[SB7]

I was wondering if any of you have ever had your fortunes read from someone from around here or maybe in another country. Did they ever come true?

I know that many of you will be skeptical to the responses and criticisms raised by asking such a question, but I think it's pretty interesting and am wondering what type of answers I will get.

I've never had my own fortune read, but I have seen the fortune tellers at night markets before, and feel like they are probably not very "legit."

Since I personally believe that we are maturing into the 'heart' of the information age, the existence of prophecy over absolute 'facts' and 'data' seem to be an outdated way of thinking, but arguably completely necessary.

For starters, we humans are limited. We can only understand time as a line, and a flow starting somewhere, and going forward into forever. There's past, present, and future. The problem with this is when presented with scenarios where our nice line is looped, whirled, and tangled in upon itself, we perceive a big ugly knot. I doubt anyone can ever fully explain "backwards" and "forwards" time travel to a point where we can all understand it.

Anyways, i'm gonna try and sleep, just had to get this off my chest.

Hope this isn't a repost, lol.

[!LittleDragon]

One easy way to tell if they're legit. Slap the fortune teller and ask if they saw that coming.

[mr_chin]

If it's those fortune teller that look at your face and palm, they are not fortune telling.

A buddy of mine at work knows how to read face and palm a little bit and it's pretty true. Obviously, he can't tell if you'll become rich or not.

He can tell what kind of person you are and what kind of job you are suitable for.

Whichever hand you use, will be the hand to look at for your 30's and up. For example, if you're right handed, then your left handed is for your pre-30's and your right hand is your post 30's. Because you will be using your right hand most of your life, it will be the one with the lines and prints that develops throughout that period of your life.

And then there's the life line, brain line, all that kind of stuff. But to get into more details if you stretch your palm in a relaxed way, you will see the spacing between your fingers. The middle finger is you, the index finger is your parents, the ring finger is your wife and the pinky is your kids. If your ring finger is closer to your middle finger than your index finger is to your middle finger, it means that when you get married you will be closer to your wife than your parents, meaning you might move out with her and your parents will be living distant from you.

If the spacing between your pinky and your ring finger is more than the spacing between both your ring finger and index finger to your middle finger, it means your kids will grow up and be very independent. Maybe move out in their teens or once they get a girlfriend or whatever.

The size and length of your thumbs shows (i think) your work capabilities.

The shape of it determines how you judge, think and look at things. I remember him saying if your thumb has that hour glass shape, you are a person that likes to speak with reason. You can't be told to do things without a reason.

If your hand is bulky, like full of meat, especially between your index finger and your thumb, it means you are a very good liar, or is very good at covering the truth, like a poker game.

If your fingers are same length as your palm or longer, it means you're an office guy and will most likely get a job involving paperwork and not labour. If they're shorter, then you're more of a labour guy and have to do everything hands on.

For girls, if your palm is soft when you press it, it means that you get influenced very easy and is more likely to cheat on your husband. If they're hard, it means stand for your belief and will be more loyal to your husband. I can't remember what guys meant.

If your nose is very vivid, meaning it stands out, and not too high or low, you are a person that can be in command when it comes to work. Adding, if your cheek bones stands out, you are more of a leader than a worker. The size of your forehead shows your likeliness in being rich. A bold forehead shows that you think clearly when it comes to problem and think of ways to improve things. People with small forehead shows they don't have very much wisdom.


A round chinned person can't lie as good as a pointy chinned person. But that doesn't mean they're more honest.

There's more but I can't really remember off the top of my head right now.

[GLOW]

waiting to see how long it will take before this goes to FC like the serious discussion on religion thread

:troll:

[StaxBundlez]

yes YES IT FUCKING DID!!!

originally my ex gf took me to see if we were compatible for each other.. well.. she's my ex gf now..

couple of my buddies were curious so i took them for fun.. fuck.. that year turned out to be really fucking shiittyy...




waiting to see how long it will take before this goes to FC like the serious discussion on religion thread

i'm agnostic

[br2]

Yes i call him my financial advisor

[will068]

You focus on what you're told, then you attract on what you focus.

