Psychic Medium--Real or Fake

Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 5:01 pm

And they get more intense after 10 pints I bet

Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 12:50 am

Well, we all get a bit mystical after a few pints lol

Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2010 11:04 am

After personal experiences which I couldn't eplain in the terms of 'natural', I've been studying paranormal phenomena on a hobby basis for more than 20 years now. (And no, I haven't been diagnosed with a mental disorder). Personally I believe that there are phenomena that modern physics haven't been able to cover - yet. And hence what might be perceived as supernatural is misinterpreted and enters the category of the paranormal; even though it might be a nature phenomenon that once will be understood. Also the brain and the subconscious mind can be powerful. Also when knowing how to use it over other people, as in hypnosis. If you think about it, the hypnotic mind is quite a strange realm; most people have a relationship to the word 'hypnosis' (without really understanding the mechanisms behind it) and hence think of it as a well known territorium. By hypnosis certain individuals can be able to shut off the receptors for pain and undergo a serious surgery without anesthesia and without pain, and this example alone should make anyone curious about what other powers the mind might reside. I don't say that this is paranomal, but it is certainly not within what is 'normal'.

It is obviously hard to measure paranormal phenomena, so I know very well that it ultimately becomes a personal belief. I am generally sceptic to anything claimed to be paranormal until I see strong evidence if the opposite. Personally I don't believe that there are any individuals that are able to turn on and off 'real' sixth sense by sheer wish and will. (Although it would be handy.) Therefore I don't believe in psychics that 'produce' so called psychic information by their own command. So I agree with those here that refer to 'cold reading' and that many 'professional psychics' are con-artists. And then again we have other self-acclaimed 9-5 professional psychics who truly believe in what they do, but I believe they are fooling themselves as well as unintentionally fooling those who are seeking them up for guidance. Subconsciously people (and some are better at it than others) are able to read the body language of other people, and people who wish to believe in a psychic give so much information away for free. A lot of information is given away subtly.

However, I do believe that the paranormal and sixth sense occurs spontaneously to many people - meaning that it is not controlled.

To the poll, I would answer that a psychic medium might be able to contact the dead. Spontaneously but not controlled. And if the 'dead' is actually a soul that has survived death or whether the medium intuitively or with pure imagination is tapping into - real or not - info of a person that once was alive is another question.

This is just my stance. Finally I must say that I personally try to respect anyones religion or belief (and political view) as long as it doesn't really do harm to other people - even how silly I personally would think different 'theories' or beliefs might seem. (Just like I know that many other people must think my own philosophy to life is silly and wrong.)

Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 4:25 pm

A few points directed at NorseGuy's post since it goes through many of the basic fallacies believers fall into.

Quote:

After personal experiences which I couldn't [explain] in the terms of 'natural'

This is the logical fallacy "argument from ignorance" you are taking the absence of evidence of a natural explanation and concluding that since you can't think of an explanation then it must be "paranormal." This is one of the most common fallacies of the believers of the supernatural. For example, they assume that they know exactly what a flare tied to a balloon will look like, but fly off to a UFO explanation for the Phoenix Lights.

Quote:

By hypnosis certain individuals can be able to shut off the receptors for pain and undergo a serious surgery without anesthesia and without pain, and this example alone should make anyone curious about what other powers the mind might reside

Please provide the medical study in which this has happened. My own research of medical journals has come up with nothing to back up your claim.

Quote:

It is obviously hard to measure paranormal phenomena

It is hard when people attempt to use normal detecting equipment in a manner that is ill suited for the device in a way that is unproven to detect the phenomenon they are trying to duplicate. I find it difficult to test for the presence of neutrinos using my toster oven.

It is easy when you utilize proper testing methodology and accurate blinding of participants to try and get effects greater then chance alone. James Randi is able to do this all the time.

Quote:

However, I do believe that the paranormal and sixth sense occurs spontaneously to many people - meaning that it is not controlled.

If this actually occurred to, as you say, "many people" it would show up in properly blinded tests. People are fooled by randomness and have no real inkling into large probabilities. One in a million chance occurrences happen about once a month in your everyday life.

Quote:

I would answer that a psychic medium might be able to contact the dead.

In order to conclude that you would have to have evidence that the dead are somewhere to be contacted and that there are mechanisms for that contact and a ton more assumptions. Utilizing Occum's Razor - "The answer with the least amount of assumptions is usually correct." - we find that "paranormal" medium contact is too complex and that cold-reading is the simple answer.

Quote:

Finally I must say that I personally try to respect anyone's religion or belief (and political view) as long as it doesn't really do harm to other people - even how silly I personally would think different 'theories' or beliefs might seem.

I'd like to direct you and any others with this attitude to the website What is the Harm .

Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 4:42 pm

Belief without evidence deserves ridicule, not respect.

