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#1 |
Philosopher
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 6,485
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Martin Castor, Denmark
A familiar face is back again:
Martin Hulbæk was debunked by investigative journalists in the series Operation X on Danish TV2 back in 2008 when he was deceiving people by telling them that he could talk with the dead and deliver messages from them to grieving relatives - even when the 'dead' had never had an actual earthly existence beyond that of fake web pages! Yes, they set him up, and he fell for it! ![]() The failed psychic Martin Hulbæk has now returned as stage magician Martin Castor in the talent show Danmark har talent on the same channel!!! At one point he was also a hypnotist and a teacher of hypnotism, but probably not a very successful one, judged by the complaints about unfulfilled contracts. Martin Castor also claims to have a successful career in Las Vegas. Has anybody heard about him? |
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/dann "Stupidity renders itself invisible by assuming very large proportions. Completely unreasonable claims are irrefutable. Ni-en-leh pointed out that a philosopher might get into trouble by claiming that two times two makes five, but he does not risk much by claiming that two times two makes shoe polish." B. Brecht "The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for their real happiness. The demand to give up the illusion about its condition is the demand to give up a condition which needs illusions." K. Marx |
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#2 |
Illuminator
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Scottsdale, AZ, USA, North America, Earth, Sol, Milky Way
Posts: 3,708
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- "Who is the greater fool? The fool? Or the one arguing with the fool?" [Various; Uknown] - "The only way to win is not to play." [Tsig quoting 'War Games'] |
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#3 |
Philosopher
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 6,485
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Yes, Morten Spiegelhauer, the host of Operation X, posed for the photos of two imaginary guys, one an avid angler who drowned, the other a gay biker who died in a motorcycle accident. Their wife and boyfriend (played by actors) were supposed to have created the web pages as online memorials, but unfortunately the pages were removed a couple of years ago.
At one point, Spiegelhauer learned the basics of cold reading and performed a seance of his own. ![]() |
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/dann "Stupidity renders itself invisible by assuming very large proportions. Completely unreasonable claims are irrefutable. Ni-en-leh pointed out that a philosopher might get into trouble by claiming that two times two makes five, but he does not risk much by claiming that two times two makes shoe polish." B. Brecht "The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for their real happiness. The demand to give up the illusion about its condition is the demand to give up a condition which needs illusions." K. Marx |
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#4 |
Philosopher
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 6,485
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And now Martin Castor tells this story about us:
Quote:
My translation: "There’s a special group of people who have almost made a virtue out of following every step I’ve taken since then. [i.e. since Morten Spiegelhauer and Operation X exposed his abuse of people’s grief by pretending to speak with their dead relatives.] And they keep an old article on a skeptics website in Denmark updated where they write interesting things like that I’m doing hypnosis now.. Yes, I am. And they make a big deal out of the fact that I’ve changed my name several times.” I recommend that Danes and other Scandinavians read the article and the many comments we have received since then. It's not difficult to update the story since his misled fans and people who appear to have been conned by him in the meantime keep us posted. Otherwise we wouldn't really have the energy to follow "every step" that this guy has taken for the past ten years! |
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/dann "Stupidity renders itself invisible by assuming very large proportions. Completely unreasonable claims are irrefutable. Ni-en-leh pointed out that a philosopher might get into trouble by claiming that two times two makes five, but he does not risk much by claiming that two times two makes shoe polish." B. Brecht "The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for their real happiness. The demand to give up the illusion about its condition is the demand to give up a condition which needs illusions." K. Marx |
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#5 |
Philosopher
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 6,485
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Articles in newspapers and magazines: Ekstra Bladet (Jan. 29, 2018), Se & Hør (Jan. 30, 2018).
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/dann "Stupidity renders itself invisible by assuming very large proportions. Completely unreasonable claims are irrefutable. Ni-en-leh pointed out that a philosopher might get into trouble by claiming that two times two makes five, but he does not risk much by claiming that two times two makes shoe polish." B. Brecht "The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for their real happiness. The demand to give up the illusion about its condition is the demand to give up a condition which needs illusions." K. Marx |
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#6 |
Skepticifimisticalationist
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Gulf Coast
Posts: 22,823
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A stage magician is rather by definition an acknowledged phony...usually. Claims of secret powers and ancient knowledge are stock-in-trade banter for magic acts and the audience knows not to take them seriously. I would say, if he has decided that his "calling" in life, so to speak, is to peddle baloney then establishing a stage magic act could be considered "going legitimate" in that field.
Baiting him with the fake online memorial pages was absolutely brilliant, I must say. |
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"¿WHAT KIND OF BIRD? ¿A PARANORMAL BIRD?" --- Carlos S., 2002 |
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#7 |
Philosopher
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 6,485
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An Honest Liar?! ![]() We have three magicians on our list of skeptics for journalists to choose from: Niels Krøjgaard, Michael Leslie Pryner and Kurt Flemming Løfquist.
