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