mediums

madjay

Saying all mediums and psychics all charlatans is disrespectful, there are many who work with police forces around the world as advisers. I will agree that, like in all forms of life there are bad pennies.
You want not tell a priest or a nun that there is no god and they are a charlatan. People have the right to believe in what they want to, it is a free country. People have the chosen to visit a medium or a psychic and if they gain comfort for this what is wrong with that.

There is never enough proof for some who does not believe. James Randi is one of those people. He refuses to see anything but his own self importance, but has made a fortune telling every its a load of rubbish. But why did he with draw the prize fund??? There must be something that changed his mind or he would have still put up the money.

Seraphseven

madjay wrote: »

Saying all mediums and psychics all charlatans is disrespectful, there are many who work with police forces around the world as advisers. I will agree that, like in all forms of life there are bad pennies.
You want not tell a priest or a nun that there is no god and they are a charlatan. People have the right to believe in what they want to, it is a free country. People have the chosen to visit a medium or a psychic and if they gain comfort for this what is wrong with that.

There is never enough proof for some who does not believe. James Randi is one of those people. He refuses to see anything but his own self importance, but has made a fortune telling every its a load of rubbish. But why did he with draw the prize fund??? There must be something that changed his mind or he would have still put up the money.

I'm confused about your James Randi assertion, the JREF still offers the money to anyone that can prove they have a supernatural ability? In fact it has increased from the $1000 Randi originally offered to the $1 Million it is today.

Can you cite any examples of where "Psychics" have been employed within the police force for the specific purpose of asking spirits to tell them who the murderer (for example) was? Because that's quite a bold statement to make without any evidence.

Also don't even get me started on religion! :rotfl:

Of course everyone is entitled to believe whatever they believe but far too many people will blindly believe something without looking into how reliable the evidence to support it is. Basic cognitive psychology tests have shown time and time again how fallable Human recollection based anectdotal evidence is!

madjay

I stand corrected James Randi Challenge is still running today, but on March 6th 2010 James Randi Challenge will stop running. Randi says it gone on too long!

Apricot

I've got a real phobia of psychics and mediums. When we go to the Market or see people who I know to be pyshic I literally do not look at them and run! I don't know why & my bf thinks its hilarious but it really freaks me out to think that they could know things.

There's a lady near me who is a medium, a friend of mine went to see her after the death of her bf the year earlier and the things that this lady said to her literally nobody knew about.

Trinny

Most mediums are just very good at getting you to tell them the answers. face to face readings are even better. This means they can read body language, facial expression, hesitation.

Apparently there is now (in one of the low rent weekly magazines) someone who even claims to be able to tell your fortune as long as you send her a picture of your bum ( not naked of course)

There's a fool around every corner who is easily parted from their money. Trouble is - as the op says - they take advantage of vulnerable people, those who are grieving a lost relative, or those who are frightened about what tomorrow may bring.

Its something which clearly needs to be regulated

Trin

flutter_2

I didn't actually say they are all charlatans - I qualified that statement, and it was only a theory...

A true scientist does not come to definite conclusions without some proof...

ceridwen

grey_lady wrote: »

But on the other hand, Gordon Smith has passed scientific tests at Glasgow University, he doesn't charge for his readings either. There's an Irish mystic who has a book out and she's convinced some very intelligent researchers that she's genuine so who I am to say otherwise - maybe there is a 1% that's real, personally I'm not convinced though.

I would be interested to know who this Irish mystic is please -and the name of her book..:)

ceridwen

Well i suppose the answer is that we need some sort of regulatory body of mediums/psychics and the like - it wouldnt be the final "solve all" answer - but might go some way towards it...

It IS a very difficult situation to deal with....as many of us must have a few experiences in our own lives which there simply ISNT a rational explanation for....hence we are prepared to believe that other people have them too and can maybe tell us things they have no way of knowing.

Personally - my experience has been that only those one is/or perhaps would like to be very close to can trigger off an "inexplicable episode" of some description. But that is just my take on it. Maybe...just maybe...total strangers can sometimes do so too....but I still come back to a previous point of mine (ie that I personally have never come across that yet).

I've seen a dead person. Someone I am very close to has seen a dead person. I've had experiences of being "looked after". I've "heard" someone speaking before the words came out of their mouth - now THAT was seriously odd...but it happened...I've responded to someone I was close to contacting me (though they hadnt said a word to me)...

BUT - the common denominator factor seemed to be that these were "personal" episodes and nothing has ever happened/been picked up on by a "stranger". Maybe thats just how things are....


....<ceridwen wanders off thinking "oh dear....bet everyone now thinks ceridwen is a wierdo.....oh well....">

grey_lady

Ceridwen - it was Lorna Byrne that I meant - she wrote a book called Angels in My Hair.

tandraig

ceridwen wrote: »

Well i suppose the answer is that we need some sort of regulatory body of mediums/psychics and the like - it wouldnt be the final "solve all" answer - but might go some way towards it...

It IS a very difficult situation to deal with....as many of us must have a few experiences in our own lives which there simply ISNT a rational explanation for....hence we are prepared to believe that other people have them too and can maybe tell us things they have no way of knowing.

Personally - my experience has been that only those one is/or perhaps would like to be very close to can trigger off an "inexplicable episode" of some description. But that is just my take on it. Maybe...just maybe...total strangers can sometimes do so too....but I still come back to a previous point of mine (ie that I personally have never come across that yet).

I've seen a dead person. Someone I am very close to has seen a dead person. I've had experiences of being "looked after". I've "heard" someone speaking before the words came out of their mouth - now THAT was seriously odd...but it happened...I've responded to someone I was close to contacting me (though they hadnt said a word to me)...

BUT - the common denominator factor seemed to be that these were "personal" episodes and nothing has ever happened/been picked up on by a "stranger". Maybe thats just how things are....


....<ceridwen wanders off thinking "oh dear....bet everyone now thinks ceridwen is a wierdo.....oh well....">

lmao - ceridwen - I outed myself as a weirdo earlier on here! God knows what they would all think of two of my grandkids who are both pyschic. I dont want to go into too much detail but they both see ghosts and can communicate with them and one of them is the most accurate early pregnancy predictor - she can tell even tell you wht sex it is and thats before you miss a period! and she is only 5 and can do this before she was 3.
oh - and didnt you know? all welsh women are witches!:rotfl: