| Skeptics say that the evidence presented for its | | | | Central Oklahoma, showed that college seniors and |
| existence is unverified or not sufficiently verified for | | | | graduate students have more paranormal beliefs than |
| scientific acceptance. Many parapsychologists who | | | | college freshmen. According to the Steiger scientific |
| study psychic phenomena agree that many of the | | | | report, higher education tends to support belief in the |
| instances of more popular psychic phenomena such | | | | paranormal. |
| as mediumism and other psychic feats, can be | | | | Some people also believe that psychic abilities can be |
| attributed to non-paranormal techniques such as cold | | | | activated or enhanced through the study and practice |
| reading and hot reading, or even self- delusion. | | | | of various disciplines and techniques such as |
| Magicians such as Ian Rowland and Derren Brown | | | | meditation, with a number of books and websites |
| have demonstrated techniques and results similar to | | | | being dedicated to instruction in these methods (see |
| those of popular psychics, but they proffer | | | | Psionics article for details). Another popular belief is that |
| psychological explanations instead of paranormal | | | | psychic ability can be inherited and is something that |
| ones.[citation needed] They have identified, described | | | | can be passed down from one generation to the next. |
| and developed complex psychological techniques of | | | | There are also a number of individuals who have been |
| cold reading and hot reading. | | | | proclaimed or proclaimed themselves to be psychics |
| James Randi | | | | and/or mediums. Some of them make a living as |
| Former stage magician and noted debunker James | | | | professional fortune tellers. Some either host their own |
| Randi has offered a $1 million prize to anyone who can | | | | TV programs, such as John Edward or are featured |
| actively demonstrate "any psychic, supernatural or | | | | on the shows of others, such as Sylvia Browne (see |
| paranormal ability". In order to claim the prize, a | | | | Paranormal television). Some have made predictions of |
| challenger must first complete a preliminary evaluation - | | | | future events, with varying degrees of accuracy, or |
| demonstrate a psychic ability in uncontrolled | | | | have published books of predictions or metaphysical |
| circumstances - and must then demonstrate the same | | | | ideas based on psychic themes. |
| ability under agreed, controlled circumstances. No | | | | Fiction |
| challenger has yet passed the preliminary evaluation. | | | | Psychic characters are common in fiction as well. For |
| Correspondence and claims from 150 applicants are | | | | example, The Dead Zone by Stephen King (and the |
| listed on the James Randi Educational Foundation | | | | film and TV series based on it) are about a psychic |
| (JREF) website. | | | | named Johnny Smith whose abilities are awakened |
| Popular culture | | | | after a car accident. Psychic abilities are also used by |
| Belief in psychic abilities is common. For example, one | | | | the fictional character Raven Baxter in the television |
| 2006 poll by researchers Bryan Farha of Oklahoma | | | | show That's So Raven. |
| City University and Gary Steward of University of | | | | |