posted April 08, 2012 05:02 PM            

As this woman (who has written some great books) has pointed out:

quote:

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Former New Age practitioner Karla McLaren said, "I didn't understand that I had long used a form of cold reading in my own work! I was never taught cold reading and I never intended to defraud anyone; I simply picked up the technique through cultural osmosis." McLaren has further stated that since she was always very perceptive, she could easily figure out many of the issues her "readees" brought into sessions with them. In order to reduce the appearance of unusual expertise that might have created a power differential, she posed her observations as questions rather than facts. This attempt to be polite, she realized, actually invited the reader to, as McLaren has said, "lean into the reading" and give her more pertinent information.[10]

After a person has done hundreds of readings their skills may improve to the point where they may start believing they can read minds, asking themselves if their success is because of psychology, intuition or a psychic ability.[11] This point of thought is known by some skeptics of the paranormal as the transcendental temptation.[12] Magic historian and occult investigator Milbourne Christopher warned the transcendental choice may lead one unknowingly into a belief in the occult and a deterioration of reason.

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posted April 08, 2012 05:42 PM            

I met Char Margolis when she was still in MI and her readings were spot on. No ruse there.

Rosemary Altea is another wonderful psychic with spot on readings.

Both of my readings were prior to their becomming such public psychics.

posted April 08, 2012 06:17 PM            

A psychic would literally have to walk up to me and tell me something I really need to hear to be my psychic 'reading', as that has happened only once before and it was more than anything than I could put into words.

I know of a few good ones that I've seen others be happy with, though it's not for me.

I've seen people do those sorts of cold readings at markets, very lame.
Makes me think of Sylvia Brown. Sorry if anyone likes her here but she's a total huckster IMO.

posted April 08, 2012 07:41 PM            

Miss Cleo is what I think of when I hear "psychic". She gave the good a bum rap along with the hucksters.Ditto Sylvia Browne. Altho I do enjoy her sense of humor, her abilities seem to lean toward the allmighty $ and her church rather than genuine readings.

posted April 08, 2012 07:51 PM            

The last one was telling me all kinds of lovely things about me and my aura etc. for awhile, but that was not why I was there or what I wanted insight on. I wanted to get in depth and into some nitty-gritty things going on.

There was a lot of changes going on at the time and some other things that I was hoping to get insight on from someone who knew nothing about me. Instead she was telling me things that anyone would like to hear about themselves mostly and I was starting to get annoyed as the time ticked away.

I tried my best to not give much feedback, through things I said or body language etc but eventually gave up and started talking about other things with her. Towards the end I asked a couple of questions because time was running out and she never touched on anything important or relative and was still not picking up what any true psychic would have had blaring at them.....if they were psychic.

It was disappointing that all I mostly got was fluff and told some nice things about myself. I didnt want to hear about myself that way. I didnt need to hear about that at the time. I was more interested in hearing about things going on in my life and potential future signposts to look out for.

As I sat there and listened, I observed how she was drawing logical vague conclusions based on answers I gave her.

I left feeling very deflated and actually cried on my drive home because I got nothing out of it and at the time was really looking deep insight from someone.

It was a lesson that we all should be developing out own intuitive or psychic gifts and we really are our own best psychics. We just have to take the time to get quiet and look within. Something I do a lot, but at the time was overwhelmed and was hoping to find through another.

That is not always a bad thing either. Many times I told myself I'd never go to one again because it does not honor my own gifts - it hands my power over to them, but every so often, I get an itching to go to one.

posted April 08, 2012 08:02 PM            

I think it goes to show how easily people can be duped or satisfied with hearing nice things about themselves - things that make them feel special.

