“Real” Psychics, fortune tellers, palm readers, “gypsies” & charlatans

[companguero]

Yesterday a swarthy fellow with an odd facial disfiguration came into my job where I was tending the cash register.
He dropped immediately into a shpiel describing things he could “see” about me. Like I was very happy,
( he was right, I was clocking out for my 2 hour break  ) , I need to drink water ( no shit ), two people love me… ( uh huh )
He included other details and delivered it with a mysterious flat tone like David Blaine. I egged him on then he finished with an offer to read my palm.

I just quickly declined with a smile and left with my tips he tried to swindle out of me.

Got any interesting experiences with those kind of people listed in the title?

… or had any legitimate psychic events?

My mom and I are often thinking the exact same thing when one of us points something out.

Recently my buddy has been calling into his local talk radio out in Grand Forks. He has a moniker and even got invited to hang out with a host on-air.
He brought along a classic Red Pepper taco meat grinder to taste test against the Fat Albert’s imposter.
Anyway, he never tips me off to his calls but three different times I’ve gotten an inkling to tune into the station and he’s the very next caller on air. 
( plus I live in LA, two hours behind and 1800+ miles away )

I consider these psychic coincidences, too improbable but without real correlation.

[SneakySecrets]

( he was right, I was clocking out for my 2 hour break  ) , I need to drink water ( no shit ), two people love me… ( uh huh )

He got it dead wrong: there’s three.  Now get over here and hug it out ya big galoot.

What’s up with a 2 hour break?  I psychically predict that they’re not running a very tight ship over there.

[Resident Jeff]

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( he was right, I was clocking out for my 2 hour break  ) , I need to drink water ( no shit ), two people love me… ( uh huh )

[close]

He got it dead wrong: there’s three.  Now get over here and hug it out ya big galoot.

What’s up with a 2 hour break?  I psychically predict that they’re not running a very tight ship over there.

My (psychic) guess would be Hospitality/split shifts

[sacking rails]

my crystal ball says youre going to take a shit today

[Clone1984]

I'm kinda in the middle between a skeptic and a believer.

I have had a lot of experience with new age as well as traditional paths. I don't think a lot is set in stone. I've had some Christian mystical experiences and a lot of my friends are pagan.

It's hard to tell as far as like whether thinking of divination or like knowing anything. A lot of things can be explained by mental illness.

However thing is. I had strong premonitions when every major member of my dad's side of the family, including him passed away. I for some reason knew it had happened or was going to happen without being informed it's like I just knew. I think it was their way of saying goodbye.

I want to believe in supernatural things. But with this sort of thing there is no "proving" of anything.

Meditation and prayer is another thing and divination is another thing. Alot of the faiths lean more towards one or the other cause there are different theologies, but idk I think a lot of  these things are universally part of the human experience.

But yeah. I would have tried to keep my money too.

There was a magician named James Randi who was collaborating with scientists or something we learned about it in school. He offered a million dollar reward to anyone who could prove they had ESP. So far the reward has never been claimed. Anyway. Life's a trip

[m path]

 I met Mick Jagger's Psychic (just lunch at her pad with friends) and her new born baby in Pemberton.  She could tell I'd just had a near death experience which impressed me and her baby had pretty wild eyes.  People are clairvoyant for sure in various forms but most prolly just kill it with denial, drugs or booze.  The bizness end of it will of course will attract total scammers.

[Gene_Harrogate]

My wife had an uncle that was a psychic/spiritual healer/guru and made a career out of it.  All her other aunts and uncles hung on his every word, and I was around for a couple occasions where he'd talk about conversations with their mother and father from beyond the grave where I'd feign surprise and politely nod.  Aside from that he was a nice guy, lived alone and died of a heart attack and it was a few days before he was found.. which was unfortunate.

[Beeda Weeda]

add religion to the thread.

[Steely Daniel]

Glad I'm not the first to mention James Randi. I was quite sad when he passed away.

Needless to say, I am extremely skeptical to the point where I usually just keep it to myself in person so as to not offend people who believe in that stuff.

[Abyss1]

I used to date a girl who did tarot card readings...I told her i used to practice card magic in high school and told her that she was forcing the deck to a preferred outcome reading.  She stopped asking me for readings but moved on to astrology readings

[Sativa Lung]

I'm kinda in the middle between a skeptic and a believer.

I have had a lot of experience with new age as well as traditional paths. I don't think a lot is set in stone. I've had some Christian mystical experiences and a lot of my friends are pagan.

