The Psychology of the Skeptic

[ProfWag]

[NinjaPuppy]

[really?]

[Arouet]

[Craig Browning]

Before I respond to the questions I should point out that in the state of Nevada and I believe parts of California, New Mexico, Idaho, Oregon & Washington state psychics are licensed after a very deep background check that include FBI and now days Homeland Security. It cost a small fortune to go through this process that sometimes includes a series of tests with psychologist, profilers, etc. The whole process takes a minimum of 9 months.

How many of your clients are repeat customers?

I don’t encourage a lot of repeats on purpose; I don’t want people using me as their security blanket. I believe my role when doing this work is to help people discover their own power – their own way of correcting the things in their life using the tools they have available to them. I will, when the client shows a more chronic sense of instability or distress, point them to local counselors and/or clergy (each case differs) so that they can gain a different kind of perspective. Frequently, I do work in tandem with counselors, including board certified hypnotherapists, psychiatrist, psychologists, and medical doctors.


do two established psychics (Craig B & W) differ on the subject of "real" psychics--i.e. I believe Craig B says something like less than 5% are actually "psychic" whereas Craig W says he's never known a fraud?

I personally believe we agree far more than we disagree, we’ve not taken time to chat during all of this silliness but it would seem that we see things within 85-90% of being the same. . . CW might embrace a higher percentage of folks as “real” simply because he’s not invested 40 years working in professional magic, but few have, especially at the level I’ve been at it.

t exactly would I expect to receive from a reading from both of you? Specifically, do you give financial advice, relationship advice, tell the future, read the past, etc.?

Financial, Legal and Medical advice is taboo and any “psychic” that extends such direction should be questioned if not investigated. This is not to say that I won’t tell a client that I see or feel certain issues in their future pertaining to health (something I’m known for) and at the same time I will aid clients when it comes to situations of theft or loss, even did so for a cop in Reno whose personal car got stolen, which lead to a major bust of a car theft ring based out of Palm Springs.

When it comes to economic issues I rarely have anything to say outside of the trend that seems afoot or scenarios like finding a new job, loosing a job, shifts in a career. I will express caution from time to time when it comes to major investments, relocation, etc.

How specific of answers do you give?

I hate saying it this way but, IT DEPENDS.

No psychic, just like any counselor, is going to connect and cultivate the level of empathy two people need for proper communication, with every person they come across. Too, if a person walks in that’s completely blocked off from the start, there’s very little I can do but hand them a can of generic psychobabble a.k.a. Cold Reading. On the other hand, when I have an open person that simply goes with the flow of life, I’m able to discern different odds and ends about them, sometimes gaining “flashes” of people, places and things in their life that I can ask about that will usually make sense either during the session or shortly thereafter.

There are always those exceptional situations in which things in the Reading aren’t making sense at first and suddenly the client registers on what the information is pertaining to. In one case the cards were showing me information about a long lost love, something about the military, inheritance and a wind fall. The lady absolutely couldn’t identify things at first and then suddenly started sobbing . . . her first fiancé was MIA in Vietnam it was the only tie she ever had to anything military. I told her that in 3 days she’d learn something about him and it involved money going to her. Three days later she called the store where the psychic fair was held raving about my Reading and wanting to reach me – she was awarded a life insurance policy on his death + interest.

I’ve had so many situations of this sort and not one single skeptic can explain the precognitive facts without using the famed “coincidence” cop-out while ignoring the hard hits. Tiz one of the reasons I feel that the majority of skeptics simply don’t want to believe, it’s just part of who they are.

During my last experience, the psychic told me to ask very specific questions for a better reading, do you do the same?

Item specific questions are ok so long as you understand that the information that comes back from a Reading may not fit your version of the issue and may seem light-years off base – the Universe telling us what we need to hear in regards to the “thing” not what we want to hear or hints of what “must” be done, etc. In the case of the car theft ring the client wanted specifics as to where his truck was, the answer was Palm Springs. It was meant for him to find this connection which lead him to connect with a special investigation squad studying car thefts in Nevada tied to southern California. The answer I gave became a catalyst that helped solve a much bigger issue.

Do you find you give better readings when the client opens up before hand about their life?

NO!

I deliberately want to know nothing about a client prior to a standard Reading. After my first session (what’s referred to in the trade as a “Cold Reading”. . . the true meaning of the term) I will “up-sell” them by asking them to complete a client card which gives me their full name, date of birth, and of course standard contact data. What folks rarely consider is that I get a copy of their handwriting too. The collection of information allows me to use legit tools of the psychic trade for completing a file on each client i.e. their numerology, astrology and graphology + notes from the session itself. As best I can tell I’m doing little other than any therapist would do and nothing covert; just relying on the tools of my trade so I can better serve the client on their next visit. . .



I don’t encourage any form of codependency but I don’t discourage return visits was a patron might wish to do initially. I do set my foot down however after the third visit if they have seen me within a six week period 3 different times. I don’t want to see people more than once every three months, preferably every six; it takes time for energy to change and thus, for circumstances to unfold. Such things are likewise based on the client’s own choices; what they do and don’t do.

[Craig Browning]

[craig weiler]

Did any of you skepics actually read the article I posted? Just curious.

[Arouet]

[craig weiler]

Arouet,
You have never actually engaged me. You would need to trust me for that to happen, and you clearly don't. You have never seen anything from my side that I have been able to discern and I don't know if you're capable of it. Your reasonableness is only pretense. You're not actually reasonable in these debates. Just biased.

Even as I write this, I am certain that you will not have even a moment of retrospection over this, instead, you'll resort to asking me for examples so that you can nit pick them and defend yourself. But you'll miss the point: no one can show your deep biases to you; you have to look for them. It is a truth that you can only see by looking within and overcoming the immense cognitive dissonance that will result from that decision.

I have experienced strong cognitive dissonance many times as I was growing up. I got good at recognizing the symptoms in myself. It is the greatest mental and spiritual challenge a person can face; it takes great courage because the ego puts up a tremendous fight and in the end the outcome is utterly humiliating. But there is no intellectual or spiritual growth if you cannot do this.

Your skepticism is deeply biased. Can you see the truth in that statement?

[Arouet]

Craig, we all have our biases. Even you.

[ProfWag]

Craig B, I sincerely appreciate your time and honesty in answering the questions. It opened some thought for me.

[Craig Browning]

[_Ice_Ages_14_Aces_]

craig weiler,

I strongly agree with Arouet's conclusion that we are all biased and I am unfortunately a bit disappointed that you accused Arouet as being horrendously biased when sadly, you failed to realize your blind-spot (which is known as a special pleading argument)

Bias exists in all subjective judgement: aren't you biased against gay marriages, legalize marijuana, etc? I am, hence I'm biased...

The only way bias is eliminated, if not minimized, is by the use of blind and automated methods.

[Craig Browning]

[Arouet]