A general record of my ongoing battle with all forms of nonsense.

Sunday 7 September 2008

Pamella - Deluded Clairvoyant?


With the current British weather being as it is, there isn't too much to do outside. Might as well get another reading.

Blaby was holding a Mind, Body & Soul fair. These fairs are usually jam-packed with psychics/mediums/clairvoyants, so I thought I'd pop along.

Now I wish to make an important point about my visits to these mystics. While I find it highly unlikely that they possess any sort of supernatural powers, I always go along with an open (albeit informed) mind and give them the opportunity to demonstrate their powers.

They don't normally get the opportunity to do this. Their usual punters, by giving information, do not allow them to show what information can be found by methods other than cold reading. The fact that to date, those I've visited have failed to demonstrate any other way of retrieving information is in no way due to lack of opportunity.

Happily, Pamella, a "medium" from Nottingham allowed me to record the entire session. She told me she doesn't normally record readings as the recorder doesn't pick her voice up very well. She put this down to the fact that she was partly "on a different plane".

Luckily, my Canon Digital Ixus 70 (a digital camera with built-in sound recorder) was able to pick up her voice quite well. I'd recommend this model to anyone wishing to pick up sound travelling "on a different plane". Those guys at Canon are geniuses.

As you'll hear from the MP3, most of it is ambiguous - but she does make the following verifiable/falsifiable claims:
  • My mother's grandmother (didn't say which) was brought up on a farm, or within a rural type of environment and used to read tea leaves or playing cards and was "in spirit" before I was born. She used potions (1:48). I've no idea if this is true, but its not unreasonable in 1885, especially with my mother having 2 grandmothers.
  • She suggested that I listen to "my boss" (06:59) This implies that I have a boss. MISS, I own my own business.
  • I've got a promotion coming at work within 16 months (14:02). MISS, I'm at the top already.
I may have missed one - if you notice any more claims that are verifiable/falsifiable please add a comment and I'll review it.

It gets funny at 15:35:
Mystic:"So does all that make sense?"
Me: "Not really"
Mystic: "Well it does, and you see, erm, it does and this is will happen whatever is going on in your life. This is what will happen and you can't argue with cards."

At about 19:57, she starts to get annoyed and accuses me of not coming with the "right intention". I'm asked to leave.

It seems clear: If you don't give Pamella any information, she can't get it from anywhere else.

I don't think that Pamella is a fraud, I do think she genuinely believes that she has these powers. But if she is going to charge people for a service, she should first verify her ability to fulfil that service.

Download the MP3 here: http://www.mediafire.com/?jh0b5oi4mat

7 comments:

Sole Anderson said...

Pamela & Readers

Ignore the dude – he’s had personal issues from childhood – I know, I went to school with him. He’s slating mediums across the board – hope he’s done better in life than he did at school, ‘cause he’ll need big money for legal bills!

Keep going babe – don’t let the little lad irritate you!

Sole Anderson x Adventures in nonsense

Pat Davison said...

Hi Pamela

Having just viewed your page, once again I see condemning remarks made to a medium by Simon. Don’t take this personally - he has already admitted his lack of belief in the spiritual world by admitting himself to be a sceptic. I am currently asking him how he can justify his views to represent a balanced opinion. He appears to have a problem with “special powers”. His views are extremely limited and hypnotically lack an open mind.

Patrick Davison

Simon said...

Sole Anderson:

Really? Which school?

Patrick:

Mind answering my question? Again, you're confusing "sceptic" and "cynic".

Sole Anderson said...

Simon

Judgemeadow Community School

Are you still a member of the Leicester Sceptics who meet in pubs in Leicester?

What is your involvement with the Satanic Porno Cult Shop?

Sole Anderson

Simon said...

Sole: I did not go to Judgemeadow Community School. You clearly have not known me since I was young. Feel free to post an apology.

Skeptics in the Pub? Yes.

Sole Anderson said...

Simon

OK OK - Judgemeadow Community College Leicester if you want to be precise!

As for your “membership” – or should I say the “organiser” of a sceptic group that regularly meets to ridicule various professions and organisations, I find it a bit rich dude to hear you accuse anyone of being “deluded”

Get a life guy – lighten up – stop taking things so seriously!! What are you trying to prove - Simon Perry is somebody at last? Did I mention the word deluded?

Satanic Porno Cult Shop?

Can’t remember seeing your response to my question about your involvement with the above!! Funny how you like to spend enormous amounts of time replying to comments and trying to cover every detail – but missed this one!!!

Sole Anderson

Simon said...

Sole, A: Interesting that you ask me to "lighten up – stop taking things so seriously" considering the tone of your last comment.

Skeptics in the Pub isn't about ridiculing, its about promoting scientific thinking.

No, I didn't go to any college or school in Leicester. You're either thinking of someone else, making it up or Joanne Jordan/Pammella got the information for you "via psychic means".