There seems little doubt that psychics don't really have the supernatural and paranormal powers that they allege. At best, they are fooling themselves - and they are certainly fooling others. At least, they are fooling others when they at least make an effort to look mysterious.

Katie Deatsch reports for The Bradley Scout on a psychic who didn't give it much effort:

But after mere minutes, it was obvious the only psychic gift our reader had was knowing beforehand when her kid was about to vault off the arm of the sofa across the room. ... While I should note the paintings of angels on the walls, the giant flat-screen television tuned to Nickelodeon stripped any ambiance they may have offered. ... [T]he reader never actually “read.” While she did ask me to hold out my hands, she never once examined them. In fact, half the time her eyes were on her kid, who was scaling the furniture across the room.

When Deshinsky and I compared stories we were speechless. We were gong to live the exact same life. Deshinsky will be healthy, live long, have many friends and get married in her 20s. Only she is kind-hearted. Well, I must be a frigid hag. Tip: If you’re gonna be a con, at least put a little effort in the conning.

That is a very good tip indeed. Most psychics, astrologers, and the like realize that one of the key components to good cold reading is to make sure that you have an impressive atmosphere that "sets the stage" for their reading. This puts people "in the mood" for the reading and makes it more likely that they will believe.

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• Books on Science and Skepticism
• Skepticism & Critical Thinking