Common steps and sub-activities
Spoon bending

Spoon bending is the deformation of objects, especially metal cutlery and keys, without physical force.
Spoon bending attracted considerable media attention in the 1970s when Uri Geller, appeared on television in Israel and then in Europe and the USA bending metal spoons as well as metal keys and several other objects and materials.
We have a section in the science section - please follow this LINK - providing more information on the experiments that were carried out by the following:
- Professor John Halsted in the UK
- Dr Wilbur Franklin at Kent State University; Dr Targ and Dr Puthoff at Stanford Research Institute; Eldon Byrd at the Office of Naval Research Laboratories, Washington; Dr Ronald Hawke at Livermore and Elizabeth Rauscher at Berkeley all in the USA
- Dr Ducrocq, Dr Wolkowski and, scientists at the Pechiney Aluminium Company in France;
- The Freiburg University group in West Germany;
- Dr Walti in Switzerland
- Professor Dierkens in Belgium
- Dr Mattuck and Scott Hill in Copenhagen
- Professor Ferdinando Bersani and Dr Aldo Martelli in Italy
- Dr Charles Osborne in Melbourne
- The New Horizons Group in Toronto, and also Dr Bob Cantor;
- Professor Shigemi Sasaki in Tokyo, Japan plus a number of other laboratories
- and finally there are reports of serious researches in China
But this section does not answer the question 'HOW did the hundreds and hundreds of people, including an extremely large number of children, who were the subject of this research do it?'
We believe that Professor Halsted’s explanation is one of the clearest and the best providing some very useful pointers on 'how'.
Perhaps the most important aspect of his explanation is the use of Biofeedback equipment, a feature which appears to be missing from the other self help books on this subject:
THE METAL-BENDERS” by JOHN B. HASTED
A most important lesson which is taught to the metal-bender by use of the strain gauge detector is the avoidance of over-concentration; he must learn ‘sudden inattention’ if he wants results.
The insomniac who concentrates his mind on going to sleep will have little success; it is often the same with paranormal metal-bending. The strongest events often take place, it appears, when the subject relaxes directly after concentration.
He must learn to be patient and not to ‘concentrate on concentration’. If the experimenter makes it obvious that he is scrutinizing or is suspicious of the subject, then the effects are likely to be weak or altogether absent; if the experimenter conceals his scrutiny, and the metal-bender avoids over-concentration, then some signals may come.
Parapsychologist Julian Isaacs has embarked on a series of experiments with groups of subjects and an audio-recorder, studying the psychological tensions at moments when signals are recorded.
Of course this ‘learning of inattention’, on the part of all present, is particularly unfortunate from the point of view of the observer. On the one hand he must develop reliable techniques of observation and instrumentation; on the other hand he must learn to appear inattentive if he wishes the effects to be stronger.
Obviously some compromise is necessary.
Most of the time is spent keeping a careful watch; but if rapport between the experimenter and the child is sufficiently good, then there is less danger of touching if the head is turned. One must judge whether the child is himself really interested in the experiment; in that case he will report an inadvertent touch. But always the experimenter must return to the pattern of good video observation. If bad habits of touching should develop, we can make use of the touch detector; we can also use partial screening of the target, and even a moving target.
When the child and the family first realise that bending can take place without the necessity of the metal being touched, this is a great step forward in their understanding. Sometimes the child is a little frightened by this realization, and sometimes he never faces up to it at all.
If we are to make the detection of strain within untouched metal a valuable method of investigation, then we must encourage its use by other investigators. At the time of writing, ten other groups of workers have successfully used essentially the same equipment as ours; their reportings of signals obtained with various subjects can be regarded as an important confirmation of our findings. The most extensive experiments have been carried out in France and in Japan.
For most children, it is a matter of learning inattention, or avoidance of concentration on concentration. This is a skill rather similar to learning not to stay awake at night. The intention to bend metal, like the intention to sleep, must be firmly maintained, but the subject can allow the conscious thought and the senses at times to wander. I find that while observing I must keep conversation going, so as to induce what by experience I believe to be the correct proportion of inattention on the part of the subject. I also find it useful to play upon motivations that I know by experience to be successful. These include the following:
- competition: on one occasion I organized a race between children in the rate of production of signals;
- relaxation: for example, saying that we are now going to break for tea will sometimes induce signals;
- feedback: for example, drawing the child’s attention to special features of the signal just recorded;
- the need for antagonism to the scientist or parent: the motive to prove him wrong, by producing data which are at variance with preconceived ideas he may be unable to put aside;
- vindication of the child’s belief and confidence in himself; finally, but rarely
- affection and joy at being close to the wonders of nature.