[stewie]

ive always wanted to go to one haha, every day i drive past canada way and edmonds and theres a neon sign in some houses window saying "psychic readings"...however i dont exactly believe anything they would tell me, i just want to see what the person would say. my guess is that the person will give me such vague undescriptive fortunes, that it could litterally mean ANYTHING and when something does happen in the near future ill be left standing there thinking "whoa...bitch was right..."

[ImportXxX]

A cookie once told me i was going to win the lottery, i'm still waiting for that day to come.

[TheKingdom2000]

ive always wondered about these psychic places and card/palm reading places as well.

to be honest, they freak me out a little bit which is why i don't go...

[observer]

Fortune telling is nothing more than cold reading/mind tricks:

http://imperialhotelmanagementcollegestudent.blogspot.com/2009/02/interview-with-illusionist.html

Don't fall for it.

Here is another good link about superstition:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2epvSAGuLc&feature=related

[cheapskate]

The best fortune teller is to look at your goals and habits.

[Sid Vicious]

if you believe in fortune tellers, i have some magic beans to sell you

[mr_chin]

Well, it's basically an old trade or manipulation to get people to believe in what the fortune teller says.

Even now, there are people who are very gullible and very superstitious. When the fortune teller say one thing that matches, that person attention is startled.

[BNR32_Coupe]

I was going to make a thread on its own, but since this is thread is highly relevant and already exists, to keep VOT clean i'll keep this in here.

Quote this post with a quick resume about yourself (financial status, work experience, education, background, etc) and I will read it and tell you your fortune. Don't be shy

[LiquidTurbo]

I was wondering if any of you have ever had your fortunes read from someone from around here or maybe in another country. Did they ever come true?

I know that many of you will be skeptical to the responses and criticisms raised by asking such a question, but I think it's pretty interesting and am wondering what type of answers I will get.

I've never had my own fortune read, but I have seen the fortune tellers at night markets before, and feel like they are probably not very "legit."

Since I personally believe that we are maturing into the 'heart' of the information age, the existence of prophecy over absolute 'facts' and 'data' seem to be an outdated way of thinking, but arguably completely necessary.

For starters, we humans are limited. We can only understand time as a line, and a flow starting somewhere, and going forward into forever. There's past, present, and future. The problem with this is when presented with scenarios where our nice line is looped, whirled, and tangled in upon itself, we perceive a big ugly knot. I doubt anyone can ever fully explain "backwards" and "forwards" time travel to a point where we can all understand it.

Anyways, i'm gonna try and sleep, just had to get this off my chest.

Hope this isn't a repost, lol.

You've been watching too much philosophical movies or something. I don't want to ruin your idea of fortunes, but really? Are you actually considering wasting your money on something like a fortune teller???

Here's how you test your fortune teller. Close both your hands. Ask him/her which you are going to open. Open the other hand he/she says.

Easy eh?

There are certain things we can control, and certain things we can't. Just because we have both doesn't mean that our futures are set in stone, let alone anyone can freaking predict it just by paying them some money.

Superstition is exactly like religion. Believing in something without any form of evidence. It's pretty much for the weak-minded.

[alpinestars]

Superstition is exactly like religion. Believing in something without any form of evidence. It's pretty much for the weak-minded.

you just contradicted the post above, which fortune tells based on factual evidence and statistics.

[trip]

you would think it was all bullshit and what not ..... but majority of what was predicted for myself, friends and a family member came true

hell....she knew things that were never mentioned at all and within 3 weeks, her first prediction came true... followed by the next one a month later.

on the dot.. no joke. that was a pretty bad year and the year that followed was not much better.

nonetheless the person we saw was known to be quite accurate by a large number of people

[jackmeister]

you would think it was all bullshit and what not ..... but majority of what was predicted for myself, friends and a family member came true

hell....she knew things that were never mentioned at all and within 3 weeks, her first prediction came true... followed by the next one a month later.

on the dot.. no joke. that was a pretty bad year and the year that followed was not much better.

nonetheless the person we saw was known to be quite accurate by a large number of people

did you go see one of the chinese ones that you had to provide your birthday or a psychic card reading thing, palm reading thing, or crystal ball etc?

