From the archives: The unsinkable Sylvia Browne

This post originally appeared on May 23, 2005. I haven't changed it, so some of the references are dated. I have updated a few links because the original links were defunct.

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Yes, I think that many reported paranormal phenomena are real. And yes, this includes the abilities of some psychics and mediums. But do I believe in every psychic who shows up on TV? Not by a long shot.

Case in point: Sylvia Browne.

Browne is one of today's most popular self-proclaimed psychics, a regular fixture on The Montel Williams Show, and a frequent guest on Larry King Live. She has put out a large number of books dealing with everything from the interpretation of dreams to the building of the pyramids. I know people who are big fans. I must admit I am not one of them.

To me, Browne's technique consists of a few simple rules of thumb. First, tell people what they want to hear. If an audience member asks, "Will I meet Mr. Right?", be sure to answer, "Yes, absolutely. You'll meet him two and a half years from now, and he'll be dark-haired and Mediterranean ..."

Second, as far as possible say things that can't be checked. No one is going to follow up with that audience member two and a half years later to see how the prediction turned out.

Third, be as specific as possible about things that can be checked, and as vague as possible about things that can't. In her book on ghosts, Browne reports that she knows who killed Nicole Brown Simpson but won't give the killer's name because (I quote from memory) "this person likes to see his name in print and I won't give him the satisfaction." Yeah, right ... It seems clear enough that she is not giving the name because a) she doesn't want to be sued, and b) she doesn't want to be nailed down to a specific person. The way she phrased it, the "real killer" could be Simpson or Mark Fuhrman or anybody else, so she's safe on both counts.

Fourth, speak with absolute assurance at all times. On the Montel show in 2002, Browne predicted that the killer of Chandra Levy (the Washington intern whose disappearance became a major national news story) would be brought to justice by the end of the summer. But that summer and two more have come and gone, and the case remains unsolved. Still, she sounded completely sure of herself when she said it, and the audience murmured its approval.

Fifth, if caught in a mistake, back and fill as nimbly as possible. During the Iraq war, Browne said authoritatively that Saddam Hussein was dead. When he turned up alive and hiding in his "spider hole," Browne explained that she had seen Hussein underground, and that's why she thought he was dead.

Sixth, rely on a lack of information on the part of your audience. Browne has predicted that America will scrap its constitutional system and revert to the form of democracy practiced in ancient Greece. The ancient Greeks used to bring all eligible voters together in a public forum and decide issues by a show of hands. It is unclear how this approach will work in a nation of 280 million people. But Browne knows that most audience members have no knowledge of ancient Greek politics and will not question her claim. Similarly, Browne says that the Earth's "polar tilt" is responsible for dangerous climate change. I have no idea what this means, and neither does she. But a fair number of people will take the statement at face value. 

Browne likes to project a caring, motherly persona, but occasionally the mask slips. Take the time when she appeared on Larry King's show along with James Randi, the well-known skeptic who is her archnemesis. Although I am no particular fan of Randi, I couldn't help siding with him against Browne's rather obvious attempt at intimidation. This took place when Randi asked Browne to back up her oft-repeated claim that she has worked with the police to solve crimes. She responded that she was currently working with Stephen Xanthos of the Rumson, New Jersey, police. Now, some years ago, when Randi lived in New Jersey, he became involved in a dispute with Officer Xanthos of the Middletown PD (not the same town as Rumson, but close-by). Browne was obviously making an underhanded reference to that event. And she could not have been working with Xanthos in any official capacity, because Xanthos lost his job with the police long before the Larry King broadcast. Her statement was nothing but a hamfisted attempt at a veiled insult, or maybe a hint that she would bring up the Xanthos incident unless Randi backed down.

Browne likes to say that she has lived many previous lifetimes - she gives a precise number, another specific datum that can't possibly be checked - and that she will not be incarnated again, since she is now ready to move on permanently to a higher plane. This, of course, implies that she possesses vast wisdom and a rare degree of spiritual enlightenment. But would an enlightened person resort to such transparent bullying? It seems doubtful.

Nevertheless, relying on her rules of thumb and her strangely charismatic persona, Browne has made herself a superstar. People believe in her. Maybe they would be less inclined to believe if they took a hard look at one aspect of her performance that can be checked - her annual predictions.

Below are some of these predictions, culled from various sources (which I link to). The list is not a representative sample. I've left out most of the vague, ambiguous, or banal predictions that either can't be checked or could be easily foreseen by anyone. For instance, when Browne predicts minor seismic activity in New York State or California, she is not going out on much of a limb; both areas experience regular (usually minor) earthquakes. It's where Browne gets specific that her accuracy can be checked.

With that in mind, let's take a tour of some annual forecasts. First, Browne's predictions for 1998:

"The Pacific Northwest, near Seattle, will have an earthquake, around 5.4, in January."
"A very large earthquake in Madrid, about 7.8, in May."
"Volcanic eruption in Japan causes a poisonous cloud mass, around April."

None of these things happened.

"The non-stop destruction of the rain forests will release more and more harmful diseases into our atmosphere."

The destruction of the rain forests does not release diseases into the atmosphere.

"IBM creates a surprisingly good talk-savvy computer."

