The Supernatural A-Z

by James Randi

Covers illusions, psychics, mystics, clairvoyants, and frauds

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Reference, Skepticism, Occult, Religion, History

374 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1995

About the author

James Randi (born Randall James Hamilton Zwinge; August 7, 1928 – October 20, 2020) was a Canadian-American stage magician and a scientific skeptic who extensively challenged paranormal and pseudoscientific claims. He was the co-founder of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI), originally known as the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP). He also founded the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF). He began his career as a magician under the stage name The Amazing Randi and later chose to devote most of his time to investigating paranormal, occult, and supernatural claims, which he collectively called "woo-woo".Randi retired from practicing magic at age 60, and from the JREF at 87.

Although often referred to as a "debunker", Randi said he disliked the term's connotations and preferred to describe himself as an "investigator". He wrote about paranormal phenomena, skepticism, and the history of magic. He was a frequent guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, famously exposing fraudulent faith healer Peter Popoff, and was occasionally featured on the television program Penn & Teller: Bullshit! - wikipeadia

Reviews

[Stefan Mitev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Легендарният илюзионист Джеймс Ранди почина през 2020 г., на 92-годишна възраст. Той е един от основателите на скептичното движение в САЩ и основният противник на шарлатани, твърдящи, че притежават свръхестествени способности, като например Юри Гелър. Джеймс Ранди разкрива на широката публика тайната на "гадателя" Питър Попов, а именно - малка слушалка в ухото, чрез която диктиват отговори на зададените въпроси.

Джеймс Ранди оставя след себе си огромно литературно наследство. Преди време бях чел книгата му за Юри Гелър, в която обяснява как можем да огъваме лъжици и да "четем мисли" на хората без да притежаваме магически способности. Енциклопедията на твърденията и измамите има по-различен стил. По азбучен ред са подредени различни теми, които имат отношение към свръхестественото. Голяма част от нещата вече знаех, от минали книги. Припомних си малко известни концепции в изкуството на илюзията, които се използват от шарлатаните за залъгване на лаиците. Ето няколко интересни извадки:

*Писателят Артър Конан Дойл е литературен баща на свръхрационалния детектив Шерлок Холмс, но в реалния живот се е увличал по спиритуализъм и мистификации. След смъртта на сина си Конан Дойл започва да посещава сеанси на медиуми, които (уж) комуникират с духовете на починалите. Известният писател става за смях след като публично заявява в истинността на няколко снимки, показващи истински феи. Бързо става ясно, че снимките са резултат от не особено добре направен монтаж, при това от непълнолетни момичета. Може сами да ги видите, ако напишете в Google - Cottingley Fairies.

*Житните кръгове не са тайни послания от извънземни. Странните структури всъщност могат да бъдат създадени изключително лесно дори от хора с минимален опит. Окултните феномени достигат дори до Унгария, където са обявени от "експертна комисия" за дело на извънземни. Само няколко дни след това истинските автори на житните кръгове (хора от плът и кръв) показват запис на своите дейности, довели до създаване на красивите формации. Екипът от "експерти" за пореден път става за смях с липсата си на рационално мислене.

*Голямата Стъпка (Big foot)/Йети/Саскуоч не съществува. Това едва ли е изненада, но все още има хора, които вярват в автентичността на запис, който уж показва косматото същество. Най-правдоподобното описание е, че филмът с лошо качество всъщност показва човек, облечен в специален костюм. Феновете на конспиративни теории не вярват в подобно обяснение, но експеримент доказва, че хората не могат да различат поведението и движенията на истински маймуни и примати от това на хора в костюми. Филмите "Планетата на маймуните" и "2001 - Космическа одисея" включват хора в костюми, които играят роля на съответните животни, но огромната част от публиката въобще и не подозира това.

*Джеймс Ранди разкрива и част от триковете на илюзионистите, които често се използват при техни представления. "Четенето на мисли" не е особено трудно, ако се познават тънкостите на "студеното четене" (cold reading) и ако се използват принципите "One ahead" и "Swami gimmick". Лесно е да заблудиш хората, когато те самите искат да повярват, че свръхестественото е около нас.

