The blog of author Dennis Cooper

Pyrokinesis Day *

* (restored/expanded)

The word ‘pyrokinesis’ was coined by horror novelist Stephen King in his 1980 novel Firestarter to describe the ability to create and control fire with the mind. The word is intended to be parallel to telekinesis, with S.T. Joshi describing it as a “singularly unfortunate coinage” and noting that the correct analogy to telekinesis would “not be “pyrokinesis” but “telepyrosis” (fire from a distance)”. King is the first person to give the idea a name as neither the term pyrokinesis nor any other term describing the idea have been found in prior works. Parapsychologists describe pyrokinesis as the ability to excite the atoms within an object until they generate enough energy to burst into flame. Science fiction works define pyrokinesis as speeding up the movement of molecules in order to increase temperature.

There is no scientifically plausible method for the brain to trigger explosions or fires.

 

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This video gets interesting at about 1min 37 secs into the movie and then the effects continue for the rest of the duration. Even if this is a trick – it is a very interesting one. I do not claim to be an expert, but as someone who passed university level Thermodynamics I wouldn’t know how to artificially make such flame spikes without any visible equipment. Naturally, some expert in stage tricks may have found a way to do it, but in such case they usually jump up and down bragging and showing the world what they have done. In this case however – no name or face is associated with the video.

 

This second video is interesting because it puts to the test the theory that it’s the air currents that cause flame flickering when the hand is near it.

 

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One case of purported pyrokinetic ability came from Paw Paw, Michigan, in 1882, when a local doctor published an article in the local news about a 27 year old man he had been studying. The man, named A. William Underwood, had become a local celebrity by “generating fire through the medium of his breath, assisted by manipulations with his hands. He will take anybody’s handkerchief, and hold it to his mouth, and rub it vigorously with his hands while breathing on it, and immediately it bursts into flames and burns until consumed.”

However, it is now thought that Underwood would hide a piece of phosphorus in his mouth and, upon spitting it on said handkerchief, would use the heat from his breath and the heat from rubbing his hands together to ignite the phosphorus, creating the illusion of fire starting.

The case was so celebrated that even in 1974 musician Brian Eno released a song about Underwood entitled “The Paw Paw Negro Blowtorch”.

 

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Know How To Command The Fire

Practicing pyrokinesis can be very dangerous to you or others if you have no control over it. So, the beginners must be very careful in performing it. The key to pyrokinesis is to focus on what you want the flame or fire to do and willing it to happen what you want.

1. Light a candle in a place where there is no air currents. Now, look at the flame and concentrate by focusing on it and try to establish a connection between your mind and the flame.
2. Now close your eyes and visualize the flame as vividly as possible and its movement for sometime. Try to feel its energy as within yourself.
3. Now open your eyes and again focus on the flame. Now try to move the flame to a side by visualizing in your mind. Try to push the flame with your mind’s energy.
4. Successful in moving a flame cannot be achieved overnight. It takes tremendous effort and will power. It may take some days or months or years according to your will and concentration.
5. Focusing on the flame doesn’t mean concentrating in such a manner to strain yourself. Straining your mind leads to other problems. The idea is to focus on the target without any effort.
6. Once you are familiar with moving the fire with your mind, you can move to the next step of extinguishing it.
7. In the same way, concentrate and visualize in your mind’s eye extinguishing the flame with your energy. This may take longer time than moving the flame. So, better give break after you are success with moving the flame. Otherwise, you may end up with stress and strain.


Pyrokinesis Training – Communication with Fire


Pyrokinesis Tutorial

 

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A three-year-old girl in Antique province in Western Visayas is attracting attention for her supposed ability to foresee fires. The girl’s supposed powers prompted local officials in San Jose town, Antique to cordon off their house for security reasons, a news site reported on Thursday.

In an interview published in “The Daily Guardian” (TDG), San Jose Mayor Rony Molina said, “One of a kind. A new experience for us. Beyond explanation. I am at a loss.” According to TDG, the girl’s 25-year-old father, a tricycle driver, he learned of his daughter’s power only last month.

The father recalled an incident when he took his wife and daughter into the town proper to buy soda last month. As he was alighting from his tricycle, his daughter reportedly said, “may sunog alas nuebe (there will be fire at nine o’clock).”

He ignored his daughter’s comment at first but was surprised to see the spare tire of his tricycle on fire shortly after 9:00 a.m. that day, the report said. The father pointed out his daughter still does not know how to tell time and that he and his wife do not have a wristwatch.

