[Music]
[Applause]
good evening ladies and gentlemen I’m
Shakur Cometh and I am psychic I first
discovered my powers when I was a
teenager on a rainy monsoon evening when
I was struck by lightning before I begin
I’d like to show you guys something
hi there the lady in the green dress hi
your name is they want you hide the one
she could be joining me on stage let’s
give her a round of applause ladies and
gentlemen can i my mic please hi they
won she thank you so much for doing this
they won she I have a quick question for
you before this have you ever met a mind
reader have you ever had your mind read
by a psychic before no no good I’d like
you to ask I like to ask you something
very quickly they want sure I’d like you
to think take a moment and I’d like you
to get a few images in your mind some
visuals allow them to just drop into
your mind okay I’m gonna give you some
pen and some paper here you go then I
should I’d like you to take a few
moments and I’d like you to sketch out
whatever it is have you got something in
your mind yes and I’d like you to sketch
out whatever it is I want you to draw it
onto this paper right go ahead take it
I’ll take the mic from you and make sure
that I can’t see whatever it is that
you’re drawing ooh and when you’re done
come right back I want you to take the
pad and hold it close to your chest I’ll
just step right here so then make sure
close just that I can’t see whatever it
is oh let me have a go at this while I’m
doing is I’m going to make us make a
drawing of my own they weren’t sure but
what I’m doing that I’d like you to
think about whatever
that you’ve drawn on your pad yes LLL
try and maybe help me sort of connect
you a little boom I want you to really
picture it whatever it is I’d really
want you to picture in your mind
whatever it is that you’ve drawn it
sounds you have any sort of strong
connection with with you they weren’t
shared you know what it is it’s very
strange something like a something like
a cross or a vegetable no it’s a plant
there’s something something round like a
I don’t know this will work or not but
callate walking on police let’s try all
right I’m done they won she oh let’s
take a look shall we
once you step right here right there
next to me
ooh what is it that you drew they want
you let me take a look
all right turn it on okay so you drew a
Sun something round like a cactus okay
you do a cloud and a house interesting
now they actually have II before I go
ahead have we set anything up have you
written something down no I’d say it
wasn’t exactly the same but I’d say it
was probably close enough I drew a Sun a
banana and a house I’d say that’s close
enough
yes thank you so much the UN she held a
third from here and I’ll send you back
thank you so much thank you let’s try
that again Shelby I’m Shekar cometh and
I am NOT a psychic I’ve never been
struck by lightning in fact I’m what
they call a psychological illusionist I
based my career on a mix of magic
psychology showmanship and misdirection
to create the illusion of reading minds
magic is a very very beautiful art form
that leaves us with a sense of absolute
wonder I wonder is that is that feeling
that we get when we experience something
profound something much bigger much more
powerful than ourselves
it can happen when we encounter things
that change our sense of realities and
ideas of what we think is normal or
possible ooh and that’s the thing about
magical magic always leaves us with hope
magic is it’s very very important it’s a
very important part of the world and
always has been historically magic has
always pushed the boundaries of what is
considered impossible and as the ability
to a means to to mystify and inspire us
all at the same time in fact if you
think about it magic has always
flourished when societies have failed
when wars happen that is when artists
and magicians they come when when people
need fantasy release now we live at a
time in the world where there are a lot
of bad things happening everywhere and
people are yearning for fantasy if you
look back twenty years ago where the
films that were made in the past stories
are mostly based on realist is ‘m and if
you look at the films made today most of
them are about superheroes characters
with ability superpowers maybe
alternative universes although while the
focus being on a fantasy where good
triumphs over evil and that’s what’s
important now while magic violet
encourages encourages us to question our
belief systems magic also tends to make
us sort of Rim remind us of what
Socrates meant when he said that the
only thing that we know for sure is that
we don’t know anything at all and that’s
the funny thing
belief is a funny thing
faith is a very funny thing because
three it is sort of like an oxymoron
because faith is essentially in its
nature a lie that we believe in until we
turn it into reality so in a way it’s an
oxymoron and conflicts itself the idea
of
for faith as powerful it is as powerful
as the idea of faith is also a resource
for blind faith and superstition and
blind faith and superstition is is a
huge widespread social problem in India
by the sumo so there’s in tanta
industries built around the foundation
of the need to believe cause Sagan said
