a skeptic debunks a psychic and a faith healer

[BetterCallSaul]

I hate the idea that the majority of psychics are honest in their psychic capabilities. No reasonable, sane person hears voices from God, or receives premonitions from a supernatural source. As far as I'm concerned, if you hear voices in your head which you think are real, you should be classified as insane.

I don't mind palm readers, and tarot readers, as it's usually harmless, and there is a rigid system of reading involved, but when individuals claim to know your future or past based on images and voices they see or hear in their heads, then you know something is iffy.

The fact that major television networks invest large sums of money into broadcasting these charlatans is a disgrace.

[squealpiggy]

I hate the idea that the majority of psychics are honest in their psychic capabilities. No reasonable, sane person hears voices from God, or receives premonitions from a supernatural source. As far as I'm concerned, if you hear voices in your head which you think are real, you should be classified as insane.

I don't mind palm readers, and tarot readers, as it's usually harmless, and there is a rigid system of reading involved, but when individuals claim to know your future or past based on images and voices they see or hear in their heads, then you know something is iffy.

The fact that major television networks invest large sums of money into broadcasting these charlatans is a disgrace.

I know how to read Tarot. It's easy. Here's an example of a Tarot card:



It's the Five of Wands. It means tension, conflict, strife, disagreement or competition.

Is there anybody in the ENTIRE WORLD who does not at any time feel any one of those things around their life? If they say they don't agree then you say "look at the picture, these guys are fighting with sticks... but look closely. They're enjoying the competition, they're smiling. Perhaps the cards are telling you that you are someone who thrives on competition"

Every card has a sufficiently broad base of meanings that you can, with the right patter, make any set of cards mean something to your mark. I mean patron.

[talip bin osman]

The fact that major television networks invest large sums of money into broadcasting these charlatans is a disgrace.

TV ratings dude... all in the name of TV ratings (more moolah from advertising and such...) people dig these things... sensational things...

[BetterCallSaul]

I know how to read Tarot. It's easy. Here's an example of a Tarot card:



It's the Five of Wands. It means tension, conflict, strife, disagreement or competition.

Is there anybody in the ENTIRE WORLD who does not at any time feel any one of those things around their life? If they say they don't agree then you say "look at the picture, these guys are fighting with sticks... but look closely. They're enjoying the competition, they're smiling. Perhaps the cards are telling you that you are someone who thrives on competition"

Every card has a sufficiently broad base of meanings that you can, with the right patter, make any set of cards mean something to your mark. I mean patron.

From the tarot readings I have experienced, the tarots have always seemed to make their premonitions based upon the results of the cards, rather than psychic 'powers'. It's all made up hocus pocus, but it's not as impudent as other branches of parapsychology.

[res]

the psychic was not so bad...

but the pseudo minister was terrible... these are the type of people that can start wars and chaos...

james randi is the man...

You can't really debunk a Faith Healer because you can't identify/quantify Faith (the "faith" in question generally refers to that of the receiver).

[Sin City]

its funny what people will believe.. this documentary is about a guy who passes himself off as a faith healer and then let's everyone know he's a fraud. not sure if you've seen it.

[Sin City]

sorry, meant to say guru not faith healer

[squealpiggy]

You can't really debunk a Faith Healer because you can't identify/quantify Faith (the "faith" in question generally refers to that of the receiver).

Peter Popoff was pretty much debunked. He was pretending that the voice of God told him about people and their ailments when really it was his wife speaking to him through a radio earpiece. Randy intercepted the transmissions and recorded them before revealing them on Carson.

It's also worthwhile checking out a documentary called Marjoe in which a former child preacher Marjoe Gortner turned secret hippy goes back to his faith-healin' ways with a film crew in order to expose the process.



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

From the tarot readings I have experienced, the tarots have always seemed to make their premonitions based upon the results of the cards, rather than psychic 'powers'.

A lot of the same skills are used in reading Tarot as are used doing "psychic" cold readings. The difference is that the Tarot cards (or the i-Ching, or the dice or the tea leaves or the innards of a slaughtered chicken) provide a crutch for the reader to base their patter around. All "psychic" readings revolve around the uttering of vague statements to which the sitter provides meaning. For example:

"Psychic": I'm seeing a man in your life who is a strong man, almost a father fighure but he isn't your father, he's someone who you always looked up to or who provided you with guidance or protection...

Tarot reader: The Knight of Swords is a man in your life who is strong, almost a father figure etc

Same bullshit, different bull. The sitter might say "Oh yes that sounds like my teacher" or "My brother is like that" or they might say (and this is unlikely) "No, that doesn't sounds like anyone at all I know..." in which case it would be glossed over or dismissed as someone who you "will meet soon". The success of psychics requires their marks to buy into the phenomenon.

Now I'm not saying that all psychics, palm readers, tarot readers etc are out and out frauds. Fraud requires a deliberate act of deceit. Plenty of supernatural seers actually believe their own crap and think they actually possess arcane powers. They don't though.

And if they did they could win a million dollars.