People turn to irrational beliefs in times of uncertainty -- when pressure is on financially for people they're attracted to paranormal and irrational beliefs
• New Age (Old Silliness)
"My joke was that I'm recession proof," said tarot reader Susan Levitt, who was named Psychic of the Year by one of the city's weekly alternative newspapers.
"Since the decline of the dot-com era, there's been an increase in the use of tarot by women and men seeking career choices," said tarot reader Mary Kay. "I see more interest in long-range planning instead of love and 'will I live happily ever after?'"
Belief in the paranormal has also spread well beyond kooky California. A recent Gallup poll found that one in two Americans believes in extrasensory perception. Fifty-four percent believe in psychic or spiritual healing, and almost three in 10 say they believe in witches.