posted on March 10, 2001 12:57:38 PM new
I do not believe in psychics in general, but I am 100% sure that George Anderson is the real thing. I love that man and have all of his books. It would break my heart to find out that he was a fake.
posted on March 10, 2001 01:07:39 PM newMuriel The only one of the more popular mediums that I've had any experience with is George Anderson. Since I'm absolutely positive that he had no opportunity to learn the information he offered my husband anywhere else then I'm convinced that he is legitimate. And, I hardly think that he's the only one on the planet with such a gift. Btw, I read his book called "We Don't Die." It's been a while since I've read it but I remember enough to say that I'd recommend it.
Snowy I watched George Anderson in action for about an hour. I was particularly watching for the amount of information he was getting beforehand. His rule that night was that you were only allowed to answer yes or no, but couldn't add any details. Like I've said earlier - there was no way he could have known the details that he shared. My husband believed that his mother was at peace - but the validation that George Anderson gave him through the ensuing messages that night were very healing for him. There may be a lot of fakes out there... but I don't believe he's one of them.
posted on March 10, 2001 01:16:58 PM new
mybidness: Is that the book with the story called Wolf in Sheeps Clothing? That one really bothered me. I have not bought any of his books since Our Children Forever, not sure how many have been released since then.
posted on March 10, 2001 01:24:57 PM newSnowey I'm sorry but I don't remember if that story is in there or not. I believe that "We Don't Die" was his first book. I haven't seen any of his other ones yet. I seem to remember him saying something about having a new book that was either just released or was coming out this year but I can't remember what it's called.
posted on March 10, 2001 01:36:38 PM newmybiddness, Muriel
Instead of answering point by point I'll just say that I have tried to give explanations for a pyschic's apparent paranormal power and provided links to some web sites that do a more in-depth job explaining them. Everyone reading this forum are more than welcome to check them out. I just stepped into the discussion because some people had questioned if psychics had real powers and I wanted to provide some balance to the discussion and some skeptical info on them.
Most of the questions and concerns you have are answered at these sites if you're interested. Take care!
posted on March 10, 2001 01:53:25 PM new
I have read Embraced by the Light, but I don't believe her. Apparently, several people did research into her claims and what she said was false. Supposedly, she was not ever in the hospital when she claimed, and many other things did not check out. I don't remember all the specifics. I would have liked to have believed her.
posted on March 10, 2001 02:11:05 PM new
ThanksFirstover I don't really have any questions or concerns or for that matter any doubt but that there are some legitimate psychics and mediums and some fakes. I think our only disagreement is that you seem to believe that ALL psychics and/or mediums are fakes. I don't consider myself either but I've had enough paranormal experiences that I know that your assumption is false. I've shared them here in this forum before but it was likely before you were here. Regardless, it looks like we're both perfectly comfortable with having different ideas about the subject... so, no problems here.
Muriel I haven't read her books but I have heard of her. I think I saw her on a talk show once and there was something she said (can't remember as usual) that I strongly disagreed with. Personally, I highly recommend any book by Danion Brinkley. Although my personal experiences of the other realm haven't been nearly as lengthy or intense as his and weren't precipitated by a near death experience - I identify most strongly with his interpretation of what he saw and came back believing. That's "one" of the reasons that I knew my experiences were real. When I read his book for the first time I was absolutely blown away by how closely our experiences mirrored each other. The only problem is that now I can't write a book about it cause he's already said it better than I could!
posted on March 10, 2001 02:56:52 PM newFirstover - but look what we did. We had a lengthy, civil discussion, without name calling, without Moderator reprimands, and without getting LOCKED. I think that's pretty commendable, don't you?
posted on March 10, 2001 03:14:07 PM newHi Muriel!
You're absolutely right, I was thinking the same thing. That's tough to do on such a controversial topic, though I'll admit I was looking over my shoulder for the moderator a couple times. It was fun!
posted on March 10, 2001 07:15:30 PM newfirstover - Please don't be offended and feel like you need to leave this discussion. I like your input and always want to hear both sides of the story - I love a good discussion/argument! I was just wondering, how much have you watched John Edward's show? I find that the more I watch him the more I believe that what he does is right and real. I've been watching with different eyes and mindset since we started this discussion and appreciate all that you've told me.
muriel and my biddness - I've never heard of George Anderson or Danion Brinkley. I'd like to learn more about them and will look for their books.
