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This is an interesting article because at first it logically looks at how to see through a fortune teller or psychic, and points out multiple ways to prove they are a fake, but then it kind of contradicts all of that by presenting the description of what a real psychic will be like.

This article raises the idea of an interesting reason for belief which could be patternicity, at least for this particular author of this article. They look at all these different aspects that add up to what a real psychic would be, which could be considered a pattern in personality and the actions they commit that make them a believable psychic.

Some red flags that can be seen in all of this include Confusion Of Correlation With Causation and Confirmation Bias. This article seems to conclude that if a psychic is acting a certain way and perform their divination's in a certain way then they must be legitimate. This isn't a correct way of thinking because it allows you to make assumptions with no critical thinking really involved, which can allow you to be scammed by phony fortune tellers.

Additionally there is some confirmation bias present because the article is assuming that aspects they have noticed on more convincing psychics are defining of them and are proof that they are legitimate fortune tellers/psychics.

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Another interesting side topic from the typical psychic or fortune teller, is the fortune cookie. You generally get them when you order Chinese food in North America, and they contain a fortune (usually a piece of advice or inspiration message about your future) and "lucky" lottery numbers. This article explains the history of the cookie and reveals its origins. Originally they didn't contain a fortune at all but simply a short bible verse, and there was no inclusion of any lucky lottery numbers.

When looking at fortune cookies critically, its easy to see multiple red flags. One in particular is proof by verbosity, because there are probably millions of fortune cookies and just as many people reading them, its possible that someone will eventually read something that comes true or resonates with them. This could potentially lead people down the path of believing in them on a serious level.

One particular reason for belief in this type of fortune telling, is simply the Unexplained. Because sometimes the predictions on the paper in the cookie true, people might think there is some unexplained phenomenon behind it that explains why it works.

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fortune cookies asian asian food chinese food dessert

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Born in California, of Chinese American-or maybe Japanese American-origin by Borgna Brunner Related Links Origins of APA Heritage MonthAsian-American HistoryTimeline of Asian-American HistoryAsian Foods Primer Like chop suey, fortune cookies are an American invention. They originated in California, but who the actual inventor was, and which city in California is the true home of the fortune cookie, has continued to be a matter of debate.

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How To Tell If A Psychic Or Fortune Teller Is Genuine

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How To Tell If A Psychic Or Fortune Teller Is Genuine

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Nell is fascinated by the paranormal. She is a Pagan, and loves all things magical.

Psychic Readings

There are many Psychic Reading sites on the Internet these days, and throughout the Country you will find loads of weekend flea markets or sales that always have a Psychic in residence. What with Clairvoyant, Medium or Psychic Painters selling their wares, how do we know which one is genuine or is in fact a con artist?

In my town we often have Psychic Fairs, and I have visited them loads of times. Mainly to buy my Tarot Cards or pick out a piece of Silver jewellery that catches my eye. And on browsing around I see loads of different Readings, from Tarot Cards and Runes, to ghostly Psychic Drawings that tell you that the person the Psychic has drawn for you, is actually your great great grandmother. The point is, they all look so genuine.

And before I go on, I would like to add that I believe most of them really believe that their Gift is actually true. I doubt very much that someone would take up this profession without actually having some sort of Psychic experience. What I do believe is that they think they can do the Cards or speak to great aunt Elsie who lived years ago. But how do we know which one to pick?
Psychology, Suggestion, Manipulation
I have been reading the Tarot Cards ever since I was 16 years old. My whole life before that consisted of loads of different Psychic happenings that got me interested in why and how this sort of thing happened. It was a natural progression that made me want to try and help people by reading the Tarot Cards. Before I go on, I would like to add that I have studied Psychology for over four years, and I could have taken the last course and become a councillor.

So I am fully aware of the fact that a lot of Psychic Readings are nothing more than being able to 'see' what the person is like, read how they react, and be aware of the fact that they actually want to believe you, because they are paying you, and of course they want the excitement. Therefore they are very open to suggestion and can easily be manipulated into revealing information and then afterwards, thinking that actually they believe the Psychic is the one that told them this info.

