Supernatural Romania law on psychics

[Aiss]

Discuss implication for supernatural powers' development. Or something.

Psychics and witches in Romania, a country historically known for superstitions and vampire beliefs, are upset over a new law that would fine or imprison them for making incorrect predictions. Romania, like many other countries in Europe and around the world, is in the midst of a severe economic crisis, and the law is seen as a way to raise money for government expenditures.

In an interesting twist, the psychics seemed to acknowledge that their predictions were often wrong but blamed their incompetence on divination tools such as Tarot cards and crystal balls. "They can't condemn witches, they should condemn the cards," prominent psychic Bratara Buzea told The Associated Press.

If the law is enacted, it could lead to a class-action lawsuit against manufacturers of Ouija boards, Tarot cards, crystal balls, runestones, and tea leaves for selling defective products. Like all manufacturers, they should be able to demonstrate that their products are safe and effective for their intended purpose: telling the future or imparting mystical wisdom.

One of the most damaging pieces of evidence against the existence of psychic powers (whether alone or aided by Tarot cards or other tools) is that information supposedly gleaned from psychic powers is not only incorrect but is usually contradictory. A dozen different psychics will give a dozen different readings to the same person; the fault lies with the psychics, not with the tools they use.

If the practice of holding psychics accountable for the accuracy of their information spreads to other countries, American psychics have reason to worry. Psychic detectives in particular—those who claim to find missing persons and assist police investigations—have a long and consistent track record of failure (despite claims to the contrary). Since psychic information wastes police time and resources (and therefore taxpayer dollars), a strong argument could be made for fining psychics for information they provide that turns out to be useless or incorrect. This would not, of course, be a problem for any real psychics out there.

Bratara also said that the proposed Romanian law is unfair because there's no way for a psychic to know if clients provide accurate information about themselves to the psychic.

http://www.livescience.com/12819-pro...s-romania.html

[krieger]

hehe, Bolt. Looks like they're on to you.

[Nico1e]

Well, I think that anyone who talks to a psychic does so at their own risk.

I myself used a telephone therapist several years ago, and it turned out to be not helpful at all. She was using some 'supernatural' methods in her therapy.

There is some value in talking to a psychic, because that person is like a therapist. They are focused on you and they are talking with you about your personal life and your future. Just having somebody focus on you and think about you is a pleasant experience, even if they give you incorrect predictions of the future.

And yeah, based on what I've seen, these people are wrong a lot of the time, or I would say, most of the time.

I am actually trying to understand what Ni is right now, and I think when people talk to psychics they are trying to find somebody who actually can use Ni.

I see this in the web pages where they try to predict what the prices of commodities will do. I read www.kitco.com, where they show the prices of precious metals, and many of the people there seem to be ILIs and LIEs who are looking at the future, making predictions, and then taking risks and taking action based on those predictions, and if they are wrong, they can lose huge amounts of money.

This is similar to holding a psychic responsible for things not going as they said they would - would we also hold financial forecasters responsible for people's losses in the marketplace?

[rat1]

Making up laws to prosecute psychics for the sole purpose of raising money is pretty shameful.

[somavision]

hehe, Bolt. Looks like they're on to you.

Quite.

[Crispy]

If the law is enacted, it could lead to a class-action lawsuit against manufacturers of Ouija boards, Tarot cards, crystal balls, runestones, and tea leaves for selling defective products.

Bahahahahahahaaaaaaa

[Bluenoir]

The whole thing seems rather insane. If you are stupid enough to give a psychic your money, you never deserved it to beigin with.

[somavision]

The whole thing seems rather insane. If you are stupid enough to give a psychic your money, you never deserved it to beigin with.

Assuming your cultural starting point is based upon the enlightenment paradigm
Those who believe in psychics are not necessarily stupid, rather they have a tendancy to believe in traditional mythologies rather than the modern mythologies of developed capitalist nations.

[Bluenoir]

Those who believe in psychics are not necessarily stupid

I will grant that.

However, I do question the credulity of a person who would pay a "psychic" money for services, based on nothing more than the psychic's word that they are in fact genuine.

rather they have a tendancy to believe in traditional mythologies rather than the modern mythologies of developed capitalist nations.

I'm not sure what you mean by "mythologies of capitalist nations", but whatever. Again, see point one. There is a difference between believing in psychic phenomena, and handing over your money to Bertha the mystic without question as to her legitmacy. (If that is not being stupid, then I don't know what is.)

Nevertheless, this is not even the issue. Putting Psychics in jail, or allowing lawsuits against a tarot card manufactuers for "faulty cards", is ridiculous.

[Absurd]

[force my hand]

Psychics and witches in Romania, a country historically known for superstitions and vampire beliefs, are upset over a new law that would fine or imprison them for making incorrect predictions.

Yeah, but surely that would NEVER happen... They are, after all, predicting the future.