Didn't happen.

"Bill Clinton will be exonerated in the Paula Jones case. It will be uncovered that this was more like a conspiracy to corrupt his reputation."

He was not exonerated. He paid a large settlement, and was impeached.

"The Democrats will gain power again. Bill Clinton will again run for national office after a four-year break, and win."

The Republicans held on to Congress in 1998 (though only narrowly). Clinton cannot run for president again; there is a two-term limit. Perhaps Browne meant he would run for some other national office, such as senator. In any case, more than four years have passed, and Clinton has not run for any elective office.

"Hormonal therapy will be refined to create a new type of youth rejuvenator."

Nope.

"The triple cocktail used to treat AIDS will have a fourth ingredient added to put AIDS in full remission."

No fourth ingredient was added.

Browne's predictions for the year 2000:

"There will be extensive monitoring of the internet that will be imposed to govern and reduce indiscriminate pornography. This will be drastically different from the filtering software available now, along with harsh regulation."

It did not happen.

"There will be a definite crackdown by the Federal Government regarding frivolous lawsuits. This has been bantered around for a while, but now a definite crackdown is imposed."

No such crackdown occurred in 2000.

"NASA finally cuts back on the space program realizing that every time they send up a space vehicle they are tearing the ozone layer."

There is no evidence that space vehicles "are tearing up the ozone layer."

"Democrats will win the election with Bill Bradley, with close competition from the Reform Party."

Bill Bradley did not receive his party's nomination, let alone win the presidency. The Reform Party candidate, Pat Buchanan, came in a distant fourth with much less than 1% of the vote.

"Brad Pitt and Jennifer Anniston get married, but it lasts for only a short time."

Well, they did get married in 2000. And of course they recently broke up, after four years. The failure of a celebrity marriage is not too hard to foresee, I'm afraid.

"David Letterman decides to call it quits from his nightly late show after this year."

Nope. He is still doing the show.

"John Travolta has to be very careful flying his plane in February."

Here is a vague, meaningless prediction of the fortune cookie type. If Travolta had gotten into a mishap with his plane, Browne could claim success. If he didn't (and as far as I know he didn't), Browne could say she merely suggested he be "very careful."

"Courtney Cox will get pregnant this year and have a baby boy."

Cox (whose first name is actually spelled Courteney, with an e in the middle) did not give birth in 2000. She had her first baby in June, 2004. It was a girl.

Browne's predictions for 2004:

American troops will be pulled out of Iraq by June or July.

Our troops are still in Iraq.

Osama bin Laden is "dead as a doornail."

Bin Laden is believed to still be alive.

Julia Roberts's marriage will end.

She is still married.

Martha Stewart will not go to jail.

She did.

North Korea will launch nuclear weapons in 2004.

It did not.

The Pope will die.

Not in 2004. Of course, his age and obviously failing health made his imminent death easily predictable in any event.

Her predictions for the current year, 2005:

The death count after the tsunami in South East Asia will hit 417,000.

The toll was between 200,000 and 310,000, although to be fair, the full count is probably unknowable.

Stem cell research should be using umbilical chords and skin for its research instead of embryos.

I have to give her credit for possibly being right about this. Although umbilical cord stem cells had already been widely publicized, the use of skin stem cells is now being touted.

Medical surgery will start to use some kind of laser.

"Will" start? Laser surgery is nothing new. Hasn't Browne noticed that sales of eyeglasses are down?

Laser beams affecting the cockpits of aircraft are coming from other planes or satellites.

According to theWeb site reporting these predictions: "Wrong ... A New Jersey man was released on $100,000 bail Tuesday 4th January after federal authorities accused him of pointing a laser beam at two aircraft last week." (Citing a CNN story.)

Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher will get married and have a baby.

Rumors are that Moore is pregnant, so this may turn out to be correct.

Britney Spears will become pregnant and her marriage will break up within a year.

Spears is pregnant. The marriage breakup is probably a safe bet.

Finally, on a radio talk show a few months ago, Browne was asked if we would ever learn what happened to the well-known atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair, whose disappearance in 1995 made headlines. Browne reportedly answered that O'Hair's remains have not been found and will never be found, and the mystery will remain unsolved. Here we have a case of Browne not merely failing to foresee the future, but failing even to keep up with current events. In fact, O'Hair's body was found in 2001, buried at her Texas ranch, and her three killers are now in prison, having made a full confession.

Browne claims an accuracy rate of 87% in her forecasts. Like the other numbers she bandies about, this one appears to have been pulled out of thin air. If we discount meaningless predictions of the "sun will rise tomorrow" variety, her accuracy is far, far lower. And if we consider huge howlers like the Bill Bradley prophesy, the very idea that Browne has a special line on the future becomes laughable.

But it doesn't matter. Her fans will continue to forgive, forget, and believe. And she will go on raking in the money and smiling in the spotlight - the unsinkable Sylvia Browne.

That's one prediction you can take to the bank.

[end of original post]

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In the thread connected with the original post, I received an amusing comment from a Sylvia Browne fan:

Again ... why do people think just because she predicted for the year it will happen for THAT year? "The Pope Will Die" ... she NEVER said WHEN ... but he passed away in April 2005 ... just because it didn't happen in 2004 does not mean it will not happen ... DUH

To which I responded:

Everybody dies eventually. Unless there's a time limit on the prediction, it's meaningless. Isn't this obvious?

