Alright, this one has me thinking...Psychics/Mediums

[MR2-Sooner86]

John Edwards and other psychics I blow off as entertainers who are good at cold reading and playing to an audience. This one has me scratching my head.

Let me explain the story my mother just told me.



My mother's best friend (we'll call her Sarah) and her sister (we'll call her Becky) went to the Hard Rock Casino tonight.

Becky was playing a game by herself and Sarah came over to join her. When she did a woman came over and said the following.

"I'm sorry to bother you but your aura (talking to Becky) is in total chaos. However, when she came over (referring to Sarah) it calmed down. You two thrive off of each other and give each other comfort."

At this time Becky and Sarah were looking at each other like this woman was crazy. She then said some things that were on the money.

"I see that you have some big decisions coming up in your life in the next month (talking to Becky) that are bothering you."
She does.

"You (Becky) are worrying because you have a hard time making decisions but you (Sarah) can make a decision and move on."
True of both of them.

"Your mother was also very set in her ways. She wouldn't budge and had to do things a certain way."
This is also true.

"I sense that you two very much dislike a woman connected to your father."
They both hate their father's sister, their aunt.

"You almost got into a fight (talking to Sarah) in Las Vegas for your sister (talking about Becky) last time you were there."
This is true as well.

"I see that you (Becky) have a young woman, long blonde hair, and in her early 20's who is on the sidelines but is playing a role in the troubles currently going on in your life."
Becky's daughter-in-law is in her early 20's with long blonde hair.

"You (Sarah) have a very good sense of smell."
She does.

During the conversation Sarah and Becky's friend who they went to the casino with walked by them. She has cancer.

The psychic looked at her (woman with cancer), looked at them(Sarah and Becky), and said, "I know." She then shook her head and looked down frowning as if to imply she didn't have much time.

There was other things she said that were vague but other things that seemed accurate. When she was done talking Becky and Sarah offered her some money for her time. She refused.

She said, "I now know why I was lead her tonight. I was meant to run into you two and help you." She said she was a medium.

Before she left she told them, "you should also know you two have a brother you don't know about."

Sarah and Becky had a brother who died at birth but the psychic said, "No, there's another one you don't know about."

Come to find out my mother told Sarah she knew about a brother her father had out of marriage. She never told her because my grandmother made my mom swear she'd never tell her. However Becky and Sarah have a half brother living in Oklahoma that, until tonight, they didn't know about until this psychic mentioned it.



That's the story. There's more to it but those are some of the main points. As I've said, this stuff I brush off but this creeps me out. You don't nail that many things on the head talking with a person you just met. Either somebody did their homework real well and hired this woman or there's something else going on.

Your thoughts?

[Soonerson1975]

I would have asked that lady to pick lottery numbers for me.

[StoopTroup]

Gypsy Stalker

Beware of the Monkey's Paw.

http://www.dunceuponatime.com/wp-content/monkeys_paw_86sized.jpg

[Leroy Lizard]

John Edwards and other psychics I blow off as entertainers who are good at cold reading and playing to an audience. This one has me scratching my head.

Let me explain the story my mother just told me.



My mother's best friend (we'll call her Sarah) and her sister (we'll call her Becky) went to the Hard Rock Casino tonight.

Becky was playing a game by herself and Sarah came over to join her. When she did a woman came over and said the following.

"I'm sorry to bother you but your aura (talking to Becky) is in total chaos. However, when she came over (referring to Sarah) it calmed down. You two thrive off of each other and give each other comfort."

At this time Becky and Sarah were looking at each other like this woman was crazy. She then said some things that were on the money.

"I see that you have some big decisions coming up in your life in the next month (talking to Becky) that are bothering you."
She does.

"You (Becky) are worrying because you have a hard time making decisions but you (Sarah) can make a decision and move on."
True of both of them.

"Your mother was also very set in her ways. She wouldn't budge and had to do things a certain way."
This is also true.

"I sense that you two very much dislike a woman connected to your father."
They both hate their father's sister, their aunt.

"You almost got into a fight (talking to Sarah) in Las Vegas for your sister (talking about Becky) last time you were there."
This is true as well.

