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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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To Ask for a Psychic Reading?

187 replies

FlibberJunk · 20/08/2016 16:21

Pretty please?

I'm too scared to go in person.

OP posts:
BertrandRussell · 20/08/2016 23:15

"she has to be tested by a professional body every year, and go through evaluations."
I really need to know more about this!

t4nut · 20/08/2016 23:37

Yes its the Professional Charleston's Guild and tests your ability to fleece money from the gullible and simple minded.

CoolToned · 21/08/2016 00:09

Could I have one too?

Guavaf1sh · 21/08/2016 00:30

I thought this was fun but then I see it is real. This saddens me no end. There are no such things as ghosts, monsters, demons, witches, goblins, gods or angels. This is the 21st century. Come on people

LikeDylanInTheMovies · 21/08/2016 00:38

Thank you, Zen. Much appreciated. Very brave of you to post too.

op you've just proved how easily it is to con the credulous that you have psychic powers. What Zen posted (deliberately I suspect) says precisely nothing about you or your life that doesn't apply to most people. Let's break it down:

  • Something that used to interest you has lost it's appeal.

Well yes, this happens to all of us, otherwise we would be still playing with toy blocks and our favourite food would by rusks.Do you know anyone who had exactly the same interests, tastes, hobbies, pastimes and general likes and dislikes as they did 20 or 30 years ago?

Notice also how vague it is: 'something' doesn't specify say, a particular hobby or a book or an aspect of your work or a television programme. It is deliberately written in such a vague way that the reader fills in the blanks. It is what is known as a 'Barnum statement' and it is so vague it contains 'something for everyone' to read into it.

It is not like Zen is saying 'you started water-skiing in February 2012, at first you really enjoyed it and Kevin the instructor was really helpful, but now you've mastered the basics, you feel it it is getting quite boring. You skipped the Water skiers' Summer ball last Tuesday and are putting off renewing your membership as the subs have gone up to £56:31 a month.' If she had never met you and could have predicted that accurately that would be astounding but she hasn't and she can't.

I could pick it apart line by line. How much physic ability does it take to make trite, affirmative statements like:

  • 'Have confidence in yourself. Think positive and things will work out for you!' ' .This is a time to come into your own.'

They could come straight from the world's worst self help book, but it makes it feel like the psychic is on your side and has your best interest at heart.

Deliberately vague and open ended predictions:

  • 'I see a celebration coming up (wedding, baby pregnancy etc).'

Note it doesn't say specify what the event will be a birth, a wedding, a pregnancy or whether it will happen to you or someone else you know. It doesn't say 'you will get pregnant before November or 'your sister's boyfriend will propose to her on her birthday' and the etc. is a brilliant get out clause.

So in the next few months if any of the following events happened a believer in physics would say:

A work colleague gets pregnant: gosh just like the psychic said!
or Great Aunty Maureen invites you to her Golden Wedding anniversary: gosh, just like the psychic said!

or someone throws you a surprise party: gosh, just like the psychic said.

Except she didn't say that, she said something so vague and open ended: basically something (anything) worthy of celebration or a social occasion will happen to you or someone you know will happen within an ill defined time-frame.

  • 'A new person is coming into yout life.'

New people come into our lives all the time, whether as casual acquaintances, new colleagues, a new bus driver on the 37 bus route etc.

This next bit is really clever though ...

-This could be (a) new romance or (b) your current relationship becoming more romantic.

This is a way for the so-called psychic to cover up the fact that they have no idea if you are in a relationship or single. If you are single you will focus in on (a) the new partner and disregard (b). Likewise if you are in a relationship you will focus your attention in on (b) and will skip over (a).
Notice also could not will happen. So you might meet someone or you might not. Your current relationship might get better/more intense or it might not. Wow.

  • consider working with people whose skills add to your own. (I see ine one blond one dark does thus ring any bells?)

