$100,000 offered for proof of psychic powers
Calling all psychics — a magician from Mandan, N.D. is challenging students and faculty at NDSU who claim to have psychic abilities to prove it.
“There seems to be an increasing number of people who claim to have psychic powers,” 18-year-old magician Dustin White said.
White, who graduated from high school last year, has been training to become a magician for the past three years.
During his training he has learned about psychic powers and abilities.
“My conclusion, based upon all of the information I’ve been shown, is that psychics are nothing more than charlatans and frauds,” White said.
White is so sure of his conclusion that he is offering a $100,000 prize to anyone who can prove they have psychic abilities or occult powers.
“Houdini used to expose people who claimed to be psychics,” White said.
Each participant will go through a preliminary test depending on what ability they claim to have.
If the preliminary test is passed, participants will move onto a formal test which, if passed also, will result in the $100,000 prize.
“Does it count if you can read a friend’s mind?” BreeAnn Gronowski, a junior in animal science said.
Reading minds, moving objects without contact, talking to the dead and predicting the future are often claimed to be the abilities of “psychics,” White explained.
“For instance, if they claim to be able to read minds, they must simply prove they can do that through demonstration,” White said. “If they prove they can, they walk away with the prize.”
White expands his offer by saying, “I will also personally arrange for them to claim an extra $1,000,000 that is being offered to anyone who can prove they have these abilities.”
White said he does not have psychic abilities. After studying magic in depth, he does not believe so called ‘claimers’ like Sylvia Brown and John Edward, people who have psychic television shows, are truthful about their talents.
“I’ve always been skeptical about psychic shows—I always thought they might have been staged,” Gronowski said.
White has had several people inquire about the offer, but no one has been able to prove themselves yet.
In the meantime, White performs magic shows around North Dakota.
“I usually have about one show per week, but in the upcoming months, I’ll have two or three,” White said.
Jeff McBride, Paul Green and Jeff Sheridan are magicians he’s found helpful to model after.
White can be contacted by email at BelzianMagic@bis.midco.net or phone (701) 527-2827.
Visit his Web site at xanga.com/belivanmagic.