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Maddened Loyal user 222 Posts |
So you call yourself a Psychic Entertainer, read people's minds, made a few predictions, and maybe even a publicity stunt or two. Then someone approaches you and ask, "If you're psychic, how come you're not winning the lottery?"
Or worse, the audience at some point thinks that to themselves and then concludes that this must mean you're fake. Sure it doesn't happen very often, and it isn't as serious as I make it out to be, but just out of curiosity (and because I have yet to find a good response), how do you guys approach this situation without compromising your stand (that you're truly psychic or have special "powers")? One guy I know simply says cheekily, "People ask why I'm not rich. Actually I am." But his style is a comedic one, so that flies with his audience. I'm personally a bit more serious, so recently this question has been bugging me. Anyway it should be fun to hear what you all have in mind. |
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Necromancer Inner circle Chicago 3076 Posts |
So many people are fed the belief by the media that psychic gifts are 100% at the owner's command, 100% of the time.
If only that were true. But the fact of the matter is that nothing in this realm is completely reliable. Psychic gifts don't come with a warranty card. We've all had precognitive dreams -- vision of things that came true. Now, if we all got $1 million every time that happened, life would be great. But the fact is, there are limitations. We can't control those dreams to include the winning lottery numbers. Other psychic gifts are similarly limited: Telepathy, for example, only works if the sender and the receiver are on the same wavelength. Newspaper predictions only define key words, photos, or just portions of a page, not exact word-for-word headlines (because if you knew about a tragedy in advance, you would be ethically bound to help save the prospective victims). Telekinesis only works when the conditions are right and your gifts are responding. And although there are people who could use their of mental influence over others for outrageous personal gain, your personal ethics preclude you from doing so. (Unfortunately, cult leaders don't have such inhibitions.) Psychic gifts are to be respected, not commanded. We are at their mercy, and not the other way around. Best, Neil
Creator of The Xpert (20 PAGES of reviews!), Cut & Color, Hands-Off Multiple ESP (HOME) System, Rider-Waite Readers book, Zoom Pendulum ebook ...
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magicmind Inner circle My fence has 20, 3218 Posts |
Very well put Neil! That covered it all You could just explain that your a mentalist and not a cult leader...hence the difference in income
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John Smetana ???? - 2009 499 Posts |
If asked the "If you're psychic...why aren't you rich?" question, simply say...what makes you think I'm not?
All the best, John |
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Scott Xavier Inner circle 3672 Posts |
I can read mind not predict the future.
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Tom Jorgenson Inner circle LOOSE ANGLES, CALIFORNIA 4451 Posts |
"It's not allowed." You get to pick one or the other, you can't have both.
We dance an invisible dance to music they cannot hear.
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magicmind Inner circle My fence has 20, 3218 Posts |
Quote:
On 2006-07-27 14:18, John Smetana wrote: Good one John! |
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The Doktor New user Spiderskull Island 98 Posts |
John, The Doktor uses the same approach as long as you present yourself as well dressed and affluent The Doktor feels this is the best approach. In regards to the lottery The Doktor simply states that my talents have often been called upon by both Federal and Local Authorities and they are well documented thus preventing me, from unethically using my gift/curse to influence the lottery etc...
“Look down at me and you see a fool;
look up at me and you see a god; look straight at me and you see yourself” “I'm not your eXecutioner. I'm not your devil and I'm not your God. I'm just The Doktor." H D X! |
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JohnCressman Special user Allentown, PA 903 Posts |
Well said Neil.
Explain to people that. like most psychics, you don't see the future like watching a TV program from start to finish. It's more like flipping channels. You see bits and pieces of programs as they flash by. It's rarely enough to see the event in context. You might see lottery numbers... but you don't know what state or even what country the lottery numbers are for. Besides... using your gift for personal gain brings bad karma. =) |
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entity Inner circle Canada 5060 Posts |
I say: "I've chosen to use my talents and gifts to entertain people. While that brings me a great many rewards, including a very nice income, thank you, money has never really been an obsession with me".
