Psychics: The Good, Bad, and the Ugly

By: Michel Francoise Gerard

One of my favorite psychic pastimes is to visit other psychics and see how they operate, which is sometimes if they operate at all. Yes, there are people out there ready and willing to take your money just to tell you what you want to hear. Of the ten or twelve psychics I’ve seen over the years, maybe three demonstrated what I would call genuine abilities. The others were either well meaning fakes or absolute frauds.

San Diego

Several years ago, while living in San Diego, California, I was walking down an uptown sidewalk when I spotted a psychic reading sign posted in a new age bookstore window. After I entered the store I was introduced to the psychic, whereupon we agreed to a thirty minute reading session. One of my first questions before we even started was, “Every psychic has a special talent they usually latch onto like hearing or seeing spirits. What talent do you have?” She immediately said, “Oh, I see spirits like the one behind you to your right.”

After a brief description of the spirit, I had to agree that it did sound like one of my guides. As she started the reading, I still wasn’t altogether convinced she was the real McCoy so I decided to do a little something to test the waters. While she was conducting the reading, I called upon as many spirits as possible to enter the room. Just as I did, the young lady threw her head back as though startled and started looking around the room.

In a very innocent manner I asked her what was wrong. She then told me, “This room just flooded with spirits and one flew right through me.” I was so pleased, I couldn’t resist but crack a huge grin at her response. It’s alright, I responded, I called upon the spirits to see if you were legit. Somewhat relieved by my statement, she proceeded with the reading.

Many of the statements she made during the reading were a little disconcerting. First off, I was supposed to be moving north for a new job. Admittedly, I wasn’t all that thrilled with the job I had but had no plans to move any time soon. Second was that I wouldn’t be at that job long due to problems with the boss and that the problems were not of my making but the boss would have physical problems that made her react irrationally. My pride instantly said, “I’ve never had a problem being let go before, I’m not about to start now.”

A little irritated by the negative aspects of the reading, I asked the spirits how long she had been reading. They told me she had been doing readings for seven years. Immediately I cracked a grin ear-to-ear thinking, “Now I understand, she hasn’t been reading for very long.” Without missing a beat she spotted my grin and defensively asked what I was doing now. I replied, “Nothing, I just asked how long you’d been reading and they told me seven years.” After a pause to think she said, “Yes I have.”

Well, needless to say, I did wind up moving shortly after that to a city in the north. The manager I was hired under turned out to have had a hysterectomy and had refused to take the supplemental hormones which caused her to react very impulsively (her admission). Yes, I was eventually let go in exactly the manner which the psychic stated. I can truly say; an amazing psychic and disconcerting odyssey overall.

P-town Mass.

Provincetown, Massachusetts is a nice little tourist attraction seated at the tip of Cape Cod. While on assignment in Boston I decided to make a trip and see what this town had to offer. After arriving in this quaint little village I decided to look around and take in the sites. As noon approached I spotted a very posh restaurant with an equally posh menu that looked very appetizing. While waiting for the main meal to arrive, I spied a sign saying, “Live Psychic Reading.” Ah, I thought, better live than dead I guess, but never-the-less something to do after I finished eating.

When I arrived at the store I was greeted by a salesperson from behind the counter, asking me if there was something he could help me with. After telling him about the sign in the window and my interest in a psychic reading, he told me it would just be a few minutes as she was with another client. I looked around and waited for about ten minutes when a young lady greeted me from a back room. For some reason, I suddenly felt a little blank and distant. I wasn’t quite sure what was going on in my head but I proceeded to the reading anyway.

As the reading began, I noticed she picked up a couple of blue azurite stones which she continued to hold during the entire reading. The first thing she told me was that I was a business man. No, I replied, and with that proceed to make other statements that were equally incorrect. After a while she became somewhat upset at all the no responses. My thought was, “Hey, I’m paying for the reading, I should be the one getting upset here.”

After the reading (?) was finished I informed her that I was psychic and was quite often put on the spot to prove it. She then turned to me and said, “Okay, prove it.” I then looked around to a table and spotted the stones she had been holding. After picking up the stones, I paused for a moment to retrieve their energy and said, “You’re in the process of moving to a new place that is going to be beneficial to you. I see more light and energy from this place. The place you’re moving from is dark and full of confusion and disappointment.” Her eyes widened at this point and she said, “You should be doing this for a living.” I grinned and thought to myself, “And, perhaps you shouldn’t.”

Despite how bad the reading went, I still don’t like to discourage anyone from trying to develop their talents no matter how crude they may be at the moment. I didn’t sense that she had any malevolent intentions, but rather was a little misguided in providing a service for which she wasn’t fully prepared for. My in-kind reading wasn’t an attempt at arrogance, rather it was to encourage her to go deeper in her spiritual quest and also put a positive spin on what was otherwise a failed reading.

