skepticism
A Black Bird Visits My In-Laws
A black bird is believed to be a good omen by some, while others see it as a sign of misfortune. My experience with a black bird sign proved to be both.
I was over at my in-laws’ house one day when we noticed this black bird trying to get into the room. I thought the bird might be injured the way it was acting. It kept hitting the window hard, trying to fly inside. I felt this must be some sort of omen, but decided not to share this notion with my in-laws.
At that moment I got a call on my phone from my ex-wife. Our son had fallen off his scooter and broke his arm. After the call, the black bird was still doing his thing, but eventually gave up and flew away. I thought then that this must be the news the black bird was bringing. Continue reading
The Haunted Furniture
When I met my wife and we started to date, I had a hard time to open up to her to tell her I do psychic readings.
Ironically, there was a psychic lady who lived about four miles down the road who told her she was going to meet someone who lives nearby, that he also does psychic readings and that we were going to get married. She told her several other things too. She said this man you will meet went to the same high school, you have a past work connection with his family and he will one day help your sister in a time of need.
A year after we got married, we discovered that my wife used to work for my cousin Charley and that her brother is the supervisor at the same workplace. So, later that night I called my cousin and he confirmed all of it for us. Continue reading
Magical Thinking
Magical thinking is a common trait found among all children all over the world, between the ages of approximately two until seven years of age. This time frame is also known as the ‘pre-operational stage’ of child development and it is the period in our early life when we increasingly explore our environment, and gradually learn to distinguish between ‘fantasy’ and ‘reality’.
Children at this age initially have all kinds of imaginative ideas and magical interpretations of the world, in order to make sense of their external and internal reality. At this age we still believe that we can grow wings and learn to fly; or that animals can talk and sing; or that our shadow is a magical person following us around; or that the Sun goes to sleep in the ocean; that there is a man living in the Moon; or that the wind, the clouds and the trees notice us and obey our instructions. We often also have ‘imaginary friends’ at this age. Continue reading
2011: Doom, Gloom And Celebrity Gossip
The year 2011 has kicked off with yet another batch of psychic predictions from all over the globe. It has become an annual tradition to predict as much doom and gloom as possible, and this year the custom was once again upheld with much enthusiasm and zeal.
The usual depressing prophecies and upcoming disasters were numerous this year, coupled with some mindless trivia about celebrities and movie stars. Why? Because bad news and gossip sells. It is what most people like to hear and it is what most people like to fear. Scientific studies have shown that people prefer bad news in the media. They find it more interesting, respond to it more often and remember it much longer. They also pass the news on to others at a much faster rate. I guess it is in our nature, because knowing the bad news before everyone else might just give us a better shot at survival. Continue reading
Why Don’t Psychics Win The Lottery?
Skeptics often ask why psychics don’t use their talents to predict the winning lottery numbers?
This question may have some merit in a stand-up comedy routine (I enjoy a clever joke as much as the next person), but once everyone has had their laugh, all that remains for me is a tragic reflection of the lack of spiritual depth, as well as the superficial materialism, of our society.
Interestingly, there have been several reports of psychics, or their clients, winning the lottery. This proves the lame old lottery joke is indeed a myth, but what is often far more significant is the actual circumstances surrounding these wins. Continue reading