THE TELLERS' NEST

"Give me a break," you protest. "This is just an exercise in foolishness."  Perhaps, but is this really any different from the nonsense the "real" psychics, fortune-tellers, numerologists, palm readers, faith healers, blood readers, and others use to support their unproven claims?

In knowing, firsthand, what goes on behind the scenes, I will now share with you my observations, and ask a few questions. I do this not to ridicule any one who believes in the existence of such unexplained powers.  Conversely, I hope this information will make you to pause for a moment and examine your beliefs. I am confident that after you have examined and considered the available evidence, that you will not become the next member of the rapidly growing list of victims who have suffered dearly at the hands of the charlatans who dominate the occult.

 Real Fakes

How can you distinguish between those who claim to be real psychics and the con artists? Perhaps your psychic has told you things about yourself that no one else but you could have possibly known. If true, then what's the big deal? If you already knew this stuff, then how has the psychic helped you?

 All Questions And No Answers

Have you given more than one psychic a test-drive? If so, did you happen to notice any similarities in the way they make predictions, or arrive at those amazing insights?  For those who have gone to more than one reader, you'll have noticed that they ask far more questions then they answer. If you doubt this, then secretly tape-record your next session with your gifted reader and make a list of questions versus answers. Once you discover the truth of this observation, ask yourself why they do this. If they are tapping into your inner being, or whatever other mystical sounding terms they use, then why don't just get to the crux of your problems?

 Licensed By God

You no doubt stay away from heart surgeons, dentists, skydiving instructors, restaurants, or others you depend on for various forms of service, who aren't licensed or regulated. Why, then, would you feel comfortable with entrusting your mental health to a stranger who lacks any specialized training, isn't licensed, any can't scientifically prove they have any special powers?

Perhaps you special reader has convinced you that their powers come from God. Before accepting this as a heavenly license, you just might want to run a quick check in the Bible. (Deuteronomy chapter 18, verses 10 through 13) Without going into a dissertation on religion, I am certain that God frowned on such things as fortune tellers and false prophets, and would therefore not encourage your particular psychic to make religion their accomplice.

 No Time For Proof

I've always found it a bit odd that these gifted people can service their customers 24 hours a day. They appear on television programs, do readings for the rich and famous, and seem to be unstoppable. Then, some darn skeptic comes along and offers them a chance to prove the existence of their special gifts under scientifically controlled conditions. So far, those who tried have failed, and those who refuse claim they simply can't control when their special gifts come and go. If ever there was a clear sign of a con game in progress, then this is a classic.

 Magic and the Law Of Averages

"But," you now ask, "what about those people who have made accurate predictions, and do so regularly." Law of averages, good guesses, deception, common sense, good observation skills, and luck, are all possible answers for this non-phenomenon.  Everything your gifted teller can do, a magician can do better. And that's a fact.

We can't explain how most magic tricks are pulled off, but we know for sure that elephants just don't disappear into thin air, nor are the magicians assistant's actually being sawn in half. We expect to be fooled by the magicians, but seldom look for such trickery when visiting a fortune-teller. Here's an example of how to use lies of omission to pretend you have special powers to foretell the future.

Make a list of 50 events you believe are going to happen within the next week.  Give this list to as many people as you can. At the end of the week, odds are that some of your guesses will be correct. Unless you view the law of averages as miraculous, then making predications does not belong in the realm of life’s many mysteries. You can now go public and take full credit for your accurate predications. You won't, of course, mention the wrong guesses. The people who have your list will most likely ignore all the wrong guesses and focus on the correct ones. They will also become your best source of advertising.

 Covering All Bases

If you asked me to help find a missing friend or relative, would you be satisfied with answers like this?: (1) Your friend is either dead or alive. (2) I sense your friend is near water. I also see trees and large buildings.   

I should hope that you would demand from me an immediate refund followed by a quick departure.  This, however, is exactly what you’ll get when deciding to use the services of a psychic---any psychic. The wording will vary, but the approach is always the same. Rather than useful information, you’ll receive vague and otherwise worthless statements that could be applied to countless situations; all of which and left up to liberal interpretations.

Another tactic, commonly referred to as the shotgun approach, occurs when the psychic provides information that covers just about every conceivable outcome. When one of their numerous guesses proves correct, they use it as proof positive that they are the real deal.

 Really Nice People 

You can bet that your “real psychic” is one of the nicest people you know. They are good listeners, they always say the right things at the right time, they seen truly concerned with every detail of your life, and are the most sincere, loving, and honest people you’ve ever met. But here’s the catch; every professional con artist can fake the same qualities. In fact, without the ability to mimic the qualities of a nice person, these thieves would have to abandon their criminal lifestyle and seek honest employment. If you are so street smart, so observant, and so talented, that you could spot a con artist, then why on earth would you believe yourself incapable of handling your own problems?

 A Helping Hand

That we reach out to others for a helping hand is no real mystery. What defies easy explanation is why so many people make it a habit to reach out to all the wrong people. With so many valid organizations, individuals, friends, family, and others we could turn to, choosing potential con artists as a source of help is akin to self—abuse.

The Practitioners

Those of us who have seen the horrors associated with the occult have noticed that there are several types of individuals who lay claim to possessing powers otherwise unavailable to the masses. They are the outright con artists, the self-deceived, and the mentally impaired.

The con artists know they do not possess any unearthly powers and think it foolish that anyone does. Others, who might have originally started out to deceive others for profit, became so good at it that they actually allowed themselves to believe that maybe there is something to their claims. We have also encountered some tellers who suffer from various forms of mental illness. Such people are seldom aware of their problem and can be quite convincing when telling others about their special powers. Whatever the category, do you really want to entrust your problems with any of these folks?

 The Choice Is Yours

That we should continue to explore things we don’t yet understand goes without question. However, until we can, with some certainty, prove the existence of such special gifts, we should not replace what we know to be the truth with fanciful thinking. And what we do know for certain is that these pseudo sciences are laden with con artists, whose only powers consist of an ability to ruin your life.