anyone ever used a psychic?

[RickyS]

I have always believed in the after life (not a religious thing) just always thought there has to be something after this.
My mum has had a similar interest, we have both read books and watched things but never visited a psychic or medium. I thought for her birthday next month I would take her, problem is finding someone who is trustworthy. I always enjoyed Katie Coutts column in the sun and she charges £100 for an hr long visit which would be fine except that when you look at her website she barely mentions any sort of medium work and seems to focus on putting right all your wrongs and being some sort of life coach:confused:
So, knowing you can always trust a Hibbie I was wondering if anyone could recommend one?

[GhostofBolivar]

Belief in the afterlife is one thing, but psychics and mediums are con artists. It's a scam and not a particularly good one.

I would suggest watching Derren Brown deconstruct it. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhYSI5sWi8s)

[heretoday]

There used to be one in Raeburn Place up a stair. Quite popular, I recall. There is one in Morrison St but I can't attest to his/her quality.

It's interesting all the afterlife stuff. Harmless enough too as long as you retain a degree of scepticism. Goes for religion in general I suppose.

Whatever you do, stay away from the Scientologists. They'll have your soul.

And who wants to be reincarnated anyway! Knowing my luck I'd come back as a Jambo!

[Jack]

I met up with a few school friends through FR a few years ago, a couple had married each other (not sure what that has to do with anything) however she was a psychic. She said she had done various things with her ‘powers’ and had worked with the Police.

After a bit of persuading she looked me over; hummed and hawed held my hand and generally looked like a mechanic about to condemn a car. I was hard to break down its got to be said :wink:. Well she said, most other women say they can read me like a book! :faf:

I’m still here, instead of being dead; a serious operation to my stomach never came about; my father continues to defy death also, and none of my kids look as though they are heading toward their suggested career. The fact I was about to meet my future wife in a few weeks never registered – I suspect because of my imminent demise! :greengrin

Apart from that the one thing she never said was that she and her husband were about to disappear, never to make contact or be tracked down by any of the folk that had met up!

Basically what I’m saying if she was ‘one of the best in Scotland’ it doesn’t bode well for the rest.

[easty]

I'm hugely sceptical about this sort of thing. I don't believe that these people have any more ability to say what will happen in your future than I do. And I'll do it for free, without even making you trek to my hippy looking pad full of crystals and drapes, I'll do it on Hibs.net for you.

If you're interested in my psychic analysis then let me know, and then come back to me in 20 years to tell me if I was right or not.

[fat freddy]

Arthur Conan Doyle, author of Sherlock Holmes, sportsman, adventurer, investigator of the paranormal and campaigner for justice was a huge believer in the afterlife and he spent much of his later years attending seances and meeting with those that claimed to be able to speak with the dead. Upon his death he left instructions for a great gathering to be arranged, i think it was at the Albert Hall in London, were it was anticipated that Sir Arthur would somehow manifest himself or at least show a sign that he had passed over but was now able to communicate with those still alive. As intended, the great meeting did occur and his surviving family took to the stage alongside some of the greatest phychics of the day, the very people who had encouraged Sir Arthur in his obsession with the afterlife, there was a packed house of all his old friends and the many hundreds of those that believed in this type of thing. The only person that didn't turn up was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself...he never gave a reason for his non appearance at his own show but i think it was because he was dead and dead people tend to stay dead.....buy your mum some flowers and take her out for a meal.

[Hibs Class]

I met up with a few school friends through FR a few years ago, a couple had married each other (not sure what that has to do with anything) however she was a psychic. She said she had done various things with her ‘powers’ and had worked with the Police.

After a bit of persuading she looked me over; hummed and hawed held my hand and generally looked like a mechanic about to condemn a car. I was hard to break down its got to be said :wink:. Well she said, most other women say they can read me like a book! :faf:

I’m still here, instead of being dead; a serious operation to my stomach never came about; my father continues to defy death also, and none of my kids look as though they are heading toward their suggested career. The fact I was about to meet my future wife in a few weeks never registered – I suspect because of my imminent demise! :greengrin

Apart from that the one thing she never said was that she and her husband were about to disappear, never to make contact or be tracked down by any of the folk that had met up!