It's hard to tell as far as like whether thinking of divination or like knowing anything. A lot of things can be explained by mental illness.

However thing is. I had strong premonitions when every major member of my dad's side of the family, including him passed away. I for some reason knew it had happened or was going to happen without being informed it's like I just knew. I think it was their way of saying goodbye.

I want to believe in supernatural things. But with this sort of thing there is no "proving" of anything.

Meditation and prayer is another thing and divination is another thing. Alot of the faiths lean more towards one or the other cause there are different theologies, but idk I think a lot of  these things are universally part of the human experience.

But yeah. I would have tried to keep my money too.

There was a magician named James Randi who was collaborating with scientists or something we learned about it in school. He offered a million dollar reward to anyone who could prove they had ESP. So far the reward has never been claimed. Anyway. Life's a trip

Not just ESP. Literally any degree of supernatural ability. And since he was a magician, he would quickly figure out how people were doing whatever they claimed and then debunk it in their face. He also famously debunked Peter Popoff's faith healing bullshit carnival and exposed him and his wife as two of the biggest pieces of shit in the history of this country. Randi has been a hero of mine for a long time.

There's a really good documentary about him called "An Honest Liar". I would encourage everyone to watch it, and without spoiling anything it's got a pretty crazy twist at the end. Its either on prime video or peacock, I can't remember which.

[companguero]

He got it dead wrong: there’s three.  Now get over here and hug it out ya big galoot.

What’s up with a 2 hour break?  I psychically predict that they’re not running a very tight ship over there.

Waltz with me, Sneaky

Yesterday I took off for 2 and a half hours.

It is a blessing and a curse to work at this restaurant.

- On one hand I have to deal with this guy who took over ownership last year. He is so excruciatingly careless and uninformed that one day he asked me if I make $8 or $7 an hour… and this was after paying me for a few weeks.
This wasn’t a test, he was oblivious to how insulting it is to ask an employee a question like that. He basically said “you’re worth $8 but let me know if you’re still happy making less” with a dumb ass smile.
… I did confront him about a long overdue raise so if it wasn’t for the free food and relaxed lack of management I would’ve jump ship.

- On the other hand I’ve met great people. 20 years ago I was a sheltered kid and got to work with an old goth named Ghy. He exposed me to new music and would tell us all about the occult. At the time he was living with and dating an older man/self proclaimed blood-drinking vampire. This guy claimed to see and interpret auras.
I remember he told me I was very yellow among a few other things.
Despite the skeptical tone I started the thread with, meeting this vampire and hearing his evaluation of me, I’m comfortable believing he was being honest in the sense that he is “seeing” auras and had enough experience studying the phenomena to share something of value to me.

Oh yeah, the whole point about Ghy was he came back from a delivery to a psychic’s shop and told us very gravely he would never do that again. He said his life experience had taught him to avoid their kind especially because of the trouble they had caused his family. I assume his knowledge of the occult also informed him of their suspicious ways.

[BurgerCop]

"Look uh, Storm, I don't mean to bore ya
But there's no such thing as an aura!
Reading auras is like reading minds
Or star-signs, or tea-leaves, or meridian lines
These people aren't plying a skill
They're either lying or mentally ill!
Same goes for those who claim to hear God's demands
And spiritual healers who think they have magic hands

By the way
Why is it okay
For people to pretend they can talk to the dead?
Is it not totally fucked in the head
Lying to some crying woman whose child has died
And telling her you're in touch with the other side?
That's just fundamentally sick
Do we need to clarify that there's no such thing as a psychic?

What, are we fucking two?
Do we actually think that Horton Heard a Who?
Do we still think that Santa brings us gifts?
That Michael Jackson hasn't had facelifts?
Are we still so stunned by circus tricks
That we think that the dead would
Wanna talk to pricks
Like John Edward?"

- Tim Minchin

[Abyss1]

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I'm kinda in the middle between a skeptic and a believer.

I have had a lot of experience with new age as well as traditional paths. I don't think a lot is set in stone. I've had some Christian mystical experiences and a lot of my friends are pagan.

It's hard to tell as far as like whether thinking of divination or like knowing anything. A lot of things can be explained by mental illness.

However thing is. I had strong premonitions when every major member of my dad's side of the family, including him passed away. I for some reason knew it had happened or was going to happen without being informed it's like I just knew. I think it was their way of saying goodbye.

I want to believe in supernatural things. But with this sort of thing there is no "proving" of anything.

Meditation and prayer is another thing and divination is another thing. Alot of the faiths lean more towards one or the other cause there are different theologies, but idk I think a lot of  these things are universally part of the human experience.