The TDG said the mother also recounted incidents when the girl would talk about fire and fires would allegedly happen. Molina then visited the residence of the girl and confirmed that fires indeed happened after the girl spoke about them.

When he personally visited the girl’s family, Molina recalled that the girl suddenly remarked, “may masunog (something will burn).” Within seconds, he saw a shirt hanging in the house suddenly on fire. “Nobody touched it. It was just there. Nobody was even close to it. It just started in seconds. The shirt was on fire,” the mayor said.

The mayor then ordered that the town’s firetruck be on standby in the village. On the mayor’s orders, the family’s hut has also been secured by a yellow police line.

 

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Top 15 Fire Users in Anime
Top 10 Fire Users in Cartoons
Top 10 Fire Users in Video Games
Top 10 Fire Users in Comic Books

 

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An 11-year-old Vietnamese girl is now being recognized as a global scientific phenomenon. According to her family and numerous medical diagnosticians, the little girl can set anything on fire just by using the power of her mind.

The little girl’s father stated that it all started while they were living in their old house and began experiencing constant short circuits of the electrical network. No one could find the cause of these electrical surges. When the girl was taken to a friend’s house the family was stunned to experience the very same electrical problems.

When the girl was taken to be examined by specialists, they were shocked to witness her unique ability. Doctors could find nothing wrong with the girl besides a weird line that ran through the right part of her brain. According to the specialists only great philosophers and painters had such lines on their brains.

This ability from science-fiction called pyrokinesis is considered by the specialists as a possible reason for the phenomenon. They think that the biological energy of the girl is somehow unbalanced and fluctuates at some point. In order to find out why there were fires wherever the girl went, they took samples from the girl’s DNA and are currently keeping her in a safe environment.

 

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Poll: A Psychic Power you would like to have/your favorite?

Gone Gonzo 12 March 2010 4:29 am
Pyrokinesis: This one is obvious, but the ability to start and manipulate fires with your mind. Example: Warming up hobos.

BlumiereBleck 12 March 2010 4:36 am
pyro defiantly

Double A 12 March 2010 4:37 am
If I just lit stuff on fire, I’d still be able to move it around in the air, right?

SnootyEnglishman 12 March 2010 4:39 am
My inner-pyro is screaming for pyrokinesis. I’d also like Spontaneous Combustion Kinesis.

Aerodynamic 12 March 2010 4:47 am
Pyrokinesis…
oh what A world we would live in if I had that.

YawehG 12 March 2010 4:49 am
Pyrokinesis, of course.
Just think of all the… *ahem* fancy masturbation you could do when your bored.

 

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Films

Mark L. Lester Firestarter (1984)
Firestarter is a 1984 American science-fiction horror film based on Stephen King’s 1980 novel of the same name. The plot concerns a young girl who develops pyrokinesis and the secret government agency known as the Shop which seeks to control her.

 

Chuck Martinez Nice Girls Don’t Explode (1987)
‘A young lady is kept away from boys by her overprotective mother because flames tend to spontaneously erupt whenever her hormones are aroused; for her, “protection” on a dinner date is carrying a fire extinguisher.’

 

Tobe Hooper Spontaneous Combustion (1990)
A young man finds out that his parents had been used in an atomic-weapons experiment shortly before he was born, and that the results have had some unexpected effects on him.

 

Glenn Gordon Caron Wilder Napalm (1993)
Two brothers with the secret power of starting fires with their minds, reunite after years apart, only to find conflict with their differing lifestyles.

 

Shûsuke Kaneko Crossfire (2000)
Junko was born with a type of ESP called pyrokinesis which she can use to incinerate anyone and anything at will. Junko is secretly in love with Kazuki, a young man who works with her. His sister is killed and a boy named Masaki suspected but the police don’t arrest him. Junko tells Kazuki about her powers and takes revenge.

 

Firestarter 2: Rekindled (2002)
A young woman who has the ability to start fires with her mind, must now face the trauma of her childhood by battling with a group of very talented children and their cruel leader, John Rainbird.

 

Bryan Singer X-Men 2 (2003)
‘St. John Allerdyce is an Australian mutant with pyrokinesis, the ability to manipulate flame. Pyro has served with multiple incarnations of the Brotherhood of Mutants, as well as the government-led Freedom Force. Pyro later contracted the Legacy Virus and died months after. However, Pyro was resurrected by Selene during Necrosha, and has made multiple appearances since. He later died once again, but was the first mutant resurrected by the X-Men as they took residence on the mutant island of Krakoa. There, Pyro joined Kate Pryde’s band of mutant pirates known as the Marauders.’