"I see that you (Becky) have a young woman, long blonde hair, and in her early 20's who is on the sidelines but is playing a role in the troubles currently going on in your life."
Becky's daughter-in-law is in her early 20's with long blonde hair.

"You (Sarah) have a very good sense of smell."
She does.

During the conversation Sarah and Becky's friend who they went to the casino with walked by them. She has cancer.

The psychic looked at her (woman with cancer), looked at them(Sarah and Becky), and said, "I know." She then shook her head and looked down frowning as if to imply she didn't have much time.

There was other things she said that were vague but other things that seemed accurate. When she was done talking Becky and Sarah offered her some money for her time. She refused.

She said, "I now know why I was lead her tonight. I was meant to run into you two and help you." She said she was a medium.

Before she left she told them, "you should also know you two have a brother you don't know about."

Sarah and Becky had a brother who died at birth but the psychic said, "No, there's another one you don't know about."

Come to find out my mother told Sarah she knew about a brother her father had out of marriage. She never told her because my grandmother made my mom swear she'd never tell her. However Becky and Sarah have a half brother living in Oklahoma that, until tonight, they didn't know about until this psychic mentioned it.



That's the story. There's more to it but those are some of the main points. As I've said, this stuff I brush off but this creeps me out. You don't nail that many things on the head talking with a person you just met. Either somebody did their homework real well and hired this woman or there's something else going on.

Your thoughts?

Actually, the only one that was impressive was the Vegas bit. The others are standard operating procedure for cold readers.

[sooner59]

Knowing about a long lost brother is standard? Impressive.

[Leroy Lizard]

Knowing about a long lost brother is standard? Impressive.

That whole conversation about the long lost brother is pretty murky.

[sooner59]

I'm not being defensive. I admit that I know nothing about cold reading, etc. I understand, they can speak in generalities and go off what you give them, but I don't know the tricks of the trade.

[Leroy Lizard]

0iBwhgbFvnw

I once belonged to a group of skeptics and we attended quite a few of the cold reading events. They're quite adept at psychology.

[SicEmBaylor]

That whole conversation about the long lost brother is pretty murky.

Actually, I don't know that it is. He said there was a lot more detail than what he posted and that these are just the "general" points.

I think that most psychics out there on TV and the ones getting paid are shady as hell and fake. However, I do think there are people out there that are capable of psychic insight to some degree or another. I don't think that they can instantly see everyone's future as if it were an HD movie, but I think that through intuition and an open mind some people can, in fact, see into someone's life.

[SicEmBaylor]

Plus, what did this woman have to gain by telling all of this? She refused money and it would seem that after the reading she simply left. Why go to the trouble of "reading" them if there was nothing in it for her other than a desire to give some insight into their lives?

[MR2-Sooner86]

Actually, the only one that was impressive was the Vegas bit. The others are standard operating procedure for cold readers.

I'm not too sure. Up until she mentions Vegas, yeah I can say can be a cold read but after that you have to be really, really good.

The thing is I asked my mother several times and she said they were not asked questions or talked to like John Edwards or others do. She simple came up and started rambling this stuff off.

There's a different between...

Psychic: I'm sensing Las Vegas?
Sarah/Becky: We've been to Las Vegas this past year.
Psychic: Were there some troubles that went on there?
Sarah/Becky: Yeah you could say that.
Psychic: Did one of you get into a really bad argument or fight?
Sarah: Yeah I did.
Psychic: Did it involve Becky?
Sarah: Yes.

And this...

Psychic: You both went to Las Vegas and Sarah you almost got into a fight and it involved Becky.

Now, when the first happens people usually jump to the second explanation as that's how they see it. However, I asked to make sure the second happened. She said yes and that they didn't say anything. She just came up and started talking and they were listening. Las Vegas was the bit that got their attention because up until that point they were thinking she was a crazy woman going off.

The thing with cold reading is you have to be vague enough to where you can find out about somebody but not to the point you can't get committed to something and be wrong.

Words often used are: money, water, sports, etc.

If she came up cold reading by starting with, "You both went to Las Vegas and one of you got into a fight almost" then that's a poor job. Many people have gone to Vegas but many haven't and of the ones who went even a smaller number got into any type of heated arguments.