My experience is that any feeling on the part of the child that the watching is entirely directed at the detection of cheating can inhibit the action. …..
With younger children there are good reasons, as there are in education, for making the whole thing into a kind of game. Games demand goals, and displays and rewards when they are achieved. For example, dynamic strain gauge signals can be made to switch on lights, or can be incorporated into the scoring system in a game of chance. The game remains essentially one of chance because the phenomenon remains essentially spontaneous; in researching it we are trying to reduce it to a succession of observations.
This process is an unnatural one which cannot be forced, though it may be assisted. …..With very young children, dynamic strain gauge signals can be made to operate puppets with which the child can identify.
Observations
For iPad/iPhone users: tap letter twice to get list of items.
- Crichton, Michael - from Travels - Spoon bending
- David Nemeth – Bends the key to his mother’s poisons cupboard when it is in her pocket
- Dean Radin - Entangled Minds - Spoon bending
- Dr Julian D. Isaacs - Some Aspects Of Performance At A Psychokinetic Task
- Girard, Jean-Pierre - A competition in signal-production rate between Girard and some of the children
- Girard, Jean-Pierre - Bending bars on a programme of the National Broadcasting Company of America (NBC)
- Girard, Jean-Pierre - Creases, abnormal plane bends and metal softening or hardening
- Girard, Jean-Pierre - Ferrous metal structural change and lack of temperature impact
- Girard, Jean-Pierre - Ferrous metal structural change from austenite to martensite
- Girard, Jean-Pierre - Induced metal bending
- Girard, Jean-Pierre - Induction effects, a metal bar would become bent in two distinct places when held at one end by Girard and at the other end by a scientist
- Girard, Jean-Pierre - Metal bending is like having an orgasm
- Girard, Jean-Pierre - Modifications of the physical properties of thick metal bars produced without any bending
- Girard, Jean-Pierre - Modifications of the physical properties of thick metal bars produced without any bending - increased densities of dislocation loops
- Girard, Jean-Pierre - Professor Hasted’s witnessing of the first experiments
- Girard, Jean-Pierre - Quantitative evidence for paranormal permanent softening without bending
- Girard, Jean-Pierre - The appearance of ferromagnetic phases in paranormal metal-bendings
- Girard, Jean-Pierre - The metallurgical aspects of paranormal metal-bending
- Girard, Jean-Pierre - Video L'homme qui agit sur la matière
- Hasted, Professor John – 01 Spoon bending - Introduction
- Hasted, Professor John – 02 Spoon bending - With Geller, 5 February 1974
- Hasted, Professor John – 03 Spoon bending - Spoon softening
- Hasted, Professor John – 04 Spoon bending - Metal bending by Stephen North
- Hasted, Professor John – 05 Spoon bending - Bending a disc shaped single crystal of molybdenum of about 1 cm diameter
- Hasted, Professor John – 06 Spoon bending - The remarkable abilities of Jean Pierre Girard
- Hasted, Professor John – 07 Spoon bending - The action of the metal bender Julie Knowles on a very long thin strip of aluminium
- Hasted, Professor John – 08 Spoon bending - The metal bending skills of Japanese boy, Masuaki Kiyota
- Hasted, Professor John – 09 Spoon bending - A summary of children and adults who were involved in metal bending research
- Hasted, Professor John – 10 Spoon bending - Bending of a single crystal of zinc stroked between the fingers and thumb by Graham P
- Hasted, Professor John – 11 Spoon bending - Extreme deformation of metal objects
- Hasted, Professor John – 12 Spoon bending - Andrew G and the ‘paperclip scrunch’
- Hasted, Professor John – 13 Spoon bending - Metal pieces bent inside hermetically sealed glass tubes
- Hasted, Professor John – 14 Spoon bending - Dr Wolkowski ‘s experiments on Metal pieces bent inside sealed glass tubes
- Hasted, Professor John – 15 Spoon bending - Structural examination of an abnormal plane bend produced by Willie G indicates a different crystal structure was formed
- Hasted, Professor John – 16 Spoon bending - Dr Ronald Hawke of Lawrence Livermore Radiation Laboratory and no-touch experiments
- Hasted, Professor John – 17 Spoon bending - Using the strain gauge in no touch bending
- Hasted, Professor John – 18 Spoon bending - The detection of metal-bending action by children using a strain gauge
