Direction & Life

Not All “Psychics” Are Created Equal

Note: I want to preface this post by saying that I fundamentally do believe ALL people are created equal. I believe All is One. I use this title to convey that not all motives or developments of otherworldly (or “psychic”) gifts are utilized for the Highest Good of All.

A few months ago, I was in New York City to deliver reiki sessions for a few clients.

On my way to Union Square from Madison Square Park, I walked past a sign for a psychic/palm reader/tarot reader. This was a route I had walked hundreds of times before in my 13 year stint as a New Yorker, but for some reason just now noticed this A-frame sign.

Now, if you’ve ever walked the streets of Manhattan, you know there is no shortage of psychics in the city. In fact, I used to think it was some sort of underground trafficking ring or something because there’s no way the city needed that many psychic readers with small storefronts.

However, I had never received a palm reading, and this particular sign piqued my interest.

I texted the number on the sign outside, and they said they were fully booked for the day.

Given I was only in the city for that day, I thought it just wasn’t meant to be.

Fast forward to the end of last year, I was back in the same area of Manhattan to give some more reiki sessions, when I thought to text the number again asking for a reading.

They responded and told me 2pm that afternoon worked. After my sessions, I went to a coffee shop to do some work on the computer before heading over.

I arrived eight minutes early and as I rang the bell to come up, I was immediately called with the voice of a semi-irate woman saying, “I thought we said 2pm – come back then,” and was quickly hung up on.

I figured there was a waiting room, and I have always grown up with the motto that “being early is being on time, and being on time is being late.” Out of courtesy, I sought to be punctual, but it certainly was not well-received. Not a terribly out-of-the-ordinary way for New Yorkers to act, but this was arguably red flag #1 for a spiritual healer’s disposition.

I waited outside on the cold New York City streets for the clock to strike exactly 2pm before buzzing the number on the intercom yet again.

When I went up, I was greeted by a Romanian woman, appearing to be in her late 30s.

She swiftly whisked me into an extraordinarily tiny room within her large loft apartment – what I believe was once a closet – just big enough to fit two chairs and a small table in between. The space was so tight the back of the chair was against the wall, and my knees were touching the glass-paned french doors.

As I sat down, she immediately started telling me about her combination reading of palm and tarot.

At first I was apprehensive, because I really only wanted to experience what a palm reading was like, but she ultimately convinced me of her up-sell and $80 difference.

Curious who I was sitting across from, I started asking her about how she got into delivering psychic readings.

She told me her grandmother had been a psychic reader and that it ran in her family.

I asked her how long her readings were and she gave me no clear answer or estimate. In a wishy-washy way, she said they were sometimes 30 minutes or sometimes an hour. This seemed somewhat strange, given most spiritual practitioners know how long their sessions generally take (albeit with the occasional outliers), but here I received no certain guidance. I also found it a bit strange as all other tarot readers I’ve seen in the past have given me a very clear answer such as 15 or 30 minutes. This was red flag #2 I should’ve picked up on.

Furthermore, I asked her if I could record the reading on a voice note, but she adamantly rebuked it. This was very strange, because almost all readers of all modalities suggest recording the session as a mechanism to listen back to it later and integrate it further. (As you listen to a reading multiple times, you pick up on things which may not have been apparent to you the first time you received the reading.) This was red flag #3.

As we started, she told me to take a few deep breaths and center myself.

In my mind, I called in my angels, surrounded myself in a protective capsule of light, and asked for a Most Benevolent Outcome. With that, we began.

As we started, she lay out numerous tarot cards on the table and immediately began to tell me that I was going through a very difficult time in my life.

Right off the bat, none of it resonated with me, but we continued.

She told me I was going through a big transformation and eventually began to tell me that five of my chakras were misaligned.

To say this was the farthest from feeling accurate to me would be an understatement. Yes I was going through a transformative time, but I was full of joy from delivering reiki sessions in the morning, had deeply prepared my meditation practice as I was about to go on my one-week dark retreat to Guatemala, and felt incredibly connected to cosmic consciousness.

She started to tell me how she could give me an “exam” to see if I needed one of her other services like crystal healing, chakra balancing, or another offering of hers. She was literally trying to upsell me in the middle of a reading! – and it genuinely felt like this wasn’t her first, nor 50th, time doing so. Red flag #4.