Perhaps she was "off" that day, but that is not the feeling I got. She seemed pretty confident in what she was saying, unfortunately it was not impressive to me. She never once said anything that she could not have known nor picked up on anything important. She didnt realize that I'm not someone who can be duped by compliments and ego boosting.

posted April 08, 2012 08:15 PM            

http://karlamclaren.com/

~Other books by her~

Your Aura and Chakras an Owners Manual

Emotional Genius: Discovering The Deepest Language of the Soul

posted April 08, 2012 08:38 PM            

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I've seen plenty of stories about the ones who work for the police and help them solve crimes by picking up on something that the police missed, with no way of knowing it. Their work has tangible results, and those types don't seem like types to charge an exorbitant amount of money, nor do they seem out for glory and fame. I would say that people like that are likely legit. People like that who don't exploit people, who don't just tell people what they want to hear, and people who don't give vague answers strike me as the most likely to be "true intuitives".

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Yep. I often wonder why people who supposedly have very strong psychic gifts don't focus it into those areas; crime solving, missing persons. That's what I would do if I could.

posted April 08, 2012 08:49 PM            

Glad the show will be coming back with a new season.

And of course there is Teresa Caputo who is very in tune with the other side as well. Since her show has blown up, her waiting list is also very long.

posted April 08, 2012 09:04 PM            

this was good too:

The Rainbow Ruse

If you look up the word “ruse” in the dictionary you get definitions such as “a crafty strategem or subterfuge.” You will also see definitions like “an action or plan intended to deceive someone.” So, basically you have a strategy that you can use to mislead someone. An example would be for an adversary to purposely leak out false information during times of war. Another example would be spreading false rumors about somebody to further yourself. People who claim to be psychics use a method called cold reading to get information from people to make their readings seem accurate. The rainbow ruse is a commonly used cold reading technique used to extract information from people.

Here is how it goes. You start off by saying something very general about a personality trait that probably applies to a lot of people (one side of the rainbow). Then you say the opposite thing (the other side of the rainbow). One part of the rainbow will most likely apply to you. Curiously, people tend to overlook the part that doesn’t apply to them because they are taken by the seeming accuracy of the other part. It’s a kind of selective bias we have. Cold readers are aware of this bias and exploit your feedback to continue their reading.

Here are some examples:You are a talented and creative person, however most people don’t appreciate your talents. You like quiet evenings at home but sometimes you like to cut loose and be the life of the party. You are good at what you do and put yourself into your work but sometimes you like to get away and play like a kid. You are pleasant and easy going, but you sometimes get angry when somebody wrongs you.

posted April 09, 2012 02:21 AM            

quote:

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and I went to her after reading all kinds of great reviews from her clients and because she was local.

I think it goes to show how easily people can be duped or satisfied with hearing nice things about themselves - things that make them feel special.

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I didn't think of that. I trusted this woman, because she'a a reporter... if the books only belonged to me, I would send them to you.

Juni, I first saw Van Praagh on Unsolved Mysteries, and I think he might have been on that one talk show that was all about mediums and the other side (I think it was called The Other Side), but I'm not sure. I know that the parents of a guy that they featured in Unsolved Mysteries were really impressed with him.

posted April 09, 2012 02:22 AM            

quote:

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These days I focus on finding my own answers because I'm actually quite good at it.

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posted April 09, 2012 07:28 AM            

Me too teasel, before he was so public.

posted April 09, 2012 09:07 AM            

You are a gentle yet spicey soul. Beautiful inside and out.
You are an artist, generous to a fault and love animals.
Future:

expect wonderful things winging your way. Your love and generousity will be repaid tenfold.
The sun will shine tomorrow and you will dream of what to plant and where to plant it, what to have for lunch and if juni is a little or a lot nuts.

posted April 09, 2012 09:37 PM            

So I'm not really impressed when people like James Randi "expose astrology" with similar ruses as all that proves is that many people are gullible. But people are fooled by professionals all the time when they should show better sense, and for that matter EXPERTS are frequently fooled when their expertise is tested by someone trying to scam them (like one art expert chose a fake painting over the real famous one once when he was put to the test) but that doesn't invalidate their profession. And, of course, doctors frequently misdiagnose someone or mechanics mess up (a few months ago a repairman thought my heater needed a new starter, but it was still messed up once it was replaced and then he found the REAL problem), but that doesn't invalidate their field, it just means people make mistakes.