Caveat Paisa Sadhu

Sinjoor · Oct 13th, 2009, 20:47

I post this in scams, but it was a nice India experience and I never got angry about it. This is just India

Location: Pahar Ganj, the budget traveller’s area in New Delhi. June 2007.

It was our last day of a perfect 7-week trip. We had just bought a beautiful, fake bronze Lakhsmi statue and I was in the best of moods when I walked back to the hotel from the store that had professionally packed the statue for shipment home. We only had to pack our bags and catch the flight home in the evening. That’s when it happened!

The guy was sitting cross-legged on a motorbike and I was thinking what a nice pink turban he was wearing. I walk fast in the Pahar Ganj lanes as you get touted the whole time yet this person was able to make me stop and answer to his who-what-where questions. Maybe it was because I had just been to Amritsar a few weeks before, that it was difficult for me to be impolite to a Sikh. It was impossible to break away after a few replies. I was saying in vain that my wife was waiting for me at the hotel and that I was in a hurry.

That’s when he came to the point. He was building a temple in Delhi and needed some support. I wished him luck and was almost gone when he told me if he could show just one of his powers. Think of your favourite colour he said. Annoying, I have no favourite colour, so I was thinking blue will do fine. He then wrote something on a little paper and showed it to me. For sure it said “blue”!

That sure was a nice trick, but for a sceptical atheist as myself not that impressive. So I try to make my move to leave as he convinces me to look at one more of his powers. Yes, also the number in my head matches with his note. I feel a bit awkward, sure this guy is a mentalist but I want to continue to the hotel and have no time to waste. So how come I agree to have tea with him in the chaishop across the road?

He starts to read my hand and says, “Your heart is pure”. Yeah, flattery will get you anywhere. Then he slips a bit “you are a teacher”. My profession is by far not related to teaching, but then improves on my health issues.

That is when he comes on the subject money again, and says that most foreigners give him 500 euros or so as they realize his powers are true. I am already half way up when he says that 100 euros will suffice. I sit down again and tell him that he has some great powers but by far it is not worth that kind of money. “What would convince you?” he asks me “If I can give you your mothers name, would that convince you?” I smell a rat but what else can I do than call his bluff? I have to write down my mom’s name on a piece of paper and fold the paper 4 times. I keep it in my fist and he grabs my fist while he is praying. I try to hold on to the paper but he twists and turns my hand and at some moment I do lose my grip on the paper. After some more praying he shows the paper on which he wrote, I open it and in his writing appears the name of my mother! I am flabbergasted and have up to now no real explanation on how he did this.

I admit defeat and take 15 euros out of my pocket, give it to him and tell him that it was indeed impressive. What about the one hundred note he asks? I say that 15 euros is a good price for this and quickly make off.

Later that afternoon my wife and I walk along the same road to the restaurant when I spot him sitting on the motorbike. “This is my wife,” I say. “Yes I know” he answers. And I hear myself thinking “of course he knows, he is a mind reader”.

lola_76 · Oct 14th, 2009, 12:14

The famous Canadian/American magician James Randi talks about tricks like that- what he calls parlor tricks. It is a trick, not a real power. If the bloke could really read people's minds and had customers paying 500 euros, he would not be looking for people on the street.

You paid him a lot more than most would, but it sounds like you enjoyed the experience and the price was in your budget so good! You had a nice experience and it is a great story! Sometimes I pay people to read my palm even though I know it is just a trick. It is fun.

James Randi says that if we are an audience and the magician is an entertainer, then this is very much fun. The problem starts when it becomes a scam. When people lie and say it is real because then it can start to be manipulative of people. So long as you enjoy the entertainment, all is well!

What you should have done is wrote someone else's name on the paper. Obviously with sleight of hand he was able to see what you wrote. If he knew your mom's name without writing anything- WOW! But otherwise it is only a trick. Maybe you find him again and expose him but maybe that would take the fun from it.

