Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Don’t Do This with Psychics/Mediums

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So, She'd Had Enough

portrait of Anya Briggs psychic medium based in New York, USA
anyaisachannel.com
        Anya Briggs is a talented psychic medium in New York.  She speaks her mind.  OK, maybe what Anya posted on her blog wasn’t the best thing for her business, maybe it put off a lot of potential clients, etc. (see below).  And of her own admission in subsequent posts, maybe she needed a break from doing readings, due to health problems and some other rather odd, and very draining issues she's confronting. 

        So there’s a great degree of frustration reflected in her writing.  I think it could officially be classified as a cathartic rant.  But there's also a sense of humor throughout it, which is one of the great things about Anya --that, and her uncompromising honesty.  As of this writing, she did indeed take a break from doing readings, until the dust settles a bit in her life.  I hope she feels better soon, and can get back in the saddle again before long. [UPDATE: Anya has resumed her psychic reading work, click here. -Jan. 25, 2012]

        I think the basic message of her post deserves mentioning, so I am reposting it here.  In the past, I have written articles about what TO DO when working with psychics (see Good Advice from Bob Olson About Predictions in Psychic Readings, and Tips for Getting a Good Psychic Reading).  I try to stay on the positive side of things.  But what Anya is trying to get across in her article, however, is what NOT to do.  This needs to be said, as well.  But first I should say...


        Know that psychics love their work.  We respect and are quite fond of our clients.  We're grateful to Spirit for these abilities and for this work being our destiny in this incarnation, as it is extremely fulfilling to help people.  We know everyone is trying to do the best they can with what they have to work with in this lifetime.  We all are.

        But sometimes, as with any job, things get kind of weird, and I’m willing to gamble that anyone doing this work will relate with everything Anya says here.  These are the kind of comments you won’t hear, however.  They’re generally not for public consumption. So Anya's article gives you a voyeuristic glimpse into the flipside of this industry.


What Not to Do

Old Buddy, Old Pal

a clear crystal ball on an ornate golden stand        How do I know these things?  Well, I too recently received the kind of email Anya’s talking about in her post.  Some woman sent me this long-winded, “labyrinthian” as Anya calls them, email that was, quite honestly, a bit disturbing.  First, it gushed for several sentences about how “warm” my smile is and how she knows she could lean on me, etc.  Then, it gets to the punch and says in a nutshell (I'm paraphrasing), and I kid you not, “My husband will die soon, and then I'll win the lottery after that.  'God' has been showing me these things will happen....could you tell me if you 'see' these things happening for me, too?”  

        Brrr, kind of gives you the hee-bee gee-bees.  She even sent me family photos and everything...with no mention whatsoever of setting an actual appointment with me, by the way.  Honestly.  Who does this.  I guess I was supposed to be flattered and desperate to acquire a new buddy, lol.   I did, in fact, respond, suggesting she set an appointment with a reader to explore these issues, but that I doubted any reader, including me, would feel comfortable making death and lottery predictions for her, or for anyone else.  Ugh.  She's probably upping his life insurance policy as we speak.  Poor fella.' 

        Thankfully, that was that, haven't heard back from her since --not the kind of client with which I'd ever want to do business.  All money ain't good money.  She wasn't wrapped too tight, but by far, this isn’t the weirdest request I’ve gotten.  Who knows, maybe it was just a prank.  But, I’m sure every reader gets lots of these, much worse ones, as a matter of fact.  So, when I stumbled upon Anya’s article, I chuckled and thought, Haha, nice to know it ain't just me.  After all, misery loves company, so it’s nice to commiserate.



        Yeah, don’t do the following, folks.  Come on...you wouldn’t email some dentist and say, “Hey, Bob, I saw your pic in the dentist directory online today, and well, nice teeth!  You look like a really great guy, and yeah, I think we could be really great friends.  Yeah.  OK well, take care.  Oh, and by the way, I have this cavity that needs filling, and my teeth generally need cleaning...and what with us being great friends now and all, I'll be by shortly for some dental work, OK old buddy, old pal?" 

        Keep in mind that this work is the sole livelihood of the majority of people providing psychic and mediumship services.  So, respect that.  This includes not bombarding a reader with a bunch of phone calls and emails, purportedly "following up" on one reading, when in reality the amount of their time you're using up constitutes a second or third reading...and you know it.  They know what you're doing.  I know what you're doing.  Everybody knows what you're doing.  So, don't do it!


Don't Ask/Don't Tell...Not!

        Another point Anya brings up is the creepy, "dirty little secret" feeling one gets sometimes with this work.  I had a high school history teacher that used to say, "If you have to be anonymous when you're doing something, then maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place."  If you're ashamed to give credit to a psychic who has done good work for you just as you would your hair dresser or mechanic, then maybe you shouldn't consult with psychics at all.

