Psychics BEWARE!!!!!

[dwalters]

Sorry, if you are the .0000000001% of psychics that are "REAL" than I really do apologize, but DAAMMMNNNN this is hilarious!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ts_To4zmEdE

[PPI Brian]

Yes, I have always admired James Randi ever since he exposed Uri Geller's spoon bending trick. I find James Randi's skeptical approach amusing and educational at the same time.

[PPI Brian]

I realize this thread is getting a little old and dusty, but I thought you might enjoy this clip. Man, Sylvia Brown really hit every prediction, didn't she? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJkNljY7nSM

[Kristen]

My cat could have predicted that.

[PPI Glenn]

Phhhttt... predictions my ass.

I realize this thread is getting a little old and dusty, but I thought you might enjoy this clip. Man, Sylvia Brown really hit every prediction, didn't she? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJkNljY7nSM

[PPI Brian]

Here's a recent article about Sylvia Browne that appeared on the Gazette website entitled: We Need Evidence That This Seer Sees

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/books/story.html?id=e29adc13-c770-4153-a063-c0a59b7bd0c2

[ellie]

Ahhhh! that was a nice sip of the truth. It Feels good and goes down smooth. I bet you she's choking on this though.

[Donna]

   Sylvia aside, when did it become acceptable for 'interviewers' to rudely interrupt and talk over someone who is attempting to answer their questions? This has become so socially acceptable, that you encounter it everywhere, even when you're trying to carry on a normal conversation with someone. I have to wonder if folks have become accustomed to this poor behavior being exposed to it constantly on tv by these people. Bottomlline for me: it's just inexcusible bad manners and I find it totally appauling! >

[Brian Johnson]

Have you guys seen this one? Hysterical.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=zKyzBe0CA2Q&feature=related

[Donna]

Uhhh.. . . . . .. .. .oops?!?!?!?! :o

[PPI Glenn]

OMG, When will Montel get a clue and realize that this lady is such a freaking hoax!

[ttjoon]

His ship is sinking quickly, so I don't think he cares. His show is stopping production for good very shortly.  Also, his regular use of cannabis has clouded his judgment. (Don't mean to offend anyone, but I am very anti illegal drugs)

He probably entered into some kind of contract with her and after a few shows, started kicking himself.  He may have realized it was a bad move but wouldn't you be embarrassed if you touted some psychic to be the real deal and then had to go back on national television and say......"Gee, I guess that was a dumb move"?

(Kind of like Oprah had to do with James Frey's "A Million Little Pieces".  Great book....too bad it was 95% fiction when it was touted as 100% truth). 

[PPI Karl]

Yes, I have always admired James Randi ever since he exposed Uri Geller's spoon bending trick. I find James Randi's skeptical approach amusing and educational at the same time.

I don't care what anyone says.  James Randi is the real deal.  (I believe in you, James!)

[SkyPanther]

I think its sad what this "psychic" (I call them cold reading specialists) and others like her do.

It's wrong on a few levels, the most obvious is that she is taking advantage of emotionally vulnerable people. She also undermines any "real" psychics that may be out there and makes Paranormal studies an even bigger joke to people that are already skeptical of the Paranormal.

I've never worked with a psychic, but think there are other indirect ways to study the phenomena.

For instance, the many twin studies. And the rare cases that animals can track their owner when said owners move states or more way. (Brings up the Familiar bond that some people believe in).

More anecdotal, and perhaps explained with the amount of pheromones in the air, is the ability for some people to pick up on "energy" when entering a room... eg...a room where an intense fight took place.

[PPI Brian]

Allow me to bring this thread "back from the dead". 

I ran across this article today on the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry website and thought it was worthy of sharing with our PPI forum members: Psychics Fail To See Their Own Fortunes.

Here's the link: http://www.csicop.org/specialarticles/fortunes.html

[PPI Karl]

I loved this article.  Thanks, Brian.  This bit hit me particularly hard:  " . . . Himebaugh said psychics took an 'emotional toll' on families, revealing that he had twice ended up in the hospital suffering from anxiety attacks caused by psychics? false hopes."  And this is exactly why I refuse sometimes to indulge some of our clients' paranormal fantasies (that is, when I'm sure I can smell one cooking; otherwise, I'll just err on the side of caution).  If we play along with their oogah-boogah, it only fuels a pathology that, more often than not, is evasive of what's really going on in the home or in their lives.  I'm sure we've inadvertently been an accessory to that on several occasions but, on the plus side, we've never ever taken money for a single investigation.  I don't think you can say the same for most of the psychics involved in missing persons cases.

Valuable stuff, Brian.  Thanks again.