Psychic pair fail scientific test

So what they did was invite two psychics and had them "read" 5 strangers. They then asked the strangers to look at the readings and choose which one was theirs.

This Halloween challenge was an attempt to investigate whether professional mediums could demonstrate their psychic powers in a controlled setting - by inviting them to deduce something about people they had never met and could not see or hear.

If only 1 of the 5 people chose the right reading, then that is in line with normal statistical probability, and would infer that these psychics have no special abilities. If more than 1 chose the right reading, it would infer there could be something more here, and that a special ability was indeed at work. The more people choosing the right reading the greater the chance of special powers at play.

The result was that only 1 of the 5 chose the right reading, meaning pure random probability, and no special powers. Of course one of the psychics objected.

Ms Putt said the experiment was designed to confirm the researchers' preconceptions - rather than examine the nature of her psychic ability.

"Scientists are very closed-minded," she said.

If the experiment was doomed from the start why did she participate? The psychic seems to be suggesting that we have to take it on faith, because any test which removes the possibility of a tainted result simply can't work.
How could the experiment be changed to allow for "psychic energy" without tainting the results?


Psychic pair fail scientific test

Penn and teller did an episode of BS! on this stuff (talking to the dead, mostly) and it was found that these kind of people are some of the lowest forms of human on earth. Also pretty much everything they say is never really in detail till they "fish" the person for details, then they give a better reading and the person getting "read" goes "Wow! you're so amazing!"

Anyone with an 8th grade reading level could be a "psychic" You should look up James Randi sometime, he's one of the foremost debunkers of these types of things.

hey just like those on this site that get proven wrong time and time again but still pretend to be psychic and claim to dream the future anyway.

really annoying type imo.

Originally posted by OccamsRazor04
So what they did was invite two psychics and had them "read" 5 strangers. They then asked the strangers to look at the readings and choose which one was theirs.

While I have no doubt the psychics are useless frauds, this experiment also relies on the 5 subjects being able to know an accurate assessment of themselves - something most people are bad at.

I deduce you think they are scammers. Did I pass the test?

You don’t need to be a scientist to know a test on just 5 people is pretty insignificant.

In my view: The biggest test for a psychic is whether or not they charge money. My grandmother went to see a medium about my father shortly after he died. My grandmother is wealthy, but in addition to knowing many things she couldn’t have, the medium refused to charge.
Someone living by my grandmother was taken to a faith healer, when she was given 6 months to live, he cured her but again he refused to take a penny. So eventually (being wealthy people, living in a wealthy area they gave a large sum to charity).

Going back further, when I 9 years old I remember seeing a monk in a monastery in Greece. At the same time monastery was asking for donations to fix their roof. So I asked one of them why they didn’t charge, and he said, it’s because people who do that lose their gift. –Would make sense.

My opinion is that those who charge (or at least a great many) really are performing something anybody with the right skills could do, but those who don’t charge –that’s another story.

The thing with most true psychic is that they can't do it when they want to or when someone else wants to (that I know of) I'm still a 50/50 believer. I know there are some real ones but so many fake ones that it makes it hard to believe anymore. Everyone has the capability but not everyone can reach that level or ever will. I am by no means psychic but I do have dreams that actually happen. Nothing major just stupid stuff really. When I experience the dejavu I'm like "I so had this dream a month ago!" and I would look back to my book of dreams and sure enough it was there. (Book of dreams are for writing Stephen king type books since my dreams are so awesome and out of this world but I also write real dreams, I have learned which was are the future type dreams by how I feel in them and how everything looks visually) My great uncle had a dream he would be in a 5 car pile up and break his leg, both arms, lose 2 fingers and injure his back. Well it happened 13 months later. I can also read someone very easily if I have a clear mind (not meaning too, just daydreaming without thinking I guess) Then we would laugh about it. One day me and my mom would think of numbers, letters and write them down and guess them. I always got it wrong but my mom got EVERY single one right. Moms know everything I guess lol

Wow, so much hatred being displayed for all psychics/mediums in this thread. If one is so opposed to such things why not simply ignore it all instead of showing such hatred? You do yourself no service.

A problem exists in that scientists, who we must agree have no idea how things work for any real psychic, design experiments to prove or disprove the possibility of Psychics being real.

Not saying anything negative about such scientists. Just pointing out the most obvious flaw with all such designed experiments. If you know nothing at all about a thing how can you possibly design a suitable experiment for it ?

Then I wonder why any real psychic would bother volunteering for any experiments. My experience shows me that few real psychics exist, and they are always.. ALWAYS.. to be found on the fringes of society, working to Help people so will either charge a very small fee or nothing at all. They do not dress like your average psychic, they do not talk like you average psychic, because they are not in service to themselves.

They do not seek wealth, fame, or even recognition. They are simply humans helping humans.

On the other hand you will see all over the place people who claim to be psychic, who dress like what is expected, who go out of their way to push their own agenda of making more momey to afford the Lifestyle, to beomce as famous as they can, and to accept the kudos from all who desire to give it.