 

Guillermo del Toro Hellboy 2: The Golden Army (2008)
Hellboy’s pyrokinetic girlfriend Liz is played by Selma Blair.

 

Heroes (2006 – 2010)
Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover that they had superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the characters’ lives as they work together to prevent catastrophic futures.

 

Chris Sparling The Atticus Institute (2015)
The story of a 1970’s psychology lab in Pennsylvania where a case of demonic possession took place.

 

Neil Ebanks Burn, The Movie (2016)
11 year old Emi, gifted with pyrokinetic abilities, is being hunted down by an off-the-grid governmental organization, intending to make her a military weapon.

 

David Ayer Suicide Squad (2016)
‘He doesn’t just control fire, he can become it. He’s not just a soldier, he’s a spiritual warrior. More than a mercenary, he’s a pyrokinetic demigod more interested in justice than revenge. This is El Diablo, the red-hot member of the Suicide Squad. Though he has partnered with Harley Quinn in many of the comics, El Diablo is a lone wolf who plays by his own rules. He may be a part of Amanda Waller’s sinister club, but he has a conscience unlike any you’ve ever seen. With a back story like his, you can’t blame him for how he acts. He grew up on the streets, led a dangerous gang, and right when he was at the peak of his powers, he lost it all.’

 

David Leitch Deadpool 2 (2018)
‘Russell Collins, later dubbed as Firefist, is the main antagonist of the superhero comedy film Deadpool 2. He is a mutant kid with the ability to control fire who is targeted by Cable due to killing his family in the future. However, Firefist’s descent into villainy is thanks to the abuse he suffered at the hands of Mutant Re-education Center’s Headmaster, leading Deadpool to join forces with a reluctant Cable to stop Russell before he turns into a supervillain.’

 

* all texts borrowed from other sources.

 

 

