Are most psychics poor?

Question

I have noticed the few psychics that I have seen around the town advertising, as spirit readers, etc, live in small, sometimes shack like houses. It seems to me that they would all be very wealthy, I mean just from betting on sporting events. Or able to charge thousands for their services. Or are they just very humble people. Seems like the number of famous psychics, I can count on one hand. And I have seen them perform terribly. But they are rich, while the majority are not. So are most poor? Or just act like it.

Answer 1

I would say most are pretty broke. If their "abilities" were real then they would all be millionaires.

Answer 2

Well, it all depends on whether or not their only income is from "psychic" livelihood or if they have a day job, etc.

I happen to have a day job that pays rather well and as a result I tend to use much of my income to pay for my travel and other expenses to help where I am "called". However, that's just me.

You have those people that don't know how to (or choose not to) do anything but "psychic work" and they can incorporate books and other services...one lady in particluar does massage, ear candling (mine in fact), etc.

Since I don't charge where spirits are concerned -- and that seems to be the majority of my "psychic work" these days; I will need to keep the day job and later I will probably teach classes and write books in addition to the day job.

Not all psychics are good people; just like not all Catholic Priests are good people; just like not all doctors are good people...and so forth.

I had one lady who only did "psychic work" as a day job and was so greedy and hell-bent on getting money that even though she *knew* I could communicate with spirits, etc she still tried to tell me that she *had* to charge me $4,000 to get rid of some "bad/evil" spirits in my house.

You can't lable all psychics as "fake" just because there are some bad ones out there...they don't all have the same gift; so what one can do, another may not.

Also, let's say over a course of 50 years a psychic has 1,000 "premonitions" or questions from people a year (probably more); over 50 years that's 50,000 "psychic predictions"...we all know that nobody is perfect; so we'll be generous and say they are 98% accurate --- pretty good in my book.

The laws of probability state that if this is the case, they will be wrong 1,000 times in 50 years -- and we need not forget that made them right 49,000 times in 50 years. The media picks up two or three examples and you're a fraud?

While I'm not defending any psychic in particular as some people that have been named have done things I do not agree with from a moral perspective (e.g. give medical advise, etc) I do believe they have done more good than harm and perhaps we need to remember this.

As far as winning money/prizes; it just doesn't work like that...most of the time, psychics can only help other people and not take care of they're own crap "psychically"; I have a friend take care of my "stuff".

Answer 3

I think the poor ones are the ones who are self-deluded into thinking they are really psychic. The good ones that make lots of money are ones who don't believe in psychic abilities and use a technique known as cold reading.
Cold reading is the classic con where the reader prods with generalizations until he/she starts getting a response. When they get a response, they start zoning in on specifics.
A good cold reader like John Edwards ("Crossing Over") will actually get the listener to give him information and then turn it around and pretend he is getting it from a spirit.
It works great because people who go to psychics and mediums a) usually already believe in thier abilities, and b) are greiving a loss, or at a stressful point in thier life and not thinking clearly.

Answer 4

I've been in contact with 2 people I would consider "true psychics" - they both brought up things that no normal person would know (one described a boyfriend perfectly a year before I met him). I would say they lived well but were not wealthy because the thing is, they believe they are "blessed" with their ability. To use it for personal gain (such as betting on sports) would be in direct conflict with their ideals. What you also have to remember about psychics as well is that our future is not set. It is like a butterfly affect where each choice we make can alter the future. So it really only is as they see it "right now." I would venture to say the poor ones may not have true ability or may not know how to use it well enough to provide for their needs.

Answer 5

I have not seen one win hte lottery yet. For the most part, the ones that are wealthy are the most manipulative and believable in their deception. They prey on the poor, immature and uneducated or the easily led and manipulated.

The majority of questions that so called psychics answer are yes/ no or ones with 50/50 answers- the fact is when really looked at- the percentage of times they are right is about the same percentage as any average person would get if asked- even the great Sylvia Brown has been wrong more often than right and the things she has been right about are pretty much no brainers.
The rest of what they do is very similar to horoscopes- general information that if given the right bent could be applied to anyone- they are very manipulative in the way they lead you to give information and make it look like it actually came straight from them.

Answer 6

Have you not seen the millions of Silvia Brown books....Oh I'm sorry you said psychic, not sell out....
Depends, they are like anyone else. Most people in this world are not wealthy at all. Most cannot make money because of the rich sell outs. They keep the population thinking its fake.

Answer 7

I had a friend and colleague who left grad school to open up a psychic reading business and shop where she sold roots, oils, candles, incense, etc. She made enough money to get by - for a while, mostly because fo all the gullible people that were around.

