Clairvoyants: genuine or conmen/women?

[aelfheah]

I have read alot on this forum about people who went to see psychics, with apparently mixed results. Some posters even chipped in with comments about these people, who charge for their service, being 'conmen' or 'criminals'? Is this true?

 

In the late 80's, on advice from colleagues, I went to one supposedly reputable lady psychic (whose name I forget) who used to be above a fancy dress shop on the road from Hillsboro corner out towards Rivelin.

(EDIT) She proved to be mostly wrong. However, a visit to a [free] Spiritualist church - free and me visiting on a whim- proved to be very accurate by a couple of people approaching me, and I had not given away any brief/detailed replied/answers, facial tics or any behavioural signs.

 

But are there any really genuine clairvoyants/audients, who do not charge or advertise their 'gifts', and rely only on word of mouth?

 

And does 'not predicting the lotto' or 'not guessing your name' prove fakery?

[Mecky]

It's a con IMO but they're very good at what they do and I wouldn't discourage people to visit one.

[Guest]

...But are there any really genuine clairvoyants/audients, who do not charge or advertise their 'gifts', and rely only on word of mouth? ...

Of course not.

 

See here, here, here and here.

[aelfheah]

I'm undecided and although I won't spend any money on them, this doesn't mean I can say that there is definately nothing in it?

[Guest]

I'm undecided and although I won't spend any money on them, this doesn't mean I can say that there is definately nothing in it?

You can say that there's no supporting evidence for their claims of being able to talk to the dead.

 

When the ability to assess a subject by the standard cold reading techniques has been removed, psychics' ability to produce any pertinent information is rather restricted.

 

This book is a nice, informal introduction to the subject. Seek out this one too.

[HeadingNorth]

No clairvoyant has ever demonstrated any abilities which cannot be replicated by a professional magician pretending to be a clairvoyant.

 

Ergo, there is no good reason for believing that any clairvoyant is anything other than a professional magician, using methods that are already known and documented.

 

 

You can't prove that there is no such thing as a genuine clairvoyant - but you also can't prove there is no such thing as a giant invisible spectral elephant living in your bedroom. That doesn't mean you should waste as much as one second considering whether there might really be one.

[flamingjimmy]

As heading north has said:

 

"No clairvoyant has ever demonstrated any abilities which cannot be replicated by a professional magician pretending to be a clairvoyant."

 

The only rational conclusion is that all clairvoyants are either lying or deluded, or a little bit of both.

[MrSmith]

I was in a community building with a clairvoyant working in one room and a Christian church meeting in another room. The Christians were singing louder than ever, the clairvoyant complained about the noise. The Christians claimed they had to sing and pray louder because the devil was working in the other room.

I pointed out that if a clairvoyant can actually speak to the dead it would go a small way to proving there is an afterlife and possibly a God, they said talking to the dead is the work of the devil.

The clairvoyant didn’t do very well that night.

[aelfheah]

I'm a rational man, and mostly agree with your posts, but am unsure that a Spiritualist Church's congregation would seek to delude random people who walk in unbeknown to them, and without money being exchanged?

[altus]

I'm a rational man, and mostly agree with your posts, but am unsure that a Spiritualist Church's congregation would seek to delude random people who walk in unbeknown to them, and without money being exchanged?

Part of one of Hecate's links describes subconscious cold reading.

 

They may not realise they are doing it and genuinely think they have a gift for clairvoyance, rather than one for cold reading.