VICE mediumship debunking?

You know I know that all proported mediums aren't always really what they claim to be, but this makes me kind of doubtful that any are really what they claim they are capable of. What do you all say to this?


https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.vice.co...ead-sister

You know I know that all proported mediums aren't always really what they claim to be, but this makes me kind of doubtful that any are really what they claim they are capable of. What do you all say to this?


https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.vice.co...ead-sister

What I say is that I'm still somewhat sceptical about your intentions. Many forums have trolls who pretend to be one thing yet are actually there to promote the opposing view. I noticed back when you started posting that your "thing" seems to be posting sceptical articles and challenging proponents to answer them yet maintaining the assertion that you are a proponent looking for clarification.

Many of the topics you choose have been dealt with previously in numerous threads both here and at Skeptiko. Some are such old hat that I wonder why we really need to revisit the controversy. This particular one is so inane that it convinces me more than the rest that you are bogus. I mean - a guy sets out to find some crappy $5 psychics and finds some! Wow!

This sloppy bit of amateur debunking has now made you question your own judgement and the integrity of all mediums, no matter how well the more respected ones perform? Most of the questions you raise in your posts could be answered just by a simple search so what are your really trying to prove?

If you are a sceptic, have the balls to admit it and post your questions accordingly - even Steve001 does that. There are some relevant questions and, as you have discovered, people here are always willing to answer as best they can. If you are a proponent, do some homework before posting and try to offer some explanations yourself rather than challenging others to do it for you. All of us are be willing to take part in a discussion which actually advances the argument, pro or con. None of us likes to be part of somebody else's game playing.

What I say is that I'm still somewhat sceptical about your intentions. Many forums have trolls who pretend to be one thing yet are actually there to promote the opposing view. I noticed back when you started posting that your "thing" seems to be posting sceptical articles and challenging proponents to answer them yet maintaining the assertion that you are a proponent looking for clarification.

Hey hey, I understand the skepticism but look, I've been hanging around a good couple of months and I'm new this whole crowd. I do breeze over some of the old Skeptiko forum discussions, but I'm not aware of a lot of it yet. Thought I'd just spark discussion with the actual people included in them myself. 
I'm pretty green to this whole thing

Look, I'd like to give you the benefit of the doubt just as the other trusting souls here do but I do notice a pattern to your posts. Moreover, this particular thread (including the linked article) has more than a smack of "cheap shot" about it. It really struck me as barrel-bottom scraping in more senses than one. Anyone can dig up a few cheap and nasty psychic adverts and "expose" them. We all know there are countless fakes willing to fleece the unsuspecting. 

Now, the obvious parallel is you and this forum. Why should I believe you? How do I know that you aren't a fake? I find internet sceptics particularly annoying at the best of times but sneaky game-playing and trolling make the internet a thoroughly unpleasant place and I hope we can avoid that on this forum.

Now, the obvious parallel is you and this forum. Why should I believe you? How do I know that you aren't a fake? I find internet sceptics particularly annoying at the best of times but sneaky game-playing and trolling make the internet a thoroughly unpleasant place and I hope we can avoid that on this forum.

I guess that's the gamble, because anybody here could be a fake. It's impluasable, but it isn't impossible with the nature of the internet. None of us see each other face to face, period. 

I've exchanged a number of messages with Laird over the two or three months I've been around here, and explained my situation clearly to him if not everybody else. I'm just a very curious and insecure proponent, if you have to know. I suffer a bad case of self doubt and anxiety, and with all the skeptic dribble I see around, I always am trying to refind my stance on psi, survival, etc just to make sure I'm not some wishful thinker or something like they would make you think. 

And discussing the stuff and sparking discussion here just seems to do wonders for that. Guess I've been backing off too much recently and just watching everybody go back and forth over things I bring up rather then keep discussing them.

I'm just trying to be sure of myself. I'm definitely no skeptic or troll sneaking about

Plus Karmaling, trolls don't hang around much longer then a post or two under the same account without vanishing or getting themselves banned. I'm here and hope to stay around for awhile, and not under seven different names 

I'm trying to look at this from an angle unrelated to the subject matter of this forum. I've spent (far too many) hours and numerous posts on other forums where other subjects are discussed. From that, one gets an idea about different types of forum behaviour.

Some people do make themselves less than welcome because of the ways in which they interact with others. I won't go into details about all the things which go on. One of the types of interaction is when someone starts a thread, getting a large number of responses, and (on other forums) the original poster never reappears, they just vanish without trace. A close second is where the OP returns with a brief sort of "thanks everyone" which is only a little better, as it leaves everyone else baffled as to whether anything they said was useful or a complete waste of time.

What I'm referring to here is a perceived pattern in relation to what might very loosely be termed 'forum etiquette'.

Simply asking a question, without attempting to answer it oneself is on other forums pretty much grounds for being ignored. In that respect I don't think Kam's doubts here are unfounded.

I'm trying to look at this from an angle unrelated to the subject matter of this forum. I've spent (far too many) hours and numerous posts on other forums where other subjects are discussed. From that, one gets an idea about different types of forum behaviour.

Some people do make themselves less than welcome because of the ways in which they interact with others. I won't go into details about all the things which go on. One of the types of interaction is when someone starts a thread, getting a large number of responses, and (on other forums) the original poster never reappears, they just vanish without trace. A close second is where the OP returns with a brief sort of "thanks everyone" which is only a little better, as it leaves everyone else baffled as to whether anything they said was useful or a complete waste of time.

What I'm referring to here is a perceived pattern in relation to what might very loosely be termed 'forum etiquette'.

Simply asking a question, without attempting to answer it oneself is on other forums pretty much grounds for being ignored. In that respect I don't think Kam's doubts here are unfounded.

Ehh, fair enough Typoz. I've done that recently with my last couple threads, but I have definitely commented and entered in the discussion in others of my own and other people's. Apologies

Going back to original post, I still wonder just how many mediums and psychics are real and aren't real out of all the ones who claim to be. I guess it's neither here nor there, but sometimes I tend to lean in favor of the idea that real mediums are in the minority. It seems the world of mediumship is definitely one filled to the brim with fakes, to give skeptics that credit. But I'm not convinced they are all dreaded "charlatans'

Going back to original post, I still wonder just how many mediums and psychics are real and aren't real out of all the ones who claim to be. I guess it's neither here nor there, but sometimes I tend to lean in favor of the idea that real mediums are in the minority. It seems the world of mediumship is definitely one filled to the brim with fakes, to give skeptics that credit. But I'm not convinced they are all dreaded "charlatans'

Wonder...guess...tend to...seems...

Get out of your house and go find out, go and retrieve the knowledge.