I see red when I read about scam artists like Sylvia Browne giving false hope to parents of missing children or grieving spouses of murder victims, especially for profit or notoriety.

Is there a special place in heaven for charlatans like this?
Ms. Brown died today at the age of 77.

She falsely claimed on the Montel Williams Show that one of the Cleveland kidnapping victims, Amanda Berry, was dead. She told this to the girl's mother.


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/psychic-sylvia-browne-dead-77-reports-article-1.1524107#ixzz2lG7XRYmW



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/2013 02:53AM by Senoritalamanita.

She made some mistakes but she got a lot of stuff right too - Like she said, only God gets everything perfect. You may not like her yourself but trashing people just because you don't share their world view is so ... Mormon. And that's worse than being a charlatan. Oh, wait - it's the same.

You really don't know how she worked or how accurate she was overall or what motivated her any more than I can figure out what motivates you. I guess after having so many Mormons lie about me and my beliefs and my motivations I have very little patience for people who call names based on their own prejudices and who don't live and let live. No one was forced to listen to her, she spoke against tithing so anyone who supported her by buying her books chose to do so. She's no different than the latest diet guru or exercise fad. No one size fits all and if people liked her - fine. And if she didn't work for you, that's fine too. Even with Mormonism, I'm willing to admit it works for some people and as long as they aren't nasty about their beliefs, they can be Mormon all day long. Different strokes for different folks but nastiness is always wrong.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/2013 02:14AM by CA girl.

I am sorty but lyinh and ripping people off is always wrong. Especially people worried about their missing loved ones. That is just not a different strokes thing. It is cruel.

I don't know if "lying" is the right word, she was WRONG. She may believe what she says. If she KNEW the girl was dead and said otherwise then you could say she LIED.

Browne was the subject of exensive investigation by James Randi/ JREF/Skeptical enquirer and other organizations.

she was a fraud. she defrauded people of large sums of money for little-to-none information. IIRC she charged $650 for a 15 minute phone reading.

to me, she was VERY like Joseph Smith junior.....she was a fraud who preyed on the gullible, but - like smith - clearly some people found her bullturds palatable.

I believe she is in the same place as Smith for the rest of eternity

@ CA girl...
-------------------------------------------------------
> Joseph Smith made some mistakes but he got a lot of stuff
> right too - Like he said, only God gets
> everything perfect. You may not like him yourself
> but trashing people just because you don't share
> their world view is so ... Anti-Mormon. And that's
> worse than being a charlatan. Oh, wait - it's the
> same.
>
> You really don't know how he worked or how
> accurate he was overall or what motivated him any
> more than I can figure out what motivates you. I
> guess after having so many anti-Mormons lie about me
> and my beliefs and my motivations I have very
> little patience for people who call names based on
> their own prejudices and who don't live and let
> live (just like I'm doing to you now!). No one was forced to listen to him, he
> spoke against priestcraft, so anyone who supported him
> by buying his book chose to do so. He's no
> different than the latest diet guru or exercise
> fad. No one size fits all and if people liked him
> - fine. And if he didn't work for you, that's
> fine too. Even with anti-Mormonism, I'm willing to
> admit it works for some people and as long as they
> aren't nasty about their beliefs, they can be
> anti-Mormon all day long. Different strokes for
> different folks but nastiness is always wrong (except if I do it, of course).

I'm weighing SenioritaLamanita's post against Sylvia Brown's words.

I'm having a hard time balancing the two. One seems reasonable. The other seems to be completely unfounded nonsense. One of the two seems more like Joseph Smith than the other.

I can only guess you believe in Sylvia's readings?

I suppose I feel this way because I was duped once by a so called intuitive (trance channeler) by the name of Kevin Ryerson.

I read a book by Shirley Maclaine regarding her experience with him and I wanted to have a session.

I was a very confused, scared newly single divorcee at the time with a small son to support. And still a Mormon, btw. I saved up several hundred dollars and met him in an upscale hotel in West Hollywood around 1990.

I remember that he had the most surreal ice blue eyes that seemed to tear right into you. There was no getting away from those eyes.

