CHAPTER SEVEN
Seven Pillars of Fire


I returned to New York to take care of my long-neglected personal and business affairs. In mid-May I went to Chicago to attend the twenty-fifth annual reunion of my medical school class at Northwestern University. While in Chicago I found that Captain Edgar Mitchell was the featured speaker for the annual meeting of the Spiritual Frontiers Fellowship. Mitchell planned to devote his time after retirement from the Navy to consciousness research. He offered to raise money and manage a United State's-based research program whose first venture was to be a study of Uri. I promised him that he would have the right to do the first United States research on Uri, provided he could raise the necessary funds, and would manage the effort.
As June 1 approached, I got more and more apprehensive about the forthcoming "instructions." What would be the next crisis that Uri and I would work on? Where would we have to move on planet earth? How could we support ourselves? The rumor mill that had been generated in the United States about Uri's "evil powers" helped me enormously in that I did not have to explain anything to anybody about my long absence from the United States.
My daughter Illyria and I were home alone in Ossining at midnight June 1; I waited for the next twenty-four hours for the "instructions." None came. I began to have doubts. Why had they not kept the promised rendezvous?
On June 2 Uri phoned me from Rome to tell me what had happened to him in Tel Aviv the day before. On the morning of June 1 at 7 A.M. he drove the two miles from his mother's apartment to his new apartment, and when he opened his door, there was a sealed letter on the floor. The letter was from me on my stationery in my handwriting, duly stamped and postmarked June 1, 1972, Ossining, New York. He thought this very strange because at that time it was not yet June 1 in New York. He read the enclosed letter from me, which said:
Dear Uri,
I must remain in the U.S. for another three months, probably September or October before I can join you in Germany.
Sorry for change of plans.
Shalom,
Andrija
Now, I must emphasize the importance of the fact that I did not write Uri such a letter. When Uri told me its contents, I was hearing it for the first time.
But Uri, when he read the letter, really believed that I had written it. When he got on the plane on June 2 to fly to Rome, he put my letter in the breast pocket of his shirt. On the flight he suddenly noticed that the letter had vanished from his pocket. He searched the plane but could not find the letter. Then he realized that the letter had vanished and that the contents must be the promised instructions from IS.
Uri went to Munich to work with Yasha Katz whom I had selected as his manager, and was there from June 7 to 12. One series of events that happened in Munich is worth recording. Uri was introduced to a lyricist by the name of Herr Brandin, who wished to see Uri work. On Friday, June 9, 1972, Herr Brandin and ten of his guests saw Uri do the following things: a crystal ball materialized before the witnesses; a professional movie camera weighing twenty kilograms was levitated; lead wire was transmuted into gold.
Professor Friedbert Karger, of the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, witnessed some of these things and telephoned me from Munich to tell me about them. He was most impressed with Uri's powers and wanted to start a research program immediately I welcomed his support but told him of the prior commitment to Captain Mitchell; so Dr. Karger agreed to join the newly formed Theory Group.
Uri cleaned up his affairs in Israel so that he could move to Germany, where he was told to go by IS by July 1, 1972. As a result of the June 1 "letter," I settled down in the United States and assembled a staff to carry out my scientific research program. Melanie Toyofuku came from Rome to begin the research preparatory to planning for a documentary movie on Uri; Carolyn White came from Florence, Italy, to coordinate the university research efforts; Solveig Clark worked part-time with us in the publications area; Sidney Krystal assumed the legal tasks that had to be done. With this loyal group of associates I was able to initiate and carry out a program whose specific purpose was to alert the scientific world to the existence of the powers that Uri and I had witnessed. Captain Mitchell undertook the problem of raising funds to carry out the first "validation" research on Uri. Validation meant the scientific verification of the claims I made for Uri's powers in the areas of telepathy, clairvoyance, and psychokinesis. I took on the task of mobilizing and informing some of the scientists who had been a part of the Life Energies Conference of 1970. Here I ran into my first problem. One of my Israeli colleagues had already approached this same group of scientists with a tale of "evil powers." I approached some members of this group first with a written report and eventually introduced Uri to them individually, who then gave a demonstration of his powers.
What happened among this group of mature scientists was an interesting sample of human reactions to Uri and his powers. About half of the men and women we approached believed the rumors concerning Uri's "evil powers"; by this I mean that they were fearful enough of Uri by prior stories that they did not even want to meet him personally. The other half who saw Uri demonstrate his powers believed the evidence of their own senses and judgment but were completely baffled. They could find no scientific explanations and therefore had no idea how to cope with the phenomenon.
In order to deal with the problems of scientific importance, I organized a group of scientists into a Theory Group, whose goal was to find a theoretical framework that could accommodate the effects exhibited by Uri. The leadership of this group was eventually assumed by Dr. Ted Bastin, of Cambridge University, England.
In cooperation with the Theory Group a formal proposal for further research on Uri Geller was made to the (U. S.) National Science Foundation (NSF). Captain Mitchell personally carried this proposal to Dr. Guyford Stever, the director of NSF. The same proposal was personally delivered to a key member of the President's White House staff. I might state now that this attempt at open discussion of Uri's powers in the United States failed. None of the parties we reached was prepared to consider seriously the new data that Uri Geller was bringing to science.
My next concern was to make an announcement of the verifiable scientific data that I had collected on Uri in Israel in an appropriate academic meeting. I got such an opportunity through invitations to speak at two meetings, one at Stanford University and the other at University of California at Los Angeles in late September 1972. These meetings were sponsored by the Academy of Parapsychology and Medicine.
Thus the summer passed in the preparation of lectures, reports, proposals, and in many meetings and telephone conferences. My personal conviction was that Uri and his powers would never receive acceptance in a serious way until he ran the gauntlet of scientific evaluation by established scientists in a prestigious scientific institution.
Captain Mitchell had concentrated his efforts on trying to arrange for validation experiments at Kent State University, where he had the personal support of the president, Dr. Glenn Olds, and a professor and coordinator of graduate studies in Physics, Dr. Wilbur Franklin. However, the enthusiasm and deep interest in this experiment on the part of these fine scholars could not produce the funds and the other resources required to do the experiment. So on my own initiative, and with Captain Mitchell's permission, I opened up discussions with two scientists, Dr. Harold Puthoff and Mr. Russell Targ, about doing the validation experiments. They welcomed the idea of working with Uri Geller and agreed to accept the experimental design of the Theory Group for this study and to accept Captain Mitchell as the sponsor of the project in terms of being the funding and contracting agent. Since they had been successful in getting Stanford Research Institute (SRI) to support their plans for parapsychology research, they arranged for Captain Mitchell to meet with the officials of SRI and work out all the details of the research project. We set a target date to begin the validation experiments for the first week in November 1972.