[LiquidTurbo]

you would think it was all bullshit and what not ..... but majority of what was predicted for myself, friends and a family member came true

hell....she knew things that were never mentioned at all and within 3 weeks, her first prediction came true... followed by the next one a month later.

on the dot.. no joke. that was a pretty bad year and the year that followed was not much better.

nonetheless the person we saw was known to be quite accurate by a large number of people

Please elaborate.

What were the 'predictions'.

[LiquidTurbo]

I was going to make a thread on its own, but since this is thread is highly relevant and already exists, to keep VOT clean i'll keep this in here.

Quote this post with a quick resume about yourself (financial status, work experience, education, background, etc) and I will read it and tell you your fortune. Don't be shy

That's not really a fortune telling, more like a life assessment. A fortune teller uses crystal balls, tarot cards, weegee boards, palm readings and lots of other bullshit to scam people out of hard earned money by providing some hopes and shit.

[SB7]

Fortune telling is nothing more than cold reading/mind tricks:

http://imperialhotelmanagementcollegestudent.blogspot.com/2009/02/interview-with-illusionist.html

Don't fall for it.

Here is another good link about superstition:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2epvSAGuLc&feature=related


Yeah... I'm pretty sure if you start buying information in bulk which target certain people, you can easily create a 'fortune telling' service that would mindfuck people pretty easily.

So in all likelihood fortune tellers and prophets throughout the ages were probably getting their information from somewhere else and carefully hiding what they know to seem more mysterious and powerful with their mind reading techniques?

[LiquidTurbo]

One easy way to tell if they're legit. Slap the fortune teller and ask if they saw that coming.

Hahah, be sure to precede with a question.

"So, what did the 5 fingers say to the face?"

[AzNightmare]

This is bullshit.
Even with predictions, they are often vague, and when they really happen,
whether a day later, a week, month, etc. You'll go back and think about this
fortune teller and think "Oh wow! it's true!"

Or you psychologically start to make things happen to fit what was predicted.

You might as well stick with the daily horoscope you get for free in the newspaper,
or crack open more fortune cookies. They're just as accurate as your fortune teller.

[Graeme S]

If it's those fortune teller that look at your face and palm, they are not fortune telling.

Long detailed post that I'm deleting to save size

So...wait. These people aren't fortune telling. But they're telling the future...and it's a science?


How does that work?

[stewie]

i can go tell everyone here that one day you will be a movie star.


to those who hear that and like what they hear, they start thinking "oh shit ima be a movie star?!" then they go out get some head shots done, send them to talent agencies, sure..maybe you'll get to be an extra in a movie here and there...eventually you might even land yourself a small role in a movie...no more then 5-10 minutes of screen time, but either way, your a movie star now.

you make things happen from what your told.

[geeknerd]

movie star is someone who is well known.
what ur referring to is an actor.

Here is my fortune telling.
"People are going to read this post."
dammmmmmm im good :)

[cow20xx]

you just contradicted the post above, which fortune tells based on factual evidence and statistics.

:facepalm:

please tell me i read that post wrong before i completely lose faith in humanity.

[observer]

You've been watching too much philosophical movies or something. I don't want to ruin your idea of fortunes, but really? Are you actually considering wasting your money on something like a fortune teller???


Fortunetelling is form of pseudo-science and pseudo-philosophy. It's an insult to both science and philosophy.

Yeah... I'm pretty sure if you start buying information in bulk which target certain people, you can easily create a 'fortune telling' service that would mindfuck people pretty easily.

So in all likelihood fortune tellers and prophets throughout the ages were probably getting their information from somewhere else and carefully hiding what they know to seem more mysterious and powerful with their mind reading techniques?

You don't even need to buy information. As the cold reading video above explains (http://imperialhotelmanagementcollegestudent.blogspot.com/2009/02/interview-with-illusionist.html), it's just a mind trick.