that you can’t convince a believer of
anything because his need to believe is
not based on evidence it’s based on a
deep-seated need to believe but at the
same time we need to remember what
Gandhi said when he said that faith is
should be reinforced with reason when
faith becomes blind it dies we live in a
country where we live Iran Swami’s fake
prophets charlatans who claim to be
messengers of God and we have everything
from peddlers who sell rings to God men
who prescribe a change in chutney for a
change in faith to religious leaders who
make their own films where they pose as
superheroes I’m sure you know what I’m
talking about
just like that
there’s an entire industry built around
astrologers around around or on the need
to believe which consists of astrologers
fortune tellers tarot card readers
numerologists palmists fortunately the
psychics and the list goes on but the
idea of blind faith it’s a very funny
one superstitions superstitions
we grew we tend to we tend to be taught
superstitions when we are kids or we
have passed it family passes it on to us
and then as we grow as we grow older we
send we tend to sort of take them along
with us being superstitious is it can
affect the way we think it can affect
our behavior in effect our state of mind
some reason people like the idea like to
have the idea that they can figure out
they can make sense of everything that
happens around them they like the idea
that they can predict what is going to
happen to them and superstition is
basically a possibility of something
something good happening or chances of
reducing the odds of something bad
happening for example let’s say you
bought a lucky ring and you wore it for
a job interview if you end up getting
the job you end up believing you come
away believing that this ring has
mystical powers that is beneficial to
you
meanwhile you overlook all the times
when you’ve worn that ring and nothing
special has happened now while this idea
is seems like a pretty innocent one
superstition and blind faith can kill
people I’m talking about group religious
group practices like sati like female
genital mutilation all the way to
witchcraft black magic faith healing and
even the rejection of medicine black
magic and blind faith and superstition
is a plague for India now while we would
like to believe that superstition is not
harmful it actually could be responsible
for killing a lot of people for example
recent in recent years the deaths of
multiple activists who
protested and raised their voice and
campaigned against superstitions and
blind faith bears testimony to this very
fact I’d like to share I’d like to share
a story with you when I was when I was
much younger I started out on the
streets of Bombay as a street magician
and I’ve worked my way up onto the stage
and then taking a very long to figure
out that magicians and psychics use the
very same methods on one hand magicians
use them to entertain people and on the
other hand psychics use them to exploit
the gullible and I’d like to share a
story with you because though the claims
that these people make are very very
serious
the claims that these psychics make
they’re very serious and we would love
to believe them we would love it if it
were true and we would love to be blown
away by it when I was a kid I had a
special relationship with a family
friend of mine and uncle has to call him
uncle naanum and he was one of my best
friends so he used to be this joke on me
whenever he would see me he would creep
up behind me and touch me on my right
shoulder and I would turn her on to my
right just to find him laughing at me on
my left and this became sort of an
inside joke between us because whenever
I saw him I’d do the same thing back to
him so I’d go up behind him
I’d tap him on the shoulder and he’ll
turn around just to find me laughing at
him on his left this was a very special
bond that we sort of created
unfortunately he passed away a few years
ago because of some intestinal issues
anyways some time later I was I found
myself walking the streets of Bombay on
the road and I was lost in my own
thoughts and very strangely I felt a tap
on my shoulder on my right shoulder
instinctively
I just looked to my left to find no one
and just then a bus went hurtling past
me that’s what I realized that there was
a bus behind me and if I had not felt
that touch I would probably
run over by the bus and that was not it
probably a year later I was anime accord
waiting for a flight it was delayed and
I found myself feeling drowsy and as I
find Rossi I actually started falling
asleep just when I felt a touch on my
right shoulder and I instinctively
looked at my left I woke up and I saw
there’s a glass table to my left which I
had barely noticed and if I had fallen
asleep I would have probably ended up
falling on the glass table and hurting
myself pretty bad and that was strange
and that is when I knew I was pretty
sure that my uncle is always around me
anyways I’d like to show you guys
something
for this next bit I’d like to pick a few
of you at random from the audience hi
the girl in the check shirt right there
yes yes you and the gentleman in the
gray t-shirt right here yes hi could you
please join me on stage there’s let’s
