Shopping for Miracles: A Guide to Psychics & Psychic Powers

This is a book about psychics and their wares written mainly for the novice, but seasoned investigators and experiencers can learn from it. The authors’ aim is "to provide consumers with a book offering historical background, esoteric information, and practical ways of understanding psychic phenomena and abilities—what they are and, more importantly, what they are not" (p. x). In other words, they educate consumers in need of a psychic as to what psychics can and cannot do.

There are 7 chapters on "What Is Psychic Ability," including psychic readings and psi applications. The second chapter is about "psychic superstars" such as Leonora Piper and Noreen Renier. This is balanced by a chapter on "psychic scoundrels": the psychic mafia, spiritualist camps, and various psychic scams. The fourth chapter describes the modus operandi of psychic prediction and "what to expect during a visit to a psychic." The next chapter is an important one. It describes various tricks of the psychic trade. The follow-up chapter explains what to do if you have been duped. The final chapter is about an alternative to consulting a psychic: developing your own psi ability through recording your dreams and meditation. Appendix A provides a brief history of psychics and Appendix B a number of resources on psychics and psychic phenomena in the U.S. and Europe, including sources of assistance.