Most people, especially the less educated ones, are too lazy and naive to develop a skeptical mind. When the crook tells a visitor twenty things, the victim gets an orgasm over the couple of general points the scam artist correctly guesses, but completely ignores the rest.

And that's how swindler can get by with a very low accuracy rate and idiots still believe in them.

But then, most fortunetellers only go after giving instructions (play on the victim's fear and insecurity) rather than providing precise predictions (as they don't want to be exposed).

Mixed with mumbo jumbo words like destiny, fate, meant-to-be, the scammers take advantage of the victim's lack of sophistication in philosophy and knowledge in science.

Finish watching the Roots of All Evil, it's a classic. They did a study on astrology mixing up all the signs and people still find the readings accurate:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2epvSAGuLc

[BNR32_Coupe]

:facepalm:

please tell me i read that post wrong before i completely lose faith in humanity.

you either read it wrong, or don't understand statistics

[Ikkaku]

it's called a self-fulfilling prophecy

[stewie]

i find it kind of amusing that the ad in the first post on this page is for 3 free minutes of live fortune telling readings :p

[SB7]

This is bullshit.
Even with predictions, they are often vague, and when they really happen,
whether a day later, a week, month, etc. You'll go back and think about this
fortune teller and think "Oh wow! it's true!"

Or you psychologically start to make things happen to fit what was predicted.

You might as well stick with the daily horoscope you get for free in the newspaper,
or crack open more fortune cookies. They're just as accurate as your fortune teller.


Since you failed my first post in this thread for no apparent reason, I feel like you have something against the earlier questions I raised. I never said I was looking for a fortune teller, nor was I looking for my fortune in a cookie.... I was just asking if anyone has had experience in dealing with fortune tellers in any part of the world because I was reading something that sparked some interesting thoughts in my head.

Also, your argument is irrelevant since i'm not really talking about your run-off-the mill newspaper horoscope that says things like

"Like minds and hearts gravitate toward you -- together you could rule the world, or ought to. Use this smooth energy to make big strides, conquer new ground so you'll be in ever better position when the situation is less ideal. Make time to explore your inner self."

Thats my horoscope for today which I just googled for the hell of it....

Then there are the astrologers–a strange collection of people we are indeed. The more educated and "professional" ones take great umbrage at the suggestion that they are "fortune-tellers." Yet there is hardly an astrologer practicing today who does not use a form of prediction. And what is prediction if it is not fortune-telling? Fortune tellers seek to reveal in the present the events and outcomes "out there" in the future. Why do they do this? And why do people ask them to? And if astrologers don’t want to be seen as fortune-tellers why is so much of their work directed toward prediction? What do they imagine is the difference between what they do and fortune-telling? And why do astrologers ignore the large failure rate of their predictions?

I say astrologers "take umbrage." Umbrage refers to a shadow, as when an opaque object blocks the light. To take umbrage means to feel offended or insulted, apparently by having had someone cast a shadow on our light. I would like to suggest that in astrology’s attempt to read the future, and especially as this endeavor has come under scrutiny in the name of "proving" astrology through statistics, the shadow of astrological prediction has largely been overlooked. This opaque shadow is found in the motives that rarely reach consciousness, the motives of the client in seeking prediction and of the astrologer in offering it.

If the horoscope is truly capable of helping us to find the secret of who we are, then using it for prediction is like using the "pearl of great price" for a marble. What good is prediction? What does it serve? What does it hurt? Is it perhaps often a distraction from the truly valuable possibilities contained in the horoscope?

It is only natural that human beings would like to know the future. Putting aside the most obvious (and most superficial) reason for doing this (it’s fun!), what might be deeper motives? Ultimately it would seem to be for control and security. If we know our future we can prepare for disaster, protect ourselves, and maximize our opportunities. What’s wrong with that? Isn’t that exactly what science has been seeking to do for us: trying to discover and articulate the laws that cause things to happen so that we can control the forces involved and use them to our advantage?

full link: http://www.cosmicwindow.com/fortune.html

Sex, Ecology, Spirituality. Shambhala, 1995, p. 47

[trip]

she used a cpu and yes i understand the whole concept about that yadda yadda

the predictions? well while personal, i wont say exactly what but it does not at all explain how there were certain things in our personal lives that she knew without it ever being hinted or mentioned about.

