ANAHEIM SHOP TRAINS PHONE PSYCHICS.

Byline: Associated Press

A ``master psychic'' asked about her qualifications told a recent caller her training was a long and arduous process. ``It takes years of questing for information,'' the psychic said.

But for many psychics aiming to crack the telephone market, a deck of cards, a few hours' training and faith in their clairvoyance are plenty.

With as little as 6-1/2 hours of training, they can become part of the psychic network that Americans turn to for advice and amusement.

Hundreds of ``master psychics'' have gotten their training in Orange County at Mystik Magik, a New Age bookstore in Anaheim.

Computers route calls to psychics around the country who dispense advice from home or in offices. Mystik Magik's psychics work a bank of 14 telephones. The psychics earn 15 to 35 cents a minute.

Nearly a dozen psychic television networks have sprung up in the last six years.

Psychics and many of their callers defend their business and training.

David Runner, 24, of San Diego, spent four years working for several networks, and recently left the business to pursue a nursing career.

``The psychics I have talked to take it seriously,'' he said. ``They realize that the people who are calling need some hope. I have always prided myself on giving genuine, accurate readings.''

But with the proliferation of psychics has come a growing number of horror stories.

Sharon Palmer, a retail-store employee, said she called a psychic line in September, looking for words of encouragement about her personal life and career.

But a psychic named Tony told her someone was going to blow up her car - with her in it.

``He told me that somebody was trying to kill me and I ought to move,'' Palmer said. ``It really put the fear of God in me. I haven't slept good or felt safe ever since. And that's been a couple of months now.''

Palmer said she called the network in response to an offer of a free two-minute reading but wound up staying on the line long enough to rack up a $75 bill. She is refusing to pay while she disputes the charges.

Long Beach resident Bill Gore said it was obvious his phone psychic was reading from a script.

``I let her babble on for about 10 minutes with this stuff, which was absolutely, totally not relevant to me,'' he said.

``You could tell she was at home, because she kept putting her hand over the phone and yelling at her kids to shut up,'' he said.

Gore too was shocked to find a $60 charge for what he thought was a no-charge consultation on a toll-free line.

Some former phone psychics said they questioned the entire business.

Analei Bodnar said her monthlong career as a telepsychic was interesting but depressing, because she felt she was taking advantage of people who could ill afford to spend $3.99 a minute.

``People who couldn't feed their kids were spending a half-hour on the phone with me,'' said Bodnar, 23, of Seal Beach. ``They would call all the time. It's no wonder they didn't have any money.''