Are psychics real or fake? There is no definitive answer to this question. Every psychic is an individual, and while some appear to be genuinely gifted, many others are con-artists. It’s because of the existence of so many fakes that the psychic industry is now worth at least $2 billion a year in revenues.
If you’re interested in getting a psychic reading at some point in the future, you need to learn about the nature of psychics and what criteria will help you determine whether a practitioner is real or fake.
Are Psychics Real Or Fake?
Warning Signs of a Fake Psychic
Here we have listed many of the most common signs that a psychic is not genuine. Let’s go over some of them below:
Personal Information
A fake psychic is likely to ask you to divulge information like the city or country in which you live or even your age. When a fake psychic gets this information, they can use it to make accurate guesses about many aspects of your life. You would probably be amazed at how much seemingly accurate information a fake psychic can come up with after years of experience making inferences based on data they have tricked clients into providing them.
This practice is part of the technique of “cold reading”. “Cold Reading: Confessions of a Psychic” explains what cold reading is and how it is extensively used in the fake psychic world.
Income Level
A fake psychic will often try to get information on your income level. If you do a video reading instead of a phone one, make sure you do not wear any jewelry or any other kind of item that might give the psychic an idea of how much money you have.
If you go to a face-to-face meeting and you drive there, try to make sure the psychic does not see your car. A person who arrives in a BMW is likely to receive a different reading than someone who drives a used Ford.
A fake psychic will use their understanding of your income level to infer what opportunities you might have and the people you might meet. Asking for information such as income level is another frequent component of the cold reading technique you will find that fake psychics employ to deceive their clients.
Horoscope
A fake psychic is likely to ask for your birthday and star sign. This is most common in online readings. You should be aware that real psychics do not need this information. Only people who specifically practice astrology (and may or may not have psychic gifts) require this data. It is often the case that online psychic readers who ask for your star sign will actually paraphrase a newspaper astrology reading to you.
Curse
A fake psychic might claim that they have the power to make things happen in your life. They might also say that there is a curse affecting you and that they can remove it. Curses do not exist. Never trust anyone who tells you that they do!
Resist Your Questions
A fake psychic will often ask lots of questions but resist answering the ones that you present. Fake psychics will try to trick you into giving them information that they can use to make inferences and feed back to you.
Vague Answers
A fake psychic will be extremely vague in their answers to questions. On the opposite end of the spectrum, they may give exact future dates and times. This is just as much an indication of a fraud, as it is most often impossible for a real psychic to know and give that kind of information.
Tell You What You Want To Hear
A fake psychic will often be more likely to tell you exactly what they perceive you want to hear. They will give only wonderful news and avoid anything that seems negative. They do this because they find that it’s an easy way to get happy clients and better ratings. These things in turn bring in new people to con.
Online Reviews
A fake psychic may have only good reviews online. If you look at a psychic’s online ratings (which you always should) and find that all the reviews are glowing, you have reason to be suspicious as they are probably fake (and written by the psychics themselves or their family and friends). Like people in all other professions, genuine psychics have both good and bad days. There’s really no such thing as a psychic who is always 100% accurate with every client.
Frequent Readings
A fake psychic will likely say that you need to have very frequent readings. Genuine psychics will recommend that you have a reading only once or twice a year. Fake psychics want you to become emotionally dependent on speaking with them and getting reassurance.
Extended Session Time
A fake psychic will probably try to extend the length of the session as long as they can, for the extra fees. This is especially the case with phone psychics but can be applicable to in-person practitioners, as well.
Steps You Can Take to Find a Genuine Psychic Reader
Don’t be discouraged by our discussion about fake psychics above! There are plenty of genuine psychics out there. “9 Real Stories of Surreal Encounters with Psychics” sets out the stories of people who have had what they felt were incredibly accurate and useful sessions and experiences with psychics.
There are many steps you can take to make it more likely that the psychic reader you find will be an honest one. Here are several tips for you:
Make Sure To Research Different Types Of Psychics
Make sure that you know what kind of psychic you want. This may sound simple but that’s not necessarily the case. Few of us understand the different types of psychics and psychic gifts. Remember to do your research before setting out to find a psychic.
