Ghost/Paranormal Psychics: Ghost Whisperers or Cold Readers?

Jan 30, 2012
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Psychic's. Ghost Whisperers. Mediums. Spirit Conduits.

There are people that claim they can talk to the dead. It's big business. Books, CD's, DVD's, Magazines, Websites, Phone lines, TV shows, psychic fairs, radio, live audience shows.. it's fairly common.
There is even a spiritualist church.
PayTV provider Foxtel has live on air psychic medium channel that you can call in for a reading for only the small price of around $5.00 a minute or so.
Major national FTA network TV has even got in on the act with channel 7's "reality" show 'The One' focused on psychic's competing against each other to see who is the best.

Psychic mediumship can be defined as;
Mediumship is defined as the practice of certain people—known as mediums—to mediate communication between spirits of the dead and other human beings.[1][2] While no evidence has been accepted by the wider scientific community in support of the view that there has been communication between the living and the dead, some parapsychologists say that some of their research suggests that such communication may have taken place.
Attempts to contact the dead date back to early human history, with mediumship gaining in popularity during the 19th century. Investigations during this period revealed widespread fraud—with some practitioners employing techniques used by stage magicians—and the practice started to lose credibility. Nevertheless the practice still continues to this day, and high profile fraud has been uncovered as recently as the 2000s.

It can be further broken down as;
In Spiritualism, psychic senses used by mental mediums are sometimes defined differently than in other paranormal fields. A medium is said to have psychic abilities but not all psychics function as mediums. [23] The term clairvoyance, for instance, may be used by Spiritualists to include seeing spirits and visions instilled by spirits. The Parapsychological Association defines "clairvoyance" as information derived directly from an external physical source.[24]
  • Clairvoyance or "Clear Seeing", is the ability to see anything that is not physically present, such as objects, animals or people. This sight occurs "in the mind’s eye". Some mediums say that this is their normal vision state. Others say that they must train their minds with such practices as meditation in order to achieve this ability, and that assistance from spiritual helpers is often necessary. Some clairvoyant mediums can see a spirit as though the spirit has a physical body. They see the bodily form as if it were physically present. Other mediums see the spirit in their mind's eye, or it appears as a movie or a television programme or a still picture like a photograph in their mind.
  • Clairaudience or "Clear Hearing", is usually defined as the ability to hear the voices or thoughts of spirits. Some Mediums hear as though they are listening to a person talking to them on the outside of their head, as though the Spirit is next to or near to the medium, and other mediums hear the voices in their minds as a verbal thought.
  • Clairsentience or "Clear Sensing", is the ability to have an impression of what a spirit wants to communicate, or to feel sensations instilled by a spirit.
  • Clairsentinence or "Clear Feeling" is a condition in which the medium takes on the ailments of a spirit, feeling the same physical problem which the spirit person had before death.
  • Clairalience or "Clear Smelling" is the ability to smell a spirit. For example, a medium may smell the pipe tobacco of a person who smoked during life.
  • Clairgustance or "Clear Tasting" is the ability to receive taste impressions from a spirit.
  • Claircognizance or "Clear Knowing", is the ability to know something without receiving it through normal or psychic senses. It is a feeling of "just knowing". Often, a medium will claim to have the feeling that a message or situation is "right" or "wrong."
link

Here are some examples;




and wait for it, my personal favourite. British "medium" Derek Acorah;




Simply put, it's entirely false. The people who attempt to profit of people's grief are no better than faith healers or anyone else who claims to have supernatural powers and charges people to "assist" them with messages from the dead.
Now, I realise this can be considered entertainment and some "mediums" perform ghost tours/ghost hunts in alleged haunted locations, and whilst they may not directly be hurting anyone, the fact is it is false.

The natural world, the reality in which we live the dead do not talk. Deceased is deceased. Life extinct.

If anyone can prove otherwise post the evidence. I am open minded about the possibility of psychic abilities.

To finish, The late Orson Welles on cold reading.
 
