Rick Burgess, host of the spiritual warfare podcast “Strange Encounters,” argues that psychic and mediumistic powers are real and dangerous, not harmless entertainment, and he points to scripture and personal testimony to make the case. He separates obvious scammers from people who actually wield influence the host calls demonic, warns about common occult tools, and retells a New Testament episode to underline the risk. The piece examines why these practices can harm people spiritually and financially and urges caution around anyone claiming supernatural abilities.
Burgess concedes there are “charlatans” who prey on desperation and sell illusions, but he insists some practitioners truly access a force that isn’t benevolent. “There are people who do have power,” but “this power is not of God,” he says, and he frames that force as opposing everything he believes is good. That distinction between fraud and authentic but dangerous influence is central to his warning, because the consequences differ drastically.
He lists familiar tools of fortune telling and divination — “Tarot cards, crystal balls, palm readings … leaves from tea … this stuff is dangerous. This is witchcraft.” Those lines are repeated as both description and alarm, aimed at anyone who treats these curiosities as harmless party tricks. Burgess argues that dabbling in them opens a door you did not intend to open.
He offers a biblical example from Acts 16 to illustrate his point, reading the story of Paul and Silas encountering a slave girl with a “spirit of divination.” In his telling, the girl’s ability to predict and profit was real, and when asked what was happening she blurts out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” Burgess highlights how dramatic the scene becomes when Paul confronts the power behind her speech.
The narrative continues with a confrontational moment where Paul rebukes the spirit and forces it out: “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” Burgess points out the economic fallout that followed; her handlers were outraged because their income evaporated once the divination ceased. That sequence underpins his claim that real power can exist outside of religious goodness and often carries a cost for those involved.
He frames the possible outcomes bluntly: dealing with psychics and mediums either leaves you out money because you were scammed, or exposes you to “very dangerous strange encounters” with malevolent forces. “If somebody claims they have some kind of power, your best case scenario is that they’re just a scam artist,” he says. “That’s the best case because then you just wasted your time and you wasted your money. The worst case is they actually have power.”
Burgess leaves little room for neutral curiosity: if a claimed power exists, his view is it is not spiritual in a healthy sense and should be avoided. “If they do, it is not of God, and you shouldn’t have anything to do with it,” he warns, urging listeners to distance themselves from these practices entirely. His tone is urgent and protective, aimed at preventing harm to faith and finances.
The conversation blends theological claim with practical caution, urging people to treat occult curiosities as more than entertainment and to watch for exploitation. The piece closes by inviting viewers to the episode for the full discussion and the raw testimonies that shaped Burgess’s perspective, offering the fuller context beyond this summary.