Signs of Fraud

First of all let's address the fraud. This is blatantly a way to get as much money out of you as possible. The know they are fraudsters, all they want to do is manipulate you, and convince you that they are telling the truth.

So the first thing that you have to do when walking around a Psychic Fair for example, is to go and stand just outside of personal range as I call it, but make sure you can hear, see, and get the impression of what is true and what's not. Not only will this tell you what's going on, but you will be able to see whether the Psychic starts to look uncomfortable, giving you sidelong glances and fidgeting for example. I have seen this a number of times, and it's a great give away.

Second, see how many times they repeat themselves. For example, do they ask for background info, and then throw it back at the recipient later in the conversation? By taking this initiative, it will be obvious that they are 'fishing' for information. By playing on the same words and conversation they are actually trying to make you remember the phrase or word that they have got right. They read people, its as simple as that. Also a real Psychic will not charge you too much money. Always go for the cheaper option, because the more expensive ones mean they have been doing this for years. Watch the Psychics face for a little smile or a sign of triumph. Its not hard to see. Count how many times they get something right, compared to what is wrong.

And don't forget to listen into conversations after the recipient has left. Many frauds like to boast to someone that the reading has gone really well, and 'I am such a good reader, etc'.

Fooling Themselves

A Psychic who believes that they are genuine will act with enthusiasm, treating the recipient with respect and smiling a lot. He or she will be so pleased with themselves when they get the answers right, that they tend to give themselves away by this action. Its as though they are guessing, and when it is clear they are spot on, will smile and preen. But what in fact they are doing is reading the person. Its not hard.

Take for example that the person getting the reading is a teenage girl. Its obvious that the Psychic will automatically start talking about boyfriends and school, or meeting a talk dark stranger at a nightclub! Bit of a give away! They will look all innocent and in fact believe that they have nothing to hide. But in fact they are just getting into the zone of the participant. Even a teenage girl will have other problems, so this is a great give away.

The Real McCoy Genuine Psychics

A real genuine Psychic will stand out a mile. If you know what to look for. He or she will only look at the Tarot Cards or the palm of your hand when doing Palm Reading. He/she will be concentrating so much on what they can see before them, they will not even take a look at the participant. Their concentration will be purely on the Reading. Listen in, and you will see that they talk about all sorts of family life, court cases, illnesses that can be proven by the participant, and things that have genuinely happened in the past. And more importantly, they will admit their mistake if they read it wrong.

If they are doing a Future Reading, and the participant totally disagrees, instead of trying to rectify their mistake, the Reader will turn and say something along the lines of, 'well this is what I can see.

It may seem strange to you now, but I see this in your future whether you believe it or not' In other words they won't care if it sounds 'out there' or strange, they say what they see. Simple as that. A real genuine Psychic will also give you a written or taped text of the conversation. They won't be afraid of any come backs because they believe in what they are saying. Once the participant has got over the initial suspicion, they will see that everything they have been told Is in fact true, or as near to the truth as can be. Even if the reading turns out to be completely wrong, they will still appreciate the fact that they Psychic tried their best and didn't try to lie to them.

How To Act When Sitting For A Reading

You are paying a lot of money for your Tarot or Card reading. So do not give them any information. Never ever tell them anything about your past, where you live or how old you are. But the most important thing is to stay blank. Literally.

Sit comfortably in your chair, do not smile, move around or do anything that will let the Psychic read you. Even a small thing such as scratching your nose, will actually give off signals that they can read. Body language is a very easy thing to pick up on. And when they get something completely right, just nod and say yes or no to whether you understand what they mean. This way, you will be able to pick out the genuine from the fraud. All con artists use this ploy. You will totally stump them by keeping still, have a blank expression, and never ever give them info that they can work on. This is when they will show their true colors.

And the most important thing is to keep an open mind.

