E93: Belief in Psychics: Why We Believe, and What’s the Harm? w/ Rob Palmer

A surprisingly high percent of people believe in "psychics" and "mediums" (those claiming to see the future & communicate with the dead). Unfortunately, having supernatural beliefs inherent in being religious influences people to believe this at a rate over 5 times higher than atheists do. This leaves them open to psychological and financial devastation at the hands of con-artists. In this talk, Rob will reveal how psychics and mediums manipulate people into believing they have special abilities (on TV and in person), and explain why science says that these paranormal claims are untrue. He will present details about believers defrauded of enormous sums (up to their entire life savings), and he will explain how the legal system is not on your side if you become a victim. Rob is a skeptical activist who writes for Skeptical Inquirer as The Well-Known Skeptic. He writes about contemporary skeptical issues, and has interviewed conference speakers, scientists, TV personalities, and skeptical and atheist activists. Rob takes a special interest in combating the dangerous belief in psychics and mediums, and he educates the public about the harm that often befalls vulnerable victims who trust in people claiming these abilities. Hosted by Eric Wells, the RfR Support Group Director and Sacha D’Souza, RfR Regional Director  Recorded on July 28th, 2021. For RfRx comments, inquiries & topical questions, email us at [email protected]. Any time you are struggling with religious doubts or fears you can connect with a trained RfR Helpline agent 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To chat online go to http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org. To talk over the phone, dial: (844) 368-2848 in the US & Canada If you are in need of professional help, we can offer the Secular Therapy Project to provide options to connect with a professional therapist. All therapists have been thoroughly vetted by our organization and offer only evidence-based and non-religious treatment. Connect with them at http://www.seculartherapy.org. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tiktok. Volunteer: http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/volunteer Donate: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/donate