She admitted to me (off the record, or course) that it was all fake. Just tell people a combination of 1) what they want to hear, and 2) make some general statements that can interpreted in many different ways, and non-thinking people who already believe will continue to believe without engaging their brains - and most importantly, they will pay.

Answer 8

Regarding psychics being poor, my opinion is that it is a convenient but rather pitiful excuse that "psychics", for some unknown reason, are somehow incapable of desire for personal gain. That's just laughable. Psychics are immune to being human? Riiiiight.

This excuse is used to somehow explain why there still is no evidence whatsoever of psychic ability in anyone. Apparently they hide their powers to avoid the limelight. The real reason is that psychic abilities don't exist at all, but excuses are made to try to hide this fact. Besides, even if "real psychics" weren't interested in using their powers for personal gain, think of the immense wealth they could generate (simply from being famous!) and donate to worthy causes -- orphaned children, drought and famine relief, vaccines, etc., etc. Heck, the Randi prize is $1 Million, but that is only the start. Real psychics may disdain the almighty dollar, but there is no denying that money can buy a lot of food, clothes, shelter and medicine for needy people. Are "real psychics" such cold hearted monsters that they could use their powers to raise funds to ease the suffering of millions of people, yet refuse to?

Answer 9

Psychics are full of bologna -- all of them. Anything they have to say is too vague or too hard to prove.

As an example of a famous psychic, Sylvia Browne gives her predictions in such a way that leaves people with little opportunity to challenge her. Most people quietly accept her little blunders and/or she will deny that she is mistaken by saying stuff like "no honey... blah blah blah" and then takes a position of authority.

Check out Sylvia Brown's horribly wrong predictions here:
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/aspie/trueorfalse/sylviabrowne.html

Check out James Randi's paranormal challenge at the site below. He's offered $1 Million to anybody who can prove ESP or any other supernatural ability or phenomenon. Nobody has even come close to claiming the prize.
http://www.randi.org/research/index.html

Sylvia Brown & James Randi:
http://www.skepticreport.com/psychicpowers/dodgeball.htm

After reading the information at the sites listed above, I think any reasonable person would dismiss all psychic's claims to having any special ability or power.

Answer 10

So called 'psychics' like John Edwards, James Van Praagh, Sylvia Browne are millionaires ...so I'd say no in this aspect. I have though noticed around the area I live, that most do live in small houses, or have small building in which they conduct business. I myself, well I believe I'm psychic, and for years have been giving services for free.... eg.. Palm readings, predictions, etc. So I haven't made any money for my services. I believe that if you ask for a certain amount of money to do 'services', it is okay, but when your conning someone, or asking too much money for your ability/time...then you(the psychic) will lose some of your ability/power. I believe that if Sylvia Browne was psychically talented at one point, she has lost alot of her abilities now, because she doesn't ..well maybe practice, and/or she asks for too much money from people that ask for her services.( i heard her rates are 200 dollars per 15 minutes or so). Also, I do believe others like John Edwards use a technique like 'cold reading' and/or research their audience members/clients through an agent, a minion, or themselves pre-show interviews or questions to audience members.
I do feel it is okay to ask for money, but that it should be reasonable, and if you don't know...then tell the client so. Having someone keep coming to you, as if you have some great power is not right, God to me is the True power. We just have some minor ability/knowledge which might help you. Perhaps, like a doctor/lawyer/or plumber has some ability or knowledge you'd like to utilize. Money doesn't mean that Browne/Edwards are very great psychics...but just very good at marketing. I do feel James Van Praagh does have a strong psychic ability...and I hope he doesn't lose alot of it by asking ridiculous prices, or that he starts lying to his audiences too much, just to look good.

Answer 11

If I had such abilities I would not charge anyone as I don't feel that kind of service should be paid for. I would take it that many would be skeptical of my gift so I would not do so to direct attention to myself. I also would not feel the gift was given to me to gain profit but given because I am such a person who finds profit in knowing I have helped someone who honestly needed help. So this tells me to do so for personal gain regardless of how I gain would be wrong.
A question of where do you personally measure wealth, in many peoples cases it is the paper that has dead presidents folded in their pocket. If one honestly had such a gift, would money be so very important? I think not.
To honestly answer your question, you would have to interview those who live in such a manner. and compare your findings.
Food for thought: I once knew a man named Robert who had riches beyond normal but wore rags as garments. I asked him why he said if I dressed in a pinstriped suit people would ask me for my wealth and soon I would not have such wealth and now people give to me without me even asking.