Енциклопедията не е за всеки, особено с азбучната си подредба. Но ако имате интерес към изкуството на илюзионистите, убеждаването на тълпата и рационалното мислене, то книгата ще ви разкрие неподозирани истини. Влезте във Фейсбук групата В реалността, където често обсъждаме подобни теми.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent stuff! A fascinating and funny look at so-called occult and supernatural occurrences and abilities. Provides an excellent grounding in the basics of the spiritualist movement, as well as discussions of numerous "psychic" and "unexplainable" phenomena. Randi balances his (occasionally somewhat mean-spirited--no pun intended) criticisms of the people who believe in this nonsense with a far more severe pen-lashing of the self-aggrandizing, manipulative, greedy sorts who prey upon their vulnerable audiences. Randi peppers the text with punchlines and witty asides, and it makes for a very engaging and amusing read. Also, thanks to this book, my husband has given me permission to name our firstborn Theophrastus Philippus Aureolus Bombast von Hohenheim (more commonly known as Paracelsus), whom Randi describes as "a superstitious, argumentative, offensive braggart who alienated everyone with whom he came in contact" (seems like an excellent namesake!)

I just had to check my use of namesake, thinking I may have used it incorrectly. To some, I have--but by OED standards, a namesake is just something with the same name as another and can be used for either the name-source or the name-recipient. Likewise for eponym. (Thanks, Wikipedia!)

Ahem. Anyhow, Randi also describes Paracelsus as follows: "A natural wanderer and vagabond, this scholar managed to lose every friend he ever made, and his superiority complex soon earned him a terrible reputation . . . well earned, as indicated in the preface to one of his books. He wrote: 'In this midcentury, monarchy of all the arts pertains to me, Theophrastus Paracelsus, prince of philosophy and medicine. For to this am I chosen by God that I may extinguish all fantasies of all far-fetched, false and putative worlds and presumptuous words, be they of Aristotle, Galen, Avicenna, Mesue, or any of their adherents.'" So, yes--a fine fellow to name your child after. We'll call the kid Theo.

Also, Randi notes that Pythagoras almost certainly did not create the Pythagorean theorem. Say what?! I love books like this. Also of note is the amusing easter egg entry for Martinet Jardinier of Nebra-Ska (Martin Gardner). Hee.

[Sarah-Anne]

James Randi, professional magician and skeptic, has put together an encyclopedia with something for everyone. Yes, no matter who you are, unless you're a thoroughgoing atheist, Randi is bound to offend your beliefs at one point or another. As Arthur C. Clarke says in his introduction, the book "should be issued with a mental health warning, as many readers--if they are brave enough to face unwelcome facts--will find some of their cherished beliefs totally demolished." Randi is dryly sarcastic about hundreds of topics, including Catholic relics, speaking in tongues, Jehovah's Witnesses, yoga, the origins of Mormonism, dowsing, magnetic hills, UFOs, and every spiritualist of the past several centuries. A typical entry defines a nymph as: "in the real world, the immature form of the dragonfly and certain other insects, or a young woman with robust sexual interests. Take your choice." Comprehensive, exasperating and exasperated, witty, and unsparing, Randi's encyclopedia provides more debunking per page than any other resource. --Mary Ellen Curtin

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am reading this because it is part of Scott Adams reading list.

This book is very interesting, to learn about all of the various silly things that people have believed in over the years.

While the author is critical of the evidence gathering ability of people who believe in these things, he does not usually use any evidence to prove that something is ineffective and comments like "which is clearly made up" "and other similar nonsense" means that he is not using the same levels of proof and evidence that he demands of others.

Also comments like "but x has since been proven as a liar" with no citations or references are unhelpful.

Had the author used some citations in the book this could have been 5 star.

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

AN ALPHABETICAL LISTING OF A HUGE RANGE OF TOPICS

James Randi (1928-2020) was a stage magician (as ‘The Amazing Randi”), scientific skeptic, and author who was the co-founder of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI). The James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) offered a prize of US $1,000,000 to anyone able to demonstrate a supernatural ability under scientific testing criteria agreed to by both sides.

