Psychics - Believe in Them or Not?

[MVP]

Hmmm, I have to say that they are real, but I have no way to prove it...

What do you think? :stoned:

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

Absolutely not. Every psychic I've seen, and I've seen a lot of them, has failed to impress me. The average schmo is impressed by their cold-reading techniques (I advise looking up on cold reading), but once you recognize these techniques you see them for the fakery that they are.

Also, James Randi has been debunking people with supposed supernatural powers for about 40 years. He's a skilled magician as well. Just go to James Randi Educational Foundation - Home (http://www.randi.org) and check out the James Randi challenge. If you can prove to a mutually agreed-upon, third-party scientific institution that you have any kind of supernatural power (includin psychic powers), Randi will give you $1,000,000 set aside in an account just for that occasion. So far nobody has managed to collect.

[TOOL9]

I must agree with Gandalf

[Coelho]

Q - Do you believe in ghosts?
A - No... all of them are liars!

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

Q - Do you believe in ghosts?
A - No... all of them are liars!

I understand Coelho, dealing with the supernatural is a pain in the ass. God's still angry with me for being an atheist:jointsmile:

[MVP]

Absolutely not. Every psychic I've seen, and I've seen a lot of them, has failed to impress me. The average schmo is impressed by their cold-reading techniques (I advise looking up on cold reading), but once you recognize these techniques you see them for the fakery that they are.


How do you explain what the psychics do when they help solve crimes, like in the series Psychic Detectives on Court TV?

It doesn't seem to be fakery when it leads to results.

Opinions?

[psychocat]

I am in no doubt that it is a load of old cobblers.

[burnable]

I believe psychics have a talent, but it's a talent that everyone potentially has, called intuition. The difference is, the psychics practice the talent to the point that they can ascertain things that are normally esoteric about a person. You can't always judge a person from their looks or their demeanor, but with practice you can be pretty accurate 90% of the time.

[psychocat]

I believe psychics have a talent, but it's a talent that everyone potentially has, called intuition. The difference is, the psychics practice the talent to the point that they can ascertain things that are normally esoteric about a person. You can't always judge a person from their looks or their demeanor, but with practice you can be pretty accurate 90% of the time.

I agree , I am a very good judge of people but I am in no way psychic.

[make it legal]

Wow, I was just talking about this with my mom tonight. She and my dad are getting divorced. She told me she was going to see one. I asked if she really believed that stuff, and she told me that some people at work told her stories about the woman she is planning on seeing. She said that her friend was diagnosed infertile, after never being able to have a baby. The psychic told her that she would have 5 kids in the next 3 1/2 years. A few months later, by accident she got pregnant. 1 month after the baby was born, she got pregnant again by accident again, and had triplets. After that, she had another baby. Another person said that she told them to downsize their house because there would be financial trouble soon. They decided to move anyway, and have the house to their son. A few months later, the husband's company crashed. She also said she would have not be with her husband for a lot longer, and later she found him cheating on her.

I just don't know how to explain some of that. I mean, I guess financial troubles and marriage problems can be common, but the first one is incredible.

[mfqr]

Yes, I believe it is real. However, a lot of the people who publically claim to be psychic are indeed fake. It does exist.

Oh, and that $1,000,000 prize from that guy. I've heard about that, and they actually will never end up giving $1,000,000 away to anyone who can prove it. I'm trying to find the article right now, I'll post it when I find it.

[psychocat]

James Randi was the man who proved Uri Geller to be a fake and the million dollar challenge is real, unlike the so called gifted ones.

[mfqr]

James Randi was the man who proved Uri Geller to be a fake and the million dollar challenge is real, unlike the so called gifted ones.

Well, it's a real challenge, however I read an article of some people who were trying to prove themselves. However, James Randi was constantly avoiding them, and changing the rules on them. When I find it, I'll post it.

[psychocat]

Well, it's a real challenge, however I read an article of some people who were trying to prove themselves. However, James Randi was constantly avoiding them, and changing the rules on them. When I find it, I'll post it.


