I visited a psychic

[Zaira]

I visited a psychic a few years ago and she told me some amazing things, stuff no one could know about. How do they do it?

[Jocky]

I visited a psychic a few years ago and she told me some amazing things, stuff no one could know about. How do they do it?

Hi Zaira,

Good question! Many people are so baffled by the apparent "accuracy" of psychic readings that they find themselves assuming there must be something in it.

In fact, there is absolutely no good evidence for the existence of paranormal psychic powers: OTOH, there is a great deal of evidence for the mundane techniques which are used (both knowingly and unknowingly) by those who claim such abilities.

There are others here who know more about this that I do, but allow me to point you in the direction of a good place to start in exploring this issue. This page will introduce you to the history of psychic claims, the main techniques which are used and some of the reasons why those who claim to have scientific evidence for the existence of psychic powers are mistaken.

Here's a key quote to start you off:

the accuracy of psychic predictions is grossly overrated [because] many people do not understand how psychics use techniques such as hot and cold reading. The accuracy of premonitions and prophecies is also grossly exaggerated because of lack of understanding of confirmation bias and the law of truly large numbers; their accuracy is also exaggerated because of ignorance about how memory works, especially about how dreams and premonitions are often filled in after the fact.

Happy reading! If further questions occur to you, please feel free to post them.

Jocky

[Julia]

I strongly recommend "The Psychology of the Psychic" by D Marks and R Kammann (published by Prometheus Books). It's a real eye-opener.

[Melanie]

UK stock of this book is currently Nil (I work for the Prometheus distributor here).

I'll ask the publisher if it's still in print (published 2000) and if it is, make sure they send some stock and then I'll add it to the UKS Bookstore.

[Zaira]

I’m still in ore. One time I asked for a reading for my husband and I took something of his along. She told me stuff about him that was amazing. Other stuff I didn’t know but when I asked him he confirmed most of it. Places he had visited that I didn’t know about. She told me she saw him riding and bumping around in a jeep, he had spent some time in Africa riding on rough ‘B’ roads in a jeep. On a lighter note she also told me that he was very well endowed. She said “I mean very well endowed.” and she had a smile on her face. I was a little embarrassed. Lol

She told one friend of mine to keep an eye on her husband because he was a ‘player’. They are divorced. She told another friend that her husband would fall off a ladder at work and have a heart attack. And he did.

If not psychic, how can they know these things?

Thanks for the links. I’m going to check them out later.

[Admin]

She told me she saw him riding and bumping around in a jeep, he had spent some time in Africa riding on rough ‘B’ roads in a jeep.

That's true for me as well.

Not Africa but then again, she never mentioned where or when. Some things can fit many people.

On a lighter note she also told me that he was very well endowed. She said “I mean very well endowed.”

That's true for me as well.

If not psychic, how can they know these things?

We don't know that she did. If you have a tape recording of a reading then it could be analysed but when it's just done from memory then we can't be sure it's reliable information.

In fact, our inability to accurately recall a lot of information given in a short time is one of the reasons that psychic readings 'work'.

[Jocky]

I do not know exactly how your 'psychic' pulled off every trick, although I can hazard some good guesses and I furnish you with these below. Please read some of this information and think about it properly.

One time I asked for a reading for my husband ... She told me stuff about him that was amazing ... Places he had visited that I didn’t know about

Exactly how many placenames did she reel off in the reading? What was her percentage hit rate?

Shotgunning

She told me she saw him riding and bumping around in a jeep

I've been to both Africa and South America. That description would apply equally to virtually every journey I took enywhere on both continents.

Barnum Effect

On a lighter note she also told me that he was very well endowed. She said “I mean very well endowed.” and she had a smile on her face. I was a little embarrassed. Lol

Did you blush?

Cold reading

She told one friend of mine to keep an eye on her husband because he was a ‘player’. They are divorced.

Do you know how many marriages and in divorce because of adultery? A very large percentage.

Subjective validation

She told another friend that her husband would fall off a ladder at work and have a heart attack. And he did.

Is that exactly what the psychic said - is there a recording?

Selective thinking

If not psychic, how can they know these things?

Don't be fooled - they do not 'know' these things. They simply guess and infer them, and then act it up a bit in order to impress the client.

Note that if some of my guesses are wrong, that does not follow that the psychic possesses paranormal powers. That is a far, far less likely explanation than some form of trickery. There is no positive evidence at all for the existence of any form of psychic powers.

I am prepared to put my money where my mouth is. We at UKS are willing to organise proper tests for claimants of psychic ability, conducted according to mutually pre-agreed protocols. If you think you know someone who has such powers, please put them in touch with us!

ETA: John and I cross-posted there, but with very similar responses. We are of course psychic twins - and he's the Evil one

[Araneus]

Did you blush?

Cold reading

Plus a lot of room for subjective interpretation as well. Who the hell is going to respond with "No, actually my husband is hung like a gerbil!"

[Zaira]

Jocky,

I was born in Glasgow and I believe Glaswegians are naturally sceptical. I arranged to see this particular psychic with some friends it was supposed to be for a laugh but needless to say it backfired. I am still very sceptical but also very curious. I was very quite, not answering or nodding, or affirming any of her 'guesses' and yet she still mentioned things that no one could know but me. I never went to see another one after that. But I haven't forgotten what she said and I just wondered if anyone had any answers for me. It's no big deal really - just curiosity.

[Jocky]

I was born in Glasgow and I believe Glaswegians are naturally sceptical.

As a Glaswegian myself I can only agree

I am still very sceptical but also very curious ... I haven't forgotten what she said and I just wondered if anyone had any answers for me

I hope you find some of my answers thought-provoking.

Just one thing to bear in mind: human perception is extremely easy to fool. Every time you see a successful conjuring trick, your senses are fooled in this way, but you aren't confused by it because it does not purport to be anything other than a trick. We all want to trust our fellow man, and when somebody does a trick but claims that it's for real, there is a very strong inclination to believe without evidence.

Stay skeptical, not just about psychics but about many things - and it will reap benefits!

It's no big deal really - just curiosity

Sorry, I don't mean to jump down your throat. There is a tendancy to get strident about people about 'psychic' powers because it is such nonsense and there is so much of it about. You wouldn't believe some of the muppets we get coming through here!

[Zaira]

"Sorry, I don't mean to jump down your throat. There is a tendency to get strident about people about 'psychic' powers because it is such nonsense and there is so much of it about. You wouldn't believe some of the Muppets we get coming through here!"

Throat fine, honest. No Muppets here, just a wee Scottish woman with much curiosity and many questions. Lol

What is your take on the belief that we create our own reality?

[Jocky]

What is your take on the belief that we create our own reality?

Depends what you mean by "reality". What are you getting at, exactly?

If you mean "Can our past actions affect our future" then this is obviously true in a general sense.

If you mean "Our internal subjective beliefs can have a measurable effect on physical reality", this is an invalid hypothesis.

[Admin]

What is your take on the belief that we create our own reality?

It tends to get used by people who want to believe in things that are not real.

Things can't be real for some people and not real for others. This just leads to the logical absurdity that things can be both true and false at the same time.

There's more on this fallacy here: Relativism.

[Zaira]

“Things can't be real for some people and not real for others.”

Forgive me but this doesn’t make sense. Isn’t this what this forum is about…….. The things some people think are real and others do not?

[Zaira]

The reality I speak of is that which we create from the thoughts we entertain. The Law Of Attraction. Is it true that the quality of our life will depend on the quality of our thoughts?