Comments on: Arguing with a True Believer http://www.marialanger.com/2009/11/30/arguing-with-a-true-believer/ Web site and blog for Maria Langer, freelance writer, commercial helicopter pilot, and serious amateur photographer Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:42:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Maria Langer http://www.marialanger.com/2009/11/30/arguing-with-a-true-believer/#comment-132675 Maria Langer Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:27:28 +0000 http://www.marialanger.com/2009/11/30/arguing-with-a-true-believer/#comment-132675 Hank: At least crystals are aesthetically pleasing. The way I see it, the "psychic" my PhD friend visited sucked her in twice: first for the initial advice and again to confirm that her mom had "crossed over." While it's nice that my friend feels some closure -- I personally believe she suffers from guilt because she couldn't spend more time with her mom near the end -- I don't think it's right that people should make money claiming to communicate with the dead. I wonder, also, if my friend will visit this "psychic" again for some other reason. I hope not. Hank: At least crystals are aesthetically pleasing.

The way I see it, the “psychic” my PhD friend visited sucked her in twice: first for the initial advice and again to confirm that her mom had “crossed over.” While it’s nice that my friend feels some closure — I personally believe she suffers from guilt because she couldn’t spend more time with her mom near the end — I don’t think it’s right that people should make money claiming to communicate with the dead. I wonder, also, if my friend will visit this “psychic” again for some other reason. I hope not.

]]> By: Hank Mason http://www.marialanger.com/2009/11/30/arguing-with-a-true-believer/#comment-132671 Hank Mason Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:28:41 +0000 http://www.marialanger.com/2009/11/30/arguing-with-a-true-believer/#comment-132671 I accept you premise that preying on innocent people to their disadvantagei s not ethical. But here you have a placebo effect. While I have not researched the literature, I am comfortable with it's real effect. So is the issue the method of satifying your friend's need or just you being offended by the success of such a clumsy effort. Perhaps if the price were low and the reading more polished such that effort had some redeeming qualities you would have less of an issue? I wrestle with this issue. I sell crystals at fair market prices to people that believe in their ability to make their life better. And they work. (if you believe). So does organized religion. I am not equating the charlatans and an ordained minister. I am positing the idea that the power of belief is real and using a person's power of belief to heal them as they desire is not unethical. BTW It was the fact that you fly helicopters that attracted me to read. I spent 20 years flying combat rescue helicopters most help drivers are worth listening to. I accept you premise that preying on innocent people to their disadvantagei s not ethical. But here you have a placebo effect. While I have not researched the literature, I am comfortable with it’s real effect. So is the issue the method of satifying your friend’s need or just you being offended by the success of such a clumsy effort. Perhaps if the price were low and the reading more polished such that effort had some redeeming qualities you would have less of an issue? I wrestle with this issue. I sell crystals at fair market prices to people that believe in their ability to make their life better. And they work. (if you believe). So does organized religion. I am not equating the charlatans and an ordained minister. I am positing the idea that the power of belief is real and using a person’s power of belief to heal them as they desire is not unethical. BTW It was the fact that you fly helicopters that attracted me to read. I spent 20 years flying combat rescue helicopters most help drivers are worth listening to.

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