Psychic Kids and then some

I'm going to do my best to answer this without peeking at my DH's answer because I have a pretty good idea where he stands. Let's just say that this is yet another area where we agree to disagree :)


So, the questions regard a new show on AE Network called Psychic Kids. Don't feel bad if you've never heard of it. It sure was news to me. Here we go.

Do you think this show ispotentially harmful to the children taking part? Do you think it'spossible they have some kind of extra-sensory perception that others don't? What about their senses being more developed (or less squelched) becausethey're children? Would you let your child be on this show? Do you thinkthe parents are exploiting their children or letting them have a rareopportunity for fame? Finally, can you contrast your answers to the abovein re: to this show vs. the boy on Jesus Camp who was "saved" at age fivebecause he was looking for "something more from life" and wanted to becomean evangelist? Do you feel the experiences these children will have (beingon a psychic show and getting attention and recognition for that and beingan evangelist and getting attention and recognition for that) are differentor similar? If different, do you feel one is better than the other? Why or why not.


First things first. I want to believe in the paranormal. That's me. Is it valid? I truly believe so. It is beyond arrogance to presume that the world we experience through our 5 senses is all there is. Forget for a minute the more sensational claims of telepathy, spirit contacts, psychkinesis etc. What about the woman who dreams her sister is in danger only to wake and find that she was just in an accident. How about the twin whoses finger hurts when 5 miles away his brother just slammed his in the door. These certainly aren't normal occurances but they do happen. Same goes for deja vu, hunches, intuition. How many people pursue a certain course of action based on a feeling. Yes, some of that is attributable to experience. Not all.

Science, as of yet, cannot concretely explain away these things.

Now, what about the more sensational claims. I just don't know. I've never met anyone who claims to possess these abilities. We've all seen plenty of roadside and TV advertisements for palm-reading, tarot reading, and the like. It doesn't take ESP to read someone and figure out what they want or need to hear; just time, practice and charisma. But I try not to let the obvious bullshit take away from my belief in the possibility of more. And it makes a kind of sense to me that children may be more open to whatever else is out there. They haven't yet been taught how to see the world or how to interpret what they are seeing and feeling.


As for the show itself. The way I understand it (having not actually seen the show), the hosts, a psychic and a clinical psychologist bring together 3 children with some form of psychic ability and attempt to help them explore and come to terms with their gifts. Sounds like a great idea. But do they have to do that on television???. If these children are indeed receiving input from something beyond the 5 senses, this cannot be the best method to help them come to terms with it. It is exploitation plain and simple. I have a hard time believing in any altruistic motives when it takes place in front of the camera. Are the hosts willing to work with these children if there wasn't the publicity for themselves involved? Tv is about selling, ratings, noteriety. I have to wonder what the hell their parents were thinking!! Childhood is hard enough but do these kids need the added burden of their peers bullying and teasing; and you know that will happen. I can definately say there is no way I would allow sweet pea on any kind of show like this. It's exploitive and potentially harmful.

Regarding Jesus camp. Again, I only know what I've read about it, having neither the desire or interest to watch. My gut reaction is these children are being indoctrinated. I won't go quite so far as brainwashed but it seems pretty damn close. I can easily say that I was indoctrinated into religion--12 years of Catholic school will do that for you. These kids have been taken to the extreme by, I'm assuming, the profoundly fundamentalist adult influences in their lives. It doesn't appear that they are receiving a well-rounded world view but instead are focused so narrowly in their education that their attitudes and beliefs have been pre-programmed. I have to wonder how much of what they say is actually coming from them.

Now, as for the boy who was "saved". I don't know what he means with that. Again, it seems like something he was told, not necessarily came up with for himself. Hell, my brother called himself "saved" and at the time that meant accepting Jesus as his Saviour (I'm fairly certain he's lost again)--Sidebar, do you think that's what JJ Abrams is getting at ? Anyway, so I really can't compare it in any meaningful way with the PK's show. As for the noteriety the children will experience. I think the JC kids will have a much easier time of it. The majority of them are home schooled, they are raised in a household and more than likely a community which espouses the same "values" that are touted in the show. However, the PK kids are exploring something that is mocked, ignored, and/or sensationalized. Whatever positive, if any, experience they get from their 5 minutes of fame will likely be dwarfed by the negative that will follow. And just a sidenote--It's shameful to realize that those people who look at their children with pride for being devout charismatic Christians will turn to the PK kids and accuse them of conversing with demons. The double standard is ridiculous.

To sum up. Both shows deal with children looking for guidance, looking for answers from an adult authority figure. MISTAKE!! I don't think there are definitive answers. There are thoughts and ideas. Anyone who tells a child, or anyone else for that matter that he/she has the answers that they are looking for, is delusional. Give the child the means to find their own answers. Support them, don't try to control them. In that respect, the PK show has the better idea; the form it uses is totally screwed up.

I'm off to post this and read DH's reply.

I am perfectly convinced that I have both seen, and heard in a manner which should make unbelief impossible, things called spiritual which cannot be taken by a rational being to be capable of explanation by imposture, coincidence, or mistake." — Augustus De Morgan

Make of this what you will.