Playing the odds. Unless you are a member of Right said Fred or are one of the Mitchell Brothers, there are pretty good odds that someone in your workplace will have hair on the broad spectrum of 'blonde' or 'dark'. Notice it doesn't specify their relation to you or even their sex and even encourages the op to speculate in her mind who it might be 'this ring any bells?' invites the op to start applying the template to someone they know either at or through work.

  • According to these here cards you should develop your psychic powers!

And how might you do that? By going back to your psychic guide who will happily continue to relieve you of your cash and have their ego stroked by you hanging off their every word.

Like I say op i am 90% certain that Zen has written this as a really excellent parody of the vague non-specific guff and the trick that so called physics can convince someone they have special gifts or capacity to see the future. As I've said before, it isn't anything other than a cheap fairground trick.

Do me a favour: go through Zen's reading again and pick out the stuff that applies to you and to you only and couldn't be applied to anyone else on this thread. There really is nothing at all.

WorraLiberty · 21/08/2016 00:45

Precisely LikeDylanInTheMovies but apparently, pointing out the screaming obvious on these threads makes us a 'killjoy' or a 'Debbie Downer'?

Last week's thread had 'psychic' offerings such as, "An older lady wants to hear from you. Please do make that phone call" and some shit about a blue dress...

All 'just for fun' until the OP massively overstepped the mark with her claims about speaking to dead relatives.

But still people were doing the 'pick me' dance and I guess they always will.

hazeimcgee · 21/08/2016 00:55

I just want want to know how many babies i'm getting so i can tell my hubby we have to make some hehe

TealLove · 21/08/2016 00:58

I really could do with a reading X thank you

LikeDylanInTheMovies · 21/08/2016 01:26

Wora

Isn't that the truth! Or the poster will make a huge deal of how 'open minded they are'.

So open minded that their brain fell out' more like. Being open-minded doesn't involve accepting everything uncritically.

LikeDylanInTheMovies · 21/08/2016 01:51

Teal if someone could see the future or commune with the dead, what are the odds they'd be offering up bland platitudes on request anfor free in the early hours of Sunday morning, rather than sticking money on the 2017 grand national, discovery the secrets of the afterlife, talking to great figures of history or generally enriching themselves by virtue of their jawdropping gift?

Look, if there's something you want to change or are unhappy or anxious about something, you might be able to change it or make it better you may not, I don't know, somethings are beyond your control.

But the person pretending to be a psychic doesn't know either.

TealLove · 21/08/2016 02:38

I know. I just need something to help really. But you're right.

DPotter · 21/08/2016 03:17

Is there someone called Debbie Downer ? Now I like a good alliteration, but please don't alliterate the name Debbie with Downer. Debbie 's are delightful people who see the good in everyone and are quite game for a bit of psychic reading every now and again

JeffreyNeedsAHobby · 21/08/2016 03:56

I've had one great reader and two crap ones. One of the crap ones completely missed that I had lost my mum the month before and went on about how I would soon be struggling to pay my rent ( I owned the house) Hmm.

The great one is local and lets you record the session so you can listen back over years and see if it matches reality. It's interesting because at the time I thought he wasn't all that and left feeling very sceptical. However, years (4) later I realised everything was actually going the way he said - he got a miscarriage correct, sex of my first DD, the direction I am now studying in he said I would do well at (only realised that one when I listened back the other month) and predicted a court case with DC's dad - wasn't a divorce (we actually never married and this was about maintenance). He has also said very specific health issues about one DC and that if I have another child it would be a boy when I am much later in life who would have some minor but worrying health issues but live a fulfilling life. He also does face readings and described some of my exes and people I hadn't yet met to a T!

So, although I am very wary - refused to say more than a few words to him - I have to admit he is very specific and the recordings are spooky listening back. I want to book him in again but my life isn't doing much atm!

JeffreyNeedsAHobby · 21/08/2016 03:58

I should say that was palmistry, not psychic...

RepentAtLeisure · 21/08/2016 04:21

I'm sure there was someone on one of the woo threads who said she could psychically read people online, but chooses not to. Who was that? Maybe you could harass her over here!

