Ever been to a psychic/medium?

Dave!

Hey folks,

Just wondering if any of ye (skeptics) have been to a psychic before? What was it like?

In the interest of convincing my mates that I'm open-minded , I"m thinking of going to one at some point.

Not sure whether to just play along with it, or whether to start challenging the psychic or somethin I reckon it'll be hard to just sit there and take it, and then hand over money to the charlatan!

Dave

Boxoffrogs

Dave! wrote: »

Hey folks,

Just wondering if any of ye (skeptics) have been to a psychic before? What was it like?

In the interest of convincing my mates that I'm open-minded , I"m thinking of going to one at some point.

Not sure whether to just play along with it, or whether to start challenging the psychic or somethin I reckon it'll be hard to just sit there and take it, and then hand over money to the charlatan!

Dave

I did once, went along with a group of work friends to a palm reader. She was 'sitting' in a room above a pub so there were drinks involved and for some reason I thought I'd give it a go. We handed our money over to her pimp downstairs and waited our turn.

When I went in to see her, she grabbed my palm and started rambling, "do you know an Alan, Is anyone in your family a nurse?" and on and on basically asking me a ton questions to which my answers were all NO. Before long she decided I was a skeptic and I was making it too difficult for her to read as you need to be 'receptive'.

So I returned downstairs and got my money back from her pimp guy who wasn't too happy. The girls I went with really rated her though, odd!

Oryx

I wouldnt be classed as a skeptic in your world, but when it comes to working readers, Im skeptical as hell, which may sound contradictory. Yes, I think people can 'read' but I also know they can cheat. I bloody hate cold readers. I felt like yelling at John Edward at his show lately, all he did was cold read (it was a masterclass in doing it tho!)

Ive been to a few readers, over the years, but none recently. I dont know about antagonising them deliberately, but if they got stuff wrong, ya say nope, that dont make sense, and they either have to figure it out or give something else. If they are giving generalities and youre not happy with that, do push for specifics. You dont have to be horrible about it. A good reader will welcome a tough customer, they are fun to work with, a lot of the time. Its the ones that just nod and go, oh yes, to everything, that are a nightmare, cos you know they would agree if you told em the sun was made of tinfoil.

I dont know about people not being receptive, but if you detect hostility from a customer in any line of work, it does make it harder to work with them. If you go in thinking 'fraud' they will probably pick up on that without any psychic ability needed, which is worth bearing in mind.

jonbravo

my sister is big into things like this i have to say, i however am not! but what got my attention was the fact that this person, like my sister told me i had to make a visit to this psychic/medium.... in the mouths that follow, as the psychic or medium had said??? i didnt i really couldnt.

im very open to anything , but i dont want to know something i dont understand.

Darlughda

Right, I consider myself a good reader, have not done a reading in years though.

Would really like to go back to a couple of readers in the last couple of years and demand my money back. (Gráinne on south william street and yer wan with the eyeliner in temple bar above the celtic tourist shop).

They are the very reason I don't 'read' for a living.

jonbravo

Darlughda wrote: »

Right, I consider myself a good reader, have not done a reading in years though.

Would really like to go back to a couple of readers in the last couple of years and demand my money back. (Gráinne on south william street and yer wan with the eyeliner in temple bar above the celtic tourist shop).

They are the very reason I don't 'read' for a living.

you can read people !? just for fun explain please.

Darlughda

jonbravo wrote: »

you can read people !? just for fun explain please.

Happily reply. but not for fun.

Yes I can read people. I have never ever used it for money and usually block it out.

jonbravo

Darlughda wrote: »

Happily reply. but not for fun.

Yes I can read people. I have never ever used it for money and usually block it out.

i believe people can read people but not in terms of the paranormal

Darlughda

jonbravo wrote: »

i believe people can read people but not in terms of the paranormal

Yes. I do not know what to describe this 'ability' I have.

Therefore, I prefer to ignore it as I am not into any kind of religion. But it really can be a pain in the ass when you can understand and see stuff that is about to happen.

jonbravo

Darlughda wrote: »

Yes. I do not know what to describe this 'ability' I have.

Therefore, I prefer to ignore it as I am not into any kind of religion. But it really can be a pain in the ass when you can understand and see stuff that is about to happen.

i dont know why some ignore ability!? why do you!?
tell me why i should believe you!? you dont have to if you dont want but i cant say i understand your reason, but i'll try.

Darlughda

Why the hell would I be interested in getting you to believe me?

Yet at the same time you say you don't think somebody should ignore ability.

Why on earth should I develop my 'ability' if that is what it is, just to convince you?

jonbravo

Darlughda wrote: »

Why the hell would I be interested in getting you to believe me?

Again im not the psychic/medium, why is it a pain in the ass!? so many questions so little answers.:D
i dont believe you have anything to hide.....only yourself

Dave!

Relax there lads!