Basically what I’m saying if she was ‘one of the best in Scotland’ it doesn’t bode well for the rest.

Did you find out if you would see a Hibs SC win before slipping away?

[Dinkydoo]

Yep, used one before.

Was out one Saturday night, had a few too many (as you do :wink:), ended up chatting to some woman who claimed to be a Psychic. Despite her appearing to be a little insane I ended up back at her flat...............

Woke up in her bed early the next morning, shoved the clothes on and did a runner before she woke up.

Well and truely used :greengrin

Thing is, I must have given her my number the night before and she txted me a day later saying she seen it coming :faf:

OK, I'll get my coat.

[Jack]

Did you find out if you would see a Hibs SC win before slipping away?

On the grounds I’m supposed to be dead already, no! :rolleyes:

[Twa Cairpets]

Please don't go near them with a barge pole.

Every single one a con artist, usually using cold reading (http://www.skepdic.com/coldread.html) or, more occasionally hot reading (http://www.skepdic.com/hotreading.html), or at best utterly self-deluded.

The Derren Brown link posted by GhostofBolivar will show you how they do it and how deceitful they are.

if you want to read anything, The Christopher Brookmyre book "Attack of the Unsinkable Rubber Ducks" is very, very funny as a novel and shows absolutely how they do it, and the James Randi book "The Faith Healers" also shows some of the scams that mediums/psychics or channellers use.

Two things to consider:

1) Why is it that ghosts or spirits will happilly wait in a queue, at a performance,. to tell you that they still love you or that the photos contain a secret, and even then only after ten minutes of establishing who they are. Just watch the repugnant John Edwards or Colin Fry. 1st question: "I'm getting a John or a Jane or a Johnny". "My uncle was a Johnathan". "He's passed over yes?", "Yes", "Well thats him coming through". Considering he got the name wrong and the audience member told him he was dead by using "was", its classic cold reading fishing. They both do it pretty much every time - just watch them.
2) Modern spiritualism (http://www.skepdic.com/spiritul.html) was entirely concoted by two young sisters in the mid-nineteenth century, both of whom eventually admitted that it was entirely and competely made-up by them. it erned money for them then. Guess why people are doing it now?

[CropleyWasGod]

Please don't go near them with a barge pole.

Every single one a con artist,

Can't let this one go.

My late great-aunt was a psychic, and a very good one at that. The family, and others, used her many times. Her ability was uncanny.

I didn't get a reading from her, as I was unsure about revealing too much of myself to a family member. However, I have consulted a few over the years. More often that not, I have been impressed with the results.

Either one believes, or one doesn't. That is all.

[Woody1985]

What abilities did she display?

I believe that some people are spiritual in nature but don't know why and don't believe that they can truly be accurate.

I did know one woman who could tell a persons star sign the first time she met them. I know dozens of people she's met and has had everyone of them correct including mine within a minute of meeting her and I wasn't my birthday! I Just think she was a bit crazy!

[Twa Cairpets]

Can't let this one go.

My late great-aunt was a psychic, and a very good one at that. The family, and others, used her many times. Her ability was uncanny.

I didn't get a reading from her, as I was unsure about revealing too much of myself to a family member. However, I have consulted a few over the years. More often that not, I have been impressed with the results.

Either one believes, or one doesn't. That is all.

I did also say "or utterly self-deluded". Not having a pop at your great aunt, but just because she absolutely believed she had "the gift" doesnt mean that she did, sorry mate.

Time after time after time people will read "she couldnt possible have known that" or "it was uncanny". Watch any debunking video or read any debunking book and you will see why they could or it wasnt respectively.

You're absolutely right on your last point. One either does believe or one doesn't, and that is what commercial mediums and psychics rely on. If you believe, you will exhibit confirmation bias (http://www.skepdic.com/confirmbias.html) and remember the "hits" and ignore or downplay the "misses".

Belief doesnt make it a real phenomena. Heres a few examples of psychics being shown absolute charlatans. Here's a few examples: if you can bear to watch the van Praagh one you will see cold reading failing magnificently, and the BBC one is excellent also.

