Why does anyone believe in psychics?
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- Published on Wednesday, 17 April 2013 07:00
- Written by John Draper
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Craig & Jane, UK based "psychics", made 10 predictions in 2008 for 2009. They do this each year because there are people who believe them despite the fact that they are plain wrong - other than the occasional "hit" through luck. Many so-called psychics make year-end predictions yet they are always the same mix of mostly wrong. The "ability" they claim to have has never been proved - in fact James Randi has challenged all comers to demonstrate psychic ability and has offered $1M to anyone who can prove scientifically that they have such powers. (More on Randi here. See also the related articles listed).
So why do people believe? It's the same reason that people want to believe in god or a "higher power" - people want to believe in immortality, they want to believe that the human mind is more than just a flesh and blood brain and we all want to believe we are more than just an advanced animal. We like to think we have a spiritual side that is somehow detachable from the rest of us.
Once you buy into all that, it's only a small step to believe in more - like the ability of the mind to look at happenings in distant places, to look into the future, to move objects through mind-power and more. I have vivid memories of when I was about three or four years old thinking that by wanting a stick to become a magic wand over-night, that it would. I guess some people never grow up - it's just that their desires get more sophisticated.
But perhaps I'm exaggerating? Perhaps predictions actually do well?
Here is the list that Craig & Jane, made in 2008 for 2009. Judge for yourself if they came true or in some cases whether anyone could have made the same prediction.
- There will be an assassination attempt on Barack Obama
- There will be serious tensions within Europe as the Euro free falls with both France and Germany threatening to leave.
- Gordon Brown will be forced out of office and an early election will be called.
- A number of C of E bishops and senior ecclesiastical leaders convert to Catholicism simultaneously threatening to undermine the very existence of the church.
- There is a world wide rekindling of socialist ideals and a major swing back towards communism in Russia.
- There will be a major terrorist attack in Dubai
- There will be a serious pollution problem in France - possibly in Paris with the contamination of the River Seine. Also a dam will burst in the Far East - maybe China.
- Britain sees many of its top companies go bust and in particular holiday firms, aviation companies and the building companies.
- Victoria Beckham will become pregnant with a long awaited daughter. And Jordan will announce she's pregnant too.
- There will be a knife attack on a top celebrity
By my count 4 and 8 were half-right, the others were plain wrong.
There are many psychics and although Craig & Jane are very popular in the U.K., they are not the only ones - maybe they are frauds but others are accurate? Maybe, but if you check on the internet (Google: psychic predictions 2009 ) you'll see more lists with about the same accuracy rate. [As an aside, we are suckers for judging people on appearance - could you believe that the two in the photo above would put one over on you?]
I guess not many people follow up.
First Published December 2009