posted on March 9, 2001 03:57:23 PM
OK - first the disclaimer:
I am not a psychopath!
BUT - I usually know who is calling before I pick up the phone, I will start thinking of someone and they will stop in - it is endless.
I do read James Van Prague and Sylvia Browne, but have stopped. Why?
Because I can already "sense" people around - and the more I read Sylvia Browne, the more I am aware of what I am seeing, the more I know what I am sensing. Scary? YOU BET!
I have gone to a haunted castle and talked to the caretaker - she said the "lady of the castle" is normally sensed in the same place - I told her I wanted to see if I could figure it out. Sure enough, I was right.
I have seen a ghost, have felt presences, been tapped on the back by two separate people I loved, and can sense presences quite often.
Let me tell you, it can really be unsettling at times. AND I have decided to not read Sylvia for a bit because I feel there is a thin line for me between "talking to" and "just feeling" their presence. I, for one, am not ready to cross that line.
I have had an incredible interest in life after death since I was very young. I recently talked to my mother about my decision not to cross that line. Her comment - "Why not? You could make big money doing that." Only my mother ... lol!
Maybe someday I will cross that line - but not for profit - maybe to help find missing children. That is one of the few things that would motivate me. For now, though, it is scary.
A young relative of mine actually has a "spirit friend" who has been talking to her for 3 years. She recently confided in me about her - and told me she is afraid to tell anyone because they tell her she is nuts. One night the girl was staying over and her "friend" came to say goodnite. My daughter heard her and I could feel her presence. The whole experience was quite unnerving.
So you see, this stuff can be real. I am not crazy - just a normal person. AND I never could get the hang of magic tricks!
For those who do not believe, no explanation is enough - and for those of us who do - no explanation is necessary.
And now I shall wait for the people with the straitjackets .....
posted on March 9, 2001 04:41:52 PM
Was it psychics that met at the Council of Nicea that decided what would be in the bible and how it was to be interpreted ?
So you found a psychic that was able to "predict" one circumstance in your life- this proves she was psychic?
I suppose that if you went to enough of them, one sooner or later will get something right. The other ones you went to probably phoned the "accurate" psychic and told her everything they could about you. The credit bureau isn't the only outfit that keeps a database about people.
Here is a good experiment for testing a psychic. First call them on the phone. If it rings more than once, ask why they weren't already at the phone knowing you were going to call. Next, set up an appointment. When the psychic asks when you can come over, ask them why they don't already know when you will be there. If they ask your name, ask them why they don't already know it.
It is really fun to call the phone psychics. Especially when they ask for a credit card number- tell them to ask the psychic what it is.
posted on March 9, 2001 05:10:50 PM
Muriel- were these events that were predicted that which have never happened to a human before in the history of mankind ?
I predicted the stockmarket would be lower this year- am I a psychic ? I even predicted 2 stocks that would not go down- I believed my predictions so much that I purchased these 2 stocks and sold all the others. Am I a psychic ?
Psychics always predict what can be expected as pointed to by past experience, and getting a read on just how gullible a person is by talking to them, also what type of clothes they wear, the jewelery they wear. Great sales people use the same cues to know how to manipulate people.
Psychics can predict no better than a good socialogist- they find out where you live, can ascertain your income and interests, groups you belong to, your belief system, all by unconscious cues you give them. From these cues predictions can be made with some degree of accuracy that astounds some people.
posted on March 9, 2001 05:18:23 PMReamond: No matter what I say at this point, you will justify it by saying it was a coincidence, or a lucky guess, or whatever. I could tell you exactly what happened, but you would have an answer explaining the whole series of events, no matter how bizarre or unlikely.
Certain subjects like Astrology, Religion, Politics, Gay Rights, and Abortion always draw a lot of controversy. Same with psychics. Either you believe it or you don't. So at this point let's "agree to disagree".
posted on March 9, 2001 05:44:40 PM
I believe many people have some latent psychic abilities (aka intuition), but the vast majority are unable to tap into them, or ignore feelings or hunches which later turn out to have been correct.
Considering that we only use a small percentage of our potential brain power (some less than others ), I do think it's possible that some people have psychic abilities.
I've always thought John Edwards was a fake though, even more so now after reading that link, thanks TTH.
posted on March 9, 2001 06:38:21 PM
The relative who hears not voices - but one voice - also gave a name and an age, both of which checked out. AND that relative is a CHILD. This child did not previously know of the existence of this person, who was a relative.
posted on March 9, 2001 07:07:57 PM
firstover - Thanks for the reply. One thing about the UFO's I totally agree on is the fact that there has NEVER been any physical evidence. Now.....This is from the Skeptic thread you sent me to:
"I was on the John Edward show. He even had a multiple guess "hit" on me that was featured on the show. However, it was edited so that my answer to another question was edited in after one of his questions. In other words, his question and my answer were deliberately mismatched. Only a fraction of what went on in the studio was actually seen in the final 30 minute show. He was wrong about a lot and was very aggressive when somebody failed to acknowledge something he said etc......"
