I hate
fortune tellers. This feeling isn't mild, amused scepticism, but fierce
antipathy, and comes from Indian upbringing. Back in India, fortune-tellers are
not innocent fair-ground amusements. They are serious and powerful people, jyotishtis, seers who can divine the fates
on account of their spiritual attainment. Conveniently, these seers can also
intervene with the fates on a client's behalf, to prevent dark and dire events that
have been foretold from coming to pass.
The conversation between the seer and the client develops along the lines "I see the possibility of a glorious future...but...I also see terrible dangers...the divinity x needs to be appeased with sop y ...to protect your loved ones from these dangers...". Sop y generally contributes to the jyotishti's well-being. The client gradually learns to be dependent on the seer and loses autonomy, as he wins her over with honest trifles and betrays her in matters of the deepest consequence. Divination becomes an extortion racket, reinforced by the Stockholm syndrome.
The conversation between the seer and the client develops along the lines "I see the possibility of a glorious future...but...I also see terrible dangers...the divinity x needs to be appeased with sop y ...to protect your loved ones from these dangers...". Sop y generally contributes to the jyotishti's well-being. The client gradually learns to be dependent on the seer and loses autonomy, as he wins her over with honest trifles and betrays her in matters of the deepest consequence. Divination becomes an extortion racket, reinforced by the Stockholm syndrome.
I find the
extortion practiced by jyotishtis more distressing than the simple violent extortion practiced by gangland bosses
or cops on the beat. These "god men"
are preying on the sacred, on faith, on hope - on human faculties that could be so life-enhancing if they were not abused. So, in my moral hierarchy, fortune-tellers,
psychics, seers, astrologers, soothsayers and their ilk fall below common or
garden charlatans like Bernie Madoff or Adam Stanford. They sit closer to JRR Tolkien's
Grima Wormtongue, whose murmurs and whispers rob Lord Theoden of Rohan of his
vitality, or JK Rowling's dementors, killers who do their business not through
violence but by robbing their victims of the will to live.
This attitude is why I was
surprised to find myself warming to a psychic I came across while flipping through a back issue of the New Yorker.
 |
| Peri Lyons |
This is Peri Lyons, "the most
expensive psychic in New York". She plays by certain rules. Rule #1 is "readings by Peri Lyons are for entertainment purposes
only". Also, she only does "good stuff... I very rarely
get "bad" stuff. Either I'm way too positive for that,
or my spirit guides are really chicken." Those rules take the whole extortion
racket out of the equation, thank God. But what I liked, rather than just
didn't hate, was her psychic method.
Peri Lyons does not read the stars, or the entrails of
animals, or ancient palm leaves or any such thing. She practices "radical
empathy". If I've understood what that means, she does with her clients what a method actor
does with a character. She gets into the skin of her subject, experiences what
they experience, uses that insight to tell her subjects about themselves, and
about any self-fulfilling beliefs that she senses. This is not in any way a
mysterious or other-worldly faculty. I routinely do this as a sports fan, tuning
into the players' psyche, trying to sense their commitment, intensity and confidence.
A good psychic just does this tuning-in very well.
 |
| Courtney Love |
One of Peri Lyons' good friends and client is Courtney Love,
who, apparently, "doesn't do soothsayers". I have a hunch that for Courtney Love, the psychic service that matters is just plain empathy,
rather than any sort of forecasting.
Peri Lyons also
runs a popular class called "How To Be a Psychic Without Even Trying". Maybe Paul the Octopus was one
of her graduates.
 |
| Paul, the psychic octopus |
5 comments:
She is good at capturing your weak points,and extorting them.
She never made a nickel off of me,she was a good friend of mine,called me her ``soul sister`` ,told me all her Hollywood secrets.
And dumped me for Courtney Love because Courtney pays her bills monthly,and I could not fathom how she could be friends with such a monster of a woman.