Evidently, not obvious enough!

Another striking case of a failed psychic test on Browne's part was the coal miner incident described here.

Comments

[Kameron Kiggins]

Great post. I've followed your blog for a while but don't remember seeing this before.

Few nights ago on Coast to Coast AM, a caller asked about Browne, and Noory mentioned how she'd never been invited back to the program since the miners incident.

Off topic, but listening to Coast to Coast I again wished that Ian Punnett was the regular full-time host. Noory tends to drive me up the wall and down the other side.

[Kevin]

The Miner's Incident was the last nail in the coffin."Unsinkable"? Let's put Sylvia aside.

[someone]

>Clinton has not run for any elective office.
quoted out of context, this sentence is not correct.
But the prophecy is wrong nevertheless, since she doesn't win ;-)

>There will be extensive monitoring of the
>internet that will be imposed to govern and
>reduce indiscriminate pornography.
At least this get more and more true; did you notice, that the UK has now blocked (parts of) Wikipedia due to pornography?

[Art]

I frequent a used bookstore in Nashville, TN called McKaybooks.com and they have a large "New Age" section that I peruse quite thouroughly everytime I'm there. Suffice it to say that even though there always seems to be a large number of Sylvia Browne books available at quite cheap prices, I yet to buy one!

And I'm sorry but... Even though I am infinitely fascinated by and interested in Near Death Experiences and have read many books on the subject there is one NDE author that I can't quite figure out why so many people are so enamored by her, P.M.H. Atwater. To me her books are just weird and in no way reflect my own thoughts and ideas about what NDE's are. Too preachy.

[Michael Prescott]

To me her books are just weird

Yes, the whole "indigo children" thing. I haven't noticed any blue-tinted children in my neighborhood. Nor have I noticed that kids today are more spiritually enlightened. If anything, they seem to be more ill-behaved than ever. Unless running around screaming is a sign of enlightenment? If so, I prefer to remain in the dark ...

[The Major]

"To me her books are just weird and in no way reflect my own thoughts and ideas about what NDE's are."

That's quite an interesting comment, don't you think?

[Art]

That's quite an interesting comment, don't you think? - The Major
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Yes, and while I was writing it I realized it and was having a difficult time figuring out how to exactly phrase what I wanted to say. I find putting my thoughts down on paper to be extremely difficult and they rarely completely reflect what I'm trying to say. I try not to be nasty or hurtful but responding to a topic like this is extra specially hard. I freely admit that I failed freshman English in college and had to re-take it over again at Indian River Community college in Florida just to learn how to write a simple sentence. For some reason my brain tends to shut down immediately when it hears anything remotely related to grammar and writing. I find the rules related to commas especially painful. So, I apologize for my lack of skill in translating the thoughts in my head down on paper.

[Paul Welsh]

I bought one Sylvia Browne book before all the hoo hah kicked off. I have to say it was the most ridiculous tripe I have ever read in my life (and I have read some tripe I can tell you). It was so bad I threw it in the garbage because I couldn't bear the thought anyone else might be polluted by it.

I think your sentence might have needed a full stop Art after the word "weird". You could then have gone on to make the second part of the statement without fear of rebuke :) - unless of course you meant to imply that your view of NDE's is the correct one ;)

[Art]

"unless of course you meant to imply that your view of NDE's is the correct one ;)" -Paul
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Well.... I do believe I've stumbled onto something incredibly profound, but as of yet I haven't completely figured out how to put it down on paper? I can't quite find the right words to say it? It's got to do with the only way to truly know and understand something is by actually doing it? Like driving a car or riding a bicycle? You can't just read a book about either of them and then say "I know how to drive or ride a bike" if you haven't ever actually done either one? Same with making love to someone. If you've never had sex with someone, and have only read books or watched DVD's of the act, you can't fully appreciate or say that you fully understand what it is to do either. I think a lot of life is like that. If heaven is a place where thoughts are things and consciousness creates reality, in order to be able to create your own reality you have to first be exposed to what it is to be alive, to feel, to be in a body, what time and space feel like, what it's like to see, hear, touch, smell, and taste something. I think that's probably got a whole lot to do with "why we are here?"

[william]

“If heaven is a place where thoughts are things and consciousness creates reality”

Of course it depends on our operational definition of heaven.

If one goes straight to heaven and thoughts become reality think about what heaven would really be like considering the state of the human condition here on earth unless of course you believe that once we cross over we magically become all loving and compassionate. Check out how many humans were killed in wars and genocide in the last two hundred years on planet earth.

It appears to me that as our consciousness “evolves” and becomes more aware we then have more control of our reality even to the point of becoming gods creating astral heavens and earth like planets. Enlightenment is just a small baby step on our journey back to our source. Heaven I suspect is not a place but a state of consciousness and most of my research indicates that when we cross over we are our same sweet selves but in a different dimension that may be more conducive to a feeling of oneness. Or not.

