For centuries people have sought to have psychic abilities proven, yet the answer has seemed illusive. People such as Chris Angel and David Blaine leave people breathless in wonderment, yet still the final answer has escaped validation. At the same time you have skeptics who feel that the abilities of a psychic are nothing more then a collection of generalizations that everyone can relate to. Is psychic ability real and will it ever be accepted?

Since the age old question has yet to be proven scientifically, the psychic field has been rattled with frauds, wannabes, and outright whackadoos. These people prey upon the grief, uncertainties, and unstable time’s people fall upon and tell them what they want to hear so they can fill their bank accounts with their client’s money. In essence the situation involves one individual paying another to tell them what they want to hear.

Other then frauds, there are many actual psychics that are in mental institutions and many who are just plain psychotic who claim to be psychic. Some people actually hear voices from beyond and pay to be institutionalized for doing so, whereas some hear voices because of mental disorders and charge you to listen. Yet where is the real answer, especially when an individual has a lady across the table claiming Sally said “Hi” when the original questions was “Can you pass the syrup?”, and a psychic hotline can only tell one more about their future if they press “#” followed by their pin number?

Numerous respectable psychics seek the answers to respectability among the muck of undesirables and frauds. The true psychic does not sit around with a crystal ball or a deck of tarot cards in hand. In fact, one will most likely not find them dressed in brightly colored frocks with a turban on their heads nor with a third eye painted between their brows. Think about it, just because a person tames lions, does not necessarily mean they are going to walk down the street with one. Instead they dress in usual attire, speak on grounded terms, and hail from every walk in life.

YouTube has a video from an NAS Museum where psychic Rhiannon Waits reads energy from a vintage Japanese Zero that is being prepared for restoration. Naval Administration are the only ones that have the ability to research where this particular aircraft was and have records to where each part was located before its arrival to the hangar. Rhiannon tells the planes history and information of the pilot that navigated it to the director of its restoration. She explains that she reads energy from the aircraft, thus revealing its history. A quick search for Rhiannon Waits in YouTube search box will allow you to view this short clip. (Reference (1): youtube.com/watch?v=LJ29J_Jwww4)

Numerous television shows have become popular as they seek out haunted houses or explore paranormal activity. However, despite the popularity of such broadcasts, there are many individuals who appear to hesitate when it comes to admitting belief of existence in paranormal phenomena. It seems as if the average person finds safety and shelter behind the conclusions of a television critic.

One show in particular, which seems to escape the flakiness and the shroud of hysterical Ghost hunters, is aired on the Sci-Fi Channel. Ghost Hunter has now been aired for several years now and features TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society). What is significant about this show is that it is filmed as they investigate certain places to either validate or disprove paranormal activity.

With the use of scientific equipment, the reports submitted by those experiencing the activity,

 and several investigators, they collect all data possible and then submit their findings.

Viewers can rest assured that they will not find this team screaming in fear or running from the findings. The unbiased team will analyze their findings and complete a report stating whether a location is considered to have a significant amount of paranormal activity or not, and why that conclusion is so. For example, one may say their house is haunted based on the idea that they always hear foot steps at night. Yet, a closer look can reveal that due to changing climates and wooden floors, the sounds are simply coming from the wood adapting to the changing temperatures outside and within the house. In spite of their professionalism, Grant Wilson and Jason Hawes are still attacked by skeptics and criticism from those devoted disbelievers. (Reference (2): scifi.com/ghosthunters/)

Who are these attacking critics and why is it that they become so vicious in their attacks? There are many reasons for this. Some hail from Christianity, where they point to a few passages in the bible where they refer to the paranormal and those who believe and go in search of it in are to be dammed and are headed for a damning light. However, this appears to contradict itself as many Christians cast this aside as they read more than a few passages that refer to prophets, spirits and miracles. To cast the entire skeptic community on Christianity would be erroneous. Yet, perhaps their religious upbringing has many in fear of damnation for believing what they were taught was wrong.

Numerous skeptics come from atheist backgrounds. Their inability to believe in what they cannot see shrouds their judgments. If they were to believe in the afterlife and the ability to see beyond it, then logically, their belief system might be in jeopardy. This fight then becomes one of self preservation because it is the basis of their life structure.

In contrast, if one recalls ancient times where individuals believed in the afterlife. The ancient Egyptians would fill their tombs with possessions that they believed would go with them into an afterlife. Likewise, the ancient Greeks longed for the day they died, where in the afterlife they would be able to enjoy a huge banquet for eternity. Let us not forget all of those who believed the world was flat and Christopher Columbus was crazy, when he decided to prove one would not sail off the face of the earth. One can argue that ancient times are primitive eras, yet theoretically, the society we live in today will someday be considered primitive.

Overall, most of the time I find that some will simply say, “It isn’t real,” yet when I ask why, I get a response such as “because it isn’t,” “Its just fake,” so on an so forth. Therefore, one can conclude that when it comes to the paranormal, it is not a matter of whether or not something exists, yet it comes down to having an open mind and being able to evaluate situations in terms of being “inside and/or outside the box”.

No matter where the skeptics come from or what their purpose, they all agree on one area. They will seek out the frauds, the imaginative, the mentally ill and any mistake or fallible act to use as creditability and validation for their point of view. Where skepticism is good to a certain point for us all – blind obsessive compulsive skepticism is good for no one. It proves nothing. Keeping an open mind and being able to think on a deeper level will allow one to experience more, which then, expands one’s knowledge and overall horizon intelligence.

So do psychic abilities and the afterlife exist? This will be for the individual to decide. It should have enough doubt to keep it real and yet enough belief to embrace the possibilities.