But yeah. I would have tried to keep my money too.

There was a magician named James Randi who was collaborating with scientists or something we learned about it in school. He offered a million dollar reward to anyone who could prove they had ESP. So far the reward has never been claimed. Anyway. Life's a trip

[close]

Not just ESP. Literally any degree of supernatural ability. And since he was a magician, he would quickly figure out how people were doing whatever they claimed and then debunk it in their face. He also famously debunked Peter Popoff's faith healing bullshit carnival and exposed him and his wife as two of the biggest pieces of shit in the history of this country. Randi has been a hero of mine for a long time.

There's a really good documentary about him called "An Honest Liar". I would encourage everyone to watch it, and without spoiling anything it's got a pretty crazy twist at the end. Its either on prime video or peacock, I can't remember which.

Penn and Teller did a whole segment on ESP, I actually like their magic

[Clone1984]

Expand Quote

I'm kinda in the middle between a skeptic and a believer.

I have had a lot of experience with new age as well as traditional paths. I don't think a lot is set in stone. I've had some Christian mystical experiences and a lot of my friends are pagan.

It's hard to tell as far as like whether thinking of divination or like knowing anything. A lot of things can be explained by mental illness.

However thing is. I had strong premonitions when every major member of my dad's side of the family, including him passed away. I for some reason knew it had happened or was going to happen without being informed it's like I just knew. I think it was their way of saying goodbye.

I want to believe in supernatural things. But with this sort of thing there is no "proving" of anything.

Meditation and prayer is another thing and divination is another thing. Alot of the faiths lean more towards one or the other cause there are different theologies, but idk I think a lot of  these things are universally part of the human experience.

But yeah. I would have tried to keep my money too.

There was a magician named James Randi who was collaborating with scientists or something we learned about it in school. He offered a million dollar reward to anyone who could prove they had ESP. So far the reward has never been claimed. Anyway. Life's a trip

[close]

Not just ESP. Literally any degree of supernatural ability. And since he was a magician, he would quickly figure out how people were doing whatever they claimed and then debunk it in their face. He also famously debunked Peter Popoff's faith healing bullshit carnival and exposed him and his wife as two of the biggest pieces of shit in the history of this country. Randi has been a hero of mine for a long time.

There's a really good documentary about him called "An Honest Liar". I would encourage everyone to watch it, and without spoiling anything it's got a pretty crazy twist at the end. Its either on prime video or peacock, I can't remember which.

We just watched it last night. Man it was awesome! Thanks for the tip.

[winecrab]

[Steely Daniel]

This dude was exposed as a chomo goof to top it all off.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hydrick

[Sativa Lung]

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Expand Quote

I'm kinda in the middle between a skeptic and a believer.

I have had a lot of experience with new age as well as traditional paths. I don't think a lot is set in stone. I've had some Christian mystical experiences and a lot of my friends are pagan.

It's hard to tell as far as like whether thinking of divination or like knowing anything. A lot of things can be explained by mental illness.

However thing is. I had strong premonitions when every major member of my dad's side of the family, including him passed away. I for some reason knew it had happened or was going to happen without being informed it's like I just knew. I think it was their way of saying goodbye.

I want to believe in supernatural things. But with this sort of thing there is no "proving" of anything.

Meditation and prayer is another thing and divination is another thing. Alot of the faiths lean more towards one or the other cause there are different theologies, but idk I think a lot of  these things are universally part of the human experience.

But yeah. I would have tried to keep my money too.

There was a magician named James Randi who was collaborating with scientists or something we learned about it in school. He offered a million dollar reward to anyone who could prove they had ESP. So far the reward has never been claimed. Anyway. Life's a trip

[close]

Not just ESP. Literally any degree of supernatural ability. And since he was a magician, he would quickly figure out how people were doing whatever they claimed and then debunk it in their face. He also famously debunked Peter Popoff's faith healing bullshit carnival and exposed him and his wife as two of the biggest pieces of shit in the history of this country. Randi has been a hero of mine for a long time.

There's a really good documentary about him called "An Honest Liar". I would encourage everyone to watch it, and without spoiling anything it's got a pretty crazy twist at the end. Its either on prime video or peacock, I can't remember which.

[close]

We just watched it last night. Man it was awesome! Thanks for the tip.

Glad you enjoyed! It's been a few years since I last watched it but I remember the ending really sticking with me for weeks. Even Randi, the king of skeptics, has his blind spots and that's something I've always tried to keep in the back of my mind.