As far as Sylvia and Randi they are more alike than different. They are geniuses in the realm of PR for themselves. She has made a fortune with her limited psychic abilities. Also she sure knows how to write a lot of books. It appears to me and I have no idea if this statement is valid but she appears to take other authors material and reword it and make it her own.

I have done very little research on her work, as she has never been that impressive to me. In fact when I see her continually cold read and stumble on TV I cannot believe they continue to have her on TV as a guest but then they continue to have Randi on TV. Go figure.

[Roger Knights]

I'm not a fan, but she did get one thing right, against the consensus at the time: she predicted that the Y2K problem would fizzle.

[floridasuzie]

Art,
> at Indian River Community college in Florida <

I went to college in Florida, too. Your original post made perfect sense to me ;)

floridasuzie

[Cyrus]

Dear Michael,

Here's why people pretend to be psychics: there is almost no better way to gain satisfaction and control then to fake out supernatural powers.

Think about it: you get attention, prestige, a sense of worth.

It's the same way people pretend to be other things, like that girl who told you at a party that she's a famous actress.

[Ben]

"Yes, the whole "indigo children" thing. I haven't noticed any blue-tinted children in my neighborhood. Nor have I noticed that kids today are more spiritually enlightened. If anything, they seem to be more ill-behaved than ever. Unless running around screaming is a sign of enlightenment? If so, I prefer to remain in the dark ..."

Could be! Perhaps INDIGO stands for:

"I'm Not Deranged, I'm Gifted, OK?"

Where I come from Indigo children would be a sign they were being treated for ringworm.

Roger: the Y2K problem "fizzled out" because industry spent a vast amount of time and money preventing it from causing problems. I was directly involved in this work on behalf of a major bank. In any event Sylvia's prediction was at best a 50/50 guess really :)

[Art]

If one goes straight to heaven and thoughts become reality think about what heaven would really be like considering the state of the human condition here on earth unless of course you believe that once we cross over we magically become all loving and compassionate. - william
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In a hologram everything is infinitely interconnected to everything else. Everything interpenetrates everything. Each piece contains the whole. Kind of difficult to be mean and nasty to someone when you feel like they are a part of you; when you feel everything they feel. When you can feel their thoughts and emotions and feelings. During the life review NDE'ers report feeling the thoughts and emotions of the people they interacted with. It's all part of that oneness and connected thing so often mentioned in NDE descriptions. There is no separation in heaven. Separation is a here thing and not a there thing. You can't be racist or hateful or politically partisan or sexist or insensitive in Heaven because you will feel the pain and discomfort you inflict on others. I repeat, there is no separation in Heaven. It's a holographic universe thing.
excerpt from Mark Horton's NDE:
"I was unique yet I was the tiniest part of the whole."
http://www.mindspring.com/~scottr/nde/markh.html

[Michael H]

I cannot believe they continue to have her on TV . . .

Sylvia Brown is an almost perfect vehicle for the mainstream press to use to marginalize psychics in general. That in turn allows nearly all questions regarding consciousness to be framed from a standpoint of philosophical materialism, providing a tidy soapbox for the Randis of the world.

Could be! Perhaps INDIGO stands for:

"I'm Not Deranged, I'm Gifted, OK?"

There may be more truth to this than you know, Ben. I think a casual understanding of the Indigo Child premise might lead someone to expect our schools to be populated by little Buddhas. They're obviously not.

On the other hand, the explosion of ADHD and associated "disorders" over the past couple of decades does raise some questions. I was speaking to a friend recently, who happens to teach at a middle school. His wife does as well. Both of them are convinced that our entire education system needs to be rethought. Not because the curriculum is flawed, but because, to quote my friend, "kids learn differently than we did."

He's obviously suggesting that kids today think differently. Which is exactly what one would expect if children are being born today with an inclination to question everything, including their relationship to their own consciousness. That last sentence might sound odd, but one of the consequences of profound mystical insight is a tendency to feel "squeezed into" human consciousness after the insight passes. That feeling is difficult to come to terms with with at maturity (see Jill Bolte Taylor's comments to that effect). It could easily lead to varying feelings of upset in a child, especially if there's no conscious recollection of a reason for the feeling.

I'm also reminded of Richard Bucke's anticipation of a quickening of future incidents of cosmic consciousness, which I think is happening, although not at the pace Bucke expected. To borrow Bucke's terms, I don't think that someone who has known only self-consciousness in their own experience can possibly imagine what the higher experience looks and feels like. If kids today are in fact more inclined to mystical insights, those who think that all such ideas are bunk could very well choose to medicate those inclinations away.

. . . heaven is a place where thoughts are things and consciousness creates reality.

I'd say that we're already in a reality where thoughts are things and consciousness creates reality. Whether one is experiencing heaven, hell or something in-between depends entirely upon their own individual interpretations, and it always will. The misunderstanding arises from the idea that reality is created from consciousness on the level of the ego; Bucke's self-consciousness. What I would say, and I wish Bucke was around to confirm, is that reality is created on the level of cosmic consciousness, and cosmic consciousness encompasses everything. The rub is that "everything" includes self-consciousness, and that can't be understood until one has experienced the perspective beyond self-consciousness.

