Some miscellaneous Sylvia Browne questions

[JoeTheJuggler]

Questions and observations, I suppose.

First, I'm anxiously awaiting the second installment of RSL's articles about SB's finances. I think her remaining fans will be shocked to know the kind of money she has, and how she lives, contrary to her claim that she supports Novus Spiritus, and that she lives a simple lifestyle.

Why does she get carted around in a wheelchair? Is it just because she's overweight and lazy? Or is there some other health issue? If it's the former, being pushed around in a wheelchair is probably the worst thing she could do for her health. I suppose she thinks all she really needs is more lecithin. L-E-C-I-T-H-I-N.

The "out" that she and many other psychics use when they're surprised by events in their lives is that her psychic power doesn't extend to herself (or however it's worded). The trouble is, every reading she gives to someone else is an interaction with herself, so why doesn't the blackout rule apply in all cases (as it actually does!)? In other words, there is no hard and fast line separating events in her life from events in other people's lives.

Yet, she can still be caught unawares and surprised by, for example, the appearance of Robert, Robert's better half, and CF Larsen at one of her silly shows. If she really is psychic in all matters regarding other people, then why wouldn't many of those interactions lead her indirectly to see the information about herself that's supposedly off-limits? (Surely, for example, other people have asked her about her divorces, yet she didn't see them coming? For that matter, couldn't she "read" her potential fiancees future and know that he would be moving on--even if she couldn't see anything about her own personal divorce--and thus figure out that the marriage wouldn't last?)

When confronted with failure after failure, SB and her supporters say that no one is perfect except God, and that SB has a 80-something percent hit rate. If that's so, then how can she justify charging the absurd amounts of money she does knowing that a substantial percentage of people she "reads" will get wrong information? Also, in her on-going confidence game, the name of the game is "confidence". She always appears to have certain, indubitable knowledge. She never tells people something like, "I'm 85% sure your lost son is dead." That would show clearly that she doesn't know anything.

I believe in the Shawn Hornbeck case, her official excuse is that she got a message about a different missing boy. So how often does she claim something like that happens? Shouldn't she tell people in these cases that that's a possibility?

[ExMinister]

I'm told the reason she's in the wheelchair is because she has something wrong with one of her hips.

She's come up with many excuses over the years for her misses. For example, she always had her staff explain to those calling with complaints about readings that the timing could be off and to just wait.

As for why she doesn't come right out and warn people that her accuracy rate is 87% (or whatever she claims it is) and she might be wrong, I'm willing to bet it's the same reason Uri Geller didn't come right out and say he was using age-old conjuring tricks to bend his spoons, and the same reason Peter Popoff failed to mention to his audiences that he had a microphone in his ear.

The 87% is designed to let her off the hook when she's not accurate, just as some people lacking in sufficient faith will not receive healings, and psychics can't bend spoons etc when skeptics are present. My guess is she's never been "tested" the way she claims and that she pulled that number from the same place she's pulled the rest of the excuses for her misses.

[dustbunny]

I'm amazed at the amount of excuses SB has. Anything goes with her. Like the lady on M Williams who's boyfriend died in the 9/11 attacks as a fireman. SB was way off the mark and yet because he was a fireman she still used water as an excuse for her lies. Even M Williams was taken aback by that one. He knows what she is but ratings and large donations have spurred him on to keep up the pretence.

We all know that Chris Dufresne is looming in the shadow of his mother but surely after all this exposure he cannot possibly reign King on the Browne throne? Thankfully Robert Lancaster has already got articles concerning this man so he's not off to a good start. The SSB website isn't just an informative tool to use it is a vital warning for the future.

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

This isn't by any means the most astounding contradiction or the most suspect clue or the biggest red flag in SB's career- very far from it!- but it's always struck me as odd that a self-proclaimed psychic would have four failed marriages. Four!

Alot of divorced people don't regret their marriages, yes, and wouldn't consider it a "failure" to have ended them, but by her own admission they were unsuccessful and unhappy.