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Probably the most famous and controversial psychic of the modern era is Edgar Cayce. Some of his "work" is pretty crazy.

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

On the flipside, I am sure you have heard of the confrontation between Jim Callahan and Criss Angel. Even though Criss is a bit of a w***er, he claims that everything that Jim does is something that he (Criss) has been doing ever since he started learning about magic. It is all a trick.

Make of it what you will.

 

Old Skool

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I pretty much agree with bc's conclusions, although I have to acknowledge what Welle's refers to as "spooky" occurrences.
 

Cheech14

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There are examples of people with (for want of a better term) a "psychic" ability helping law enforcement agencies with valuable information.

Fair enough to write off those who look to profit from such things.

But there do seem to be a few out there who have some sort of ability that allows them to provide information they would not have been privy too.

In 2001, the body of Thomas Braun was located by Perth based Aboriginal clairvoyant Leanna Adams in Western Australia. Police had initially been unable to find the body. The family of Braun had been told to contact Adams, an Aboriginal psychic who lived in Perth. The Braun Family had requested police to do a search based on Adams’ directions but they had not assisted. Adams went to Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, and took the family members directly to Braun’s remains, a spot high on a ridge west of the town, some 20 kilometres out. The remains were not immediately identifiable. Police later confirmed the remains to be his using DNA testing.
 
There are examples of people with (for want of a better term) a "psychic" ability helping law enforcement agencies with valuable information.

Fair enough to write off those who look to profit from such things.

But there do seem to be a few out there who have some sort of ability that allows them to provide information they would not have been privy too.

If a psychic ever actually aided a Police investigation, anywhere on the face of the earth, it was a coincidence.
Nothing more.

Don't be fooled by the bullshit TV producers put up.
 
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hate s**t like this. i can only possibly appreciate it as a performance, like clairvoyants and gypsy seers, tarot readers. but there is no substance to it. people should get their palms read for fun, not for life altering decisions and insight (i still would not do it however).

watching a few more videos of the derek acorah, it is hilariously fake. furthermore i'm always disturbed by the amount of ads for similar things in women's tabloid magazines. no doubt there is an element of preying on the gullible and vulnerable. you can part with your money, be told that 'yes, you will have children' and the psychic will be long gone and spending your money before you even realize you were desperate to be told what you wanted to hear and simply could not wait for life to pan out.

worse still? psychics who believe their own abilities. ties in nicely with faith healers.
 
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If a psychic ever actually aided a Police investigation, anywhere on the face of the earth, it was a coincidence.
Nothing more.

Don't be fooled by the bullshit TV producers put up.

Those TV psychics in the police investigation shows can only deliver obscure, ambiguous, patchy and occasionally metaphorical clues at best.

Why don't they just clearly state who did it and/or where the body precisely is if they are talking to the dead or witnessing the crime in some fashion in their mind.


I'm not saying that psychic abilities are impossible. It's just that there is no evidence produced in the hours and hours of television devoted to the subject. One only has to do the math.
 
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I agree with bc when he says "the dead do not talk. Deceased is deceased. Life extinct." It is a serious sin in my religion to get involved with any "psychics" or "mediums," as the bible strictly condemns these practices.

While some believe they are speaking to the dead when they use mediums, I believe they're speaking to the spirit beings who were titled as demons for rebelling against God. The bible says these demons were cast down to the earth. The demons will involve themselves in everything that God condemns because they know they only have a short period of time left to defy God and to drag as much of humanity with them to the inevitable destruction they themselves will soon be facing.
 
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Are you Jehovah's Witness by any chance Tess?

A good mate and work colleague of mine is a practising JW and he has said similar things about the dead/demons.

I'm wondering if this is a unifying belief amongst various christian followers?

I don't give out what religion I am over the internet. I won't confirm or deny any attempts at guessing. That's been my stance from the start.

I'm sure many Christian denominations believe as I do due to it being biblical.
 

