Psychic surgery is a form of medical fraud, in which the fraudster purports to be performing a paranormal surgical procedure. It is practiced chiefly in the Philippines and Brazil. It is performed by psychic doctors or psychic surgeons, who say they extract "tumors" or other pathological objects such as pus, or bones from the patient's body through an incision. // Paranormal is an umbrella term used to describe a wide variety of reported anomalous phenomena. ... “Surgeon” redirects here. ... Tumor (American English) or tumour (British English) originally means swelling, and is sometimes still used with that meaning. ... Pus is a whitish-yellow or yellow substance produced during inflammatory responses of the body that can be found in regions of pyogenic bacterial infections. ... Grays Anatomy illustration of a human femur. ... Cutting is the separation of a physical object, or a portion of a physical object, into two portions, through the application of an acutely directed force. ...

Psychic surgeons say they have special types of paranormal abilities. Practitioner Leony Romero says he can "raise the vibration" of his hands so that they can pass through the patient's tissues, and turn "diseased energy" into physical matter. // Paranormal is an umbrella term used to describe a wide variety of reported anomalous phenomena. ...

Skeptics say such paranormal talents do not exist, and argue that sleight of hand can best explain psychic surgery.^{[1] [2]} Sleight-of-hand, also known as legerdemain, is a technique of close-up magic in which small items are concealed in and around the performers hands, sometimes by the use of misdirection, to enhance the illusion being performed. ...

Philippines

In the Philippines, the procedure originated in the 1940s with Eleuterio Terte. Terte and his student Tony Agpaoa trained others in his techniques. Terte and many of his students were associated with a religious organization, the Union Espiritista Christiana de Filipinas (The Christian Spiritist Union of the Philippines.)

In 1959, the procedure became widely known in the U. S. through the publication of Into the Strange Unknown by Ron Ormond and Ormond McGill. They called the practice "fourth dimensional surgery," and said "[we] still don’t know what to think; but we have motion pictures to show it wasn’t the work of any normal magician, and could very well be just what the Filipinos said it was — a miracle of God performed by a fourth dimensional surgeon." Ormond McGill (born 1913 in Palo Alto, California, died October 19, 2005, also in Palo Alto, CA) was the Dean of American Hypnotists. McGill became interested in magic as a kid (he was also pretty legendary in magic circles), taking up hypnosis in 1927 while still a teenager. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Perhaps the most famous psychic surgeon is Alex Orbito, who became well-known in the U. S. through association with actress Shirley MacLaine. On June 14, 2005, Orbito was arrested by Canadian authorities and indicted for fraud [1]. Rev. ... Shirley MacLaine (born April 24, 1934) is an Academy Award-winning American film and theatre actress, well-known not only for her acting, but for her devotion to her belief in reincarnation. ... June 14 is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Psychic surgery made U.S. tabloid headlines in March 1984 when comedian Andy Kaufman, diagnosed with lung cancer, traveled to the Philippines for a six-week course of psychic surgery. Practitioner Jun Labo claimed to have removed large cancerous tumors and Kaufman believed the cancer had been removed. However, Kaufman died of metastatic carcinoma on May 16, 1984. This section has been identified as trivia. ... Lung cancer is the malignant transformation and expansion of lung tissue, and is the most lethal of all cancers worldwide, responsible for 1. ... May 16 is the 136th day of the year (137th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar). ...

Brazil

The origins of the practice in Brazil are obscure; it may derive from Candomblé rituals, or it may have been inspired by reports from the Philippines. In any case, by the late 1950s several "spiritual doctors" were practicing in the country. Many of them were associated with Kardecism, a major spiritualistic religion in Brazil, and claimed to be performing their operations merely as channels for spirits of deceased medical doctors. Ilê Axé Iya Nassô Oká - Terreiro da Casa Branca Candomblé is an African religion practiced chiefly in Brazil but also in adjacent countries. ... Kardecist Spiritism or Kardecism is a spiritualistic doctrine created in the 19th century by Allan Kardec. ... By 1853, when the popular song Spirit Rappings was published, Spiritualism was the object of intense curiosity. ... Channeling can refer to Channeling (physics) Channeling (mediumistic), a term used in reference to the process of receiving messages or inspiration from invisible beings or spirits This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