Joe Power (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhYSI5sWi8s)
Sylvia Browne (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKyzBe0CA2Q)
BBC3 Bull***** detectors expose (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4qGfNViVN8)
James Randi on John Edward (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EBqlpJb1Xg)
James van Praagh (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t07UzTcApMI&feature=related)

[CropleyWasGod]

I did also say "or utterly self-deluded". Not having a pop at your great aunt, but just because she absolutely believed she had "the gift" doesnt mean that she did, sorry mate.

]

So, what you are saying is that I, and anybody else who has positive experiences with mediums and clairvoyants is also "utterly self-deluded."

We are all a product of our own experiences. We all make our way in life based on those experiences. If we all liked the same things, or believed the same things, we would all BE the same.

Clearly, we all don't. QED. I think people have "the gift", and use my own experiences to back that up. You don't think that. I don't belittle your beliefs.... etc etc.

[lyonhibs]

Quick question - maybe I'm a horrid cynic, but WHY would one want to go and see a pyschic. I mean, even if one likes/"believes" in what they are saying - "Your cat still loves you, Your Grandad died a war hero" that kind of thing - what additional comfort does it bring. What "value enhancement" does it bring to one's life to "know" (if you take the readings at face value) this kind of stuff.

Folk seem "impressed" by the fact the psychics can tell them stuff about themselves that they themselves already know?? Neat party trick perhaps, but worth the hourly rates they eke out??

Absolutely not IMO.

I saw a exposé once about one of those crazy pychics/faith healers in the USA - the type who somehow pack out amphitheatres etc, then get folk up and get all "Ooujia Board" on them. This one "visionary" just had an earpiece in, linked to a receptionist who had access to the personal details of everyone who had paid for a ticket, and all audience members had filled out an additional form with other info.

All he'd do would be to get someone's first name, the receptionist would get typing away and pull up his/her details.

Bingo, that info gets fed to the dude via his earpiece and people are astounded to learn how he knows your family members, date of birth, car reg etc, when all audience members had filled out a form with that info at some point before getting into the show.

Crazy stuff - and you can bet they paid a pretty penny for their tickets as well.

[Twa Cairpets]

So, what you are saying is that I, and anybody else who has positive experiences with mediums and clairvoyants is also "utterly self-deluded."

We are all a product of our own experiences. We all make our way in life based on those experiences. If we all liked the same things, or believed the same things, we would all BE the same.

Clearly, we all don't. QED. I think people have "the gift", and use my own experiences to back that up. You don't think that. I don't belittle your beliefs.... etc etc.

No, I'm not belittling (or not intentionally anyway, honest).

There are clearly a great number of very clearly fraudulent psychics, I'm guessing we agree on that. I believe there also to be a number of people who very genuinely believe they have "the gift", and in this belief I suggest they are simply wrong - maybe deluded was too pejorative.

When you think about it, they/you are claiming that either 1) they can talk to dead people, or 2) they can accurately predict the future. The massive suspension of trust in every scientific principle that exists in order that either can be accurate is a bridge too far for me im afraid. Any time a psychic has tried to illustrate there gift under controlled conditions it has failed. Every time they are set up with stool-pigeon plants in an audience they fail. Every time they are asked to be precise on a future event they fare no better than chance.

As for being a product of our experiences, that is what develops an individuals character and/or "world-view". This is nothing to do with individualism. anyone is completely free to believe what they want. In matters of morality, religion, philosophy and politics people have a belief in the "rightness" of something that will be unshakeable. In matters of science (because it is only science that can used to prove that it is possible to be psychic or a medium), something like this either is real or it isnt.

It's not a matter of belief, its a matter of fact, and in this case the experience of your great Aunt or other mediums you have used is simly not evidence.

Christopher Brookmyre explains it much better than me in "Attack of the Unsinkable Rubber Ducks". It's a great book, and your belief is, you may be interested to hear, an unsinkable rubber duck.

[Twa Cairpets]

I saw a exposé once about one of those crazy pychics/faith healers in the USA - the type who somehow pack out amphitheatres etc, then get folk up and get all "Ooujia Board" on them. This one "visionary" just had an earpiece in, linked to a receptionist who had access to the personal details of everyone who had paid for a ticket, and all audience members had filled out an additional form with other info.

