Should you trust a psychic?
Psychics have become increasingly popular in the last decade, but let’s face it. There’s a large portion of society that doesn’t respect them as a credible source for information. To tell someone that you received advice from a psychic sounds like it’s fun, but it’s rarely taken seriously. This is completely understandable.
There has been bad publicity to arise from scam artists who take advantage of clients, especially those that are grieving. But if this line of work isn’t worth paying respects to, then why is it growing so rapidly? According to IBIS World industry research, U.S. psychic services have become a $2.2 billion industry with an upward trajectory. This includes a broad range of services including but not limited to astrology, palmistry, fortune telling, crystal ball gazing, mediumship, and much more. It sounds like there are plenty of people that will trust a psychic, but should you?
The Ugly side
In 2021, the Better Business Bureau reported an uptick in psychic scams involving social media. Here is one example of how this works: You’ll first receive a follow request from a psychic on Instagram or Tik Tok. Then, you’ll receive a direct message from the psychic with an offer of their services. If they are successful in selling their services to you, the psychic will then proceed to take your money and then block you completely; making it impossible to get your money back. You can trust a psychic that isn’t desperate for your business.
Another scam involves a psychic soliciting their services to a you, only to recommend more services than what was originally agreed upon. One victim recounted losing $3,500 to a scammer who pressured her into paying more money to get rid of the evil spirits that were in her home. To some, a few thousand dollars is a small price to pay if it means they can resolve their spiritual issues (if they actually had any to begin with).
The Good News: It’s Becoming More Regulated
The psychic industry is much less regulated than other professions, mainly because it hasn’t been taken seriously up until recent decades. However, world renown psychics are now emerging with their own schools and are working hard to create a standard of psychic education. There are also accredited university programs in the field of parapsychology: the study of paranormal and psychic phenomena. State and local laws also help regulate the psychic arts industry.
Professional psychics who want to open up their own business are now required to have a background check, pay annual fees, and to maintain an updated license. These requirements may not necessarily prove if someone is a real psychic, but it can speak to their efforts in making it a respectable and legitimate profession.
Psychics are still people
Many professional psychics have had their gifts since birth, and were taught how to use them during their upbringing. Others have had a miraculous experience that turned their psychic senses on to their awareness. Regardless of how they came to know of their abilities, they are still people with a human ego. Nobody is perfect, and you shouldn’t expect your psychic to be either. Having these abilities doesn’t give them a one-way ticket to perfection, nor does it free them from mistakes. There are good and bad people in every industry, and the psychic arts is no different.
Think of your own psychic abilities
It’s important to know that we are all psychic. To make it easy to understand, we can compare these abilities to the five physical senses that we all use to experience the physical world. Most of us have the ability to see, smell, touch, taste, and feel. The difference between each of us is how our senses vary in intensity. One person’s strongest sense may be different than someone else’s.
This is true about psychic senses; except they are used to experience the non-physical world. We all have these senses, but one person’s ability to pick up on emotion may be stronger than someone else’s ability to hear disembodied voices. When going into a reading, there is a part of you that already knows the answer to your questions. With this in mind, you can think of psychics as someone who is using a different sense to tap into the same information that you have already picked up on.
Why you have to be careful
There are real psychics, and there are also frauds. But the ones that are faking their abilities don’t actually pose the greatest threat to you. It’s easy to spot the phonies during a reading because the messages will often be vague and it just won’t make any sense. The real threat is when you come across a reader that has legitimate psychic abilities, but uses them for a darker purpose. You’ll be able to spot them if they are constantly reaching out to you to provide their services, or have a desperate feel to them.
If they give off the vibe that they are above you and that you need them in order to overcome whatever it is that you are seeing them for, then don’t just walk out of the reading. RUN! A true spiritual teacher will acknowledge that you have the ability to find the answers within yourself.
What you can do
As with any other professional encounter, it’s always a good idea to check out their website. This will give you an impression of how they present themselves, especially the “about me” section. Check to see if others have had a reading from them or if there are testimonials. Word-of-mouth and reviews can also be helpful, especially from people you know. Above all, don’t trust anyone that DM’s you with an offer to give you any psychic services. Any reputable reader will have professional marketing or have you on an established email list that you consented to.
During the session, you’ll want to pay attention to how you feel during the reading. What you want to look for is whether or not you believe the message is coming from a place of unconditional love. When someone shows that they love you, they are soft spoken. They encourage you to shine. They lift you up, are respectfully honest, and make you feel safe. This is how you know that you’re getting messages that are directed by the light. If at any time you feel that you were being manipulated or taken advantage of, then respectfully end your session and just don’t go back.
It is also important to not give away all of your power to a psychic. What they have to tell you is just one perspective out of an infinite number of possibilities. They shouldn’t be held responsible for any choices you make based on the reading. The purpose of seeing them is to get their psychic perspective, not for them to be the end-all and be-all of your current situation. Using your own discernment will help you learn how to trust the RIGHT psychic.
The industry deserves its turn
The concept of people receiving messages from spirit guides and angels is nothing new. If anything, this model has been around longer than science and religion. Indigenous civilizations have always had a strong connection to the spiritual world. But as religious groups became stronger organizations of authority, the concept of receiving messages from God without the church became demonized. Many skeptics will use science as a tool to discredit psychic abilities, while religion will make them out to be a work of the devil. But like every other professional industry, there will be the good, and they will be the bad. To discredit one collective industry is not only unfair to the profession, but stands in the way of our own personal development. Because once again, we are all psychic. We may as well give the honest professionals a chance to show is us the way.
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Catherine Glassman, FNP
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