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Old 12-04-2005, 02:20 AM
Landon_McFly Landon_McFly is offline
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Default Someone please help me explain this to my mother

I need OOT’s logic to help me out here.

Kinda long, but interesting IMO.

I went out to eat with my mom tonight, and she told me this crazy story.

I’ll put it in her words because I think it’ll be easier to read this way.

Mom: I never told you this, but about a year ago this woman I work with gave me this lady’s business card. She can supposedly talk to dead people. I found the card in my purse yesterday and for some strange reason I decided to give it a shot.

I went to the woman’s house, and I found out she doesn’t even have set prices. She takes donations, and is a stay at home mom who thinks she has this power to talk to the dead. I was completely skeptical of the situation from the beginning, but I decided to hear what she had to say.

The woman closed her eyes and started just saying random things. I never answered anything she said unless she directly asked me a question. The first thing she told me was that someone wanted to thank me for their toenails. She asked me who it could be. I told her I didn’t know, and then she went through the motions again. Then she asked me if my mother’s name was the same as the little girl from house on the prairie (Nellie). I was stunned. My mom’s name is Nella, and I used to cut her toenails for her in the months leading up to her death (she was over 85 years old).

Then she said that my mother thinks I need to get over my first relationship (my mother was married at the age of 18, but got an annulment (My mom and dad never married, but have happily been together for over 22 years.). She said my mother talks to my ex-husband frequently. I found this very strange because I haven’t talked to my ex-husband ever since you were born.

She said that my mother wants to thank me for the petunias she bought her before her funeral (My mom said she’s only bought petunias once in her life, and it was after my grandmother died.).

She asked me mom who Richard is (that’s my dad).

After that, she said that someone wanted to let her know that he had to leave her so he could be with his son. The woman told my mom that she sensed that it was a suicide (Nobody in my family has killed themselves, but my cousin was killed in a race car accident, and one year later his dad died in a similar race car accident. Everyone always knew that my uncle’s life had completely turned to [censored] after his son died, and I’m sure he’d contemplated suicide.).

The woman started rubbing her hands up and down her own arm and on her back and asked me who had to get treated for burns. (My mom couldn’t recall at the time, but my cousin had suffered a horrible burn that caused him to get a skin graft on his arm and upper back.)

She told me that my mother likes the new bed sheets I bought (My mom said she bought new bed sheets two months ago, but before that it’s been over 10 years since she bought new ones).

She asked me the significance of December 11. I told her it meant nothing to me, and then said maybe November 11 (The day my mom was married).

Next she said that my mother likes the fake bricks (My mom didn’t realize it until later, but we’re building a new house, and in the kitchen there’s some type of brick used, but my dad sad the brick isn’t real)

Now I’m very skeptical of dumb [censored] like this, and I was so mad that my mom actually believed this stuff, but after thinking to myself about some of the stuff I was wondering… How can I prove to my mom that this isn’t real? The only explanation I could give is that the human brain is good at recognizing when things “hit,” but a much tougher time noticing when they “miss”.

So after I tried to tell her why there’s no way this is possible, she told me the really wacky thing. Today while she was at home for lunch, her ex-husband called. He asked her how she’s been, and said that he’d love to take her out to eat sometime because there’s some things he wants to talk to her about.

I’m sure you guys can think of a logical way I can explain this to her. She knows I’m weary of gimmicks like this and that’s why she wanted to talk to me before she talks to my dad about it.

I’m sure there are some people that believe in stuff like this, but to me it’s complete [censored]. I just wish I knew a way to expose frauds like John Edwards, and I feel that my mom has suckered to the max. She’s told her four sisters, and of course they all believe her. As a matter of fact my aunt is trying to schedule an appointment herself.

What’s my play?

Since you took all the time to listen to my dilemma I gotta hook you up with a hottie.
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  #2  
Old 12-04-2005, 02:33 AM
tonypaladino tonypaladino is offline
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Default Re: Someone please help me explain this to my mother

[b]The woman closed her eyes and started just saying random things. ... She asked me the significance of December 11. I told her it meant nothing to me, and then said maybe November 11 ...

Cold Reading
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  #3  
Old 12-04-2005, 02:35 AM
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Default Re: Someone please help me explain this to my mother

I'll read it again in the morning. As for the first few paragraphs:
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  #4  
Old 12-04-2005, 02:36 AM
Landon_McFly Landon_McFly is offline
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Default Re: Someone please help me explain this to my mother

[ QUOTE ]
Cold Reading

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow. My mom got pwned.

She's gonna beat that chicks ass when she see this. [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]
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  #5  
Old 12-04-2005, 02:39 AM
Paluka Paluka is offline
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Default Re: Someone please help me explain this to my mother

[ QUOTE ]

She asked me the significance of December 11. I told her it meant nothing to me, and then said maybe November 11

[/ QUOTE ]

Not November eh? October? I know, I bet September 11th means something to you....
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  #6  
Old 12-04-2005, 02:41 AM
Warik Warik is offline
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Default Re: Someone please help me explain this to my mother

Have her watch that episode of "Pen & Teller Bullsh*t!" that deals with psychics and those who allegedly talk to the dead.

Also keep in mind that your mom may have been a "victim" of Cold Reading as Tony Paladino linked. It will be hard to explain to your mom that she was had when you weren't there to see.

Finally, point out the fact that all this lady did was tell your mom things that SHE ALREADY KNEW. Wow. What a talent! Fish for information and get confirmation from the subject when you catch something. Quite impressive! Ask your mom if this lady ever gave her any information she DIDN'T know that would actually be useful?

Any legitimate psychic would have at least been able to listen to grandma telling her to tell mom to tell YOU to not post on OOT about how she's a quack.
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  #7  
Old 12-04-2005, 02:43 AM
Landon_McFly Landon_McFly is offline
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Default Re: Someone please help me explain this to my mother

[ QUOTE ]

Not November eh? October? I know, I bet September 11th means something to you....


[/ QUOTE ]

Yea, that's when Jay-Z's The Blueprint came out.
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  #8  
Old 12-04-2005, 04:07 AM
man man is offline
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Default Re: Someone please help me explain this to my mother

I don't see why it's so hard for you guys to accept that psychic abilities are possible.

I think the majority of cases are subjects of delusion. but given that the probability of the coincidences mentioned are on the order of one in a billion, or a million, or whatever, it seems reasonable to say that there's something to it. aren't most of you mathematically adpet? of course you can dismiss it all as a coincidence. but the lower the probability becomes, the more you have to accept that it's equally probable, or even more probable, that these predictions actually are guided by psychic abilities.

in short, I think it's enough to say that there are some things in life we can't explain, and we have to accept these things. you don't have to find a rational justification for everything, because for some things, it simply doesn't exist.

edit: syntax
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  #9  
Old 12-04-2005, 04:18 AM
craig r craig r is offline
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Default Re: Someone please help me explain this to my mother

[ QUOTE ]
I don't see why it's so hard for you guys to accept that psychic abilities are possible.

[/ QUOTE ]

I knew this entire thread would suck before I clicked on it.

craig
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  #10  
Old 12-04-2005, 04:23 AM
Blarg Blarg is offline
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Default Re: Someone please help me explain this to my mother

You're off the mark here. It's not about math. It's about the concept of cold reading.

And saying that this is almost certainly a case of cold reading is not to deny anything and everything psychic or paranormal. It's just to say that this is an old trick.

If there is anything we "have to accept," this doesn't qualify.
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