Cheech14

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If a psychic ever actually aided a Police investigation, anywhere on the face of the earth, it was a coincidence.
Nothing more.

Don't be fooled by the bullshit TV producers put up.

I've never seen that case on TV.

How can someone in WA find a body in NT by "coincidence" when the Police with all their resources couldn't?

Skeptics are pointless, closed minded creatures when it comes to these discussions.

Anything that may show their views are somewhat challenged they throw out the "just a coincidence" "pure luck" type lines.
Weak retorts are weak retorts.
 
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I've never seen that case on TV.

How can someone in WA find a body in NT by "coincidence" when the Police with all their resources couldn't?

Skeptics are pointless, closed minded creatures when it comes to these discusions.

Anything that may show their views are somewhat challenged they throw out the "just a coincidence" "pure luck" type lines with nothing to back their claims up.

Generalisation much? Seems you are ironically close minded about sceptics.

Scepticism questions the validity of supernatural claims. If anything a sceptic is the most open minded as they do not accept supernatural assertions on face value. Evidence is required. Without solid evidence or proof the logical position to take is that the psychic's predictions are false and at worse the psychic is a fraud.

Last time I checked no one has EVER successfully completed James Randi's million dollar challenge to psychics. Same can be said about the Australian Sceptics challenge as well.
 

Cheech14

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Generalisation much?

Generalising is a common tool of the skeptic, just using the tactic they love to employ.

Last time I checked no one has EVER successfully completed James Randi's million dollar challenge to psychics. Same can be said about the Australian Sceptics challenge as well.

What makes you think someone who "might" have some ability is driven by money or wants exposure?

They would be on a hiding to nothing because the skeptic can always fall back on the good old "it was a lucky guess, coincidence" line.

Why would they want to deal with the richard heads found in those skeptics groups?
 

Cheech14

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Scepticism questions the validity of supernatural claims. If anything a sceptic is the most open minded as they do not accept supernatural assertions on face value. Evidence is required. Without solid evidence or proof the logical position to take is that the psychic's predictions are false and at worse the psychic is a fraud.

I've already provided an example of a woman from WA locating a body in the NT when Police were unable to find it.

I guess she just got lucky huh?
 
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Generalising is a common tool of the skeptic, just using the tactic they love to employ.

Is that so?
You seem to understand nothing about scepticism if I may be so honest.

So debunking homoeopathy, fake diet pills and psychic ghost whisperers is a bad thing then?

You realise you are defending this;
[youtube]yPhIhL2ngBs[/youtube]

(^This is the funniest Derek Acorah vid I've found to yet - check it out. He's like a heavy metal singer)


What makes you think someone who "might" have some ability is driven by money or wants exposure?
You are incredibly naive.
Phone lines, TV shows, books, DVD's, CD's, Live call in Psychic show on Foxtel. It's endless. It seems many who have the "abilities" have no problem whatsoever being driven by money and exposure. Anyone who's moral compass is driven by money and exposure cashing in on their abilities really has nothing to lose taking a million dollar challenge.. unless they are a fraud or afraid they will not pass the test.

You ignore the mountains of evidence to further your delusion.

They would be on a hiding to nothing because the skeptic can always fall back on the good old "it was a lucky guess, coincidence" line.
I'm sorry, I don't understand what you are typing here exactly.

Why would they want to deal with the richard heads found in those skeptics groups?
Insulting me is hardly going to prove your assertions.

I've already provided an example of a woman from WA locating a body in the NT when Police were unable to find it.

I guess she just got lucky huh?
You haven't provided any example. You just typed a sentence online without any corroborating evidence.


And it's sceptic, not skeptic unless you from the United States.
 
I've never seen that case on TV.

How can someone in WA find a body in NT by "coincidence" when the Police with all their resources couldn't?

Skeptics are pointless, closed minded creatures when it comes to these discussions.

Anything that may show their views are somewhat challenged they throw out the "just a coincidence" "pure luck" type lines.
Weak retorts are weak retorts.

