Psychic Michael Schneider: Mysterious clues about missing people!

Psychic Michael Schneider: Mysterious clues about missing people!

Michael Schneider, a 56-year-old clairvoyant from Siegburg near Bonn, has made a name for himself by showcasing his alleged abilities in unsolved criminal cases. Opinions differ as to whether he is a clairvoyant or a charlatan. As the World reports, he has given information about various missing person cases in the past, including those of Maddie McCann, Rebecca Reusch and Fabian from Güstrow.

Schneider himself does not demand payment for his services and claims to be financially independent. According to his statements, he has had training in politics, modern history and psychology, but he does not consider these to be the basis for his clairvoyant abilities. He only discovered this while working as a reporter for private television stations. His method involves looking at photos of missing people, followed by researching maps to see where he thinks the bodies will be found.

### Scientific skepticism and social acceptance

Although there is no scientific evidence of his abilities, a 2021 survey by Kantar shows that about 30% of Germans believe in psychics. Although Schneider gave correct advice in some cases, he also suffered from many failures. He occasionally contacted investigators, but they often ignored his tips. In a historical context, an analysis of Academia.edu that there were already contacts between police and clairvoyants in the Weimar Republic, which were later banned by the Prussian Interior Ministry.

The term “criminal telepathy” was controversial and not scientifically recognized in the 1920s. Nevertheless, police officers occasionally sought the help of psychics. It is known that the use of such practices increased the workload of investigators and led to complaints. Especially after the First World War, waves of mysticism emerged in Europe, which also reached the criminal police. An experimental department for telepathic cases was once set up in Berlin, but it did not last long. Historical cases and accounts of clairvoyants demonstrate how controversial these practices are.

### Schneider and the Hilal Ercan case

Schneider is currently planning to present his future visions to the investigative authorities in Hamburg, especially with regard to the case of Hilal Ercan, who has been missing since 1999. He claims that her body was buried in Flaßbargmoor. This claim raises the question of whether the authorities are once again willing to listen to the testimony of a clairvoyant or whether the historical experiences from the beginnings of criminal telepathy continue to serve as a warning.

In summary, it should be noted that the discussion about the role of clairvoyants in forensic science is still current. The combination of skepticism and belief means that those interested, like Schneider, experience both support and rejection - an area of ​​tension that encompasses both the historical and the social.