# 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:** 12
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/221 "2006-05-04T21:31:26Z")
> [@glee](#): > > I think that psychics have a completely distorted idea of what evidence is. > How do you know psychic powers are elusive? > How do you know they are rarely reliable? > What separates an ‘elusive unreliable’ power from lucky guesses? > [@KGS](#): > > Uhh…what kind of questions are these? I can’t follow your logic here. Post 153 in this thread: > [@KGS](#): > > … **Psychic powers are very elusive, and rarely reliable**. I asked how you knew this. Isn’t it logical to ask you about your own statements? > [@glee](#): > > Ianzin can convince an audience that he really has psychic powers. (He’s even written a book on it.) > [@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? This is both silly and rude. If psychic powers don’t exist, why would anyone pay Ianzin to pretend to have them? Ianzin has been polite and clear throughout this thread. The ‘psychics’ have been evasive. Ianzin is a magician. A respectable and skilled profession. The sort of person who are motivated by money are psychics like Sylvia Brown, who charge around **$1750 per hour**. :eek: :smack: [http://www.sylvia.org/home/readings.cfm](http://www.sylvia.org/home/readings.cfm) FEES Phone reading with Sylvia - $700 …A Phone consultation with Sylvia … lasts approximately 20-30 minutes. ---
**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, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/222 "2006-05-04T21:41:21Z")
> [@Antinor01](#): > > 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. _shrug_ And the story also contains nothing to disprove that assumption. I don’t claim to know what happened, I claim that because it easily could have been a non-psychic event, that it is an inconclusive event. It doesn’t prove anything. > [@](#): > > In short, your ‘other than that, what have you got’ line is premature. After 6 pages of an “Ask the Psychic” thread, it isn’t premature at all to ask if he’s got anything besides one inconclusive instance in a _psychic workshop_ no less. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/223 "2006-05-04T21:41:53Z")
> [@Lord Ashtar](#): > > To describe the distance reading I did again … > > …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. Did you ask your partner any questions or just rattle off the description? (I expect you know that a ‘cold reader’ can have a conversation with someone, and leave them with the impression that the ‘cold reader’ is psychic.) You asked earlier if there was a test you could do. If your powers depend on sitting in a room with someone to describe a friend of theirs, then sadly we can’t make it work over the Internet. You would however be eligible for $1,000,000 from the Randi Foundation, if you can repeat your feat. > **[Home](https://web.randi.org)** > > JREF Finally here is the ‘remote viewing’ test I ran on the SDMB years ago (it’s long!): [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=226916&highlight=remote+viewing](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=226916&highlight=remote+viewing) ---
**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, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/224 "2006-05-04T22:46:01Z")
> [@glee](#): > > Post 153 in this thread: > > > [@KGS](#): > > > > …Psychic powers are very elusive, and rarely reliable. > > I asked how you knew this. Isn’t it logical to ask you about your own statements? Doesn’t the statement speak for itself?? Or, are you asking for _examples_ of how I came to that conclusion? I really don’t understand why you would even ask that question, or what you’re asking for. > [@](#): > > If psychic powers don’t exist, why would anyone pay Ianzin to pretend to have them? > Ianzin has been polite and clear throughout this thread. The ‘psychics’ have been evasive. > Ianzin is a magician. A respectable and skilled profession. > The sort of person who are motivated by money are psychics like Sylvia Brown, who charge around **$1750 per hour**. :eek: :smack: Ok, enough of this money shit. I’m sick of the topic. Let’s just assume that ALL of us are trapped in the web of capitalism, and we need money to survive, and we ALL use whatever creative gifts we have to MAKE MORE MONEY. And there is NO reason to be ashamed of it. Satisfied?? As for “the psychics being evasive” – how many “psychics” are even in this thread?? Only **Lord Ashtar** , and I think even he is starting to realize, he was mistaken about his psychic abilities. Who else is there? (And don’t say me. Because, I have _not_ claimed to be psychic in this thread. Not once.) ---
**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, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/225 "2006-05-04T22:47:23Z")
> [@Lord Ashtar](#): > > 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. Ah, okay. This is basically a cold read. In fact, it’s too weak to even be called that. You described the image in your head, which says nothing about mistrust, financial deals, and internal alarms going off. Just a bolted, chained lock. _She_ is the one who made the connection with that person in her life, not you. Like I said, it’s not even a cold read, it’s just a random free association. That’s not even remotely psychic. Frankly, I’m surprised. I really thought, you had “read” certain specific details (like hair color, the hat, etc.) that you could not possibly have known. Unless, there’s more to the story? ---
**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, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/226 "2006-05-04T23:00:39Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#): > > Wow. Here are your words, **KGS-** -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? Very well. I hearby _retract_ my apology, and stand by initial words, that **ianzin** is solely motivated by money. Or, at least, the survival of his career. (Judging by his hot-headed response, it’s pretty clear I hit the nail a little close to the head, right?) If that constitutes slander, call my lawyer. Oh wait, don’t do that. Call your lawyer instead. And wait for him to laugh in your face. I mean…slander?? What a joke. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/227 "2006-05-04T23:45:17Z")
Sometimes, particularly in threads on psychics (I find), one reaches the point where one realises that the best riposte is just to let some other poster’s own posts stand in all their “glory”. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/228 "2006-05-04T23:53:21Z")
Sometimes, particularly in threads on psychics (I find), one reaches the point where one realises that the best riposte is just to let some other poster’s own posts stand in all their “glory”. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/229 "2006-05-05T01:20:20Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > Sometimes, particularly in threads on psychics (I find), one reaches the point where one realises that the best riposte is just to let some other poster’s own posts stand in all their “glory”. Giving up, eh? Well, I saw that coming. (Hey! Maybe I am psychic after all…) ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/230 "2006-05-05T01:59:07Z")
