TV REVIEWS : Reasonable Wonder in ‘Russian Psychics’

The usually less-than-sensationalist “ABC’s World of Discovery” moves into Time/Life territory tonight with “Powers of the Russian Psychics” (at 9 on ABC, Channels 7, 3, 10 and 42).

But aside from some requisite spooky music and perhaps a little more conjecture than necessary, it’s a mostly solid report on just what sort of psychic experimentation was going on behind the Iron Curtain all these years. And you don’t even have to send check or money order.

So now that the Eastern Bloc’s veil of secrecy has been lifted, just how far behind is the West in the spoon-bending race?

Conclusions: Certain Russians are adept at making pencils roll across tables without sleight of hand, making silverware and large pieces of metal stick to their bodies through unexplained electromagnetism and other astounding party tricks--er, party miracles.

On the other hand, though the special plays up the KGB’s attempts at exploring the possibilities of psychic warfare, the mind-control experiments of the Cold War era probably didn’t make much practical progress, in case that isn’t self-evident from the country’s constant political splintering.

About the most sinister thing the special can claim for the former Soviets is Korchoi’s loss to Karpov in a chess championship under telepathic duress.

John Rhys-Davies narrates the hour, which includes a good deal of scratchy black-and-white footage of telekinetic experiments of the ‘50s, updated with new material shot in Russia by ABC. It’s undeniably fascinating, though one gets the impression that mind-power researchers are relatively stuck.

Beyond the small feats seen on camera, much speculation--too much--is placed upon the “psychotronic generator,” a mysterious and potentially nefarious device that, in the special’s wildest flight of fancy, we’re told might have been used to induce Boris Yeltsin’s heart attack from afar.

Debunkers won’t come away totally unsatisfied; the hour ends with the camera crew catching a levitational faker in the act. Mostly, though, it’s a credulous special with a reasonable sense of wonder. If only we could have credulity that any of these minor wonders might add up to a hill of beans before Russia threatens to fall apart in our lifetime.