Red Lights Page #4

you just did a test.

That's right.

Were you facing

your subject?

Sure.

What about them?

Uh, they were in the control

booth, monitoring the subject.

Who was monitoring you?

Me? Why would anyone want

to be monitoring me?

It's a joke.

So were you at the same

eye level as the subject?

Approximately, yes

- Under a light, I guess.

- Yes.

The way we are now?

More or less, I guess.

- You have the cards with you?

- No, I-I don't have them here.

- Oh. Yeah, here.

- Okay.

Okay.

Shoot

What do you

mean, "shoot"?

Go ahead. Shoot.

- T-To you?

- Sure.

- Here?

- Why not?

Okay.

Square.

Cross.

Square.

Square.

Star.

- Wave.

- How are you doing that?

- Methodological defects--

- No, w--w--they're not transparent, we make sure--

improper controls, the inadvertent

inclusion of relevant data

or, in this case,

all three at

the same time.

Congratulations.

Next time, try taking

them off first.

So why'd you hold the

card up to the light?

So you wouldn't think

about your glasses.

So, these images were

made during the Cold War--

under conditions controlled

by the Soviet authorities,

so there was no

independent investigations.

Leningrad, 1970.

Here Katia Novikova

carries out

one of her more

controversial experiments.

As you can see,

she concentrates intensely

on the heart of the frog,

at the beginning

making it beat faster,

then slower,

and then, stopping

it beating altogether.

Katia asserted that she had, she had

inherited her powers from her mother--

and that during her childhood,

she would see objects...

Only God is right

all the time, Dr. Matheson.

And yes, there are sensitives

who are impostors,

just like

there are skeptics.

Uh, you know, even scientists

are wrong every day.

But you, the

professional skeptics,

you also seem to be

experts in rhetoric.

Don't--don't bite off

my finger, doctor.

Look where

I'm pointing.

Scientists' mistakes are

usually random, Mr. Cohen.

Pseudo-scientists' mistakes

tend to be directional.

Dr. Matheson seems

to forget that she

set up her stall

on this over 30 years ago.

Most professionals are fully

aware of the dangers of fraud

and design their experiments with

every imaginable precaution.

We're believers, doctor,

not simply credulous.

Very smart people are

often the most credulous

and are taken in by all

kinds of phenomena.

They're easy victims of fraud

because they think logically,

and professional magicians

count on that.

Like your client, for instance.

He's certainly one of them.

You should've told me

she would be here.

Oh, you said you wouldn't

speak to my client.

Are you scared of me too?

The question is why does every

parapsychological phenomenon vanish

when there's a qualified

skeptic in the room?

Three to four Americans say they've had

some kind of metaphysic experience

and an even

higher percentage say--

He's gotta be in on it.

He's in on it.

Doctor, this is a question for you.

Don't you think--?

Margaret, just

get out of there.

-and even my colleagues,

the experimental

psychologists--

They're just gonna box her in.

They're just boxing her in.

...about their approach

to strange occurrences.

This is just what I'm

saying, it's just rhetoric.

It's just

pure rhetoric,

it's just talking the talk,

but to refute the role

that all crows are black you need

just one single white one. Actually--

I've never seen a

white crow, have you?

Look a bit harder.

Miss Hansen, I believe that

you're Simon Silver's agent,

are you not?

I guess that means you've

gotten to know him pretty well

over the years,

is that true?

I'm privileged.

He's a constant inspiration.

Silver's comeback has turned

into an event.

His recent sell-out performances

in both Atlanta and Dallas

can only be described

as an unbelievable success.

Today he will be

performing in our city,

at the Columbus Theater, less than

Now, Miss Hansen, is "perform"...?

That's a funny word.

Do you think that's the right word

to describe what's going on here?

I would say "share."

Simon has never been ashamed of

sharing his extraordinary abilities.

I think that "perform"

is exactly the right word.

I beg to disagree.

Why allow for

a rigorous study

when the mass spectacle

is there to be embraced

and there's money

to be made?

A lot of money,

I would imagine.

The word "choice."

- Excuse me, Simon Silver

- Taking advantage of people.

Was subjected to rigorous studies

by at least two different--

Oh, come on!

Universities of

unquestionable renown.

But I guess

you know this, doctor,

since you were on one

of those committees.

I never signed off

on the findings however.

- Are you okay?

- Sh--sh--sh.

The

experiments weren't done

under proper

controlled conditions.

Yeah,

controlled conditions.

Those of us born different

feel real safe.

Complete inspection

of all body orifices,

Faraday cages where we are

locked away like animals,

And--and you're

surprised that Silver

refused to subject

himself to that.

No, I'm not

at all surprised

that he refused to

follow the one protocol

that would effectively eliminate

any possibility of fraud.

All this sounds very convincing,

doctor, but in actual fact,

telepathic experiments...

No, no, no, no, do not

go on the defensive.

Margaret, do not go

on the defensive!

She's going

on the defensive.

Can you see this?

This is what she does.

She goes on the defensive and

then the whole thing just--

-in light of

my considerable experience

investigating these phenomena,

Aw, don't give

'em an edge.

...Of the existence

of paranormal powers...

She's gonna

mention the bone.

Just wait, she's gonna

mention the bone.

Do not

mention the bone.

I've spoken to some

of those supposed victims

whose eyes you

claim to have opened,

and, believe me, they don't

have very nice things

to say about you.

Telling people they've been

victimized by these crazy ideas

and then trying to get

the ideas away from them

it's like trying to take

a bone away from a dog.

They don't

want to let go.

Maybe / don'!

know my place but'-

How did

you know that?

Because I'm psychic.

Yes, she did,

that's exactly what we are to you.

We were animals.

What I'm saying is give me

proof that a photon of light

can pass through

a human body

and I will start to

believe in invisibility.

Until that happens,

all we're talking about here

is simple subjective beliefs.

What do you

believe in, Dr. Matheson?

Do you have a transcendent

view of life?

A what?

Well, you

talk about beliefs.

What do you

believe in?

Well, I don't really see what

that has to do with anything.

Well, it's a very

simple question

that maybe

you can answer.

I'm just asking you,

do you believe or don't you?

Well, I try to

understand, not believe.

So you accept that it's possible

there's something out there?

No, I didn't say that.

You're a

religious person?

No. You know, once, long

ago, I suppose I was.

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