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THE METAL-BENDERS” by JOHN B. HASTED

The chapters will read as though the sessions have been one continuous success story, but in fact this has not been the case. There have been many long hours of observations without any ‘paranormal effects’ to show for them. My policy has been to set up the most suitable social and psychological conditions for metal bending to occur. I have no detailed recipe for success, nor do I consider that public demonstrations are likely to be successful, except in rare cases.

It will be valuable at this point to enumerate the names of various metal-benders in different countries who have allowed investigation of their talents by scientists and others. Most of these were children at the time when the ‘powers’ first became manifest, nearly always after watching Geller’s television appearances. The exceptions include

• Jean Pierre Girard,
• Silvio Mayer, who also paints pictures of a visionary nature;
• Christine Wild, a housewife from the English Midlands;
• James Blevens from Verona, Wisconsin, and
• Mrs T.W. of Detroit.

Child metal-benders were sometimes known as ‘mini-Gellers’ and in Italy ‘Gellerini’. Two of the Italians are

• Paride Giatti, who has been investigated by physicist Professor Bersani, and
• Orlando Bragante. The latter, investigated by Dr Aldo Martelli, is reliably reported to have bent cutlery enclosed in a sealed box.

Other Italian metal-benders include

• Lucia Allegretti,
• Sandro Gasperini and
• Giovanni d’Emilio.

In Israel, sixteen-year-old Ori Seboria has been investigated by Dr H.C. Berendt and others; when Ori visited Australia, scientists at the Caulfield Institute of Technology in Victoria also made observations, and other Australian children showed some powers. Sometimes, as in the case of Lisa in Denmark and Bernard in Belgium, real names are not published in order to preserve privacy.

• In Switzerland, observations have been made with Edith Aufdermauer.
• In Japan, the most dedicated metal-bender is Masuaki Kiyota; but there are also Hiroto Yamashita, Yasushi Murasawa, Makoto Hirota, Toro Osaki, Jun Sekiguchi, Seiyuri Tanaka, Satoshi, Masao and Koji.

Finally we come to the British metal-benders; John Taylor has compiled a list of at least thirty-eight. My own investigations have covered rather fewer. There are those who not only have strong ‘powers’, but who have had the patience to collaborate extensively with me; they include

• Nicholas Williams,
• Andrew G.,
• Stephen North,
• Julie Knowles,
• Willie G. and
• Mark Henry.

There are also those who have successfully participated in at least one experiment with positive results. They include

• Belinda H.,
• Graham P.,
• Richard B.,
• David and Steven Nemeth,
• Susan Clarke,
• Clifford White,
• Alison Lloyd,
• Neil Howarth,
• Gill Costin,
• Kim Griffiths and
• Ian L.

There are some others with whom I have not had the chance to work, such as

• David Jefferies,
• Douglas Smith,
• Russell Jennings,
• Stephen Coates,
• Mark Shelley,
• Janet H.,
• V. S. and
• Heidi Wilton.

Two English adults fall into unique categories as metal-benders. One is Matthew Manning, who as a child experienced strong poltergeist phenomena and has written much about his psychic experiences. When he visited Canada, several investigators at the New Horizons Research Foundation in Toronto observed his metal-bending; but he has since lost interest in the phenomenon, and seems never to have been at home with it.

The second is Dr Rob Basto, a space physics researcher who became seriously involved with transcendental meditation. He undertook to practise for hours at a time over a period of several weeks; after this he was able to produce effects on sensitive detection equipment, to my own and his satisfaction.