Why do people go see psychics? Someone told me yesterday she went to see a psychic [View all]

[raccoon]

in a neighboring state, and paid her $125 cash for a “reading.”

(The psychic told her she would have another grandchild. At that time both her adult children said they weren’t having any more kids. Lo and behold, one of them did had another kid after that. But I digress.)

I confess, some decades ago I went to a local psychic. Paid $50 cash for a reading. (I guess psychics, like everything else, including cell phone companies, have raised their rates.) In my case, I was asking her about my lost cat.

I too used to be fascinated by the woo-woo factor in this, but not any more.

I know sometimes people go see them to ask about people who have gone missing—or pets, as I did and so did my aunt. I can understand the hope, no matter how slight, that this person might be able to shed some light on what has happened to a loved one.

But other than that, why do it? I don’t think psychics usually tell people “bad” things, such as, you or your close relative is going to develop a wasting illness, be involved in a fatal car accident, etc.

Of course, how people spend their money is their own beeswax, and at least they’re helping the economy, because the psychic now has $125 to spend.