I was going to add that if the 'psychic' or 'viewer of ghosts' knows the fellow's sister, then the test is already compromised. But I see dozens of posters have already made this point.
Re: Starthinker: I don't understand why a psychic should object to being lied to for test purposes. They are supposed to be able to see the truth, aren't they? Why should a reading's accuracy depend on the attitude of the subject?
Re: Starthinker: I don't understand why a psychic should object to being lied to for test purposes. They are supposed to be able to see the truth, aren't they? Why should a reading's accuracy depend on the attitude of the subject?
GreedyAlgorithm
Muse
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2005
- Messages
- 569
Why not? Why should you be able to dictate which paranormal abilities exist and which don't? What if we all have instinctive telepathic shields that pop into place while in a state of disbelief?
That's why the challenge negotiates an individual protocol, to make it clear exactly what is tested, so that presumably we test for something the paranormal practitioner really claims to be able to do.
You speak truth, friend. =@.@= Last time I tried to contact a Stooge, the planchette spun 'round in circles on the board going "woobwoobwoobwoob!"
I don't have much experience with psychics, but I'm sure there might be some who don't insist on belief as a precondition of testing.
That very thing was done by Penn & Teller. They had a guy visit 3 different psychics wearing different types of clothes. One for example he dressed quite shabbily and had liquor on his breath. The psychic predictable gave him a reading to the effect that he would find a job very soon even though the man already had one.
The man was the head of a skeptic organisation from memory...
Its easy to find the farce in it all.
Good work doing a test but be sure its properly done. Once you have a protocol, run it through here so you can get some pretty decent opinions from a range of scientifically trained people. Not me. Hahahaha.
I enjoy seeing psychics come up with excuses about being 'blocked' by my skeptical mind etc when they fail.
Edit: I forgot to say, as others pointed out the test is already compromised. But thats ok, this is where you can show it to be rubbish. Just give her wrong clues. So simple. Tell her when she says crap like 'Im getting a Z' that it was your marine friend Zuus, he died whilst serving...etc..
She/he should be able to pick up straight away your lying. She wont if you just remain sincere.
look genuinely suprised that she knows so much...oddly enough...about nothing.
I really do not like psychics.
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RSLancastr
www.StopSylvia.com
UPDATE: I talked to my sister and she gave me the phone number of the psychic . I'm going to be calling tomorrow outside of my house as to avoid caller ID issues. Hopefully I can schedule an appointment for this weekend.
UPDATE: Also, my oldest sister agreed to let us use the Ouija board at her place on Friday night. If all goes well I'll have some interesting news to report on late in the weekend.
So any final ideas/suggestion for the psychic reading?
UPDATE: Also, my oldest sister agreed to let us use the Ouija board at her place on Friday night. If all goes well I'll have some interesting news to report on late in the weekend.
So any final ideas/suggestion for the psychic reading?
lister
Thinker
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2005
- Messages
- 217
Please please please try and get a recording of the reading, otherwise we will be back to square one with only your memory of the event to go off. (no offence meant - we all suffer from the same weaknesses)
However I fully agree with others that getting a reading from "a friend of your sister" is MASSIVELY compromised already.
Yes, let me hang out with your sister for a while. I will give you a reading that I guarantee will be at least as good as the psychic's. And I'll even charge you 1/2 of what the psychic does.
kieran
Critical Thinker
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2004
- Messages
- 294
Unfortunately, "lack of belief" is often hauled out of the excuse-cupboard when psychics can't actually produce anything other than hot/cold reading or parlour tricks.
Great isn't it? If they get it wrong, it's your fault because you don't believe in it enough.
However, psychic anecdotal evidence is littered with stories that start "I went to a sceance/reading to humour my spouse, I didn't think there was anything to it ... but then ...". So lack of belief suits them for dramatic effect, but not for testing. How convenient!?!
