How do fortune tellers know the future?

lmao

Ruth KPS wrote: »

When did I state I went to a psychic to sort out Life's problems??

I can sort them out on my own thanks, I don't need some stranger telling me how.

Can you shed some light on what you get? Is it not a stranger your listening to when you get one of these readings?

Valmont

For those of you who are interested, the Forer effect is the name given to this phenomenon of people readily accepting vague personal information and predictions as accurate and unique to them. Follow some of the links on the bottom of the page, it's very interesting.

Milly33

Jes the lady was only asking....I have noticed sometimes you get a lot of grief on this... ( i mean that in the nicest way )

I dunno I was always waryie of the fortune tellers too but then again very curious..

I tried for ages to get in contact with the lady in Cobh and could never reach her, my friend managed to contact her straight away and it is said she will never answer a call that isnt ment to be...

When I was out in Dubai me and my sister went to see this lady who was spot on, the things she said to me and my sister she could never have known..Ok fine she could probably guess we were sisters but that was all the info she had on us, and she told me things about the past, future and just small things nothing major but enough to believe she had a gift...Things even about people who had died being around me...

MM I wont even say anything about 911 cus me thinks a lot of people knew that was coming but I wont go there

okioffice84

Amazing, all these people that claim Nostradamus predicted this event or that event; after it happens. What really would be convincing would be if they could say that he predicted an event before it happens.

Quandary

Fortune Tellers dont know the future. They are charlatans plain and simple who prey on the gullible. All fortune telling is a combination of Cold Reading & Showmanship.

All "fortune tellers" should be sued for false advertising.

MrMojoRisin

Milly33 wrote: »

I tried for ages to get in contact with the lady in Cobh and could never reach her, my friend managed to contact her straight away and it is said she will never answer a call that isnt ment to be...

That's the White Witch Helen Barrett. Believe me,her not answering people's calls isn't as 'mystical' as you'd believe. She's supposed to have about six or seven mobiles and she tends to be busy with other stuff - like, she said herself that she leads a coven of 3,500 Irish witches and warlocks. Shes a busy lady. See here for more info on her.

Theres been a lot of 'psychic/fortune teller bashing' on here. I understand exactly what people mean about the cold and hot reading, etc, but from what I can gather, the people saying this stuff didn't mention anything about trying out any psychics/fortune tellers/mediums for themselves. Who did ye all go to? The only way you'll know for sure about who's a greedy chancer and who isn't (who are in the minority) is by getting out there and getting first-hand experience. Isn't that how all fraud in general is uncovered? By diving straight in and getting your hands dirty,so to speak??

It's funny because I was speaking to this fella I used to work with a couple of nights ago and we got on to the subject of fortune tellers. He has only ever been to one of them (a medium) and he said the bloke came out with details that weren't vague or stuff that was extrapolated upon by Anthony (fella I know). He kept his mouth shut apart from saying hello and maybe commenting on the weather and what not after he first walked in. Yer man (I know this medium's name and where he is, but I won't name him because it'll be like advertising him), got the name of Anto's dead father in one go (no initials - the full first name), knew what he had died from, knew when exactly he died, knew what Anto worked at, knew he lived on a hill and the first letter of the name of the hill, and knew that Anto's sister (who this fella had never met, or doesn't know) had planted a rose bush out in the back garden in memory of their dead father. I mean, how the f uck would you get those details about someone by observing their body language, dress code, their manner of speaking, their age group, etc?

I believe there are some people who know these things for real but that they're shockingly rare. I'd probably sin bin about three-quarters of the ones who are calling themselves psychics/mediums/angel readers/clairvoyants, blahblahblah in this country at the mo, tbh.

MrMojoRisin

And I'd be wary fo all these ones coming out now who are jumping on the Lorna Byrne angel bandwagon. Releasing books about their angel encounters. Every time I walk by that My Whispering Angels book by Francesca Brown inside in Easons these days,I have a mad urge to lob a big tin of Dulux at it

I_Am_The_Walrus

I think it's all complete BS to be honest.

MrMojoRisin

I_Am_The_Walrus wrote: »

I think it's all complete BS to be honest.

What happened to ya? What are ur personal experiences that brought about that conclusion? Curious.

Blowfish

Best explanation I've seen about how they do it is here. Well worth a watch.

okioffice84

Blowfish wrote: »

Best explanation I've seen about how they do it is here. Well worth a watch.

Better quality link here

Orlaithc9

I do agree that some fortune tellers out there are only chancing their arm and preying on the vunerable. However I do have to defend one lady I went to see in the Waterford area.