Plymouth

Every town has its own signature energy it puts out and Plymouth, Massachusetts is no exception. Most towns I don’t mind visiting or working in, however, Plymouth was one of those I couldn’t wait to get out of. Not that it was a bad town, just something I wasn’t meant to experience at the time. Anyways, I would frequently visit relatives in the area and on my way to and from a sign kept popping out at me with, “Psychic Readings” with a telephone number for appointments.

One day, I decided to give in and made a call for an appointment. As the date and time came closer, I felt a little apprehensive about the reading. As a result, I intuitively took only enough money with me for the reading alone. When I arrived, I was greeted by the psychic who proceeded to tell me the how, what and why of her business. Okay, I thought, but it still didn’t relieve my apprehensions.

As the reading proceeded, I noticed that she would make overly generalized comments waiting for a response. This is a good sign that the reader in question is a “cold” reader fishing for information. While I was listening, a thought came to mind that she was leading up to something more. Just then, the proverbial other shoe dropped and she revealed that she had a cleansing ceremony that would cost only $100.00 more. Because I didn’t bring extra funds with me, it was easy to decline the offer and go for just what I paid for.

In this instance, the reader in question wasn’t at all very good except for the con. She had all the nice little psychic trinkets on hand to make it look legit; however, the substance of the reading was far from accurate. She is what I would term, a genuine “cold” reader or in-other-words just another fraud. Some people might say that I was a little too harsh and hasty to rush to judgment in this case. Perhaps, but the names have been changed to protect the “not so innocent.”

Recognizing the Good, Bad and the Ugly

Don’t be too eager to hop on the bandwagon with any reader, a healthy dose of skepticism is always good. Because the psychic industry is far from being regulated, recognizing the true, fake and otherwise fraudulent practitioners can be a daunting task at best. Always bear in mind that you are paying for the reading and are always in control.

A good reader may request your name, DOB, and perhaps the reason for the reading and nothing more. If you’re feeling uneasy about giving additional information and the reader insists, then it’s time to leave the reading. Pay close attention to what you’re feeling and don’t ignore it. There have been a few times I’ve knowingly walked into a sham just for the firsthand experience. I strongly discourage doing that for any reason unless you’re a very experienced psychic yourself.

Another trait of a good psychic is their ability to put the client as ease, with their self and their environment. If you start feeling a little awkward and out of place, chances are it’s not the place to be. The environment and the mannerisms of the psychic should be such that it feels right all around. Again, pay attention to that gut feeling and take appropriate actions to maintain your balance and integrity.

Finally, a good reader should be direct in their statements by avoiding open-ended statements or questions. Such as;” I feel that you have a previous husband who passed over that took his own life. There was nothing you could have done to save him and you know this.” (Taken from an actual reading)

Avoid continuous broad statements or questions like, “Did you have someone pass over?” or “You have special feelings for someone close to you.” Both the statement and question have little information aside from fishing for leads. A experienced reader will be able to pick up a greater amount of information. If they sound uncertain, chances are they are less experienced, in which case, listen with a cautious ear. Sometimes you may be receiving a reading from a novice, in which case something of pertinence to your situation could come through.

Tips When Seeking Psychic Advice

1. Stay Calm – Even if it’s the worst advice you’ve ever received, always remain calm and assertive. Fraudulent readers will often prey on emotional responses and where emotions are involved, they can be grand manipulators. Honest readers actually prefer calmness to emotions as emotions can hamper good readings.

2. Money Concerns – Bring only enough funds to pay for the reading its self. When possible, call for an appointment and ask for a price quote of the reading you desire. Try to leave your checkbook, credit cards and extra cash at home or in a safe place. This will help keep you from impulse spending and allow you an opportunity to think about any additional offers that may be provided. [1. Most merchant accounts have prohibited the use of credit card charges in association with psychic readings.]

3. Information Safety – Never provide any personally identifiable information such as social security number, bank account or credit card details. In fact, provide the least information possible for a reading. A simple yes or no should suffice until the actual reading is over. Most good readers will appreciate a simple yes or no; however, will discourage additional explanations until he/she is finished. My own philosophy extends to even discourage asking the purpose of the reading. To me, asking for the purpose or intent limits the scope of the reading right from the start. By limiting the scope of the reading I feel that I’m limiting the input of the client’s guides who may want to address something else entirely.

4. Trinkets of the Trade – A few token “spiritual” items are okay, such as a burning candle, crystals, and a few other odds and ends for decoration. Beware of the overstated and ostentatious parlor atmosphere that may do more at hiding than accenting the reader’s talents or lack thereof. Creating an ambiance and dressing up for theatrics are two different things altogether. Usually, as a rule of thumb, less is more.

5. Pricing – Paying for a reading shouldn’t run your bank account dry. Although we live in a very value conscious society which directly equates cost to value, more cost doesn’t necessarily equate to greater competency and/or worthiness. Standard rates for an online reading can range from $1.99 to 7.99 per minute which is roughly $60.00 to 240.00 per 30 minute reading. In person readings can range from $25.00 to 85.00 for the same 30 minute reading.

Sylvia Browne: The good, bad, or just plane ugly . . .

You decide.

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