Feel free to post evidence, any at all, that any psychic anywhere ever assisted a Police investigation in any way which they could not have as a "non-psychic" bog stock member of the public or that could have only occurred due to psychic ability.
It has never happened....ever.

I believe there is a standing $1 million dollar reward and has been for 30 years for anyone who can prove any psychic phenomena.

It has never even been claimed let alone paid.
 

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I have to question the outrage some people exhibit in relation to this stuff.

If some sham artist can console a seriously distressed person with a fairy tale about a loved one and the afterlife for a hundred bucks, then I say that's a hundred bucks well spent.
 
I have to question the outrage some people exhibit in relation to this stuff.

If some sham artist can console a seriously distressed person with a fairy tale about a loved one and the afterlife for a hundred bucks, then I say that's a hundred bucks well spent.

That still has nothing to do with whether it's all bunkum though, does it?
 
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I have to question the outrage some people exhibit in relation to this stuff.

If some sham artist can console a seriously distressed person with a fairy tale about a loved one and the afterlife for a hundred bucks, then I say that's a hundred bucks well spent.

But it's false OS. Is that not important or relevant at all?

There are people who actually believe that this whole Psychic/Spirit Medium industry is real because of a few ghost hunting or spirit medium TV shows. Now some of this is entertainment, no doubt, which doesn't cause harm to individuals but those who seek to "speak" to dead family or friends are being duped.

Is it not better to know the clear truth?
 

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I have met some legit priests, really nice people who provide a service and hold some fascinating knowlage and insight and then is there's the hour of power....

I think the op is discrimating rather badly and has no idea on the origons of science or ancient cultures..
 

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That still has nothing to do with whether it's all bunkum though, does it?

No.

But it's false OS. Is that not important or relevant at all?

There are people who actually believe that this whole Psychic/Spirit Medium industry is real because of a few ghost hunting or spirit medium TV shows. Now some of this is entertainment, no doubt, which doesn't cause harm to individuals but those who seek to "speak" to dead family or friends are being duped.

It's relevant in a negative perspective if it devolves to rampant ongoing opportunism.

If it brings peace to a troubled soul through no great personal or fiscal loss, then I see no reason as to why it shouldn't be viewed as therapeutic.

Is it not better to know the clear truth?

Truth isn't always the ultimate goal.
 
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I have met some legit priests, really nice people who provide a service and hold some fascinating knowlage and insight and then is there's the hour of power....

I think the op is discrimating rather badly and has no idea on the origons of science or ancient cultures..

Discrimating how?

I am not conflating psychic powers with ancient civilizations or cultures. I am putting the simple question forth: Psychic's - Real or False?

I am well aware of the limits of science in relation to the testing of the supernatural claims or gods however we all live in the natural world. One can only judge supernatural assertions logically through methodlogical naturalism. To say that I don't understand orgins is an unfair and incorrect accusation.
I will not measure supernatural on face value or mysticisms sake.
Whilst I concede all perspectives should be noted fairly when examing such questions, we do now live in the 21st Century and we don't have to look the claims of the paranormal and supernatural through fear and leaving it with an ambigious agnostic type non answer. Certainly if it looks suspect it warrants thorough investigation.
 
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If it brings peace to a troubled soul through no great personal or fiscal loss, then I see no reason as to why it shouldn't be viewed as therapeutic.
I agree, it is theraputic and may be good in that sense, but it isn't real. That would be like tacking a placebo tablet thinking it's cured your illness when it fact it's accomplished nothing but perhaps a false sense of security.
I won't deny the entertainment value of 'pyschics'. People have fun getting their fortune read or particpating in ghost hunts. That's fine.
I feel it's plain wrong to pretend you are talking to a persons dead relative and answer potentially very important questions for someone and furthermore charge them money to do so.

Truth isn't always the ultimate goal.
Dulsion whilst being preyed upon financially is not a good thing OS. The truth is always better.
 
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