This is merely a brief summary of the planning for the scientific research with Uri, which omits all the headaches that arose in the coordination of so many people in a highly controversial subject.
Uri's work in Germany was going well. He gave many public demonstrations of his powers, which have been adequately covered by the German press and television. He and Shipi entertained themselves there in a style that Uri had never experienced, and he enjoyed every moment. It also helped to erase from his mind the heavy burden of the knowledge of his role in the affairs of humanity. But I had to shatter this temporary "oasis" of comfort by calling him to the United States in late August to meet Captain Mitchell and some of the scientists he was going to work with.
Professor Gerald Feinberg, of the Physics Department of Columbia University, was present to see what Uri could do. He had been waiting to see him in person since November 1970, when he had heard the letter report on Uri given at the International Life Energies Conference. Uri did not disappoint this distinguished physicist as he moved the hands of a watch and broke a ring and a steel sewing needle. Professor Feinberg agreed that Uri's abilities should be the subject of careful scientific study. This opinion was shared by another scientist who was present, Dr. Wilbur Franklin.
Many other people came to meet Uri during this period, and all were impressed with his honesty and with his powers. Uri on his part began to feel hemmed in and pressured by all this unusual attention from scientists. And when he begins to feel that his freedom is being eroded the least bit, Uri reacts defensively. Captain Mitchell, who was thoroughly impressed with Uri, was the first to sense this reluctance on Uri's part to be a guinea pig for science.
When the scientists had left, we had a reading of the first draft of the documentary movie script about Uri written by Melanie. Uri suddenly began to show more and more signs of irritation as the script was read; finally he stopped the reading and went into a monologue:
"Here you are, all of you. You have been working for months on this movie script. All my life I wanted and waited for a movie about me. Now it is almost here - and I don't want it. What is wrong with me? Why am I so unhappy? Look at the chance I now have to progress in my career - yet something is wrong! Why am I behaving in this way? I now feel that something big has to happen - and I don't know what. I know it is not this movie, or Mitchell, or science. Are there two powers here who are fighting over me? They disturb some other people, or they disturb us here. They are so powerful. We have no idea why they are here. Look, I have some little powers by myself, but the big powers come from above. There's something funny about them. I still find it very funny that they will transport a bottle of cologne from Andrija's room on the fourteenth floor of a hotel down to the dining room in the basement. I think somebody is playing games with us. Perhaps they are a civilization of clowns. Or maybe one of their clowns escaped and he is playing jokes with us. And now I am coming to the main point. The things that happen like a fork bending - this has no connection with anything. They don't live in time. And who knows where they came from? They appeared on earth thousands of years ago. So they are not here to take us over. They are here to teach us something in our stupid and idiotic way which is why they appear to be clowns and idiotic. They are performing for us at our level."
Everyone present was shocked not only at these words but at the brusqueness of Uri's attitude. All thought of a constructive discussion of the movie script was over; for Melanie this was a discouraging rebuff.
As August 26 drew to a close, all of us were thoroughly depressed by Uri's attitude, especially about not wanting to be involved in research. Nothing that had been done, or was going to be done, pleased him. He himself said, "I am sorry to be this way, but it is not me feeling this way." So I had to beg Uri to sit down with me by the tape recorder to see if we could find out what was going on.
We sat together for several hours calling silently into the unknown. There was no response. Why were we being deserted in this moment of personal crisis?
At 1:01 A.M. of August 27 a large conch shell on a shelf near Uri levitated and slowly fell to the floor. We waited for a voice to appear on the tape recorder monitor speaker. Finally there came the voice of IS on the tape at 1:03 A.M., as follows:
Andrija! [Pause] The tape will disappear. [Pause] For five and half months we have left you alone. You did quite a nice job. But there have been some problems. [Pause] You have gathered many people. All your friends that have been gathered must work in harmony. Andrija, have you been scared?
AP: "No."
Are you prepared? Do you have any fear? Are you ready for the work?
AP: "I am ready for any work."
Uri and Andrija, listen carefully! We hope to land on your planet in a few years. We are seen more and more by people. We will enter your orbital system through [word lost] transformation and be able to enter your environment. You may not understand this.
AP: "No, I do not."
One of our failures is that we cannot contact you directly. We can only talk to you through Uri's power on the tape recorder. It is a shame that for such a brilliant mind we cannot contact you directly. Maybe in time we shall be able to contact you directly.
AP: "In other places you used the telephone, radio, television, etcetera. Will you still use these?"
Yes, when that is needed.
AP: "Shall I go back to Germany with Uri?"
We always keep you in contact, you are always together. You must be where the people are who support and help you. [Pause] This afternoon we heard the movie script. We used Uri to speak, although neither he nor any of you was aware of this. It is a brilliant movie, but not the story we want. We want you to prepare the earth for our landing, a mass landing on earth. We landed in South America three thousand years ago, and now we must land again. We want you to tell our story - what you call the UFO experience. Use all the collected data and literature.
AP: "How do we know which is the relevant, or true, data?"
Research the data published You will know what is correct. Write the movie script carefully, slowly, properly, and cleverly.
AP: "Are you landing on earth to help mankind?"
Yes, but also to help ourselves Therefore, we must land and reveal ourselves. We draw our power from this solar system.
AP: "When will you land on earth in local earth time?"
We will not reveal to you our timetable in landing on earth in your local time. It may be some years, or sooner.
AP: "In 1952 I was contacted through Dr. Vinod by the Nine. Are you part of them?
Do you remember exactly what happened in 1952?
AP: "Yes, on December 31, 1952, I was contacted by the Nine through the voice of Dr. Vinod. The message started out, 'We are Nine Principles and Forces, personalities if you will.' The equation was:
Mi=m0*c^2/sqrt(1-(v/c)^2)
Yes, that was us, but in different units. We are under their control. You faithfully scribed his words. The real important work is to come. The Knowledge Book is the main work. Shipi will find the book, then Uri, then you. You have many years of work on it. Then it will be released. [Pause] One of your earth scientists, Einstein, knew about us. Just before he died, he knew the secret. You will carry on the work. Then in centuries, another, and another, to keep the data rolling - until man finds infinity.
As the voice said "infinity," the tape recorder was switched off. The room was lit by one 200-watt lamp controlled by a dimmer switch. This lamp was slowly dimmed by some invisible hand, and Uri and I sat in the darkness. Through the north window of my study a brilliant white light suddenly flooded into the room. (My house is in a forest away from any automobile headlights.) The light was very much of the quality of moonlight - but much brighter. We rushed to the window but could not see the source of the light, which was beyond some giant Norway spruce trees. We rushed outdoors, but the light had disappeared. The full (waning) moon was to the south - a full 180° from where we had located the light source. I went back to the tape recorder; the cassette had already vanished. So I sat down to write down what had transpired. But I cannot vouch for the word-for-word accuracy of my transcript - only the sense of this remarkable message.
