Flim-Flam! Psychics, ESP, Unicorns, and Other Delusions - James Randi [147]
Geraldine was rarin' to go. She'd been accompanied by several members of her family to the studio, and they had glared me nearly to death. After the usual preliminaries, during which the host made his skepticism about these claims very clear, we settled down to business. There were a number of spoons sealed up in an envelope by the host, and the host's wristwatch. In a mysterious bag of mine was a concealed artifact, and sundry articles chosen by the host for some testing. He decided to try a silver chain bracelet first.
HOST: Tell me something about the owner of that [handing her a Medic Alert bracelet].
SMITH: Okay.
HOST: A little bracelet. Other than the fact that they need a Medic Alert bracelet....
SMITH: [laughs] Okay. First of all, I'm getting a very strong gold. Now one thing I should let everybody know is, I also work with what is called "auras," and I've tuned myself into picking up vibrations, colors, from the article that the person has worn—had for some time. Now, first color is gold, and that is an extremely sensitive color. It's also, of course, allergy color, too. It's the color of super, super, super nervousness. This person I'm feeling physically—upper, lower-back-area problems. I'm also seeing some upper-stomach-area things going on. Do you know this person?
HOST: Uh-huh.
SMITH: Personally?
HOST: Uh-huh.
SMITH: All right, there's something in this area here [points to chest]. You see, as soon as I pick up an article I will physically feel different areas that perhaps have been affected by the person. Feeling this area [indicates chest], feeling this area [indicates forehead]—headaches, eyestrain, something like that. Upper- and lower-back areas. It's also the intuitive color. I would also... I'd have to say that the person who owns it is extremely intuitive, probably clairsentient, which is very clear on the gut-feeling-type areas. I'm seeing—there's a separation around this person. Are they in this area now? Because I see them, like, not here.
HOST: Physically not here?
SMITH: Physically not here. No.
HOST: Uh-huh. Well!
SMITH: Which—which would make me wonder if the person is [laughs] either dead or if there's been some very, very bad health problems with them, because I'm just really feeling sluggish myself. Interesting. I'm seeing the month of January here—which is now—but there would have to be something strong with the person with January as well.
HOST: Okay. What color is my aura?
SMITH: You've got blue, you've got gold, you've got green.
HOST: What do those things mean? What's an aura?
SMITH: An aura is—I perceive it as a color. A color energy vibration that surrounds the person's body. It tells me mental, physical, spiritual ...uh... general personality. Green is the color of the communicator. Anybody in the communications area has to have green in their aura. In other words, in any area...
HOST: So you can tell me that without looking, huh?
SMITH: Yeah. In other words—yeah. In other words, you've got to have good communication in all areas. The one thing I would emphasize very strongly right now is that the green is a little bit blocked in the mental area of your aura, so that means you have been very frustrated in the area of communication on a personal level. It's almost as if you've been talking to the wall. I'm seeing a lot of [laughs] a lot of vibration there. And it's more in a personal area rather than in, you know, a work... business situation.
HOST: Okay...
The host, who had been very careful not to tip his hand, following my instructions to him before the program, was the owner of that Medic Alert bracelet. He had not tried to conceal