If this is true (and I'm not saying it isn't), why haven't we heard more like this from the HUNDREDS of people who have been on the show?
mrssantaclaus - "For those who do not believe, no explanation is enough - and for those of us who do - no explanation is necessary." Perfect, I couldn't agree more! and I believe in you.
Well - gotta say good night, I've got a 2 year old with the cold from hell and I've had a rough week.
posted on March 9, 2001 10:07:54 PM
No disrespect intented to anyone but Sylvia Brown took the Randi Challenge and failed miserably. Edward and the other high profile psychics refuse to try, yet, take dollar after dollar from ordinary people desperate for a glimpse of the after-life or the future. They are in the biz for the money, as anyone can plainly see, so if they were real they would collect the million dollar prize from the Randi challenge or the lesser amounts from other skeptic organizations. There is no "psychic" power.
posted on March 9, 2001 10:31:14 PM
Another small point...I do a bit of mentalism in my act, never really been a fan of that genre in Magic but it always goes over well with the crowd. I also work with a few other Magicians on a regular basis who use mentalism much more than I do. If you had a sit-down with Max Maven, James Randi, Jim Diamond or John Nelson, they could send you home believing they were the greatist psychics on Earth. Any of them, not to mention the other 120,000 plus mentalists that belong to the I.B.M or S.A.M.
There is a giant difference between the people I mentioned and the so-called "psychics" on T.V., the difference being the Magicians entertain and make sure you know this, the "psychics" take your money for skills and services they do not have. Yet if you sat down with any of either group, with no foreknowledge of who they were and no one told you after, you would not know the difference.
[ edited by TTH on Mar 9, 2001 10:31 PM ]
[ edited by TTH on Mar 9, 2001 10:32 PM ]
[ edited by TTH on Mar 9, 2001 10:32 PM ]
You said: If this is true (and I'm not saying it isn't), why haven't we heard more like this from the HUNDREDS of people who have been on the show?
That's a good question! People are not looking in the right places. This kind of stuff IS being reported on skeptic web sites. Why the general population doesn't hear about it is because it's not newsworthy for the mainstream media. You can try a little experiment yourself. Call up your local newspaper/radio/tv station and tell them you just had a reading by a pyschic and s/he was completly wrong and only "hit" on some generalities. Then listen to how underwhelmed they are.
posted on March 10, 2001 08:24:01 AM
It's always interesting to see the wide range of opinions on this subject. I have no particular opinion of John Edward. I don't care for and am not impressed with Sylvia Browne - I think her unbelievably huge ego spoils any gift she may have.
I do know that there is life after death. Of that I have no doubt. Been there - seen that. Only humans would be egocentric enough to believe that what we see in this realm and on this planet is all that there is. I can live with that.
A few months ago we had an opportunity to see the medium George Anderson. It was an unplanned last minute opportunity and we walked into the convention center just as he was being introduced. We hadn't filled out any paper work or had any conversations with anyone other than a quick hello to the friend who was giving us the extra tickets. Within 15 minutes of beginning the readings George Anderson said that someone known as Lydia was coming through. He said that she told him that she was known as Aunt Lydy and that she was bringing in someone's mother that had died of cancer within the last five years. Out of an audience of well over 400 people he pointed to my husband and said I believe this message is for you. He was exactly on the money as to the name, the relationship of Lydia to my husband, her nickname and the fact that his mother had died of cancer within the last 5 years.
George Anderson didn't ask any questions before revealing that information. I was with my husband the entire time and neither of us discussed anything at anytime about who we might "hear" from. So, take it or leave it but I'm 100% convinced that George Anderson does have a gift of being able to receive messages from the other realm.
IMO, many "psychics" are either fakes or don't have the extent of connection or understanding of that connection that they claim to have. This causes the skeptical to believe that they must "all" be fakes. Also, a psychic rarely (if ever) has any control over the content or amount of information coming in. Often they are only seeing a flash of information that they are attempting to interpret. Since that tends to leave more questions than answers I don't rely on psychics and often second guess my own psychic instincts... which, btw - again IMO, we all have.
I have seen the Randi Challenge and I've heard him speak enough to know that I wouldn't trust any test he set up. He comes across to me as being very close-minded. In most cases I'm sure he's right to be skeptical - but, not in all cases.
posted on March 10, 2001 08:41:45 AM
There was a good article on Randi's web site which for the life of me I can't find. It was a good example of how a psychic comes up with information that "they couldn't possibly know ahead of time." I'll try to recall it as best I can.
Randi(?) was in a town to do some readings. Promoters of the show went out knocking on doors selling tickets. At one place, while a lady was writing out a cheque to pay for the tickets, the salesman was looking around the room and noticed that many items, collectibles etc had a rose theme to them.
After he left the lady's house, he made note of the seat numbers he had sold her and some of the items he saw there.
Fast forward to the show. Randi is doing his routine and picks upon "Rose" (I think that was her name, hence why she collected items with a rose on them). To the audience it seems like he picked her at random, but he knew all about her decor ahead of time from the ticket sellers.
