Doug Henning
Doug Henning (1947–2000) was a renowned Canadian magician and illusionist.
Doug Henning (1947–2000) was a renowned Canadian magician and illusionist. In 1983, he was one of the most famous magicians in the world, with his Doug Henning's World of Magic show holding the record as the most-watched magic show in television history1.
Henning worked with John B. Alexander on psychokinesis research, particularly in the context of Jack Houck's spoon-bending parties. Alexander invited Henning to attend these parties to provide an expert opinion on whether a group of guests could collectively cheat. Henning was reportedly amazed by the spontaneous bending of a spoon in his manager's hand, which indicated that no physical force was involved1.
In 1987, at the height of his popularity, Henning quit stage magic, stating he was leaving "illusion magic" for "real magic"—the kind that science could not yet explain. He thereafter focused on Transcendental Meditation (TM) and began spending much of his time with its founder, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Henning believed that "Magic is something that happens that appears to be impossible... What I call illusion magic uses laws of science and nature that are already known. Real magic uses laws that haven’t yet been discovered"1.
His death in 1999 from liver cancer led James Randi to blame the Maharishi, claiming Henning abandoned regular medical treatment for his diet of nuts and berries1.
Sources
- Jacobsen, Annie. Phenomena: The Secret History of the U.S. Government's Investigations into Extrasensory Perception and Psychokinesis. Little, Brown and Company, 2017. ↩
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