I think it is a little of both, entertaining and preying on the uncouth.

There are some who are genuinely good at reading people, but rather than super natural abilities, i ascribe this to hyper observance. When i was younger and befor i was half blind, I could "read" peopel very well just by watching them. I beleive that good "psychics" also do this, only they may be even more observant than I was. I was able to freak people out by tellign them things I surmized by their expressions, how htey moved and so on.,,, although my ability to "read" them was not wholly conscious on my part. It was more liek from watchign them i got impressions which usually turned out to be true.

There is nothign supernatural aobu tit. We ar eanimals and hae instincts and senses tht observe of which we are nto always conscious of. In our evolutionary past they served us well for survival and determiing the intentions of others. I think it is more of an istinctual ability, but some people may be able to learn it. Although, I myself woudl have no idea of how to go about teaching it to somebody else, and beign partially blind now, I no longer am able to do it. (I assume if it were supernatural, I'd still be able to do it, so I have come to a different and mroe comon sense explanatio of the source of it).

I have heard that soem intelligence agencies knwo how to teach hyper obaservance. I am told a great deal depends on the natural abilities as to how successful teaching it can be.

So, anyway, the hyper observent person can be in a way doing a legitimate "reading". Whether or not they are tryign to help the person or defraud them depends on th eperson's nature of whethr or not they are honest.

Not sure but many who believe in this stuff loose a lot of money going to them. One aunt in my family lossed quite a lot of money.

The public should know there is a wide range when it comes to psychics and fortune tellers. Let the buyer beware. Some are just entertainment and a select few may have credentials in their reputations.

Wow. Americans are so WEIRD. I suppose they are taught all their lives that only physical things exist, despite Einstein proving that all matter is energy.

Maybe some of the people taking money for "readings" are charletans but there are many people who are psychics, including ALL animals. Just in my family I am, my kids, mom, and a younger sister. Also, we frequently see the future. We only do it for close friends and family who need it, or who ask us.

In other countries, ESP and other such things are taken for granted, and noticed that most rural Thai are very psychic..showing up to give me things I'd just thought about wanting, or Thai kids in remote villages who don't know English will all speak the English word aloud I was about to write on the board.

"For us believing physicists, the distinction between past, present and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion." -Einstein.

Besides, physics indicates that we are participating in creating our own universes/reality, so there's nothing "woo" about it. People can manipulate energy in ways that others may perceive as impossible.

“I regard consciousness as fundamental and matter as derivative from consciousness." – Max Planck, theoretical physicist who originated quantum theory, 1918 Nobel Prize in Physics

Psychics and fortune tellers are con artists and thieves.

Yes

any fakery including religion should be banned

There is a difference between psychics and con-artists? I guess every con-artist is not a psychic, there is that.

Only if they take your money.

Mostly or totally as Idont use them and many are bullshitters

Yes

Based on my special powers, I can let you know that in the very near future they will be.

YES!

There's a fine line between freedom of speech/freedom to choose, and false advertising, fake products, and emotional manipulation. I don't see how we can quite punish them outright... if they themselves believe what they are saying and are not explicitly targeting under-privilaged, needy, under-educated, or other vulnurable people.

I think mediums and faith healers should be treated as criminals. They capitalize on grief and loss. I think there is some aspect of caveat emptor and some entertainment value, for some, in fortune tellers, but again mediums and faith healers do real damage.

Pscyhics charge very large fees (I've never been to one so I don't know exactly what they charge), in order to "speak with the dead" or in some other way help the client/customer. Are psychics regulated like chiropractors? I've never been to a chiropractor myself.

Houdini would answer yes I confer. Some speculation this is what might have gotten Houdini killed. He would go debunk these people often having to flee from the parlors.

At the very least, they should have to post disclaimers stating that they have no proof whatsoever that any of their "powers" are real and that their services are for "entertainment purposes only."

Oh, and about magicians. There are some out there who don't acknowledge that what they are doing is a trick/illusion and deceive people.

I got pissed off watching an act on America's Got Talent (I think) where the act pushed the idea that what they were doing was real--due to some supernatural powers they had. And the freaking judges acted like they thought it was real as well--absolutely disgusting. I had to stop watching.

Yes...

Yes unless they admit it's entertainment otherwise it's illegal

Ummm, they are already subject to arrest in most places. (Bunco, fraud, taking money under false pretenses, etc) Would you prefer to tar & feather them instead? Or maybe try learning a little about a subject before posting? And would you include astrologers, transcendental meditation teachers, yoga instructors, psychiatrists, et al?

If there were penalties, we wouldn't have anymore politicians. Lol

Yes if you have to pay and no if it is free.

what do you mean,"like con artists and thieves", they are con artists and thieves

y