Trickification
A milder form of deceptionification, where non‑mainstream practices are explained as “tricks” (magic tricks, sleight of hand, cognitive illusions) rather than outright fraud. Trickification is common in debunking of mentalists, psychics, and alternative healers. While some such phenomena indeed involve tricks, trickification generalizes to all anomalous claims, assuming that any unexplained phenomenon must be a trick. It often ignores the possibility of genuine anomalous experiences or the limits of current science. Critics argue it is a form of rhetorical closure: once you say “trick,” the investigation stops.
Trickification Example: “The magician‑turned‑debunker trickified a psychic reading as ‘cold reading’ without examining the specific claims. He assumed trickery; he never tested his hypothesis.”
Trickification by Abzugal June 5, 2026