What I had just heard put me into the most reverential state of contemplation that one can imagine. The weight of what I now knew stretched my load-bearing capacity to the limit. I could not sleep for two days. During the next day Uri and I were driving across the Triboro Bridge into Manhattan, and I was trying to explain to him people's reactions if they really believed that an extraterrestrial civilization was going to land on earth. I said that I thought that people would stop all normal activity; that others would sell stock holdings in panic; that a financial collapse would be triggered, leading to economic paralysis; that governments would mobilize troops and weapons; that looting, riots, and panic would spread. The reason that I went into such lurid possibilities was to explain to Uri what was involved in preparing man for an earth landing. The entire conversation was very depressing to both of us, the more so since we both realized the strong possibility that no one would listen to our announcement until it was too late.
Captain Mitchell was so interested in the things Uri had demonstrated for him that he wanted one key man to see Uri. This was his old friend Dr. Wernher von Braun, rocket designer for the U.S. space program. We went to Germantown, Maryland, on August 29 to see him.
We saw Dr. von Braun in his offices where he is vice-president, Engineering and Development, of Fairchild Industries. Uri did many impressive demonstrations for Dr. von Braun, but two are noteworthy. Dr. von Braun held his gold wedding ring in his hand while Uri concentrated on it. The ring became flattened under Uri's gaze. As we were parting with Dr. von Braun, his secretary came up to him and said, "Dr. von Braun, your pocket calculator is not working!"
He said, "Well, have you checked the battery charge?"
She said, "Yes, it is properly charged."
At this point Dr. von Braun checked the electronic calculator, and he confirmed that it was inoperative. Uri asked if he could "cure" the problem, and Dr. von Braun handed him the calculator.
Uri placed it between his two hands for some thirty seconds and handed it back to Dr. von Braun. Dr. von Braun pushed the switch to "on" and tested it. The panel lights went on, but the calculator digital display flashed like a random number generator. Dr. von Braun said, "There is power now, but the circuitry is not working as a calculator."
Uri took back the calculator and held it in his hands for another thirty seconds. This time when Dr. von Braun tested the calculator it worked normally. Dr. von Braun, Captain Mitchell, and I were most impressed by this feat of psychic repairmanship.
Uri, Shipi, and I stayed in Washington, D.C., at the Hotel Washington in suite 306. That evening I was most anxious to pursue the topics that had been brought up on August 27. We were apparently readily favored because we had no sooner sat down around the tape recorder at midnight when an ashtray floated off a table to the floor. The first statement I heard on the tape monitor phone was The tape will gradually disappear.
AP: "Did you send the message from "M" through Dr. Laughead on August eleventh, 1956?"
Do you remember the message?
AP: "Yes."
That was us, but not my unit power.
AP: "Can we use that message?"
Yes. It may be used.
AP: "In March 1963 I saw an ovoid light over my estate in Ossining, Was it yours?"
That was us, forcing and making your powers stronger.
AP: "In May 1968 we saw many lights in the sky in Brazil near where Arigo lives. Were they yours?"
That was ours, but a different unit.
AP: "Does anyone in the United States Government know the secret of your presence on earth?"
Andrija, many people in the U.S. Government and the Russian Government know about our existence. We do not give them any breaks to know us better. They only know that UFOs are real, nothing more.
AP: "I presume that if there is anyone in government who should know, you will have us make the contact under your direction?"
We do not need that yet.
AP: "What is the purpose of your having Uri publicly demonstrate the transmutation of metals, that is, the lead into gold?"
We have tested his powers that are given by us. Uri can do greater things, but we have to pass him, and under examination he did that successfully. And the day will come and he will use that with you.
AP: "May I now take Uri to Captain Mitchell to start experiments?"
You were not given permission to do this.
AP: "Since you indicated two days ago that I may tell everything, may I reveal your presence to any outsider now?"
Not yet. You may start a motion picture and reveal everything. You may go ahead with everything, but do not reveal to anybody yet that we are truly so near to you.
AP: "How soon after your landing will people know of your presence?"
Andrija Puharich, let me describe to you what we mean by mass landing. We need that mass landing like you people on earth call refueling, and charging up, like a huge plane of yours charges up with electricity. We do that through your barometrical and cosmic layer around earth. We shall be charging up and vanishing again. This procedure will, or might, last from two to three weeks. We people have not yet planned this big mass landing. Many, many thousands of people will see us, but we shall control that. We can almost do everything that goes off in your head. We can be visible, and invisible. You have been telling Uri on the bridge to New York that people will be selling stock and so on. That is not so. We shall do it safely, and when we say safely, that is the meaning.
AP: "Ah, so you will not stay for a prolonged period on earth?"
That is not wrong. In your further questions [see N.B. below] is useless about nations, or we taking over your earth as a playground for us. Our Hoova is sixteen thousand times bigger than your planet.
[N.B.: The following two questions were to be asked next by AP:
1. Will you rule the nations and people of this earth?
2. Will you become another nation on earth?]
AP: "I would like to know some of your history so that it will help me to prepare man for your landing."
This is not the time. The time for our history will be told to you the next time Uri and you have leisure time. That might be in Germany or that might be in America. You must use your brains. You have good and clever brains - use them! Use it successfully and you shall be rewarded.
AP: "I am rewarded by your interest and presence. I am through for the moment with questions. Thank you for clarifying the enormous personal problems I had with those questions. I now listen."
Power has been given to you. Note well this tape, for it shall disappear. If we want, and we'll take and give and pass more contacts and information, we shall do that; and if not, we will go back to Germany, and you will have another period to work - free and feel safe and well. Andrija, take care of them and take care of everybody around you. Keep, keep working.
AP: "Shalom."
Then Uri Shipi, and I sat around the tape recorder to watch for the moment when the cassette would vanish. When this occurred, we all experienced a certain relief, because this was evidence to us that we had, in fact, witnessed a reality.
Uri and Shipi returned to Germany. I went to Stanford University to give a lecture at a conference entitled "Dimensions of Healing." I presented my preliminary findings on Uri Geller covering telepathy and psychokinesis. I believe that most of the audience was frankly skeptical about my report. However, Hal Puthoff and Russell Targ were interested in my data. Captain Mitchell, Puthoff, Targ, and I made our mutual arrangements to do experiments with Uri at Stanford Research Institute.