give a round of applause ladies in here
miss me hard hi anyone name is contra
once you step right this way this way
thank you thank you any heart thank you
come show for doing this
we’re gonna try a little experiment with
the two of you I’d like have you higher
even friends my heart gosh I know do you
know each other no no have you set
anything up have I ever met you before
no no and come sure we have an
exchanging information do you have any
idea what’s about to happen no no kind
of culture I’d like you to let me know
if you feel something look right there
in the audience
put on down to me thank you so much you
feel this yes
you know you feel this yes
excellent now come sir um I’d like you
to shut your eyes and don’t open them
until I tell you do don’t worry I won’t
do anything strange in a moment Concha
I’m going to raise your hand and put it
up okay keep your eyes shut and don’t
open them until I tell you to
I’m going to do this and keep it right
here okay
do you feel this yes or no yes do you
feel this Li huh yes okay from now on
Concha I’d like you to remember anything
that you feel if you feel something I
want you to remember it don’t react at
all just remember it if you feel
Concha yes or no keeper I shot yes or no
Concha keep your eyes shut can you point
with your other hand exactly where you
I’m sure exactly how many touches did
you feel three very well I’m sure I’d
like you to put your hand down and you
kasha how do you how do you how do you
feel how do you feel you feel good yes
everything’s normal
yes I’d like to tell you how did that
feel how did that feel exactly soft okay
I’d like to tell Concha that I never
ever touched you in fact I touched me
hard right here on his hand and you felt
it all the way across the stage and
everybody bore witness to that thank you
so much Concha I’ll send you back thank
thank you remember I told you that I
knew that my uncle on and was always
gonna be around me you just happened to
be introduced to him ladies and
gentlemen that is my uncle of course I
forgot to tell you one small detail
my uncle Anand was a figment of my
imagination he never existed I
completely made him up now I don’t claim
any came to have any supernatural powers
or any abilities yet it is that simple
to make someone talk or meet the dead
and this is why ladies and gentlemen it
is important for us to not fall prey to
blind belief it is important for us to
on one hand keep not fall prey to blind
faith and on the other hand keep our
eyes open and keep space for magic and
Wonder thank you so much I’m Shekar
comma then you’ve been amazing thank you
so much you
[Applause]
good evening ladies and gentlemen I’m
Shakur Cometh and I am psychic I first
discovered my powers when I was a
teenager on a rainy monsoon evening when
I was struck by lightning before I begin
I’d like to show you guys something
hi there the lady in the green dress hi
your name is they want you hide the one
she could be joining me on stage let’s
give her a round of applause ladies and
gentlemen can i my mic please hi they
won she thank you so much for doing this
they won she I have a quick question for
you before this have you ever met a mind
reader have you ever had your mind read
by a psychic before no no good I’d like
you to ask I like to ask you something
very quickly they want sure I’d like you
to think take a moment and I’d like you
to get a few images in your mind some
visuals allow them to just drop into
your mind okay I’m gonna give you some
pen and some paper here you go then I
should I’d like you to take a few
moments and I’d like you to sketch out
whatever it is have you got something in
your mind yes and I’d like you to sketch
out whatever it is I want you to draw it
onto this paper right go ahead take it
I’ll take the mic from you and make sure
that I can’t see whatever it is that
you’re drawing ooh and when you’re done
come right back I want you to take the
pad and hold it close to your chest I’ll
just step right here so then make sure
close just that I can’t see whatever it
is oh let me have a go at this while I’m
doing is I’m going to make us make a
drawing of my own they weren’t sure but
what I’m doing that I’d like you to
think about whatever
that you’ve drawn on your pad yes LLL
try and maybe help me sort of connect
you a little boom I want you to really
picture it whatever it is I’d really
want you to picture in your mind
whatever it is that you’ve drawn it
sounds you have any sort of strong
connection with with you they weren’t
shared you know what it is it’s very
strange something like a something like
a cross or a vegetable no it’s a plant
there’s something something round like a
I don’t know this will work or not but
callate walking on police let’s try all
right I’m done they won she oh let’s
take a look shall we
once you step right here right there
next to me
ooh what is it that you drew they want
you let me take a look
all right turn it on okay so you drew a
Sun something round like a cactus okay
you do a cloud and a house interesting
now they actually have II before I go
ahead have we set anything up have you
written something down no I’d say it
wasn’t exactly the same but I’d say it
was probably close enough I drew a Sun a
banana and a house I’d say that’s close