He wrote in the Introduction to this 1995 book, “This volume is designed to provide a guide to the many subjects that are usually included in the ‘supernatural’ category… Unquestioning belief in every sort of unproven claim of magical, occult, and mystical notions, fueled by what seems to be a missionary zeal, has guided other writers. This can give students only the affirmative view of subjects that have often actually been long ago disproved…

“The onus of proof is on the paranormalists and the other believers to establish their case, without resorting to special pleading and exceptions to standard expectations of scientific rigor, which the conjurers---understandably---often require in order to succeed at their performances. The conjurers are entertainers… Conjuring is an ancient and honorable profession… I have tried valiantly to avoid pontificating in the preparation of this volume. If personal attitudes---rather than factual delineations--- invade the subjects, please forgive the intrusion. Long familiarity with these subjects naturally gives rise to a certain cast of mind, which doubtless will be apparent. I trust that the text does not in any way incorrectly describe the subjects, and opinions are, I hope, clearly discerned, apart from a recitation of the facts and the fallacies involved.”

He says under ‘Abominable Snowman,’ “An impressive report was made by mountaineers who … photographed giant footprints measuring thirteen by eighteen inches. However, tracks left in the snow tend to enlarge when exposed to direct sun, and this may well explain many of the accounts of Snowman tracks, since smaller tracks of native animals tend to spread under warmth.” (Pg. 1)

Under ‘Akashic Records,’ he states, “The ‘records’ are supposed to contain data on EVERYTHING that has ever happened, IS happening, or ever WILL happen in the entire universe… This idea was adopted, preached, and popularized by H.P. Blavatsky as part of the Theosophy religion. Presently, the notion is reflected in the ‘holistic’ view held by the new agers. Many psychics have said they somehow obtained their information from these records, particularly Edgar Cayce and Rudolf Steiner. The claim is impossible to examine.” (Pg. 8)

He comments on Atlantis: “The story, which Plato said originated in Egypt, just may be based on an actual cataclysm such as the one suggested by evidence discovered at the island of Santorini, north of Crete. It appears that about 1500 B.C. there was a volcanic explosion that should have decimated the area, and though that even does not satisfy the geographical location, copying error might account for the differences. No evidence exists for a mid-Atlantic continent, and in fact we now know much more about the actual topography of the ocean bottoms, and Atlantis is simply not there.” (Pg. 20)

In the section on the Bible, he points out, “In Jonah 1:7, we find a reference to chance being used for DIVINATION: ‘Come and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.’ The process is justified and validated by another biblical passage, Proverbs 16:33, where we read, ‘The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.” (Pg. 27)

He reports of medium Florence Cook and scientist William Crookes, “[Crookes] was closely associated with Cook and wrote copiously on her mediumship… Eventually, following a séance given on May 21, 1874, Crookes seems to have abandoned his belief in Cook, though he never publicly retracted his support of her.” (Pg. 56) [NOTE: According to the book by Trevor H. Hall, ‘ The Medium and the Scientist: The Story of Florence Cook and William Crookes,’ the two were having an affair at the time he wrote favorably of her.]

Of Daniel Dunglas Home, he comments, “Home had, and still has, the reputation of never having been exposed as a fake. Since he carefully controlled all aspects of his séance performances, never admitting those persons who might not behave themselves, and since accounts by witnesses of his feats vary greatly, this reputation would not be surprising. He actually was discovered cheating several times, though those events were not made public.” (Pg. 120)

He notes under ‘Hubbard, Lafayette Ronald,' “Parapsychologist Dr. Harold Puthoff… is both a Scientologist and a ‘clear.’” (Pg. 124)

He says of Kirlian photography, “The most famous effect of Kirlian photography occurred when a plant leaf was ‘photographed,’ then a section was torn away, and the leaf was rephotographed. A faint image of the torn-out section was still seen in the second photo. Since the same glass plates had been used, it is probable that moisture from the missing portion was providing the ghostly image. Since the glass plates used as dielectric material would tend to break down along the edges of the object, allowing easier passage of the discharge, that may also account for the effect. The observed ‘phantom leaf’ effect was not found again in better-controlled experiments, but has of course continued to serve as a point of argument for believers.” (Pg. 136)

This book will be of great interest to those seeking a skeptical perspective on such claimed phenomena.