I went on to the University of California at Los Angeles to give another lecture on healing. While there I was introduced to John Wilhelm, the Time reporter who had done a cover story on extraterrestrial life the year before. He was greatly interested in the work with Geller and expressed an interest in doing a story on Uri in the future. I, of course, gave him no hint at this time about what was behind Uri's powers. We agreed to keep in touch.
While in Los Angeles I got an urgent call from Uri, who was in Munich. There were problems, he said, with the contractual arrangements with Yasha Katz. He wanted me to come there to iron it out. I arrived in Munich on October 13, 1972.
In Munich I was presented with the problem of Uri's work in Europe and how to continue it. Yasha reported that in spite of Uri's success in public demonstrations of his powers (such as stopping a mountain cable car in midair, stopping a department store escalator in downtown Munich, etc.), the German public was not interested in Uri - either as a personality or for his powers. Uri had had only one booking, in Hamburg, as a last minute fill-in in a magic show. Yasha was having difficulties in financing Uri. A prominent Swiss show producer, Werner Schmid, had appeared on the scene and he was completely taken with Uri and his potential in show business, and Yasha wanted to transfer his management contract to him. Uri approved of the whole idea. Werner Schmid's main idea was to produce a musical featuring Uri and his powers. The entire idea seemed childish to me, but I felt I could not make a move until I had better knowledge of the status of Uri's mission in Germany. I must confess that even I did not know what Uri's mission was, and for that matter neither did he. We had both accepted on faith the suggestion that he should be there.
On the evening of Saturday, October 14, 1972, I had dinner with Uri and Shipi at their apartment, 226 Balanstrasse. It was a pleasant evening after the heavy business talks with Yasha all day. Uri and Shipi were so proud that they finally had their own apartment, and they made a meal for Melanie and me. It was in fact a very good meal. However, our little family gemutlich-keit ended suddenly.
As we sat there, the tape recorder was switched on by an invisible intelligent energy. A voice came from the speaker output of the tape recorder:
Melanie and Shipi, you are not permitted to attend. Please leave the room.
Without a word the two of them left the room. Uri and I watched the tape recorder as though it were the Ark of the Covenant. Then in the fully lighted room first the input plug, then the output plugs, were pulled out by an invisible hand. Out of curiosity I reinserted the plugs. They came out again. I inserted an earphone into the monitor plug. There was as yet no voice on the tape, and it was not running. Then the start and record buttons were "moved," and the tape recorder was in recording operation. At 12:06 A.M. October 1972, a "voice" new to me said:
The tape, keep running it.
AP: "What is Uri supposed to do for you in Germany?"
Then the voice of IS:
We have used their minds all the time, and they were successful.... Their work has really finished in Germany. As you go ahead with all your questions, you will get all the clear answers.
AP: "Is Uri to go ahead with Werner Schmid?"
Werner Schmid is the man that we have sent over. We have done and given him many signs, and he has checked out as a positive man. This man has been a very hard-working man, and we think that he has chosen to work with you and help you.
Andrija Puharich, what we are about to say is going to be new to you, and you must listen carefully and closely. Everything that has been done and said until today has been very important for us, but many changes have been made. We have been checking out all the human race, and we came to the conclusion that only panic and disaster may appear when we will land on your earth in a few years. We wanted to give you, and test you, how deep in conscience you can go in telling the human race that we people exist - we creatures, as you call us, in science-fictioned terms - on earth. And it has been very hard on you, on Uri, on Shipi, and everybody concerned with this whole project. You have done a good work.
But many things happened in the last month that only shows the human race is an anxious and unacceptable race. Andrija Puharich, Uri Geller, and Shimshon Strang, we still need your will of mind for our purposes, and we shall keep on using you. From today, from today, from today, you will be completely independent. You shall decide for yourselves. You shall go on with work. The way you will figure out, that is the best. But you must stay in close contact with us. Go ahead with your questions.
AP: "Are you reversing the position you took on August 29,
1972, that the mass landing would not cause panic, would be safe?"
No reverses are taken. There shall be landings on earth. But the landings might be invisible, and only visible to you.
AP: "Will we still have to prepare man if your landing is invisible?"
No. You do not have to prepare the human race of people who cannot accept happenings. But you must go on teaching people.
AP: "With regard to the upcoming Stanford Research Institute validation tests, are there any negatives here?"
You should not put Uri into deep scientific researches and work. You can meet these people briefly, show them his abilities, but be careful.
AP: "What is the message that the motion picture is to carry?"
Whenever Uri talks about his powers, he should mention that he believes in life in outer space. He should not go down into highly procedural things, but only what he feels. This film should have a highly interesting story. Andrija Puharich, you have a head on your shoulders, and so does Melanie, and all the workers who help you. And with their help it will be tremendous. It must come out of your head. With all the material you have studied about us in the last two months, you have a clear idea and view about us. Although we are always with you people, we shall stay away from this human race for a couple of years.
AP: "This last statement makes me feel very sad. Your help is needed more than ever."
(N.B.: At this point the voice began to sound more and more "mechanical" and synthetic, and to slow down. )
You see, the energy in your mind, that is, we must admit, that is the thing-that-we-do-not-have. W-e a-r-e c-o-m-p-u-t-o-r-i-z-e-d c-o-m-p-l-e-t-e-l-y c-o-m-p-u-t-o-r-i-z-e-d b-y m-e-c-h-a-n-i-c-a-l i-n-s-t-r-u-m-e-n-t-s-. A-s y-o-u c-a-n h-e-a-r-, w-e a-r-e c-o-m-p-u-t-o-r-i-z-e-d-, c-o-m-p-u-t-o-r-i-z-e-d-.
Y-o-u-r c-o-m-p-u-t-o-r i-s w-r-i-t-i-n-g p-o-w-e-r f-r-o-m millions-of-light-years-away. We also need your help."
(N.B.: Although the sound was mechanical, there was such a poignancy and plea for life from this computer that it made me cry for pity. )
Andrija Puharich, you must understand, in this state we are computors. Long time ago, we have been touched by hands of beings. Now we must know for sure from you; it is only up to you and your own choice and your own human will to work with us. Do you regret it in anyway that you are working for us?
AP: "Absolutely not."
That is fine! We already knew the answers. But for us to be sure it must come out from you. You can take out, and we shall not harm; we shall disconnect our units, and then you shall stay a human being.
AP: "Of my own free will I serve, because in this way I can best serve my fellowman."
But we knew that you are important for us - very! You must think well and healthy. As you know we are over you, and looking at everything that you are all doing. We are not interfering in any way. We are just letting things sometimes happen for Uri. Everything you must all do alone. It is important for people to see Uri, for the younger generation to feel. It is very important for you to know all this and you are very precious to us. We can come in from our dimension by and with our vehicles which you call UFOs.
