Perhaps we need more on how the everyday person should examine issues carefully and practice responsible citizenship?

I don’t disagree with this, but you seem to indicate the article is missing this aspect (forgive me if I’m misinterpreting)?

I think this article (and others like it) do indeed examine issue carefully, and encourage responsible citizenship – they cause a credulous person to stop and reconsider. It’s fun to know how a trick is performed, of course, and that’s good entertainment value. But another important aspect is the information itself: knowing that something is a trick (and how it’s done), makes you less likely to be fooled using similar methods. For me, that last reason is reason enough to have the article.

Andy

As to be a con artist; well some of us have to make a living somehow ;). Nah, I do some of these as a magician, not as a fakir.

While these tricks and feats can appear remarkable, the key to any such demonstration is creating (framing) a context in which they will be seen NOT as tricks, but as special powers or abilities in line with the ideology (supernatural belief/mission) you are trying to sell.