He interviewed me for awhile about my job, my interests and my education. Because I was no celebrity, he didn't even bother putting on a good show ... no snorts, twitching of the head, or reverting into another state of consciousness (as seen in a biographical movie about Shirley Maclaine).

He seemed bored the entire time. Almost rude in fact. He rushed right through it. I walked away with a tape recording of our session. The gist of the session was that I had apparently been "a Jewish scribe in a past life."

The whole thing was laughable and I felt totally duped and humiliated.

So, yes. You are right. Based on my own prejudices, I am biased against Mr. Ryerson, or anyone of his ilk who gives people false hope, or false representations of who they really are.

After a long history of visiting priests in confessional booths, bishops in ward houses, looking to pastors or other clergymen, holy men (and a very silent Father in Heaven), I finally came to the conclusion that the answers we seek are usually found within ourselves.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/2013 02:50AM by Senoritalamanita.

You're wise to be skeptical of anyone claiming "psychic" ability. Renowned debunker of paranormal claims, James Randi, has offered $1,000,000 to anyone--including Sylvia Browne--who can demonstrate any psychic or paranormal ability under controlled circumstances. (Edit: Many have attempted to collect the prize, but all have failed--none coming even close to proving any special ability.) Browne at first accepted the challenge, then reneged; see details here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvia_Browne#James_Randi_and_the_.241.2C000.2C000_challenge



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/2013 03:43AM by Fetal Deity.

Hi Senorita,

I remember watching that movie, "Out on a Limb." I remember Kevin Ryerson. Shirley MacLaine has introduced countless women to New Ageism. She's a gifted writer, and a smart--if gullible--woman.

Only verifiable statements matter. I can't imagine why Kevin would need to "interview" anyone, other than to arm himself with information to enable him to make better guesses.

Insofar as I'm aware, there is no credible evidence that psychic or mediumistic readings are "real." At some point, all of us are desperate. That creates emotional vulnerabilities. And that makes us marks for "psychics," among others.

Steve

Just be skeptical. Always doubt the legitimacy of something until you find proof for it, or the likeliness that it is true is much higher than not. Some find it more difficult than others, but it is always rewarding to know that you're not being duped again.

Another fraud bites the dust.

Not too smug now are ya.

Sylvia Browne responds: "Yes. When I'm 88."

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0305/16/lkl.00.html


Browne died Wednesday at age 77.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/20/showbiz/sylvia-browne-dies/index.html?hpt=hp_t2


(Edited for content.)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/2013 03:50AM by Fetal Deity.

"Surprise!" said the Reaper.

Here is a list of some of Sylvia's failed predictions. Pretty devastating to the family members of the victims.

http://www.csicop.org/si/show/psychic_defective_sylvia_brownes_history_of_failure/



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/2013 03:08AM by Senoritalamanita.

I bet she didn't see that coming

Per Carl Sagan, the phrase "the world's most accurate psychic" is like "the world's tallest dwarf". There are no psychics. Never have been, never will be. Period, full stop. That is not to say they are all frauds- some of them may really believe they have special powers, and are therefore merely delusional. But for anyone else to believe their claims is just plain stupid.

And there are no real prophets. Never have been, never will be. Tom Monson has not accepted Randi's challenge. The OT "prophets" did not have any special powers or authority from God. They warned of calamities, and eventually calamites happened. Anybody can warn of impending doom, and if you wait long enough doom will happen. It's called life. Actually, most of the OT prophesies were written after the fact. That's called fraud.

After my mom died, I found Sylvia Browne's books explaining/speculating what the afterlife is like to be very comforting. Hers was a very kind and inclusive vision of the afterlife -- no divisions by "worthiness," and no separated families. In that sense she gave a lot more value in terms of comfort than Mormonism ever could, and at a far less expensive price.

I saw no evidence that she could predict future events, although she tried to do so.

I always got her books through the public library, so although there was some money involved, it was spread out among all the borrowers and did not amount to a great deal. I never heard her appeal for money as some television ministers do. She wrote books and presented lectures and readings. That was how she made her living.

I hope that she rests in peace. If she is in her version of heaven, it will be a very nice one.

Check out the website called 'Stop Sylvia Browne.' It's like the equivalent of RfM to Mormonism.

