Psychic readings

cyantist

Person_one wrote: »

That was just one trick, he's also demonstrated the effectiveness of cold reading many times, as well as things like ouija boards etc.

Cold reading can be extremely convincing, some people are very very good at reading your responses to their questions, not necessarily verbal or overt responses either and at directing you subtly to provide the information they need to feed back to you to convince you they already knew it.

Indeed but I've already said this information isn't transferred in the first person so there's nothing to read. I have never spoken to this woman in question yet somehow she knows things about me I've never told anyone ever

Person_one

cyantist wrote: »

Indeed but I've already said this information isn't transferred in the first person so there's nothing to read. I have never spoken to this woman in question yet somehow she knows things about me I've never told anyone ever

That's a bit naive, and to be honest its exactly why cold reading works on some people. They don't realise all the many ways that we give ourselves away, all the time!

cyantist

I'm sure I am being naive but I really don't see how I can give something away to someone I have never met, have no interaction with on social media and have never spoken to.

If you can suggest how I should not do this it would be great because to be honest it's horrible having someone know things I've kept secret. You can't even have an affair without her knowing about it as well as all the details! (Not me having the affair by the way!)

NewShadow

cyantist wrote: »

And why would someone go to all that effort? It it was a job I can see it may be worth it (though you'd have to consider all the negative publicity from the people for who you got nothing correct). But someone who has never tried to make any money or offer readings - it would make no sense

I'm not talking about any specific individual's motives, but your reaction to your sister's friend's 'gift' would be more than enough to motivate some people.

You may want to ask, if she does have a gift, what is she getting out of telling your sister random facts about you?

It's not like the two of you have a relationship, so why mention you at all?

cyantist

NewShadow wrote: »

I'm not talking about any specific individual's motives, but your reaction to your sister's friend's 'gift' would be more than enough to motivate some people.

You may want to ask, if she does have a gift, what is she getting out of telling your sister random facts about you?

It's not like the two of you have a relationship, so why mention you at all?

I enquire about my friends families even though I've never met them and they do the same about mine. It's just something we talk about.

Person_one

cyantist wrote: »

I'm sure I am being naive but I really don't see how I can give something away to someone I have never met, have no interaction with on social media and have never spoken to.

If you can suggest how I should not do this it would be great because to be honest it's horrible having someone know things I've kept secret. You can't even have an affair without her knowing about it as well as all the details! (Not me having the affair by the way!)

I would suggest not having any affairs I suppose. People are often able to guess what others are up to because none of us are as good at keeping secrets as we might like to think!

I'd also encourage your sister not to spend any more time with an oddball who apparently takes pleasure in manipulating her.

BarryBlue

Person_one wrote: »

No, not chance, skill.

Derren Brown and other debunkers are able to convince people just as much as any 'psychic', the only difference is that they admit its a trick. That means it is entirely possible its a trick whoever is doing it.

Not 'entirely possible' but an absolute certainty. He has demonstrated it many times and is better at it than any of the scam artists who claim it is for real. The Victorian psychics were all exposed so had to change tactics, but they are no more genuine now than they were then.

Person_one wrote: »

That was just one trick, he's also demonstrated the effectiveness of cold reading many times, as well as things like ouija boards etc.

Cold reading can be extremely convincing, some people are very very good at reading your responses to their questions, not necessarily verbal or overt responses either and at directing you subtly to provide the information they need to feed back to you to convince you they already knew it.

Exactly. It is a very skilled art, but con tricks usually are. As I said earlier in the thread, you may not know how a magician saws a woman in half, but that is no reason to suppose he actually did so and then put her back together unharmed. Your common sense tells you it's a trick. Likewise, communicating with the dead is a trick and you may not know how the trick is done but your common sense tells you that dead people don't talk, as they are dead. Do we have people swearing blind that magicians actually perform magic? Of course not.

Person_one wrote: »

That's a bit naive, and to be honest its exactly why cold reading works on some people. They don't realise all the many ways that we give ourselves away, all the time!

Cold reading, hot reading, Barnum statements, prior research, stooges, and any number of other techniques can be used. But when it comes down to it, these people never, ever prove scientifically what they claim. That's because they are using tricks that they know would not fool the tests.

qwert_yuiop

The first time I ever heard of a psychic ( I read it as physic), was when some huckster declared that terry Waite and John McCarthy had been murdered in Lebanon. Wack wack oops.

There was a psychic on Irish tv a few years ago. He walks out in front of about 300 Irish people and declares "I'm getting a Michael". What a talent.

Sorry, folks, it's all Rubbish. They prey on people's unhappiness.

Try to dismiss it.

NewShadow

cyantist wrote: »

I enquire about my friends families even though I've never met them and they do the same about mine. It's just something we talk about.

I think there's a difference between 'How's your uncle Bob doing?' and 'I had a dream about your sister; you should ask her about the scare she had at the doctor's recently'.

One is a friendly enquiry and making conversation, the other is attention seeking.

BarryBlue

qwert_yuiop wrote: »

The first time I ever heard of a psychic ( I read it as physic), was when some huckster declared that terry Waite and John McCarthy had been murdered in Lebanon. Wack wack oops.

There was a psychic on Irish tv a few years ago. He walks out in front of about 300 Irish people and declares "I'm getting a Michael". What a talent.

Sorry, folks, it's all Rubbish. They prey on people's unhappiness.

Try to dismiss it.

Could that have been "I'm taking the Michael"?:rotfl: