I love Matt Damon, to the point where I felt like Sammie was stepping on my toes a little when she covered a story on the guy yesterday. There’s a new story on Damon today, so no worries. That medium psychic movie that Damon starred in as some kind of favor to Clint Eastwood, Hereafter, is coming out in the UK at the end of this month, so he’s still doing press for it. Damon has hinted in the past that he’s not on board with the notion of more than five senses, although he’s tried to sound open to the idea for the sake of the film. He goes a little further with his thoughts on the supernatural in this latest interview. Matt claims that most psychics are “charlatans” and admits he didn’t consult one for his role.

Matt Damon has described psychics as “charlatans” following his work on Clint Eastwood’s supernatural drama Hereafter.

Damon plays a psychic in the film, but claimed that he refused to meet with any actual practitioners during his research for the role.

“Had I found a good one I would have,” Damon told Bang Showbiz. “What I was worried about was that it was just going to take me down this rabbit hole of charlatans.

“I think a large part of that space is occupied by pretenders, which is not to say there aren’t people out there who are genuinely touched in some way,” the actor explained.

Damon claimed that he did however talk with Martin Sheen in preparation for Hereafter, due to Sheen’s claim to have had a near-death experience after suffering a heart attack.

“He told me his incredible story one day when we were working on The Departed together,” Damon added, suggesting that he wasn’t a complete cynic.

[From Digital Spy, thanks to Kaiser]

Another day, another reason to fawn on Matt Damon. I took a death and dying class in college, and we had a lecture from a man who had gone through a near death experience. I still remember that day vividly as it was one of the most impressive and convincing personal stories I’d ever heard. (The details were very similar to the stories told in books by Kenneth Ring on NDEs.) I later learned more about the human brain, along with the detail that the brain is flood with neurochemicals when we die, and that a lack of oxygen can cause a person to see a “tunnel” with a “light” at the end of it, similar to stories about heaven. It’s reassuring to hear that the transition won’t be unpleasant, wherever we end up when it’s all over.

As for Damon’s claim that most psychics and mediums are charlatans, I have to agree. It’s also telling that he said that people could be “touched,” since “touched” is a euphemism to “not all there.” (Although it’s possible his comments were translated to Brit-speak.) Damon doesn’t believe in the supernatural, but he’ll do what he has to do to talk up his films.

It’s only moderately related, but I’d like to also point out that it was so ripe on RHOBH this week that Kyle consulted a psychic after all she went through with Camille’s “psychic” at that dinner party from hell. She’s so much more like Camille than she’s willing to admit.

Here’s Damon on the set of “We Bought a Zoo” yesterday, with costar Thomas Haden, in LA. He’s looking good but he needs a haircut! Included are some gratuitous photos of him eating celery.

Photo credit: Fame Pictures