# Ask the Psychic **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 1, 2006, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953 "2006-05-01T14:20:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/201 "2006-05-04T18:41:23Z")
> [@Brain Wreck](#): > > If you guys can stop slugging each other for a minute, I’d like to hear one of the self-professed psychics tell us what sorts of things they’ve done that non-psychics wouldn’t be able to do. Without that, we don’t really have much basis to start with. You think the slugging has prevented that from happening? How about you read the thread? **Ashtar** has already said what he has done that he believes is psychic. ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/202 "2006-05-04T18:51:54Z")
> [@KGS](#): > > If only that were true. It is. > [@KGS](#): > > No, you’ve got it backwards. FIRST, you find the evidence. THEN, you test the evidence, and come up with a conclusion (if any conclusion can be derived from the evidence.) That is how Scientific Method works, and I’m a little disturbed that you don’t understand that What I said before was this: it is irrelevant to ask _how_ something works until it has been established that it _does_ work. To give a hypothetical example, it is pointless to ask ‘How does Lord Ashtar fly jusy by wishing?’ until we have some evidence that he _can_, in fact, fly by wishing. One has to _have_ a phenomenon before it is meaningful to investigate the causality or mechanism pertaining to that phenomenon. Your summary of scientific method does not bear on this point. With regard to your summary of scientific method, I agree - as I’m sure we all do - that one has to have evidence before one can test or assess it. It would be nonsensical to assert otherwise. But this is not, in and of itself, a summary of scientific method, which I believe progresses from observation to falsifiable hypothesis to controlled testing of that hypothesis via independently verifiable experiments yielding significant data. > [@KGS](#): > > And you know this…how? Your blanket dismissal isn’t Science, hell it’s not even a valid debate. And why even make that statement when you refuse to believe in psychic powers anyway?? I know it because I know enough about the two subjects to be able to say they have nothing to do with one another. On a related note, I’ve been involved with these debates about psychic and paranormal claims for something like 25 years. I’m lucky enough to have had privileged access to many sources on both sides of the debate. So I’m very well aware that this claim (a potential link between Chaos Theory and psychic faculty) crops up from time to time. I also know that no-one referring to this ‘link’ has ever been able to show that such a link or correspondence _actually exists_. I know that Deepak Chopra refers to such a link in his books. I know that other popular and successful writers on faith, belief and the paranormal also refer to such a link. It is an idea that has, as they say, passed into popular culture. But it isn’t true. Chaos Theory does not have anything to do with the functioning, or possible functioning, of psychic faculties. This isn’t a blanket dismissal. It would only be a ‘blanket dismissal’ if I didn’t know anything about it, but dismissed it out of hand anyway. But this isn’t the case, and it isn’t what I’m doing. I’m just telling you something that is so, much like I could tell you that set theory has nothing to do with how to tune a guitar. They are just separate things. It is not a case of whether or not you believe me. Go and talk to people who know what Chaos Theory is and who deal with this subject professionally and who can share their knowledge. You will find that they agree with me. It has nothing to do with psychic faculties. > [@KGS](#): > > AHA!!! So THAT’S where his prejudice comes from!! I should have known. All this time, he’s pretending to be fair & balanced, when in fact HIS CAREER depends on the non-existence of psychic power. That explains the denial, the evasive answers, and the barely concealed hostility. It all boils down to money in the end, doesn’t it? I am not prejudiced. I will believe in anything if there is a good reason to believe in it. I am not ‘pretending’ anything. My career does not depend on the non-existence of psychic power, and I’m unsure how you can derive this assertion from anything that has been said about me. The existence or otherwise of psychic abilities would have next to no bearing on whether or not people hire me to entertain them. As a performer, my career depends on being able to entertain audiences in a way that they like, and the record seems to suggest that I’m moderately good at this. In any event, this is not all I do for a living. Performing is part of the picture. I do other things as well. At the end, you said, _“It all boils down to money in the end, doesn’t it?”_. I’m not _entirely_ sure what you meant by this, but it seems to be a casual slur on my character suggesting that my sole motivation is money. This allegation is not based on any facts or information at all, and it does you no credit. I would never normally refer to the following information, but your slur on my character warrants a reply. For the record, sometimes I perform for money, sometimes I perform informally and for free, and sometimes I perform for no fee to raise money for charities and good causes. Since you raise the subject, I did a charity show on Sunday night to raise money for the ‘Pennies From Heaven’ charity, which works to help children with diabetes, Crone’s disease, spina bifida and similar medical problems. I gave up about three days of my time to help with this event, and that includes the two hours for which I was actually performing my one man show. All for no fee. “It all comes down to money?” I don’t think so. In future, kindly keep your insults to yourself. They do you no credit at all. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/203 "2006-05-04T19:16:06Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#): > > You think the slugging has prevented that from happening? How about you read the thread? **Ashtar** has already said what he has done that he believes is psychic. Sorry, I did read the thread and I can’t find it. It’s quite a long thread, perhaps I overlooked it. If you know which post it is, a link would be helpful. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/204 "2006-05-04T19:16:12Z")
