Miracles or Magic?

The book "Miracles or Magic?" (1987) was originally titled "From Illusion to Reality" and published back in 1984. Significant portions of Chapters 1, 3 and 12 along with small cuts from Chapters 6 - 9 and 13 are now incorporated into Kole's new and thicker book "Mind Games" (1998), co-authored with Jerry MacGregor. I was first introduced to Kole's "Miracles or Magic?" via Norman Geisler's books "Signs and Wonders" (1988) and "Miracles and the Modern Mind" (1992), although the latter book erroneously referred to it as "Miracles and Magic". Kole returned the favor by referencing Geisler's "Signs and Wonders" in "Mind Games". Kole has also co-authored with Terry Holley, another illusionist, a Zondervan booklet on "Astrology and Psychic Phenomena" (1998). Andre Cole is a professional illusionist and Christian. He is also a researcher of "psychic," "paranormal," "miraculous" and/or "supernatural" claims. He shares the concerns of non-Christian skeptic and illusionist James Randi when it comes to fraudulent claims of psychic and/or miraculous powers that, in many cases, involve the use of natural, illusory techniques to deceive others for personal gain. There are frauds not only in the areas of the Occult and New Age, for example, but also in Christianity. Cole, with the help of Al Janssen and information obtained from other sources and books, addresses these frauds in a general way. Various charlatans and practices are discussed as follows. On the subject of communication with the dead, the Fox sisters and the once-popular medium Authur Ford are addressed within the context of Harry Houdini's investigations. As to Extrasensory Perception (ESP), Uri Geller is introduced and critiqued along with fire-walking as a popular so-called "mind-over-matter" practice (via motivational speakers like Tony Robbins). Regarding divination, examples are given of predictions made by the late psychic Jeane Dixon and Mormon prophet Joseph Smith which are then contrasted with biblical prophecies and evaluated along with astrology (and horoscopes). Faith healing is discussed and distinguished from divine healing, and slight-of-hand surgery is exposed. Also, Christian preachers W.V. Grant, Peter Popoff and David Paul are given as examples of exposed frauds when it comes to claims of supernatural gifts of knowledge and healing power. The mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle and UFOs are given a separate chapter to clear away the fog, and hypnosis is also discussed and given a clearer perspective. One strong impression the book makes is that people, including scientists, are easily deceived. One should therefore be very cautious and not so quick to believe extraordinary reports or even what one's own eyes seem to be saying. Kole is aware that "people deeply desire to see and believe supernatural phenomena," but he is convinced as a result of his own investigations that "there are probably far fewer genuine supernatural phenomena than are generally supposed." He also believes