I have been doing readings for years, If I get it wrong, I hold my hands up. I also tell them before I start that I read the Tarot Cards with a dash of Psychology to help them with a problem. If they ask me where the info comes from, I just hold my hands up and admit that I have no idea. I explain that it could either be a power from 'beyond' or a part of my brain that somehow picks up signals from the participant, even future readings, or something that scientists do no know yet.

And most important. The participants keep coming back. Because I tell the truth about my 'powers'. Trust the participant, and most importantly they will trust you.

Have a great time with your Psychic Reading, and most importantly, never ever take it too seriously. Nobody knows the future, it is down to you. We are just there to help you see the choices that you can make.

Good luck!

Did You Know?

The tarot, first known as trionfi then later tarocchi, was mainly played by the French and the Italians. The cards were first used in Europe in the mid 15th Century. To start with, they were used as a pack of playing cards.

But from the 18th Century, Tarot Cards have been used by mystics and occultists to tell fortunes. Even though the word Tarot is taken from the Italian word tarocchi, it actually doesn't mean anything, but some say that it comes from the Taro river in northern Italy, near Palma.

More mysteriously, another idea is that it comes from the Arabic word turuq, which means 'four pathways'

But maybe there is an even darker side to the Tarot. Some question whether it is related to the words Harut and Marut who were mentioned in a short sentence in the Qu'ran. According to the account, a group of Israelites learned magic, because Two Angels, Harut and Marut, wanted them to demonstrate it for them. But in reality, the two Angels wanted to test their will power. It was told that this magic would be passed on to others by the Devil.

Most Tarot or Card readings these days have to state thet they are for entertainment only, so I will just say, never take it too seriously, have fun and at the end of the day, its something to chat about with your friends!
The above is my opinion and doesn't claim to involve any religion or infringe on anybodys belief.

Copyright Nell Rose

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How to Tell if a Psychic or Fortune Teller Is Genuine

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Fortune Tellers have been around for a long time, but not all of them can really see into your future. Here's how to check which one is really telling you the truth. Don't part with your money unless you are sure.

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Fortune Telling: Fact, Fiction And Fantasy

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Fortune Telling: Fact, Fiction And Fantasy

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This website looks at fortune telling from a logical standpoint, and after presenting all the different methods from divination from laughter and phrenology to dream interpretation and cats it explains the psychology of it all and why all of it is almost certainly invalid.

All of these methods tend to contradict each other and readings from things like tarot cards or reading a palm can have drastically results if done seconds apart or from different psychics/fortune tellers.

When looking at reasons of belief for all these different methods presented in this article, one I noticed that encompasses them all is simplicity. Because a good amount of people who do visit fortune tellers and the like seriously, usually believe in having a "destiny", meaning they would rather not try and explain fortune tellers and critically think about their divination's but rather they would just accept it as it is easier. This pushes them down the path of determinism, as opposed to free will, because when they hear their fortune they become subconsciously determined to make that the truth for their future.

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Palm reading, dream interpretation, numerology, phrenology - and other methods of predicting the future - don't work.

Credit: Everett Collection Shutterstock

Fortune-telling has been practiced for millennia. Humans have always yearned to know what the future has in store for us. Who doesn't want a glimpse - even if only for a few moments - of the cosmic plan to see if our destiny lies in riches or ruin?

Divination by laughter and cats

Some of the claimed methods for divining the future are simply bizarre. Gelomancy, for example, involves carefully listening to hysterical laughter (and even animal noises) for clues about the future. Those who practiced felidomancy claimed to know the future by observing cats; everyone knows that a black cat crossing your path predicts bad luck, but did you know that sneezing is a cat's way of predicting rain? [ Countdown: 13 Halloween Superstitions & Traditions Explained]

Animal lovers won't be enthusiastic about it, but one popular method of fortune-telling practiced in ancient times called haruspication required someone to cut open a recently butchered animal and pull its intestines onto the ground to see if the bloody entrails formed any symbols that could be interpreted as a portent of things to come.

Numerology, phrenology & palmistry

Many believe that a person's name (or even how many letters are in a name) give important clues to what their future will hold. One form of divination held that bumps on the skull could accurately predict not only a person's personality but indeed their future. This "science" of phrenology was not a weird, fringe belief but instead wildly popular even among well-educated Americans and Europeans in the 1800s.

