Possibly Odd Question about Fortune Tellers

[wwkirk]

When I say "fortune tellers" I just mean those who offer their psychic services for a fee.

From time to time we hear about a fortune teller swindling someone. Usually, the impression is that the culprit is just a con artist without psychic abilities. And no doubt that may generally be the case. But what about persons who actually have psychic abilities; mightn't they be crooks too?

My understanding is that when interacting with a fortune teller, you give them access to you, the touch of your hand, a personal item, some specific information, etc. So, my worry/question is that couldn't that access give the fortune teller the means to exploit the client? Wouldn't it be like revealing a password, or like giving access to one's medical info? In other words, fine as long as the person who receives the special access is ethical and doesn't do anything bad, but dangerous otherwise?

A simple example could be if the fortune teller discerned that you would be coming into money in the not distant future. An unscrupulous psychic might see this as an opportunity to milk you out of some extra cash.

What you think? Crazy concern or no?

 

[Dejan Corovic]

I had extremely positive experience with fortune tellers. But one that I used once was recommended by a friend. So, its good old way, find somebody who's recommended to you by a somebody you trust.

 

[SOUL-DRIFTER]

In my opinion most fortune tellers are swindlers. And 99% are about as psychic as a rock.
Even real psychics cannot perform all the time. Real psychic abilities can vary according to time of day or mood of the person. And sometimes there will be long periods of when the abilities seem to be vacant. So some real ones may fake the abilities during that time.
I would never pay for a fortune to be read...unless the psychic could demonstrate their abilities on my demand and to my satisfaction. And that will never happen.
My suggestion is stay away from them unless you have money and time to waste.

 

[wwkirk]

So, its good old way, find somebody who's recommended to you by a somebody you trust.

My suggestion is stay away from them unless you have money and time to waste.

Just to be clear, I am not seriously considering visiting a fortune teller. My question was prompted by a memory I had of frequently walking past an apparently 20 something woman who was set up as a fortune teller in a store front in the Bronx. I never did consult her and was asking myself why.

On the one hand I don't want any dealings with con artists. On the other, I wouldn't want a real psychic to learn things about me that I wouldn't want her to know.

I found this point of yours quite enlightening, @SOUL-DRIFTER,

"And sometimes there will be long periods of when the abilities seem to be vacant. So some real ones may fake the abilities during that time."

This establishes that one could never know if a particular psychic was on on a particular occasion. Also, the unreliability of the power means that an honest person couldn't realistically make a living from it.

 

[pigfarmer]

I think the difference between psychics and mediums is matter of degree and maybe what you're looking for. Fortune Tellers (to me) are entertainment posing as psychics that show up at Renaissance fairs, county fairs, what have you. Some people are good at it, I always figure as long as you walk away relatively satisfied and your wallet not too light then mission accomplished.

They're cold reading, something a seasoned homicide cop or very good salesman can do. People reveal themselves with tiny details if you care to look. I remember something about it in a business seminar long ago, maybe Zenger Miller, as a teachable skill. Not transmitting those details is also a teachable/learnable skill - poker players I would think.

That said, there are a very few who do seem to have genuine ability to receive information in some way that is just not apparent or even considered possible by contemporary thinking. I spent a little time and money looking into this and it's like panning for gold, you toss a lot of nonsense but occasionally there are some valuable nuggets. I got a few nuggets from one that floored me, but she then proceeded to spew 'commercial fill' because many are paid and the one I got had a procedure she followed. I think she wanted to give me the appropriate time and effort and knowing it doesn't always work has an outline. My wife was floored and got her own reading and it was just 'commercial fill' but the woman was definitely trying. And sick, you could hear it - maybe that was the problem IDK. I think she has real ability and as @SOUL-DRIFTER put it, it doesn't always work. Maybe the system was designed that way or it's like radio, dependent on a variety of factors for clear transmission and reception. I think there are many methods throughout many cultures that all work toward the same goal and that because of the differences so are the interpretations.

My sense is that if you are personally open in some fashion not immediately obvious you might just get tossed a nugget once in a while. I also think that if people reveal themselves in tiny ways then so does ...... fill in your own blank there. The Universe, The Great Magnet, God.