as much as i would like to share.. alot of it is too personal and also its not my place to mention the experience/predictions she mentioned for my friends and brother.

when i went, it was with two of my closest friends.. and no one knows you better than two of your closest friends. everything she was saying about me was spot on, things she knew etc. i never mentioned a single thing to her and she already knew

[LiquidTurbo]

she used a cpu and yes i understand the whole concept about that yadda yadda

the predictions? well while personal, i wont say exactly what but it does not at all explain how there were certain things in our personal lives that she knew without it ever being hinted or mentioned about.

as much as i would like to share.. alot of it is too personal and also its not my place to mention the experience/predictions she mentioned for my friends and brother.

when i went, it was with two of my closest friends.. and no one knows you better than two of your closest friends. everything she was saying about me was spot on, things she knew etc. i never mentioned a single thing to her and she already knew

What? How could a prediction be so personal that you couldn't share? It's not like we know who you are.

Hey, I have a prediction for you... that you will get failed! (for your incredible ambiguity)

[observer]

Sex, Ecology, Spirituality. Shambhala, 1995, p. 47

Personally, when I see the word "spirituality", I run. Two words. Scam artists.

We really need more educated people in this world to express their naturalistic worldviews.

The following is one group for example, mainly made up of academics and scientists.

What is a bright? (http://www.the-brights.net/)

* A bright is a person who has a naturalistic worldview
* A bright's worldview is free of supernatural and mystical elements
* The ethics and actions of a bright are based on a naturalistic worldview

Is Your Worldview Naturalistic?

Think about your own worldview (http://the-brights.net/vision/considerations/worldview.html) to decide if it is free of supernatural or mystical deities, forces, and entities. If you decide that you fit the description above, then you are, by definition, a bright!

On this website, you can simply say so and, by doing so, join with other brights from all over the world in an extraordinary effort to change the thinking of society—the Brights movement.

The movement's three major aims are:

1. Promote the civic understanding and acknowledgment of the naturalistic worldview, which is free of supernatural and mystical elements.

2. Gain public recognition that persons who hold such a worldview can bring principled actions to bear on matters of civic importance.

3. Educate society toward accepting the full and equitable civic participation of all such individuals.

Reason and Purpose

Currently the naturalistic worldview is insufficiently expressed within most cultures, even politically/socially repressed. To be a Bright is to participate in a movement to address the situation. (Note: the upper case Bright signifies someone who fits the definition and registers on this Web site.)

There is a great diversity of persons who have a naturalistic worldview (free of supernatural and mystical elements). Some are members of existing organizations that foster a supernatural-free perspective. Far more individuals are not associated with any formal group or label. Under the broad umbrella of the naturalistic worldview, the constituency of Brights can undertake social and civic actions designed to influence a society otherwise permeated with supernaturalism.

This website of The Brights’ Network registers brights into an Internet constituency of Brights and serves as a communications hub for actions that align with the aims and principles of the Brights movement.

Can Brights impact society's outlook regarding the naturalistic worldview and the people who hold it? That remains to be seen, but if you are intrigued by the possibilities, you are invited to explore this Web site, learn more about the Brights movement and, if your worldview fits the definition, then register as a Bright.

Click here for a synopsis
(http://www.the-brights.net/movement/synopsis.html)
The Brights Movement - A Civic Justice Endeavor

The Brights’ Principles succinctly characterize the movement:

1. We are a constituency of individuals (the registered Brights);
2. We conserve original definitions (of a bright);
3. The Brights' Net offers a pragmatic action connection for Brights;
4. The Brights' Net functions as an Internet entity (not as a membership organization);
5. The movement is inclusive of the varied Brights who support its aims;
6. The movement is carried forward by these individuals (the Brights) and is not describable by other labels;
7. The Brights, and not others, are to define their movement;
8. The movement is to be a positive force toward full civic participation (fairness for all);
9. The Brights seek acknowledgement and influence in society.