Like I said, sometimes, particularly in threads on psychics (I find), one reaches the point where one realises that the best riposte is just to let some other poster’s own posts stand in all their “glory”. Your last being a good example. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/231 "2006-05-05T02:14:32Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > Like I said, sometimes, particularly in threads on psychics (I find), one reaches the point where one realises that the best riposte is just to let some other poster’s own posts stand in all their “glory”. Your last being a good example. So, you _are_ giving up. Just wanted to establish that. Such a shame…I thought we were actually starting to get somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/232 "2006-05-05T02:25:07Z")
> [@KGS](#): > > So, you _are_ giving up. Just wanted to establish that. > > Such a shame…I thought we were actually starting to get somewhere. Okey dokey. Pit thread shortly. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/233 "2006-05-05T03:58:07Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > Okey dokey. Pit thread shortly. I just knew this thread would end up this way. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/234 "2006-05-05T04:39:58Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > I just knew this thread would end up this way. Insert obligatory psychic quip here. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_The\_Younger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d9b06d/32.png) [@Paul\_The\_Younger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_The_Younger)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/235 "2006-05-05T05:10:19Z")
> [@Steve Wright](#): > > 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.) No need to set a limit, I know that the number is 06. I also know the answers on Jeopardy, before the questions are asked. ---
**Author:** ![Taber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ac91a4/32.png) [@Taber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taber)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/236 "2006-05-05T06:23:57Z")
> [@Paul The Younger](#): > > No need to set a limit, I know that the number is 06. > > I also know the answers on Jeopardy, before the questions are asked. you know, if we can keep the randomly guess Steven Wright’s number joke going for 96 more posters, one of us will get it right, and thereby be proven to be psychic my random guess…er psychic power tell me it’s 32 ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/237 "2006-05-05T08:24:20Z")
Psychic powers are very elusive, and rarely reliable. > [@KGS](#): > > Doesn’t the statement speak for itself?? Or, are you asking for _examples_ of how I came to that conclusion? I really don’t understand why you would even ask that question, or what you’re asking for. Of course that statement doesn’t speak for itself. (Why do you think it does?) Your statement assumes that psychic powers exist, that they are very elusive and rarely reliable. I want to know why you think psychic powers exist. If they are very elusive and rarely reliable, how can you tell them apart from guessing? > [@KGS](#): > > Ok, enough of this money shit. I’m sick of the topic. Let’s just assume that ALL of us are trapped in the web of capitalism, and we need money to survive, and we ALL use whatever creative gifts we have to MAKE MORE MONEY. And there is NO reason to be ashamed of it. Satisfied?? **You** were the one who made a snide remark about Ianzin and money. I called you on it. I earn my living as a chess teacher. Ianzin runs a business. These are both perfectly respectable ways to earn a living, and we can both show results for what we do. Sylvia Brown charges \*\*incredibly high fees \*\* for being psychic, yet there is \*\*no evidence \*\* she can do anything. > [@KGS](#): > > As for “the psychics being evasive” – how many “psychics” are even in this thread?? Only **Lord Ashtar** , and I think even he is starting to realize, he was mistaken about his psychic abilities. Who else is there? (And don’t say me. Because, I have _not_ claimed to be psychic in this thread. Not once.) Once again, **you** first claimed people were being evasive. You gave no evidence to support it. I thought I would use the phrase myself and see how you reacted. Finally, are you psychic? ---
**Author:** ![lynne-42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lynne-42/32/3138_2.png) [@lynne-42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lynne-42)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/238 "2006-05-05T11:26:27Z")
> [@KGS](#): > > It’s dangerous, though, to dismiss any theory because it does not conform to “known science”. Agree totally. But to accept new theories I want some evidence. And theories which have failed testing time and time again should be dismissed until some evidence is provided. Otherwise you end up stuck with retaining everything anyone proposes. Of course, ‘known’ science may well be wrong - it is always under revision. That’s what’s so intriguing about aplying scientific method. Science can only ever be “to the best of our current knowledge”. We can’t prove there isn’t psychic power. But to believe there is, there needs to be some evidence. Fun, isn’t it? You can never be totally sure you are right. I like that. > [@KGS](#): > > As for Chaos Theory – and you seem the perfect person to ask 🙂 – it is my understanding, that the basic tenent of Chaos Theory is this: **“Very small changes in the initial conditions can create enormously different results.”** Am I right about that? That is the way one aspect of it is quoted. It is referring to processes which can be described mathematically. Deterministic systems (ones with equations) aren’t totally predictable. Weird. Chaos Theory is very much a theory and very much under debate as to where it applies and where it doesn’t and whether the link from the mathematics to the real world is always justified, but it is great fun. Bascially, the famous Butterfly Effect is that very very small changes in the initial conditions can cause huge changes in the outcome. They usually don’t - the system’s attractors usually drag things back to the expected patterns. Lynne ---
**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/239 "2006-05-05T12:19:10Z")
OK, let’s see if I have some powers… **Czarcasm** ’s coin is Athenian and **Steve** ’s number is 62 ---
**Author:** ![lynne-42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lynne-42/32/3138_2.png) [@lynne-42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lynne-42)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953/240 "2006-05-05T12:32:50Z")
Steve’s number is most definitely 42. It is the answer to Life, the Universe and Everything. Lynne [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-psychic/354953.md?page=13)