In fact, if anything, it's more the believers who usually were made to feel they were on the receiving end of all the smugness and condescension from the skeptics, not vice versa. lol But, whatever.
I have no idea whether more condescention runs between skeptics in general and believers in general. I was talking about you and me. I realise, however, that your past experiences probably affect your attitude coming in to these conversations, as my past affects me.
Well, I didn't mean it to be any of those things, NoZed Avenger, but perception is everything I guess. As far as name-calling, however, I can see how my suggesting that you might not have the nerve to get a private reading
could qualify as calling you a coward, so I apologize for that. I could definitely have phrased it better. Sorry.
I am glad to hear it. I appreciate the thought.
Bottom line, however, it was just a straight question, which up until then, you hadn't answered.
Well, up to your message, it hadn't actually been asked, had it?
You may not be intending to insinuate that I am dodging questions (the
horror!), but let's be clear. I was never asked what exactly I had done nor why prior to your message. You jumped in with assumptions.
What I was asking you is whether there was some specific reason you never had a reading, or was it simply that you weren't all that curious about mediumship? Am I to understand then, from what you just wrote, that it was more a matter of the cost of a reading than anything else that kept you from experiencing a reading personally? Because, if so, then you wouldn't be the first to say that.
I had a friend a few years back that had a reading that impressed her from a specific medium. She is a well-educated and *very* smart lady. She came to me and asked my opinion regarding the reading, indicating that the medium had told her specific information that "she couldn't have known." She asked if I would come with her on susequent readings, so I did. Before going, however, I picked up some books on the subject so that I could better see whether anything was going on.
I did a similar thing for an Aunt and Uncle regarding a psychic that they had seen some time later. I performed a few readings of my own, including one in this thread that included some specific hits that, IMO, outdid anything turned in by the professionals:
http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showpost.php?p=328264&postcount=39
Well, of course it's not your "responsibility" NoZed Avenger. I'm just always surprised, as I've said before, that so few of you have ever actually gone and done this, despite what would appear on your part to be a more than casual interest in the subject.
So despite the fact that I have sat through readings with the exact same medium, the readings don't count somehow because I wasn't the one paying?
What makes that the crucial difference?
But I have looked at the other side, NA, and at the time, I even exchanged several e-mails with Mr. Rowland discussing the subject.
But see the difference here, neo (and why I brouhgt this up) -- I say that *I* have looked at the other side, but you have decided that, whatever I have done, I need to do more. If I see a psychic and am not satisifed, then I've gone to see the wrong one, or I've seen him on a bad day, or -- like you seem to be saying with Lurker -- I just refuse to see the truth. Different criteria are being used.
Have you no pride, NoZed Avenger? Would you really want someone else to pay for your reading?
To make the point again, you seem very convinced of the power of psychics -- as long as it is someone else's money being used. How many readings must I go through before I can have an opinion. If you can't give me the name of a "registered" psychic (what does that mean, anyway?) that is acceptable, then why bother going at all. If I find him or her unconvincing, then you can simply say I went to the wrong one or to a "bad" one, or that I was too negative, and then say if I don't spend even *more* time and money, that I really cannot judge.
I've spent enough time and money on it. I've looked at professional transcripts, I've talked to enough people, I've experienced readings, given readings, and read transcripts of others. That was all on my dime. But that isn't enough to count as "investigating on my own."
Well, I am through jumping through hoops. I've done my time on this topic. Anything else, let's have someone else front at least part of the money.