Deception & Self-Deception: Investigating Psychics [Hardcover]

Richard Wiseman (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

When Richard Wiseman was young, his grandfather impressed him by making a coin appear out of nowhere. This slight-of-hand had such a profound effect on him that by the time he was nineteen, he was a practicing magician, traveling in a prestigious show. Now, as a professional psychic detective, fishing out charlatans and opportunists in the field, Wiseman is shocked to find that sometimes extraordinary feats can have dangerous consequences. Palmists, astrologers, readers of tarot cards, mediums and others claim to help solve personal problems. Police agencies hire psychics hoping to solve crimes, while faith healers claim they can cure illnesses. Even Hillary Rodham Clinton allegedly consulted a psychic hoping to talk to the spirit of Eleanor Roosevelt. And President Ronald Regan's wife Nancy regularly consulted an astrologer in arranging the Presidential meeting and traveling schedules.
Deception And Self-Deception is Wiseman's intense yet entertaining look at the world of such psychics, and a detailed report and analysis of his investigations. Deception is on the part of those who claim to see the future, have extraordinary powers, or allege they possess the gift of healing. Included are chapters on a wide variety of deception; techniques psychics use, and complete reports on his investigations of physical medium Eusapia Palladino, the ESP claims of the Society for Research in Rapport and Telekinesis (SORRAT), psychics hire by law enforcement, Indian psychics, and data from various experiments testing such psychic abilities.
Deception And Self-Deception is an important book outlining the scientific procedures that can be used to test psychic ability, or unmask trickery during an investigation. Also included is an account of the reliability of testimony related to seances, the performances of alleged psychics, and the health dangers some "healers" present. Wiseman urges the need for responsible and scientific investigations into the paranormal, while recalling his numerous amusing and shocking adventures over the years as a psychic investigator.
Richard Wiseman is a senior lecturer and Perrott-Warrick Senior Research Fellow in the psychology division at the University of Hertfordshire (United Kingdom). He is also the co-author of Guidelines For Testing Psychic Claimants. -- Midwest Book Review

Product Details

• Hardcover: 266 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books (March 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573921211
• ISBN-13: 978-1573921213
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,725,466 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Richard Wiseman is Britain's only professor for the Public Understanding of Psychology and has an international reputation for his research into unusual areas including deception, luck, humour and the paranormal. He is the psychologist most frequently quoted by the British media and his research has been featured on over 150 television programmes in the UK. He is regularly heard on Radio 4 and feature articles about his work have appeared prominently throughout the national press.