Classic Debunking Episode 1: James Hydrick

During the late 70s and 1980, James Hydrick (or Sum Chai as he called himself) claimed to be able to move various inanimate objects using PK (Psychokenesis also known as Telekenesis). He became famous for this ability, but was there some less than supernatural cause for these strange events? we look back at Hydrick's claims and demonstrate- with the use of archive footage- just how Hydrick is doing this.

The Classic Debunking series aims to look at classic claims of the supernatural and the paranormal, many of which have been exposed previously, but very few for a modern audience. We were encouraged to produce these videos after claims such as Hydricks gained new attention through the internet and Youtube, with many people using these "abilities" to fool and deceive a new generation.

That's Incredible:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sblPQWKHOY

Randi exposes Hydrick pt 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cS6DjeBz7g

Randi exposes Hydrick pt 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf0Iipl6QQY

Hydrick's Confession:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7yDLRib5CQ

JREF Youtube page:
http://www.youtube.com/user/JamesRandiFoundation

Captain Disillusion:
http://www.youtube.com/user/CaptainDisillusion

Category:

Education

Tags:

• james
• hydrick
• randi
• psychic
• fraud
• debunk
• telekenesis
• psychokenesis
• pk
• tk
• alex
• pryce
• edinburgh
• skeptics
• hoax
• supernatural
• paranormal
• jref
• million
• dollar
• challenge
• pencil
• move
• moving
• bible
• telephone
• page
• turn
• ghosts
• god
• religion

[SmilingFoxie420]

boing, boing.. boing, boing.. ....wait, wut? :O

[edinburghskeptics]

@SmilingFoxie420 "blowing"

[EatWave]

Not to be a bug-bear,but Jesus actually comes back to wreck up the place in the end. He dies somewhere towards the middle of the Bible.

Stil, I'm impressed that noone asked James Hydrick to show them how he molested children without laying a hand on them. Oh,right, because he did use his hands.

[edinburghskeptics]

@EatWave I know. but I hadn't scripted this and it seemed an amusing comment to make :)

[ArizonaChris96]

James Hydrick was convicted as a sex offender (of oral copulation) and is currently incarcerated at a California prison (Wasco State Prison-Reception Center CDCR# G03069, as of 12-11-2010)

[amundb]

I think you've missed the real fraud.

Did you actually believe that this clown was there to prove his psychic powers?

This guy isn't that stupid. He's a jerk that got paid to represent psychics as jerks, which he does remarkably well. No-one would volunteer to be tested with an act this weak.

Just look at how he responds to the questions; his answers appear memorized rather than based on personal experience. He's doing his acting too well, and the show is rather a charade than a genuine test.

[cmichael67]

wtf that scroll is right thru the video and thats quite annoying

[MRCAB]

There doesn't seem to be an address on the sex offender registry. I guess you have to be a child rapist to get that info public?

[lesperio]

This comment is for supporters of James Randi, and non believers of psychic powers. Let's keep aside evidences, scams, real things aside and think about yourselves as people with minds who make choices, for a minute. Think about this- All your life everybody around you says you cannot do something. Some "loon" comes and says you Can!......And you people gear up to prove the "loon" is wrong! You're proving why you cannot do something? Doesn't it show what kind of a person you are?. Grow up 'lya?

[DiarmaidGNR]

Does anyone know where I can get the full clip of Hydricks confession? - and not the short two minutes piece of crap.