Thousands of people paid around $50 at a casino in Welch, Minnesota, to see Tyler Henry, a psychic medium to celebrities, speak to their dead loved ones.

Henry got famous for his self-proclaimed powers after he was featured on an episode of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians." From there, he launched his own show, where he's given readings to celebrities like Moby, Lil Jon, and former NBC News anchor Matt Lauer.

Psychics aren't new, but the industry has grown by 52 percent since 2005, becoming a $2 billion business that employs 90,000 Americans. The boom, however, comes with its skeptics. Steven Shaw, known to his fans as “Banachek,” is a magician, a mentalist, and a lifelong debunker of psychics. He argues that they pass off simple trickery as otherworldly powers.

“I think the most important trick is making it seem like I have empathy for the people like you understand. You've been there before. You know what they're thinking. You know how they feel once you get that empathy," Banachek said. "And once you get a person believing that you're empathizing with them, then you can talk them into doing almost anything.”

VICE News attended one of Henry's shows to examine the industry.

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