The boundaries of palmistry

Dear all,

My newest question relates, as the subject implies to the limits of palmistry. Especially predictive palmistry. I have done a great deal of research in the past few months and I am eager to hear what the experts have to say with regard to this.

It would seem that the basic theory behind palmistry is that, since our palmar creases are unique and initially formed when we are a fetus, that there is some sort of sympathetic magic or fate at work that allegedly lays out our destiny (or so predictive palmistry might claim). Or later, that somehow, the "future" has reached back in time to alter our palmar creases to give us an indication of what is to come. Another idea is that the palmar creases are directly related to neurological impulses which explains their being able to change over time, implying that in reality, the best that we can hope for in "reading" them is gaining insight into a person's present condition. How surprising it might be to some to find that they have a murder's line or whatnot when they have trouble with the thought of even killing a fly! And let's not forget the Forer effect and Cold Reading (whether conscious or not).

Other sources hazard that the "patterns" that palmists "read" are merely human constructs. A box here means this, an X there means that. Ultimately implying that we are seeing a pattern may not be there (or that we are imposing)- especially considering that our brains are designed to see patterns and causality for the purpose of survival. Likewise, how much of the anecdotal evidence that comes from predictive palmistry could be considered to be self-fulfilling prophecy? An interesting study in relation to this would be to see if those who believed in predictive palmistry had a greater number of things "come true" as it were than those who did not.

So here are my questions: 1) Am I off in this research? 2) Where do most palmists now stand with regard to predictive palmistry? 3) Can people "read" about the fortunes of others in their own hands, as it's related to the? (this question is a result of hearing the "party palm-reading" girl claim that others were going to die because of what was in her own hands - see "Medical Palmistry" and "Rascettes/Longevity post".)

I write this mostly for those who have had a negative experience with a palm reader so that their minds might potentially be eased, and to see if we can't reason together to blow away the cobwebs of superstition.

Many thanks!