Mediums and Psychics

[dylans8]

I became aware of Mr Randi s work in challenging claims made by psychics and mediums ect around 2 Years ago. Id always had an open mind and didnt know anything about cold reading etc. However I have since read alot about the techniques psychics use and listened to Mr Randi and others on Youtube.
I now believe that no one in history as ever proved dead people communicate with anyone. The million dollar challenge seems something to avoid if your are a psychic medium. I guess some would say it was not a fair test or that the bad vibrations would badly interfere with the test. Of course in my view it is because most psychics know they would fail. Of course there are psychics who genuinely believe they can perform and produce evidence.
Anyway I began to challenge psychics who were posting videos onto public forums claiming they could communicate with dead people.
Most reacted quite angrily to any negative comment .What is more they appeared to block anyone who had anything less than positive to say about their so called gifts. I went to quite a few one to one readings prepared to give the psychic an opportunity to offer me evidence. Ive asked the same questions to quite alot of psychics Where was my Father born ? What was my Mothers maiden name? and which cemetery are they buried in?
well no one has offered me an answer to any of the three questions. I was told i would meet someone called Mark. Oh and my great great great grandmother said she had some concerns about my health her name was ann or annie or anabel or mabel or hazel
Im told I dont understand the spirit world and im closed to the thought of people living in a different plain etc etc.
Anyway thankyou Mr Randi for inspiring me to challenge

 

[shandyjan]

Its great, and love to hear youve actually challenged your readers!! I too thought they may be true years ago, physics, now I think hunches, psychology, cold reading are poweful tools! I tried to learn tarot reading a few years ago, and blimey, I was such a good HOT reader, I'm sure I could have grasped the cold reading if I'd kept up with it. We even kept a list of the references for the future and quite a few came true. Do I think I'm psychic? No. Some things by knowing the people I read, and some lucky guesses.

 

[makaya325]

I do not understand that certain Psychics, even after being exposed, are still making a good profit. Is it time to educate those suckers out there?

 

[ExMinister]

It's great that you've challenged them yourself. You now have some personal experience to share with others.

Over the years I've had maybe half a dozen readings with various psychics. One belief that was common to every one of them was that we all have a primary spirit guide. Every psychic I've ever been to has been more than happy to give me the name and description of my primary spirit guide and not one of them had any resemblance whatsoever to any other. For example, my primary guide is:

A woman with fuzzy blond hair named Helena, who looks like Cinderella's fairy godmother.

Jerome, a large African-American male.

Claudia, a brunette French impressionist painter in a past life.

Marcel, an angelic being.

Rewona, with red hair and an attitude.

But my personal favorite, from Sylvia Browne:

A "very blond" female named Callie. My favorite because after we'd talked a bit more about something else, she added that Callie was Eastern Indian. At the time, I tried very hard to be diplomatic and tell myself that it is at least possible for there to be very blond females of Eastern Indian descent. Obviously, she just forgot what she'd said from one moment to the next! Go, Sylvia.

 

[desertgal]

I do not understand that certain Psychics, even after being exposed, are still making a good profit. Is it time to educate those suckers out there?

First of all, the guy with the beard at the top of the page isn't just a picture. Exactly what do you think people like James Randi and Robert S. Lancaster have been trying to do for many years now-educate themselves? If you think it is "time to educate those suckers", then join the effort.

Secondly, the people you refer to as "suckers" are often grieving, vulnerable people who don't know which way to turn. Does that make them gullible? Yes. Do they deserve to be dismissed as "suckers"? No. A little sensitivity, please.

 

[makaya325]

Secondly, the people you refer to as "suckers" are often grieving, vulnerable people who don't know which way to turn. Does that make them gullible? Yes. Do they deserve to be dismissed as "suckers"? No. A little sensitivity, please.

They should have the common sense not to buy into any of this new age nonsense, and seek professional help

 

[Maia]

We had a thread going about the so-called "psychic twins" (Linda and Terry Jamison) for awhile. Their ONE big claim to fame was that they'd supposedly "predicted" the 9/11 attacks on the WTC during an Art Bell interview on his November 2, 1999 radio show. The problem was that nothing was ever played from this interview except for a ten-second clip, and that the original tape was completely impossible to find. I tried everything I could think of-- going to the Coast to Coast archives, emailing collectors-- nothing. It has to exist somewhere, but there really seems to be no way to find it. Frankly, I think the same thing I did from the beginning: the famous phrase ("we see attacks on federal buildings, the World Trade Center, by/in 2002"-- or close to that, I'm NOT looking it up again) was cobbled together in pieces from that interview and never existed as a whole. Every single story about those twins uses that supposed "prophecy" as the biggest proof that they're psychic. So of course this means that we should all believe everything else they say. Anyway, if that tape was ever found, it would show that the "prediction" was much less impressive than it seemed, but we all know exactly what would happen: it wouldn't make any difference to people who want to believe. Unfortunately, it's a good example of the nature of belief in all psychics.

 

[desertgal]

They should have the common sense not to buy into any of this new age nonsense, and seek professional help

"New age nonsense"? People have been believing in psychic ability for thousands of years.

Everyone is susceptible to gullibility. YOU "used to believe" in Bigfoot-perhaps you should have always had the common sense to never buy into that, but you didn't. You are hardly qualified to point fingers at anyone else about common sense.

I meant show a little sensitivity, not a little less.

 

[ExMinister]

They should have the common sense not to buy into any of this new age nonsense, and seek professional help

* Sigh *

The planet is saturated in magical thinking, or haven't you noticed? "New age nonsense" is just one variety of many. And it affects people with all levels of common sense and intelligence, some of it more sophisticated than others. Just for the record.

