Seeking spirits of a different kind down at your local

The rise in popularity of psychic nights in the pub or WMC

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There was a story in a regional paper the other day about punters seeing the funny side when a psychic event at a local pub was cancelled 'due to unforeseen circumstances.'

Predictably, one user on X quipped: "They probably should have seen that coming."

On paper, that sort of event seems like an odd combination - a night out at the pub that combines the spirits you drink with an entirely different kind.

But they're incredibly popular, as a quick look at Google search data will tell you. The past eight years have seen a 600 per cent increase in Google searches for "psychic night near me" in the UK.

So why are they so popular? A first-of-its-kind study last year led Dr Adam Powell, from Durham University's Institute for Medical Humanities, found people attending psychic nights reported they felt a sense of hope, comfort or closure - regardless of whether they were sceptical about their authenticity.

Those who went along were neither firm believers in the supernatural nor sceptics, the team found; instead people swung between both positions and often held contradictory views.

Almost three quarters - 74 per cent - agreed that "science provides us with a better understanding of the universe than religion". However, 60 per cent either disagreed or were uncertain that "we can only rationally believe in what is scientifically provable".