*

p.s. RIP William Pope.L. A great, great artist, one of the very best, and at his powers’ height, a serious loss. ** NLK, Hey. Every time I see your initials, my brain thinks Nartin Luther King. Such is the drilling power of oft-repeated abbreviations. ‘My Night at Maud’s’ was set there, right. Wow. Now I’m going to watch ‘MNaM’ again. It’s weird or maybe not how many of my friends teach English either on the outskirts of Paris or online to people in China. Racist nonsense is everywhere, and disappointingly here included. What a world. Yeah, there is that overly perfectionist point where other eyes do help, it’s true. I’ve been there too, now that I think about it. Well, Zac and were editing the film starting in late May, and we did take a couple of week breaks here and there just to refresh our heads, but it’s been pretty much ongoing all that time. We know what we want, but we don’t initially know exactly how to get it, and we don’t work with outside editors, so we really need to try out endless timings and rhythms and juxtapositions and stuff to find it. And even when we take breaks, the edit is all that I, at least, can think about. So I guess, yes, it’s basically been non-stop. No, I’m painfully behind on seeing films other than the ones I watch in regards to making the filmmaker posts. I watched a bunch of Martin Arnold films, which were heaven. I haven’t seen that Clouzot, and it sounds like there’s enough there to go for it. Yeah, I like Rohrwacher, but something about ‘La Chimera’ is making me think I won’t like it, so I’ve avoided. Yesterday was Michel Piccoli’s birthday. Cheers in retrospect. Tangentially, or barely, a couple of friends and I decided we want to celebrate Michael Lonsdale’s birthday this year, I guess ‘cos he’s great and too few people say he is. Is Xmas’s death panning out well for you? ** _Black_Acrylic, I’m like that about how now you just tap your bankcard against the little machine you used to have to slide it inside of to pay. The always feels ominous to me. You owe everything DJ-wise to Kylie Minogue? That’s interesting to think about. I’m thinking about that. And it’s interesting. ** Steve Erickson, Paris is refilling pretty quickly now. Still mostly tourists, but a crowd is a crowd. Everyone, Here’s Mr. Erickson’s top 10 films of 2023 list, with an addenda. I think you’re the only trustworthy person I know who liked ‘The Killer’. It makes me sort of newly curious. Macron’s defence was very weasly and ‘have it both ways’ actually, which is him in a nutshell. You’re exactly right, of course, but there’s something so French about the Depardieu defence that weirdly charms me. And it has no impact really. ** Jack Skelley, Hey, bud. Post-Xmas has been okay, essentially a more decorated than at any other time of the year yet usual situation. How’s the Luna Luna thing? I saw some photos, and it looked really disappointing? I’m about to read Roo’s assignment too. And Saturday is so hot on our heels. Wait, toes. xoxo, Dennis. ** Tosh Berman, Hi. Once I’m actually finished, I’m fine with criticism. I have this weird confidence about my work that comes from fuck knows where. See, reading what you wrote, it just reinforces how completely and absolutely I never ever want to make films in that world. I’m very interested that you’re game for that level of interference, if need be. I get that as an interesting part of the process, but I just couldn’t do it ever. My apartment, and the apartments of everyone I know here, have door keys and mailbox keys but codes to enter the building itself. So our pockets still jangle a little. ** Dominik, Hi!!! I like self-imposed restrictions when I’m writing. I hate imposed ones. Probably pretty normal there. One time years ago I had a friend who had a really cute boyfriend, and I mentioned to my friend that I thought his boyfriend was really cute, and the next time we three went out for dinner and my friend went to the restroom, the cute boyfriend leaned over the table and said, ‘$200 an hour and I don’t kiss’. I still wonder if my friend knew. Victoire on the sweat glands. Ooh, surely there’s something in the Disney store I would happily cart off, thank you. Love getting Viktor Orbán alone with someone who has Pyrokinesis, G. ** Bill, I’ll bead my eyes for ‘Hippo’ and see what happens. I think Michael’s film is still doing the festival circuit. He’s in Australia for Xmas, but I’ll query him when he gets back in, mm, three weeks? ** Darby 🍓🍓, Hi. Yes, I want the elephant drawing, of course! I ain’t no fool. How do I help that happen? Maybe write to me email-wise and we can figure that out? Wow, cool! Did you sit at the piano today? What songs do you remember? Wait, you know that Aphex Twin song? That’s amazing. I was imagining ‘Chopsticks’ or something. I don’t know ‘Sea Swallow Me’, but I’ll hunt it. I used to play guitar, but I don’t think I could even play a chord at this point. The wrestling movie … oh, right, starring the other famous Zac, right? Good? ** Nick., *poof* hi! You sound fiery in the good way. Like the cleansing kind of fire, but with plenty of kindling remaining. God, I hate New Years Eve. Lifelong hatred. I guess if I liked alcohol. But I never have. Blah blah. Fireworks are okay, I guess. I guess I’ll go watch them do stuff above the Eiffel Tower. Me, mm, not a ton going on. Mostly still just trying to find a way to finance putting the polish on Zac’s and my film. It’s a full-time shitstorm. That was interesting: reading two completely differently written accounts of the same period in your life. That was actually quite exciting and fascinating to the literary side of me. Happy accident, for sure. The second version was more … measured? I don’t know, something. Is there a New Years Eve proposal that doesn’t involve hanging out and getting drunk because that’s the one I would choose if I were you, and of course I’m not, nor am I qualified to determine what your optimal fun option would be. I think I need to eat something made out of chocolate right now. ** Alright. I’m guessing most of you have not been fraternising the blog long enough to have seen the old Pyrokinesis post I made ages ago, so I have restored it and slightly gussied it up for you and your loved ones. See you tomorrow.

8 Comments

  1. Dominik

    Hi!!

    Same. Which also means that I find it extremely hard to write anything (reviews, articles, etc.) “on command” when there are certain guidelines I have to respect.

    Oh, wow. Hell. I mean, randomly finding someone’s profile can be weird enough, but being propositioned in person by the boyfriend of your friend… Not necessarily a dream scenario. (Unless we’re talking about porn.)

    I can only support love in his efforts. And, hopefully, the person with pyrokinesis will do the rest. Love who’s inner-pyro is screaming for pyrokinesis, but who’d also like Spontaneous Combustion Kinesis, Od.

  2. seb🦠

    hi dennis! finally mustered the courage to test out my drawing tablet and by some miracle it still works? there’s a weird little indent in the back of it from my bed, though. not that i mind, obvi. looking forward to not subsisting on leftover christmas dinner in a couple of days.

    okay so! pyrokinesis!! believe it or not i was a massive pyromaniac as a kid. like. melted the little plastic bin in my bedroom one night, wasn’t allowed near matches, lighters or the kitchen level of setting things on fire level of bad. so i’m probably the worst (or the best if we’re going for villains?) person for pyrokinesis. i’ve gotten over it, though, sorta? i think it’s less that my love of fire went away (caveman brain, maybe?) and more that i developed a concern for my own safety.

    more game dev stuff!! wowie!! i’m *finally* getting a new laptop, which is great, considering the one i have right now is quite literally being held together with duct tape. but that means i need to transfer all my files & redownload ren’py, which is not so great, since i don’t even update my game engines.

    hope zac recovers quickly from the flu, hope your day/week/month/year is good, other stuff. bye??? godspeed??? farewell?? i’m bad at ending stuff like this

  3. Misanthrope

    Dennis, I think this would be a good skill to have. I want to have it.