All he'd do would be to get someone's first name, the receptionist would get typing away and pull up his/her details.

Bingo, that info gets fed to the dude via his earpiece and people are astounded to learn how he knows your family members, date of birth, car reg etc, when all audience members had filled out a form with that info at some point before getting into the show.

Crazy stuff - and you can bet they paid a pretty penny for their tickets as well.

Peter Popoff - a vile creature who has resurfaced in spiritual churches in Africa in particular. Exposed by James Randi (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNl52deOZro)

[easty]

I'm not going to post any links to websites showing psychics as frauds or the like but I think you're a bit mental if you think you can see peoples futures or you are willing to pay someone to have your "fortune" told. Seriously, you might as well jump on a unicorn and go looking for the end of a rainbow for the pot of gold.

Can I say that or can I not share my own opinion if it means some people might get upset?

[Danderhall Hibs]

if you want to read anything, The Christopher Brookmyre book "Attack of the Unsinkable Rubber Ducks" is very, very funny as a novel and shows absolutely how they do it,

Just finished reading that - excellent book.

[Danderhall Hibs]

Does anyone in here know someone called John?

If it's not John, it's a James. Does anyone know a James?

[Hiber-nation]

Does anyone in here know someone called John?

If it's not John, it's a James. Does anyone know a James?

I do. That is uncanny. How do you do that?

[Ed De Gramo]

just give me money and i'll make up some cobblers for you :greengrin

[Danderhall Hibs]

I do. That is uncanny. How do you do that?

I'm not sure. I just get a feeling.

Does anyone know an Alan?

[BroxburnHibee]

I'm not sure. I just get a feeling.

Does anyone know an Alan?

Thats spooky - I do.

[Ed De Gramo]

I'm not sure. I just get a feeling.

Does anyone know an Alan?

Alan.....thats my uncle

[Jonnyboy]

I went to a psychic once. Sadly a note on her door said "closed due to unforeseen circumstances"

[Riordans Boots]

I went to a psychic once. Sadly a note on her door said "closed due to unforeseen circumstances"

:tee hee:

[Lofarl]

I mind years ago there was a wee psychic shop just at Haymarket that was always closed. Lucky feather or something. I used to think the same thing.

[Saorsa]

I went to a psychic once. Sadly a note on her door said "closed due to unforeseen circumstances":tee hee:

[Wembley67]

Rubbish or not, if it makes the person happy or gives them closure on something then I don't really see the problem.

[Captain Emerald]

I went to a psychic once. Sadly a note on her door said "closed due to unforeseen circumstances"

My psychic says she knew you were going to say that :dunno:

[Twa Cairpets]

Rubbish or not, if it makes the person happy or gives them closure on something then I don't really see the problem.

Bit shallow though Wembley? to gain succour by someone sitting in front of you telling you what you want to hear under the guise of speaking to a dead person?

I also find it very distasteful that commercial psychics base much of their business model on appealling directly to grieving and vulnerable people. It can also do real damage if the punter is a believer. I remember wathcing one (sorry no link) where a young US army wife was told that her recently killed in Iraq husband would be with her forever, and was always watching over her, even at that moment, in her kitchen. All very nice at that moment im sure, but what about 1/5/10 years down the line if she meets someone new? If she truly beleived the alleged psychic medium, how would she truly feel about betraying her husband, who, remember, was watching her all the time.

Thats surely building up problems for the afterlife.

[lapsedhibee]

If she truly beleived the alleged psychic medium, how would she truly feel about betraying her husband, who, remember, was watching her all the time.

Thats surely building up problems for the afterlife.

