At the risk of getting hate mail, or being labeled a debunker; there’s a few thoughts I’d like to share. As the title suggests, it has to do with a certain area of the paranormal realm, namely internet psychics, mediums and empaths.
The idea that there are people professing to be gifted with special psychic powers or special mystical knowledge has been around for hundreds if not thousands of years, perhaps since the dawn of time. However with the advent of the digital age, the internet and especially social media seems to be over-run with psychics, mediums and empaths, some of whom have thousands if not millions of followers. Mind you, this is not to suggest they are frauds or that I believe that such abilities are nonsense. I wouldn’t be here writing for Paranormal Muskegon if I didn’t think psychic ability was a real thing. In fact, I’ve had the opportunity to interview some local psychics, mediums and Tarot readers for the channel who appear to be quite gifted. Now I don’t consider myself a psychic, medium or an empath by definition but as some of you are aware, I have been a student of the paranormal, occult and all things esoteric or mysterious myself since I was very young and to say I’ve lived it wouldn’t be far off.
I began doing numerology when I was in grade school, then started reading anything paranormal I could find when I was 13. I don’t think I need to go into how and why I left formal education at age 14, but in any event, because of this, I was able to immerse myself into the paranormal, in addition to completing general school studies on my own. At age 16, I brought my first set of Tarot cards and began doing readings for family members. Of course during my teen years, I also dabbled in using a Ouija board (which I do not recommend…I may have to go into this a bit more on this in a later article). Later on, I obtained a high school equivalency certificate and I went to college where I obtained two degrees in the medical field. I started a formal astrology program in 1998, completing it two years later and have continued to do astrology readings as well as writing the “Muskegon by the Stars” column since 2019. So I think my experiences left me with a certain mindset about the need for adhering to set criteria, as it were, in the field of the paranormal; which I feel may be going sideways due to the online proliferation.
Historically there are a few psychic mediums who stand out for their popularity as well as in their failures, one of whom was Sylvia Browne, whom I used to watch occasionally on network television. Syvia was a popular television, radio medium and psychic as well as the author of 40 books on paranormal and spiritual topics. She also founded a Gnostic church and was the head of several corporations. Her fall from grace was the result of her many inaccurate predictions and readings, including telling one woman that her missing daughter was dead, when in fact she was not. The woman went to her grave believing that her daughter was dead. Another popular psychic was Youree Dell Harris, who was an American television personality and actress known professionally as Miss Cleo. Cleo did her tarot readings during the 1990s and 2000s via a psychic hotline, where clients would pay by the minute. Eventually she was prosecuted for using deceptive marketing as well as fraudulent billing practices. While there is not much known as to how accurate her readings were, with the amount of shady dealings associated with her as well as the company she represented, I feel she did nothing to further the case for genuine physic abilities either.
There is no real way to quantify how many self-proclaimed psychics, tarot readers, mediums, and empaths there are on social media platforms or websites. I suspect it is in the millions. There is also no way to know who has genuine ability and who does not. One thing that some skeptics take issue with as far as mediums and psychics is concerned is that one cannot always prove that what they say is true. What they tell clients is sometimes very general and open to interpretation. However there are also some who have given very accurate information that could not have been known beforehand. I have had the opportunity to view numerous predictions and insights by self-professed psychics over the years through reels, videos, podcasts and posts. Although I feel there is no need to mention any of them specifically, some of them stood out as having exceptional intuitive abilities, others did not.
I have even come across a few who put out information that is so nonsensical or laden with over the top positivity that it couldn’t be taken seriously. While they may feel it is helpful, I think it undermines those who may actually have psychic gifts. Being an astrologer myself, one thing that bothers me is when I see someone assign an attribute to a planet or sign that is completely off. Unfortunately this seems to be a popular trend to assign traits, symbology or patterns in both astrology and Tarot that do not match the traditional meanings. While it may give an air of authenticity if the person claims to be knowledgeable and it might actually be helpful to the client, my feeling is that once you deviate from the ancient symbolic meanings, you lose the foundation for the entire system.
For their followers, such information might not cause any actual harm, except for it possibly being a waste of money if one has a personal reading done or other paid services and one is not satisfied. Obviously too, as in the past, there are a few unscrupulous psychics who use cold readings, fear, curses or guaranteed outcomes to ensnare others. These devices should serve as warnings and not a reason to sign up or spend money. Further, even when a psychic is gifted with the ability to see into future events; they are not always right. There are many things that can affect their predictions; including the way they interpret it or the way they word it as well as through confirmation bias. Often if vague statements that could fit any scenario are used, they leave a lot of room for interpretation. While such a prediction could have positive results, it could also fail.
Empaths by their very nature, are inclined to feel things at a deep level, so it’s natural for them to hope for the best in any circumstance. This can be helpful to others as it fosters support and encouragement. However, one downside is that one may be so focused on the positives that they overlook any warning signs that may exist. I have interviewed as well as written about empaths and in general, I think most people have the ability to be empathetic; it is most likely a human trait. However, in some there are those who have increased ability to sense the energies and emotions of others, both the living and spirits. Often the feelings are so strong, they believe them to be their own. Empaths are also very intuitive as well as very compassionate and caring; sometimes even being inclined to help others to the detriment of themselves.
My concern is that there is an over-emphasis on perpetuating the idea that everything is always-positive-all of the time. There is nothing wrong with having hope and being positive but one should also keep a balanced view. Focusing on the idea that a certain thing is going to happen in a certain way could be very disheartening if it does not happen. I admit to having been overly optimistic at times and have probably annoyed a lot of people with my sappy “just be positive” outlook. In looking back, this mindset wasn’t beneficial for me or helpful to others in the long run. Thankfully, over the years I have learned to temper that with a more balanced outlook. I realized that in being too positive, I might overlook or minimize the negative aspects inherent in a given situation or idea. It also creates the pressure to appear happy even when things are difficult. My experience in the paranormal field and astrology has left me with a deep respect for the traditions and knowledge that has come down to us from wise elders, adepts and scribes and the like. It is my hope that this new league of internet psychics, mediums and empaths will find their equilibrium and balance positivity with awareness, giving advice that is optimistic yet with the acceptance of possible negative outcomes. It is also my hope that the ancient wisdom that has been passed down to us since time immemorial will not be lost somewhere in the digital chaos.
Sources:
Are psychics always right? Why predictions can be wrong. Expertpsychics.com. 2026. https://expertpsychics.com/are-psychics-always-right/ Accessed August 28, 2028.
“Miss Cleo. “Wikipedia. Website. March 23, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_Cleo Accessed August 17, 2026.
Saks, Gayle, guest writer. Huffpost.com. “I Thought Mediums Were Frauds Until I Met One Who Knew Things She Couldn’t Have Known” April 13, 2013.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/psychic-mediums_n_5acf4961e4b08337adca0b62 Accessed August 16, 2026.
Sylvia Browne. Wikipedia.com. Website. Edited August 7, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvia_Browne Accessed August 16, 2026.
