[Psychics] use exactly the same gimmicks that we magicians do — the same physical methods, the same psychological methods — and they effectively and profoundly deceive millions of people around the earth, to their detriment.

James Randi, a professional stage magician turned prominent skeptic, repeatedly made this point in interviews and lectures while campaigning against claims of paranormal powers. Drawing on his experience with sleight-of-hand and misdirection, he argued that many self-described “psychics” and “faith healers” rely on the same toolbox as entertainers—cold reading, suggestion, staged “tests,” and concealed physical methods—but present it as genuine supernatural ability. Randi emphasized that the harm is not merely intellectual: people may lose money, make medical or life decisions based on false assurances, or become dependent on exploitative practitioners. The wording here fits his recurring public critique rather than a single, uniquely identifiable occasion.

Randi draws a sharp ethical line between stage magic—presented as entertainment—and purported “psychic” demonstrations marketed as real. His point is that the techniques are not mysterious: they are the standard toolkit of conjuring (misdirection, sleight of hand, forcing, cold reading, suggestion, and exploiting cognitive biases). What changes is the claim and the consequence. By asserting paranormal powers, psychics convert theatrical deception into a form of fraud that can influence medical decisions, finances, grief, and vulnerability. The quote encapsulates Randi’s broader skeptical mission: to demystify extraordinary claims by showing their ordinary mechanisms and to argue that public harm, not mere trickery, is the central issue.