30 Common Myths And Misconceptions About Psychics

Through my experience as a psychic reader, I have encountered many beliefs, myths, and misconceptions over the years. The aim of this article is to discuss 30 common myths and misconceptions about psychics. Please keep in mind that there are many opinions on this matter, and therefore it is important to understand the complexity of this topic.

Table of Contents

Psychic Abilities and Powers

1. Psychics read minds all the time: Many people believe that psychics can read minds 24 hours a day, including when they are sleeping and dreaming. This is a myth; to do so, the diviner needs lots of energy and it is also really tiring. Usually, psychics need to focus and may need to prepare for it, which could take from a few minutes to even an hour. Furthermore, mind reading, also called telepathy, is not a skill that every psychic possesses. This misconception causes people to distrust psychics because they are concerned about their privacy. If they believe the myth, they try to avoid being near a psychic at all costs.

2. Accurate future prediction: There are no guarantees in life, including future predictions. A psychic can only show tendencies and possible outcomes. Once you are exposed to the information, you can try to change your future and design it as you like; you have free will. Additionally, the future is always changing, and random events can significantly affect your life. For example, if you planned to move to a new country and it was suddenly canceled due to factors like health problems, work issues, or personal family situations.

3. Psychics know everything: Some people think that psychics can know everything about the world, spirits, and any individual on the planet. They then test psychics or try to uncover secretive information. However, there are limitations to psychic powers, and the universe is a mystery that is not fully revealed.

4. All psychics have the same powers: This is not true. Every person is different and therefore has different skills and powers. Today, there are 50 – 100 different psychic abilities known to us, including mediumship, clairvoyance, psychometry, remote viewing, channeling, and aura reading. Understanding the various methods of divination can help you consult the right psychic for your needs.

5. Psychics can alter the future: This myth is widely spread in movies, TV shows, and social media. In reality, psychics cannot manipulate every event to achieve a desired outcome. What can psychics do? They can help infuse positive energy, guide you to make good decisions, and increase luck and protection from negative vibes. A few years ago, I met a man who wanted to rid his home of ghosts. He contacted many paranormal investigators, only to realize that they could not remove the evil spirits permanently. Eventually, he had to move to another location.

6. Psychics can communicate with any spirit: Communicating with dead spirits and lost souls is not always smooth; sometimes it can be very tedious. I have seen mediums who can contact a specific person, and it is perfectly natural for this to happen. Various factors can cause difficulties, including lack of experience, mixed energies, random factors, and sometimes the spirits themselves refuse to participate. But usually, other spirits that you don’t know come instead because they have an important message for you.

7. Psychics are born with their powers: While it is true to some extent, in reality, we are all born with special spiritual gifts. However, some of us choose to ignore them, and that is perfectly fine. Others choose to develop their senses much further. It is safe to say that everyone has this power, but not everyone uses it.

8. Psychic abilities cannot be learned: Many people would like to grow their spiritual abilities and believe they cannot do so for various reasons. If you are interested, learn the basics, take an online course, and just start. Another good idea is to buy tarot cards, a pendulum, or a few crystals; they are not expensive, and you can start practicing very soon.

9. Psychics can communicate with all types of animals: This myth is more about animals we normally don’t see around us, like octopuses. An octopus interacts by changing its shape and can slightly alter its color. Most psychics don’t have daily interactions with such animals and likely will not understand the messages they try to deliver. Typically, psychics are good with dogs, cats, farm animals, and birds.

10. They always use divination tools: This is not true; tools are not necessary at all. They do help create better energy and show messages in a certain way – some claim it is easy to decipher, while others argue that it is very complicated to interpret. As long as a person can feel and work with energy, they can succeed in the task without any other accessories.

11. Psychics are human lie detectors: Although psychics have a high degree of intuition, they cannot always decide what is true and what is false. Interpreting symbols has its own complexity; not everything is black or white. Throughout history, people have also manipulated and deceived psychics.

12. They are immune to manipulations: No, like any other person, they can be misled too. In fact, I know someone who was misled by a spirit, and I am sure it happens very often. Evil spirits usually pretend to be someone else to push people to do things for them, and they are very good at emotional extortion.

Ethical and Social Perceptions

13. Psychics are always spiritual or religious: This stereotype is widespread, but the fact is that psychic abilities don’t always correlate with a religious or spiritual lifestyle. Diviners come from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs. Everyone takes the skill and uses it in the way they want.

14. Psychics are scammers: This is the biggest myth in the industry, that psychics claim to have powers they don’t possess; they use tricks and psychological theories to deceive us. Furthermore, this notion also portrays that psychics want to fool you, just so they will be able to take all your money. There are many legitimate and professional psychics that can really help you.

15. Psychics want only money: This misconception exists because some people feel that psychics shouldn’t charge for their services, or at least not ask for high payment. They spread the myth because they want to get free advice or they don’t value the work. From my experience, these are usually bad customers who shouldn’t get a psychic reading at all; it is not for them, they probably need some other ways to solve their problems.

