Does anybody believe that psychics really have power of extrasensory perception?

I do believe in ESP, but I wouldn’t believe in the specific psychics appearing on t.v. actually I assume television (at least network television) lies about everything until I find out otherwise.

Someone probably does.

@Ria777 So how do you think this ESP works? Has their been scientific studies that have proven this is indeed real?

No, but I have ESPN.

Speaking of ESPN, Dion Phaneuf and J.S.Giguere just got traded to Toronto. Holy shit. Maybe there will be some hope for the Leafs fans yet.

a small correction which I just thought to make. you described clairvoyance, maybe psychometry and mediumship rather than straight ESP.

the non-locality principle of quantum physics and/or Rupert Sheldrake’s theory of the morphic field can (maybe) explain psychometry. as far as the other ones, I could probably spin up some theories but that would take a while.

do some Googling and you can find some scientific tests of ESP. I actually took part in one studied by Harvard.

I don’t. Not in the least.

But I do know a man who learned how to pose as as psychic (saying that they are all posing and that anyone can study how to do it, in the same way that you can study how to be a plumber). He went on TV for a week, did fake “readings,” and had thousands of people believing him. Then he outed himself at the end of the week, and they were all shocked and mad at him. He was trying to expose the whole business as fraudulent, but people wanted to believe.

I think there are people who have highly-developed skills in reading people and picking up on their slightest reactions, in telling good stories and in knowing what people most wish to hear. That’s not psychic ability.

@Jeruba, @aprilsimnel: this doesn’t disprove psi powers, though.

Has anybody had a taro card reading or went to someone that said they could communicate with dead people? I find the whole idea fascinating because it appears to be so subjective. I would love to hear from people who had first hand experience talking to a “psychic”

Doesn’t anybody care about ESPN?

@VanCityKid lol! were glad you have ESPN, so perhaps if i needed a bookie, i’ll contact you.

I do not believe in ESP though I suspect some people have very highly developed normal senses that can seem like ESP. Some people are just great at reading other people and may mistake their insights for something ‘magical’.

And of course there purposeful frauds who bilk money from the credulous every day.

If there really were people who could see into the future I reckon they’d all be in Bermuda living off of their stock options.

@Factotum lol! you b ring up a good point. Some people have highly developed senses and it might seem magical to those who cannot perform their normal senses at such levels. So they say we only use like 12% of our brains. Why do we have so much wasted space? Do you think there are people who use a lot more then that and could truly have a “sense” that is beyond what the rest of us have?

Scientific evidence? I dont know, but I dont think it can be detected by that. Some things can’t be explained. But it’s real.
There are frauds, but stuff like Medium is based one a true story, Psychics are used by the Police to investigate sometimes.

James Randi is offering a million dollars to anyone who can demonstrate anything paranormal. Link So far nobody has gotten past the preliminary investigation. He made a request for Sylvia Browne to take the test, but she refused because she said that she does not like him, which to me would be all the more reason to show him to be wrong, if she could.

Of course it doesn’t, @Ria777. I didn’t attempt to disprove anything. That’s pretty much a waste of time with true believers. I answered the question about my own belief and also the question about whether you can learn to do what TV psychics do.

The man I referred to has collaborated with James Randi on a number of demos and exposés. In fact, I believe it was he who put up the first $10,000 of that standing wager. He told me once about how would-be subjects reacted to proposed test conditions; for example, one who claimed she could read the cards by feel refused the test when they said they would spread a cloth over her hands and she could feel the cards beneath it, without seeing them.

@Tenpinmaster It is of course possible that some people have ESP but saying that is possible isn’t saying much. There is no valid evidence that anyone does and governments have spent real live tax dollars looking for it.

@Factotum Is there training for psychics. Like, The university for the all seeing and clairvoyant?

Having witnessed the real thing in person, I know for a fact that some types of clairvoyance exist, but there are many fakes and assorted cold-readers out there who regularly take advantage of others for profit (i.e.; Sylvia Brown, John Williams, Derek Acorah, etc…).

They use facial expressions and tone of voice. No one can talk to people that have passed on. There are no accredited schools for ESP. But there are schools for psychologist and licensed professional counselors.