Hey thanks for the info. This is good to hear. There seems to be a strong and much necessary rationalist movement in India (especially the south) to promote rationality within society, enlightening common folk about the absurdity performed by "spiritual leaders" simply for wealth.
Some day kids in history classes will open their textbooks and become awed about what their ancestors did and believed in.
ayurvedicman2 at 12:22PM on Mar 24th 2008
2. ayurvedicman2 (#1) - I hope the same happens in the US in the not so distant future.
alan at 12:51PM on Mar 24th 2008
3. Contemporary "black magic" is what republicans and Hillary supporters are accusing Obama of.
Now, if only America would launch a program to rid our society of superstition, we could get religion out of our political and educational institutions.
Pardon me now while I go handle some snakes, pray to Jesus and Bill O'Rielly and genuflect.
Captain Negative at 3:01PM on Mar 24th 2008
4. Funny,
I've heard Obama supporters accuse Hillary of "Witch" craft-- and/or B-craft, and/or of being a MONSTER!!!! way more than I've heard Hillary's supporters accuse Obama of "black" magic.
Maybe you're projecting. It seems to me that people who think they're darn pretty rational have attributed quite a bit of messianic power to a certain politician in the last several months. The cult of personality seems pretty strong...
Let me know where all the pro-Hillary hype is in the mainstream or blog press.
I'd like to see it. It would be a refreshing change of pace.
By the way:
Isn't blogging one of the dark arts?
P.S.
Genuflecting(is that what they're calling it these days?) and snake-handling should fall under: private matters.
Logical Phallacies at 2:25AM on Mar 25th 2008
5. You must be reading different blogs. I see Hillary's supporters all over the place saying that Obama has "hypnotized" the American people. But I also see them saying, "If you don't support Hillary, you are afraid of a tough strong woman. You are a misogynist and a hater."
Yes, snake handlers and genuflectors should keep their nonsense private. Couldn't agree more. That's why I say religion should be kept out of politics.
Perhaps your problem is one of reading comprehension. Maybe you should stop reading blogs. They seem to confuse you.
Captain Negative at 5:31AM on Mar 25th 2008
6. The problem with these sorts of "demonstrations" is that they are completely rigged for the "debunker" to win. No-one truly practicing dark magic would take this sort of a challenge, nor would they try to do such a thing in a very limited time. But these people are not anything to mess with. Over time and given the opportunity they can do very real damage. The danger is that certain people, especially the young, will read this blog and begin messing around with practitioners of Voodoo and Native American Brujos, neither of which are to be messed with safely.
Scientific Materialism is a religion just as much as Christiantiy is a religion. Incredible numbers of tests have been done showing that our mental belief systems DO affect the external world, including experiments with crystalline growth in water, and experiments with electrons. Only the "pseudo-scientists" --- people who read science or are on the fringes of science --- disbelieve the effects of the "spiritual" or "mental" world on external objects. This effect is well known in Quantum Mechanics. In fact, modern Quantum Mechanics makes most spirituality look very conservative in its claims. Currently physicists are working on technical amplifications of the human mind intentions to produce results, and have had enough Proof of Concept to be major-league funded. The belief in Scientific Materialism is completely 20th Century.
Father John at 7:58PM on Mar 26th 2008
7. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sam-harris/what-barack-obama-could-n_b_92771.html
Read this attached article for more interesting "religious" discussion
abbot at 3:14PM on Mar 26th 2008
8. Father John, are you off your medications again?
magellan at 2:11AM on Mar 27th 2008
9. The only thing about Hillary that's all over these blogs is you and your projections, CN, as many astute people have pointed out.
In fact, every time I read the blogs you're in the process of arguing with some posters and attempting to antagonize others, and you confuse nastiness with wit.
Yes, some of the ELECTORATE have begun to speak out-- finally-- after months of PROBAMA insanity by the paid players. You seem to confuse paid bloggers and press with unpaid citizenry.
