Fortune-telling and divination, with claims of using supernatural powers or offering pseudo-scientific advice, are phenomena that have become very common in Iran, to the extent that people with different beliefs and educational backgrounds turn to them for solving their problems. These individuals often claim to have the ability to reveal information about the future or hidden issues. This phenomenon may bring temporary peace of mind for some individuals, as they may feel that it has helped them. This peace of mind may be due to increased self-confidence or a sense of comfort resulting from their consultations, which in psychology is referred to as the “placebo effect”, where belief in a treatment or consultation leads to temporary improvement. However, the opposite is also true; in many cases, fortune-telling causes significant social harm. Belief in solving problems through supernatural means leads society to turn to unscientific and unproven solutions instead of using knowledge. In this regard, we had a conversation with one of the individuals who is active in

This appointment was postponed three times; he said he truly doesn’t have the time and can’t make a definite promise. Finally, we confirmed the appointment for Monday at 4 pm. Unexpected traffic caused me to arrive half an hour late to his workplace. I have known him for years. She is a woman around 70 years old, single and a well-known business owner. She has three employees, one of whom is her younger sister. When I entered her shop, she greeted me warmly. She has a large store and her income comes from this business.

As a kind and charitable person, he is well-known and respected. He says that taking care of children and families in need is something he inherited from his father. When he talks about his father, tears shine through his magnifying glasses and he becomes emotional. All that can be seen on his face are his nose, glasses, and eyes. He wears an Arab cloak and a black veil over his face. He says his father was in contact with scholars and used to cook for them, and that’s how he became familiar with the scholars who had knowledge of mysticism since childhood. He speaks of a man who, according to himself, was a Sayyid and a religious authority. He says he was raised in the care of this Sayyid since he was seven years old and he inherited the spiritual connection from him. He says he loved him very much and whenever he saw him, he would put his cloak on the seven-year-old child and recite prayers, believing that the insight

He says that in order to fulfill the needs of others who come to him, he prays every night until morning. His visitors come from different backgrounds, including those who have lost objects, marital conflicts, abnormalities in their children, incurable illnesses, individuals under death sentence, and so on. He claims that he has been able to save four people from execution through prayer. I ask him how it is possible to change the course of events through prayer. He replies, “It is all up to God’s will.” In Islamic beliefs, God is the all-knowing of the world, and it is He who has created everything in the way it “should” be and His knowledge and will govern the world. I ask him if he believes that he can change God’s will through prayer. He pauses and says, “Yes, if it is permitted, I can. But it is not the case for everyone. For example, this morning someone called me and said that five kilograms of gold

He believes that Satan has taken over the world in the form of humans and jinns, and has a specific division about jinns. “Jinn Amir” is a jinn that does not harm humans. Some jinns are busy with sorcery in the form of humans and control their followers. He says in order to prevent jinns from bothering you in your home, you should keep a rooster and a hen in your house and ward them off with special prayers and invocations. He says, “A few days ago, three sisters came to me. One of them sat outside the room and had no desire to talk to me. Despite her sisters’ insistence, she did not enter the room. After my conversation with the two sisters ended, I asked her to sit next to me for a few minutes. When I sat next to her, she started crying. After she calmed down, she said that her problems were more from her sisters. At the moment

I asked him to return to the topic of those who go to find their lost items. I said, let’s assume we live in a country where the police and security system is precise and as soon as the lost items are reported, they can be tracked and found. Do people in such a country go to fortune tellers? He says, “No, they don’t go” and thinks about it. I ask him if the government is to blame for this or not? Does the cooperation of the rulers in promoting belief in fortune telling have an effect or not? He changes the subject of the conversation and says, “Anyone who wants to come to me must be given permission. Some time ago, a lady came to me and when I talked to her, I saw her ugly inside. I distanced myself from her and realized that she was in contact with a sorcerer and was trying to kill her husband with the help of that sorcerer and marry him.” I ask for his opinion

Madam’s phone rings and she glances at the number before silencing it. In the two hours I was there, her phone rang more than 30 times. I asked if the people who come to her for comfort and she talks to them, have to do something to feel that peace? Or is the prayer she prescribes enough and brings them peace forever? She says, “I can’t talk much about it. But those who are given permission, will stay with me for a while and some of them forever. I constantly mention them in my prayers and they have to do it. Every night, I store positive energy within myself through prayer and transfer it to my clients in the morning. Sometimes, when I hug them, I transfer all my positive energy to them and bring them peace.” I tried to change the subject and asked about those who receive money from people through religion and beliefs, such as prayer writers and magicians. She says, “There are different types of prayer

At this moment, one of his employees enters our room and hands him the phone. He wants to get his card number and deposit money. After talking to the other party, he coordinates with his employee to give him the card number. He is planning to deposit five million tomans. I ask how much is deposited into your cash account every month? He says it depends on how many people’s problems are solved, he doesn’t give an exact number. He says, “Not only people in need come to me, educated, wealthy, and many others come to me and I solve their problems. A few days ago, a father came to me whose daughter had relationships with five people, I took him under my wing and saved him with prayer and remembrance.”

In Iran, the performance of the government has been such that people have never tasted the true taste of prosperity, especially after the 1979 revolution. When people feel that the authorities do not have the will to solve their problems and meet their basic needs, they turn to other solutions. This is when they turn to supernatural forces, prayer writers, magicians, or individuals with spiritual claims, as they may offer temporary solutions to problems such as illness, economic difficulties, or family issues; solutions that may create hope in individuals in the short term, but quickly disappear. On the other hand, in today’s society where economic and social crises have reached their peak, people may turn to supernatural phenomena to find peace and hope. It is an undeniable fact that when governments are unable to solve problems, people may be driven to seek spiritual and supernatural solutions, and even promote these actions in their official media. In this way, supernatural forces act as a mechanism to reduce anxiety and create a sense of control over