She was excellent. She is a gypsy of some descendant. And going back to the original posters questions she read my palm to start with, the past present and furture and pointed out each section to me. She also had crystals and personal objects on a table infront of us which she told me she draws energy from. She was also able to "speak" to spirits but not vocally, she saw images in her mind and could describe them and try makes sense of them, she said the symbols she sees are personal to her, for example she said she saw a stamping machanical motion with a needle and was able to conclued that someone was intersted in sewing or dress making.
After my reading I asked her lots of questions about her gift and she told me that she had a very deep relationship with God and prayed to the Virgin Mary alot. She said she prayed all day before she did a reading for someone. She told me it takes alot out of her and her health probably isnt the best because of it. She is not well off by any means and her husband is quite ill too. She has a large family with many grandchildren and she does not keep the money she is given, she passes it onto local charities. (This I do believe as my own grandmother had a gift of healing warts and was not allowed to take any money for herself and passed it on to the local church, however, if someone came through the door with a bottle of whiskey she was grateful!)

For my own reading she was so precise. I was about 20 when I went to see her and she knew straight away that my mother had died, she was able to describe how she past away and spelt out her name as she could not say it (My mam had the unsual name of Coley). She was able to tell me about my mams little dog and all the problems he had (he was deaf, blind , heart murmer and one testical when he died) she told me about his red lead and described the places they liked to walk, she even told me about him not liking to walk over stones and pubbles and that my mam had to carry him alot which was true.

She said there was "J" all over my hand and did I know a male with them intials, I did know some Jims and Joes but nothing significant...years later Im now happily settled with a great guy called "John" and we have a little girl and new house together.She even was pretty close to how we would meet.
She said I worked with "energy" or "heating" and she was correct at I work for an electrical contractor.
She mentioned a car I was going to buy, the colour and that my father would help me with a gift of money.

She explain to me though that everyone has free will and this is only a path or life cycle or likeliness that these things would happen. For example, if it was in someones destened to become a millionaire at 30 years old but murdered someone at 25 and got sent to jail for life then that was their own free will working.

She told me so much that was relevant and prehaps things didnt make sense there and then but they do now. So many things came true and Im still waiting on lots more.
She made me feel so good about myself and my life and for €40 that alone was worth the visit.

MysticalSoul

I believe that there are genuine psychics and mediums, but also people who abuse it, and take advantage. The psychic phone lines are rubbish, as all they do is read from a book.

Different psychics pick up the information through different means - some hear the information from their guides, some sense it etc.

It would be ethically wrong for them to use their skills to win the lotto - it would have negative karma, whether in this lifetime, or future lifetimes. If we take the legend of Atlantis for instance, one of the reasons that Atlantis was destroyed, is that the people of Atlantis, started using their skills for ego based reasons, rather than for the good of all mankind.

Oryx

I remember a news report once that said a psychic once did win. But that's besides the point. Assuming they dont, here are possible ideas that come to mind:

a) They cant. Its all nonsense and theyre not able.

b) All work in a 'spiritual' field is first and foremost the path of that reader, with their development and the benefit of their soul as its key. Puck loads of money would hinder rather than help that, hence it forms no part of what they can do.

c)Similar to b above, any predictions they make has to be for the development and improvement in the person they read for. Rather than purely that person's circumstances (money isnt everything). So, they wont tell you lotto numbers.....

d)They can only read emotional trends, not hard facts like numbers.

Herbal Deity

Is it possible to go to a psychic and give them a written "exam" on parts of your life? i.e. can they read your mind/future without talkng to you?

Dave!

It's nonsense, bullsh*t, etc., for all the reasons already mentioned.

Wouldn't mind giving it a try some time though, just to experience what it's like.

suey71

I've been to 3 "fortune tellers". Second one by mistake" was buying a car from her husband and she walked into the room and told me the spirits had told her that I needed some advice" She got everything bang on and then some,. She knew of my business plans for the future to a Tee.

First one was great, but very blunt and pulled no punches, lives near Ashbourne. Got most things right.

3rd one, very disappointing, and has been highly recommended by people on here. On the radio etc. etc. Very vague and definately cold read me, but at the time I thought she was good but looking back I practically told her everything. I felt violated and used afterwards, to tell her all my personal details.

There are great psychics out there and some not.

If I had gone to the latter "psychic" first, then I would definately be a non believer, luckily I had good experiences previously.


To all the cynics out there, Just visit a couple of psychics before you pass judgment.

SprostonGreen

What with all the first letters?

I'm getting a "J", could it a be a Joe or John? - WTF is all that about?

CrinkElite

Rule of thumb:

Do not entertain "Psychics" who are married to people who you are about to buy a car off :pac:

suey71

CrinkElite wrote: »

Rule of thumb:

Do not entertain "Psychics" who are married to people who you are about to buy a car off :pac:

She walked into the room. No time to cold read me, and said.

"Your Grandad Joe is sitting beside you, and your Nanny Margaret is sitting there. Oh, and here comes your Grandad Billy with your cousin Verona" and then some....

CrinkElite

How long had you been in contact with this car dealer?
Did you tell him where you originally come from?
if you did how specific were you?
do you come from a sparely populated area? ie. A rural/semi rural area.
were your grandparents well known in the area?
basically is there any hook that could have been exploited in order to generate leads? Ireland is a small country.