MrsTerryPratchett · 21/08/2016 04:21

I once had a reason for a laugh in Australia. "Someone is missing you". No shit Sherlock. What with the backpack and the accent...

MrsTerryPratchett · 21/08/2016 04:21

Reading

NotMe321 · 21/08/2016 07:31

At the end of the day it is a belief and if we are allowed to judge others on their beliefs and tell them their beliefs are wrong and even mock those beliefs, how is that acceptable?

Do we have to accept every "belief" that people come up with and treat it with massive respect just because it's a belief? If I came on here and ask whether IABU to ask the Greek gods, or the spaghetti monster, or Satanism for help, is there some rule that says everyone has to say IANBU?

BertrandRussell · 21/08/2016 08:00

"At the end of the day it is a belief and if we are allowed to judge others on their beliefs and tell them their beliefs are wrong and even mock those beliefs, how is that acceptable? "

Of course it's acceptable!

BertrandRussell · 21/08/2016 08:03

"Whatever makes you feel better about yourself, MrsTerry.

Thank you, Zen. Much appreciated. Very brave of you to post too."

Go back and read both Zen and MrsTerry's posts very carefully.

Then think about how you feel about psychic readings.

FlibberJunk · 21/08/2016 08:20

Good lord! At what point did I say Zen was accurate? At what point did anyone say they were going to take a psychic reading and obey every word of it and expect their life to pan out exactly how the psychic predicts.

IT IS FOR FUN.

I am really struggling to understand why people are so offended by all of this. I don't believe in plenty of stuff that others do but I don't railroad threads to enforce my beliefs and belittle theirs.

If you think it's acceptable to judge other people's beliefs then I feel very sorry for you and your children if that's how they're being brought up. God, Jesus, the tooth fairy, tarot cards, karma, politicians, who gives a fuck what others believe in?

Yes some people do take advantage of others by charging for bullshit psychic readings - if those willing to pay believe it though, that is their choice. Yes some psychics will claim to contact the other side and that can be damaging to the person seeking help, again though, it is their choice.

This is for fun. No money is changing hands. I am not vulnerable. Why would you feel the need to push your views so forcefully onto someone just because they are interested in/believe in something you are not/don't?

This, to me, is no different from someone reading their horoscope. Harmless bit of entertainment, if it happens to match up that day then it gives you a giggle. If it tells you you're going to win the lottery when you don't gamble, you have a chuckle. Where's the harm in it? Are you going to walk the streets ripping the horoscope section out of newspapers and magazines because, God for bid, someone should read it and you think it's all bullshit?

You're not here to censor my world or anyone else's. This is for fun, MN is here to help each other and makes lives easier. How have you done that in this thread?

OP posts:
BertrandRussell · 21/08/2016 08:46

Zen and MrsTerry have illustrated perfectly how people are conned by psychics. You were "conned" by Zen yourself.

Yes, this thread is all in fun- but many, many people take this stuff seriously. It's horrible and dangerous and preys on the vulnerable.

LikeDylanInTheMovies · 21/08/2016 10:19

I know. I just need something to help really. But you're right.

Sorry to hear it.

That's understandable, that may offer false reassurance but what if the so called psychic tells you something you don't want to hear?

Say the psychic says, ' you'll have nine kids' when you only want one? Would that make you feel worse or make you worry unnecessarily or think your fate is out of your hands.

No one can promise you an outcome or offer you cast iron certainties but mumsnet is awash with people whose experiences and qualifications that can offer help/advise/reassurance/guidance, rather than pretend 'psychics'.

FlibberJunk · 21/08/2016 10:49

Yes, I was conned by Zen because I thanked him/her Hmm

This thread was supposed to be fun until the majority of its pages were filled with posters lambasting my choice of fun. I suggest you aim your detest at the psychics who charge people and claim to contact dead people, if that is what makes you so angry, as it is wasted on a thread meant for fun that you then kill by being anything but fun.

OP posts:
WorraLiberty · 21/08/2016 11:22

Why are you scared to go in person then, if it's all such a laugh?

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