 

[Rick Hunter]

I think fortune telling is very much alive and well today, but it takes different forms than the gypsy with a crystal ball we usually think about. Look at how many Christian ministers in every generation claim to have figured out the "end times" by reading the Bible. And, many of these fortune tellers are millionaires. Look at how many people we have hocking survival supplies and precious metals because civilization is about to collapse. They're laughing all the way to the bank. Or, people who make the same claims of doom for humanity if we don't combat climate change/social injustice/big government/big business/communism/capitalism/vaccines/anti-vaccines/Democrats/Republicans/etc. ad infinitum. All are fortune tellers and all are a massive drag on society.

 

[The shadow]

Some years ago I went to a show with Silvia brown. I paid extra for a reading. I had one of her handlers. Hand her a old door key. On the key on one side is a star on the other is C33 .
I told brown it had been in my family for 100 years and belonged to my great grandma. I told her it did not fit. Any block I know and for her to try to see where it was from.
"I see a ship a party. A happy time.". She smiled. "There is a lot of positive energy on this key. Ohh a wedding! I see a old sea captain white beard preforming a wedding. Does the initials EJ mean any thing to you? "
I said "YES!" She smiled "there is your answer it's to Thier room on the ship. A wedding honeymoon."
Her time I paid for was done. I got the key back on my way out the handler asked me "was her reading useful?"
I asked "where do you think the key is from?"
He said "a hotel room key maybe a ship."
I held the key up "stateroom C33 RMS titanic no happiness no jot no wedding. EJ Smith captain. At least she got that right."
The handler looked angry. "You knew it's history and tested her." I said "yep"
He said "leave and I don't want to see you at one of these again."
I said "gladly nice guess on her part."
On the way out Rikki was like "a circus an act. She is fake positive energy my a** I can't touch that key with all the death on it "

 

[Shadowprophet]

I almost never speak about this stuff. I do however know quite a bit about it. Here is the thing, ultimately. Consider someone that is spiritually gifted as a presence in a vast space with many other presences. In effect that 'fortune teller ' could in fact do harm to someone, that however would be a terribly unwise thing for them to do.


Just as they could do you harm. There are checks and balances in place that could in turn do them harm.

It's possible someone could do someone harm im such a way, however its very rare that it happens. More times then not, when someone gets hurt in such ways, it's more often because they intentionally misused their gifts.


There are rules in place for such things. On that I can promise

 

[pigfarmer]

We lead with our chin and never realize it - there are always those who will capitalize on that.

I think there are gifted psychics/mediums (not the same thing) and I don't think it's a skill that's 100% available on call. Like the most recent one my wife and I spoke with it's wrapped up in a commercial package. They are selling a service and the wrappings ensure you get something for what you paid. This lady was about $200 a 90 minute session; mine came first and my wife's second several weeks later. The wrapping, format, outline, whatever became apparent after the second reading. What was also apparent was that she appeared to be making a genuine effort.

In my reading I made a conscious decision to go with the flow and relax, sort of let it wash over me. That said, I give up nothing. Just yes/no with zero inflection. This was over the phone so she couldn't see me. I got two distinct types of information. My sense was that there was a bit of remote viewing going on; she described things that sounded an awful lot like the room I was sitting in. In my opinion RV is real. I don't think SRI would've made the time and $$ investment in it otherwise. I also believe that all the commercial paid RV is a load of hogwash, it smacks of woo-wooery. Describing my environment accurately under those circumstances is incredible when you stop to think about it - a total stranger hundreds of miles away. That got my attention.

The second type is what I was really interested in - mediumship. Can she communicate with people who have died? Yes, she really did provide information that could only have come from a discarnate person. Some of it surprised the crap out of me. Now, if she could 'see' the room I was in could she also mine my thoughts in some way ? Maybe so, can't discount that possibility. However, the information received was of a personal nature and not something I could just go verify like a room key or directions to grandpa's stash. The information was presented in such a way that I really don't think it came out of me, the perspective was very different. I also had a very concrete test and she didn't quite hit the X on the target but nailed a solid 9 ring. Freaky.

The my wife got a big fat goose egg and her 'wrapping' was revealed. We both got liberal doses of nonsense and that's what that was, just part of the package.

Realize that there are people who will charge 15 times as much for a reading. I didn't fork over that kind of cash but met a famous one. My impression is that he's grown bored and lazy and is raking in so much cash that it has subsumed any real talent he has, or had.

 

[nivek]

There are rules in place for such things. On that I can promise

Indeed, dependent upon certain factors some beings live under more natural laws (or rules) than others...A certain amount of bending of the rules, the intent and outcome can govern the consequences if any...Less of one thing requires more of another to bring back the natural balance...

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