Dr. Phil seated talking to several psychic mediums on his show
www.drphil.com/
Surprisingly, Dr. Phil, though highly 
skeptical, did a pretty fair and bal-
anced show on psychics, in my opin-
ion.  Who'da thunk it?
        But if you have received good work from one, at least have the courage to say so.  Leave them a positive testimonial.  Word of mouth means a lot.  It's a professional courtesy, it's a fair thing to do.  I have had several regular, repeat clients who wouldn't write up a quick testimonial for me because they were "ashamed" to have met with a psychic.  They told me this.

        "What will my family think?  What would my friends/coworkers say?  What would my pastor/priest/rabbi say?  It's against my religionI'll get in trouble."  Don't do things if you have to live a "double life" to do them.  I can't stress enough how crucial testimonials are in this line of work, not only for the reader, but also for the public at large.  Testimonials help people differentiate the good from the fraudulent.  So everyone will benefit from your positive words.



Vindicated!

        Wonder if his mama ever said there'd be days like this for him: Barbara Walters publically skewered world-reknown psychic medium James Van Praagh for his well-meaning attempt to warn her of an impending serious illness.  If the information hadn't resonated with her, she just as well could have filed it away mentally.  Instead, for whatever reason, she chose to go out of her way to attempt to ruin his reputation and career!

        When his warning turned out to be ACCURATE however, ohhhhhhh...suddenly cat got her tongue: she never so much as admitted she was wrong, let alone apologized or better yet, thanked him for the head's up.  This said a lot about the lack of humility, grace or at the very least common decency of this...woman.  This incident became anecdotal within the psychic reading community.  It is a reminder to all doing this work of what's out there, at times.  Most clients, however, are great.



For Walters' "Personal Statement," click here  
Hmm, did you forget to "state" anything else, Babs? 


         Asian mind/body health perspectives have long insisted there is often a direct correlation between certain emotional imbalances and their effect on specific bodily organs.  With her arrogant, "hard-hearted," disposition, is it any wonder Barbara Walters had a "faulty heart" valve, preventing blood, a metaphor for love, from circulating smoothly through her body?  Not a bit.  There are no coincidences.

        Energetically-speaking, I would say this incident reflected a larger karmic lesson for Barbara, which no doubt originated in some previous lifetime.  The question is, had she learned anything this time?  Really, it's none of our business whether or not she has.  Each of our soul lessons is a private affair, and it's not for us to judge others in their's.




        Despite the repugnancy of the situation, James handled it with a sense of humor, patience, and overall class.  The kind of health-related reading James gave is called a "medical intuitive" reading.  Science seems to bear out medical intuitive readings, that impending illnesses are identifiable before physical symptoms even manifest.  Check out Joe Slate's book, Aura Energy: For Health, Healing and Balance for detailed information about this.  But, I digress.

        So, what is the moral of the story of Van Praagh's experience here?  It is that even the best in the business still confront obnoxious old hefers like Barbara Walters.  Apparently, it is unavoidable.  But still, don't you become one!




        OK, well here's Anya's blog post.  And word to the wise: if you're a psychic reader who's new to this line of work, and you think you'll neeever feel like this at any point, that this is just waaaay over the top, think again.  If Mama didn't tell you there'd never be days like this, she told you wrong.     ;-)



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 Listen up:

head shot of the character Annie Wilkes of Stephen King movie, Misery
But I'm your biggest fan...
       Sometimes by accident, my feelers are off (maybe my Mom died the night before, I got yet another visit from Naval Intel in the form of a MILAB, someone is trying to discredit me online paid for by your tax dollars at the NSA, I wake up with unbelievably bizarre marks on my body that would drive most people insane and yet it's happened to me for the thirtieth day in a row, people start stalking me, whatever!) and I let people hire me who have absolutely no intention of wanting to change themselves. It happens! I'm human. Or a cybernetic hybrid Annunaki blood prime, as the case may be.

        Sometimes mentally ill people do in fact get through the cracks and expect the world of me. They think I am their bestie, or a servant to them who is available at the drop of a hat whenever and wherever it suits their whims.

        Those types of clients usually start emailing me long, circuitous emails that require enormous amounts of time and energy on my part to respond to. (I don't engage in this practice anymore, live and learn) they usually engaged in long, unwanted phone calls with me as well after hours and act like we are suddenly related, long lost cousins who want me to start mailing them family photos and keeping in touch on a regular basis.



A chef looks over a large piece of cheese carved in the shape of Venus Di Milo sculpture
Mm mm, somethin' 'bout 
that Venusian cheese...