Stockholm Syndrome is right,I very much dislike Peri now,yet I can never stop thinking about how she impacted my life.
I want to believe she is different from the average psychic,but I don`t think she is.
She told me I would be a star,be successful,that she hasn`t seen talent like mine in years,therefore she was constantly calling me for years til 6 months ago when
Courtney Love went into crisis mode,and Peri was losing clients.
Peri does it for the money only.She claims Courtney Love and Heather Graham,her two biggest clients are also the two biggest bitches on the planet,and are rude to her all the time,but she bites her lip because she claims she needs the money.
But it seems to me she needs the attention and fame more.
Sorry your experience Peri Lyons was not good. All the best, good luck.
My experience with Peri Lyons in the beginning was great,but she abandoned me at a time I really needed her most.
I think at times she can lose focus,and not always take others feelings into consideration,but despite her discarding of me like a piece of trash,whether she is a real psychic or not,she gave me hope,told me I had talent,called me a friend,and her "soul sister",so even though I am disappointed in her,as she knows I can use someone to talk to,I do think if anyone can afford a reading from Peri Lyons,if anything,she will give you hope,and we all need a bit of that in our lives.
I will always cherish Peri Lyons ,and although I don't undertstand her concept of thinking at times,that is okay.
She was right about all the predictions she gave me,except that I am not a star,she is.
Now she has a reality show,and 2 books that will be released shortly.
I wish her nothing but the best.
Jeepers creepers! Who are you? I'm terribly sorry that I seem to have hurt you.
That said, if this is who I think it is, than you know your claim that I am "in it for the money", is just plain silly. Also really, just- how can I put this?- wrong.
Which you know, because I never, ever charged you for a reading.
And you wanted readings all the time. I read for you on the phone is every single conversation we had.
I gave you full readings in person for free.
As for Courtney giving me money? Not true either. I've made a grand total of $250, in all the time I've known her. And I don't call other women bitches. I just don't.
If "being in crisis mode" means the 6 month period in which I lost my Dad, was in the hospital with heart failure, lost my fiance, and was dealing with a 6'4", 350 pound stalker? Yup. Crisis mode. Because those were not fun things.
And I never, ever say things I don't mean. Just don't. It's too boring, for one thing.
I di- and still do- see stardom as a possibility for your enormous talent.
But I can't make you do the work. And I can't make you not self sabotage. And I can't be held responsible for your future.
If I've become a focus for your feelings of failure, that's sad. It's also unnecessary. You are incredibly talented, and beautiful, and-when you're not blaming every one else-a wonderful person in many ways.
I invite you to get in contact with me and talk this through. I also invite you to do some work to free yourself from self-imposed bondage to the traits that aren't doing who you are, justice. Envy is a isempowering emotion, and it's smaller than who you are.
You have a beautiful life, if you want it. Don't waste time and energy worrying about or hating me. Go be your biggest self with the love and generosity you truly have, and grasp the success you say I saw for you.
But most of all, learn that truth is the most empowering trait of all. And the truth is, I never accepted money from you. And you know that.
I'm going to go have nice cry on my cat, which she will find annoying, but I will find helpful.
Bless you, kiddo.
Love, Peri
Sorry, one last thing: I just reread the sad young lady's comments, and I'd like to register my bafflement at how I could "extort" [ I think she might have meant to say "exploit"] her "weaknesses", when by her own admission I "never made a nickel off [her]."
You know us wicked, conniving psychics: insisting on giving you encouragement and advice, and making sure we use all that information about you, to ...not make any money at all. And never ask for any.
For the record: I am far and away NOT "the most expensive psychic in New York." I charge 250 for a 90 minute reading. I'm supposed to charge at least 400 bucks, but simply can't bring myself to do it, ever.
You don't have to publish this comment, my friend. But I guess I'm just saddned and baffled by this person's nuttiness.
best wishes, and thank you so much for writing this lovely piece. Bless you.
best wishes always
Peri
Post a Comment