There are many hundreds of long-discredited (and self-evidently absurd) fortune-telling methods. Many equally unlikely techniques are practiced today, including numerology, reading tea leaves, consulting tarot cards, and examining the lines on a person's palm.

Dream interpretation

For millennia, dreams have universally been considered a fortune-telling tool, and there is a thriving cottage industry of books, DVDs and fortune-tellers who claim to divine your future by interpreting your dreams. For example, dreaming about an attic means that you will renew an important friendship, and dreaming about walnuts indicates that losses and financial ruin are in store. (If you repeatedly dream about eating walnuts in an attic with an important friend while you lose money, you may want to seek therapy.)

The psychology of fortune-telling

Whatever form the fortune-telling takes, the basic process is the same: seeking meaning in random patterns and phenomenon. Some essentially random event is observed in nature (animal sounds are created, dreams are recorded) or caused to happen (tea leaves are stirred, cards are shuffled), and people closely examines the results trying to make meaning or sense of them. The human brain is very good at finding (or creating) meaning even when there is none, such as in random patterns. That's why people see faces and other images in clouds, Rorschach blots, and coffee stains. This phenomenon, called pareidolia, is well known in psychology.

Validity of fortune-telling

Do any of these fortune-telling tools work? Unfortunately not, and it's not a difficult question to test. Fortune-tellers failed to predict the September 11, 2001, attacks, the recent global economic collapse, the 2011 Japanese tsunami and nuclear meltdown, and countless other important world events that would have saved innocent lives if they'd been accurately predicted.

The most obvious problem is that different fortune-telling methods discredit each other (and themselves) by giving inconsistent and contradictory predictions. Not only do answers vary between methods, but they even vary between consultations of the same signs. Two tarot card or tea leaf readings minutes apart with the same person asking the exact same question about the future should come up with the same answer, but they don't.

If you want to know if something could possibly happen to you, the answer is always yes. If you want to know if something will happen to you, the future is always uncertain.

Credit: ollyy Shutterstock

Let's say, for example, that someone wants to know if they will move to Paris in the next 10 years, or whether the current president will be re-elected next term. If any of these fortune-telling methods worked, they should all give the same answer; it shouldn't matter whether you ask a psychic, read tarot cards, or sprinkle a handful of flower petals on the ground and look for guidance. The answers should all be the same, since either you will or will not move to Paris, and the president either will or will not be re-elected. Instead, the answers are often no better than chance (which, in these examples, is 50/50 anyway). This is the same reason that a person can consult 10 different psychics and get 10 different answers about the future. If these fortune-telling methods are so fallible and fickle, why use them at all?

It also raises another question: If any of the methods really worked, why would there be so many? Why not stick with a proven, reliable method instead of devising literally hundreds of other fortune-telling tools? If reading tea leaves was scientifically proven to be a more accurate way to predict the future than, say, gazing at crystals or consulting the tarot, then people would naturally use the method that works. Instead, all fortune-telling methods are equally valid (or invalid) because they are all based on the same faulty premise, that reading meaning into random phenomena predicts destiny.

Even many books devoted to fortune-telling admit that the techniques are unreliable; a "Note to the Reader" prefacing "The Complete Book of Fortune" reads, "When seeking to know your Fortune by any method of divination, the results obtained must be regarded as an indication of what may happen, and must not be accepted as conclusive evidence of what will happen."

Free will vs. determinism

Many people who believe in fortune-telling don't realize that if they are right, they have answered one of the fundamental questions in philosophy, that of free will vs. determinism. Most people would prefer to believe that they control their own actions and make their own decisions in life; but anyone's ability to know the future proves them wrong. Either there is "a future" to know (or at least glimpse knowledge of) - and therefore our future is predetermined, or the future is unknowable and uncertain. Logically, you can't control your own destiny if the future is knowable.

