by (originally posted on 24 Oct 2015)
Large numbers of Russians are consulting mystics and psychics - up to a fifth of the population has done so at least once, according to one polling organisation. And there are signs that this tendency is increasing amid economic crisis and conflict in Ukraine.
Report from BBC World Service
24 October 2015
Read more: [Only admins are allowed to see this link]
'The Battle of the Psychics' is a reality TV show that attracts more than four million viewers per episode in Russia, even now into its 16th series.
Alexander Sheps, one of the winners of Battle of the Psychics, says it seems that there is a particular demand for his services among the urban middle class.
"There are bankers, there are very famous politicians, a lot of famous people. My clients include two Orthodox priests. Despite praying in the church and having a congregation, they come to me to solve their problems," he says.
Read more HERE and watch video of Alexander Sheps at work
____________________________________
Find out more:
You can watch the programme Russia's New Mystics in the UK on the BBC News channel at these times, and on BBC World News at these times.
You can listen to the report on World Service's Heart and Soul programme at these times.
Large numbers of Russians are consulting mystics and psychics - up to a fifth of the population has done so at least once, according to one polling organisation. And there are signs that this tendency is increasing amid economic crisis and conflict in Ukraine.
Psychotherapist Dmitry Olshansky links the growing popularity of psychics to Russia's economic crisis - since last December the value of the rouble has halved.
"People feel unsure. And they want to rely on somebody. They need a 'parent' figure, a shoulder, or somebody who would tell them how to live and what to do," he says.
"Moreover, Russians don't have reliable sources of information. What people see on television, what they read in newspapers does not correspond to reality. And they know this."
This, he suggests, increases their need for someone who appears to have special powers to discern the truth.
Report from BBC World Service
24 October 2015
Read more: [Only admins are allowed to see this link]
'The Battle of the Psychics' is a reality TV show that attracts more than four million viewers per episode in Russia, even now into its 16th series.
Alexander Sheps, one of the winners of Battle of the Psychics, says it seems that there is a particular demand for his services among the urban middle class.
"There are bankers, there are very famous politicians, a lot of famous people. My clients include two Orthodox priests. Despite praying in the church and having a congregation, they come to me to solve their problems," he says.
Read more HERE and watch video of Alexander Sheps at work
____________________________________
Find out more:
You can watch the programme Russia's New Mystics in the UK on the BBC News channel at these times, and on BBC World News at these times.
You can listen to the report on World Service's Heart and Soul programme at these times.
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