How could a real psychic have not seen it coming? She says she can't be psychic about herself, her family, her friends or anyone else she is close to so a boyfriend or fiance would fall into that category- but at one time or another, a boyfriend is a total stranger to you and she has no problems doing readings for strangers all the time.

Then, I suppose that by her logic, a future husband wouldn't show up on your psychic radar since it involves you and you can't be psychic about yourself at all.

Makes no sense. Isn't suppossed to, as it's all just a house of cards.

Edit: I'm equally confused at where the misses come from. I can accept that no one's "100 percent right" but where does "he's dead" come from?!

[Niobe]

She says she can't be psychic about [..] her friends or anyone else she is close to
Which fully contradicts the account by the woman who became close to Browne and was called a sister spirit or some such BS. The one where she predicted the wrong number of pregnancies.

edit: this is the one:
"My Experiences in the Early 70s With Sylvia Browne"

(http://stopsylviabrowne.com/articles/email_myearly70sexperienceswithsylviabrowne.shtml)

[RSLancastr]

First, I'm anxiously awaiting the second installment of RSL's articles about SB's finances.Keep waiting! it's on my list of dozens of articles to be written, or to be finished. It is an important one, and I want to be certain of many things before I publish it.

Why does she get carted around in a wheelchair?She states that it is because of problems in her hip, which she says stems from an incident where one of her ex-husbands slammed her up against a wall or door. Is this truly what happened? I don't know, but given her casual acquaintance with the truth, I wouldn't believe it without a videotape.

The "out" that she and many other psychics use when they're surprised by events in their lives is that her psychic power doesn't extend to herself (or however it's worded). The trouble is, every reading she gives to someone else is an interaction with herself, so why doesn't the blackout rule apply in all cases (as it actually does!)? In other words, there is no hard and fast line separating events in her life from events in other people's lives.

If she really is psychic in all matters regarding other people, then why wouldn't many of those interactions lead her indirectly to see the information about herself that's supposedly off-limits?Yes, her "psychics can't be psychic about themselves or those they are close to" excuse is very unequally applied. For instance, she claims to know when she will die. Why is that? And, she said that she was able to see that she would be Larry Beck's "last wife." Not only was it apparently untrue, but it was another violation about not being psychic about herself.

When confronted with failure after failure, SB and her supporters say that no one is perfect except God, and that SB has a 80-something percent hit rate.Yup. Another of my partially-complete articles is "Sylvia Browne's Excuses:, which talks about "I can't be psychic about myself", "I can't be right all the time", "I picked up on the wrong missing boy", "I got the time-frame wrong" and many other. When you have them all listed out in one article, it becomes painfully obvious that if anyone grants a psychicr all of these "outs," then there is no mistake that they won't forgive.

We all know that Chris Dufresne is looming in the shadow of his mother but surely after all this exposure he cannot possibly reign King on the Browne throne?This is precisely the reason I have articles about him on the site. It is much easier to put the fire out before it gets too out of hand.

[Babbylonian]

When confronted with failure after failure, SB and her supporters say that no one is perfect except God, and that SB has a 80-something percent hit rate. If that's so, then how can she justify charging the absurd amounts of money she does knowing that a substantial percentage of people she "reads" will get wrong information? Also, in her on-going confidence game, the name of the game is "confidence". She always appears to have certain, indubitable knowledge. She never tells people something like, "I'm 85% sure your lost son is dead." That would show clearly that she doesn't know anything.
An even bigger question [to me at least] is this: How could anyone with a conscience give definitive predictions/advice based on nothing but a psychic power with a built-in error rate that high? Telling 10 people that they'll have a great life should they marry their current partner, for example, would mean that at least 1 of those people will likely be ruined.

I think the big reason a psychic would give a percentage "hit rate" is less about having an excuse when wrong and more to inspire confidence in the suckers clients that the psychic is usually right. If I truly believed that I would get an 80% correct prediction rate from a particular stockbroker ("Here's 10 stocks that will double in value in the next 2 years," for example), s/he would have my commissions in a heartbeat.