I just liked it.

Questioning Psychic Kids (they should have seen this coming)

Well, not really advice. I want your opinions on what you think of this
show: http://www.aetv.com/psychic-kids/ . Do you think this show is
potentially harmful to the children taking part? Do you think it's
possible they have some kind of extra-sensory perception that others don't?
What about their senses being more developed (or less squelched) because
they're children? Would you let your child be on this show? Do you think
the parents are exploiting their children or letting them have a rare
opportunity for fame? Finally, can you contrast your answers to the above
in re: to this show vs. the boy on Jesus Camp who was "saved" at age five
because he was looking for "something more from life" and wanted to become
an evangelist? Do you feel the experiences these children will have (being
on a psychic show and getting attention and recognition for that and being
an evangelist and getting attention and recognition for that) are different
or similar? If different, do you feel one is better than the other? Why
or why not?

Looking forward to your answers! I'd been meaning to ask some people about
this one and I think you two might be the perfect pair. I'm really not
being snarky at all, I'm genuinely interested in your answers.

Thank you so much for asking this. This should really make the conversations between my wife and I interesting.

According to what I've read so far, this show seems to be a combination of Ghost Hunters and Sylvia Brown. Ghost Hunters uses technology to try to find ghosts. Unfortunately, they don't seem to understand the technology they are using. This is very common in the "paranormal research" field. They use scientific equipment in an attempt to lend credence to their beliefs, but many who actually use the equipment for real world applications find the practice questionable (at best).

For instance, here's a video on the K2 meter. The K2 meter is an electromagnetic field (EMF) meter, that just senses electromagnetic fields in the vicinity. The video shows a gentleman who explains why the light jumps the way it does, with no need for ghosts.

Also, there's the electronic voice phenomena (EVP). EVP is the audible equivalent of paradolia. Record some white noise, listen real closely, and your mind will make the sounds fit something you want to hear. Here's a good post regarding EVP.

Anyway, if you do some research you will find that the way the equipment is being used, and their explanations for what is going on, don't concur with how the equipment actually works.

One of the first things I do when I check out a website (or show) about the paranormal is look for warning signs. Well, I went to the website you showed and the first thing I see is a video of the children being "instructed" on how to use the paranormal equipment. The instructor seems to word things in a way to influence the children.

"Some believe orb activity represents a basic spirit manifestation. That's one theory.
Flash orbs are probably the most common."

When someone uses the word theory, quite a few people associate it with the scientific term (i.e. the Theory of Gravity). However, the "orb activity" thing she talks about is a hypothesis that hasn't gained any ground since it was introduced.

Also, notice how she brushes over "flash orbs" before going on to explain EVP (don't get me started on that again). Flash orbs are when the flash reflects off dust particles in the air, and is the only theory that doesn't use conjecture. However, she doesn't explain that to the kids.

Now to the crux of your questions. As far as the children actually having the psychic powers, that would be impossible to tell from a TV show. Footage can be edited to show pretty much anything they want. However, the video clips of the childrens' "talents" has me skeptical. Looking at the video of Morgan, the first thing that jumped out at me was her cold reading (well, after the "crystals" and "energy" bit). After her psychic "analysis" she tells the woman that she found something wrong with her "brain", "top of her head", and "headaches". This was very vague, and open to interpretation. However, the woman being talked to had recently had surgery to remove something (benign) from the top of her head. To me, that throws the reading into the "shotgun" category. The girl gave three different options for what could be wrong, but what the woman cites is actually something that has already been remedied. The reason I called it a "shotgun" is she said three things but none of them were technically correct, but the person hearing it wasn't thinking critically enough. So, one of the three was on the paper, but still not in the scoring rings.

I don't have time to go through all of the videos, but judging by the sampling I have went through I can't find anything that says the children have any psychic abilities. This is after editing has been done to make it more palatable.

Now, as for being harmful, physically I would say no. Mentally, I think it's very detrimental. The parents, the producers, directors, and the other adults that are on the show with the children are enablers. Instead of having the children look critically at what they believe, the adults are encouraging them to just go with it. How can a child be expected to question things if no one else around them does?

There's no way I would put my daughter onto a show like this. Even if she showed some form of psychic ability, putting her on a TV show would make me feel like she was being exploited. Besides, if someone wanted credibility and money, they could take a test and get a million dollars. It would thicken the wallet and shake up the scientific community. However, the prize had been offered since 1964, so the chances of someone actually claiming it are looking pretty slim.

I've only seen bits and pieces of Jesus Camp, but the similarities between the Jesus Camp kid and the children on the show are interesting. Both are having delusions enabled, and encouraged to go on without questioning.

As for whether the parents are exploiting the kids, I think they are but I don't think they think they are. There are a large number of people who believe in these things, and it would give them some pride to think their child is capable of it. The worst I can say is the parents (and everyone else involved in the show) are guilty of ignorance.

These questions bring up some very interesting points, and thank you very much for asking them.