The most famous Brazilian psychic surgeon was José (Zé) Arigó, who claimed to be channeling for a certain Dr. Fritz. Unlike most other psychic surgeons, who work bare-handed, Arigo used a blade. Other psychic surgeons who claimed to channel for Dr. Fritz were Edson Queiroz and Rubens Farias Jr.. The most popular one today (especially abroad) is João de Deus, who operates in Abadiânia, state of Goiás. José (Zé) Arigó, born José Pedro de Freitas (18 October 1921 - 1 November 1971) was a Brazilian psychic surgeon. ... Adolf Fritz, generally called Dr. Fritz (Munich, ? – Estonia, 1918), was a hypothetical German surgeon whose spirit has allegedly been channeled by several Brazilian psychic surgeons, starting with José (Zé) Arigó in the 1950s and continuing up to the present. ... Edson Queiroz (– 1991) was a Brazilian psychic surgeon who operated through the 1970s and the 1980s. ... Rubens Farias Jr. ... João Teixeira de Faria (1942—), better known by his alias João de Deus (John of God) is perhaps the most famous medium and psychic surgeon in Brazil today. ... Abadiânia is a small town and municipality in the state of Goiás, Brazil. ... Flag of Goiás See other Brazilian States Capital Goiânia Largest City Goiânia Area 341 289 km² Population   - Total   - Density 4 848 725 14. ...

According to the descriptions of Yoshiaki Omura (1997), Brazilian psychic surgery appears to be different from that practiced in the Philippines. Omura refers to practitioners using techniques resembling Qi Gong, Shiatsu massage, and chiropractic manipulation. Many patients were injected with a brown liquid, and minor surgery was performed in about 20% of the cases observed. While Arigó performed his operations with kitchen knives in improvised settings, Omura reports that the clamping of the blood vessels and the closings of the surgical wounds are now performed by licensed surgeons or licensed nurses. Yoshiaki Omura, MD, ScD, (born 28 March 1934, in Asahi, Toyama Prefecture, Japan), is President and Founder of the International College of Acupuncture & Electro-Therapeutics, President and Founder of the International Bi-Digital O-Ring Test Medical Association, and Director of Medical Research of the [1] Omura is the creator... Qigong (氣功 - Pinyin: qìgōng, Wade-Giles: chi kung) is an increasingly popular aspect of Chinese medicine. ... Shiatsu (指圧 Japanese from shi, meaning finger, and atsu, meaning pressure) - is a hands-on therapy technique originating in Japan. ... Chiropractic is a complementary and alternative health care profession with the purpose of diagnosing and treating mechanical disorders of the spine and musculoskeletal system with the intention of affecting the nervous system and improving health. ...

Other locations

There are a handful of practitioners in the UK, notably Stephen Turoff, who operates the Danbury Healing Clinic in Chelmsford, England. Arms of Chelmsford Borough Council This article is about the town of Chelmsford in Essex. ...

A San Francisco Chronicle article refers to psychic surgery as being practiced within "a kind of psychic underground in America, England, Russia and many other countries."

Fraud and sleight-of-hand

Psychic surgery was discredited by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission in 1975.^[3] In a unanimous opinion, the commission declared that "'psychic surgery' is nothing but a total hoax."^[4] Judge Daniel H. Hanscom, in granting the FTC an injunction against travel agencies promoting psychic surgery tours, said: "Psychic surgery is pure and unmitigated fakery. The 'surgical operations' of psychic surgeons ... with their bare hands are simply phony."^[5] FTC headquarters, Washington, D.C. The Federal Trade Commission (or FTC) is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act. ... A hoax is an attempt to trick an audience into believing that something false is real. ...

James Randi, a stage magician turned psychic debunker, has repeatedly exposed psychic surgery as a fraudulent sleight-of-hand confidence trick. He has stated that in personal observations of the procedure, and in movies showing the procedures, he can spot sleight-of-hand moves that are evident to experienced stage magicians, but might be missed by a casual observer. Randi has replicated the effects himself by sleight-of-hand [2] [3] [4]. Professional magicians Milbourne Christopher and Robert Gurtler have also observed psychic surgeons at work, and claim to have spotted the use of sleight-of-hand. On his A&E show "Mindfreak" in the episode "Sucker," illusionist Criss Angel performs "Psychic Surgery," showing first-hand how it is done (using fake blood, plastic bags and chicken livers), and how it is a complete hoax. James Randi (born August 7, 1928), stage name The Amazing Randi, is a stage magician and scientific skeptic best known as a challenger of paranormal claims and pseudoscience. ... Sleight of hand, also known as prestidigitation (quick fingers) or legerdemain (pronounced in French, from lightness of hand or deformation of le jeu de main i. ... Grifter redirects here. ... Milbourne Christopher (1914 - 1984) was one of Americas foremost illusionists, performing in sixty-eight countries. ...

