Why do people believe in psychic and fortune tellers: explain psychologists

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psychics, fortune tellers , Tarologists and even witches with witches – why are these phenomena not losing popularity today in Ukraine and the world? Psychologists call several key factors.

cognitive prejudice

One of the key causes of belief in psychics is the tendency of the human brain to certain cognitive prejudices, that is, systematic thinking. Such bias include:

• a confirmation prejudice . People tend to pay attention and memorize information that confirms their already existing beliefs, ignoring or underestimating the one that is contrary to them. If a person turns to a fortune teller with a belief in his ability, he will tend to distinguish from her words those phrases that seem to her accurate or “coincide with reality”, even if most predictions are blurred or inaccurate.
• Barnaum's effect, also known as Fares effect . This effect is the tendency of people to perceive blurred and general descriptions of the individual as extremely accurate and intended for them. Psychics often use phrases that are common enough to approach many people (“You sometimes be unsure of yourself”, “you have unused potential”, “You have experienced difficult moments in the past”). People who are prone to Barnum's effect perceive such blurred statements as personal insights, thus confirming the “gift” of psychics.
• illusory correlation . People tend to see links and patterns where they are not actually. If the prediction at least once is “true” (even by accident), a person can be inclined to overestimate the accuracy of other predictions of “expert” and believe in his ability as a whole, ignoring numerous cases where the prophecies have not come true.

Need for control and certainty

Life is full of uncertainty and unpredictability that can cause anxiety and stress. At such moments, people can turn to psychics and fortune tellers in search of a sense of control over the situation and certainty about the future. Appeal to psychics becomes a way to “look” into the future, “prepare” for possible trials or “find out” how to act properly in a particular situation.In difficult times, when people are experiencing personal crises, losses or faces with problems, they can seek comfort and support in non -traditional sources such as psychics. Those often offer emotional support, compassion and hope that it can be lacking in ordinary life. They can create an atmosphere of trust and understanding, listen to customer problems and give advice that, although they do not have a scientific basis, but may sound encouraging and maintained emotionally.

In some cases, people seek in psychics not so much precise predictions as emotional pleasure and feelings that their problems are understandable and solved. Promotes the spread of idealized images of psychics and feeds the belief in their abilities. If a person is “cooked” in an environment where the belief in the paranormal is widespread, it is more likely to be inclined to believe in psychics and the fortune teller itself. Social reinforcement of faith in paranormal by friends, relatives or reputable persons can also play an important role.

The placebo and self -suggestion effect

sometimes believing in extrasensoric can work as a placebo effect. If a person genuinely believes that a fortune teller or a tarologist will help him, predictions can affect his or her behavior and well -being. Negative prophecies, although anxiety, sometimes paradoxically motivate people to be more careful and vigilant, which in some cases can lead to more favorable results. The self -suggestion mechanism also works – a person can subconsciously try to act in such a way that the “forecast” comes true, thus creating a “self -realized prophecy.”

is important!  there is no scientific evidence of extrasensory abilities. Appeal to Tarologists, fortune tellers and witches, even if they are the winners of the Battle of Psychics, does not replace qualified psychological assistance, medical treatment or rational solution to life problems.