Click on the "Links" button at the top.

Last updated in 2008?

I had a couple of encounters with Sylvia. My first one was in Las Vegas at one of her shows. It was amazing to me how sad and pathetic a lot of the people were who came to see her (it was about $75.00 a ticket). They had some very sad stories and hung on her every word. She did give them hope about the afterlife and loved ones. I wasn't impressed with her, frankly.

I got picked to go up and ask her a question. I didn't have anything pressing on my mind nor had I recently lost a loved one. The only thing I could think to ask was "what was my most recent past life?" She told me I was a Sioux Indian in my last life. Now how do you prove or disprove that?

About a year ago, I was thinking about her and waiting for a flight in the Denver airport. I turned around and there she was, in a wheelchair and being pushed by some young lady. There was also a young man with them as I recall. She looked sickly to me. And her voice was quite raspy. It was definitely Sylvia. I'm not surprised she passed away. She did not look well at all to me.

I keep comparing this to the Church, where some members have said to me, "Even if the Church is not true, it's still the best place to raise my children."

They ignore all the harm that has been done by that money grubbing organization.

Be sceptical of anyone. Especially those who make a profession of being "sceptic" and who make a living off it.

Do you really think that someone who makes a good income and has thousands of adoring acolytes would really one day turn round and say: "Wow! This person really is a psychic! Here, fella! Here's the Million Dollars that I don't really have, except in the form of worthless legally non-binding bonds that I have from some of my followers. What? They're saying I must have gone over to the dark side and they're refusing to settle their bonds? Oh, you'll have to sue them in court. Have a nice day!"

;o))

The Mormons will now be able to use her name for temple rituals.

Cheryl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The Mormons will now be able to use her name for
> temple rituals.

Mormons. Even death does not stop their bloody annoying missionary efforts. :o\/



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/23/2013 09:23AM by matt.

I wonder if John Edward now talks to Sylvia Browne? Probably about as much as Tom Monson talks to Joseph Smith.

I went to see a psychic in LA - James Van Praag (sp?). He quizzed me on my age & if my folks were living..... and then he began "talking" to various people who weren't there.

He'd stop every other sentence and say, "Yes, thank you." or "I see. OK." etc. At the time, I thought, "Wow - are my folks really HERE?" followed by, "Naw, this is a lot of bunk."

The two things I remember from the session are that
1) My sister had died a few months before, and I was sort of hoping he'd have a message from her for me. I purposely didn't tell him that she had died. He didn't pick up on that at all. At the end of the session, I asked him why he didn't talk about her.

He was embarrassed and a bit agitated by my revelation. I sensed that he thought I should have told him about her death up front. But I wanted to see if he could tell.

Obviously, he couldn't tell, because I hadn't told him.

2) He easily estimated the age of my mother when she died, and began asking things like, "Did your mother like printed dresses? Because I see her wearing a printed dress." (duh - that was the fashion during her life).

He also told me that my father (who had died many years earlier) was "there" in the room, but he didn't want to talk because talking to living people made him uncomfortable. I've always wondered if this psychic just thought "most adult men" wouldn't like psychic stuff, so he ascribed that characteristic to my dad.

How can anyone say that wasn't true? "I" can. It's pure BUNK, and a waste of time & money.

I am open to learning the biochemistry that allow people like Sylvia Browne to sleep at night. What a piece of work!

There are Beings that could never deceive as she did with cavalier obliviousness and profit. The only way I could understand would be if somehow she did not know she was a fraud--how does someone like her lack the self-awareness to not know she is a fraud?

If you ever watched her on Montel, she'd just casually throw out things like, "You'll have two children; a boy and a girl."

I can't imagine that she actually believed what she was saying. She threw out numbers like that all the time.

One time Frank Bello from Anthrax showed up in the Montel audience asking about his brother Anthony's murder. He totally believed everything Sylvia was saying. I felt very bad for him & his family, but even more so for being hoodwinked by this fraud.

(BTW, this was around the time Frank had cut his hair in the '90s, & I barely recognized him. At first, I thought it was just some guy who happened to look like Frank.)

there is no such thing as a psychic.