As a magic trick, psychic surgery is surprisingly easy to duplicate. First, the "surgeon" will slightly roll or pinch the skin over the area of the "operation". When his flattened hand reaches under the roll of skin, it looks and feels as if he's actually reaching into the patient's body. Simultaneously, the surgeon will have small bags of chicken or rat entrails palmed in his hand, or hidden beneath the table within easy reach. These entrails simulate the "diseased" tissue that the surgeon is supposedly removing. If the surgeon wants to simulate bleeding, he squeezes a bladder of animal blood. It is a simple illusion requiring very little practice. (Like most magic tricks, it's best practiced in front of a mirror.) If done properly, it can fool most patients and onlookers. Some "psychic surgery" does not solely rely on this magic trick.[5] Magician redirects here. ...

In 1990, the American Cancer Society stated that it found no evidence that "psychic surgery" results in objective benefit in the treatment of any medical condition, and strongly urged individuals who are ill not to seek treatment by psychic surgery. The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a medical organization with a corporate attitude in the United States. ...

While not generally hazardous to the patient, medical fraud of this kind carries considerable risk of the patient delaying or forgoing any competent medical help — sometimes with fatal consequences.

Art and entertainment

• In the 1989 film Penn & Teller Get Killed, comedic magicians Penn and Teller demonstrate how to perform the illusion of psychic surgery.

• The song "Placebo Effect" by Siouxsie and the Banshees is about psychic surgery.

• In the TV show Criss Angel Mindfreak, Season 2 Episode "Sucker", Criss explains psychic surgery.

• In the 1999 movie Man on the Moon, a movie based on the life of Andy Kaufman, Kaufman receives Psychic surgery and notices its "trick".

Penn & Teller Get Killed is a 1989 dark comedy film directed by Arthur Penn starring magicians Penn & Teller. ... Penn (left) & Teller Penn and Teller are a two-man magic and comedy team, comprised of Penn Jillette and Teller. ... Siouxsie and the Banshees are a British gothic rock band. ... The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... This article is about the film. ... This section has been identified as trivia. ...

Footnotes

James Randi (born August 7, 1928), stage name The Amazing Randi, is a stage magician and scientific skeptic best known as a challenger of paranormal claims and pseudoscience. ... The Faith Healers is a 1987 book by magician and skeptic James Randi with a foreword by Carl Sagan. ... Dr Donald Don Laycock, was a graduate of Newcastle University, NSW, Australia and later worked as a researcher at Adelaide University in Anthropology. ... David Vernon is an Australian writer. ... Dr Colin Groves is a Professor of Biological Anthropology at the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia. ... he is quite poor ...

See also

• Faith healing

“Faith healer” redirects here. ...

External links

• James Randi debunks "psychic surgery"
• Unconventional therapies - Psychic Surgery — overview by the British Columbia Cancer Agency
• Psychic "surgery" — definition in the Skeptic's Dictionary
• The Facts About Faith Healing — article about fraud in faith healing.
• An Article on Alex L. Orbito - a believer's view.
• Fake Healing - a description of an event involving Mr. Orbito with editorial commentary.
• Abstract
• [6] Repairs to Pangasinan’s pyramid to start next year, says healers group] Manila Times article on late-2004 status of Orbito's Pyramid of Asia
• "Psychic Surgery" (1990) Ca. Cancer J. Clin. 40(3) 184-8 Abstract Full text Terte/Agpaoa origins; exposed by Milbourne Christopher and Robert Gurtler.
• "Sideshows of Science," David Perlman, San Francisco Chronicle, January 8, 2001; text. Reference to "psychic underground"
• 'Psychic surgeon' a heel, not a healer, police say Globe and Mail story on Orbito's 2005 arrest in Toronto
• Psychic surgeon charged Filipino Reporter story on Orbito's 2005 arrest in Toronto