Presumably you "Accidentally" met this woman on an arranged meeting with her husband.
how much time had they to prepare for your "Chance encounter"?

I don't like to be cynical, I have a spiritual side myself but I don't like to see people exploited by ruthless pretenders.

I think if you really want to talk to someone about your life you would be better off consulting a good psychiatrist (this is not a jibe!) a well trained practitioner can uncover a lot about you that you never knew yourself and at least they're not doing it under false pretences.

suey71

It was my Brother who was actually buying the car.
We were looking for a car on Carzone, phoned the owner visited his house that same day.

This all happened too fast to be planned.

The house I visited was in Finglas. I live in Blanchardstown.

CrinkElite

Still wouldn't convince me I'm afraid. the internet is a vast resource that can be accessed instantly, any hook at all is enough to generate a lead.

As a matter of interest, what year were your grandparents born?(ignore this question if you think it is too personal)

People know each other, and a shrewd con artist can keep their ear to the ground in many ways.

suey71

I think you cynics are clutching at straws now, anyway. 1913 and 1914.

If you find out all about my life over the next few mins. PM me and don't post it on Boards:D.

CrinkElite

I don't have inclination or the know-how to find out about your family but there are people who do. I asked for their birthday because I happen to know that the census information, for 1911 is freely available online from the census office, with lists of how many parents, grandparents, children, rooms, windows, bicycles etc. there were at every house in the country.
Obviously this does not apply to you as your grand parents were born after this PUBLISHED census, but it does serve to illustrate a way in which this info can be obtained.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/

I don't want to get involved in an argument, you obviously feel that your grandparents were in some way present on the day in question. maybe we should just agree to disagree.

banshee_bones

ok, what about the ones who don't ask you questions, don't look at your face for giveaway facial expressions and stay firmly planted looking at your palm without ever once looking up into your face?

The one i went to in Dublin city, was just for the craic, me and a friend had never been, huge skeptics so thought it would be funny.
I know 85% was pure vauge horoscopey type statements but there were things she said that she really could not have known which in turn freaked me out a tad.

Oryx

In the case of the car salesman, i dont accept the advance lookup theory. Why would she bother? Its not like you had a paid reading planned. Sounds like a random conversation to me, rather than a planned stitch up.

Herbal Deity

Oryx wrote: »

Why would she bother?

To increase word of mouth reputation?

Slow Show

I'm sick of people saying there's not a shred of truth in fortune tellers...I went to one and maybe she was the exception.
She knew so much, it was scary....some things were a little vague that were applicable to anyone but she knew some of my hopes, my ambitions...she foresaw some things, such as losing a friend [I did, it hurts but that's another story]...she knew things about my personality, she foresaw more things and I'm waiting to see...
We were in town for my friend's birthday. When the friend went to her, she knew. She was bang on for everyone.
She's probably the exception rather than the rule but seriously, there's some truth in it.

Dave!

Xx_emma_xX wrote: »

I'm sick of people saying there's not a shred of truth in fortune tellers...I went to one and maybe she was the exception.
She knew so much, it was scary....some things were a little vague that were applicable to anyone but she knew some of my hopes, my ambitions...she foresaw some things, such as losing a friend [I did, it hurts but that's another story]...she knew things about my personality, she foresaw more things and I'm waiting to see...
We were in town for my friend's birthday. When the friend went to her, she knew. She was bang on for everyone.
She's probably the exception rather than the rule but seriously, there's some truth in it.

No there's not.

I reckon if Derren Brown sat down to tell you your fortune, you'd leave thinking he had some psychic skills, when in reality he would have used standard cold-reading techniques.

You would have subconsciously helped him along and filled in the spaces, and he would have concealed any 'misses' and emphasised any 'hits'.

Plus most of the people who visit these charlatans do so because they believe in psychic abilities in the first place, or else have some emotional needs stemming from some event in their lives (a death or whatever), so you'll rarely leave disappointed when you go in expecting to be read. Wouldn't surprise me if it's something relating to the ideomotor effect.

It's like those gimps who went down to Knock expecting to see the apparition of 'our lady' a while back. After standing around staring at the sun all day, a handful of people saw some sort of visual abnormality in the sky, as their retinas were beginning to dissolve, so therefore it must have been our lady, in swirly radioactive form !

Those who don't walk into a psychic with tears streaming down their face and holding a photo of their deceased relative will just be duped by the usual cold-reading techniques.

Plus, if the reading is less than satisfactory, and the 'psychic' fails to make anything click with the person they are reading, the person won't go singing from the rooftops about it, will they? They'll probably just tell a couple of mates "yeah that was sh*te" and go onto someone else. But read any of the threads in this forum and they'll full of people giving their experiences of successful readings, "omg go see Mary in Athlone, she's amazing, she knew I was wearing odd socks even though I had on an ankle-length skirt, it's a miracle! :eek: "

Anyways, yeah, bullshizzle.