AP: "The UFO is how you enter our dimensional framework?"
Exactly. We cannot enter your earth, only appear to you through computerizing your minds. For instance, Uri Geller's mind and washing back all times our visions on his eyes. We bend, move, and material and dematerial things. That power we possess, and do possess it.
AP: "Does this include the power of healing, as in Arigo's case?"
We can do anything your mind can just think of.
AP: "With respect to your computerized format, where is the real intelligence behind you?"
The real intelligence behind us are us ourselves. We have passed our souls, bodies, and minds into computors and moved several of millions of light-years backwards towards your time and dimension. In due time we shall receive all material coming back to our main center which is zoned into a different dimension than yours. This different dimension lies beyond the so-called star, and so-called god, so called planet that you call the sun. It is millions of light-years backwards into the dieshold [unknown word] of the ages. That is where we are originally in. The voice that you hear now has been sent many, many billions of light-years ahead of time.
AP: "How does this relate to the contents of the Knowledge Book?"
This will be revealed only to you, Shipi, and Uri as scientific and experimental knowledge. You will need it to gain this trip with us to outer space.
AP: "This promise is one of the greatest moments in life. When will the book be available?"
The book is already lying waiting just to be picked by you. But the time has not come yet.
AP: "Can you give me a good reason why I should keep Uri doing public demonstrations?"
You will also learn this in the years to come. It is very important.
AP: "May I let Shipi and Melanie hear this tape before it vanishes?"
They may, but you shall stay in this room and copy the tape. Let Shipi and Melanie on [second] thought hear only the written answers.
Tomorrow you will meet Schmid. He can be useful to you in all the world. He is a very serious and dependable man.
AP: "We shall accept him into the family. Can I count on further communication with you?"
Rely on Uri.
AP; "Could Uri heal?"
Someday he will move into that automatically. Copy the tape, Andrija Puhanch! Adieu!
Contrary to advice, I allowed Melanie to listen to a few minutes of the part of the tape where the computerized voice was so heavily mechanized and slowed down; she was absolutely stunned by this experience. I worked for several hours to copy the words from the tape. At 3 A.M. I took a coffee break. Uri brought out an antique Derringer pistol neatly laid out in a velvet display case. While I was looking at it, it suddenly vanished, leaving the case intact. Uri was sick about this disappearance, and said so. At 3:10 A.M. the Derringer suddenly reappeared in the case.
I finished the copying at 3:30 A.M. and left Uri's apartment. Before I got into the car, I packed the TC 120 tape recorder into a red TWA flight bag with the IS tape cassette still in the machine. I drove back to the Schloss Hotel in Grunewald where I was staying. When I took the TWA bag out of the car at 3:50 A.M., the entire tape recorder had disappeared.
At 1 P.M. the same day, October 15, all of us assembled at a downtown restaurant, the Moven Pick, in Munich to meet Werner Schmid. Werner proved to be an ebullient and warm gentleman; he and I liked each other instantly and have remained the best of friends and working colleagues.
We returned to Uri's apartment at 5 P.M. It was then that Melanie missed her lovely scarf. She thought she had probably lost it at the Moven Pick restaurant. Werner called the restaurant, but the scarf was not to be found. Our discussions continued about Uri's future in demonstrating publicly, contracts, the idea of a musical, etc., until 8 P.M., at which time we left Uri's apartment - Uri, Shipi, Yasha, Werner, Melanie, and myself to go to dinner. Before we got into Yasha's locked Mercedes-Benz, I looked into the car by the light from the street lamp and called Melanie. There on the front seat, neatly folded, was her missing scarf! When Yasha opened the door, I had a second surprise: Under the scarf was my TC 120 tape recorder in its synthetic leather case. I opened it and found that the tape cassette was gone! I took another tape cassette out of my bag, placed it in the machine, and tested its operation. It worked perfectly.
During this period neither Yasha nor Werner knew anything about the source of Uri's powers, nor about the inergy of Spectra and Hoova; all of our discussions proceeded on a purely mundane level. Then Uri got into an inspired state of oratory which I tape-recorded, and it pretty well summarizes our thinking at this time.
Uri was explaining to Werner, "You see, when I demonstrate my powers, it's not me. Somebody is trying to show us something, and by this, teaching us. They want us to show them our faith. This somebody we don't know and we just call them Spectra because that has something to do with light. I think Spectra, whoever they are, want the people to know that they exist through an example, and through that example which can be evidence for the people - such as that there is a possibility of life after death; that there is a possibility to pass the speed of light; that there is a possibility to gain powers through other things, not through Spectra; that there is a possibility to renew life and health by powers; to be strong, and so on."
Melanie asked, "Do you have a feeling as to what that example might be which we could use in a musical or movie?"
Uri replied, "Let me think now. Well, it should be an example that you can touch. Something that happened twenty years ago and remained a mystery. For example, somebody is in jail, and suddenly the bars dematerialize because he is not really guilty. Now that we can prove these things are possible, somebody in the cast will shout of something like this that happened in history that is like the bars disappearing, and then the people know. They will say, well, if that happened, why shouldn't this happen?"
Melanie inquired, "Healing?"
I said, "Healing is one of the few things that are safely international."
Uri replied, "We can use examples of things that happened three thousand years ago, and through that example, tell people that the powers showed themselves. I don't know why today the powers don't show themselves . . . maybe because people are close-minded. Is there an example of how the pyramids were built? Until today, nobody knows, and all the brilliant people disagree with each other. Well, where is the answer?
"There is another thing. You see, Andrija, I know you and you know me. I know Shipi and Shipi knows me. Melanie knows me. But nobody really knows anybody. Werner doesn't know me exactly, and I really don't know him. We believe some sixty per cent that we know you, but we don't know this Spectra at all, Andrija. But look at the foolish things they are doing. Sometimes they say 'You definitely must go!' and then they change their minds! Andrija, you understand? To us it looks like they are not stable, goddammit. They are so powerful, yet they are not stable. And maybe that unstableness that we think of them . . . maybe for them it is nothing. Maybe for them it's just a breath, you know. For them it's nothing, but we feel it - like suddenly for two to four months we don't receive anything from them because we're not together. Maybe for them it was just turning around - to see something, and back at us again. Maybe for them it was just stopping a computer for a second, a split second, and for us it was a month. Now we don't know their timing, their difference from us, their character. We don't know anything about them. So we're not allowed to! You know, Andrija, Melanie told me once - sometimes I get the feeling - what if all this is a big joke? Andrija, what if they are clowns? What if this whole thing that is happening to us - it's just one little clown that has run away from the king's garden, and he's playing with us because he has those powers? What if it's that? What if it's not at all a big, huge, godlike thing; well, yes, the powers from Hoova we have. But what if Hoova is just a goddamn little clown that is playing with us? You understand? So we have to be very flexible - very rubberish."