16. Cursing people: The superstition that psychics are like witches from the Middle Ages still exists. Some individuals are afraid that they will curse, cast spells, and send negative energy towards them. But the truth is that the purpose of divine work is to help and empower the client, not make them live in fear; it is about clearing the uncertainty and giving tools for success and happiness.

17. Use of dark forces: The famous prejudice is that spiritualists open gates for evil spirits to come into the world and harm us. While sometimes bad souls can get in here and cause some trouble, this is not the main goal of the psychics. Dark forces exist in this world and in the afterlife, and we can’t blame psychics for negative outcomes as not everything is in their hands. There are also bright light forces, and usually, they prevail.

18. Psychics are always accepted in society: There is still a stigma about diviners, so not everyone is accepted. Yet, as the popularity of psychics grows on the internet and especially on social platforms, the situation has become more tolerated than it used to be decades ago. Furthermore, there are cultures where psychics are perceived as important people, like in New Orleans, tribes in Africa, and among Native American Indians.

19. Only specific people can consult psychics: This is certainly a myth, as people from all walks of life seek spiritual help. And today, there are big varieties of psychic services, and almost all of them are available on the internet—giving access to these services to the whole world. So, if you can’t find a psychic near you, you can always search for them online.

Practical Implications and Limitations

20. Psychics can solve any crime: There are a few psychic detectives that can do it, but most spiritual workers can’t actually solve crimes alone. They can assist and consult, but it is a very rare skill from what I have seen. And usually, most of the work is done by the police forces.

21. Finding lost objects: This is another hard task for a psychic and usually, it is very rare for them to succeed in this task. Usually, items vibrate at a low frequency and if they are lost somewhere far away they will barely find it. However, a psychic can try to connect with the energy of the person and assist them to remember where they have left the object.

22. Psychics don’t have challenges: Knowing how to predict the future and receiving symbols every day doesn’t mean that psychics have the perfect life and that everything is working in their favor. Usually, they face a mental burden, intensive emotions, and sometimes even physical challenges. The psychic journey is very complicated, and usually, in the first years, it’s actually not fun at all when you discover the powers, learn how to use them, and adapt your lifestyle to society.

23. Psychics can operate only under certain conditions: This is not true as they don’t need the timing of a full moon, a sacred place to conduct a ritual, or any other tools like incense and crystals. While these items, locations, and timing may help, they are not necessary as psychic energy is power that comes from our heart, soul, and spirit.

24. Psychics can change your mind: No, they will not hypnotize you to act like a chicken or a cat, and they cannot shift your thinking. This is because everyone has free will. They cannot directly influence; however, they can read your energy and advise you on how to make a decent decision.

25. Psychic reading is too expensive: This is also a myth as you can buy a reading for a few dollars and get the clarity you need. However, some spiritualists charge way more, but this is because they offer more and they are usually very successful; the demand is so high that they can afford to charge as much as they need. I knew a psychic who had a waiting list for a year ahead because she was so popular.

Medical and Psychological Aspects

26. Mythical medicine: Psychics don’t disregard modern medicine, on the contrary, they usually avoid doing readings about health issues as these topics should be consulted with medical doctors. That said, they can suggest supplementary therapies like Reiki, energy healing, and herbal remedies.

27. Rejecting psychological theories: Psychics have other ways to address challenges that someone might have, and maybe it seems unconventional or opposite to the psychology tradition. Yet, they still treat issues related to the psyche with some degree of combination with psychological theories, especially in cases with extreme feelings and traumas.

28. Psychics can cure illnesses: While psychics can help in healing, they can’t cure your illnesses. My opinion on this topic is that they help you to heal yourself. For example, if they give you hope and ways to deal with pain, then your overall mental state will become better, and it might help in recovery or at least in dealing with the illness. Therefore, they might induce an indirectly positive impact. There are many researches on how our thoughts influence our health.

Supernatural and Natural Abilities

29. Psychics are never wrong: Like every human, diviners and fortune-tellers can be wrong with their predictions and symbol analysis. So it is better to approach a psychic reading with a realistic state of mind. Basically, there is a lot of uncertainty in this life, and the spiritualist can give you some light and guidance but not the complete answer. Most of the issues you might have will be solved completely if you make an effort to resolve them. I advise you to realize this point and save yourself any disappointment or illusions in the future.

30. Psychics are against science: The ultimate myth is the debate between psychic abilities and scientific research. The truth is that although they both seem to be opposite, in a strange way they do complete each other. In the last 10 years or so, science actually started to explain paranormal phenomena, so slowly but surely we can see how these two different worlds are getting closer to each other, day by day.

My Take on Myths and Misconceptions about Psychics

If you are going to have a psychic reading, keep an open mind instead of accepting stereotypes and stigmas. It is another kind of experience that not everyone is used to, and this is what might cause some myths and misconceptions. I am sure that most of the people who spread rumors about psychics have never been to one session in their life.

And yet, you should also be a little skeptical as well and not believe 100% of what the psychic says, not because they want to mislead or manipulate you, but because things can change and also you, as a creator, have the power to decide what will be your final choice and ultimately your life’s destiny.