If they were so confident of thier "abilities " then why not just prove it to the general public?

Surely the rewards would be immense for anyone being able to prove they can do it , public interest and TV appearances would earn them more than a measly 1 million dollars ?
The world would pretty much be at thier feet.

[Coelho]

I understand Coelho, dealing with the supernatural is a pain in the ass. God's still angry with me for being an atheist:jointsmile:

Gandalf what i posted was intended to be a joke... at least in portuguese, to believe and to trust are almost synonyms, so the joke... dont know if it has any meaning in english, though...

Anyway, even if i dont believe "common" psychics, the ones who read your palms and such, i do believe that are people who can foresee the future to some degree, cause im one of them. There was lots of times when i "felt" something very unusual would happen, and it actually happen... or then i would dream about a thing, and just some days after i had the confirmation of what ive dreamed...
So, its not just a lot of bs... it actually happens. Foreseeing the future is a skill that can be developed, through mind training. There is people who already have a natural skill, but its possible to increase it, as im doing. (I wish to win in the lottery... how much foresseing skill is needed to do it?)

[mfqr]

If they were so confident of thier "abilities " then why not just prove it to the general public?

Surely the rewards would be immense for anyone being able to prove they can do it , public interest and TV appearances would earn them more than a measly 1 million dollars ?
The world would pretty much be at thier feet.

Why would that happen? Just as with anything, you'd have skeptics trying to prove it a fake, etc. It doesn't matter how much proof there is, there's always going to be people calling bullshit on it, because they're so narrow-minded.

Also, James Randi has proven that psychic celebrities were using tricks to deceive people. Of course, those psychic celebrities are almost always fakes, because they're using the concept of being psychic as a way to get famous.

Also, I don't want to argue about this. It's pointless... about as pointless as a religion vs. atheism argument.

Coelho, being a psychic won't help you win the lottery.

We all have the ability to be psychic. I cannot offer you proof, because you have to prove it to yourself. Untitled Document (http://www.astralsociety.com) is just one place out of many that you can learn how, etc.

[Coelho]

Coelho, being a psychic won't help you win the lottery.

Why not? I usually can foresee 1-2 numbers from the six ones... but i started not long ago (just some months). With more practice, im sure i will be able to foresee all the 6... what would go wrong?

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

lol, I know that was a joke Coelho, that's why I responded with a joke!:stoned:

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

How do you explain what the psychics do when they help solve crimes, like in the series Psychic Detectives on Court TV?

It doesn't seem to be fakery when it leads to results.

Opinions?


Oh yes, I forgot to respond to this:

Anyway, I've never seen this show so I can't really comment. But if the psychics find a body because "I see trees... trees and dirt, and the body is wet" I'll be sorely disappointed. Either way there's usually an explanation for these things.


Cool Metalocalypse avatar btw!

[Coelho]

lol, I know that was a joke Coelho, that's why I responded with a joke!:stoned:

Well... then when i thought you hadnt understood my joke, it was me who hadnt understood yours... :stoned:

[Oh My High]

I have my own Oh My High Paranormal Challenge. I will award $5,000.00 of my own money to anyone who refers someone to the JREF $1 million Paranormal Challenge and wins the $1 million. No joke. :D

[Unknown American]

Psychics- No way. I made my living as one for about 2 years. Anyone can learn it. Also it is easy to spot trends and they generally unfold in a predictable pattern. People are the same way.

Intuition or gut feelings I believe in, but that is something everyone has. :thumbsup:

[Canadian_Cron]

anything is possible.... have you ever had a gut feeling??? mabye they just have their intuition more in tune than the average person. some people have better then normal eye sight as well so how is this impossible?

however i think most "psychics" out the are fake.

[GracefulToke]

I believe some people are on a higher spiritual level then most other people, and can come in contact with spirits. Its true that there are people our there who are fake, but there are people out there who are for real, and use the gift to help others.