Image by Enrique Meseguer from Pixabay
I don’t believe in psychics because my narcissistic family on my mother’s side believes in psychic power very much. They often speak of their belief in certain psychic readings, or this or that child being predestined for greatness or villainy, or certain inexplicable sign bearing omens for future events. And they speak of it with such a serious tone that I can only feel despair.
Why would they believe in such a thing? I mean if they can just shed their narcissistic traits, they can live a much happier life. And better still, people around them can live a much happier life. This is a sure way to make the world a better place. They don’t need psychic readings to predict their future; I can predict their future–if they continue to think and behave like a narcissist, the only future they will have is misery. Of course my very sane idea will never be accepted, and my very defiance of my relatives can only be considered as betrayal and ingratitude.
Actually, when my narcissistic family is not involved, I don’t even have an opinion about psychics or psychic power. Probably it is just an illusion. So…it is adding one more illusion on the pile of illusions we already have for our life. And it is probably the most entertaining and the least harmful of all illusions. Who knows?
I once watched a documentary about psychics. It is said that psychics can hardly make a living by offering psychic readings with crystal balls, tarot cards, tea leaves, feng shui, or whatever illusion-generating tools the general public accepts. People are willing to pay some money to be told of their future, but they are not willing to pay big bucks. Also fortune telling is a one time thing, and it is not likely to generate repeat customers. It makes sense. However, one of the things that can really let psychics make some money is to connect people with their dead relatives. People are willing to pay the money, and people are willing to come back for more.
And it is said that recently artificial intelligence in Korea or in Japan (I can’t remember which) has enabled technology companies to create realistic 3-D hologram images from the pictures of a dead relative. And the 3-D image can move, can talk, can converse with people, can make gestures, can have facial expressions, just like a real living breathing human being. And this 3-D image can learn to be better and can adjust its behavior according to the input given by the relatives. And each one-hour meeting with this AI relative costs more than $1000.
I said to myself who would be stupid enough to pay this kind of money for an hour of … nothing. But then I thought probably…we would. It’s “the little toil of love” that we have to “judge tenderly”, as the poem would say.
Haoyan Do 
My grandmother Lucille Cayce was a second cousin to the mystic Edgar Cayce, so I am waiting patiently for my psychic powers to kick in.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I see. And I can imagine your grandmother Lucille and the mystic Edgar reading crystal ball, tea leaves, and tarot cards together in heaven. And they are going to offer some magical power to you on earth…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have lead a charmed life!
LikeLiked by 1 person
😊😊 yes, and 2023 will be another charmed year…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Creating replicas of our loved ones who have passed on is one of the staples of science fiction writing and it never, ever ends well. I say, keep their memory alive and don’t mess with the nature of the universe 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
So true. Don’t mess with the nature and let it be. The advancement of technology seems to take advantage of people’s weaknesses and superstition. Now one can see the fake image of the loved ones as if they are alive.
LikeLiked by 1 person
There is a lot I can say about psychics and astrology, but I think part of the reason why narcissists gravitate towards them is because it takes responsibility off of them. Somewhat like, “Sorry I act this way, but I’m a Virgo after all.”
To confirm, Korea is the one that perfected that AI technology. I saw this video of a mother who put on a VR headset only to meet up with her deceased daughter. It was a sad thing to watch as the woman went through that grief again. What is worse, though, that someone actually filmed it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So true. Narcissists know how to hide their “mental crime” behind tradition, custom, illness, habits, and psychic readings like what you said. Yes, it is Korea, right? You read it too. Oh, how much are we manipulated? It is frightening. Hope high tech can bring human being good things…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m not a fan of psychics either but I font think it’s that people are stupid enough to believe them I think it’s that people are desperate enough to believe them. And that’s what psychics take advantage of.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, the willingness to do stupid things. And people can be so desperate. It is unbelievable. And the high tech psychic will only push it further.. Don’t know how bad it is going tog get…
LikeLiked by 1 person
So true. I feel like psychics are good at business and can get people really invested and they end up spending all their money on psychic readings.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, psychics are good at that. And a good salesman can find ways to get people to spend the money they don’t want to spend.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, as they say a good salesperson can sell milk to a cow.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The concept of the artificial intelligence you mention here speaks to mankind’s ability to monetize everything from happiness to sorrow in a way that attracts people willing to go to great lengths just for an hour of simple happiness . . . ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, high tech is exploiting human weaknesses. There’s an app for every human mood, desire…
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s really terrible. Taking advantage of people’s sorrow like that. But then, people are asking for trouble when they don’t use their own brains and allow superstition and ignorance to lead them. I’m glad that you are smarter, Haoyan. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, it is terrible. High tech is just pushing fortune telling to a new level of delusion. We thought high tech would do all the wonderful positive thing for us, but what we get is both good and evil…
LikeLiked by 1 person