Have you ever had an accurate psychic reading?

A comment in another thread made me wonder about this. I've had several readings by psychics and a couple by card readers, and the results have been widely varied. In only two cases do I feel there was accuracy that seemed to go beyond mere coincidence.

The more interesting of the two was a very professional young woman who told me that I should be cautious in dealing with a man I already knew who was dark-haired, "almost ethnic-looking." She said he would be very good for me in the short term, but over time, would do me harm if I let him have too much power over me. I asked if this was a business relationship or a personal one, and she said it seemed to be some of both, but primarily business.

She couldn't have been more right! There was exactly such a man, and he was my employer for over 15 years. We went through both personal and professional trials of all sorts, and in many ways, he did me a great deal of good. But in the end, he betrayed me terribly, and I'm still recovering.

So how 'bout you? Have you ever had a reading that you feel was truly insightful? And if so, were you able to use the information to alter the outcome in some way?

Me personally, I have never been to a psychic. I do not believe in that sort of stuff. I do believe that a few people here and there have a special gift for it- but i think the majority of the ones out there claiming to be psychic are just in it for the money. So while i'm not into that sort of thing, i do hope you find whatever it is you're looking for perhaps though, instead of looking for answers in someone else, if you search yourself hard enough- you'll find them inside of you

I haven't, but my mom has: more than 30 years ago, she went with a bunch of girlfriends to get a psychic reading. The woman told her she would meet a tall, dark, handsome man (so predictable, eh?), they would marry but not before tragedy would befall them, and they would have a dark-haired daughter. A few months later, she met my dad (who is tall, dark and handsome), her paternal grandmother died (rather unexpectedly), and a year or so later they had me, and I'm dark-haired (which is not surprising, because my father is dark-haired and it's a dominant genetic trait).

I tend to mess with psychics, personally. I know how cold-reading is done (I'm actually pretty good at it: people give off subtle cues, based on how they dress, how they act, what they do or do not say, and how it's said) and I like to skew the results by behaving in a manner that is opposite to how I really am. So, I'll act meek and quiet when I'm actually quite confident and loud. I figure, of they're really psychic they'll see through the ruse and my reading will be accurate; if they're not psychic, I'm just amusing myself (so it's not really a waste of money if I'm having fun). I'm weird that way, though.

Yesterday, my friend Jen had a Tarot card reading, at the street fair. The guy told a Jen bunch of stuff that she already knew. I was standing by, listening and he was definitely doing a cold reading, picking up verbal and physical cues from her. He asked probing questions about her kids and job and then used her reactions to formulate his "reading"

Originally Posted by StarryEyedTiGeR

...perhaps though, instead of looking for answers in someone else, if you search yourself hard enough- you'll find them inside of you

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Ah, but that's exactly where I think the answers do come from! I think a person with genuine psychic ability is just tapping into the "higher self" of the person he's reading, the self that has a universal awareness that our conscious selves rarely achieve.

I think that's why we so often find wisdom and "answers" in our dreams -- because our higher selves sometimes use dreams to enlighten us.

Katl8e and Mirinae -- don't worry, I'm not a gullible mark desperately searching for guidance from a series of whackos! I've had psychic experiences myself, so I know the phenomenon is real... but I'm also intelligent enough to know how easily it can be faked.

I only asked the question because I wondered what sorts of experiences other people have had with psychic readers and other New Age types...

............Yes.

There is a show on CourtTV called Psychic Detectives. I like to watch it (when I get the chance to watch TV).
Personally, I have never had a reading or known anyone that did.

I've had a few that held some possible truth.

One was a guy in New Orleans. He said I would have a lot of transportation issues, possible theft in the near future and that the number 3 was signifigant.

Soon after I returned home these events occurred: my car was broken into, a month later my car was stolen and my dad's car was stolen (we lived in different cities back then).

I also go to this woman every 4 years who does readings on the side from her apartment (no signs or ads. she only takes you by referral). She has made some accurate statements that are uncanny. There's a bunch of stuff, so I won't tell you all of it. Here's a few:

She once said she saw me looking at strips of slides and dealing with precious stones or rocks. Then she said she pictured me at roadside diners and motels. A few months later I got hired to work on a documentary about amber in the carribean. I had to load all the film. The next week we flew to Colorado and did another documentary on dinosaurs. We drove around Colorado and Utah to different dig locations and museums which involved a lot of motels and diners.
There is no way she knew that I worked in documentaries as when I went to see her I had just graduated and never had done a documentary before.

She told me a few years ago that she saw me working in someplace far away like Africa. This past year I worked for two months in Africa.

She told me that a man named John was going to come into my life and play a big role, but not as a boyfriend. About a 2 years ago, my co-worker partner started up another career and we split. I got approached by someone named John to work as his partner. He and I have worked together now for 1 1/2 years. He's also become a very close friend to me and my boyfriend.

