Israeli self-styled psychic. Soon after serving an obligatory period in the Israeli army, Geller developed a magic act. He claimed that his apparently magical powers were not produced by the usual stage illusionist’s methods trickery, misdirection, and/or deception but were evidence of ESP that he was psychic and had paranormal powers. Andrija Henry Puharich witnessed his performance, was convinced by his claims, and took Geller off to his parapsychology laboratory in California as impressive evidence of the reality of ESP.
Geller’s performances in the laboratory and on television, particularly in the United States and Britain, attracted much attention, but professional and amateur magicians remained unconvinced, seeing him as not a particularly good stage illusionist. Some scientists, John G. Taylor and Jack Sarfatti, for example, were initially persuaded that Geller was psychic and paranormal and could be used as evidence for the existence of ESP.