[JoeTheJuggler]

Keep waiting! it's on my list of dozens of articles to be written, or to be finished. It is an important one, and I want to be certain of many things before I publish it.
I wait with bated breath! (OK--that's a bit of hyperbole, but I'm itchin' to know the details and hear some of the numbers.)

I don't know, but given her casual acquaintance with the truth, I wouldn't believe it without a videotape.
Of course, that could be said about virtually anything she has claimed!

ETA: How can you tell when SB is lying? Easy. . . her lips move. Gives it away every time! :)

Interesting choice of words! If she had a closer relationship with the truth, it would fall into her psychic self-blind-spot. So it's probably best that she and the truth aren't on speaking terms. :)



An even bigger question [to me at least] is this: How could anyone with a conscience give definitive predictions/advice based on nothing but a psychic power with a built-in error rate that high? Telling 10 people that they'll have a great life should they marry their current partner, for example, would mean that at least 1 of those people will likely be ruined.
Yes, that's the point I was trying to get at. (Well said.) Even if you buy into her nonsense, by her own admission, she's giving at least one out of ten people useless information, but charging exorbitant prices. (We all know that in fact she's pretty much giving 10 out of 10 people useless information!)

Again, that's the "confidence" in the "confidence game". If she didn't pretend to know all, her customers would be a lot less willing to pay. Even if she said she was "almost sure" or "87% sure" or "suspects maybe", it would be abundantly clear that her readings are no better than anyone else's random thoughts on any particular subject and certainly not worth anyone's hard-earned money.


I think the big reason a psychic would give a percentage "hit rate" is less about having an excuse when wrong and more to inspire confidence in the suckers clients that the psychic is usually right. If I truly believed that I would get an 80% correct prediction rate from a particular stockbroker ("Here's 10 stocks that will double in value in the next 2 years," for example), s/he would have my commissions in a heartbeat.
I don't think she or any other psychic would admit to being anything less than 100% accurate unless they were caught being dead wrong.

Look at how many of her supporters react to RSL's SSB site (doubtless without having actually read the articles) by saying, "No one can be right all the time." I doubt that's something they would even consider in the absence of detractors like RSL and Randi.

[Babbylonian]

I don't think she or any other psychic would admit to being anything less than 100% accurate unless they were caught being dead wrong.

Look at how many of her supporters react to RSL's SSB site (doubtless without having actually read the articles) by saying, "No one can be right all the time." I doubt that's something they would even consider in the absence of detractors like RSL and Randi.
Maybe, but there's a certain [false] humility in saying "I'm not always right" that people will find attractive. Politicians sometimes use the same tactic, making it seem like they won't make a mistake (or commit a crime) today because they learned from mistakes in the past. Citing percentages can also make it seem like she's actually followed up on her readings, either to verify her amazing powers or because she cares about her clients.

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

I can't wait for the Sylvia Browne excuses article! That's one's one for me. :)

I swear, if I hear "I can't be 100% correct" one more time from either Sylvia Browne, her sons, her ministers, her staff, her fans, her church members, Montel Williams or any other media figure or psychic I will... seriously lose my patience.

And feel like screaming "A hundred percent correct?! She's close to a hundred percent wrong!".

I used to think James Randi was a bit too harsh with the defenders of woo but, seeing how he's been hearing the same excuses for decades, I can't blame him for being impatient.

[Locknar]

If SB is really, truly psychic I don't get is the overall lack of proof, and her utter contempt for people that ask for it. I'd think she (and her staff) would happily provide documented proof, take tests, etc. to validate her powers as real.

For example...when we had our house built, we met with the builder. Some basic questions included "are you licensed to build in this state and county, have you built homes before, have you had any complaints filed against you with the Better Business Bureau, etc."

He was happy to answer our questions, provide proof (showed us his licenses), showed examples of other homes he had built, provided names and addresses of references, etc.

When SB is asked for proof...other then the disdain she shows, it is a lot of excuses, a lot of hand waving, "smoke & mirrors", etc. yet never anything of any substance.

[ExMinister]

Clearly she is acting just as we would expect someone pretending to be psychic to act, and not at all like someone who was genuinely psychic. Specifically, she acts just like someone primarily interested in power pretending to be psychic would act.

