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moonbeam wrote: Oh and by the way Mandrake......Are you psychic

I am - if you say so !

Mandrake wrote:

moonbeam wrote: Oh and by the way Mandrake......Are you psychic

I am - if you say so !

Well, you should be able to tell me if I'm about to say so, or not - unless you're not psychic ..... in which case ...... hmmm my head's beginning to hurt now

Ok... looks like the coast is clear


I am billed as "Craig the Psychic" and like a huge number of old school practitioners of Mentalism (nobodies, like Richard Webster, Bob Cassidy, Mark Strivings, Ron Martin, Herb Dewey, John Riggs...) I fulling claim and live up to said title with full conviction.

Is it a lie?

Not in the least!

Is it a Con?

You Bet!

Is it a hustle, in the sense of being something I do in order to take advantage of the public?

Not at all!

I believe this is the question that begs to be asked for it is the INDIVIDUAL and how he or she approaches this stuff that makes the difference.

It goes without saying that I could readily begin a religion... The good Rev. Lewis and I have discussed the idea of Tent Revivals and Passing the Plate upon more than one occasion. And for as cunning as either of us can be, we both seem to lack the amount of larceny and tenacity required for taking advantage of our fellow human being at such grotesque levels.

In my book whether or not there is a such thing as "Powers" as they've become known, is not the issue. The issue centers on how some abuse others and perpetuate upon the superstitious and ignorant. This can be done with most any issue and some day I'm confident the magic and cynic's worlds will wake up in amazement to find that one of their own gurus has been conning them for decades when it comes to this very topic... some of us already have.

Let's face it folks, the first rule of any con is to sell something you can readily get others to agree with you on, it don't have to be something religious or spiritual...

As to the question of my being "Psychic" the explanation I give in each and every show is quite simple; We have all been taught to believe that such things are something they are not; the ways of the Psychic are very much natural, simple and readily available to anyone willing to apply themselves to cultivate those abilities.

Sounds like a load of Horse Pucky, don't it?

Edgar Cayce pointed out long ago that being psychic only means that we see things in ways the typical individual does not e.g. if I learn to understand the psychology of shapes, colors, and the metaphoric meaning of animals & plant life I am literally capable of seeing the world in a way the "Uninitiated" does not e.g. I am on the path towards becoming what most would deem as being "Psychic". The other side of this same coin is the more and more you work with people at this level of interaction you begin to INTUITIVELY understand and pick up on "things" such as we've seen revealed in the works of various body language experts and the more cynical characters of our craft such as a certain Mr. Rowland. But there is more to this picture; how to literally "Read" what a person's character is most likely akin to based on face & head shape, the morphic attitudes of the body, how they walk and move... the list goes on and on.

Each and every thing I've just mentioned goes "beyond" or "outside" normal human comprehension e.g. it is quite literally PSYCHIC. It is not a "Power" but rather a learnt ability.

Yes, there are ways of explaining other phenomena but I've not the time nor a means by which to get paid for spilling my guts on this issue at this point in time.... You'll have to wait for the book

But as Rev. Lewis pointed out "Real" Psychics do go to local eateries and do Readings, we work festivals and fairs as well as Trade Shows, Hospitality Rooms and all sorts of private and non-profit functions. We do "shows" in the form of informative talks and lectures that just happen to have some limited demonstration in them and at times, programs that deliberately challenge our skills. Some of us lead workshops and offer Readings via mail, phone or Internet... the sky is the limit! But again, I haven't the room here to expel on it all so GET THE BOOK (it will be out in March)

Hope that helps some of you in working with a more clear conscience. But for those still having "problems" get a copy of Stephan Minch's BOOK OF THOTH and read what he has to say about "Magicians Guilt"

Craig,

i understood abraxus' question as being, if a person "really had SUPER powers"... would they...

in other words, if i had the ability to predict this week's lottery numbers, more so than the ability to glean how a person is thinking or feeling, or influence how they are thinking or feeling.

would "that" kind of person "advertise"? etc...

having said that, abraxus's question is tough to address because as i have come to realise on more than one exchange with your good self and Mr Lewis... what "i" think is pyschic is not necessarily what "someone else" thinks is pyschic.

so based on what you have written and accepting you read abraxus' question a little differently to the way i read it, i tend to agree with much of what you say and in particular, i like these comments from you:

Craig Browning wrote: In my book whether or not there is a such thing as "Powers" as they've become known, is not the issue. The issue centers on how some abuse others and perpetuate upon the superstitious and ignorant.