 

[Doc Daneeka]

They should have the common sense not to buy into any of this new age nonsense, and seek professional help

When someone is taken in by a con, that person is hardly at fault. All the more so when the con is based on beliefs that are widely considered valid in that culture.

The fault lies with the rapist, and not the victim.

 

[makaya325]

People have been believing in psychic ability for thousands of years.

A very small group of people have bought into that crap.

YOU "used to believe" in Bigfoot-perhaps you should have always had the common sense to never buy into that, but you didn't.

I was romantic of the idea of Bigfoot's existence, while realizing the incredible unlikelyhood if a large mammal going undetected in NA. Did i want it to exist? Yes. Did I believe it actually did? Not exactly. It has more to do with my cultural beliefs than real science

 

[makaya325]

The fault lies with the rapist, and not the victim.

It lies more with the victim. The victim should have the common sense and a normal degree of skepticism to doubt psychics. The Psychics, in my opinion, are those who are testing people's faith.

 

[Burning Beard]

the so-called "psychic twins" (Linda and Terry Jamison) for awhile. Their ONE big claim to fame was that they'd supposedly "predicted" the 9/11 attacks on the WTC during an Art Bell interview on his November 2, 1999 radio show. The problem was that nothing was ever played from this interview except for a ten-second clip

Scott Russell Hill all over again.

 

[Ernie M]

I do not understand that certain Psychics, even after being exposed, are still making a good profit. Is it time to educate those suckers out there?

Educating people about the strategies and tactics employed by "psychics" is only part of the process.

More laws need to be enacted to prevent these charlatans from continuing their false-practice.

"Psychics" are only one step on the ladder of deception.

 

[Burning Beard]

Educating people about the strategies and tactics employed by "psychics" is only part of the process.

Unfortunately a believers' "want" for it to be real is a very tough bubble to burst. Many will cling to every "if", "but" and "maybe" for as long as they can, despite overwhelming evidence of trickery.

 

[makaya325]

Unfortunately a believers' "want" for it to be real is a very tough bubble to burst. Many will cling to every "if", "but" and "maybe" for as long as they can, despite overwhelming evidence of trickery.

There is a difference between labeling your occupation and proving what you claim, and then there are Psychics.

 

[shandyjan]

It lies more with the victim. The victim should have the common sense and a normal degree of skepticism to doubt psychics. The Psychics, in my opinion, are those who are testing people's faith.

What utter BS. Please, you have been posting here long enough to have read other threads by now, please check out RS Lancasters work, other threads on this site before casting your mak attacks on another subject. Many people grow up with a belief in these things, some come to them out of despair. That the psychics take advantage is the problem here.
There are many here who once thought there is something to psychics, do not insult us all, we made it here to learn. Some dont.

 

[makaya325]

Most People who fall for Psychics/Mediums buy into it because they have lost someone in their life, and want to channel spirits, instead of seeking a therapist. People who do that are not the victims. Scam artists are bad, i know, but it is up to the consumer on whether or not they want to be sucked into such nonsense.

 

[Maia]

Scott Russell Hill all over again.

This gave me the idea of looking up his website, which led me to this truly inspired piece of complete silliness on it:

Perfect strangers would speak to Scott and reveal intimate details of their life and seek his encouragement or input. Even famous people would open up to Scott in private after interviews or at functions and seek his advice which helped Scott realize that he had a "gift".

Based on these and earlier experiences Scott began writing what would be his first best seller aptly named Caught Between Two Worlds (1995). Following the success of Caught Between Two Worlds Scott wrote his second best seller Psychic (1997). He began to appear regularly on numerous national radio programmes and TV shows like Good Morning Australia and A Current Affair.

???

Okay, I don't have actually any trouble at all believing that some random people who eat a big bag of crazy for breakfast every morning really did start yapping away to Scott Russell Hill, but how could anybody possibly convince themselves that this had the remotest relationship to being psychic??

Not only that, but as BB notes, Scott apparently joined the psychic twins in predicting 9/11 and JFK Jr's death:

Out of thirty clear and concise predictions made by Scott on Psychic Saturday Night all but one came true! Those that did come true include the deaths of John F Kennedy Jr. and Princess Diana, the attack on New York on September 11, Tasmania’s Port Arthur massacre and the Bali bombing.

Maybe the one that didn't come true was the tape would ever be found again. Oh, but it gets better:

Scott found that being accurate at predicting the future came at a personal price. He talked with Princess Diana on nine occasions and after personally warning her and publicly broadcasting his fears for her safety in Paris Scott found that he could not change the outcome of this tragic event.

And yet... and yet... poor Scott found a way to go on!!! (cue the Titanic theme)

He hit a personal low but after much soul searching Scott was able to move past the grief he felt over Diana’s untimely death and he pushed forward with his seminars and work.

What an inspiring story for us all!! Yes, we should all learn from Scott's amazing life, follow his lead, pick up his torch, and put up websites where we blatantly post about going back and revising the predictions that didn't come true in the past:

I’ve rewritten and re-edited the first three books because it’s been almost ten years since the original Caught Between Two Worlds first came out and some parts had dated," explained Scott.

Sniff. I'm all verklempt. Does anyone have a Kleenex? Anyway, it's all here.

 

[Burning Beard]

Nice one Maia!

I also note his "media sources" are usually extremely trashy magazines. Oh, and there's a scan from a newspaper on his site, but I notice they've cropped the name off. I actually think it's an AD not an article! Haha! For all we know it's the World Weekly News!

I have someone a psychic forum supposedly looking for evidence for me from his 1995 book. Something tells me you'll only find these predictions in the re-prints that came out AFTER said events. The original pressing is no longer available. How convenient.

One of the believers from the same forum made this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woh_A4y9PEQ