"Psychic" detectives are civilians who claim to have solved police cases by contributing information gained through their "psychic powers." Self-described psychic detectives often volunteer their services in murder and missing persons cases. They operate by concentrating intently on objects or places associated with the case. They then reel off the impressions that come to their minds names, descriptions of places and scenes, objects, people, etc. Investigators are then supposed to take the information given and use it as clues in their investigations. The psychics claim to have provided information that has led to the solving of otherwise insoluble cases.
Unfortunately the claims of psychic detectives do not hold up under scrutiny. The information they provide is so vague and general that it could refer to anything, for example, stating that a body could be found by "crossing water." Real detectives solve cases by normal field investigation methods collecting physical evidence, questioning witnesses and testing physical traces. When the case is solved, the psychic looks at the circumstances around its resolution and then claims that something in the solution was predicted by his or her psychic powers. Psychics may also surreptitiously acquire information on the case and then claim that the information came to them through their "psychic powers."
"Psychic" detectives often claim that the police seek out their help and that they have helped the police solve cases, but police officers report that they have never sought help from psychics or been helped by psychics. Self-promotion and the willingness of communications media to report psychic claims is the reason for the reputation of psychic detectives. Psychic detectives do not help police solve crimes.
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