        When I don't respond, or, shame on me!, indulge them a little bit (some would call that "over-delivering", it can be an occupational hazard in the adviser community. Bad, Anya. Raps knuckles with a ruler) then they say that I see them as just a dollar sign, that they just were an electric bill payment for that month, that I'm "mean", that I've "changed" if I don't drop everything and respond to their ten page rambler about how they always liked cheese and does it mean something about a past life on Venus if that's the case. (If you think I'm exaggerating or taking creative license about that last part, you would be wrong. I literally got an email from a crazed stalker type once asking about the cheese/Venus connection. They were writing it in complete seriousness.)

        These people are users. They were bad clients from the getgo and need to be jettisoned immediately. If you knew how many incredibly misplaced in their neediness people I get contacting me: the stalkers, the sychophants, the star fuckers, the creepy perverts, the users, the drug addicts, the mentally ill, the married men who think I am a "Freek" in the bedroom and wouldn't it be fun to break off a piece of that sideshow crazy, the flaky artist twentysomethings who need a free "mentor" whom they can access at all hours (and who call at all hours) with absolutely zilch other than "you're the greatest" in return, the wannabes, witches, and weirdo black magicians who wanna "crack my code" who all come to me in the guise of "client" (or not even-- parasitic freeloaders is usually more like it), you'd be amazed. Or impressed. Or exhausted. Or revolted.

        I'm not even talking about the people online who stalk me and follow me and say how great I am for years but never actually hire me --ever-- or support my efforts tangibly in any way shape or form other than a constant "You're great!"-- To everything-- as I am actually worrying about the lights being turned off, you'd be amazed. And appalled.

A hysterical woman yelling into a telephone receiver
Personally, I prefer in-person readings. 
I found that the anonymity of the tele-
phone or computer seems to embol-
den some to skip social graces and 
courtesy they would normally extend
in person, for some odd reason.
Don't know why that is.  
        Lots of you want something for nothing. You want me at your beck and call. You want to siphon energy off of me like a vampire (because you are one.) You want me seated at your dinner table to show off to your friends and colleagues and then at the end of the meal shove me back in the attic like the crazy aunt you really think I am. You want a piece of me, and then when I give it, you want more. But you don't want me to say Hi to you if I run into you on the street.

        More, more, always more.  Accompanied by a heaping topping of "but I'm also ashamed of what I want, but IT FEELS SO GOOD/she's a dirty little/best kept secret." What does the oracle have in store for me now?  No, I'm not being a worthless piece of shit user who wants a free reading for nothing (or, who hires me once, but then after peppers me with endless emails about what they should do with their lives but has no intention whatsoever of hiring me again and now we are best friends and Anya is a BAD PERSON if she imposes limits on the email flotsam)  But I'm a good person, Anya.

         Really. Who just talked your ear off for six hours by phone about myself asking for more and more and MORE answers to the questions I seek for free and I FEEL SO CLOSE TO YOU, ANYA, I FEEL SUCH A DEEP CONNECTION, and then want me to be your psychic feel good security blanket/tit/crutch/training wheels to help you make sense of that dream you had last night at the drop of a hat and become one with the Universe at the drop of a hat while she hasn't had a client in weeks and is trying to build a company up and run it like a business person. You say we are friends but the one time I need to talk to someone, anyone, because I needed help just this once because I am being attacked by demons and psychotronic weaponry, you can't be reached because you're blissfully camping in the mountains with your girlfriend.

        People want me until they don't but then get angry when they don't get their "fix" so they call me a "friend".  And you think this job is fun and wouldn't it be neat to be able to do what I do?

        Please, people. I provide a service. It doesn't mean I am your servant.

        Don't make it like we are best friends because I know what you did in that past lifetime in Somalia in 23,000 BC. We are friends of the Universe, we share a soul contract, yes we are connected and All Is One.  But when you start sending me labyrinthian emails that I don't respond to because you are cray-cray and you don't try to heal yourself one iota, nor do you want to, nor did you ever have any intention of doing so,  you just want more of the same and keep needling me about your personal life and why does nothing I do ever turn out right, and further more, if you don't answer this email that I fully expect to not pay you for your time and immense energy that I am taking from you, YOU ARE MEAN AND BAD.

        When you do that, I exit you immediately.  I am not required to reply. I am not required to do anything, you silly child.  You are scaring me and further more, I don't need this shit.

        I get threats and interruptions and attention enough from the Powers That Think They Be, I don't need your dime-store, homeless-person-standing-on-the-corner-having-a-psychotic-break version of it because you didn't get your unbelieveably selfish, child-like supply today. And people say I'M the crazy one who manipulates vulnerable people.

       That is all, we're done here.  Thanks.




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