Fortune Tellers - Discuss!

[Hi Im Awesome]

What do you guys think of fortune tellers? Anyone have any experience?

I've been thinking of going to one just for kicks. My cousin went to one last year and was told to be careful when he starts driving. Kinda creepy...

Discuss!

[AIRider]

Not knowing is part of the fun.

[BRealistic]

...

I do believe that some people have a special gift.
But to be able to tell the future about a specific thing/person on command?
Nope.

If that was reality, then every major lottery would be won by fortune tellers.
Has even one done that?

[patrikman]

404: awesome not found

[caddy 2 dope]

1. Punch fortune teller in face
2. Ask her if she saw it coming
3. ???
4. Profit

[phryxis]

...

I do believe that some people have a special gift.
But to be able to tell the future about a specific thing/person on command?
Nope.

If that was reality, then every major lottery would be won by fortune tellers.
Has even one done that?

The way I understand it, fortune tellers can see the strings of a person's life, not that they can guess stuff like lottery numbers correctly.

My father has had his fortune told, very specific things, and they've all come true thus far.

Apparently the fortune teller said that people have many paths laid out, so it is up to you to choose what path to take. It's like a mixture of fate and free will.

[AIRider]

Self fulfilling prophecies. They are quite powerful.

[Biff Beltsander]

For some reason my mother who's very no-nonsense and does not believe much she can't prove really enjoyed seeing fortune tellers in the 70's I think it was, maybe 80's.
Anyhoo, they told her that her first born would have a drinking problem.
So maybe it was a lucky guess or...

[ATL_Av8r]

I predict you will soon spend money stupidly.


That'll be $100. I take Paypal.

[ModestGirl]

Once you know certain things about a person's history you can tell some generalities about their life. There is even a field of study - demographics. For example, when I subscribed to The Nation, I got ads for Mother Jones and The Economist. I think that's on par with someone telling you, after finding out that you live in New York City and have a bachelors degree in art history that you might experience a period of hardship in the near future in which you move into your mothers basement in Far Rockaway and work for a time as a telemarketer.

[spdfrek]

Oda Mae! Oda Mae! They are coming for you!

[spdfrek]

Cal meh now!

[barry2952]

Wouldn't they all be phenomenally rich?

[barry2952]

My cousin went to one last year and was told to be careful when he starts driving.

I could have given him that advice for free.

[Cousin Eddie]

[im no hero x]

I could have given him that advice for free.

[Robstr]

It's fraud, plain and simple. It's really easy because they're a bit of superstition that actually makes testable predictions.

The track record of failure is impeccable.

[Jesse]

Here he is,
The biggest douche of the universe.
In all the galaxies,
There's no bigger douche than you.
You've reached the top,
The pinnacle of douchedom.
Good goin' douche.
Your dream has come true.

[BRealistic]

The way I understand it, fortune tellers can see the strings of a person's life, not that they can guess stuff like lottery numbers correctly.

My father has had his fortune told, very specific things, and they've all come true thus far.

Apparently the fortune teller said that people have many paths laid out, so it is up to you to choose what path to take. It's like a mixture of fate and free will.

My personal experience:

Professional fortune tellers use all the information available to tell fortunes- from sifting through personal items to just a basic reading of body language to even listening to chatter in the waiting room. Nothing about it is psychic phenomena.

Then there are people that have a gift. They get information in different paranormal ways, but it is not an on command about this type thing or person skill/gift-which means it is not easy to market for profit.


It is very unnerving when somebody you barely know in another part of the country feels compelled to tell you something during a visit (and not to charge or gain access to your financials information, and tell you something straight out, not toy with each part to see how you react) - something only somebody with an intimate knowledge of your family past could know. Such events just leave you with more questions than answers.

[barry2952]

Meh. If it were real the world would be a very different place.

I wonder how many Atheists believe in this stuff? There seems to be a correlation between religious people and people that believe in paranormal stuff.