Oh and by the way - I hated "Embraced by the Light" and I think that woman is nuts.
posted on March 10, 2001 08:02:57 PM new
Hi Rhonda, I wasn't offended, just felt I had pretty much finished presenting my case. The links I provided will give anybody a good start if they are inclined to delve further into the topic.
To me, James, John and Sylvia are cut from the same cloth. One may be a better cold reader than another, but their shtick is the same. A person may think one is for real whle another is a phony, it all depends on whom you identify with better, I guess.
You have to remember that these people are very careful about their public image and their control during readings (ahem, performances) is absolute. They are very polished showmen/women without appearing to be so. Just ask Sylvia Browne what it's like when they are not allowed to control the production of a show.
Anyway, I am truly glad that you found some the links and our discussion interesting. Becoming a skeptic isn't an overnight occurance, and I'm glad to see the "Welcome" mat out for considering others' viewpoints. Take care.
[ edited by firstover on Mar 10, 2001 08:10 PM ]
posted on March 10, 2001 09:39:31 PM newsnowy - I looked on ebay and couldn't find any books by George Anderson. Will I find them in Barnes and Noble or can you recommend an online site where I could buy them? Thanks
posted on March 11, 2001 09:45:32 AM new
Rhonda,
You might try half.com, I see two of his books have a few copies listed. It also looks like Amazon has them all in stock. I got pretty lucky and found all of mine at a Walden's Books. Or you can keep a watch on ebay, there are a few ended auctions of his books.
Glad to see that someone else thought the "Light" woman was a fruitcake.
posted on March 11, 2001 10:12:23 AM new
I guess I didn't think "Embracing the Light" was nearly as kookie as her second book. That's where she lost credibility with me.
posted on March 11, 2001 01:23:30 PM newsnowy - Thanks for the reference, after reading it, I went to half.com and ordered his first book. I buy all my books in hardback and was lucky enough to find one - so thanks alot!
I brought up the subject of John Edward at the auction I go to on Saturday nights and found that the friends that I hang with there all believe him and love to watch his show - imagine that.
Muriel I'm curious about what you meant when you said that you thought psychics wrote the bible?
posted on March 11, 2001 02:34:00 PM new
Well, who wrote the Bible? And where did they get their information? Wasn't it "divinely inspired"? And weren't prophets a huge part of the Bible, as well? Prophet = psychic. They're both the same.
posted on March 12, 2001 08:56:36 AM new
Isn't it amazing that just about every person claiming to be psychic or to be an astrologer is the first to say that they don't need to prove anything to anyone.
Believers don't require any proof of the claims made by psychics and astrologers.
Only the skeptics.
And how convenient for these folks to claim they don't have to offer proof. They really don't you know. Not while there are folks who are willing to believe based on the thinest of reasons.
What is equally interesting is that some folks defend the spotty record of these people by pointing out that a doctor or some other professional or scientific type is not challenged even though they are not 100% right in their claims. As though the test for professionalism requires 100% accuracy.
I don't expect 100% accuracy when I consult a doctor. But I do expect a high degree of accuracy. As I would for any thing I am about to place my faith in.
posted on March 12, 2001 10:22:54 PM new
I rarely post on these boards, but this thread caught my eye:
I have watched and enjoyed John Edwards' show and I'm still not sure if he's real or not. After reading the info from the skeptic sites posted, I'm a little more skeptic.
I do have to say that its much easier to DISPROVE something than it is to prove it 99% of the time. For example, if you tell someone that taking a certain medicine will make them feel better and they do, they can say that they were almost over it anyway and the medication had little or nothing to do with it.
I have had one (what I would call) genuine experience with a psychic. I was at a friend's house visiting and this other guy that I just met a week before was there. He was saying that he was waiting on his brother to show up so he could leave (it was his ride).
Once his brother arrived, a discussion was started on Tarot cards for some reason or another. This guy's brother, Gino, says that Tarot cards are "commercial" and that up until this past century or so, people read cards with regular old playing cards. According to him, they put the pictures on them to make them seem more mystical to the people they were taking money away from.
I don't know how much of that is true, but I asked him how he knew so much about it and he said he could read cards. He asked me if I had a deck of regular old playing cards and I said I did. I went to get them for him and he "read" my cards...
Keep in mind that I had never met this guy, his brother I had only known for a VERY short period of time, and the friend's house I was at, he didn't really know the guy either. This person had NO IDEA about anything in my life and had never met me before...
