Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
Jean and I went to see Colin Fry at Leas Cliff hall a few weeks ago, as Jean had seen him on the TV a few times and thought he was genuine and there were people she was hoping would contact her, through him.
We were very disappointed; he was working with a Lady Medium and it was like a double act - the Morecombe and Wise/Two Ronnies, of the Spirit World and it came across as not genuine at all, so quite a disappointment.
Roger
Guest 657- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 3,037
I would have been disappointed too Roger if it had come across more as a comedy show. That's the danger in that sort of set up. I often wonder about 'plants' in the audience or people who really want to hear from a loved one and are so desperate they try to make things fit/apply to them.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
There was nothing that seemed even remotely to do with either of us Jeane and some of the feeding off of each other was too light-hearted to be genuine - sad really.
Roger
Guest 644- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,214
Shame Roger. It really baffles me how some people fall for these mediums hook, line and sinker. To be a 'medium' one just needs to be clued up on the basic psychological technique of 'cold reading', i.e. throwing open and generic questions to the audience hoping that someone will pick up. "I'm sensing an old man...beginning with A...who smoked a pipe". That'll include a third of the audience immediately. Then narrow it down.."he had breathing difficulties...possibly a bad leg" and so on. Coupled with the odd plant in the audience for boosting credibility, and bob's your uncle.
Case in hand, a friend wanted me to come along to a psychic fair in Folkestone once, I just went along to keep him company, not because I believed in any of it. A woman got us together in a seated group of about 40, and talked about astral planes and whatnot. Then she announced that 'someone here is interested in UFOs'. I'd just been reading about the Roswell incident (yes, it was a weather balloon, I'm not that gullible), so reacted. Then she homed in on me and started asking questions about sightings I had had. This actually amounted to none. Of course it's hardly a shocker that in a room of people who embrace this new-age stuff, at least a couple would have an interest in the UFO phenomena. It'd be odd if there weren't.
Even if one can see through it, they've still got your money. If one only goes for entertainment, then fair enough I suppose.
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
A ghost!
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
One second i was smiling
, but then...
Guest 657- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 3,037
It is a shame Roger.
Phil, I am totally against cold readings and making money off people. I really wish this industry was better regulated. A good medium can be very good, a bad one really dire and don't get me started on the so called ones that prey on vulnerable people and frighten them.
Guest 644- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,214
I honestly don't know how one would regulate an industry that completely relies on intangibles, there being no reliable method of testing results. It'd be like trying to regulate priests, vicars, imams, rabbis etc - who, if any, has the genuine contact, and who could possibly police it?
Personally I would say all business 'psychics' should be labelled as 'entertainment only', and those being read be required to sign a disclaimer that states as such, but if the punter wants to take it further than that on that understanding, then that's a personal choice.
Guest 657- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 3,037
It is difficult to regulate. I don't advertise in the backs of psychic type mags as some of the ads seem pretty questionable to me and charging someone £60 for a reading is outrageous. Most of my clients have come to me via word of mouth - friends of family or friends from when I started doing readings for work colleagues etc and I prefer it that way. I deplore the ones who frighten people, one lady come and see me in tears because a so called psychic basically told her she didn't have long to live and another lady who was scared by a different psychic regarding a supposed curse. I am pleased to say that several years down the line both women are fine. I've had a psychic try to scare me too (she was pi**ed off that I beat her in one of these psychic ability tests for a magazine!) Luckily she picked on the wrong person but how can they sleep at night? I wouldn't be able to, it's so very wrong. I did 3 ½ years training but I'd be happy to sit a test or say it was for entertainment purposes only or record readings, but many wouldn't.
Guest 644- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,214
Frightening people like that is utterly appalling Jeane. It's tantamount to verbal harrassment, bullying or threatening behaviour. Those two ladies could have pursued criminal charges if they'd be minded to. What is wrong with some of these people?
Guest 657- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 3,037
I wished they had pressed charges but then again realistically what could the police do if they said "A psychic told me I'm going to die soon" or "I'm Cursed". When they had finished laughing probably not a lot, unless reports of the same name kept cropping up again and again. Often when people are scared they don't know which way to turn and get conned into handing over money to lift a curse or something. I have read about a few cases of those sorts of people being prosecuted and rightly so but many get away with it because people are afraid to report them for fear of being further cursed or looking stupid. It makes my blood boil.
one lady who i was going to call out wanted £70 for 40 mins! to do a reading
Guest 657- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 3,037
that's a lot.
As in all walks of life there will be con artists trying to make easy money out of people that believe there love ones are trying to make contact .