Mailbag: Real Live Psychic!
Subject: Genuine Psychic
Just wanted to contact you personally about possibly getting a colleague of mine listed on About.com in the missing persons area. Her name is Kelli Faulkner and she donates her time to investigate missing persons cases. She is a remote viewer and medium (not a psychic as she sternly tells me) and she is exceptionally good. I have been researching, studying, and validating mediums/psychics for past many years and I have found Kelli to be the best of the best...empirical, compassionate, and accurate.
Kelli Faulkner is a "psychic" and a "medium" in Warsaw, Indiana - she'll even give you "mediumistic readings" over the phone, although I don't know what she charges for the privilege. For some strange reason, she "sternly" insists to people that she isn't really a "psychic," but she describes herself as a psychic on her own site: "Kelli Faulkner - Psychic Medium and Remote Viewer" and "Kelli Faulkner is a psychic medium and remote viewer who channels spirit guides, communicates with departed loved ones, and finds missing persons." She uses the term "psychic" an awful lot for one who disclaims the term. Steven said in another email that uses it because of it's "common usage," but it seems to me that if she really is as good as he claims - which would make her the only genuine such person so far discovered - then she is in the perfect position to change people's usage.
As you well know, the vast, vast majority of those who claim to have this ability are far less than what they claim, if they can offer any guidance whatsoever. Having had hundreds of these mediums read for me, I have been disappointed with almost all of them. However, Kelli is real. And should you be open to listing her site, I would be grateful. There a so many self-proclaimed psychics out there who have practically no ability or are simple frauds who mess things up on these cases when they are contacted by loved ones of missing persons. Dashing families hopes. Yet, Kelli is one of a very small cadre I have validated and who actually do locate evidence, discover people, and heal families. I would appreciate any review you can provide on this.
I sincerely doubt that she has any powers that would validate claims about being able to find missing persons or contact "spirits." If she is able to pass scientifically controlled and replicable tests, I'll certainly report about that amazing event -but in the mean time, I can't regard her as any different from thousands of others. The only real question is whether she is deceiving herself as well as others or if she is conscious about her lack of powers. We should all should question the honesty of someone who denies being a psychic even while describing herself as a psychic.
Needless to say, Steven didn't like encountering skepticism - I got the impression that, for some strange reason, he actually expected m to simply believe whatever he told me.
Just last week Kelli solved a case for state police detectives and has been instrumental in locating evidence, identifying the murderer, and finding the missing bodies of other cases.
I'd like to see a statement from a chief of police explaining just how and why she was "instrumental" and how they were unable to solve the crime without her assistance. Steven, unfortunately, chose not to share such information. He claimed that "Given that the chief of police has dealt with Kelli personally, your comments are truly laughable." Actually, the only "laughable" thing here is that Steven continues expecting me to believe things without his providing anything that would allow any claims to be verified.
Your doubt about her powers without having actually studied, tested, validated or otherwise experienced her skill indicates that you have relatively little integrity in your statements, a dark and negative bias that clouds your empirical study, and lacking a true intention to understand this area. I have validated her gift based on facts and evidence.
Quite the contrary: any person starting out must doubt the veracity of claims that would contradict all of known physics. No other position is compatible with scientific and rational research. If you understood how to investigate such things scientifically, you would know about that. The people who don't start out with doubt and skepticism are the ones most quickly and easily taken in by scam artists.
I wonder hat sort of background Steven has in illusions and stage magic? Those skills are crucial when it comes to investigating alleged psychics and others claiming paranormal powers. I wonder if he even knows how to do a cold reading.
I suggest that before you draw conclusions and make attacking comments that you do the research first. And when national prime-time media does run a soon to be released story on her, you will not be included.
Most prime-time stories about alleged psychics fail to include the voices of skeptics - that's why they aren't reliable.
Steven is long on dramatic claims but really short on verifiable evidence. Kelli could get more than $1 million and a massive amount of publicity for her "gift" by meeting the JREF challenge - but I notice that she hasn't done that. Could it be because she can't perform under controlled conditions?
Did Steven test her under controlled conditions? He has no right to claim that her gift has been "validated" on "facts and evidence" without having done controlled tests. Does he even know how to construct a controlled test?
I have my doubts...
Dark and groundless skeptics such as yourself do not command respect or any meaningful attention. Your minor efforts at demanding that people come to you with proof speak of a personal influence with the public that simply is not there. Given that the chief of police has dealt with Kelli personally, your comments are truly laughable. My attention will now be directed in other ways. Thank you.
Thus sayeth all True Believers.
It is their lack of skepticism that causes people like Steven to be taken in by charlatans. Sadly, they don't recognize this and forever fail to be able to provide the smallest bits of evidence to support their claims.
I'd much rather be a "dark and groundless skeptic" than a gullible and flighty person who allows himself to be deceived by any old scam artists who comes along.
Where will Steven's attention now be directly? Perhaps towards people who will believe things he says simply because he says them? People who won't have the gall to question his pronouncements?
That is what is laughable.
In theory, Kelli Faulkner could be genuine. Granted, what is claimed about her violates everything we know about how the physical world works, but scientists have been wrong before. Unfortunately, a lot of people just like Kelli have made claims just like Kelli - and they have provided no more evidence than Kelli apparently has. Only scientifically constructed and repeatable tests performed under strictly controlled conditions would be enough to even begin to think that Kelli is right and all the rest of physics is wrong. Do we have that? Do we have anything even approaching that? No.
