Is there such as thing as a "real" psychic? Dictionary.com defines the word "psychic" as " a person who is allegedly sensitive to psychic influences or forces." This definition, though accurate, is full of loaded words, the most obvious of which is "allegedly." Through understanding the true meaning behind terms like these, one can begin to know if there are any real psychics out there.
Psychic Influences or Forces
The psychic has traditionally operated in the realms of mysticism and spirituality. Psychics have relied on mystery and magic. As Carl Sagan once wrote "What they need is darkness and gullibility." Yet, despite the suspect conditions many psychics often operate in, millions of people around the world currently believe in psychics. This phenomena is not limited to the developing world -- more than half of all Britons say they believe in psychic powers.
Why Do People Believe in Psychics?
Many people believe in psychics because they claim to have had some kind of psychic experience themselves. A larger, more controversial reason is that people believe in psychics because they want to believe in psychics. From a philosophically pragmatic point of view, people cannot think completely objectively and they allow their biases, hopes, and wishes to construct a version of the truth that is useful to believe. That truth may include believing in psychics, whether or not the evidence is there to support it.
Science and the Psychic
The word "allegedly" from the dictionary confers upon the psychic a special status of permanent ambiguity. Since most people believe in psychics for subjective reasons, their opinions cannot prove or disprove the existence of real psychics. The scientific method, however, has more success. Controlled testing of people who think they have psychic abilities can see who is a psychic and who is not.
No Real Psychics?
Most people who claim they are psychic do not try to verify their beliefs via the scientific method, and those that have tried in a controlled, scientific setting have failed. This does not mean that science has issued an absolute proclamation precluding the existence of any real psychics. It simply means that there is no scientific evidence that they exist. There is much about the brain the scientists have yet to understand, and human evolution is an ongoing process. It is possible the scientists could discover evidence for real psychics in the future.
Despite the fact that most psychics chose not to test their abilities scientifically and operate in conditions that lend themselves to doubt, many people firmly believe in them. This fact is easily explained in the light of human subjectivity. The scientific method would be able to help sort through that problem, however, it has yet to uncover any evidence that there currently are any real psychics.
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