Now as for the sister-in-law that can be a hit or miss. As I said, it was depending on how it was asked. If she was cold reading she could have found out. However, as I've said, she didn't do that and came out and said, "long blonde hair, early 20's, and very much a part of your life."

I mean, you can say that to allot of people but how many people here on this board in their 40's and 50's does that apply to? Around half? It could be a daughter, daughter-in-law, daughter's friend, somebody the family knows, etc. Early 20's is a general safe age but "long blonde" gets a little more specific. Not only are there many other hair colors but styles and of all the blondes I know maybe half even have long hair. If you're probing, I can see it, but to come out and say it means she had much confidence she'd be right.

Their friend with cancer, again, it's a hit or miss. She could say, "I know" referring to the cancer or any other problems she might have in her life. If they asked, "Know what?" as if they didn't know what she was talking about she could back out by saying, "You'll see here soon."

Finally, the long lost brother. Yeah, that's not standard or normal. You can say it is but for it to be true? You can say to many people they have a long lost brother but it isn't true and they'd never know the difference.

If I said to this board, "You all have a long lost brother." How many would ever be able to find out? How many would ever be able to find out for certain? How many would actually come up with a missing brother? Again, it's hit or miss. If she's cold reading, why is she making such a statement? Do that many people have brothers or sisters they don't know about?

As I've said, I'll have to find out more to this story. I asked though and it seemed she wasn't cold reading but I don't know everything. That's what gets me about this is she just came up and started talking and naming this stuff off without any input from them, that I know of. Which makes me believe if this is fake she had inside knowledge and somebody hired her.

Why else would a "psychic" go up to somebody they don't know from Adam and "read" them? Was she just brushing up on her skills or what? Why didn't she take the money because that's why they do it? That's what makes me think she could be hired but the question is who would hire her?

[STUpendOUs]

HVAyCbZL1Zw

[Viking Kitten]

So they were in a casino when this happened? Probably not too big of a stretch to make the assumption these people might go to Vegas sometimes.

[KantoSooner]

The 'long lost family member' gig is a standard. I forget the numbers and won't just bung something out here, but a shockingly high percentage of kids don't have the daddies they think they do. Combine that with later marriages and geographic mobility and almost anyone is subject to reasonable doubt.
"Unknown sibling?"
"Well Dad did spend 3 years in the army in Louisiana...."

[JohnnyMack]

Before she left she told them, "you should also know you two have a brother you don't know about."

Sarah and Becky had a brother who died at birth but the psychic said, "No, there's another one you don't know about."

No. There is another.
http://ffmedia.ign.com/starwars/image/article/609/609854/star-wars-episode-iv-a-new-hope-20050503052403648.jpg

[Leroy Lizard]

I'm not too sure. Up until she mentions Vegas, yeah I can say can be a cold read but after that you have to be really, really good.

The thing is I asked my mother several times and she said they were not asked questions or talked to like John Edwards or others do. She simple came up and started rambling this stuff off.

If you weren't there, there is no telling what truly happened. Second-hand accounts get so badly mangled that skeptics don't even bother with them. Sure, you may have been told that the woman stated there was a long lost brother, but what did she really say? No telling.

[Leroy Lizard]

So they were in a casino when this happened? Probably not too big of a stretch to make the assumption these people might go to Vegas sometimes.

Good point.

"I sense Las Vegas (looks for eye reaction)... New Mexico... (looks for eye reaction)... a place near Las Vegas, NM... Santa Fe (eyes light up!)..."

[MamaMia]

A psychic lady who I had never met in my life told me that this certain someone I loved, who had passed away 2 years prior, wanted to thank me for the candles I burn in the kitchen window once a month in their remembrance.

I was doing that, but I never told anyone about it. It was my own private thing.

[Leroy Lizard]

I remember a psychic telling me once that I would face great hostility and condemnation in my life, and that my very presence would lead to great sadness and anger over a wide range of the country.

I joined SoonerFans the next day.

[sooner59]

I remember a psychic telling me once that I would face great hostility and condemnation in my life, and that my very presence would lead to great sadness and anger over a wide range of the country.

I joined SoonerFans the next day.

Fighting...off...the urge....to spek...

[Jacie]

True story, I remember the time in Norman when the Psychic Fair was cancelled due to rain . . .