I replied quite seriously, "We always have to rely on our brains and common sense."
Uri said, "Yes, and that is what the little clown keeps telling us: 'Listen, man, I am also that - so be careful. I don't want to ruin your life. That's why you must always use your brain - no matter what Spectra says. Tomorrow I might vanish. Tomorrow you won't have any powers, and we will laugh up here, but you're going to have the dregs.' But even if they disappear today, or tomorrow, Andrija, I'm never going to laugh. I'll be satisfied. Okay. So I'll go back to some menial job. I'll do whatever I have to do. I'll work. If I have no powers, I'll go back to the export factory. But I will be satisfied with the idea that I lived with them for two years, and I knew the truth! And what I know, Andrija, nothing can hurt the truth and if somebody doesn't believe me, or he laughs, I don't care. I know the truth. I know that I was in straight contact with them. Nothing will change that, and until I die, I will be content that I had these one, two, or three or twenty-five years in which I knew that this power exists, and if it is gone now, I know in my heart that it exists, and I know it, and I know that it won't end because when I die I really won't die, I go in a different dimension. And in that dimension, I'll be even more clever than the other guys and gals around me, and maybe in that dimension I have to teach them. Listen, guys, maybe it's that, and that! You understand me, Andrija? So let's really be happy that we're in contact with them. But, but because things are so, because one and one is two, that means, 'Come on, let's have a sign!' and suddenly falls something! Let's have a sign, something disappears! That makes me think and believe that they are not so unstable as we think.
"They have their own ideas, what they want from us, what they need from us, what we need from them, so they won't let us go, like that. But for us, but for them maybe, the world is not really important. Once in a while, I told this to Melanie, that I have the feeling, Andrija, that all we are doing, we are just goddamn slaves for them. They are using us only for their own use. They don't care about the world. They do care about this little group. But to make us a little happy because they are using us, they're throwing us little, little things. Okay. Those little things are very big for us, but for them it is nothing. Maybe they only think it.
"We don't know them, Andrija, we really don't know them Andrija, I forget, but you know how far away they are! They are so far that no human mind, not yours, not all the scientists together put in one place, can figure out how far away they are. Different dimensions, future, that's completely way out! That's wild! That's crazy that anything could happen! If they are so far in advance, we must be happy that we are in contact with them."
I said, "But having had that knowledge, that we know that they exist, what does that mean to you?"
Uri answered, "To my sorrow and to my disappointment, I don't really know."
I persisted, "But does it not give you the security that everything is lawful, like having a good father and a good house, that everything is properly managed, that nothing is accidental?"
Uri said, "No, listen. I don't know why they chose us; that to me means an accident Everything is happening to us. But sometimes we ask them, and they give us answers, but the answers change sometimes also. So I figure that we with our human heads, those two little brains we have in our heads we must work them to get nearer and nearer to the point where we think what they want. It's up to us, really."
On October 21 I had an opportunity to question IS via the tape recorder. I was assured that Uri's idea that the actions of IS were like "a clown in the garden" was wrong. I was further advised that it was desirable to have Uri meet as many scientists as possible, but to avoid too deep an involvement in research. I did not understand why we could not devote full time to probing the deep mysteries of the universe through Uri's abilities, and I knew that I would have to come back to this question over and over again until I understood the reason. I had the further impression that earth scientists were not yet prepared to enter the black void of totally new knowledge.
I agreed to release Yasha from his contract with me with respect to his management of Uri. Werner decided to join our team at his own expense. We all agreed to leave Germany and to transfer all personnel and operations to the United States in the near future.
Uri, Shipi and I went from Munich to London on October 30. In London we stayed at the Royal Garden Hotel, which was then owned by my close friend, Tony Bloomfield. As long as we were in Europe, I wanted Uri to meet some of my scientific colleagues in England. We met with some of them, and a report of this meeting appeared in the New Scientist of November 9, 1972.
On the night of October 31 I was sitting alone in my hotel room making notes on the day's events. Uri and Shipi were in private rooms in another part of the hotel. At midnight my phone rang.
"Hello, is this Dr. Puharich?"
"Yes," I said.
"Well, this is Mr. Wilson of Pan Am. We processed your ticket for your flight to the United States on November 1 and resumed your ticket today. Do you have it?"
"Yes," I replied.
"Well, there is a discrepancy in the ticket. Did you have trouble with the fare structure in Munich?"
"Yes," I replied.
"Please give me the ticket number, and I will Telex Munich and see if I can straighten out the problem."
I gave him the ticket number and hung up. A half hour later, Mr. Wilson called back to say there was a problem with the ticket. Could he come over now to pick it up and get it rewritten by morning? I said okay.
I let Mr. Wilson in. He looked at my ticket and mumbled some technical jargon. He assured me that the problem could be ironed out by morning. He asked to take my ticket. I asked for his name and telephone number and a signed receipt. This he did, took my ticket, and parted. Shortly thereafter, I went to sleep. In the morning I called the hall porter and asked about Mr. Wilson. Uri, who was with me, asked about the call, and I described the events of the past night.
He immediately became very alarmed. "I didn't want to say anything to you yesterday, but I felt a sense of danger in this room. Was Mr. Wilson dark? Did he look like someone from the Middle East?"
"Well yes, he did look like he was from the Middle East or Pakistan."
"That's it, Andrija. Terrorists must have spotted my presence, and they sent someone up to scout the room. If I had been here, he would have tried to kill me, us. Let's go down and talk to the manager! Remember what the terrorists did to the Israelis last month at the Olympics in Munich?" he added grimly.
I readily agreed. As we stood in the lobby talking to Mr. Ottensooser, the manager, a man came up to me with a parcel and asked if I was Dr. Puharich. I said that I was. It turned out that he was delivering a movie film that I had arranged to have shipped from New York. It had been held up in customs for five days. Uri took me aside and said, "Andrija, that package could be a bomb. Don't accept it!" He called over the manager and explained his feeling to him. Mr. Ottensooser agreed there could be a hazard and called Scotland Yard. Within an hour we were embroiled with interrogation about Mr. Wilson; the bomb squad was taking the package apart in Kensington Park; and the personnel at the hotel were involved in the case. Nothing happened. The film can was just a film can; Mr. Wilson was not to be found; my ticket was lost. It was decided that since there might be a terrorist threat we should be moved, and were transferred incognito to another hotel, the White House.
