Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Report from the Big Apple

First off, I am delighted to report that, as far as I can tell, my NYC hotel room is bedbug-free. Yes, I'm OCD enough to have looked up how to check for bedbugs before I left.

But don't follow the link unless you need it--it's gross.

Since Wicked was sold out, I needed to find a different way to throw money into the New York economy. I wandered the streets for a while, picking up that great, New York buzz (which was a bit frizzy because of the rain) and picking up little gifts for the kids. I ducked into a place and grabbed a slice of real pizza (don't get me started on the stuff they call "pizza" in New Hampshire.  I will rant).

I kept coming back along a side street just off Avenue of the Americas.  The third time I passed the "Psychic" sign (walk-ins welcome), I had made the impulse decision to get a reading.

Yes, I write about people with psychic abilities. I'm actually working on my fifth book about them.  But I'd never gotten a reading, and I was wicked curious. I figured that I might even be able to right the cost off as "research," but I think Mr. Bear would have an aneurism if I put "Psychic Reading" as a deduction on our joint tax forms.

Now, I'm a skeptic about this stuff like Harry Houdini was--he rigorously disproved fake psychics and mediums because he really, really wanted to find the one who wasn't faking.  I've written articles about psychic abilities and how to fake them, so I was pretty confident that I could spot a fraud. 

I went to the third floor walk-up. The psychic had me come right in. First off, she didn't do any of the hoaky stuff like wear a turban. She was dressed normally, and we sat in a bright, normal-looking room. She got points for this with me. She had me relax and concentrate on "someone or something important to me." When she started the reading, she had me put my hand on the table and she put hers on top of mine.

Now, many of her insights were pretty general, like, "You feel like you are being pulled in many directions at once." It's absolutely true, but it could apply to most women my age.  She had a few, more specific insights--some were spot-on, but others were pretty far-off. Nothing made me go, "Oh, my gosh--she really DOES know!"--but nothing that made me go, "She's faking!" either.

So, I'm still a skeptic who'd love to find proof.  My feeling about this particular psychic was that she had some special insight into people, and that she wasn't running a scam.  She genuinely believed in her abilities, and she did have enough insight into past events in my life that I choked up more than once. Could she simply be really good at reading my body language? Possibly. Could it be more? I can't rule it out. Was the experience worthwhile?  Absolutely. I'm a big believer in the immortal words of Weird Al, who said, "Sometimes you've just got to grab life by the lips...and YANK!"

BTW, she thinks that I should stick with the Ganzfield books, and that I will be able to find a balance between work, family, and writing.  I've got a long life ahead of me, but I've got to start eating better. And something amazing will happen at the start of the new year.

Ooh--I never told her that Legacy comes out in January. Hmmm...

7 comments:

Emily White said...

I'm planning on going to the SCBWI conference in New York in January, so yeah, that bed bug site will be helpful.

Vicki Rocho said...

I was kinda worried about the whole bed-bug thing (gotta stop watching TV, they stress me out for nothing). But I didn't see any evidence at all...whew.

Jenny said...

that's cool, Kate. I kind of think of the psychics like dreams and the I Ching I used from time to time in college to tell me whether Chris and I would get back together...more as a source for seeing what I'm seeing in it, you know? I'd totally enjoy seeing a psychic like yours.

I'd also totally be OCD about bedbugs. I hear they're all over by now, but NYC feels like an epicenter. I eyeball our NY friends a little when they visit, and when I'm taking that coastal train I'm thinking, am I leaning my head where some evil bedbug has taken up temporary residence? It can make you kind of crazy. And fatalistic. Ugh.

Ishta Mercurio said...

I'll be at the conference in January too, so I'll have to check out that site sometime when there isn't any food nearby.

I am a believer in psychics - meaning that I believe that there are some people out there who truly have this gift, and there are also a lot of frauds out there as well. My father knows a woman who is truly gifted, and he trusts her implicitly.

I've given you a blog award - check it out at www.ishtamercurio.blogspot.com

Have a great day!

Unknown said...

Fascinating post, wish I could travel there, but not so sure about those bedbugs... :0)

vic caswell said...

i wonder if you could put a "psychic seal of approval" on legacy with all the good vibes she was getting for the release time?!?!
i'm skeptical with you... but i also with you on the fact that i don't think all the fakes are maliciously faking. and i'm ALSO with you (jiminey!) that there could be out there somewhere a real psychic, and that would be awesome to find.
i kinda have a theory that most kids are psychic to a degree, and when our brains stop functioning as openly as they do in those first few formative years, we lose a bunch of that...
ooohhhh!!!! psychic kids!!!!
you NEED to ask vicki about her niece ( i believe it is) and the airplane!!! you'll be a beliver then! :)

keishkaylaaazzalea@gmail.com said...



I say many thanks to the father of the website admin I read this, because at this website I know a lot of information information that I did not know before his
Obat Batu Ginjal Yang Aman
Obat Penyakit Batu Empedu
Obat Batuk Darah Alami Yang Aman
Obat Bronkitis Yang Aman
Pengobatan Polip Serviks Herbal
Pengobatan Ginjal Kotor
Agen Ace Maxs Kuningan
Cara Menghilangkan Kesemutan
Obat Campak Alami
Obat Benjolan Di Selangkangan