We Exposed Con Artist Tony Robbins and His Fire-walking Scam 31 Years Ago

In 1985 Tony Robbins brought his fire-walking circus to Hawaii and conned people out of thousands of dollars with his fraudulent claim that safely walking on red-hot coals depends on the proper state of mind, and that he can teach you such mental skills. He leads people into deluding themselves and working up their courage by chanting "Cool moss; cool moss....".

Friends and I had fun exposing his lies. We invited people to walk on our hot coals for free and many accepted. We explained how it is possible, and that it is physics, not psychology. We warned them not to linger in one spot, but to walk briskly. Finally, we had everyone chanting "Hot coals; hot coals...." as they strode across the coals.

We got good press coverage and apparently hurt his business because he promised to sue us. He never did.

Here are some photos from one of our events. Sorry about the poor quality. These are digital photos of old prints.

Here I am walking on very hot coals, so hot they were burning my face, yet my feet were okay.

The intense heat frightens some people and they hop off and straddle the coals, like Micah here.

Carol and I horse around while we prepare the fire and the bed of coals.

Micah dangerously prances in the fire and the mound of coals before it's ready. Or she pretends to. She's actually safely on the other side of the fire. She would have been badly burned had she really done this.

We got a full page in the Sunday daily (combined Honolulu Star-Bulletin and Honolulu Advertiser) and several grateful phone calls from relatives of people who had been dissuaded from wasting their money by our activities.

Links to all my blogs: www.KurtButlerBlogs.blogspot.com.

For more detailed critiques of various forms of quackery, including naturopathy, see my book A Consumer’s Guide to “Alternative Medicine”. It was expertly edited by legendary quack buster Stephen Barrett, MD.  The critics say:

"Superb!" -- Dr. Victor Herbert in the New England Journal of Medicine.

"Excellent" -- National Council Against Health Fraud.

"Five Stars" -- Cooking Light.

"Thought provoking; a great book" -- American Journal of Health Promotion.  

When the book was published almost 30 years ago it was strongly praised by responsible health experts and the rare responsible media, but trashed by new-age critics and even vandalized in bookstores by new-age fanatics. It is as true and relevant as ever, and has been mostly vindicated by time. Yet my courageous and far-sighted publisher, the venerable Prometheus Books, is still sitting on lots of copies. Please help validate their integrity by buying a copy. Or two or more as gifts. Perhaps 10 for your local school library and health classes. See their website for assorted discounts. Make them an offer. (My royalties are insignificant; this little promo is for the benefit of one of the world's great publishers, Prometheus Books.) 

Maui's future foretold: Barbarians In Paradise -- Terror Comes to Maui. This is a prophetic flash novel about a future police state and those who rebel against it. Available in paperback and ebook at Amazon.com.