[Chase Parsley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a solid reference book from James Randi, the famous myth-buster and magician. It is about 300 pages, from the 1990s, and is an A-Z encyclopedia as the title suggests.

Since it is like reading an encyclopedia, it is hit and miss. But for me, I got my mind blown about once every 20 minutes. Here were my favorite things I came across:

Cold reading. This is when a psychic asks questions to draw out information with the intention to “communicate” with a dead person. It is all nonsense and the questions are posed in an open-ended way to gain information. “Try on” questions are used like, “X is seated next to you. Why is that?” Also, if a mistake is made, the psychic can say, “Yes, I feel that strongly too!” or “Yes, of course.”

Cottingley Fairy photos. Apparently, fake photos of a girl with fairies (cut out from a kid’s book) in a forest influenced many people, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle of Sherlock Holmes fame, to believe in fairies in the early 1900s!

Demons. I encourage you to YouTube/Google the “Lesser Key of Solomon”. It is a 1600s book that details 73 demons in hierarchical progression. I had no idea that demons were so organized and chronicled.

Doppelganger. Apparently, when you meet your doppelganger in person, you both die!

Erik Hanussen. Working in Nazi Germany, this psychic made a fatal mistake when he “predicted” the Reichstag fire after learning about it in real life from high-ranking Nazis. Recall that this was when the Nazis committed arson on Reichstag legislature building and blamed the communists). Hanussen got arrested and shot dead (12 bullet holes) immediately afterwards.

Matthew Hopkins. An innocent sounding name for an brutal witch hunter in 1600s England. Up to several hundred victims died.

Lemuria. Kind of like Atlantis, this “lost continent” was home to an advanced civilization. Lemurians had ESP and other powers, flew in glass airplanes, had eternal life, and enjoyed the use of free and abundant energy.

One-ahead method. The trick of putting envelopes in a basket and pretending to predict the envelope in front of a crowd is performed by secretly opening one envelope before starting and memorizing its contents. That way you can “predict” it. Then when you open another one you do the same thing.

Relics. Some good humor here: there were “enough pieces of the True Cross to build a few log cabins, bones and several entire heads of John the Baptist” etc.

Secret Gospel. This is a wild one. Discovered 1958 by Dr. Morton Smith of Columbia University, this writing made it sound like Jesus slept with a youth. Was Jesus gay?! As you can predict, all hell (no pun intended) broke loose in the theology community.

Only virgins can tame unicorns. To quote Walter (John Goodman) from the Big Lebowski, “I did not know that.”

At the end of the book, Randi reveals 49 Failed End of the World Prophecies. For example, the Jehovah’s Witness crowd predicted the End of Days in 1874, 1914, and 1975.

[Andrew Garvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked up in a charity shop for £1.99, I hadn't planned on actually reading this cover-to-cover but Randi's sneerily amusing dismissals of all manner of flapdoodle and nonsense are addictive after a while. Along the way, he skewers everything from crystal skulls to Hollow Earth theories, from the Bermuda Triangle to Nostradamus and all sorts of minor scams and scammers.

True, his constant digs at Sir Arthur Conan Doyle seemingly every single time he gets to take a shot at spiritualists and spiritualism (which he gets plenty of opportunity to do) becomes more than a little redundant but that probably isn't a problem if you're just dipping in and out of it.

At times, the entries are frustratingly brief and Randi's assertions are made with about as much evidence (though surely far more rationality) as whatever it is he's savaging, leaving some of them feeling unfinished and nothing like as authoritative as they could be. But these are minor complaints when so much of the book is as funny as it is valuable.

Two appendices, one detailing and debunking the Curse of King Tut and the other, in which forty-nine different 'end of the world' prophecies are dismissed and derided are great fun. Perhaps the book's biggest failing (aside from, as Arthur C. Clarke notes in the foreword, no entry tearing the utter gibberish of creationism to bits) is one even slightly of it's own making. Randi's encyclopedia of a world in which people will seemingly believe any old nonsense was published in 1995, before the overwhelming majority of people had got hold of the internet.

It needs an updated second edition, desperately.

[Peter Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an entertaining enough book to dip into, but it does suffer from being based more on what interests the author, than being comprehensive. Fake psychics (are there any other kind?) get a lot more attention than the more interesting things, such as ghosts and other monsters.