The other side of this same coin is the more and more you work with people at this level of interaction you begin to INTUITIVELY understand and pick up on "things" such as we've seen revealed in the works of various body language experts and the more cynical characters of our craft such as a certain Mr. Rowland. But there is more to this picture; how to literally "Read" what a person's character is most likely akin to based on face & head shape, the morphic attitudes of the body, how they walk and move... the list goes on and on.

I understand you are naturally being a little cautious (as we all are) given the subject of this thread and TM's history with debates on this subject, however as one who has debated this type of thing with you in the past, i can reveal that i have changed my thinking somewhat. primarily, my efforts to try and get people who make there living from "pyschic entertainment" to admit that it's c*** (not the best) is a naive proposition on my part. that of course and the fact that one could argue there is a level of "pyschic" ability in someone who is particularly good at reading body language. not necessarily a "super power" (a "Hollywood pyschic) but perhaps one person's (not mine) definition of what is "pyschic".

the toughest part of the whole debate is what is a "pyschic"?

i would enjoy reading more of yr definition, and also perhaps that of Mark Lewis as well.

no, it's not super-powers as such...it just a subject i find interesting, full marks to everyone so far for not spraying this post in muck and name-calling...

im seeing it as a layman (hopefully), that in the UK at least, i've found most people strangely see psychics in a very black and white way...it's either some strange facial hair, black roll-neck and mystic(k) symbols...or its some all powerful being that can predict lottery numbers and so forth...

im not keen on labels in any case personally, and as i said its just an interesting subject for me...

i have been quite tempted to put "professional liar" on a business card recently...

would you class being highly inuitive (spelling?) as being a "natural psychic"? using/achieving higher states of intuition and empathy feels more comfortable to me...but i wouldnt say thats psychic in my book anyway...

super-normal? i dunno...

I think Max Malini covered part of this when he assured his audiences that 'others cheat, I only cheat a little'.

i only cheeeeeet a leeeeeetle.....

Are we talking here about psychics who give readings or mentalists who get up on stage in front of an audience? I am not entirely sure which we are referring to on this thread. They are two entirely different things.

Readers are in the psychic business although there is a slight entertainment side to it. Stage workers are in the entertainment business and are as psychic as my lampshade.

The psychic business has very little to do with the entertainment business except on the odd occasion that a psychic is booked at a corporate event to do nothing but readings.

As for a definition of psychic I would say that the abraxus notion of "higher state of intuition" is as good as anything.

mark lewis wrote:Stage workers are in the entertainment business and are as psychic as my lampshade.

You have a psychic lampshade ?

mark lewis wrote:Are we talking here about psychics who give readings or mentalists who get up on stage in front of an audience? I am not entirely sure which we are referring to on this thread. They are two entirely different things

yeah, i should of clarified, I'm meaning the mentalist side of things mainly...but also interested in a wider view as to how people generally feel about what/how a psychic entertainer should behave as well as what abilities they should display....

and how often do the lines blur too thinking about it...

i suppose a psychic lampshade should work on the same premise as an omega candle....i'd quite like a psychic toilet-seat....it would be there, seat up or down depending upon my needs...

Since I see we are talking about entertainers rather than readers I may as well say that I have always liked the point of view that Graham Jolley espoused at a lecture I saw him do years ago.

Someone in the audience asked him the same question and he looked a little nonplussed, shrugged his shoulders and said "I don't know. I just do it!"

I think that is as good an answer as any.

Perhaps a psychic is someone that other people perceive as having special powers?