It might be interesting to speculate on how a sincere person with real ability would act. Someone not motivated by power or greed.

For example, they wouldn't hesitate to be tested by James Randi. They would have no trickery to hide. If they weren't in it for the money or power, they wouldn't care if they failed. But of course with real ability they wouldn't fail, and they would willingly submit themselves to repeated carefully controlled tests of their ability. It would be unprecedented and word would quickly spread through scientific circles as opposed to through the National Enquirer and daytime TV.

If they knew they had a 10% chance of being wrong, they would announce it ahead of time because it's the decent thing to do.

They would be in demand by police departments and the FBI. There would be actual evidence to support the claims they made, which they would gladly turn over to the skeptics and scientists. Missing people would really be found and the happy families would be all over the news.

In other words, just take whatever Sylvia Browne, John Edward and all the current psychics and mediums do now and imagine the opposite! :rolleyes:

[dustbunny]

Sadly it's all about money and power. Yesterday, for eg, my sister went with a friend to see a psychic (I have to bear in mind that her sceptism on mediums is still minimal). As they got there two people were coming out, they went in and two more followed as they left. Each reading cost £25 for 25 minutes. In approx three hours a relatively unknown medium earned £150. Outrageous. At that rate this medium would be earning a possible one or two thousand pounds a week. SB, JE and the rest are sitting on a fortune.

I tend to forget sometimes that this money racket reaches further than I realise. No qualifications, no diplomas, all they need to pedal their wares is the lack of an absolute necessity, a conscience!

[RSLancastr]

In approx three hours a relatively unknown medium earned £150. Outrageous.And one has to wonder how much of that is ever reported to the government.

[imjohn]

And one has to wonder how much of that is ever reported to the government.
My psychic powers tell me that the amount reported is equal to the amount that was not paid in cash.

[rjh01]

Keep waiting! it's on my list of dozens of articles to be written, or to be finished. It is an important one, and I want to be certain of many things before I publish it.
<snip>

Had a thought the other day. How about you tell your boss how great he is, resign and do the stop psychics web pages full time? You can earn money by soliciting for donations on your web page. Then you could produce lots more stuff.

You could make a huge difference to the world. Be one of the most influential people around without being close to a powerful person.

Then there is THE BOOK! When is it coming out?

[dustbunny]

And one has to wonder how much of that is ever reported to the government.

Believe me after the atrocious things this psychic said to her it was even worse. Telling someone, who relies on others opinions to conduct their lives, that she will leave her husband and a new man will come into her life is a dangerous SB type of thing to do. Unfortunately that's exactly what this scam artist did. I bet the government have no idea. :nope:

[RSLancastr]

My psychic powers tell me that the amount reported is equal to the amount that was not paid in cash.That would be my prediction as well.

Had a thought the other day. How about you tell your boss how great he is, resign and do the stop psychics web pages full time? You can earn money by soliciting for donations on your web page. Then you could produce lots more stuff.Were I independantly wealthy, I would do so in a shot. Unfortunately, I cannot afford a driop in income, and it is unlikely that donations would keep my creditors in the lifestyle to which they have beomne accustomed. :(

Then there is THE BOOK! When is it coming out?Not any time soon.

I bet the government have no idea. :nope:I would not take that bet, db.

[RSLancastr]

duplicate post

[dustbunny]

I would not take that bet, db.

There's more to it than meets the eye. It's sickening.

[Minarvia]

Believe me after the atrocious things this psychic said to her it was even worse. Telling someone, who relies on others opinions to conduct their lives, that she will leave her husband and a new man will come into her life is a dangerous SB type of thing to do. Unfortunately that's exactly what this scam artist did. I bet the government have no idea. :nope:

I go to Renaissance Faires sometimes and usually go to a "psychic" for fun. I never get bad news. They waffle on about good stuff. One time this lady just said she was inspired to do a "psychic drawing" for me. She drew an American Eagle for me and said that someone intimately close to me desperately loves America but feels not a part of it. I wasn't floored by any means, but I could charitably give her a "hit" I guess because my husband (who she did not see and was not at that part of the fairgrounds at the time) is a Dutchman and a Green Card holder.
All in all, it was fun, and I didn't see it any other way and I do have a cute little well-drawn souvenir of the Faire. But I would never take any life changing advice and feel horribly for those who would. That could certainly be disastrous.