One doesn't need to consult a psychic or fortune-teller to come up with a possible, potential vision of something that might or might not happen. Anyone can do that; if you want to know if something good or bad could possibly happen to you - from meeting a tall dark stranger to being killed in a plane crash to winning the lottery - the answer is always yes. If you want to know whether these things will happen to you, the future - as always - remains uncertain.

Benjamin Radford is deputy editor of Skeptical Inquirer science magazine and author of six books including "Scientific Paranormal Investigation: How to Solve Unexplained Mysteries." His website is www.BenjaminRadford.com.

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Fortune-Telling: Fact, Fiction & Fantasy

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Fortune-telling has been practiced for millennia. Humans have always yearned to know what the future has in store for us. Who doesn't want a glimpse - even if only for a few moments - of the cosmic plan to see if our destiny lies in riches or ruin?

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James Randi Vs Maureen Flynn - Debunking A Fortune Teller

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James Randi Vs Maureen Flynn - Debunking A Fortune Teller

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I figured this assignment wouldn't be complete without a little bit of James Randi, so I went looking for a video of him talking about fortune tellers/psychics. In this particular video, he lets a popular medium in Britain do a reading of the room, and then he proceeds to debunk her readings using logic and actual facts, unlike the medium's method of random chance.

One red flag that is kind of talked about in the video, and one that I think is most common when looking at fortune tellers and related topics is Proof By Verbosity. When James Randi looks at a transcript of one of Maureen Flynn's readings is that she gives a person 37 different names and even all names starting with 'L' or 'N', and the person only identifies with 9. It is also explained by a psychologist that most people will forget about all the names they don't make a connection with and will only remember the ones they do. This shows proof by verbosity because the fortune teller just throws a bunch of names out hoping one will eventually stick and eventually over time it could seem like they are actually being clairvoyant.

Similarly, there is another red flag which is Confirmation Bias.The medium, in this case Maureen Flynn tries to draw a connection to 37 names but the subject only makes a connection to 9. But as it is explained by the psychologist, people tend to only remember the names they DO make a connection with, which is a key element for Confirmation Bias, as they forget about the 30 odd names that had zero relevance to them, which shows how low of a success rate the supposed psychic had.

While looking at Reasons For Belief, I noticed one in particular that connected almost perfectly to this video and fortune telling/psychics in general, which is Emotional Connection. Most of the people that the psychic, Maureen, is trying to make reference to are deceased family members, which may cause some people to forget about logic and fall into the trap of believing what the fortune teller/psychic is saying because it is what they want to hear and allows them to get closure with the dead.

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James Randi debunks James Randi trick James Randi explain James Randi debunked James Randi tricked James Randi uri geller James Randi spoonbending James Randi 2013 James Randi 2012 James Randi 2011 James Randi debunk James Randi video James Randi show James Randi live James Randi helps James Randi i dont own this video, message me and il remove and delete the video.

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I thought this was another childhood related topic, as it is an even more widely known toy that everyone has probably seen or owned at some point. This video explains briefly what it is and the history of where it came from. It turns out that it is based fortune telling device called a Syco Slate invented by  on an old fortune teller from the 1940's named Mary Carter. This device installed involved a chalkboard with a cover. You would ask a question, close the cover, and when you re opened it an answer was written on the chalkboard. From this her son and business partners continued to refine the idea until it became  what we now know as the Magic Eight Ball.

Again when looking at the Magic Eight Ball, its easy to see it is very flawed when trying to accurately make a prediction or tell a fortune simply because of how random it is. You could ask it the same question 10 times in a row and you could get a different answer every time.

However, when you look at the original idea its based off of from the video, it becomes a bit more ambiguous as to how it all works. As a result, some red flags are raised, most noticeably once again its Mystical Energy. Because you don't actually see anyone writing on the chalk board, it could be chalked up(pun intended) to being mystical energies at work that Mary Carter "summoned" up to make the prediction that is written on the board.

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Uncovering the Mystery of the Magic 8 Ball

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Does she like me? Will I pass this test? If you've ever gazed into inky depths of an oversized plastic billiard ball with a pressing question, then you know the power of the Magic 8 Ball. But where did this fortune-telling favorite of the toy chest come from?

