When stage magicians like Penn & Teller put on a show, they’re not trying to convince the audience that they’re privy to supernatural shortcuts allowing them to subvert reality or give them access to the realm of those who have shuffled off their mortal coil. Their role is purely for entertainment — to make the audience wonder how they pulled off the seemingly impossible right before their very eyes. It’s understood that their feats could theoretically be dissected and recreated by someone smart enough to put the puzzle pieces together. It’s the thrill of trying to figure it out that keeps us enthralled and eager for more. And then you have the so-called psychics — shysters who claim an ability to channel otherworldly forces to do everything from telling the future to communicating with the dead, which sounds like a lot of fun until they prey on people desperate to pull themselves out of hard times or make contact with deceased loved ones. On this episode, we talk to Mark Edward, mentalist and author of Psychic Blues: Confessions of a Conflicted Medium. Mark explains why all psychics are frauds (though some may be true believers of their own hype), why we should be wary of what they’re peddling, and how we can resist the temptation to believe them no matter how convincing they seem. Listen, learn, and enjoy! ✍️ Full show notes and worksheets for this episode: https://jordanharbinger.com/413 What We Discuss with Mark Edward: 🧙‍♂️ What is mentalism, and how does it use our desire for the outlandish to be true against us? 🧙‍♂️ Why all so-called psychics are frauds, though a small percentage genuinely believes their own hype. 🧙‍♂️ Cold reading vs. hot reading, and how psychics use the results of these readings to convince you they’re able to consult supernatural entities. 🧙‍♂️ What it was like to work for the Psychic Friends Network, and how Mark used his mentalist superpowers to mine information from people over the phone — and keep them calling back. 🧙‍♂️ How big-name celebrity psychics ply their trade in front of large studio audiences while keeping the scam safely under control. 🧙‍♂️ And much more… 📖 Psychic Blues: Confessions of a Conflicted Medium now available here: https://geni.us/ZX48W Never miss a single incredible insight! Subscribe to The Jordan Harbinger Show here: http://www.youtube.com/THEJORDANHARBINGERSHOW?sub_confirmation=1 Want to watch more in-depth interviews with some of the world’s most amazing and successful people? Find full episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNbAQB8BYtM&list=PLxuPu-uyanrrBgAl5-76enemxVsxFjnEQ&index=1 Welcome to The Jordan Harbinger Show, a video podcast where each week you get to join a conversation with some of the world’s highest performers and incredible personalities. I’ll ask them the tough questions to tease out their top tips so that you can reach levels of personal growth and mastery that you never imagined possible. Subscribe to the podcast: http://jordanharbinger.com/subscribe Learn more about Jordan: http://jordanharbinger.com/about