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 3:54 pm

my brother has come through, with something only him an i know would know....my grandfather has come through as has my girlfriend...with things only we would know....there are many fakes out there but it's word of mouth...have you tried a spiritual group/church?
this 1 day my grandmother mum an i went along, as they had a visiting medium we didn't sit together, but they focused on nana with a message from a tall man playing the bagpipes that man was my Pappy....
my mum is about to leave this world, she's a great believer so i'll know when she's around...my brother visits me on a regular basis, just to let me know he's still around... he was killed in 1993...
it warms my heart.....i never believed til his message... Very Happy

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 4:34 pm

rsouls who take advantage of people who are going through a horrible time and are looking for comfort and peace leave these people alone let them grieve in the way you are supposed to and move on when they are ready, slap the s*it out of these snake chalming wukfits when they lose a memember of their family ask them for the lottery numbers see what happens dont get involed with these heartless evil people death is a very personal thing and the dead should be left in peace

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 8:18 pm

Dibs66 wrote:

this 1 day my grandmother mum an i went along, as they had a visiting medium we didn't sit together, but they focused on nana with a message from a tall man playing the bagpipes that man was my Pappy....

Sounds like cold reading to me

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_reading

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 8:59 pm

Mediums are generally very clever and can derive a lot just from body language and common sense. They also word things that can be interpreted in more than one way as to avoid being wrong. Honestly its nothing more than cold reading. I understand this stuff can provide a level of comfort for superstitious people and if they choose to indulge in it, that is their choice. But it isn't real. And to elaborate further I don't have a lot of respect for mediums, if any. They basically exploit people's emotions and prevent them from dealing with their problems properly. Maybe I am coming off as an asshole but anybody who truly believes they can talk to dead people and predict the future should probably be slapped around and carted off to the nearest mental institution. I have family that believe in this stuff and it just disappoints me that they fall for such scams.

Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 4:37 am

People should check out James Randi He is a skeptic and scientist.....also a magician. However James Randi has an educational foundation which supports the use of science to study the paranormal.
Interestingly several years ago he offerd a prize to anyone that can talk to the dead and prove it.
In 1968, James Randi was working on a radio program with parapsychologist Stanley Crypter when a caller challenged him to "put his money where his mouth is" Randi offered $100 of his own money to the first person who could provide objective proof of the paranormal.
Over time the prize money grew to 1000, and then 10,000 at which point Lexington Broadcasting asked Randi to do a show called the $100,000 Psychic Prize adding $90,000 to the original $10,000 raised by Randi., Internet pioneer Rick Adams a friend of Randi then in 1996 donated US $1,000,000 for the prize. To date about a thousand people have taken the challenge, and not one has been successful.
So the money is up for grabs......go get it.

Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2012 4:49 am

cbilljones wrote:

Belief without evidence deserves ridicule, not respect.

well said.

I do suspect there are a lot of things in this universe we don't understand. One of humanities better qualities is that we use our imagination to try and push the boundaries of our knowledge. First we guess as to why something happens then we look for proof. what I dont like is organisations and individuals that play on our desire to know more and build up a culture and complex thesis around these guesses. Organised religion is a classic example of an organisation taking advantage of our desire to know more. I suspect mediums are exactly the same though obviously I dont know for sure as such conmen (like the church) quite often work ideas into their narrative that are as impossible to disprove as much as they are impossible to prove.

What I would say is that with advances in our understanding of the universe, our own bodies and the world we live in I think it's about time we leave the superstition behind. These conmen have had millenia to come up with proof but surprise surprise they still cant. Is the human race going to be made a fool of forever by these conmen for all eternity or are we going to wake up?

Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2012 6:32 am

I choose fake...can't do it. To hold an actual conversation with a dead person..umm one would need to pony up some extremely serious proof for me to jump on board.

That being said I do believe some of the hippy dippy twattle might just not be twattle..

Probably will take another 200 years before a physicist bothers to prove it, but...

To help understand why I offer two examples from my personal experience.

1. In my early 20's I noticed I had a talent... If handed a deck of shuffled used cards I can tell you the colour of the cards with aprox a 75 % accuracy.

*All cards face down and I don't need to be the one who shuffles...or even holds the deck, but most times I've done this I've held the deck.

Red cards are warm and black cards are cold....except if the deck is owned and well used a goths in love with black....LOL Then the colours are reversed. Got juiced pretty good with one once..But once I knew who the owners were I got a good average of the deck correct.

And I've never gotten higher than a 75% average because face cards are almost always warm and 2's and 3's always cold.

I have no idea how I can do it, but I can. It's my one big stupid human trick and I kinda like it, good for breaking ice at gatherings.

2. I was for many years a nanny and in one home they had a very social and active 8 year old. It was just me and her and all of her friends. Then the family one day decided to get a dog an picked up a beautiful SPCA shepherd they named Bruce. Well because the child was so social it became me and Bruce. I grew to love that dog something silly and was very sad to see them all go many years later. They moved to England.

One day about 5 years after they left Bruce popped into my mind and just never seemed to go. He was so prevalent the I would sometimes even catch myself out almost calling his name to heel when walking. It was like I could see him constantly in the corner of my eye. While siting on the couch, in bed or as mentioned out walking.

It was very very odd. And I did speak with my doctor about it...cause yeah..it was odd. It was like he was here, but I knew he wasn't.

Then one day in the post I received a letter from the family all the way from the UK.

Bruce had died, about six weeks previous.

About the same time as when I started 'seeing' him all about me.

I haven't 'seen' him since I got the letter.

These prove nothing..There is no way to prove either. One day one might be able to test how it is my hands can detect the temperatures of the cards, but I suspect I'll be long gone from this earth by then.

Until then I believe there is more on this earth and within our physical capabilities than can currently be tested and proved, but I doubt one of those things would be speaking to the dead. What I experienced with Bruce had nothing to do with formal communication. What it was I do not know. I will never know.