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Although this next topic is a little less serious as the rest of the topics about fortune telling, I thought it was still an interesting topic because I think almost everyone has made one or seen one at some point as a kid. Paper fortune tellers or Origami fortune tellers are those little folded up pieces of paper that you ask a question to and then choose a colour and then a number and you open the according fold to read your response. This video shows how exactly to make one step by step.

When looking at a paper fortune in terms of red flags of pseudoscience, one noticeable one is Mystical Energy. Because they are usually used by children, they have a broader imagination and are more gullible generally. This combination may cause them to think that the fortune teller uses some sort of "energy" to make its predictions.

Like Tarot Cards, this method is flawed because asking it a question and reading it one minute later asking the same question and by picking different variables you'll get a different answer, which immediately raises questions to its validity.

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Another popular image that may come to mind when you think of fortune tellers, which is the stereotypical Romani gypsy fortune teller with the head scarf, colourful clothing and crystal ball. This is a typical stereotype that has been portrayed across multiple fictions(movies, books, stories etc.) throughout that past few centuries, and you can find that some modern day psychics, mediums, fortune tellers and the like sometimes dress to resemble this. They do this presumably to try and push the legitimacy of their fortune telling.

One immediate red flag I noticed about this Appeal to Authority. Although they are not a direct authoritative figure like a doctor would be considered, people often associate that type clothing as something that a fortune teller would were, which could give legitimacy. Another similar red flag that is noticeable is Red Herring. Because they have all the flashiness of the profession, it can distract the person from the fact that they are not actually psychic.

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This picture shows another popular method used by fortune tellers to perform some form of clairvoyance. The specific term for this type of clairvoyance is known as "scrying" or "crystal gazing". The method of "crystal gazing" is described as seeing images in the crystal (or it can be applied to other media such as water or smoke) and then interpreting them to have some sort of meaning for the person's fortune that is being read, usually in regards to love, money, travel or other similar aspects of a persons life.

One red flag I have noticed when reading about crystal balls and the method of crystal gazing is Proof By Verbosity. This is true because the fortune teller could just list off a bunch of ambiguous premonitions and hope that one applies to the person they are fortune telling for. Another red flag is is noticeable when reading about crystal balls is Ancient Wisdom because people assume that because it has been around for son long (since  approximately 4th century BC) that it could be a valid method for fortune telling.

If you use any sort of critical thinking when looking at this method of fortune telling it is easy to see how flawed it is. One main flaw to this is that the fortune teller doesn't need any proof to back up their claims, as their answers are quite literally coming from thin air. In the case where they read smoke or water they can easily just lie about what they "see" and given that they usually make very broad claims people will usually accept it or find some connection to their life and think the fortune teller is the "real deal".

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This picture shows an example of a few of many Tarot cards. Tarot cards are used by sometimes by fortune tellers as another means to read a persons future/destiny by interpreting the pictures on the card to some meaning in their life, for example "the sun" card could be interpreted as a sign of success or happiness to come.

Tarot cards raise many red flags when looking for any form of credibility, and some of the most notable include Ancient Wisdom as well as Mystical Energy. It raises the flag of Ancient Wisdom because this is a method that has been around for hundreds of years, dating back to 18th and 19th century and people may believe that if it has been around this long then it must have some validity to it. Another red flag that was raised is Mystical Energy. Because fortune tellers, or anyone for the matter can't explain the reason why it actually works they fall back on the explanation that they are "drawing energy" from the subject to put purpose to the cards they draw when there is no proof at all that this is the case.

This is a flawed method to read a persons fortune because it relies on broad assumptions and cards can be explained to have whatever meaning that seems most suitable to the situation. Additionally, it is quite easy to poke holes in this method of fortune telling because the cards are shuffled for every use, and based on the laws of probability there is almost no chance you will draw the same cards in the same order twice. SO if you read some one fortune and five minutes later you shuffle and read the same persons fortune again you are going to get wildly different results which on its own basically proves that it is untrue, and this method is nothing but a sham.