Click here for the full statement of principles
(http://www.the-brights.net/vision/principles.html)
The Brights - An International Internet Constituency of Individuals
Videos

Daniel Dennett and others: The Appeal of the Brights Movement (and more)
(http://www.the-brights.net/movement/videos)
Would you like to be counted?

Confidentiality

When you self-identify as a Bright by registering on this Web site (http://www.the-brights.net/action/register/), your name, e-mail, address, etc. will never be provided to anyone or to any other organization.

With the information you provide, we count you a Bright in your locale (by nation and/or postal code), but we will never release your name, e-mail, or address to anyone without your express written permission. After enrollment, you may manage your subscription settings from the link on this page to receive or not receive the monthly bulletins.

[observer]

you either read it wrong, or don't understand statistics

The crooks would of course want you to think that they understand statistics.

I doubt any fortunetellers know anything about math, or the science of the collection, organization, and interpretation of data. They are all con artists, stay away.

There are many things in this world we don't understand, if the scientists can't tell us the answers yet, I sincerely doubt any fortunetellers know any better.

We really need a better education system, we need more science classes in high school.

[liu13]

a fortune teller told my cousins in china i needed water in my room during i time i suffered bad insomnia, i didnt take the advice but i should have

[observer]

Your mother probably told you to eat more healthily, drink lots water, exercise.. Yes, when it's dry, water around you is good, humidifier better.

And let's see, if you soak your feet in warm/hot water before you go to sleep, you sleep even better. Don't give the scammers credits they don't deserve.

[bloodmack]

The way I look at it is we are given a room of "variable" doors and each door leads to another room of doors these doors are in any amount of numbers of each room, every door is a choice you make, there is no real correct way and the only doors that are fixed in life is the 1st and last one (life and death) fortune tellers are just good bullshitters IMO.

[StaxBundlez]

hey i didn't say there was any sort of science behind any of this, cause there isn't!! All I said was, I went there, she told me some shit.. told me WHEN it would happen.. HOW it would happen.. and that shit came true!

I am a big believer in methodological naturalism. I understand that good and bad things happen to all people at a statistical rate all the time. I understand time dilation and length contraction actually occur. I understand the deeper levels of natural law, from the macroscopic to the microscopic. From the molecular to the atomic to the nuclear to the sub-nuclear levels of natures functioning. I know the earth is not flat. I understand that the earth rotates at over 1000 miles per hour which orbits the sun at 66,00 miles per hour which in turn spins our solar system around our galaxy at 483,000 miles per hour. I UNDERSTAND THESE THINGS!!

BUT what I can't understand is how some chinese lady sat there with a pen and paper wrote out some shit about me.. and it all came true!!

it still boggles my mind..

that's all i'm saying.

[alpinestars]

hey i didn't say there was any sort of science behind any of this, cause there isn't!! All I said was, I went there, she told me some shit.. told me WHEN it would happen.. HOW it would happen.. and that shit came true!

I am a big believer in methodological naturalism. I understand that good and bad things happen to all people at a statistical rate all the time. I understand time dilation and length contraction actually occur. I understand the deeper levels of natural law, from the macroscopic to the microscopic. From the molecular to the atomic to the nuclear to the sub-nuclear levels of natures functioning. I know the earth is not flat. I understand that the earth rotates at over 1000 miles per hour which orbits the sun at 66,00 miles per hour which in turn spins our solar system around our galaxy at 483,000 miles per hour. I UNDERSTAND THESE THINGS!!

BUT what I can't understand is how some chinese lady sat there with a pen and paper wrote out some shit about me.. and it all came true!!

it still boggles my mind..

that's all i'm saying.

maybe i can shed a bit of light on this. what exactly did you tell her, and what did she predict?

anyone can apply basic cause and effect to make a seemingly "accurate" prediction based on information given

[observer]

Let's see:

You may have some financial problems, changes in your relationship with others at work. You will have health issues which you can overcome.

When you turn ## next year, it will be a new chapter in your life. You will miss someone you love dearly, and you feel frustrated over what you cannot do..