Science Debunks The Fakir

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 208, 3 September 1938, Page 8 (Supplement)

Science Debunks The Fakir

A NUMBER of 5 ship news reporters who cover New York's waterfront jostled their way into Kuda Bux's stateroom. The giant luxury liner, just in from Europe, was making its way slowly up the bay. The newsmen had been invited by the Kashmir Indian—the man with the "X-ray eyes"— to witness hia famed feat of readifcg while blindfolded. Bux waited until they were seated before he asked that one of the men present swathe his head snd completely cover his ey«a with tablecloths snd napkins. The task done, ha stated that he would now prove that hia mystic powers made it possible for him to read notes, newspapers or any printed or written matter submitted through the thick layers of cloth. The reporter who had complied with the slender, dark-skinned fakir's request had wrapped two napkine around Bux's eyes ami then wound a tablecloth over these utid under his chin. The Indian helped him adjust the tablecloth with admonitions to make the fold* lighttight. Then the amazed reportiers heard the /aklr glibly, unhesitatingly read the notes that were handed him. He con-

Are Magicians' Claims to Powers Just Another Trick?

eluded the performance by reading excerpts picked at random from a newspaper placed before him. When the coverings were removed from his head, But was plied with question after question as to how he had performed the feat. He smilingly refused to answer. Within a few days, however, the mystic aura surrounding the fakir's "miracle" was dissipated. Joseph Dunninger, adept exponent of the magic art, and president of the Universal Council for Psychic Research, offered to perform the same trick under the same conditions—and, more importantly, the council offered to wa«er 10,000 dollars that he could prove that there was nothing supernatural about Bux s blindfold, reading. If Bux hadn't claimed to have possessed -mystic powers," said Dunninger, 'I would sever have made my offer The council has 10.000 dollars waiting, for anyone who can reallv read while blindfolded. This person would have to submit to our conditions in making the test, which provide that a metal helmet be placed over the head and shoulders of the subject. This helmet is sjmilar to the kind worn by deep-sea divers. Also, as a further condition of the test, he would have to put on his coat over the metal flanges covering his shoulders.

Then, should this persQn be able to wad notes, cards or anything else we offer him—he can have the 10.000 dollara.

Dunninger said that the ethics of professional mystiflers usually prevented t m, or anyone connected with such an act, from revealing how the stunt is performed. "As long as the performer admits his manipulations are tricks, that is all But We resent supernatural claims, and when such are made we do not hesitate to reveal these secrets. "Reading while 'blindfold' is more than three centuries old, and has been discarded by most magicians plyin<* professions to-day. It is extremely simple, and can be accomplished by most persons with some practice. The reading is done down along the side of the nose The depression in the eyes and the bridge of the nose allows just enough space for one to peer down at the object as held in the so-called mystics hands." „ K,™ at T» was . hov T " was possible for Kuda Bux, in spite of the heavy swath,nS of the greater P art of his head, to InH +1, ed '" the re P or ters' notes X th . e , new »paper on the ocean liner. When the fakir helped the reporter adjust the coverings, those present r mTIP h merely givin * himßelf rJnni brea , thln S space. Instead, says Dunninger, he was probably preparing his "spy glass" f or the "miracle " " Dnnninger places the famed Indian rope disappearance in the trick category. I have yet to meet the person," he says, who has ever seen a fakir, bv whispering so-called mystic incantations, ™ » heay y rope rise into the air and to enable a small boy to climb the rope and disappear. It is always someone ! who *knew a man whose uncle knew ,aw the Ind "°: supernatural phenomenon. And the owners of such photographs always in- i sist the camera doesn't lfc. In the face 1 of the extravagant claim* of fakirs who i say they are endowed with super- i

- Srifts, I say that while manv of "these I tricks are performed, let us "sav, 'without wires or mirrors,' to borrow" a popu- ■ * are ' nevertheless, also effected without superhuman powers." ' fW m n y ' Hi, * u £akira perform firewalking stunts have been debunked I SniiW I?"' times by scientists. Undoubtedly, firewalking is a dangerous experiment for the novice, but to an , expert it is easy. T. jUB V bout three ago that Kuda Bux walked barefooted through two 10ft trenches of burnS don Tolr * "?,* * udl ™« '• W Mrf thV L "" 1 " nl »» k «" I" connaed that he was able to walk unscathed over the hot embers, whose surde<£ees tem P erature of 800 hi 9 faitb tW '- rn the stre ngth of him. 6 flre would not harm British Scientist Exploded a Myth To many, these claims at first seemml genuine, especially when « lishman by name of \f y° un g ® ngimitate tif» , Mo ynagh tried to litv nf t , professor at the Univerthe fireside experiment of picking up a hot ember and returning ;} V P fi without burning the fiV™ Succes™ depends entirely Ilpo n the rapidky of the time the h/man cinder untn £ with the hot cinder until that contact is broken!" Darlin g proceeded to back fi Sirt a" , *S. by d , eV - isin? an a PP ara " i mov« S fl T"® 1 . J unc tion," which « walk?™ A mechanical imitation of ! walking. When pressed on the gloving <

- embers of a burning trench similar to ■ the one orer .which the fakir walked, it ■ measured the temperature and the time » required for a foot crossing the hot surface to reach that heat, [ "Timed with a fractional stopwatch." said the scientist, "Kuda Bux saw to it that his feet remained in contact with 1 the hot charcoal slightly less than half ' a second at each step. My 'thermal junction' proved that the feet of the 1 performer held to ■ttre hot coals for that period would not even become warm enough for blistering. "The question arises: Why did the young man who tried to imitate Kuda Bux leap wildly from the charcoal bed veiling with pain? The answer lie» in the fact that firewalking is eimplv an athletic accomplishment. It is difficult without extended training." Less than a year after Bux'a demonstration, Harry Price, honorary secretary of the Universal Council for Psychic Research, arranged a more complete experiment to prove that lirewalking is merely an athletic feat. A 12ft trench of charcoal was lighted and allowed to burn until the embers continued to glow at the top. The temperature was measured and was found to be 075 degrees Centigrade on the surface. The professional firewalker, Ahmed Hus«ain. a Moslem, after being examined, traversed the trench in 1.3 second* and showed no signs of injurv. Ho repeated the walk, leading three amateur volunteers with the claim that they would be immune. However, all three were burned slijrhtly. Two more volunteers performed the walk alone and were slightlv burned. Where the number of steps "had been uneven, the foot on which most pressure had been placed was most affected. This indicated that the injurious effect was cumulative, although the fakir claimed be could walk any distance through the charcoal.