Whatever talents Sylvia Brown does or doesn't possess, I think it's fair to guess that she has never experienced a perspective beyond self consciousness. If she had, she wouldn't be busy positioning herself as an indispensable seer. She'd be trying to help people see for themselves instead.

[Art]

I don't feel the need to say anymore negative things about Sylvia Browne or P.M.H. Atwater so I'm going to just put one more plug in for the holographic nature of heaven and then I'll shut up. I promise.

Here is a short excerpt from Victor Solow's NDE description: "I believe that I started moving at very high speed toward a net of great luminosity and brilliance...... The way in which I related to the giant, vibrating net was new. It was understanding something in a totally unique way. In a way that we don't have with this frame of reference or our present method of perceptions."

excerpt from Kelly K's NDE description: "The next thing I recall was being shown the universe. I remember thinking, "So, THAT'S how it is! I was in awe. It was like a huge net, or chain link fence, everything in the universe is connected." http://nderf.org/kelly_k's_nde.htm

Victor Solow's NDE is described in a book I read called "Journey to the Other Side" by David Wheeler. Kelly K's NDE is on the NDERF website.

You can't be a nasty viscious hateful person in heaven because you feel what others feel. Jeffrey Dahmler can't torture and dismember people in heaven because he would feel their pain. Separation is a here thing, but not a there thing. Everyone becomes instantly enlightened in heaven due to those overwhelming feelings of oneness and connectedness. It's why near death experiencers say they felt like they had "all knowledge." What one knows, we will all know. You will be able to see 360 degrees because you will see what everyone sees. Our minds and souls will expand till they literally fill the entire universe.

[Marcel Cairo]

Great post, Michael.

As you know, I'm one of the few mediums willing to call out their own for unethical and unprofessional practices.

Sylvia Browne is, and has been, an oozing boil on the "face" of parapsychology for far too long. However, she should not bear all the blame. We cannot ignore Montel Williams' role in her success.

Montel, who spent 22 years in the military prior to starting his show in 1991, is by all accounts, an intelligent, caring and thoughtful person. Yet, for some unknown reason, he chose, time after time, to ignore the damage that Ms. Browne propagated as a weekly guest on his show.

Two years ago, I wrote him a letter asking him to reconsider his devotion to her, citing her many mistakes and careless proclamations.

I was thrilled to hear last January, that the Montel show was leaving the airwaves. This was the only way the general public could be safe from the weekly sighting of Ms. Sylvia Browne.

If you want to catch Montel's and Sylvia Browne's farewell show, you can view it here

[Marcel Cairo]

Here's a montage of Sylvia Browne's lighter moments on the Montel show.

[william]

“I'd say that we're already in a reality where thoughts are things and consciousness creates reality.”

The reality I am referring to is actually designing and making a reality with our conscious thoughts from a home to a beautiful garden in the astral world. Some souls have this ability with their thoughts some do not depending on what dimension they are in. We may be writing about two different aspects of reality here.

Now as far as our perception of reality our thoughts can create its own perception. That is a response not a created reality. But with a reality that has a physical or astral appearance there appears to be all different levels of this ability to create a reality others can also see. One person may see a field of weeds as a beautiful garden another would pull up every weed in the field. This is perception not the reality I am referring to. When I pull up weeds in my yard I often think to myself I bet God or gods do not see these plants as undesirable weeds but divine life expressing itself.

From my point of view even souls in the astral world have self-consciousness i.e. an ego. They see other as we see other. My idea of reality is one that others see not just our perception of a reality.

Again this may be in the realm of operational definitions here. It appears that as consciousness evolves and grows it attains abilities to create appearances that others see as realities. Not sure I have even come close to explaining my thoughts on this aspect of consciousness development. Still evolving I guess.

This is the opportunity I have with Art’s comments as he does not seem to factor in soul development but sees everyone going into a holographic reality of oneness. The evidence I have researched suggests this is a temporal condition for most who have crossed over.

We tend to be our same sweet selves or not so sweet selves after we cross over. The feeling of oneness is much stronger in many of these other dimensions but it is only a snapshot not the reality those that have been over there for many years of our time tell us about their environment through mediums. Sorry Art I feel like I am stepping on your parade with these comments.

My research suggests that we humans defend our beliefs in spite of the evidence that contradicts our cherished beliefs even to the point of not addressing the evidence presented to us that contradicts our beliefs. Could this be when beliefs become paradigms? We are mentality unable to see this contradictory evidence. Ultra skeptics and religious fundamentalist are classic examples of this phenomenon. As is those with political ideologies.

[Ben]

“the explosion of ADHD and associated "disorders" over the past couple of decades does raise some questions… obviously suggesting that kids today think differently.” –Michael H

I found with my two boys’ that their attention span could be developed like muscles, and was strongly influenced by reading to them, encouraging them to read, seeing adults reading, allowing them long hours in a quiet room with large boxes of lego, and regular high carbohydrate meals. I would expect any child brought up in a house subject to 12 hour scene-shifting TV, quick-fire advertising soundbites and a low carbohydrate diet to have a poor attention span. I always assumed ADHD was due to fast-paced living, including too much “fast food”. I’m afraid I’m a mug for easy correlations and metaphors like that, and have tended to view it as a modern species of child abuse.