    I love that John Waters sent you a Christmas card. I think that’s ace. As far as not getting anything…hmm, I’m going to try and remember next year and you will get something. No strings attached. Nothing expected at all in return.

    Well, chilling usually involves doing something you really enjoy that you don’t get to do often and not doing anything that you usually have to do. Kayla had the last two days off and she just stayed in her room and played her new videogames, a Zelda game and a Harry Potter game. She forgot about work and all her responsibilities and just…chilled. So, yeah, chilling doesn’t have to be boring. Usually, it’s the opposite.

    This candle is pretty much just lavender, which I imagine his butthole and dickhole smell like. So pretty accurate there. 😉

    Yep, 23. Two more days. I’ll pick up the cake at 2 on Saturday. 😀

  4. Conrad

    Hi Dennis !
    It’s been a long time since I’ve last commented on the blog, grr. My job is keeping me quite busy (I’m a teacher now…).
    I was looking forward to hearing you speak about Mike Kelley at the Bourse de commerce… I hope the event will be rescheduled.
    I was reading Megan Boyle’s “Liveblog”, which I love, and sometimes she writes about her ex-boyfriend Tao Lin. I’d really like to read his books. I read some parts of the book he wrote about psychedelics – Trip. Have you liked any of the novels he wrote ? Taipei ?
    Good luck with your new film !! I hope we can watch it soon in theaters or, maybe, at the Pompidou or the Bourse de commerce !!

  5. Tosh Berman

    I’m so sorry to hear about William Pope. L’s passing. He for sure left a presence that won’t be forgotten. I only recently discovered him while working at Artbook in Los Angeles. It’s shocking news because his work is so very much present.
    I’m not sure how happy I’ll be in the filmmaking world. To me, it is still an experiment in place. If the film hopefully turns out great, then it will be a happy experience; if it sucks, then it will be a horrific one. But I’m keeping a journal during the process, so at least there will be that document.

  6. Steve Erickson

    My post-vaccination experience is unpleasant, but milder than the last two. It’s more “vaccine bad cold” than ‘vaccine flu.” The worst thing is that my left arm feels like the needle is still stuck in it.

    I see THE KILLER as a parody of the way hitmen have been mythologized. For the kind of big budget film this is, the first 20 minutes are remarkably grating (especially if you want to hear a Smiths song its entirety).

    What would you do for Lonsdale’s birthday?

    At random, I watched the 2018 French film JESSICA FOREVER on Shudder a few days and quite liked it. It’s a mixture of Bertrand Bonello’s style, YA novel/CW TV aesthetics, and bell hooks’ ideas about love forming a path to healthy masculinity. I had no idea what to expect and was very impressed (especially to see dystopian sci-fi that’s warm and optimistic instead of wallowing in apocalyptic degradation.)

    Are deadlines for summer festivals approaching now? Do you need to get back to any festivals with a final cut?

  7. Darby 🫀🫀

    Hmm. Fire is great.
    Did you know statistically self-immolation as the means of suicide is a much more common occurrence in underdeveloped countries/ rural areas/ with really young woman?
    I think I could go on but it’s really messed up because the statistics don’t say, but you know that a lot of where the woman come from are places of absolute misery and helplessness to feel that the only control they have is with such an agonizing death.
    I
    Oh ok well I will let u know when I send the email. Coolm
    I saw the movie today and I really enjoyed it we both though it was really tragic andi recommended it its so good!
    I think I will try to piano tommorow because today didn’t work. You played guitar! Were you good at it?

    How are the pigeons have u heard from them at ur window?

  8. Kathe Burkhart

    Hi Dennis. Sending this your way in the hopes you and others might hear some of my new book. Wishing you a great 2024. Love, Kathe

    The full-length reading of my most recent book of 20 stories of Southern discomfort set in West Virginia, ALMOST HEAVEN continues live for a while on Participant Inc’s streaming platform:

    participantafterdark.art

    Stop by and let me tell you a story. May be consumed like Netflix in bite-sized chunks or the whole enchilada.

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