But that won't stop people like Steven - people who apparently don't have any experience with or skill in scientific investigations, skeptical inquiry, or stage magic from believing even the most absurd things presented to them in what looks like a plausible manner. There are a lot of Stevens out there in the world and it's because of them that psychics, mediums, and others are able to make enough money to stay in business, preying off of human gullibility. It's sad, really.
More selections from the Agnosticism / Atheism Mailbag...
Comments
Austin,
Your skepticism only exists because you fail to open your eyes. Kelli found my deceased brother. During the process of searching for him, I was speaking on the phone with her and she could see through my eyes and describe real-time what was happening right in front of me. She was in Indiana and I was in Texas at that moment. You need to study math and physics. Ants see in 2D, while we see in 3D, yet we co-exist in the same environment. How do you know what you look like to an ant? Don’t you understand that some humans are able to see into other dimensions — the 4th and 5th and possibly beyond. When the Spaniards arrived in South America, the natives couldn’t see the ships, but they could see the part in the water from the them. Their Shaman meditated on the site for days until he was able to see a boat. Don’t you see how your mind has to open to the possiblity of things outside of what you now understand and consider possible for you to be able to process any new imagery or sensations? Intellectualizing everything as a justification for your belief system doesn’t mean you’re right. One should always be open to what can be possible. I have seen it first-hand with Kelli.
I’ll open my eyes to testable predictions and verifiable actions.
Ants only see in 2D? Please provide proof of this claim - preferably citations from reputable biology texts.
No, I don’t “understand.” Please provide proof of your claims.
Please provide proof of this claim.
True, but your failure to provide proof for all these grandiose claims means that I don’t have any good reason to reconsider my position.
Austin, You’ve got to be kidding me. It sounds like you’re too lazy to do any research. Pick up a book. How about using your own database on about.com…? I’m assuming you’re not a college grad and probably have never even had a single bio, history, or math class at that level. It’s college 101. Try it.
No, it’s that I haven’t any interest in doing your work for you. You made the claims and you are responsible for supporting them. It is not my responsibility to try to find proof for you. If you don’t care enough about your beliefs, opinions, and assertions to support them with verifiable references, then you shouldn’t expect anyone else to care enough about them to given them a second look — much less do research on them.
I read two to three books each week. I’ve yet to read any that would support your claims.
Try reading my bio.
This is one of the most knee-slapping exchanges I’ve ever seen on this site. First, she says that Austin “intellectualizes” everything, but doesn’t read books? What does any of this have to do with math or physics? What makes her think that a college education will cause people to believe more of what she believes? If anything, college educated people are LESS likely to believe in this sort of thing.
Austin, you are a very caustic person! The manner in which you communicate your skepticism seems designed to incite defensiveness, frustration and anger in individuals who thought they were simply initiating a cordial conversation with you or expressing their own feelings and beliefs. You appear intent on turning everything into an argument and having the last word in that argument. It’s pitiful, really, and speaks volumes of who you are. I doubt you are a happy person other than when you are trying to antagonize other people. Belittling others does make some people feel bigger, perhaps it does the same for you.
So..your turn! Go ahead, belittle me, try to incite me. I’ll let you have the last word.
Maria, i’ve been reading Austin’s work for a few years, and i’ve never seen him as caustic. He’s remarkably polite even to people who are rude (Jack Savage).
The rest of us, might not be so kind.
Austin can’t incite anything in anyone that isn’t already there. The truth is that most believers are so accustomed to no one daring to question there beliefs. That’s an indicator of being privileged. In the US, Xians are used to running the show and it just seems natural to them that it should be so.
More time than i can count, some Xian has tried to shove their faith in my face. Sometimes at house. If i went door to door saying “religion is brainwashing”, how long would it be before i’m spitting out my teeth?
Your invitation to incite you paints you as a martyr, a form of passive aggression. “Oh we poor persecuted Xians! We’re a mere 90% of the population in the US and yet some guy on a website questions our beliefs.”
This site is designed for debate and discussion. If your faith is so weak that it can’t stand scrutiny, maybe you should investigate your beliefs… or find a site where everyone congratulates each other for letting a bronze age book control their lives.
The Austin Cline on the forum is quite different from the Austin Cline who writes the marvelous essays.
No, John, it’s the same person. It’s just that on the forum you find out what it’s like when skeptical questions applied to others here get applied to your own assertions. I’d say that there is a real problem when standards you like seeing applied to others are annoying when they are applied to you.
Todd, Thank you for explaining this site perfectly and Austin I can only “hope” that you never change! Congrats!
There is one born every minute. Show me a psychic and I’ll show you a con-artist. Your first tip off is when they ask for money.
Is there something in the water that makes people like Stanley irrational and superstitious.
Annie if you try just a little real knowledge you can break free of your delusions.
If she is so good how come she is not in Florida to help find Caylee,or in Portugal to find Madeline,or anywhere else there is a missing child.She could make a lot of money getting rewards and helping families to have closure.I don’t see one so called medium or Physic out there doing anything.I think they are all a carnivale sideshow.Seeing is believing.So show me make me a believer.