Randi did a "remote viewing" and described the items in her living room. Something like, "I see a mantle clock. And it has a rose on it's face." Needless to say the lady was stunned. How could he possibly know that? He continued with the reading mentioning other items etc. Randi sure had a true believer there!
After the show, Randi approached the woman and told her how it was done and she had a good laugh.
Point is, there are a lot of "behind the scenes" stuff that goes on that the audience member isn't aware of. Other tricks that have been utilized include bugging the theatre/auditorium/studio, having the audience fill out questionaires (!) before the show starts, using confedrates in the audience to pump others for info and report back to the psychic etc.
mybiddness - just before I was going to post the above I saw your message. I'll only comment on this:
I have seen the Randi Challenge and I've heard him speak enough to know that I wouldn't trust any test he set up. He comes across to me as being very close-minded. In most cases I'm sure he's right to be skeptical - but, not in all cases.
He does rub some people the wrong way, but after over 50 years of debunking fakes, charlatans, conmen and crooks he tends not to suffer fools gladly Mr. Anderson has $1 million waiting for him from Randi if he wants it.
posted on March 10, 2001 08:46:37 AMMybiddness: Thank you for your post. It brings up another thought for the "Randi" followers.
If a doctor isn't 100% right all the time with his diagnoses and treatments, does that mean he isn't really a doctor?
If any expert in any field isn't always 100% right, does that make that person any less of an expert?
There are good doctors, and there are bad doctors. There are true cops, and there are imposter cops. And there are true psychics, and there are imposters. You can't just state "All psychics are phonies". How closed minded can one be? (Obviously pretty closed minded, according to this board!)
[ edited by Muriel on Mar 10, 2001 08:48 AM ]
posted on March 10, 2001 11:56:22 AM
[firstover] - I read the Randi challenge. While it does sound basically straightforward and fair, I can also see why a person wouldn't want to particate. I don't believe that just because John Edward or any other pyschic/medium refuses to take this test or any other automatically means that they are a fake. Some people truly don't feel the need to prove themselves to anyone. Really when it comes right down to it - who gives a rat's a** what the amazing Randi thinks?
Also, just imagine going there, having a truly bad day with no results and having Randi proclaim to the world that you're a big FAKE!
I also think that as popular and famous as he is quickly becoming, that if their were more claims against him or the show - they would be known. Gosh, I sound like I'm a Joh Edward groupie - Not, just trying to keep my mind open.
posted on March 10, 2001 12:12:46 PMRhonda - good point!
I have the feeling if someone DID make an accurate prediction for the Magnificent Randi, he would dismiss it as "a good guess" or "a lucky stab in the dark".
Once again I'll say it:
A man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still!
posted on March 10, 2001 12:28:37 PM
Rhonda and Muriel, like I said earlier, the psychic would only have to demonstrate their skills once. They could try as many times as they liked. Don't you think Sylvia, James, John et al would LOVE to prove Randi wrong? Imagine the publicity! The even more $millions$! To date only Sylvia has accepted the challenge and failed miserably. Remember, the conditions of the test are agreed to by the psychic and Randi BEFORE the test is run. They have no excuse for failure based on it being biased (well actually they have a lot of excuses).
Rhonda, you're right, who gives a rat's a$$ what Randi thinks. These putative powers should exists regardless of Randi's beliefs. So why can't they reproduce them under controlled circumstances?
Muriel said: I have the feeling if someone DID make an accurate prediction for the Magnificent Randi, he would dismiss it as "a good guess" or "a lucky stab in the dark"
No, he would write them a check for $1 million. The money is in the bank ready and waiting.
A man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still!
"None are so blind as those who will not see."
damn ubb
[ edited by firstover on Mar 10, 2001 12:31 PM ]
[ edited by firstover on Mar 10, 2001 12:32 PM ]
posted on March 10, 2001 12:39:04 PMFirstover I'm not sure that Randi is truly as anxious to get rid of that million dollars anytime soon. It would not only prove him wrong but then he'd also have the added task of coming up with another million to keep the game/publicity going. I'm sure George Anderson doesn't need validation from anyone... and if he did - why would he seek it from someone who is willing to bet a million dollars that he's wrong?
I'm not usually one to quote the Bible but since we're sharing...Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. John 20:29.
We'll have to agree to disagree on this one. Not paranoid anywhere else but here!
posted on March 10, 2001 12:46:22 PM
If Sylvia Browne and James VanPraagh, etc. are NEVER right, and are ALWAYS wrong, why do they have such a huge following? Why have they sold so many books? Why do people go to them for readings? I mean, if I went to a psychic and she told me a bunch of hogwash and none of it was true, I wouldn't go back. I HAVE talked to psychics who spent 15 minutes guessing, taking stabs in the dark, and fishing for answers - and I saw right through it. I have also talked to psychics who didn't know me from a hill of beans, and had just met me, who told me specific things (NOT generalities!) that they couldn't have known and sure as heck didn't have time to research!
So why the huge popularity of these people if they're never right??
AND - how do we know that the Amazing Randi isn't *gasp* LYING??? What makes HIM so pure as the driven snow?
