Psychic Mediums

[No_God]

So, I’ll make a long story short…
My in laws believe in mediums and they pay money to talk to their dead loved ones. They also cry when they see cardinals and take the smallest coincidences as “signs” from above. Of course I’m polite and I keep my mouth shut but I have scoffed a few times about the “messages” they get in their dreams and my husband was furious. It’s so ridiculous it makes me not want to spend time with them. The worst thing is my husband goes along with it just to make his mother happy and I think it’s actually making it worse. It’s not harmless because this woman already suffers from severe anxiety and depression and barely leaves her house. I understand everyone grieves differently but I’m not sure a psychic medium is the best way to go about it. I once suggested therapy and that didn’t go over well…

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

I doubt there’s very much you can do about this. It’s a sad, tragic situation, but people hold onto their superstitions with a fierceness that would make a hungry leech gulp with disbelief.

Boru

[arewethereyet]

My first husband died in a drunk driving accident back in 1984. About 15 years later I was back home and spent an afternoon with one of his sisters. She went on to tell me how she had gone to a psychic who told her that he (her brother) was fine and was sitting at a table drinking a beer and said not to worry about him. Seemed so odd to me that he supposedly was in the ether doing what got him killed. She really believed it and I was stunned that she fell for that crap. I had always thought she was pretty bright. I didn't really say anything...partly because I couldn't think of anything to say and partly because I figured if it gave her some peace of mind I wasn't going to try to dispute it.

[Foxaèr]

Con artists have to make a living, too, right?

[No_God]

If it gave her peace I would be okay with it but somehow it doesn’t. This “contact” makes her sad multiple times daily. She forcibly looks for signs in things now. She needs to see a doctor not a medium.

[Brian37]

What do you call a 4 foot 9 inch psychic with a warrant out on them?

"A small medium at large'...

[HappySkeptic]

Mediums are fraudsters, and those needing their services should seek professional help instead.

This is coming from a person who's grandmother was a medium (died before I was born, and I have no desire to talk to her from the beyond).

[brewer]

If their magic makes them happy and is not harming anyone, let them have their magic. But if they're not happy then it may be time to try some other magic of give it up.

Their choice, not yours. I'll add that they need to understand that their freedom to choose stops where your nose starts.

I have a sister that believes in the magic of Trump. Try to hang out with that for a day.

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

My first husband died in a drunk driving accident back in 1984.  About 15 years later I was back home and spent an afternoon with one of his sisters.  She went on to tell me how she had gone to a psychic who told her that he (her brother) was fine and was sitting at a table drinking a beer and said not to worry about him.  Seemed so odd to me that he supposedly was in the ether doing what got him killed.  She really believed it and I was stunned that she fell for that crap.  I had always thought she was pretty bright.  I didn't really say anything...partly because I couldn't think of anything to say and partly because I figured if it gave her some peace of mind I wasn't going to try to dispute it.

Very smart people believe in all kinds of nonsense. EG My father was a brilliant man. He was also a dogmatic Irish catholic. In just about everything else, he was fine. He had this one area where reason did not dwell. 

The creator of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a pretty bright cookie. At one point he went to seances and was conned by The Cottingley Fairies. He even wrote a book, "The Coming of The Fairies"

Doesn't make sense until one learns Sir Arthur lost a beloved son in WW1. One reason I think spiritualism was so popular throughout the 1920's. So many people simply could not cope with their grief any other way.

)))))))))))))))))))))))))0))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

The Cottingley Fairies appear in a series of five photographs taken by Elsie Wright (1901–1988) and Frances Griffiths (1907–1986), two young cousins who lived in Cottingley, near Bradford in England. In 1917, when the first two photographs were taken, Elsie was 16 years old and Frances was 9. The pictures came to the attention of writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who used them to illustrate an article on fairies he had been commissioned to write for the Christmas 1920 edition of The Strand Magazine. Doyle, as a spiritualist, was enthusiastic about the photographs, and interpreted them as clear and visible evidence of  phenomena. Public reaction was mixed; some accepted the images as genuine, others believed that they had been fake



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cottingley_Fairies

[arewethereyet]

My first husband died in a drunk driving accident back in 1984.  About 15 years later I was back home and spent an afternoon with one of his sisters.  She went on to tell me how she had gone to a psychic who told her that he (her brother) was fine and was sitting at a table drinking a beer and said not to worry about him.  Seemed so odd to me that he supposedly was in the ether doing what got him killed.  She really believed it and I was stunned that she fell for that crap.  I had always thought she was pretty bright.  I didn't really say anything...partly because I couldn't think of anything to say and partly because I figured if it gave her some peace of mind I wasn't going to try to dispute it.

Very smart people believe in all kinds of nonsense. EG My father was a brilliant man. He was also a dogmatic Irish catholic. In just about everything else, he was fine. He had this one area where reason did not dwell. 

The creator of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a pretty bright cookie. At one point he went to seances and was conned by The Cottingley Fairies. He even wrote a book, "The Coming of The Fairies"

Doesn't make sense until one learns Sir Arthur lost a beloved son in WW1. One reason I think spiritualism was so popular throughout the 1920's. So many people simply could not cope with their grief any other way.

)))))))))))))))))))))))))0))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

The Cottingley Fairies appear in a series of five photographs taken by Elsie Wright (1901–1988) and Frances Griffiths (1907–1986), two young cousins who lived in Cottingley, near Bradford in England. In 1917, when the first two photographs were taken, Elsie was 16 years old and Frances was 9. The pictures came to the attention of writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who used them to illustrate an article on fairies he had been commissioned to write for the Christmas 1920 edition of The Strand Magazine. Doyle, as a spiritualist, was enthusiastic about the photographs, and interpreted them as clear and visible evidence of  phenomena. Public reaction was mixed; some accepted the images as genuine, others believed that they had been fake



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cottingley_Fairies

Funny you mention Arthur Conan Doyle. I just last week learned of this incident with the fairie book and also about the rift in what had been a friendship with Harry Houdini. It was covered on the 'Criminal' podcast.