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Extraordinary Claims Require Extraordinary Disclaimers: A Halakhic Appraisal of Mentalism

JL;DR SUMMARY In this exploration of mentalism through a halakhic lens, Steven Gotlib delves into the ethical complexities of performing acts that involve seemingly supernatural feats, emphasizing the line between entertainment and deception. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

HalakhahPsychologyEntertainmentMagicEthicsDeceptionMentalismDerren BrownOz Pearlman

Places mentioned

New York, United States
"Pearlmans distinctive approach, and the controversy which has come with it in the form of multi-hour expos videos and public debates over his claims of reading body language as opposed to using magic tricks, serves as a fascinating case study on the ethics of deception within both magic and halakhah.[2]"
United Kingdom
"The most prominent example in recent history is British psychological illusionist, Derren Brown."

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