Well, he started telling me things that were specific to my life at that moment that no one really knew. It was NOT general crap (you will meet a man, you have a deep regret, etc). He brought up that my mom and my step dad are going through a court battle over my sisters (true), my brother will soon be in jail (at that time, he was in college, but is now in jail for 12 years for felony theft and forgery), My ex-husband would make it hard for me to get married again (it happened), that I would get married to the man of my dreams and be very happy (true and that cannot be considred a generalization. 99% of the married couples I know fight all the time. Me and my hubby are deliriously happy!) He told me lots of other, more personal stuff, too.
A lot of the things he said were happening right then and like I said, it WAS NOT general stuff... Some of the things he said were predictions and ALL of them have come true. At the end of the reading, he gave it a five year time frame. That five years is almost up.... The last thing he told me in the reading was that I would have two children. After having my first a year and a half ago, I wasn't sure I would ever have a kid again (its hard being a mommy), but low and behold, my second child is on the way and due in November. We will not be having more children since my hubby is getting fixed as soon as the baby is born healthy.
Anyway, I just had to share that with you people, believe it or don't but it happened to me.
I would like to add that since his "reading" has been coming true, I have asked his brother (who I still hang with) to please, please get me in touch with him because I would like another reading. He says his brother doesn't really like to do it because it makes him feel so weird. Would a fake act that way? I don't think so. The whole reason to fake is to get the attention and the money.
posted on March 13, 2001 05:01:25 AM new
I shared before, when this topic was on another thread here, that my girlfriends and I used to look forward to going to the psychic fair, held once a year in Campbell, CA. For $XX.00 you got to choose three of the many psychics for a reading. A lot of fun and very entertaining. The more they could tell us about things that had already happened in our lives, the more we enjoyed it.
I always have enjoyed watching/viewing Sylvia Brown.
Do I believe? I do believe that many people who profess to be, or to have psychic powers, are frauds. But I also believe there are many who have these special 'gifts' (to varying degrees).
posted on March 13, 2001 09:16:57 AM new
I wonder how many entirely false readings occur for each reading that seems to be right on point?
This entire business of "I believe" because I had some sort of psychic experience that proved true as well as "I disbelieve" because I had a reading or horoscope that proved false is utterly devoid of any scientific rigor or control.
Repeatable results in multiple experiments conducted by disinterested observers are the only reliable test for the validity of these types of claims (psychic powers, astrology, etc.).
posted on March 13, 2001 10:05:46 AM new
I just read a post by a woman on a John Edward discussion board. She was one of the people chosen for contact in the gallery. She also said she filled out NO forms, was not interviewed by anyone and had a very positive experience. She said that she had no doubt in her mind that John Edward is the real thing!
posted on March 13, 2001 10:37:10 AM newPsychologist B.R. Forer found that people tend to accept vague and general personality descriptions as uniquely applicable to themselves without realizing that the same description could be applied to just about anyone.
Forer gave a personality test to his students, ignored their answers, and gave each student the above (note- see link below) evaluation. He asked them to evaluate the evaluation from 0 to 5, with "5" meaning the recipient felt the evaluation was an "excellent" assessment and "4" meaning the assessment was "good." The class average evaluation was 4.26. That was in 1948. The test has been repeated hundreds of time with psychology students and the average is still around 4.2.
In short, Forer convinced people he could successfully read their character. His accuracy amazed his subjects, though his personality analysis was taken from a newsstand astrology column and was presented to people without regard to their sun sign.
posted on March 13, 2001 11:03:36 AM newmrpotatoheadd I'm sure that this is true, but if you watch John Edward's show - you will see he's anything but vague.
posted on March 13, 2001 11:35:34 AM new
OK- I'll have to watch it sometime- when is it on? I'm curious, though- does the show include the complete uncut interaction between Mr. Edwards and his "guests" or is it edited?
posted on March 13, 2001 01:38:46 PM new
It's on SciFi weeknights at 10 pm eastern - 2 half hour shows. He's also on Sundays and these are his "validation" shows. I've seen people come back at a later date, AFTER they learned that the things he told them were right on the money. As for editing the show: I watched him recently on one show, he stated himself that what we see is edited, that he sometimes spends 30 minutes getting nowhere.
But please watch it yourself, you'll see that when he does - it's most of the time really something to see. You have to watch the show at least a few times, some are really good and some are just okay. Anyway.....I hope you watch with an open mind and enjoy the show!