Oct 13th, 2009, 20:47	#1
Sinjoor Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Belgium Posts: 28	Caveat Paisa Sadhu I post this in scams, but it was a nice India experience and I never got angry about it. This is just India Location: Pahar Ganj, the budget traveller’s area in New Delhi. June 2007. It was our last day of a perfect 7-week trip. We had just bought a beautiful, fake bronze Lakhsmi statue and I was in the best of moods when I walked back to the hotel from the store that had professionally packed the statue for shipment home. We only had to pack our bags and catch the flight home in the evening. That’s when it happened! The guy was sitting cross-legged on a motorbike and I was thinking what a nice pink turban he was wearing. I walk fast in the Pahar Ganj lanes as you get touted the whole time yet this person was able to make me stop and answer to his who-what-where questions. Maybe it was because I had just been to Amritsar a few weeks before, that it was difficult for me to be impolite to a Sikh. It was impossible to break away after a few replies. I was saying in vain that my wife was waiting for me at the hotel and that I was in a hurry. That’s when he came to the point. He was building a temple in Delhi and needed some support. I wished him luck and was almost gone when he told me if he could show just one of his powers. Think of your favourite colour he said. Annoying, I have no favourite colour, so I was thinking blue will do fine. He then wrote something on a little paper and showed it to me. For sure it said “blue”! That sure was a nice trick, but for a sceptical atheist as myself not that impressive. So I try to make my move to leave as he convinces me to look at one more of his powers. Yes, also the number in my head matches with his note. I feel a bit awkward, sure this guy is a mentalist but I want to continue to the hotel and have no time to waste. So how come I agree to have tea with him in the chaishop across the road? He starts to read my hand and says, “Your heart is pure”. Yeah, flattery will get you anywhere. Then he slips a bit “you are a teacher”. My profession is by far not related to teaching, but then improves on my health issues. That is when he comes on the subject money again, and says that most foreigners give him 500 euros or so as they realize his powers are true. I am already half way up when he says that 100 euros will suffice. I sit down again and tell him that he has some great powers but by far it is not worth that kind of money. “What would convince you?” he asks me “If I can give you your mothers name, would that convince you?” I smell a rat but what else can I do than call his bluff? I have to write down my mom’s name on a piece of paper and fold the paper 4 times. I keep it in my fist and he grabs my fist while he is praying. I try to hold on to the paper but he twists and turns my hand and at some moment I do lose my grip on the paper. After some more praying he shows the paper on which he wrote, I open it and in his writing appears the name of my mother! I am flabbergasted and have up to now no real explanation on how he did this. I admit defeat and take 15 euros out of my pocket, give it to him and tell him that it was indeed impressive. What about the one hundred note he asks? I say that 15 euros is a good price for this and quickly make off. Later that afternoon my wife and I walk along the same road to the restaurant when I spot him sitting on the motorbike. “This is my wife,” I say. “Yes I know” he answers. And I hear myself thinking “of course he knows, he is a mind reader”. __________________ O tempora o Mores www.soefisinjoor.be

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Oct 14th, 2009, 12:14	#2
lola_76 Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: around and about Posts: 17	The famous Canadian/American magician James Randi talks about tricks like that- what he calls parlor tricks. It is a trick, not a real power. If the bloke could really read people's minds and had customers paying 500 euros, he would not be looking for people on the street. You paid him a lot more than most would, but it sounds like you enjoyed the experience and the price was in your budget so good! You had a nice experience and it is a great story! Sometimes I pay people to read my palm even though I know it is just a trick. It is fun. James Randi says that if we are an audience and the magician is an entertainer, then this is very much fun. The problem starts when it becomes a scam. When people lie and say it is real because then it can start to be manipulative of people. So long as you enjoy the entertainment, all is well! What you should have done is wrote someone else's name on the paper. Obviously with sleight of hand he was able to see what you wrote. If he knew your mom's name without writing anything- WOW! But otherwise it is only a trick. Maybe you find him again and expose him but maybe that would take the fun from it.