(I wouldn’t want you to think I totally deprived my children of TV – it’s just that we don’t put it on as much as many do. They never had TVs in their own rooms, though when they got older, they did have their own computers).

[Art]

Sorry Art I feel like I am stepping on your parade with these comments. - william
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Perfectly all right! My soul craves duality and separation! The more the better. Everytime someone disagrees with me on a message board that's one more lesson for my soul to learn what it means and how it feels to be a separate, unique, individual!

[william]

“My soul craves duality and separation!”

Ok art here goes.

Could it be that the soul craves oneness and this is where desire comes from? Is it misguided desire that most call sin and evil.

Could it be that the ego craves separation and the soul longs for oneness and that causes that innate struggle that most label duality and contrast.

The Buddha may disagree with you on the benefits of craving. Attachment, craving, and grasping were the three big symptoms of ignorance that he believed caused our suffering.

But then without that duality, contrast, variation, and separation there is no us, just Isness.

[PD]

Nice collection of her missed predictions, MP. Lots of folks (believers in her) would be surprised at your list.
I had a reading with SB back in the 70's. Real bad. Lots of future stuff. All wrong.

[Art]

Could it be that the soul craves oneness and this is where desire comes from? Is it misguided desire that most call sin and evil. - william
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Oneness is a Heaven thing, and separation is a Here thing. The question is "why?" is it that way? Maybe it's the way it is for a reason? If this Earth life is a School and the soul is here to learn something, the question is, exactly what is it here to learn? I think it's separation. I think everything happens for a reason, even the bad stuff.

[Jime]

Nice post. Fake psychics give credibility to skeptical attacks on the real ones.

"Everytime someone disagrees with me on a message board that's one more lesson for my soul to learn what it means and how it feels to be a separate, unique, individual!"

Let's to refute each of Art's ideas to help him to evolve!

Just kidding :)

[Zerdini]

I thought things were bad in the UK but having seen Sylvia Browne on the Montel show she must be the absolute pits!

[william]

“Oneness is a Heaven thing, and separation is a Here thing. The question is "why?" is it that way? Maybe it's the way it is for a reason?”

How is this for a paradox? Earth is perfectly imperfect.

Oneness is; separation is expression. If there were no separation there would not be any us; I.e. us being the perception of unique and separate personas. Some have realized that all suffering is due to some degree of unawareness, of course if we had perfect awareness there could be no expression of life, as we know it.

It appears that it is the necessity of this infinite Oneness or Absolute to express itself. We are the animation and expression of that Oneness. Another way to look at this phenomenon is that oneness is static and expression (multiplicity) is dynamic. Also asking why several times may lead one to what is the meaning of what appears to be.

Maybe a way to look at this mystery of life is that God interacts with itself through us. To do that there must be unawareness as that interaction must be in the realm of perception not the absolute.

Now Sylvia Browne and Randi are unique personalities but if one looks close there are many aspects of their personalities that are very similar.

[Tony M]

Michael, you cynically ignored the other 837 correct predictions that bring Sylvia up to 87% accuracy! It's the file drawer in reverse!

And yes, folks, that's a joke....

[Teri]

"And yes, folks, that's a joke...."

Serously, though, what do you think lies behind all this? How does she sleep at night? Does she believe her own propaganda? Is she simply self-deluded? Is she just lining her pockets at the expense of the gullible? I can't understand it.

[Pete]

what do you think lies behind all this? ..Teri

Uri Geller has been recently quoted as saying he is in fact a magician rather than a psychic. He claims his motivation was money. Perhaps the same applies in Sylvia's case.

[william]

“Does she believe her own propaganda? Is she simply self-deluded?”

Although I have not done any research on her I suspect they we all have some level of psychic abilities. She appears to be in the range of low to medium psychic abilities. I think one can delude oneself into thinking our abilities are greater than they actually are.

Some of the greatest mediums never asked for or received a dime in compensation. Hey I even saw john Edwards on QVC hawking his tapes and I think he is a medium that has a higher level of psychic abilities than the general population.

After all the lady that just won the greatest psychic in America predicted that Hillary would be the next president. This could happen because she is now third in line to be president. This psychic did find a person buried under ground in a ten-acre field in a few minutes. Maybe predicting the future is different than finding people under ground.

[Michael Prescott]

How does she sleep at night?

That reminds me of a scene in the animated TV show The Critic. The title character is interviewing an action film star whose movies are notoriously bad.

Critic: How do you sleep at night?
Star: On top of a big pile of money, with many beautiful ladies.
Critic: Just askin'.

Seriously, I think the book The Psychic Mafia by M. Lamar Keene explains the mentality of fake psychics very well. One or two of the gruff old lady "mediums" Keene discusses could pass as Sylvia Browne clones! (Text of the book is online here.)

[Jime]

Keene's book is good to know fake mediums' modus operandi.

The only criticism I have against that book is its pseudo-skeptical/debunker tone. For instance, he says "Philip Klass has investigated most of the major UFO sightings over the past two decades, and has explanations for all that he's investigated. But the UFO believer can always mention some obscure sighting or event that Klass hasn't had the resources to investigate. If Klass can't debunk that one, well, that just proves to the True Believer that Klass hasn't proven his case"

I'm sure that some serious ufologists will disagree with Keene's view about Phillip Klass's "research". Klass was a debunker of UFOs, and active supporter of professional pseudoskepticism.

