| In some cultures, notably Japanese and British, money is considered
course, dirty and even evil. (Until relatively recently, for example,
in England you would complement a person by calling them an Amateur
(from the root meaning to love) rather than a professional).
In these cultures, and there decendant cultures (i.e., the mainstream
US cultures) there is a tendency for psychics, healers, etc. to
feel that collecting money for their services dirties them. From
those cultures, the "best" will charge minimally, not at all, or
only accept private, arbitrarily sized donations after the fact
(this is not only a "dodge" to get around legal problems).
In other traditions, including some which you can find in this country,
this is not believed, and the skilled professional feels quite
comfortable charging what the market "will bear".
Of course, someone who seemingly has nothing to gain by faking is
somewhat less likely to be a fake -- but watch out, some people
are motivated by less obvious things than financial gain -- and
many scams (including non-"psychic" ones) look "safe" at the outset.
Topher
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| Recently, I received a flyer in the mail from an everything-but-the-
kitchen-sink mail order company (selling everything from UFO artifacts
to life-extending remedies) that advertised a $39.95 kit with "everything
in it to make you a master of the mystic arts." In addition to
the obvious rip-off from _Dr. Strange_ comics for the slogan, I
don't think anyone seriously studying (nonstage) magic would believe
he or she could get a shortcut for less than $50.00 that would give
them the whole schmeer.
Another catalog I receive on a periodic basis sells electronic devices
that are supposed to amplify or augment paranormal abilities. One
of these, which was supposed to connect mystic centers by electronic
stimulation, had a description that sounded virtually identical
to a "relaxacizer," which was an electronic stimulator for muscles.
The "relaxacizer" was taken off the market by the FDA when it was
determined that the device apparently was responsible for some heart
attacks....
Steve Kallis, Jr.
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| "By their fruits ye shall know them..."
I think the best way to tell the quality of a teacher is to
see how you feel in their presence. Is it a healing presence,
or one that drains you? To use this method you have to relax and
trust your feelings.
As for the pursuit of teachers: God is keeping track of you,
and will deliver you a teacher whenever appropriate. You just
have to be open to the fact that God may select a dog or little
child to be your teacher (for a given moment) as easily as he might
some older person or psychic. When you go in pursuit of knowledge,
it may be best not to go too far afield, since God has access to
you wherever you are.
Alan.
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| The other day, I received something that masaquerades as a newsletter
or newspaper, but in effect is really an advertising flyer for
various paranormal items and services. It is a prime example of
questionable approaches.
[obligatory note: I'm changing the names of the publication and]
[the people involving their services since this is a semipublic]
[forum. The publication is sent through the mail]
The _Starry Wisdom News_ [SWN] carries large, often full-page,
advertisements for various people and services. One of the people,
"Lamia," proclaims herself to be a witch; another, "Oudon," claims
to be a practitioner of Voodoo; a third calls herself "Pythoness,"
and claims ability to foresee the future. Naturally, cut-out coupons
and fee schedules are attached to each ad, explaining how "x" [which-
ever one]'s services will give you, the reader, whatever you want.
In addition to ads, there are one or two main news items (e.g.,
"Ghost of Cat Seen in Store Window," or "Woman Saved by a False
Alarm"), and a lot of short filler items. A typical short item
looks like this:
VOODOO PRACTICE INCREASES
Interest in Voodoo has been at an all-time high.
It has been reported that many thousands of people are
turning to Voodoo to solve their personal problems.
Because of this interest, people throughout the United
States are reported to be seeking true practitioners of Voodoo.
There are very few people who claim to practice Voodoo who
are actually capable of handling the ancient powers.
With the extreme interest in Voodoo, _Starry Wisdom
News_ has looked for an associate with the proper credentials.
After thorough investigation, we have located Oudon, who has
been performing the ancient rites throughout his adult life.
It is not clear how long Oudon can remain associated with
this publication, but we have been assured that his expertise
in Voodoo will be at our disposal for as long as he can stay.
###
I could cite other examples of this sort of story. But note, there
is not one _substantiated_ claim. Maybe interest in Voodoo is at
an all-time high. But where did the writer get the data? Who _says_
there are thousands of people who are getting help from Voodoo?
Such stories are either of the unsubstantiad-claim variety, or
things like the following: "Lamia, one of the most powerful witches
in the world, has postponed her trip to her ancestral homeland.
Although she was scheduled to depart this summer, she says that
the demand for her services is so great that she has put off the
trip. `There are so many people who need help that it would be
wrong for me to desert them now,' she said, when asked about the
change of plans. ..."
In either case, they're not true news (and are factually suspect),
but the gullible will accept them simply and solely because they
see it in print.
Steve Kallis, Jr.
P.S.: I was going to put this is 70, but that's overloaded already
with my comments.
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