In 2012 citizens of Azerbaijan have spent about 200 million Euros on witches and people with ESP
According to the research of the Center for Economic and Social Development Ministry, in 2012 the citizens of the country spent about 200 million Euros on the witches and people with ESP. In a conversation with the Azerbaijani newspaper "Echo" said the chairman of the Center for Economic and Social Development Vugar Bayramov.
"According to the previous monitoring, the amount of the money our citizens spent on fortune tellers, magicians and people with ESP did not reach even 100 million manats (it makes about 100 million Euros), however the latest monitoring showed that this figure is growing, which is a problem," the chairman says.
In his turn psychologist Azad Isazade told the "Echo" that people use the services of magicians and people with ESP, because they do not trust doctors: "We know that the Azerbaijanis go for the treatment to Iran, Turkey, Russia and other countries, and use the services of doctors there and not in their own country, because today the credibility towards the health care in the country is low. As for the people with ESP and magicians, they have always existed. The activity and interest towards them sometimes increase and sometimes decrease."
According to the expert, they received special attention at the sunset of the Soviet period, when people were interested in extrasensorics, witchcraft; there even were courses for shamans. "In Azerbaijan it has become popular to visit holy places and seids, trips to the mullahs and writing of prayers," concluded the expert.