Methodology
The first thing that I did to conduct my research was to brainstorm the various places where I could find both fact and opinion concerning the role that the psychic realm plays within society.  The most obvious choice was to visit a practicing psychic.  I know of a psychic that works in my hometown of Nashville, Indiana.  I tried on several occasions to contact her by phone and request permission for an interview, however, failed to do so. (First bit of knowledge acquired: psychics do not always follow office hours).  I decided to try and meet with her in person and during meantime wrote a few pages of questions to ask during the interview in case conversation came to a lull (or in case I started to choke up).  Next, I thought it might be interesting to see what a . free. phone psychic experience would be like.  I called up Ms. Cleo, amongst the numerous others offered in the telephone book and on the T.V.  I then went to the library and checked out five books.  Two of the books went over the history of psychic abilities and the various methods and definitions.  One of the books discussed Nostradamus.  I felt it was necessary to review his prophecies considering he has had such profound effects on societies throughout time.  The last two books consist of an autobiography and a biography, both of which are somewhat recent accounts of psychics living in a time we are all familiar with.  Next, I decided to conduct a video survey, including mostly collage-age students, of opinions surrounding some of the key subjects that I had been researching.  Additionally, I included a few demonstrations of supposed psychic phenomenon for those who do not posses the power of purely mental insight on the video.  By December 2nd I was becoming very weary of trying to get a hold of Nashville. s local psychic, so I called a friend of mine up who has a history of dealing with the metaphysical and recently got hired as a psychic advisor by Ms. Cleo.  She participated in an audio-recorded interview that lasted around twenty minutes.

Description
The Gilgamesh Epic contains the first recorded prophets from 2000 B.C.  Today, we see Ms. Cleo on the T.V. every 15 minutes.  The psychic world has been a part of folklore throughout humanity. s existence.  It is logical to assume that it will be around for much to come.  Many of the ancient traditions have remained virtually the same, such as the reading of palms or runes (small rocks that provide predictions similar to tarot cards).  Yet, others have adapted to fit modern standards, such as manufactured tarot cards and psychic counseling via the telephone.  There is much controversy as to whether or not these modern adaptations are acceptable within society today.
Obvious corruption in specific instances seems to make many individuals skeptical of everything metaphysical.  This idea is reflected on the survey video, in which instances of phone fraud, false readings, and extortion are all brought up repeatedly.  A good example of why much of present society doubts truth in the psychic is found in the methods of one of America. s best-known purported prophets.  As stated in Mysteries of the Unknown-Visions and Prophecies:  . Jean Dixon and her fellow tabloid seers have chance on their side.  A prophet who claims that in the upcoming year there will be, somewhere in the world, a major earthquake, a political assassination, or an airline disaster, is likely to prove successful. (25).
 
While corruption does exist due to human nature and free will, there are many theories claiming that both the ancient and modern psychic world exists and holds many of the keys to the universe.  Nostradamus. prophecies are still studied today.  In fact, it is thought that he predicted September 11th.  Einstein. s theory that . the distinction between past, present, and future is an illusion, although a persistent one. is still being elaborated on (Mysteries of the Unknown-Psychic Voyages, 9).  Sara Taylor, a psychic advisor, discusses the first time she realized she had psychic ability at age 12.  She states that she had often done readings for friends and family as a . party trick. at social gatherings.  But, the first time she realized that she wasn. t just . making it up. was when she told a father details about his daughter, who had died at age six, which even he had forgotten.  The theories and stories could go on forever but the important thing to remember is that many people believe in the metaphysical world whole-heartedly and many of the theories are plausible.

Analysis
Humanity continually attempts to know the unknown.  The most apparent discovery I have made while researching is that our race is drawn to what cannot be explained by logic or science.   There are so many unexplainable things that occur in this world and just as many theories guessing as to what and why they are.

I ask myself why people are so drawn to knowing what they cannot.  One answer may be for security, similar to religion.  This could apply not only to the inquirers, but also to the psychics themselves.  To know the future is a god-like ability, and to believe that one possesses this ability may be wishful thinking.  I do not doubt that there are many people out there that believe they have gifts that they do not, but it helps them to get through the day and feel secure.  In addition, I do not doubt that everyone possesses the ability to follow intuition and some are stronger than others.

Through the research conducted, I have come to the conclusion that logic is not always necessary.  Of course, sometimes matters are just coincidences and other times psychic theories are correct.  However, I. m satisfied with claiming to not know, after all nothing. s a hundred percent.  I do find the psychic realm very intriguing, but, it is impossible for any human to fathom all the keys to the universe and I am perfectly satisfied with simply maintaining an open-mind.  I realize this may be a little more philosophical of a analysis than what you were inquiring, but this is what I dealt with in creating my report.  I found myself asking more self-introspective questions in order to analyze the outside data.

[Although this does not relate to the rest of my analysis, I found it very interesting that most people. s opinions on the video survey were family-wide.  And, when the subjects were asked if they felt it was important to pass the information on to future generations they most often replied yes.  Therefore, it seems that the folklore of the psychic realm is passed on from generation to generation mostly through family origins.  This applies to both those who responded skeptically and to those who believed the majority of metaphysical theories.]

Reflection
I learned a lot of factual information from the library books and I gained much insight as to society. s perceptions through the survey and interview.  I especially found the interview helpful, not only to the content of my report, but also in building my self-confidence in the field.  I was disappointed in my failure to interview the psychic that does personal face to face counseling.  I probably should have tried scheduling an appointment earlier on or looked for one in another area like Columbus or Bloomington.  I also should have gotten a more diverse group of people on the video survey, as opposed to Caucasian, Indiana University dorm dwellers.  Lastly, I feel that if I were to do another field report on this subject again, I. d need to narrow my focus down.  There is so much information that I had to leave out because of my broad topic.  Overall, I expanded not only my abilities on the field but also my beliefs on the subject of research.

References
Cave, Janet P. and Foreman, Laura. 1988. Mysteries of the Unknown- Visions and Prophecies . Virginia: Time-Life Books.

Cave, Janet P. and Foreman, Laura. 1988. Mysteries of the Unknown- Psychic Voyages. Virginia: Time-Life Books.

Indiana University Students. 2001. Survey by Mandy Flynn, 30 November, Bloomington, Indiana. Video recording. Panasonic AF X8 CCD, VHS-6

Morehouse, David.1996. Psychic Warrior. New York: St. Martin's Press.

Orloff, Judith M.D. 1996. Second Sight. New York: Warner Books Inc.

Roberts, Henry C. 1947. The Complete Prophecies of Nostradamus. New York: Nostradamus Co.
 
Taylor, Sara. 2001. Interview by Mandy Flynn, 2 December, Nashville, Indiana. Audio recording. AVR 3-5375, MC-60: Side A.

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