Look in Keene's opinion about one of Randi's books (on faith healers): "Randi not only discusses the medical aspects of faith healing, but exposes the deliberate fraud of several faith healers. Randi makes a story out of it; the investigation is fascinating by itself, but Randi describes such wonderful tricks as direct-mail fundraising, the selling of `Blessed' trinkets, the way the money is spent, etc. In other words, people may not want to bother with scientific principles involved, but they love to see how the special effects work"

If a reader believes that, he'll think that all the faith healers are charlatans and quacks. But some studies (I think Dean Radin has researched that) suggest that spiritual healing is possible and exist in some cases.

To be charitable with Keene, remember that his book was written in 1976 (the year CSICOP was born), and in that time, most literature about the paranormal was from a "believer" (and in many cases uncritical) point of view.

[Jime]

Correction: the above quotes are not of Keen but of the introduction by an Anonymous Typist. He's the pseudoskeptic (I don't know if Keene is too)

Anyway, in 1976 important classic books on spiritualism (for example, William Crookes' research) was published for years. Thus, focusing only on the charlatans is not honest, because it could give the impression that all spiritualists are fraudulent.

But I think the books pro-spiritualism should have a chapter on fake mediums.

By the way, Michael, have you thought about writing a book on survival?

[Michael Prescott]

Correction: the above quotes are not of Keen but of the introduction by an Anonymous Typist. He's the pseudoskeptic (I don't know if Keene is too)

Right. The Anonymous Typist is kind of a pain in the ass. But he did make the book available online, which is good (I guess - though it's a violation of copyright, so maybe it's not good).

By the way, Michael, have you thought about writing a book on survival?

It's pretty tough to sell that kind of book right now. Actually it's tough to sell any book now - the publishing biz is in sad, sad shape. (*Sigh*)

[Tony M]

"Uri Geller has been recently quoted as saying he is in fact a magician rather than a psychic. He claims his motivation was money"

Where? He has claimed no such thing.

[Cyrus]

Re: Indigo Children. Yeah I agree it's mostly bunk. But I think more people today really are "spiritually aware". As a kind-of-young guy, 22, a lot of people in my generation are really open to life after death and things of that nature... it really surprises me sometimes. I think it's more about taboos being lifted off society then a new and enlightened generation.

[Ben]

Tony M on Uri Geller’s motivation: "Where? He has claimed no such thing."

I think Pete must be referring to TDG article of 8 December, reporting that Uri has won the ‘Berglas Foundation Services to Magic’ Award. The article includes the following old quote from Uri:

“...I thrive on controversy, looking back on my career, I called myself a psychic, I constantly need to re-invent myself, you will not get a straight answer... Lets say I wasn’t real, lets say for the last years I’ve fooled the journalists, the scientists, my family, my friends.. You.. If I managed to fool them, I must be the greatest..?”

“I have seen things in my life that I cannot understand or explain, I cannot bend spoons like some of the magicians, you can, it blows my mind when I see that, I have no idea. I had the idea and cheekiness to call it psychic, in fact all I wanted was to be rich and famous, I wanted to buy my mother a TV.”

I saw the program live in the 1970s(?-too long ago!) when watches and cutlery were doing all kinds of weird things. This convinced John Taylor who was a fellow guest on set. Taylor was a serious scientist, but could later get no sense out of Geller, so he withdrew his support (and I think, never quite lived it down). Uri doesn’t seem to have any conscious control of his powers –but he does on occasion seem to have been a channel or focal point for energies from others.

I think the most charitable way to view Uri Geller the person is as an archetypal trickster (a Jungian collective figure). Then you can still enjoy him for what he is. The real trick, though, is to try to see James Randi in the same light.

[Michael H]

I think more people today really are "spiritually aware". As a kind-of-young guy, 22, a lot of people in my generation are really open to life after death and things of that nature... it really surprises me sometimes.

It’s been my observation that younger people are much more open to alternative ideas than the older generations. Younger people also strike me as much more intuitively-oriented in general, more likely to see through the carefully cultivated images people create for themselves. Most of my younger friends see Sylvia Browne as exactly what she is, for example, and it’s not a positive assessment. As I wrote above, I think there’s a tendency to question everything, including their relationship to their own consciousness, although very few would actually express it that way. The few who do have the courage to express it in those terms would find their sanity questioned.

One thing that I’m nearly certain of is that if a collective elevation of consciousness is occurring, it won’t look anything like the arrival of an enlightened generation. I suspect it will look like what it’s always looked like: an older generation struggling with a younger generation that refuses to conform to the former's understanding of the world they share.

If I’m right about this, if there is a shift in consciousness underway, it does create some real issues in terms of how to approach education. I’ve felt for a long time that our schools need to shift away from teaching “what to think” and towards teaching “how to think”. The real problem is that virtually no one in a position to bring about that sort of change has the slightest idea as to what that even means. Our schools - and western society in general - are structured to encourage and reward a high level of identification with the intellect. I think the future will be largely determined by the degree society shifts toward seeing the intellect as something that’s very helpful for life on earth, but not the final word as to who we are. That’s the sort of shift that’s entirely beyond conception for someone who has lived virtually their entire life identifying with their intellect.