> [@Polerius](#): > > What sort of questions would you expect from someone who is open minded about psychic abilities? **AuntBeast** and **KGS** asked me some good questions. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/205 "2006-05-04T19:18:57Z")
> [@Brain Wreck](#): > > If you guys can stop slugging each other for a minute, I’d like to hear one of the self-professed psychics tell us what sorts of things they’ve done that non-psychics wouldn’t be able to do. Without that, we don’t really have much basis to start with. I believe the claim was made that he can cut guns in half, _with his mind!_ 😃 kidding. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/206 "2006-05-04T19:23:04Z")
> [@Brain Wreck](#): > > Sorry, I did read the thread and I can’t find it. It’s quite a long thread, perhaps I overlooked it. If you know which post it is, a link would be helpful. But of course. [Here.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=7353929&postcount=56) and [here.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=7355485&postcount=78) ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/207 "2006-05-04T19:27:53Z")
> [@ianzin](#): > > What I said before was this: it is irrelevant to ask _how_ something works until it has been established that it _does_ work. To give a hypothetical example, it is pointless to ask ‘How does Lord Ashtar fly jusy by wishing?’ until we have some evidence that he _can_, in fact, fly by wishing. One has to _have_ a phenomenon before it is meaningful to investigate the causality or mechanism pertaining to that phenomenon. Two problems. One, you clearly refuse to even _entertain_ the notion that psychic powers exist. Two, your example of “Lord Ashtar can fly just by wishing” is a cleverly hidden straw man. (Kind of like asking someone, “When did you stop beating your wife?”) This makes any sort of rational debate between you and I very, very tedious. No offense intended, of course. I respect your world view, as long as you respect mine. But we’re of two separate minds on this subject, and there’s no way around that. > [@](#): > > With regard to your summary of scientific method, I agree - as I’m sure we all do - that one has to have evidence before one can test or assess it. It would be nonsensical to assert otherwise. But this is not, in and of itself, a summary of scientific method, which I believe progresses from observation to falsifiable hypothesis to controlled testing of that hypothesis via independently verifiable experiments yielding significant data. I know it because I know enough about the two subjects to be able to say they have nothing to do with one another. Well stated. However, I’ve already asserted (or rather, put forth the hypothesis) that psychic power _cannot_ be proven by scientific method. (For example – are you married? Do you love your husband/wife? Can you prove it? No, you _can’t_ prove it. You accept it on faith. That doesn’t mean it’s not true.) > [@](#): > > On a related note, I’ve been involved with these debates about psychic and paranormal claims for something like 25 years. I’m lucky enough to have had privileged access to many sources on both sides of the debate. So I’m very well aware that this claim (a potential link between Chaos Theory and psychic faculty) crops up from time to time. I also know that no-one referring to this ‘link’ has ever been able to show that such a link or correspondence _actually exists_. First of all, thanks for establishing that others have proposed a link between Chaos Theory and psychic power. Until now, I thought I was the only one. 😉 As for “proving” the connection…umm, HELLO! We don’t have the SCIENCE to prove it yet! We’re not there yet! > [@](#): > > This isn’t a blanket dismissal. It would only be a ‘blanket dismissal’ if I didn’t know anything about it, but dismissed it out of hand anyway. You think you know everything, but you don’t. That’s the logical fallacy you made. NOBODY knows everything about Chaos Theory yet. It is an infant science, basically the same place Chemistry was 2,000 years ago. (For example, Oxygen wasn’t “discovered” until the 16th century. What the hell did we breathe before then??!?) > [@](#): > > I would never normally refer to the following information, but your slur on my character warrants a reply. For the record, sometimes I perform for money, sometimes I perform informally and for free, and sometimes I perform for no fee to raise money for charities and good causes. Since you raise the subject, I did a charity show on Sunday night to raise money for the ‘Pennies From Heaven’ charity, which works to help children with diabetes, Crone’s disease, spina bifida and similar medical problems. I gave up about three days of my time to help with this event, and that includes the two hours for which I was actually performing my one man show. All for no fee. “It all comes down to money?” I don’t think so. In future, kindly keep your insults to yourself. They do you no credit at all. Ok, let me explain. We live in a Capitalist society. Therefore, money is important. Indeed, money is _critical_ for survival. There’s nothing inherently wrong with money, although I am highly cynical about Capitalism in general. However, some people – in fact, _most_ people, especially Americans – are solely money-oriented. I did not mean to assert that you were one of those people, and if I came across that way, then I do apologize. Let’s take a hypothetical situation. Let’s say, some kind of INCONTROVERTIBLE PROOF comes along, that makes you realize, everything you’ve written and spoken about the non-existence of psychic power, was wrong. Would you retract all your previous statements? My gut feeling is…no, you would not. You would choose to deny the proof, explain it away somehow. At least, that’s my gut feeling. Do NOT take this personally. Denial is a very natural, very human, and very COMMON reaction. This makes you no different from 95% of the human race. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/208 "2006-05-04T19:28:34Z")