These then are the vast majority you OP have an issue with.... the frauds, the deceivers. Please insure you know the difference if you are going to attempt to tar all with the one brush.

there is no psychic ability.....as someone posted on here yesterday just take a look at derren brown.....hes exposed these people as fakes....the guy says himself that its all fake so take a look at what he can do and tell me if he says its all fake then why people still believe.


www.youtube.com...

Originally posted by Tayesin
Wow, so much hatred being displayed for all psychics/mediums in this thread. If one is so opposed to such things why not simply ignore it all instead of showing such hatred? You do yourself no service.

For the simple fact that these people are preying on other's gullibility and naivety. If you were outright lying about your abilities and attempting to use that lie for monetary purposes, you would be shown contempt as well.

Originally posted by alfa1

Originally posted by OccamsRazor04
So what they did was invite two psychics and had them "read" 5 strangers. They then asked the strangers to look at the readings and choose which one was theirs.

While I have no doubt the psychics are useless frauds, this experiment also relies on the 5 subjects being able to know an accurate assessment of themselves - something most people are bad at.

That would depend on what was given. Such as if they talked about edication, jobs, family members and names, that is something we can all recognize. But definitely a good point.

Originally posted by VoidHawk
I deduce you think they are scammers. Did I pass the test?

No. You didn't. I asked what could be done to satisfy the psychic and allow for the test to be scientific. I deduce you didn't read, did I pass?

Originally posted by Liberal1984
You don’t need to be a scientist to know a test on just 5 people is pretty insignificant.

Very true, but it would work in the psychics favor, not against them. If you ask me to randomly guess what number is written from 1-5 there is a 20% chance I will be 100% right. If you ask me one thousand times the odds of me being 100% right is near zero. Lower numbers favor the guessers.

what i thot.....no1s intrested in the truth,go to youtube and look up derren brown.....the guy does amazing things that u think has got to be impossible but him himself tells you its all a trick,he has no psychic abilitys whats so ever and doesn,t believe any1 has....hes just showing you how easy u can be conned.

But one of the mediums, Patricia Putt, rejected the suggestion that this showed any absence of psychic powers - saying that she needed to work face-to-face with people or to hear their voice, so that a connection could be established.

www.bbc.co.uk...

So, she couldn't "connect"? Shouldn't she have said "I'm not getting anything"? So her "reading" was just guesses?

After 60 years on this planet (this time around) and having had some incredible, unwanted and unasked-for psychic experiences that were proof to me at least of our spirits surviving death and also of premonition and telepathic abilities, I don't think it's as simple as 'impossible' or 'scam'. Obviously if money is involved, there is a good motivation to take a simple latent ability and pretend it's more. Perhaps the scammers or psychics actually have an ability but it's hardly something that's predictable or on call like being able to add numbers in your head. For every person who is sure that it's all a stage act, there's another who thought so until something happens to them personally they cannot explain. Something real, unprecedented and for which our so-called modern society has no answers.

We have not yet begun to plumb the depths of what the human brain is capable of; with training, who knows? We still cannot explain much, do you really think our scientific awareness is at its height? That we know everything we're ever going to know about human abilities or that they are static or evenly distributed?

The funniest part of this? Most of the people who declare psychics to be frauds will say they believe in the Bible. The Holy Ghost, virgin births, raising the dead, people talking to God, angels and demons, and all the rest. Guess once the 'impossible' is codified in a leather book with gold leaf edging on the paper, it takes on the air of certainty.

reply to post by signalfire

Most of the people who declare psychics to be frauds will say they believe in the Bible.

Really? I'd like to see those polls.
Or did you come up with that psychically?

Originally posted by OccamsRazor04

Originally posted by VoidHawk
I deduce you think they are scammers. Did I pass the test?

No. You didn't. I asked what could be done to satisfy the psychic and allow for the test to be scientific. I deduce you didn't read, did I pass?

No. You didn't, coz I did read it

I think most people misinterpret or do not understand what a true psychic is, or what they can do. Most people who really have a gift are able to see things that others cannot. They can walk into a place and pick up on spirit energy that happens to reside there. From my experience, what psychics on TV do is attempt to "read" people, which is not the same thing.

This is why I would stay away from most people who claim to be psychic and are trying to sell you something or promote a business. There may be people who can actually read other people, but I think the majority of psychics simply pick up on things that are present, but that others cannot see or feel. I have seen psychics go into a supposedly haunted house and then give details of the spirits there, and the information turns out to be absolutely spot on. This is quite different from what some claim, and the whole being able to predict the future or look at someone and be able to tell all about them.

Originally posted by Phage

But one of the mediums, Patricia Putt, rejected the suggestion that this showed any absence of psychic powers - saying that she needed to work face-to-face with people or to hear their voice, so that a connection could be established.

www.bbc.co.uk...

So, she couldn't "connect"? Shouldn't she have said "I'm not getting anything"? So her "reading" was just guesses?

edit on 10/31/2012 by Phage because: (no reason given)

You're just a close minded scientist Phage!