- Hasted, Professor John – 19 Spoon bending - Paranormal cleavage
- Hasted, Professor John – 20 Spoon bending - Vacancy formation might be regarded as teleportation on a microscopic scale
- Hasted, Professor John – 21 Spoon bending - Julie Knowles and the effect of distance upon spoon bending ability
- Hasted, Professor John – 22 Spoon bending - Changes of mood and its effect on the success of spoon bending
- Hasted, Professor John – 23 Spoon bending - Twisting a single metal strip about its own axis without touch
- Hasted, Professor John – 24 Spoon bending - Producing accurately formed parabolas as much as 30 cm long without touch
- Hasted, Professor John – 25 Spoon bending - Softening and hardening
- Hasted, Professor John – 26 Spoon bending - Induction by inanimate objects rather than by people
- Hasted, Professor John – 27 Spoon bending - Social dangers that might come upon us as a result of our new-found knowledge of metal-bending
- Manning, Matthew - The Link - 19 Bending silver spoons
- Menny Lindenfeld Bending Spoon & Fork with his mind
- North, Stephen - Distribution of directions of strain signal vectors in a no touch metal-bending session using square and circular specimens of thin metal sheet
- North, Stephen - Localised paranormal action in metal bending and anomalous signals from strain gauges
- North, Stephen - Modifications of the physical properties of crystals, the formation of dislocation loops
- North, Stephen - No changes in the temperature of the metal during Stephen’s metal bending sessions
- North, Stephen - No touch bending of a metal strip rocking to and fro on a moving wooden arm attached to a musical metronome
- North, Stephen - Spoons do not usually bend uniformly along their length; they bend at one particular place where the centre of action is concentrated
- North, Stephen - The most usual configuration of a surface of action is that of a vertical plane passing through the body of the subject
- North, Stephen – A spring exposed to Stephen North becomes permanently deformed
- North, Stephen – Are some part or parts of the body involved, and are they always the same parts in no touch bending?
- North, Stephen – By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes
- North, Stephen – No touch metal bending - a slow start with gradually increasing frequency of occurrence of signals
- North, Stephen – No touch metal bending - softening can appear and vanish very quickly
- North, Stephen – No touch metal bending - softening is not permanent
- North, Stephen – The effect of appearing on TV, Stephen was acting the part of a metal-bender rather than being his normal self
- Teaching Spoon Bending (Lesson 2, Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, 2005)
- Teaching Spoon Bending (Lesson 3, Yokohama Yamate Chinese School, 2006)
- Williams, Nicholas – Action on strain gauges not stuck onto pieces of metal during no-touch sessions
- Williams, Nicholas – Experiments bending latch keys placed around a house using no touch
- Williams, Nicholas – No-touch absence of hardening during paranormal deformation
- Williams, Nicholas – No-touch bending of a suspended latch-key from over fifteen feet away
- Williams, Nicholas – No-touch bending of a suspended latch-key, the range of variation of strength of signal with distance seems to be more or less random
- Williams, Nicholas – No-touch movement of a suspended latch-key and strain gauge visually and by means of a video-camera
- Williams, Nicholas – No-touch violent spontaneous bending and twisting of folded strips
- Williams, Nicholas – Permanent deformation of a metal specimen, without any actual bending being visible
- Williams, Nicholas – The effect of screens, of glass, brass and mild steel on metal bending activity
- Williams, Nicholas – The permanent magnetization of ferromagnetic cutlery by paranormal bending
- Williams, Nicholas – Using strain gauges to measure post-active effects
- Williams, Nicholas – Using strain gauges to measure strong effects
- Willie G – Cutlery being found to be bent after being thrown in the air
- Willie G – Producing smooth parabolas and abnormal plane bends in aluminium strip
- Willie G – Seeing Auras and chakras and his halo
- Willie G – Twisting a strip of metal around the axis of a miniature electric generator to produce sporadic recorded pulses
- Youtubevideo - Watch this guy bend a spoon with his mind!