Quote:
Going legitimate, maybe, but he doesn't seem to be the kind of guy who honors his obligations as indicated by the most recent newspaper article (also in Danish!): New allegations against TV2 talent: Conned a woman out of 38.000 Danish kroner (approximately $ 6,000) (Ekstra Bladet, Jan. 31, 2018)
Quote:
He was not the only psychic to fall into the trap, but some of the others who were tempted in the same way didn't. In spite of being handed the opportunity to do a google search, they seemed to believe in their imaginary powers, so I tend to think that they were 'honest' (albeit deluded). And in no case did voices from beyond reveal to them that the fictitious deceased weren't really deceased but rather undead in the sense that they had never actually been alive. ![]() |
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/dann "Stupidity renders itself invisible by assuming very large proportions. Completely unreasonable claims are irrefutable. Ni-en-leh pointed out that a philosopher might get into trouble by claiming that two times two makes five, but he does not risk much by claiming that two times two makes shoe polish." B. Brecht "The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for their real happiness. The demand to give up the illusion about its condition is the demand to give up a condition which needs illusions." K. Marx |
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#8 |
Skepticifimisticalationist
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Gulf Coast
Posts: 22,823
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Now that is definitely concerning. I have a dim view of the legitimacy of hypnosis as it is, which may be coloring my view - but it's hard for me to imagine that woman doesn't have a winning case or that nothing criminal is involved. Are there no lawyers in Denmark willing to work pro-bono or taking payment only upon favorable judgment?
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"¿WHAT KIND OF BIRD? ¿A PARANORMAL BIRD?" --- Carlos S., 2002 |
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#9 |
Philosopher
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 6,485
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I think it's probably a question of not throwing good money after bad:
Quote:
My translation: "Nowadays 'Dansk Hypnose Akademi' exists as "The Hypno Academy' and offers classes. Martin Castor is still running the school n Odense - in spite of the compulsory dissolution of the company. Nowadays the school belongs to a different company." |
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/dann "Stupidity renders itself invisible by assuming very large proportions. Completely unreasonable claims are irrefutable. Ni-en-leh pointed out that a philosopher might get into trouble by claiming that two times two makes five, but he does not risk much by claiming that two times two makes shoe polish." B. Brecht "The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for their real happiness. The demand to give up the illusion about its condition is the demand to give up a condition which needs illusions." K. Marx |
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#10 |
Skepticifimisticalationist
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Gulf Coast
Posts: 22,823
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I suppose you're right. Not so much of a reformed showman after all it seems.
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"¿WHAT KIND OF BIRD? ¿A PARANORMAL BIRD?" --- Carlos S., 2002 |
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#11 |
Thinker
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Texas
Posts: 142
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Nothing fascinates me more than the people that believe/continue to believe in these people long after they're proven to be frauds.
I have no frame of reference and just can't get my head around the 'why'. |
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#12 |
Philosopher
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 6,485
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Well, some of them are better than others at covering their tracks.
This web page tracks the companies registered by Martin Stig Castor Peterson - his current full name, apparently - and the many insolvencies: https://lasso.dk/personer/4000234378 There's a word in Danish, konkursrytter. I haven't found an English translation, but it corresponds to 'insolvency rider' or maybe 'insolvency jockey', but I can't tell if that's what's happening here. |
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/dann "Stupidity renders itself invisible by assuming very large proportions. Completely unreasonable claims are irrefutable. Ni-en-leh pointed out that a philosopher might get into trouble by claiming that two times two makes five, but he does not risk much by claiming that two times two makes shoe polish." B. Brecht "The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for their real happiness. The demand to give up the illusion about its condition is the demand to give up a condition which needs illusions." K. Marx |
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#13 |
Philosopher
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 6,485
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Efter flere svindelanklager: Nu trækker TV2-talent sig fra konkurrence (Ekstra Bladet, Jan. 5, 2018)
“After several allegations of fraud: TV2 talent now withdraws from the competition” PS Three more from today: TV2, Se og Hør, B.T. |
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/dann "Stupidity renders itself invisible by assuming very large proportions. Completely unreasonable claims are irrefutable. Ni-en-leh pointed out that a philosopher might get into trouble by claiming that two times two makes five, but he does not risk much by claiming that two times two makes shoe polish." B. Brecht "The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for their real happiness. The demand to give up the illusion about its condition is the demand to give up a condition which needs illusions." K. Marx |
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#14 |
Philosopher
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Denmark
Posts: 5,435
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Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I have not read about any of this in my regular newspaper (Politiken).
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Steen -- Jack of all trades - master of none! |
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