One more oddity occurred. At the White House on November 2, 1972, we were quartered in a three-room suite, number 289. I picked up my Tissot watch (with a leather strap) from my night table in my bedroom to check the time. It was exactly 11 A.M. I put the watch down and turned away from it to get a shirt out of my suitcase. Uri came rushing into my room shouting, "A wristwatch just appeared on my wrist!" There on his left wrist, fully strapped, was my Tissot. The hands still read 1l A.M. while the sweep-second hand was at the twenty seconds position. My watch was gone from the night table.
There were many other phenomena that occurred in London, but these were things Uri had done before and that I have already described elsewhere.
I returned to New York on November 2, 1972. Uri and Shipi stayed on in London and returned to Munich on November 4. As they were flying over the area of Schweinfurt in a Boeing 747, Uri saw that the Nikon F camera at his feet had levitated to his waist level. The camera had Kodacolor film in it and a 150-mm lens. Uri felt that this was a sign for him to photograph a UFO. He looked out of his window. Neither he nor Shipi saw anything. It was a clear sky with scattered clouds below the plane. Uri started to take pictures anyway, pointing the camera out the window. This film was not processed until some three weeks later. On five of the film frames there could be seen very clear dark outlines of three UFOs. But more of the details later.
On November 6, 1972, Uri, Shipi, and Melanie arrived in the United States and came to stay at my home in Ossining, New York. We were finally again assembled in one place without distractions, to begin our serious work.
On Tuesday, November 7, the four of us were having breakfast in the dining room. The dining room has a large bay window facing east looking out onto a block-long private driveway. The opposite side of the dining room faces west and has a door to the kitchen. Lying in the kitchen doorway was my black Labrador retriever, who was named Wellington because of all of his fights with my giant black cat, Napoleon.
Shipi and I had our backs to the bay window, facing Wellington and the kitchen. Uri and Melanie, with their backs to the kitchen door, faced us, the bay window, and the driveway. At 10:05 A.M. Uri turned around in his chair and looked at Wellington and said, "Why is Wellington afraid and trembling now?"
We all looked at Wellington, who looked back at us with a shy eye. I said, "There is a mystery about that dog - he appeared one day and adopted me."
Just then the telephone rang. As I rose to answer it, heading for the kitchen phone which was nearest, Wellington was suddenly gone! As I stepped through the empty doorway, which had just been occupied by Wellington, the phone rang a second time. Then Uri said, "Look, what is that dog doing down the driveway?"
I looked down the driveway, and there, about seventy yards away, was Wellington, trotting toward the house. The phone rang a third time and I picked it up. It was the Reverend Canon William Rauscher calling me. While I was on the phone talking, Uri, Shipi, and Melanie went to the front door and called to Wellington. He entered the house reluctantly. I finished the phone call in a few minutes, and then inspected Wellington carefully. He seemed to have come back in exactly the same condition as when he had left. This demonstration of the power of Hoova made a lasting impression on all of us. We now fully realized that it was possible to translocate a living thing with safety.
I now turned to a pursuit of some basic questions that were bothering me. I was concerned with the question of whether man could understand how his brain was built, and, with some structural knowledge, could the higher powers of the mind be developed and explained? I wanted to know how Uri's brain and mind were different from other people's, and if a "normal" person could ever hope to have such powers as Uri's. As the problem developed, I was told by IS:
The ultimate powers, whether on the particle level or the cosmic level, are in rotation and drawing off of the gravitation power from the center of the system. There are special rays (which you should spell "raws" ) where the skin of the envelope of the cosmic rays is utilized for power. The computorized beings in space vehicles draw on this energy. This rotation energy can be used from outside the galaxy. It does not exist in a usable form at the particle level. The computorized beings are under the direction of the "controller," or what earth man calls God, or gods. In the future this general idea would be formulated in rigorous mathematical language.
I was puzzled - as people have been since the beginning of time - as to the nature of the soul. I was given a new concept which was to imagine that all souls are like a vase (i.e., a physical pot). Each vase-soul exists in a rotational, gravitational field. When one perturbs the vase-soul, wavelets go out into the universe field. It is very much like dropping a pebble in water - wavelets will radiate outward. The perturbation of the vase-soul in the rotational gravitational field is experience.
But I needed a deeper knowledge and sought to make a contact and communication via the tape recorder. On Wednesday, November 8, 1972, a strange ashtray and a brass key appeared before Uri and me at 10:31 A.M. This seemed to be a sign, so we set up the tape recorder and waited for it to be activated. When the tape mechanism was activated, there was a surprise; a new voice sounded:
This is Rhombus 4D. People! For your own sake, after writing it, destroy the tape completely because we do not want to vanish it for you.
AP: "I promise to do that. We are all very happy to be together again and in America. Uri is happy; Shipi is happy; I am happy. This is the first time we feel that our work together is about to begin. Our learning period in Israel, in Germany, it seems, is over. Uri and I are having a difference of opinion over how best to manage him as an artist, and how best to develop him in view of your plans for him as a witness. I present our problem: I feel that Uri should be accepted by mankind as a person who is honest, trustworthy, and has genuine powers. I can only do this by going to science (as one of the few objective credible groups in the world today) and have them validate him. This will avoid trouble and friction and possibly another crucifixion. How would you like to have me develop him with respect to his relation with science and scientists, and with man in general?"
We shad tell you exactly how. Do you know that in six thousand million years the sun is going to cool of completely? Earth man will have to leave to a different planet. Now all about Uri. We are tuned on every movement, and every thought, and we do give you signs. And you can see, hear, feel it. Uri must not go into any scientific research! Reasons will be given very soon to you why. He can meet any scientists that you wish, socially, friendly - that is all. Although Uri himself in his body has great conflicts with this thought against us, but we have to do it this way. Yesterday at the table we have made your dog dematerialize - and you have seen it in front of you. There is a reason for that also.
AP: "Could you please explain?"
Not now. We are talking about experiments with Uri. If that will not happen, you yourself judged and said that you will have to take the hard way. And that is the way that we order you to take for your own good sake.
And now, many a time you wonder, Andrija Puharich, If you are protected by us or are vulnerable? Did you ever recall us telling you that you were protected?
AP: "Yes."
When was that?
AP: "In Israel, I asked you about it. You said nothing could happen to me physically, only some scares."
Yes, nothing could happen to you physically during that period of time. Now, Andrija Puharich, we are using you because you also determine and possess powers that we don't. As you see, Uri is sometimes afraid of things that might happen.
AP: "Yes. That still surprises me."
