Does anyone here think Sylvia Browne is really psychic?

[jdj]

Not a loaded question. She's on Montel Williams alot.

I just read one of her books. She just claims to know SO much...like that everyone in the afterlife is exactly 30 years old forever, and that 'heaven' or the spirit world is three feet above the earth's surface, but vibrates at a much higher frequency. This is why spirits always seem to be floating, but qhosts are on the same level as us.

If you don't like her, are there any psychics out there you do like?

[m-jean03]

1. I think some psychics may have genuine talent

But many of them let themselves get too little carried away with their imaginations, or have a hard time discerning the fine line between their intuition and imagination. It's really easy to do.

Just my opinion.

On edit: I should add that I am not familiar at all w/Sylvia Brown and from what you write, it sure does sound like an immense load of crap. :eyes:

[eaprez]

2. Besides ghosts and spirits....

...did she say who will win the presidential election this year? Inquiring minds want to know.

[jdj]

6. No, and she admitted she never had an inkling about 9/11

There was so much intel out there, and so much communication on cell phones as far as the financing and the divesting of assets in to gold and stones that you'd think they'd have picked it up.

But I think she is more of a medium, she says she can communicate with ghosts and , I think that's more her focus than clairvoyance

One upsetting thing in her book is that she says she is a gnostic Christian, and she expressed the most digust at Madeline Murray O'Hare, she said Ms. O'Hare came directly bact to earth for another life rather than going to heaven. I think God, if there is one, would find pseudo fundies like Falwell and Robertson diabolical and disgusting, but would totatlly understand and accept than a simple atheist. But Ms. O'Hare is who she spoke most negatively about in her book. If there is a God I think God would expect there to be quite a few atheists, and looking at how evil humans exploit religion, I don't think God would hold it against people who don't believe.

[RandomKoolzip]

3. Yeah. And I think Bush is a great fuckin' president, too.

Psychics don't exist. They're just very talented con artists.


Consult James Randi for any further questions.

[jdj]

12. This is a little bit from James Randi

Larry asked a caller from Yonkers why she had asked Sylvia about "fault," and Sylvia very softly and quickly whispered to Larry "She's afraid it was a suicide." The caller immediately stated, "It was a car accident," and Sylvia smoothly changed tack and continued, as if she'd known that all along, "Yeah, she was trying to veer off from something." Note: all of this procedure is in exact conformance with the methods offered in Ian Rowland's book, "The Full Facts Book of Cold Reading," which we mentioned last week.

Larry asked me, as I expected, what's the harm in what Sylvia does? Let me give you an example, sent to me by a viewer. Many months ago, on another show that featured Sylvia as a guest, the grandmother of a local missing child was also on the program. The child was a six-year-old named Opal Jo Jennings, from north Texas. She had been in the news a lot because of her disappearance. On national TV, Sylvia said that the child was still alive but had been sold into white slavery and was currently in Japan! She even gave a city name. But there is no city in Japan by that name. Currently, there is a man sitting in prison in Texas who has confessed to Opal Jo's abduction. "What's the harm?" How about false hope? To tell such a far-out and freaky tale just for TV ratings....?

On the King show, Sylvia provided a motherly warning to me that I should "check" my "left ventricle," a cheap shot on her part, obviously designed to provide viewers with a spicy prediction that cannot immediately be checked on, as well as diverting attention from her rather ineffective performance. And not too wild a try, since I'm on public record as having had heart attacks and an angioplasty. I told King that I would consult my cardiac surgeon in that regard. Well, now I've had a "Persantine" stress test performed, using radioactive thallium, a very thorough, definitive, cardiac examination, including an echocardiograph. No enlargement of the left ventricle, nor of the coronary artery supplying it, though that would be expected in a man my age. It appears that Ms. Browne might be playing the odds, but I just don't match the picture. I obtained 96 points out of a possible 100 in my tests. I'll let you evaluate her accuracy on that one.

In one of Sylvia's many books, titled "Life on the Other Side," a reader points out that on page 18 she relates the story of how her beloved college professor led her to a bookstore and showed her books by authors including Jean-Paul Sartre and Bertrand Russell. Her professor said these authors were "like you" (Sylvia). Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't these guys rather vehement atheists?

http://www.randi.org/jr/090701.html


edit: here's another paragraph, it's a letter to James Randi

"I went to Sylvia's web site, she charges $750 a half hour, I guess that guarantees she is going to get customers that will pay anything rather than claim responsibility for their own lives. I have never come across a psychic or astrologer that doesn't use the famous two words "Free will." Now mind you, this is from people who believe it is all pre-destined. "Free will" translates as "just in case I don't get it right." By the way her son, who is also a psychic, only charges $375. Does this mean he's half as accurate?"

[Bunny]

20. A car accident CAN be a suicide. n/t

[Beetwasher]

4. I'm NOT A PSYCHIC, But I Can Do What She Does

Now, maybe she is psychic, but if she is, I can do exactly what she does w/out psychic abilities. It's called cold reading and it's a parlour trick. W/ her, it's a con because she's taking money to do it.

[put out]

18. "Cold Reading"

I never knew what that was called, but, I have done it.

Is it things like, "You have questions in your life. I can see that you are troubled, but there is no trouble around you now. You are looking for something and are not sure what it is. You are troubled in one (look for an affirmative response, and if very positive), no, more than one of your close relationships. You wish to resolve something with a family member. You need to make peace with a lover (look for a negative response) or someone you used to love. You are not at peace with a close family member, but they are close to you, in their spirit. You are thinking of making a move, perhaps in your job (look for a response, positive, or if negative) or in your home.

People are eager to talk. I always told people I was making it up. Some were still convinced.

I can't even see farther than the windshield of my car, and only into the next hour.

[MikeG]

5. No. But I think the Pet Psychic is psychic.

[jdj]

7. Do you remember her name?

I've watched her, and it creeps me out. But suddenly her show completely disappeared from the lineup here. I think the fundies had something to do with it.

[MikeG]

9. Sonya Fitzpatrick

http://animal.discovery.com/fansites/petpsychic/petpsychic.html

[jdj]

15. Thanks, I thought her show was doing really well, then

all of a sudden, poof! It got pulled...

[jdj]

16. dupe

[TEXASYANKEE]

13. Me too!

Or at least I consider her "harmless" and did enjoy her show on Animal Planet.

[leftistagitator]

8. She predicted a Bill Bradley presidency in 2000

so unfortunately no she isn't psychic

[gpandas]

10. i must be psychic because...

i know that all psychics are full of shit, without knowing who they are!

[Dookus]

11. nope

she's just a garden-variety con artist.

[traco]

14. They are all crooks

They ask stupid questions like: Tell me what your question is.

I would say: You're the psychic, you tell me!

[demigoddess]

17. I can tell a fake psychic a mile off but sylvia faked me for awhile

but when she predicted a gore presidency I knew she was a fake because right away all her predictions weren't done any more, she now only concentrates on personal issues, nothing you can really check

[Bunny]

19. Well, Gore actually DID win.

So technically Sylvia was not wrong.