Really TwoCarpets you see problems which don't exist. She would just go back to the psychic who would explain that deep down her former husband is a voyeur and he will get his jollies from seeing her enjoying her new partner. :agree:

[Twa Cairpets]

Really TwoCarpets you see problems which don't exist. She would just go back to the psychic who would explain that deep down her former husband is a voyeur and he will get his jollies from seeing her enjoying her new partner. :agree:

Genius. :top marks

[EskbankHibby]

Arthur Conan Doyle, author of Sherlock Holmes, sportsman, adventurer, investigator of the paranormal and campaigner for justice was a huge believer in the afterlife and he spent much of his later years attending seances and meeting with those that claimed to be able to speak with the dead. Upon his death he left instructions for a great gathering to be arranged, i think it was at the Albert Hall in London, were it was anticipated that Sir Arthur would somehow manifest himself or at least show a sign that he had passed over but was now able to communicate with those still alive. As intended, the great meeting did occur and his surviving family took to the stage alongside some of the greatest phychics of the day, the very people who had encouraged Sir Arthur in his obsession with the afterlife, there was a packed house of all his old friends and the many hundreds of those that believed in this type of thing. The only person that didn't turn up was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself...he never gave a reason for his non appearance at his own show but i think it was because he was dead and dead people tend to stay dead.....buy your mum some flowers and take her out for a meal.


Nemesis of Houdini i believe who spent a large part of his time debunking psychics/mediums -including Arthur Conan Doyle's wife.

[HibsMax]

There was a time when people believed the earth was flat.

I'm not using that as an argument to prove that psychics, at least their talents, are real. I'm saying that because no matter how smart we think we are, there's always something else to learn, or disprove. Each generation is collectively getting smarter and smarter. Individually I don't think that holds.

I believe in what can be proved but I always keep an open mind because I know that we've been wrong before. Do I believe in psychics? Well I've never been to one so I don't have my own experience to draw upon but I have seen a few programs about them and know the way that some of them dupe people into believing in what they say they can do. I know the tactics they use to get the unsuspecting to divulge more information that they are conscious of. So my gut reaction is to say No, I don't believe in them. Each to their own though.

[Pete]

I saw one of those psychic gypsy horse-drawn tent things in Princes Street gardens during the christmas fetivities. I've always been intrigued by all this so I had to go in and ask how much it was for a reading. It was around £15 so I gave it a miss.

However, after a family meal and several glasses of wine in Rose street I decided to go back. I was met with this steely look and she said "I knew you'd be back".
I picked out a few runes from a tray and I selected a few cards from a tarot deck. I done a few other things too but I can't remember what they were...and at the end of it all I was told how she thought my life would pan out, what choices I would make and other sorts of supernatural stuff.

I was quite pissed at the time so I can't remember much about the accuracy of the readings. Some of it made sense and some of it didn't...which is probably the norm when you've been drinking.

I've thought about it recently. Not the actual readings themselves but the process they go through to come to their conclusions. I physically/ randomly picked out some paper cards and picked up some stones and that then told someone things about my future. I don't know about the stones but these cards were probably produced in a factory somewhere.
Surely whatever I choose is down to random selection rather than anything else. Even if the cards or stones did have some sort of meaning/power/magical entity about them it means nothing because my choice was based on factors only I could be held responsible for. Top, middle or bottom of the deck is up to me.

However, I'm not going to come out and dismiss it as total rubbish because you just don't know...

...and there might be a gypsy curse thing happening for those who speak ill of her methods!:worried:

[Houchy]

I went to see one once. She handed out cards afterwards to review her performance...













................... Medium.:greengrin

[erin-go-bragh87]

There was a time when people believed the earth was flat.

I'm not using that as an argument to prove that psychics, at least their talents, are real. I'm saying that because no matter how smart we think we are, there's always something else to learn, or disprove. Each generation is collectively getting smarter and smarter. Individually I don't think that holds.

I believe in what can be proved but I always keep an open mind because I know that we've been wrong before. Do I believe in psychics? Well I've never been to one so I don't have my own experience to draw upon but I have seen a few programs about them and know the way that some of them dupe people into believing in what they say they can do. I know the tactics they use to get the unsuspecting to divulge more information that they are conscious of. So my gut reaction is to say No, I don't believe in them. Each to their own though.

Excellent, ballanced post. I dont believe in them but have an open mind and cant be bothered with people who slag people off for believing in it. Your not allowed to slag someone for their religious beliefs which have the same ammount of evidence so why is it ok to ridicule someone for beleiving in this?