Darlughda

Bizarre, as you may find this, I am somebody who once fervently believed a lot of stuff that I no longer do.
Having said that I do know there is an afterlife and my ass will I be bothered engaging in that debate with you lot.
So, I am an atheist who believes in the afterlife, and faeries as other resonances of existences that we cannot quite see just now.

Think I'm mad? Grand, then **** off with yourself, I don't give a rat's ass.

jonbravo

Darlughda wrote: »

Bizarre, as you may find this, I am somebody who once fervently believed a lot of stuff that I no longer do.
Having said that I do know there is an afterlife and my ass will I be bothered engaging in that debate with you lot.
So, I am an atheist who believes in the afterlife, and faeries as other resonances of existences that we cannot quite see just now.

Think I'm mad? Grand, then **** off with yourself, I don't give a rat's ass.

you see the funny thing is i think your cool Darlughda, im sorry if i came across as anything other but i just had to ask.

jonbravo

lots and lots of people believe themselfs to be psychic/medium[ im not sayin your not]
i always find the more questions you ask the more info you know which regard any given person.this is notting new.

Darlughda

See, thing is there is no way I would ever say or claim to be psychic or a medium. For me that would be like suddenly announcing that I was muslim or jewish or something. I'm just not.

But if I'm concentrating on something like a set of figures, out of the blue, I'll just suddenly tell you something that your father or mother did in their 20's thats completely random, nobody knows why I have just said it, least of all myself, then when you ask your parents oh did you actually go to such and such a place when you were younger, and they say yeah, thats funny why on earth are you asking...etc... well I don't know either!!!

Darlughda

jonbravo wrote: »

you see the funny thing is i think your cool Darlughda, im sorry if i came across as anything other but i just had to ask.

Oh shucks I like you too. Wow. Aint Boards great. But I'm def not a psychic or medium, mr. skeptik (don't know what I'm doin hangin round dese parts anyway) I'm just a weird lady.:)

leddpipe

how can people not see psychics,mediums and their "readings" for what they are?generalized statements, broad enough for most people to be able to associate with them to even a small degree. A moderately skilled one of these shysters can then expand on that and exploit someones openness.
and why is this in the skeptical forum?

Oryx

Its here because it belongs here. Ever been to one?

chughes

I was at one once in a family member's house. €50 a head and 6 people were read that evening. Nice takings for one evening.

Being a skeptic I wasn't receptive to her questions so she claimed difficultly with reading me due to "blockages".

The whole experience only confirmed my skepticism.

Darlughda

chughes wrote: »

I was at one once in a family member's house. €50 a head and 6 people were read that evening. Nice takings for one evening.

Being a skeptic I wasn't receptive to her questions so she claimed difficultly with reading me due to "blockages".


The whole experience only confirmed my skepticism.

This is the kind of thing that disgusts me. I just reckon that is wrong.
Well no wonder you believe its all a ball of shyte. The amount of charlatans out there isnt funny.

Darlughda

leddpipe wrote: »

how can people not see psychics,mediums and their "readings" for what they are?generalized statements, broad enough for most people to be able to associate with them to even a small degree. A moderately skilled one of these shysters can then expand on that and exploit someones openness.
and why is this in the skeptical forum?

I hear you. Many are exploitaing, whether or not they realiase it.
This is in the skeptical forum because someone asked a genuine question.

Darlughda

Dave, you're question was 'have you ever been to one-as in a pyschic or medium?

I have only been to the ones who have advertised their services either on boards or walking past in dublin.

Beyond bad, shockingly awful.

Never had the nerve to ask for my money back though.

Have always had that ability and never have been okay with money for it, so it never came part of my identity as in something I did for a living.

I assist friends with decisions by looking at all possibilities of an outcome any situation or idea they are looking at. It works as an aid or a tool to imagine the various outcomes when considering different options to approach something.

There are others, who can connect with those who have passed on, in my opinion and understanding. I am not one of them. I am empathetic but not a medium.

Furey

I see dead people.

Furey

I work in a mortuary.

Giselle

chughes wrote: »

I was at one once in a family member's house. €50 a head and 6 people were read that evening. Nice takings for one evening.

Being a skeptic I wasn't receptive to her questions so she claimed difficultly with reading me due to "blockages".

The whole experience only confirmed my skepticism.

Similarly I was at one of those evenings, and the 'psychic' asked me if I had any questions that needed answering or anything I wanted to know about the future. When I asked her to just give me what she had she told me that she needed something from me to ask the spirits.:rolleyes:

She was looking for cues, and she wasn't even subtle about it. It amazed me afterwards how many people asked her specific questions, thus giving her a hotline into what they wanted to hear.

Those were the same people who came out talking about how 'good' she was.

SirPeter

Barnum statements and cold reading and other associated tricks are well known.

As far as i am aware, not one has ever been able to demonstrate psychic ability beyond chance when actually tested with observers and with a test with which the person claiming psychic powers has agreed with in advance.