enough
yes thank you so much the UN she held a
third from here and I’ll send you back
thank you so much thank you let’s try
that again Shelby I’m Shekar cometh and
I am NOT a psychic I’ve never been
struck by lightning in fact I’m what
they call a psychological illusionist I
based my career on a mix of magic
psychology showmanship and misdirection
to create the illusion of reading minds
magic is a very very beautiful art form
that leaves us with a sense of absolute
wonder I wonder is that is that feeling
that we get when we experience something
profound something much bigger much more
powerful than ourselves
it can happen when we encounter things
that change our sense of realities and
ideas of what we think is normal or
possible ooh and that’s the thing about
magical magic always leaves us with hope
magic is it’s very very important it’s a
very important part of the world and
always has been historically magic has
always pushed the boundaries of what is
considered impossible and as the ability
to a means to to mystify and inspire us
all at the same time in fact if you
think about it magic has always
flourished when societies have failed
when wars happen that is when artists
and magicians they come when when people
need fantasy release now we live at a
time in the world where there are a lot
of bad things happening everywhere and
people are yearning for fantasy if you
look back twenty years ago where the
films that were made in the past stories
are mostly based on realist is ‘m and if
you look at the films made today most of
them are about superheroes characters
with ability superpowers maybe
alternative universes although while the
focus being on a fantasy where good
triumphs over evil and that’s what’s
important now while magic violet
encourages encourages us to question our
belief systems magic also tends to make
us sort of Rim remind us of what
Socrates meant when he said that the
only thing that we know for sure is that
we don’t know anything at all and that’s
the funny thing
belief is a funny thing
faith is a very funny thing because
three it is sort of like an oxymoron
because faith is essentially in its
nature a lie that we believe in until we
turn it into reality so in a way it’s an
oxymoron and conflicts itself the idea
of
for faith as powerful it is as powerful
as the idea of faith is also a resource
for blind faith and superstition and
blind faith and superstition is is a
huge widespread social problem in India
by the sumo so there’s in tanta
industries built around the foundation
of the need to believe cause Sagan said
that you can’t convince a believer of
anything because his need to believe is
not based on evidence it’s based on a
deep-seated need to believe but at the
same time we need to remember what
Gandhi said when he said that faith is
should be reinforced with reason when
faith becomes blind it dies we live in a
country where we live Iran Swami’s fake
prophets charlatans who claim to be
messengers of God and we have everything
from peddlers who sell rings to God men
who prescribe a change in chutney for a
change in faith to religious leaders who
make their own films where they pose as
superheroes I’m sure you know what I’m
talking about
just like that
there’s an entire industry built around
astrologers around around or on the need
to believe which consists of astrologers
fortune tellers tarot card readers
numerologists palmists fortunately the
psychics and the list goes on but the
idea of blind faith it’s a very funny
one superstitions superstitions
we grew we tend to we tend to be taught
superstitions when we are kids or we
have passed it family passes it on to us
and then as we grow as we grow older we
send we tend to sort of take them along
with us being superstitious is it can
affect the way we think it can affect
our behavior in effect our state of mind
some reason people like the idea like to
have the idea that they can figure out
they can make sense of everything that
happens around them they like the idea
that they can predict what is going to
happen to them and superstition is
basically a possibility of something
something good happening or chances of
reducing the odds of something bad
happening for example let’s say you
bought a lucky ring and you wore it for
a job interview if you end up getting
the job you end up believing you come
away believing that this ring has
mystical powers that is beneficial to
you
meanwhile you overlook all the times
when you’ve worn that ring and nothing
special has happened now while this idea
is seems like a pretty innocent one
superstition and blind faith can kill
people I’m talking about group religious
group practices like sati like female
genital mutilation all the way to
witchcraft black magic faith healing and
even the rejection of medicine black
magic and blind faith and superstition
is a plague for India now while we would
like to believe that superstition is not
harmful it actually could be responsible
for killing a lot of people for example
recent in recent years the deaths of
multiple activists who
protested and raised their voice and
campaigned against superstitions and
blind faith bears testimony to this very
fact I’d like to share I’d like to share
a story with you when I was when I was