There is not a single minor or major press agent who has NOT shown favoritism for Obama and a slant against Senator Clintons from the start. They also have taken to rewriting Bill Clinton's legacy, with the help of Obama:
The Turk, Salon, Huffington, Politico, Matthews, Russert, Olbermann, MSNBC in general, CNN in general (exceptions would be Dobbs and Abrams, who are more evenhanded).
You, sad CN, are obsessed with racism and in denial about misogyny, and you bring up both words more than anyone on these blogs, especially the latter, which barely gets noticed in this culture (I'm not sure you were familiar with the word till you were called it-- once-- and you have proceeded to mention it on your own about 100 x since, meanwhile calling about 10,000 people racist).
Anyone who would claim without irony that sexism, male-supremacist culture and religion, or misogyny get nearly the attention, press, or gravitas that race gets would be either a liar or delusional.
I'll leave it there. Those who attempt to dialogue with you usually end up, of necessity, stooping to a lower level.
Your contentions and ad hominem insults are consistent, ubiquitous, and sorry.
Logical Phallacies at 2:45AM on Mar 27th 2008
10. During the 1992 presidential campaign, Barbara Bush told reporters she was tempted to call Hillory Clinton a name that rhymed with "rich".
Bob at 12:42PM on Mar 27th 2008
11. ABSOLUTISEMS FROM SUPERSTITIONS is the false of the teaching and practice!!!!INDIA like many areas of earth are bastians of superstitional effecting human livings effectiants!!! it is extreemly human dissfunction this curssed non reasoning of superstition the vocabulary of this activity is of an extreem missuseing of the terms of traditional living patterned to a conveluded view or witnessing of ones own personal experiances!!!! INDIA CHINA UNITEDSTATES IN FACT SUPERSTITIOUS IS HUMAN AT THIS POINT ALL OVER THE PLANET IN HUMAN SOCIETY'S!!!!!WONDER WHY THE REMARKS AT POLLING ARE SO STUPID AND NOT APPRACH DESCRIBEING SITUATION AT ALL BACK UP AND REASON PERSONALLY TO VIEW LIVING USE YOUR CONSEPTIONAL WITH EVEDENCE A BACKED UP PERSONAL REPORT!!!!STAY AWAY FROM THE QUOTE USUALLY INCORRECT ON ALL RELLIVANTS!!!!
norman spalding at 5:40PM on Mar 27th 2008
12. belief is a powerful tool. convince people of your story and you have then under your control.
web jones at 10:47PM on Mar 27th 2008
13. Oh puh-leeeeez! Can I please read SOMETHING SOMEWHERE on the web without the comments deteriorating into Hillary/Obama mudslinging?! My head is about to pop with Hillary vs. Obama!!! ARGH!
To comment on THIS article (!!!), I am glad to see this happened in India. I first read about it on James Randi's site (http://randi.org/) and I do hope we see more of these types of demonstrations (all over the world). Superstition is too rampant and we, as a people, have more important things to worry about!!! We need rationalism!
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rationalism)
Ayala at 9:56AM on Mar 28th 2008
14. Never mind the pointless Hillary/Obama garbage. The idea of black arts is absurd. Please check out the website www.skeptic.com for information on fighting the likes of Father John, Pandit Surinder Sharma, all the other religious nonsense.
George at 12:20PM on Mar 28th 2008
15. Funny thing is that the USA/Russian and other countries are involved in very serious "black arts"... (psychics, long distance telepathy, remote viewing, mind control, telekinesis etc...)have been for a very long time. It is REAL, not just stories. People CAN & DO affect others with "thought" alone. Do they need "peacock feathers, smoke, arm waving, paper with names on them"? Ahhhhh, NO, well, only if it helps them with their "visualization". Thought is energy, energy CAN and does affect us every day. Magic by any other name...
Anna at 12:57PM on Mar 28th 2008