Examples of psychic types include: clairvoyant (a psychic who sees and perceives things without use of the five senses); a medium (a clairvoyant who can make contact with the spirits of people who have died); and a tarot reader (a psychic who uses the divination tool of tarot cards). There are several other kinds of psychic, as well. You should be aware that many psychics can have characteristics from more than one category (for example, a clairvoyant who reads tarot cards).
Find A Psychic Through Word Of Mouth
Try to find a psychic through word of mouth. Don’t be shy! Ask family and friends if they have ever had a helpful psychic reading and find out who it was that they went to. You could also visit local New Age shops and speak to the staff there. They might have some very good recommendations. You could also take a class at a New Age shop and ask the teacher for recommendations.
High Price Does Not Always Mean Quality
Be aware that a high price does not always mean quality. On the contrary, some of the worst con-artists have ridiculously high rates.
Search For Experienced Psychics
Research your psychic’s experience and reputation. Try to find a psychic reader who has a good amount of experience and a sound reputation for ethics and natural ability. Also look for a psychic who has studied or trained with a mentor.
Find Psychics With Money-Back Guarantee
Make sure that the psychic you choose has a money-back guarantee. Most experts agree that this kind of guarantee is an important mark of an honest and genuinely gifted psychic.
How to Prepare for a Psychic Reading
Even if you find an extremely good psychic, you’re likely to have the best possible reading only if you are properly prepared for the experience.
One reason for this is the importance of energy flow between the psychic and client. Let’s go over some of the most helpful ways to prepare for a psychic reading below:
Prepare Yourself Mentally
Ensure that you are prepared mentally. You need to take time to consider the questions you plan to ask your reader. If you are planning a reading with a medium, concentrate on the idea of your loved one. It is recommended that you actually imagine arranging an appointment with him or her to be with you at the reading.
Ask The Right Questions
Make sure that the questions you plan to ask are the right kind. Your questions should be open-ended rather than closed-ended. This means that you should avoid questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no.
Try to start your questions with the words what, how, or why. Generally avoid questions that begin with the word will.
Remember to make your questions active rather than passive. This means that you should be an active actor in your questions. For example, instead of asking something like “Will I ever get a promotion at work?” ask “What path that I’m currently following will lead to my getting a promotion at work?” Never see yourself as a passive element of your own life!
If you have a hard time coming up with the right questions, check out our detailed article on Questions To Ask A Psychic And What Not To Ask.
Meditate Before Your Psychic Reading
Spend some time meditating in the days before the appointment. Meditation will help you be relaxed and help you have a better flow of energy. This will make it easier for the psychic to connect with you.
If you are still nervous just before your reading is to begin, simply tell your reader how you feel and take a few moments to make general small talk before diving in.
If you are unfamiliar with meditation or have never tried it before, just go for a simple, slow walk around the block, keeping track of each breath and footstep and contemplating your surroundings. You can also find guided meditation recordings on sites such as YouTube.com.
If you find meditation something that you would generally find useful in your life (as many people do), you could even consider taking an introductory yoga class.
Take Notes
Take notes during your reading. If the reading is especially productive, you probably won’t be able to remember everything that is said without some notetaking. You will be glad you took notes when you want to refer to them in the future.
Keep Your Expectations Realistic
Keep your expectations realistic. There is no point in setting yourself up for disappointment. This is important in every kind of psychic reading, but especially in a reading with a medium.
The message that is communicated to a medium from your deceased loved one might not be what you were expecting or hoping for. Remember that it is your loved one who decides the focus, not you or the psychic.
Check Your Phone Or Online Connection
If you choose to do a phone reading, make sure that your connection is a reliable one. Also, do your best to ensure that you will not have any distractions during the reading (for example, people at home interrupting you or other calls coming through). Such distractions will interfere with the energy flow between you and the psychic.
Don’t Drink Alcohol Before Your Reading
Don’t drink alcohol or take any sort of recreational drug on the day of your reading. You should eliminate such substances from your intake for at least 24 hours before your reading takes place. This is because alcohol and drugs can interfere with your energy flow.
Psychic Readings Can Be a Useful Tool
There’s no doubt that the psychic reading can be a useful tool if you understand psychics and what it is that you need to look for and avoid. The information we’ve presented in this article will help you differentiate the fake psychics form the real ones, and find a practitioner who can help you gain greater clarity in your life.
Remember that there are many frauds in the psychic world, even in places that some people might assume to be credible. It’s up to you to do your research and make a good decision that will lead to useful insight and guidance.