[HibsMax]

Excellent, ballanced post. I dont believe in them but have an open mind and cant be bothered with people who slag people off for believing in it. Your not allowed to slag someone for their religious beliefs which have the same ammount of evidence so why is it ok to ridicule someone for beleiving in this?

I try to keep an open mind as much as possible because I'm "smart" enough to know that I don't know everything. In the context of the universe, I know nothing at all.

Imagine what Stone Age man would make of our modern world. He wouldn't be able to comprehend most of what he saw. If anything.

We don't have the technology to send a man to Mars (I mean on a regular basis as opposed to a one-off mission), never mind travel outside of our own solar system. We can't travel from one side of our galaxy to the other (100,000,000 light years) and we are only one of countless galaxies.

So when people try to say what is impossible and what is impossible I allow myself a little chuckle because........who really knows what is possible and what is not outside of our tiny, little bubble?

Does any of that add credibility to the psychics argument? Not a bit. Do I believe in what they do? I tend to think not based upon what I've heard but if I was to have a session and the person was able to tell me things that they could not possibly know, without cold reading, then I would think again. Maybe. ;)

[HibsMax]

I saw one of those psychic gypsy horse-drawn tent things in Princes Street gardens during the christmas fetivities. I've always been intrigued by all this so I had to go in and ask how much it was for a reading. It was around £15 so I gave it a miss.

However, after a family meal and several glasses of wine in Rose street I decided to go back. I was met with this steely look and she said "I knew you'd be back".
I picked out a few runes from a tray and I selected a few cards from a tarot deck. I done a few other things too but I can't remember what they were...and at the end of it all I was told how she thought my life would pan out, what choices I would make and other sorts of supernatural stuff.

I was quite pissed at the time so I can't remember much about the accuracy of the readings. Some of it made sense and some of it didn't...which is probably the norm when you've been drinking.

I've thought about it recently. Not the actual readings themselves but the process they go through to come to their conclusions. I physically/ randomly picked out some paper cards and picked up some stones and that then told someone things about my future. I don't know about the stones but these cards were probably produced in a factory somewhere.
Surely whatever I choose is down to random selection rather than anything else. Even if the cards or stones did have some sort of meaning/power/magical entity about them it means nothing because my choice was based on factors only I could be held responsible for. Top, middle or bottom of the deck is up to me.

However, I'm not going to come out and dismiss it as total rubbish because you just don't know...

...and there might be a gypsy curse thing happening for those who speak ill of her methods!:worried:

I think that's supposed to be the point. YOU selected the cards, nobody else. Random selection or not, the choice was made by you.

[Twa Cairpets]

Excellent, ballanced post. I dont believe in them but have an open mind and cant be bothered with people who slag people off for believing in it. Your not allowed to slag someone for their religious beliefs which have the same ammount of evidence so why is it ok to ridicule someone for beleiving in this?

Having an open mind does not mean accepting that everything is questionable. There is a certain amount of basic civility required when dealing with the more outlandish views some people may have, but they do not all require to be respected. Would you regard, for example, the views of David Icke (the planet is run by 12 foot shape shifting blood sucking lizards) with the same amount of respect as you afford the views of a mainstream christian? I'm guessing probably not.

Whether it is on an internet forum or in the real world, if someone holds an opinion or belief, and brings it out as fact or some type of received wisdon within a topic of conversation, you're surely not suggesting we should all nod acceptingly and think, "well, thats your view" and move on? Isn't it better to discuss the whys and wherefores? To challenge the opinions if they are there to be challenged, particualrly if they are based on spurious assumptions?

I am totally convinced that genuine psychic ability does not exist. I've come to this conclusion after reading around it, looking at evidence and thinking rationally about it because it is an area Im interested in. I think people have conflated the ability for some people to be very empathetic towards mood and body language with psychic ability. Isn't empathy amazing enough in itself without the need to create a pseudoscientific back story to make it even more amazing?

So no, you shouldnt slag people off as individuals, because they believe something, if only because it is rather rude and is a poor way to conduct an argument, generally speaking. It does not mean you can't argue against there stance, or criticise the way in which their points are made.