in Food
Kristen Kish
"You have to earn your spot no matter what."
Self-proclaimed psychic Uri Geller is an enigmatic character- equal part Houdini and shadowy publicity hound. Throughout the eighties, Geller found propulsive fame through his demonstration of telekinetic abilities- most notably his feat of bending spoons by the mere suggestion of touch. Shrouded in scepticism and controversy, the man himself speaks about the power of experience to illuminate unknown passages of the human mind.
A close-up showing Geller's fingerpad with an energy spurt.
In the 1970s and 80s, Uri Geller dominated TV shows across the world, captivating politicians, celebrities and royalty alike with his uncanny demonstrations of telekinetic abilities. Throughout his twenties, Geller was one of the most sought after individuals in the realm of the paranormal- musicians sung about him, Prime Ministers fawned at his abilities and even Michael Jackson served as his best man at his vow renewal ceremony. In recent years, the declassification of CIA documents have also revealed the self-proclaimed mystifier's involvement in psychical warfare for elite intelligence entities like the CIA and Mossad. Recruited to lead their team of "psychic warriors", Geller was positioned at the forefront of the Stargate Project- an intelligence operative unit established by the U.S Army to investigate the military potential of parapsychological activity. From the private rooms of world leaders and glitterati to the hermetically sealed chambers of the CIA, the clairvoyant's mythical rise to fame has galvanised an array of fans and critics alike. Once the target of famous debunker James Randi, the enigmatic psychic shares an account of his experiences that precipitated his agile ascent to fame.
Lightning In a Bottle
They wanted to see if my mind could trigger a nuclear weapon.
Uri Geller
Q: Can you describe your journey so far?
Uri Geller: I was born in Tel Aviv and I discovered my powers when I was about 5 years old. I was eating soup, the spoon bent, but at the time I didn’t understand what it was. Children in school were amazed, teachers were baffled. It was then that I realised that there is some kind of energy that my mind emits that bends metal. It didn’t stop there, I could fix clocks, watches, I could move the hands of watches, so I realised I must have some type of superhuman energy. My mother was not surprised because she’s related to Sigmund Freud, my name is actually Uri Geller Freud. She’s from Vienna.
I grew up with this power, then I started to become well known in Israel. The Israeli secret service, the Mossad, recruited me to help. They didn’t understand how I could do what I did. They asked the CIA to test me, so in 1972 the CIA took me to the States. They tested me at Langley Virginia and Palo Alto California. Then MI5 got involved, they wanted to test me but I wanted show business. I wanted to do the big TV shows and not be a guinea pig anymore. And then basically, I might sound boasty or showing off, but I became world famous in a very short amount of time.
Q: Did any externalities influence your psychic abilities?
UG: I faced quite a few traumas. I’ll never forget the first bullet that hit my living room where my mother had placed me in a pram- the glass shattering on my face. It’s hard to believe but I remember that. This soldier shot a bullet right through our window. It was Palestine then, not Israel. Then I lived in Cyprus from 10 to 16, where I witnessed British soldiers being killed, Greeks were being killed, Greeks were killing the Turks, the Turks were killing the Greeks. Then the trauma of growing up in a family that were fighting all the time, my parents divorced. I’m an only child. My mother was forced to go through 8 abortions before me. So if you look at that side of my life, the traumas that I suffered there is no doubt that they shape your psychological make up. They shape your way of thinking, your imagination and your belief system about certain things. I would say my entire life shaped my consciousness, my ability to think much deeper and further into inner space and outer space.
Q: Could you describe a little about the tests you experienced with the CIA, MI5 and Mossad?
UG: The CIA wanted to test me under total laboratory controlled conditions. They locked me in shielded rooms, they did drawings in Langley Virginia where the CIA headquarters is situated, and I had to read their minds while I was locked in a clarity cage – in a shielded metal room. I delivered every drawing they drew and more. I worked for them for four years. I did a battery of tests- not only for the CIA but also for the NSA, National Security Agency. They wanted to see if my mind could trigger a nuclear weapon, so I was taken to the radiation labs. That’s where they build nuclear bombs. From there, I was taken to the American Naval Service Weapon Centre. They really wanted to see if they could use more of Uri Geller to help their secret intelligence.
Q: Do you believe people are born with these supernatural powers or is this something that people can cultivate?
UG: I believe that we all, all humans and animals, have telepathic abilities. There is no doubt in my mind, that we are evolving, and developing our minds. I believe that the brain is the most powerful computer in the universe. And in the future, I think people will be able to move objects, dematerialise things, able to communicate telepathically, and time travel. It’s all in the near future in the next 50,000 years.