[Michael Prescott]

As a kind-of-young guy, 22,

As a 48-year-old guy, I can assure you that 22 is not just "kind of" young!

Heck, even 48 is kind of young, these days, right? Right?

*crickets chirping*

Regarding indigo babies, there may be something going on, but I'm a little skeptical because I've heard prophecies like this before. A lot of spiritualist messages from circa 1900-1920 predicted a coming age of peace, harmony, and spiritual enlightenment, but instead we got Hitler, Stalin, and al Qaeda.

But maybe things will be different this time. The Internet seems to function as sort of a global brain, linking people up in ways that would have been unthinkable even twenty years ago. Perhaps this will change the way humanity thinks.

Or perhaps it will just make it easier for us to blow ourselves up.

[william]

“I’ve felt for a long time that our schools need to shift away from teaching “what to think” and towards teaching “how to think”.”

First I don’t think at this time we humans have the ability to teach “how to think” on a mass educational scale due to many reasons. I.e. paradigms, cherished beliefs, cognitive dissonance, etc. The no child left behind was a classic example of teaching what to think by passing tests.

Teachers learned quickly how to teach students how to pass tests to improve their performance ratings. We humans are geniuses at learning how to work around any system to survive in that system.

Second if we did know how to teach young “how to think” that may have its own problems. I suspect we would have a repeat of the sixties and many of the young would reject such things as wars for profits, materialism, organized religion, grades, competition, and opt out for love rather than want to compete in competitive societies for materialistic gain. Or not.

This could create a very unstable society. Cherished beliefs, conditioned beliefs, and paradigms may have a stabilizing effect on societies. Although I believe in consciousness evolution it appears to occur at a much slower rate that we expect or even the spirits expect.

But could this new awareness be due to this phenomenon as a repeating generational awareness rather than consciousness evolution?

Someone wrote a book that every forth generation repeats itself and becomes more spiritually aware but then the next generation slips back into less awareness and becomes more materialistic. I suspect this evolutionary process in consciousness has a spiral affect.

I mean have we not advanced; years ago people used to watch gladiators kill one another in a huge arena and then they would jump with joy over the blood spilled but today we only have some people jumping with joy over blood spilled inside a wire fence called a rage in a cage. Progress right.

Of course this also could be due to new souls arriving on earth with less awareness of love and the benefits of cooperation for the benefit of all. This earth appears to have new souls, medium souls and older souls inhabiting it with most people that I have talked to believing they are older souls.

Some of my research indicates that this earth is perfectly imperfect to develop souls in love and divine intelligence and we do not have to come back once we are able to see the underlying reality of this “imperfection”.

[Ben]

“The Internet seems to function as sort of a global brain, linking people up in ways that would have been unthinkable even twenty years ago. Perhaps this will change the way humanity thinks.” -Michael P

There’s an article on Yahoo News that ties in rather well with what you and Michael H are saying about a new way of thinking. Must be synchronicity.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081203/ap_on_sc/sci_digital_brain;_ylt=AvdfWFpqrEbHEg9jseCzR6lvieAA

[Michael H]

Heck, even 48 is kind of young, these days, right? Right?

Yep. As I understand it, 50 is the new 30!

Which means I'm actually 29 . . .

[Zetetic_chick]

Zerdini, what do you know about mediums Gordon Smith and Stewart Lawson? Are they real mediums?

Thanks,

ZC

[william]

"The Internet seems to function as sort of a global brain, linking people up in ways that would have been unthinkable even twenty years ago. Perhaps this will change the way humanity thinks.”

Could this be a part of the longing for oneness of the human soul with a little help from technology? We humans are connected at the spirit level and there will always be a movement towards oneness of thought of love and divine intelligence.

The Internet is a step in the direction. Whether is will be a baby step or giant step remains to be seen.

From clan to tribal to nation to nations joining together with cooperative efforts to one world government. Ok the one world government is a ways off. We see the results of a tribal mentality and nations invading other nations that have occurred in the world. And I suspect clans invaded one another for better hunting grounds.

[Art]

Could this be a part of the longing for oneness of the human soul with a little help from technology? We humans are connected at the spirit level and there will always be a movement towards oneness of thought of love and divine intelligence. - william
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

??? Every message board I participate on always ends up in arguments. It's usually the guy who claims to be the most spiritually enlightened.

[Cyrus]

"Heck, even 48 is kind of young, these days, right? Right?"

Well don't feel bad man personally I think getting older is a big plus. I changed my major at my college, so I'm stuck hanging around freshmen again. God help me they have no sense of themselves and they complain about everything.

Anyway, I feel in regards to education we are living in a dystopian future where the "machine" has eaten away all creativity and intellectual freedom. Don't get me wrong, the last 80 years has been very kind to things like peace, prosperity, and civil rights. But we're rapidly losing identity.

While there IS progress, it's still really bad. So many have no sense of belonging. Gone are the romantic eras that lasted from the Renaissance all the way until WWII. For as much as civilization has evolved, it's also really gone askew.