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Psychic Mafia [Paperback]

LaMar Keene (Author), M. LaMar Keene (Author)

3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews) |

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Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

was one of the best," said LJ's reviewer of this peek into a fake's bag of tricks (LJ 7/76). Keene reveals how he created ghostly apparitions, floating objects, etc., during phony seances.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

Paperback: 172 pages
Publisher: Prometheus Books (September 1997)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1573921610
ISBN-13: 978-1573921619
Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 10.7 ounces

Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,180,409 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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More About the Author

› Visit Amazon's M. Lamar Keene Page

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Customer Reviews

13 Reviews

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Average Customer Review

3.9 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)

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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Devastating Anti=Psychic Expose, June 9, 2000

Rob Lightner - See all my reviews

This review is from: Psychic Mafia (Paperback)

Lamar Keene was a midcentury American psychic who used trickery and deceit to finance his extravagant lifestyle. At one point, he gave it up, and found strength from a friend (a Mason!) to expose his former friends and colleagues as frauds. The writing is a bit sensationalistic, but it matches its subjects well. Learn about ectoplasm, spirit messages, rapping, and - God help us all - "spirit sex." If you're a believer, this should only entrench your belief; if you're a skeptic you won't learn much. For those of us paranormal fence-straddlers, though, The Psychic Mafia is as eye-opening as its subjects claim to be. Thanks, Lamar!

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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Entertaining, September 28, 1998

Stephen D. Sullivan "Read my books! - www.ste... (Frosthaven, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Psychic Mafia (Paperback)

Not only enlightening, but fun, too. The author's experience as a fake psychic are instructive to anyone interested in the supernatural -- and show just how easy it is to be taken in by a clever con man. The "Psychic Network" working across the nation to lend credence to psychic claims was a true revelation to me. How much easier it must be to perpetrate such frauds in the current computer age!

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Must reading for skeptics, April 27, 1998

Peter Huston - See all my reviews

This review is from: Psychic Mafia (Paperback)

A classic!

For years, when it was out or print, those in the know had been searching for those few rare copies of this book. (My local used book store once had me third on the list of people to notify on the off chance one showed up!) Now its back in print. If you are interested in the subject of how fortune telling and spiritualist effects can be used to defraud, cheat and steal this is MUST reading.

Peter Huston, author of "Scams from the Great Beyond."

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars No doubts on frauds...
...and some of the thinks eye opened here may still be of common use in the widespread psychic mafia. Read more

Published 8 months ago by molesman

5.0 out of 5 stars Psychic Mafia
Wonderful book about mediums from the last century. Goes into explicit detail how things are shown to apparently seem real to the gullible, which includes all financial classes... Read more

Published 14 months ago by jojowasaloner

5.0 out of 5 stars Psychic scammers exposed
Read this confession before engaging any so-called psychic! The author's testimony is a rare-find in a world of tricksters, scammers and criminals who take advantage of others at... Read more

Published on November 12, 2009 by Sexy Bachelor

5.0 out of 5 stars It shouldn't be this fun to read such a chilling story
I feel a little bad for enjoying this book so much -- once I picked it up and started reading, I honestly couldn't put it down. Read more

Published on October 8, 2008 by Sean J. Jordan

4.0 out of 5 stars Great expose, and more than a little shocking
Before reading this book I had no idea there were such things as spiritualist camps or that people paid exorbitant amounts of money to attend them. Read more

Published on January 9, 2008 by mjp

3.0 out of 5 stars anothersmith
Interesting, but begs for confirmation by the end. Not very well written, but good enough to finish. An interesting consideration but unsatisfyingly unconfirmed. Read more

Published on July 6, 2002

4.0 out of 5 stars Wondering
I was very interested in the observation at the beginning that psychic phenomena do exist on a much smaller, more personal scale, but that condemnation of same by the Christian... Read more

Published on August 9, 2001 by Nonesuch Explorers

1.0 out of 5 stars Why are all the mediums silent?
I read this book many years ago and always wondered why Mr. Keene waited so long to indict so many legendary spiritualists. Read more

Published on June 20, 2001 by Kevin Lee Gave

4.0 out of 5 stars A rollicking page-turner with a sorry ending
A scream right until the last chapter, when Keene disappointingly reveals that he has now turned to God. Read more

Published on August 26, 1999 by Thomas Kite (tomk@ap.com)

5.0 out of 5 stars Unbelievable!
I have read thousands of books in my life. This one takes the cake. You'll find yourself engrossed in the macabe. Easy, light reading - but packed with a punch. Read more

Published on October 19, 1997 by Gary Bacchetti

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
In this day of rampant psychic wonders, what's the most mind-boggling you've heard about? Read the first page

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Camp Chesterfield, Mable Riffle, United States, Silver Belle, Allen Spraggett, Ethel Post Parrish, Lamar Keene, New York, Arthur Ford, Reverend Sutton, The Medium's Handbook, Viola Osgood Dunne, Bill Rauscher, Diane Kennedy, Psychic Observer, Uncle Sherwood, Bob Black, Frank Decker, Jesus Christ, Nandor Fodor, Rose Johnson

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Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 28 books:

Will to Believe by Marcus Bach on page 51, and Back Matter
Nightmare Alley by William L. Gresham in Front Matter, and Back Matter
Encyclopedia of Psychic Science by Nandor Fodor in Back Matter
Houdini on Magic (Dover Magic Books) by Harry Houdini in Back Matter
Influencing Attitudes and Changing Behavior in Front Matter

See all 28 books this book cites

28 books cite this book:

The Mystery Chronicles: More Real-Life X-Files by Joe Nickell on 7 pages
Entities: Angels, Spirits, Demons, and Other Alien Beings by Joe Nickell on 5 pages
Camera Clues: A Handbook for Photographic Investigation by Joe Nickell on 4 pages
Looking for a Miracle: Weeping Icons, Relics, Stigmata, Visions & Healing Cures by Joe Nickell on page 248, and page 254
Investigating the Paranormal by Joe Nickell on page 194, and page 199

See all 28 books citing this book

Books on Related Topics (learn more)

The Supreme Adventure by Robert Crookall

Discusses:

Ancient Lights or the Bible, the Church and Psychic Science by Mrs. St. Clair Stobart

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