Dangerous consumptions beyond the grave: Psychic hotline addiction for the lonely hearts and grieving souls

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between Brown's core criteria for addiction and ringing psychic hotlines. Both quantitative and qualitative data were endorsed to explore Brown's theoretical framework. Fifty-six participants were recruited from the international ‘psychic junkie’ support group website. Most of the participants were female, Caucasian, single, university educated, spiritual and employed. A semi-structure questionnaire along with a psychic hotline questionnaire adapted from Brown's core criteria of addiction was administered. Significant affirmative responses on Brown's addiction criteria included cognitive salience, euphoria, tolerance and relief. The callers were less likely to endorse behavioural salience, relapse or inter-personal conflict as a result of psychic hotline use. Participants spent excessive amounts of money ringing psychic hotlines and many went into debt. The qualitative data as well as Brown's core criteria of addiction supports the supposition that a segment of the population may be addicted to ringing psychic hotlines.

‘The most authentic thing about a cold reading is that false information is becoming part of another person's real life and memories’ (Reed ).

• Psychic hotline
• addiction
• core criteria

Notes

Notes

1. This assumption regarding excessive psychic hotline use in Canada, Australia, Taiwan and Germany is based on information from the psychic junkie website.

2. This average is relative to the exchange rates of the different currencies.

3. Mediums talk to the dead and a psychic is a fortune teller. However, many psychics on psychic hotlines claim to do both.

4. The definition of being ‘highly engaged in a behaviour means: ‘it does not entail withdrawal symptoms which means the individual is not compelled to perform the behavior towards the end of symptom alleviation, but rather engages in the behavior in pursuit of enjoyment’ (Charlton and Danforth 2005, p. 1533)

5. Angels cards contain words of enlightenment for meditation purposes to engage in spiritual growth. Runes are an ancient Germanic alphabet used for divination.

6. A positive reading is usually different from a ‘spot on’ reading. A positive reading may be, ‘you will meet your soulmate in four months’ whereas a ‘spot on’ reading would describe events surrounding the person's life at the present time.

7. The psychic hotline criteria included ‘relief’ making a total of 11 items compared to 10 items in the other studies reported here.