And he is doing the right thing because you have to take care of your own bodies. Do not be surprised, but things can happen. You see, although our computers are caught up onto your brain every second, that is, by using direct powers, but to detail a sufficient protection on your body, that takes a several [missed a word that sounds like "reach"] time to arrive around your bodies. Anything that can happen spontaneously can harm you. So all we can do is do these things and give you signs. We gave you signs for two different reasons lately, and we shall state them A and B.
A. We have sent someone to steal your ticket. You see, he could have shot Uri and Shipi if they were in the room. That was a lesson!
B. The lesson that you will lose and use more was, you are, and you might be, in a little, as you call it, jam with scientists. Do you understand?
AP: "Yes."
Anything can happen to you while our jinns are arriving. By the time you think right now that we can move anything that we want, and fly objects around and disappear things - that is not done spontaneously. Don't you realize that you live in a space of no time? All these things are planned ahead by computors, or head device. Don't you see an ashtray and a key appeared right now?
AP: "Yes, I did."
To your own timeless situation, that means to you there is time. It looks like it happened right now, spontaneously, immediately, straightforward. But that is wrong. For us, that was planned hundred, hundreds of light-years ago, Andrija. For one little ashtray, anything that can happen to you, any third body, concerning, can damage that plan that arises by data.
AP: "There is a 'time' lag between when something is happening here, and when you can respond properly?"
Exactly. But there is more to it. If you notice, Andrija, there is a different computor talking to you right now.
AP: "Yes, I was aware. It is a different, authoritative, sharper one."
We call it Rhombus 4D. Don't forget that. This computor also covers different aspects in thoughts, on different letters of tone that you consider in your dimensions. Now, Andrija, do not forget - to you it looks like we are supermen and can do anything.
AP: "Yes, from our frame of reference."
Didn't you ever stop to think that if we could do everything, we would not use your brains?
AP: "Yes, we recognize that - which is why we call ourselves donkeys."
Do not call yourselves donkeys. For all you know we are computors, and your flesh, blood, and soul that has long passed our times. We receive messages and control from the higher power above us. Go ahead with questions.
AP: "With respect to time - is there a time lag between my speaking and your response?"
Yes, Andrija Puharich. If you consider it in your time theory down on your earth, it is approximately one and a half million light-years away.
AP: "From where Rhombus 4D is?"
Exactly.
AP: "And this takes time?"
It does not take time for us, but it does for you. Don't you see that in one little point on their way, it demashallows [unknown word] into different aspects of dimensions where you are lost completely, and we take over. That point where powers gather through - that is the main channel of tuning into your worlds which exist more.
AP: "Time simultaneity with time difference vanishing?"
Not quite so. Time gatherance does not vanish. Don't you see that space with energy rotation around it excludes the time question? And that time or space we gather in and use also. So that word that you said, "vanish," is also being used up by our works. That will be very difficult for you to understand. But time will come, we hope, and you will come to understand outside circumstances that you need to understand, not more than you need to understand.
AP: "This is fair enough. I would like to return to the earlier stated restriction - we can meet with scientists only socially?"
Very socially. You can go ahead as planned.
AP: "Can Uri do tasks in which his work is photographed?"
No. We have always prevented him from working with scientists - Technion, Max Planck Institute, the Weizman Institute. You are the only scientist who has been allowed to do laboratory work and experiments with him as in Sharon Heights. You are the only one who is in this cosmic triangle.
AP: "We did not discuss the other part of my problem: how to develop Uri as an artist."
Andrija Puharich, what you do with Uri, judge for yourself. Do anything that produces energy, good works.
AP: "If Uri appears at a sport event in a stadium where many thousands are gathered - does this produce energy?"
Doesn't work. Molecules in brain cells are only positively open when excitement is not strong. Normal excitement overcomes the vibration to our powers. Brain should be in a very relaxed state to receive messages from us. For example, sexual excitement is a little, not strong enough for us. We do not exactly mean relaxation. It is a very deep knowledge.
AP: "In Israel I saw Uri create entranced audiences in small groups. Is this what you mean?"
Yes, that is the idea. Even if Uri plays in a film, it will be the same effect. Wellington has to be around you for testing.
AP: "What is the status of your advice that we use Israel as a base?"
No, do not live there. Use it only for little assignments. Don't ask questions that you can solve for yourself. We shall be soon together. Destroy tape. Farewell.
AP: "Farewell.''
There were too many matters discussed in this conversation for me to comment on all of them, but I wish to tell of my feelings in one area. The prohibition about scientific work for Uri troubled me deeply. I felt that if Uri was to make his way in the world by simple demonstrations he would always be treated like a juggler, a magician. Since he also had to deliver the message about the landing, how could he ever become credible? If he tried to give the message about the landing, he would fail because no one would listen, or he would fail because he would be crucified. His mission and his life were in jeopardy, in my view, if he tried to go ahead without being validated by science. I made up my mind to take the Promethean course and plead to allow Uri to do scientific work in order to be validated.
I dare not tell all of what happened on Thursday, November 9, but I will share glimpses. I argued with Uri in an effort to persuade him to try to get permission for research. He got angry and threw a sugar bowl at me. I uttered a curse against the gods. The wind came up around the house, the trees swayed, the house rocked, then a tall grandfather clock was impelled across the entrance hall and smashed into a thousand pieces. Uri Melanie, Shipi and I huddled together, waiting for the wrath of heaven to take us away. Uri begged me to repent and to give up the idea of scientific work. I said I would rather place myself at the mercy of the gods than live without my principles. The minutes ticked by like bombs. This is all that I care to say of these dreadful hours. After the crash of the clock, there was no sign or word from above, only an ominous silence.
Before nightfall I got Uri to agree to fly with me to San Francisco on the following day, November 11, so that we could tell the waiting scientists that the research program was off. Uri offered to assume all the responsibility for terminating the arrangements.
Uri and Shipi used a bedroom on the third floor of the house. They were awakened from sleep by the noise of two window shades suddenly being released, rolling up with a bang. This was followed by a short silence, and then they heard a powerful voice in the room:
Rhombus 4D, Andrija must write a book!
Again an eerie silence as they listened expectantly. When nothing more happened, they came downstairs to waken me. It was 2 A.M. They told me the story and hugged me: "Andrija, they want you to write a book. That means the secret of their existence is to be revealed!"
I thanked them for the great tidings and thanked God for the mercy shown to a brash fool.
In the same morning of November 11, 1972, we prepared to leave the house to be driven to the airport. Wellington, who loved to ride in cars, insisted on going with us. Uri tried gently to persuade him otherwise. Wellington bit Uri's right wrist with a mighty snap that drew blood and caused great pain. It all seemed to add to our burden in flying out to California to deliver the bad news.

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