Skeptics and Psychics Butt Heads

by Dan Howse

Intelligent, open-minded, logical and willing to try new things. These were the qualities my electric psychic reading claimed I was seeking in my potential mate. While true, this begs the question: who isn’t seeking these qualities in a potential mate?

The Psychic Expo made its 22nd trip into Guelph this weekend, setting up shop at the Best Western Inn for three days. Bringing in paranormal practitioners from England, Scotland, Ireland and Russia, the Psychic Expo offered demonstrations and readings from a range of disciplines just as diverse as the countries of origin, including tarot card readings, palm readings, and channeling spirits.

Photo by Ruxandra Moldoveanu

“This is a psychic expo,” organizer Linda Fulcher said. “These are people who have intuitive sixth sense paranormal abilities.”

While she has had psychic flashes, Fulcher admits her experiences with the paranormal are not substantial enough to merit performing readings. Her skills being “administrative,” Fulcher instead organizes these psychic expos, something that has been a passion and interest of hers for years. This preference for paperwork does not stop Fulcher from administering readings; Fulcher merely outsources people’s astrological information to a professional astrologer online for one of the aforementioned electric psychic readings.

Although entrance to the expo costs only $8, every reading was priced at upwards of thirty dollars—except for Fulcher’s electric psychic, which cost only ten.

This being within my budget, I gave Fulcher my information and 10 minutes later my future was predicted.

University of Ontario Institute of Technology professor, Christopher Di Carlo, has devoted much of his career to debunking the paranormal. According to Di Carlo, while human beings have always been fascinated with the configurations of the stars, the formation of the celestial bodies have little to no scientifically observed impact on our world at all.

“If we’re going to talk about energy, the gravitational effect of planets is less than [a] stapler has on us in terms of mass and the relationship between [two] people,” said Di Carlo.

Di Carlo went on to explain that astrological predictions are “sufficiently ambiguous to apply to almost anybody.”

Of course, astrology was not the only form of prediction being practiced at the expo. While almost all psychics, mediums and readers declined to comment on their work, most attendees were more willing to share their experiences. Having received free passes to the event, Care Lucas and Denny Schummer came were originally more skeptical than many other people at the expo. However, while both left still not entirely convinced, they were at least now questioning a bit more.

Lucas explained her reading referenced her interest in humanitarian work and her being both tough and loving at the same time, statements that, according to Lucas, fit her to a “T.” Despite these congruities, she declined being fully “converted,” as many of the psychics failed to win her over during demonstrations.

Although both Lucas and Schummer maintained their reservations, Schummer, in particular, felt that he connected with one psychic.

“He looked at me and said you’re very easy to read,” said Schummer.

According to Professor Di Carlo, however, this is merely an example of what is called a cold reading.

“You’re somewhat intuitive,” said Di Carlo, “and someone comes in, you see how they’re dressed, how they behave, you determine whether they’re distraught and you paint a psychological profile almost immediately with a cold reading.”

More advanced (and expensive) readings almost always require your name and some factual data beforehand, which allows the psychic to research the subject and perform what is called a warm reading.

“They’ll just google you,” said Di Carlo.

For Di Carlo, one of the most significant pieces of evidence against psychics is their refusal to portray customers negatively. Ironically, this refusal to tell people anything but what they want to hear results in what Di Carlo sees as fraud. If someone really was psychic, they could simply predict lottery numbers or sports games outcomes and invest their money in that. Instead, hopeful believers are charged forty or fifty dollars to be told that “love is just around the corner.”

While Lucas, Schummer and a multitude of expo-goers enjoyed their time and took away positive experiences, Di Carlo believes they are being fleeced.

“When [psychics] say ‘I have special powers and I can help you’ they’re lying, they’re being fraudulent and they are preying on the vulnerability of individuals who are coming to them in the hopes that they can offer them genuine guidance,” said Di Carlo. “Since they can do none of those things, I call them out.”

Whether you agree or disagree with his position or not, all psychics Di Carlo has ever contacted have declined his invitation to join him for demonstration and discussion.