My mom's friend went one time to see her. She brought a photo of her boyfriend. The psychic took a look at the photo and put a hand to her ear, almost in pain. The boyfriend was deaf in one ear.

I'm not saying I totally believe, but I think some people have a gift. There are definetly a lot of fakes and phonies out there. Usually a neon sign indicates a fraud.

Originally Posted by Mirinae

I tend to mess with psychics, personally. I know how cold-reading is done (I'm actually pretty good at it: people give off subtle cues, based on how they dress, how they act, what they do or do not say, and how it's said) and I like to skew the results by behaving in a manner that is opposite to how I really am. So, I'll act meek and quiet when I'm actually quite confident and loud. I figure, of they're really psychic they'll see through the ruse and my reading will be accurate; if they're not psychic, I'm just amusing myself (so it's not really a waste of money if I'm having fun). I'm weird that way, though.

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Heh... I've always wanted to do that.

I had one last month and it was pretty accurate for me and my friend who I went with. For me, he was very very accurate.

I would go back again, but to a different one, to see if they said pretty much the same things.

Living in Salem, Massachusetts gives me a bit of a unique perspective. We host an annual psychics fair here every year.

IMO, 98% of them are false and just out for your money.

I read my own tarot and runes, and thus have no need to pay to see a "psychic:" if you look deep enough within, you WILL find what you are looking for.

Originally Posted by GingersMom

Living in Salem, Massachusetts gives me a bit of a unique perspective. We host an annual psychics fair here every year.

IMO, 98% of them are false and just out for your money.

I read my own tarot and runes, and thus have no need to pay to see a "psychic:" if you look deep enough within, you WILL find what you are looking for.

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I agree with this point. In a way, a good tarot or rune reading can be like journalling or talking an issue out: you focus your mind on it in a less linear way, and eventually come to a solution or a realization. By thinking about something else -- the meaning of the cards, maybe -- you allow your subconscious mind to come to its own conclusions. You already know the answers, but you need some help in finding them.

I do use tarot cards upon occasion ... to come up with character descriptions and plotting in novels. When I'm really stuck, I'll do a quick three-card spread and see if that sparks anything. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but it gives me something creative to do.

I think most are charlatans OR that there are some that are very good at listening/observation and can use that to produce good readings.

But I also believe the universe is more mysterious than we could ever imagine, and I believe that what we call "psychic" powers can and do exist.

Gary has dreams that come true - which leads me to believe that the "threads" of our lives converge and mean certain things WILL happen - and that that information is available to us at some level, somehow.

Laurie

Originally Posted by LDG

Gary has dreams that come true - which leads me to believe that the "threads" of our lives converge and mean certain things WILL happen - and that that information is available to us at some level, somehow.

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I've had that experience before- and it's pretty terrifying and delightful at the same time. I believe when those moments happen that it means you're arriving at a place in your life that you were meant to see.

As for psychics- I've never been myself but am interested (and a little scared) to go. I do strongly belive that such abilities exist, but agree that many "psychics" are just good guessers who want to make money. Not that being a good guesser isn't a surprising skill in itself, just not what I'd like to pay for.

Originally Posted by Fred&Nermal

...Usually a neon sign indicates a fraud.

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Ha! Yes, F&N, I'd certainly agree with that! But your experiences sound very genuine -- I think you have a truly gifted psychic there. And from their eyes, I'd say your cats are probably having some strange visions, too!

GingersMom -- I've used tarot cards a couple of times, too, and I think we're using them similarly: as a way of focusing our thoughts and seeing things from different angles. Most people who use tarot seem to think the cards themselves have some kind of mysterious power, which I think is nonsense. The power is in the mind of the person using them.

Mirinae -- I'm a writer, too, but I would never have thought of using the cards to help define characters! Great idea!


So far, it doesn't sound as if anyone here has been able to use a reading to keep something bad from happening -- which may let me off my own hook a bit. I've been feeling stupid for allowing my employer to wreck my life in spite of the warning I received about him years ago... all I had to do was quit the job, but did I have sense enough? Noooooooo...

I've given tarot readings that were scarily accurate... but IMO anyone asking for your money for them is *probably* a fraud. Not always, there are a few I've run across who have been travelling with fairs and such who barely charge anything much who have been eerie.

But for the most part, it is an uncanny ability to read people, their reactions, subtle clues they give you unconsciously. It's nothing supernatural. You can tell a whole lot about people in about 30 seconds, and I have yet to instinctively distrust someone and turned out to be wrong.

Like "Psych" the tv show, where he passes himself off as psychic when he's just a really good detective. Most psychics who aren't that crazy fake-caribbean woman on tv are just excellent detectives who could also be therapists.