I politely declined saying I didn’t live in the city and was only here for the day and this reading. As I continued to sit there, my body began to feel EXHAUSTED. My energy felt drained and low – beyond anything that’s normal for me. Red flag #5.

As I continued to look into her eyes, I saw the same look as I saw in pictures or videos of Osho later in his life. A darkness of corruption and misalignment of Divine Connection.

As we went on, nothing in her reading hit home. Not even in the slightest. The biggest takeaway was that I needed greater closure with my last relationship, but I could’ve heard that from my best friend. Lack of resonance was red flag #6.

All throughout the reading, her phone was going off beside her non-stop, even with the flashlight bursting off each time she received a message. Lack of presence or holding space should have been red flag #7 for me.

She turned the cards around and placed them next to her in the chair, not allowing me to see them… yet another red flag (#8). Out of nowhere, she wrapped up the reading quickly and without notice.

The lack of sacredness of the whole experience was palpable, and I could only think about the amount of harm done to the countless people who receive these types of shoddy readings.

Her lack of eye contact throughout felt telling, as she proceeded to tell me she owned to more “psychic” reading shops on the Upper East Side, which her sisters ran.

She gave me her business card and immediately walked me to the elevator after I paid her.

The entire experience was bizarre, but one I believe I needed to have. 

I learned a lot; and it showed me the side of spirituality where people are only in it for the money and business.

It showed me that while she may have had a truly gifted lineage, the magic was lost when motives changed to solely financial gain instead of serving the highest good of all.

It showed me to trust the gifted healers, spiritual teachers, and psychics who were guided into my life through synchronicity instead of searching for them on every New York City street corner. 

The experience reminded me that all I need is delivered to me when I need it, and I don’t need to chase an experience like a palm reading just for the sake of having one.

Ultimately, I think she felt me seeing through her false display of gifts and resonant connection, which is why she shooed me out so quickly.

However, it showed me how people who may not be as aware of spiritual gifts, channeling, and Divine Connection can be taken for a ride and financially extorted by dark forces disguising themselves in light-bringing work.

To this, I say listen to your heart. If any of these red flags show themselves to you, listen to your body and walk out. You have no obligation to anyone to sit there out of niceties – especially if they’re draining your energy and making you feel exhausted.

Never let anyone project onto you things that are not true in the deepest parts of your being. Never let anyone tell you that you have to dim your own light. Be discerning of those who bring real love and light into your world, and those hiding behind a mask of disingenuity.

Not all “psychics” are created equal – and I had to learn this through tough first-hand experience.

Luckily, I am surrounded by incredible healers from reiki masters, to world-class astrologists, numerologists, channelers, bodyworkers, and more.

This experience was a catalyst for me to make sure those with true gifts and abilities get seen in order to help the world.

As such, on select Saturday’s this spring (March-May 2024), I am launching an in-person and virtual Spring Guest Speaker Series at my yoga studio, Honor Yoga Pennington.

I have personally invited 7 gifted spiritualists from my life to come to share their knowledge in their field of expertise.

March 9: JP Schmitt – Reiki Master & QHHT Practitioner

(followed by JP’s Reiki I certification intensive May 11-12th)

March 16: Neal Bakshi – Angel Medium

April 6: Dale Weeks – Numerologist

April 13: Alice Bell – World-Renowned Astrologist for British Vogue

April 20: Daniela Busciglio – Inner Child Healing

May 18: Alexia Landa – Gifted Channeler

May 25: Braven Hawkins – Power Animal and Improv Acting

I hope to see you at one of these world-class workshops this spring!

If you ever have any questions on spiritual healing modalities or need to be connected to legitimate spiritualists, please reach out to me and I will gladly connect you to the right person with genuine expertise in the modality you seek!

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Neal Bakshi is a consciousness researcher, best-selling author, and spiritual guide. He is a former Goldman Sachs investment banking vice president who has meditated since the age of five. Since leaving the corporate world, Neal has dedicated his life to helping others experience the underlying spiritual thread linking all cultures and traditions around the world first-hand. He does this through angel mediumship readings, life coaching, reiki energy healing, global transformational retreats, breathwork, and meditation.

Learn more at www.nealbakshi.com, or on Instagram @neal.bakshi

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