I'm a big Sci-fi fan, but that's all it is.

[VDubby18]

Anyhoo, they told her that her first born would have a drinking problem.
So maybe it was a lucky guess or...

Or maybe they were a believer in Erik Erikson (famous psychologist) who thought that the first born would grow up to be a pervert, drunk, loser, etc.

[Biff Beltsander]

Or maybe they were a believer in Erik Erikson (famous psychologist) who thought that the first born would grow up to be a pervert, drunk, loser, etc.

Well that sounds about right.

[Jesse]

For all the fortunes that seem to come true, there are countless more that do not. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. Do not underestimate the psychological power of the coincidence.

[Brendan@bwalkauto]

I personally find it to be a huge load of BS.

My personal favorite was having my palm read in Thailand when I was 13. According to the guy, I was going to be successful Engineer, wealthy, live a long time, etc. Wow, that's a stretch for a white kid with his Dad in a temple in the middle of a Wednesday.

He might have well just asked my Dad "What do you do for a living" and then turned to me and said "you'll be those things."

[deucestudios]

Fortune for a quarter I love quarters.
Give me a quarter I'll tell you your fortune.

[GliGirlDriver]

1. Punch fortune teller in face
2. Ask her if she saw it coming
3. ???
4. Profit

This.

[VW1.8Tsunami]

What about 'mediums'? I'm always intrigued by the likes of the Long Island Medium. Whatever her name is...

[barry2952]

What about 'mediums'? I'm always intrigued by the likes of the Long Island Medium. Whatever her name is...

What's the difference between a medium and a fortune teller? Don't they supposedly both communicate with the dead?

[VW1.8Tsunami]

What's the difference between a medium and a fortune teller? Don't they supposedly both communicate with the dead?

I suppose they do but I don't think mediums predict the future. It's more about connecting with people you knew that passed away. I know there are a bunch of hoaxes out there but this lady and one other are booked solid for years b/c how accurate they are. I think 60 min. did a special on it.

[barry2952]

I don't buy it. Don't buy into ghosts, either.

[BRealistic]

I don't buy it. Don't buy into ghosts, either.

If you have never had any personal experience with the paranormal, I can completely understand being skeptical of everything.

I used to feel that way too- give me scientific method proven facts or nothing.
Then I had a rather shocking experience that I could find no rational explanation for (with somebody else- so it was not just in my head).
IDK, at some point you start considering the realm of possibilities other than (what is considered to be at that point in time) proven scientific facts when the scientific facts do not explain your reality.

I personally think it egotistical and even a bit naive to assume we know everything about everything.

[Mtl-Marc]

[barry2952]

If you have never had any personal experience with the paranormal, I can completely understand being skeptical of everything.

I used to feel that way too- give me scientific method proven facts or nothing.
Then I had a rather shocking experience that I could find no rational explanation for (with somebody else- so it was not just in my head).
IDK, at some point you start considering the realm of possibilities other than (what is considered to be at that point in time) proven scientific facts when the scientific facts do not explain your reality.

I personally think it egotistical and even a bit naive to assume we know everything about everything.

Well, I guess that's me then. I have no problem if you want to believe it, though.

[RottyB5A2]

There are good ones and bad ones. I'd say about 75% suck and are a rip off. If you can find a good one that does not want anything but your first name, you're in luck.

There will always be skeptics and that's fine, but it's for real. Nothing is set in stone, we have free will which in turn does not gaurantee anything a medium tells you.

Good luck.

Ps- you'll have more success if you go with absolutely no expectations.

[BRealistic]

Well, I guess that's me then. I have no problem if you want to believe it, though.

Regardless of what has happened to me in the past, I am still a serious skeptic.
Seeing a ghost or having a haunted house is interesting to most, so people tend to jump to that conclusion when they hear a noise when by themselves, notice the front door is ajar when they just knew they closed it earlier before the wind storm, or misinterpret something seen in their peripheral vision.

My experience was not something seen or heard.