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

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 2001).