November 19, 2006: Open Lines - Dealin' with the Devil
Open lines bring a wide range of callers. Art reads a detailed article on cattle mutilations in Montana, where a rancher found his cow surgically carved with no blood, no footprints, and no predator activity. He discusses Uri Geller's claim that a remote viewer helped locate Saddam Hussein in his underground hiding place. A caller from New Jersey describes making a mental deal with the devil during a difficult period, after which his luck with gambling and relationships improved.
Art solicits more callers who have struck deals with the devil and speaks with a self-described Satanist from Iowa whose wife introduced him to Anton LaVey's philosophy. Throughout the evening, Art debates the Iraq war with callers, arguing that while the U.S. has the military power to win, the political will is lacking, drawing parallels to the Vietnam experience.
Key Moments
Art: Ed Dames was different after remote-viewing Lucifer: Reflecting on a guest's claim that some remote viewers need exorcisms, Art makes a personal observation: Ed Dames denies it, but as the man who has interviewed him repeatedly, Art is convinced Dames was changed-just a little bit different-after remote-viewing the entity he called Lucifer.
Art opens the line: 'Have you made a deal with the devil?': After Jim Bell's Mars-rover interview falls through due to a bad hotel phone line, Art pivots open lines into a defining theme: he asks listeners who have silently, in their own minds, made a deal with the devil-out of frustration, lost wives, lost jobs-to call in and tell him what happened.
Chris from Glassboro: 'I will sell my soul': Chris in Glassboro, New Jersey calls in to confess he silently said in his own mind, 'if life would pick up, if the misery would stop, I will sell my soul.' Days later he-a self-described compulsive gambler with no luck-began winning very large sums and got involved with a woman; his life turned for the better and he no longer knows whether the deal was real or psychological.
Art's verdict: 'A deal is a deal is a deal': Pressed by Chris on whether a contract requires the other party to be present and 'vocal,' Art rules definitively that an unspoken silent commitment counts: if you said it in your mind in exchange for a better life, you sold your soul, and there is likely no way to modify or cancel the contract.