[QUOTE=WOOKINPANUB] 1.How does your psychic ability manifest itself? (Do you see things, hear things, etc…?)[\quote] In the two examples I gave earlier of the distance and chakra readings, I saw images in my mind. A good way to demonstrate this might be for me to describe a bit of the chakra reading. We were focusing on the [seven main chakras](http://www.soundshifting.com/images/chakra-new.jpg) for the purpose of this reading. When I got to the her third eye (which is the source and representation of one’s intuition), I saw an image of an eye (whoa, big surprise 😉 ), but it looked rather wooden. The image pulled back, and I saw that it was a painting on a door. The door was locked, chained, and bolted. Ever see those cartoons where they lock a door and they use a ridiculous amount of locks? It looked very much like that. I described this to her and went on to finish. Afterwards, I asked her if that meant anything to her. She told me that lately she had been very distrusting of her intution. She had entered into a financial deal with someone who made all her internal alarms go off, but she went ahead with it anyway. He screwed her royally. > [@](#): > > 2.What if any practical use has it been to you thus far? (sensed there was gonna be a traffic jam and took an alternate route, veered from your usual routine for no particular reason and then ended up benefiting from the change, etc…) Pretty much nil, except to confirm for me that there is another world out there to be explored. > [@](#): > > 1. If we _were_ in your presense, what sort of things might you do to demonstrate your abilities (not necessarily what you have complete control over, but what would you be most likely to attempt)? I’d be more than happy to try a chakra reading. > [@](#): > > 1. Please give us your definition of psychic I posted the [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com) definition earlier, but was told it was too broad. If I were to narrow it some, it would be a person who has abilities that might include (but wouldn’t be limited to) premonitions, ESP, and telepathy. I’m sure someone will come along now to rip that definition apart as well. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/209 "2006-05-04T19:34:44Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#): > > But of course. [Here.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=7353929&postcount=56) In this one he just says he doesn’t do much of anything. > [@](#): > > [here.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=7355485&postcount=78) OK, so basically what we’re left with is “distance reading”, identifying characteristics of a person that one doesn’t know. Can you do that here? Can you “read” something about me that you presently don’t know? Preferably not something about personality characteristics or demographics, as you can probably figure these out from the fact and content of my posting here. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/210 "2006-05-04T19:45:16Z")
> [@KGS](#): > > It is an infant science, basically the same place Chemistry was 2,000 years ago. Just for the heck of it, exactly where was Chemistry 2,000 ears ago? > [@KGS](#): > > However, some people – in fact, _most_ people, especially Americans – are solely money-oriented. I did not mean to assert that you were one of those people, and if I came across that way, then I do apologize. Wow. Here are your words, **KGS-** - > [@](#): > > AHA!!! So THAT’S where his prejudice comes from!! I should have known. All this time, he’s pretending to be fair & balanced, when in fact HIS CAREER depends on the non-existence of psychic power. That explains the denial, the evasive answers, and the barely concealed hostility. > > It all boils down to money in the end, doesn’t it? To fail to offer anything other than an abject apology for such slander says volumes about your character. How can you pretend that these words are not calling him someone who will do anything for money? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/211 "2006-05-04T20:19:39Z")
> [@lynne-42](#): > > **Lord Ashtar** re your OP, I would be very careful that you are not being deluded by your obviously strong intuition and levels of empathy, to believe what you are doing is psychic. Nothing you have said to date goes beyond what I experience as a cold reader. I congratulate you on being able to do so instinctively. I have had to work on it. Revel in your abilities - but be careful of labelling them as psychic. Thank you for the kind words, and for the advice. Before this thread, I had no idea that cold reading could be done instinctually. I’ve learned some new information, which will be taken into account. Who knows, I may just change my mind. Like I said earlier, I’m always open to the possibility that I may be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/212 "2006-05-04T20:21:33Z")
> [@glee](#): > > From my post 29 in this thread: > > Lord Ashtar never answered me. > > (How come you missed this polite request?) Sorry, didn’t mean to ignore you. The responses came faster than I expected. Like has been described earlier, I just _know_. I guess I could liken it to how I just _know_ there’s a God. I do not believe in coincidences. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/213 "2006-05-04T20:22:56Z")
> [@Edward The Head](#): > > No, and I’m quite serious. My family lost something that’s worth money, I was hoping you could help me locate it. If you can then you get half of what I would get. Seems like it would be free money to me. Okay, that was a joke answer. The real answer is, like I said earlier (or meant to, anyway), I’m not clairvoyant so I can’t help you. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/214 "2006-05-04T20:27:22Z")