much younger I started out on the
streets of Bombay as a street magician
and I’ve worked my way up onto the stage
and then taking a very long to figure
out that magicians and psychics use the
very same methods on one hand magicians
use them to entertain people and on the
other hand psychics use them to exploit
the gullible and I’d like to share a
story with you because though the claims
that these people make are very very
serious
the claims that these psychics make
they’re very serious and we would love
to believe them we would love it if it
were true and we would love to be blown
away by it when I was a kid I had a
special relationship with a family
friend of mine and uncle has to call him
uncle naanum and he was one of my best
friends so he used to be this joke on me
whenever he would see me he would creep
up behind me and touch me on my right
shoulder and I would turn her on to my
right just to find him laughing at me on
my left and this became sort of an
inside joke between us because whenever
I saw him I’d do the same thing back to
him so I’d go up behind him
I’d tap him on the shoulder and he’ll
turn around just to find me laughing at
him on his left this was a very special
bond that we sort of created
unfortunately he passed away a few years
ago because of some intestinal issues
anyways some time later I was I found
myself walking the streets of Bombay on
the road and I was lost in my own
thoughts and very strangely I felt a tap
on my shoulder on my right shoulder
instinctively
I just looked to my left to find no one
and just then a bus went hurtling past
me that’s what I realized that there was
a bus behind me and if I had not felt
that touch I would probably
run over by the bus and that was not it
probably a year later I was anime accord
waiting for a flight it was delayed and
I found myself feeling drowsy and as I
find Rossi I actually started falling
asleep just when I felt a touch on my
right shoulder and I instinctively
looked at my left I woke up and I saw
there’s a glass table to my left which I
had barely noticed and if I had fallen
asleep I would have probably ended up
falling on the glass table and hurting
myself pretty bad and that was strange
and that is when I knew I was pretty
sure that my uncle is always around me
anyways I’d like to show you guys
something
for this next bit I’d like to pick a few
of you at random from the audience hi
the girl in the check shirt right there
yes yes you and the gentleman in the
gray t-shirt right here yes hi could you
please join me on stage there’s let’s
give a round of applause ladies in here
miss me hard hi anyone name is contra
once you step right this way this way
thank you thank you any heart thank you
come show for doing this
we’re gonna try a little experiment with
the two of you I’d like have you higher
even friends my heart gosh I know do you
know each other no no have you set
anything up have I ever met you before
no no and come sure we have an
exchanging information do you have any
idea what’s about to happen no no kind
of culture I’d like you to let me know
if you feel something look right there
in the audience
put on down to me thank you so much you
feel this yes
you know you feel this yes
excellent now come sir um I’d like you
to shut your eyes and don’t open them
until I tell you do don’t worry I won’t
do anything strange in a moment Concha
I’m going to raise your hand and put it
up okay keep your eyes shut and don’t
open them until I tell you to
I’m going to do this and keep it right
here okay
do you feel this yes or no yes do you
feel this Li huh yes okay from now on
Concha I’d like you to remember anything
that you feel if you feel something I
want you to remember it don’t react at
all just remember it if you feel
Concha yes or no keeper I shot yes or no
Concha keep your eyes shut can you point
with your other hand exactly where you
I’m sure exactly how many touches did
you feel three very well I’m sure I’d
like you to put your hand down and you
kasha how do you how do you how do you
feel how do you feel you feel good yes
everything’s normal
yes I’d like to tell you how did that
feel how did that feel exactly soft okay
I’d like to tell Concha that I never
ever touched you in fact I touched me
hard right here on his hand and you felt
it all the way across the stage and
everybody bore witness to that thank you
so much Concha I’ll send you back thank
thank you remember I told you that I
knew that my uncle on and was always
gonna be around me you just happened to
be introduced to him ladies and
gentlemen that is my uncle of course I
forgot to tell you one small detail
my uncle Anand was a figment of my
imagination he never existed I
completely made him up now I don’t claim
any came to have any supernatural powers
or any abilities yet it is that simple
to make someone talk or meet the dead
and this is why ladies and gentlemen it
is important for us to not fall prey to
blind belief it is important for us to
on one hand keep not fall prey to blind
faith and on the other hand keep our
eyes open and keep space for magic and
Wonder thank you so much I’m Shekar
comma then you’ve been amazing thank you
so much you
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