- entity
email: tomebaxter@icloud.com
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MentaThought Special user 615 Posts |
Neil that was excellent.
"A good mentalist ... will teach you a miracle because he understands the subtleties ..." -- Banachek
"If this works it'll be BEAUTIFUL!" - The Amazing Kreskin on a stunning effect he performed on his 1970s television series (PS: it worked) |
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chichi711 Inner circle 5810 Posts |
You could just tell them the truth. That has never hurt anyone, or me.
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Harry H Inner circle 1526 Posts |
Avoid the word psychic and all will be well.
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todsky Inner circle www.magicstore.ca 2354 Posts |
"I am psychic enough to realize that great wealth will not make me truly happy."
After all, those who are 'psychics' are closely aligned (at least in the spec's mind) with spiritual-type people, who choose enlightenment over material wealth.
Todsky's Magic Shop: over 15,000 tricks, books, DVD s and Card decks. www.magicstore.ca
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jimtron Inner circle 2039 Posts |
Quote:
So many people are fed the belief by the media that psychic gifts are 100% at the owner's command, 100% of the time. Does that come from the media, or from psychics? I can't recall seeing a claim made by the media that psychic gifts are 100% on command, 100% of the time. Actually, I can't remember ever hearing a claim like that. Does anyone know of an example of this, from a psychic or from the media? - Jim |
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Tony Iacoviello Eternal Order 13151 Posts |
Jim:
The media includes television shows, movies, books, ... It is all Hollywood's fault, yeah, that's it. Tony |
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Maddened Loyal user 222 Posts |
Thanks everyone for the replies. Ah Neil, I think you just about covered it all.
Sometimes you don't have to claim to be psychic for that question to pop up I think. People are probably thinking, "Oh he can predict the future and read minds. How powerful. So how come he isn't predicting the stock market?" Or at least that's how I think. I think the best example is to look at the posts people make of Derren Brown. They all start saying that he can manipulate people to do things for him (see "The Heist" thread) so why does he even need to do shows etc? And then someone would come in and say that this is obviously a sign that what he's doing are tricks, albeit very real-looking. I'm not looking to start a storm of discussion about whether Brown's stuff is real or not, that's for some other thread, so erm... if you feel you must defend him, that's a fight for another day. Geller got it right because he only does PK stuff. Small-scale PK stuff, so this question doesn't come up to challenge his validity as a "psychic" or as someone with "powers". But to me it seems that the connotations and underlying impact of this cheeky question, "Why aren't you rich?" has a very powerful effect on how the audience is going to perceive you eventually. Or maybe I'm making a mountain out of a molehill. Sure I could just state that I don't possess special abilities and everything's a trick, but I think it's more powerful to leave this open and let the audience decide for themeselves, in which case they'll eventually (I think) ask this question of you. Thanks again for the helpful input. May I have permission to use some of your lines in future when faced with such a question? |
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Maddened Loyal user 222 Posts |
Quote:
On 2006-07-27 23:47, jimtron wrote: I guess you can just rework that line and say, "Many people assume that psychic powers are 100% under the control and command of the person. This is not really true... etc. etc." I think most of us do have that assumption when we first read about or know about people with psychic powers. Of course shows like "X-Men" and "The Dead Zone" doesn't help dispel this "myth". |
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Jim-Callahan V.I.P. 5018 Posts |
You know I have not been asked that question in years and for a very specific reason.
I clearly define what I do and what I can do. If you are getting such questions it is my belief that that it is a weakness in presentation. People will ask such things if they do not beleive you or you have not defined yourself properly. Jim H.O.A-X Even durring my most contentiouse times here no one ever asked me to do more than I state I can do.
“I can make Satan’s devils dance like fine gentlemen across the stage of reality”.
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jimtron Inner circle 2039 Posts |
Quote:
On 2006-07-27 23:53, Tony Iacoviello wrote: So, including (fictional) novels and movies, and TV shows? That makes sense. Also those non-fiction, "unexplained mysteries" kinds of shows seem to imply a lot (in my opinion) nonsense that's not based on solid evidence. |
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