Curiosity draws 1000 to psychic fair

Press, 20 November 1989, Page 7

Curiosity draws 1000 to psychic fair

By

VIVIENNE OAKLEY

Curiosity about the unknown attracted about 1000 people to a “psychic fair” yesterday at the Arts Centre in Christchurch. The fair also attracted about 20 members of the New Zealand Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (commonly known as the Skeptics). An organiser of the fair, Mr Theo Boekel, said it was a great success and may become an

annual event. A spokesman for Skeptics, Dr Denis Dutton, said spiritually and intellectually the fair was “like cosmic fast food.” “It was astonishing to see how eager peopleware to part with money in order to obtain paranormal solutions to their problems,” Dr Dutton said. “Obviously belief is more popular than scepticism.” Dr Dutton said it would be helpful if the fair became

an annual event because it would encourage more open discussion about the services offered.

Mr Boekel said tarot reading and clairvoyance were most popular with the public. The fair was organised as a fund-raising venture for a psychic radio programme, “Plainly Paranormal,” which is broadcast on Plains FM.

The money raised yesterday would enable the show to con-

tinue for another six months, Mr Boekel said.

“Most of the people who came are interested in this sort of thing, but for a lot of them it was the first time they’d come into direct contact with the paranormal world,” Mr Boekel said.

Dr Dutton said he found the fair “silly and depressing.” “It’s depressing to see hundreds of people all suspending their critical faculties in order

to obtain such questionable guidance.” . ..

“The Skeptics don’t want to be kill-joys. We’re just concerned for the people who take all of this seriously. . .'".r "In the vast majority of cases the people who offer the services and the people who seek them believe in paranormal solutions to their problems. “The fair offered a cure for everything except gullibility,” Dr Dutton said.