> [@Brain Wreck](#): > > Tell us which of these could be performed by interacting through this forum. If this forum doesn’t work for those kinds of things, then you can just say so. I have. I don’t have confidence that what I can do will work in cyberspace. So far I’ve only read people I was in the same room with. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/215 "2006-05-04T20:35:26Z")
> [@Lord Ashtar](#): > > I have. I don’t have confidence that what I can do will work in cyberspace. So far I’ve only read people I was in the same room with. So this wasn’t the distance reading then? Basically you sat in a room with someone and figured out things about them? Was this someone you already knew, or an acquaintance? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/216 "2006-05-04T20:36:43Z")
> [@Brain Wreck](#): > > OK, so basically what we’re left with is “distance reading”, identifying characteristics of a person that one doesn’t know. > > Can you do that here? Can you “read” something about me that you presently don’t know? Preferably not something about personality characteristics or demographics, as you can probably figure these out from the fact and content of my posting here. As I’ve said several times, no I can’t, or at least I don’t think I can. So far, I’ve only read people who are in the same room as I. Besides, if I were to perform a test over the internet and it were to fail, all that would prove is that I can’t do it over the internet. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/217 "2006-05-04T20:39:33Z")
> [@Brain Wreck](#): > > So this wasn’t the distance reading then? Basically you sat in a room with someone and figured out things about them? Was this someone you already knew, or an acquaintance? To describe the distance reading I did again (since it is a long thread, much longer than I anticipated it going): I paired up with someone in the workshop that I didn’t know beforehand. She brought to mind a person who wasn’t there and who I’d never met. I was able to describe his manner of dress, his preferred genre of music, and the fact that he had dropped out of school. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/218 "2006-05-04T20:43:54Z")
> [@Lord Ashtar](#): > > I paired up with someone in the workshop that I didn’t know beforehand. She brought to mind a person who wasn’t there and who I’d never met. I was able to describe his manner of dress, his preferred genre of music, and the fact that he had dropped out of school. Why does this take psychic abilities though? You don’t need psychic abilities to do that. You just need to observe the person, form an impression of them, make an educated guess of somebody remotely they might be thinking of, make some vague stabs and refine your guesses based on the feedback, until they say you’ve got it. And if this was a psychic workshop, of course it’s full of people who want the psychic thing to work, and could be unconsciously helping you. I’ve seen that done before, frankly, I always find myself amazed that the parties involved can’t see what really happened was just a conversation with nothing psychic about it at all. So other than that, what have you got? ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/219 "2006-05-04T20:59:51Z")
> [@Brain Wreck](#): > > Why does this take psychic abilities though? You don’t need psychic abilities to do that. You just need to observe the person, form an impression of them, make an educated guess of somebody remotely they might be thinking of, make some vague stabs and refine your guesses based on the feedback, until they say you’ve got it. And if this was a psychic workshop, of course it’s full of people who want the psychic thing to work, and could be unconsciously helping you. I’ve seen that done before, frankly, I always find myself amazed that the parties involved can’t see what really happened was just a conversation with nothing psychic about it at all. > > So other than that, what have you got? The question would be, what form did this take? You’re assuming he did this John Edwards style (I see a person with an L in their name…) with nothing to support that assumption. Now, that may be the case and it could have been unconsious cold reading but then again it may not be the case. In short, your ‘other than that, what have you got’ line is premature. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/220 "2006-05-04T21:02:09Z")
> [@Lord Ashtar](#): > > I posted the [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com) definition earlier, but was told it was too broad. If I were to narrow it some, it would be a person who has abilities that might include (but wouldn’t be limited to) premonitions, ESP, and telepathy. > > I’m sure someone will come along now to rip that definition apart as well. I can live with that definition, at least provisionally … Now, can somebody convince me that they, or _anyone_, actually _has_ these abilities? You know, the reason I read threads like this, and have sat through various (incredibly dull, btw) parapsychology tests, and suchlike, is because I would seriously _like_ to see some proof - I _want_ there to be new and unexplored areas of human knowledge and human experience out there. If I were shown something that incontrovertibly defied the known laws of science, I would be amazed, astounded, and overjoyed. (And then I’d be consumed with curiosity about how it worked.) But I find it impossible to believe in such things just on someone else’s say-so. (And, when I ask for some sort of proof, or even a decent example, and all I get in return is some variation on “oh, no, man, your bourgeois materialistic mindset is blocking you from feeling the cosmic love vibrations”, I will confess to feeling a bit narked.) Should I set a time limit for posting what the number on my computer is, by the way? (If I confirm or deny that it’s either 83 or 17, the odds will change - best to keep it at 100 to 1, I would think.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953.md?page=12)