The History

For those who are curious, fortune-telling is a semi-paranormal, cultural way to predict the events of the future. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly when this became so popular, but Britannica indicates that the practice started in ancient China, Chaldea, Egypt, and Babylonia as early as 4000 BCE. In addition to being able to predict the future, this practice was also used in ancient religions and medicine.

Fortune-telling comes in various shapes and sizes. This includes numerology, phrenology, palmistry, and astrology. The most common type of fortune-telling would be what’s usually seen at fairs: palmistry, otherwise known as palm reading. This method focuses on interpreting the lines of a person’s palm to reveal their future relationships, career, and mental state. Big words aside, being an oracle, otherwise known as a fortune-teller, is not as welcoming as you may think, despite how many religions and countries interpret fortune-telling.

Paranormal Skepticism

There are more than just a few people who think reading into the future can bring about unwanted attention. Paranormal investigators argue that messing with time can cause anomalies and influence the future to be something else entirely. This article by Professor Margaret Signorella from Pennsylvania State University, argues that “psychic reading[s] provide the same type of vague, general descriptions found in horoscopes.” This is mostly true - though the argument can be made that astrology is, in fact, fortune-telling. According to seers, otherwise known as clairvoyants, the concept of fortune-telling is supposed to be vague in order to give the person receiving the fortune different interpretations.

Okay, enough with the back and forth. Let’s look at some facts.

In 2016, a study on paranormal beliefs was conducted in the United States. 42% of people interviewed believed in extrasensory perception (otherwise known as the “sixth sense”),  31% believed in telepathy, and 28% believed in clairvoyance (psychic powers). As of October 2021, this has changed rather drastically. 46% of Americans believe that “ghosts or spirits of dead people can come back in certain places or situations.”

Is It Accurate?

Well, that’s debatable. As I was doing my research for this blog, I discovered just as many successful palm-readings, as I did disappointing ones. Online psychics often have “for entertainment purposes only” at the forefront of their website, but still want to be taken seriously. Since this is such a varying market, it’s easy to find yourself in the company of a fake seer. The one time I went to a fortune-teller, the woman told me a man in a hat will change my life.

Much like other practices of interacting with the paranormal, fortune-telling can’t be proven or dismissed. It’s been involved in a plethora of cultures for centuries, used in almost every occasion ranging from funerals to future weddings. If you enjoy reading your horoscope or getting your palms read, you likely support fortune-telling. If you’re more of a skeptic who’s uncertain of the paranormal backlash, then you’re likely not a supporter. As author Erin Morgenstern says: “Before you leave, the fortune-teller reminds you that the future is never set in stone.”

I believe that visiting a seer is accurate as long as you want it to be. It’s another topic entirely to debate if we can change our futures, but what we can do is either listen or reject insight. You can take your palm reading with a grain of salt, or you can follow it religiously. It’s accurate based on your beliefs.

As for me, I have hope. If you’re a man in a hat, let me know.

If you’re interested in joining the debate, check out this article by Shondaland: https://www.shondaland.com/live/family/a35194467/are-psychics-for-real/.

Wraith

Wraith is a ghostly soul that enjoys investigating the truth behind paranormal affairs. There are secrets and discoveries to be made within the pages of history, and Wraith intends to find out the chilling truth. From ancient to current practices of communing with the dead, Wraith will use his quick wit and keen determination to investigate the sincerity of paranormal records.