It's a useful book, especially if you know anyone who is a victim of mediums, but if you're looking for a good story, or a shiver down your spine, then you won't get that here.

[Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many entries of interesting sorts, Randi is best when giving the historical facts, but sometimes falls into judgment [I suppose an argument could be made that simply including the subject would count that way], reminding me of the way the Skeptical Inquirer 'debunks' things. Still, entertaining and educational when one does not forget the salt. Garrett Vance?

[Douglas · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was originally published in 1995 before the internet was world wide. Later the contents became avoidable on the James Randi Foundation's webpage. It is a catalog of topics about which Randi has lectured and written. There are not foot or end notes. Most entries are very short. Although I am a theist, I have great respect for Randi's work as a skeptic.

[Eugene Galt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting, amusing, and accessible introduction the subject. Unfortunately, it is marred by factual errors and by the author's failure to distinguish witty commentary from gratuitous nastiness.

[Katelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thorough, informative.... but somehow both dry and unnecessarily snarky.

[Sakura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great fun.
Only to be taken one small dose at a time, in order to avoid becoming overwhelmed with woo and thenceforth thinking every person you pass on the street is surely a raving nutcase.

[Mahdi Hossain · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most fun I ever had reading an encyclopedia

[Barbara · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maybe I'll read this in the future if I can find it free. It's not at all what I thought it would be like.

[Johnny · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best consulting material regarding supernatural myths that we can disprove easily with documented historical information about the origin of them.

[Chris Miskimins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and Insightful

I've always enjoyed the Amazing Randi's performances on TV and his wit is evident in this book. He will be missed.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a slightly dated short encyclopedia, but I ended up reading it straight through, mostly because of Randi's dry humor.

[Studvet · Rating 3 out of 5]

A 3.5. Interesting but could have been more extensive and detailed on the truly fascinating things.

[Rob de W · Rating 4 out of 5]

An authoritative and amazing alphabetical account accruing arcane appearances, abnormal apparitions, and awful artifices.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another of those books that I was attracted to because of it's alphabetical arrangement, but the information within is fascinating--from why people are attracted to the symmetry in natural formations like crystals to the mandrake plant which is related to the potato and often grows in the shape of a human body. When it is drawn from the ground, it's supposed to emit a horrendous human-like shriek that will drive a human insane. And that's just a couple of things it covers--it also delves into witches, Sasquatch (we're familiar with him up here in the Northwest), UFOs, unicorns and so on . . . . a great book for mystics and magic lovers everywhere.

[Kym Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always James Randi has a cutting and clever style with his approach to the super natural and its many bunk artists that have both existed and still exist to this day. His intelligent and at times witty writing style makes for this seemingly 'dry' encyclopedia a fun and interesting read.

Comprehensive in its broad context while also providing just enough information so as to be an introductory level read so as to help inform and inspire further reading on much of the subject matter.

Whether you actually do believe in many of these exotic and extra rationale beliefs or are a skeptic, then this is a book worth reading.

82 %

[Ronel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always been intrigued with people's fascination with the occult, the paranormal and everything that goes bump in the night. But the more I delved into it, the more I became skeptical of the of these phenomena.

This book is a valuable resource and the ebook of the encyclopedia as it appears on James Randi's website randi.org. I loved the explanations and definitions.

I had two gripes though: There was not an index which linked to the contends and two, I wanted more. Glutton, I know.

[Leonard Pierce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inessential Randi; this is basically just a slight compendium of some of the more famous bits of historical buncombe. Still, it's fine if it's the only such reference you have, and Randi lets himself get nasty from time to time.

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining, enlightening, and hilarious commentary on some of the biggest examples of bullshit to make headlines. Should be in every home.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Highly enjoyable, but biased and Randi's mocking comments are frequently amusing

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great as a reference book or just to dip into, not really a sit and read.

[Tim Chizmar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this guy

[Vince Colucci · Rating 5 out of 5]

A vital resource for any scholar of any import, or a fun romp through the alphabetized bullshit that is one of societies greatest weeknesses. Only you can decide!

[Patrick McFarland · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must have for cynics and skeptics alike.