[SeekingTruth]

But I would never take any life changing advice and feel horribly for those who would. That could certainly be disastrous.

Unfortunately, too many people DO take life changing advice from the likes of Sylvia Browne. Just recently on her cruise, while answering audience members questions, the audience member asked SB what she saw her "doing next". SB responded with, "you're going to move and find someone." Of course, SB didn't realize the woman already "had someone" and when she asked SB what her husband might think about that, SB, didn't miss a beat....she told the woman that "just maybe it would perk her husband up."

After all these years of doing it, the woman is quick to cover most of her blunders...but thanks to RSL, more and more of the blunders are being exposed. So again, thank you Robert - from one who bought into her crap for so long.

Nancy

PS: Oh...and I wasn't on the cruise - it was in SB's latest newsletter that I'm still receiving. (paid for a 2 year subscription that hasn't expired yet).

[godless dave]

We all know that Chris Dufresne is looming in the shadow of his mother but surely after all this exposure he cannot possibly reign King on the Browne throne?

Unfortunately I disagree. Many people do not pay much attention at all to the world around them (for example, my girlfriend, aged 37, doesn't remember the anti-apartheid protests in the US in the 1980s); there are some people who will never be reached by the exposure of Browne's nonsense. And some of those who are reached will just deny the facts. Lies can persist for a long, long time even after they've been publicly exposed.

[godless dave]

An even bigger question [to me at least] is this: How could anyone with a conscience give definitive predictions/advice based on nothing but a psychic power with a built-in error rate that high?

I think you answered your own question. I put the relevant part in bold in case you didn't get it right away.

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

An even bigger question [to me at least] is this: How could anyone with a conscience give definitive predictions/advice based on nothing but a psychic power with a built-in error rate that high? Telling 10 people that they'll have a great life should they marry their current partner, for example, would mean that at least 1 of those people will likely be ruined.

I agree. Even if she had the 85% accuracy rate she claims she has, she still would have no buisness doing what she does.

It's always amazed me that a person who knows that she has no psychic ability whatsoever never shows the most common and most basic restraint. Such as refraining from accusing an innocent man of a murder he had nothing to do with, resulting in a lawsuit and the delay of a search for a missing person, which Sylvia Browne did.

I'd be able to forgive inserting yourself into something very important and giving potentially very dangerous misinformation if you were sincere and self-deluded but if you know and you take chances and play with peoples' lives like that ?

[dustbunny]

Unfortunately I disagree. Many people do not pay much attention at all to the world around them (for example, my girlfriend, aged 37, doesn't remember the anti-apartheid protests in the US in the 1980s); there are some people who will never be reached by the exposure of Browne's nonsense. And some of those who are reached will just deny the facts. Lies can persist for a long, long time even after they've been publicly exposed.

That is exactly my fear. Thankfully Robert Lancaster is doing a tremendous job. Hopefully SSB will go a long way to stop Chris Dufresne. The more exposure the better. Reminders every now and again keep it alive too. The campaign to stop these mediums will go on for years, I wish them all the best. I will gladly help whenever I can.

[dustbunny]

I go to Renaissance Faires sometimes and usually go to a "psychic" for fun. I never get bad news. They waffle on about good stuff. One time this lady just said she was inspired to do a "psychic drawing" for me. She drew an American Eagle for me and said that someone intimately close to me desperately loves America but feels not a part of it. I wasn't floored by any means, but I could charitably give her a "hit" I guess because my husband (who she did not see and was not at that part of the fairgrounds at the time) is a Dutchman and a Green Card holder.
All in all, it was fun, and I didn't see it any other way and I do have a cute little well-drawn souvenir of the Faire. But I would never take any life changing advice and feel horribly for those who would. That could certainly be disastrous.

It's been awful Minarvia since my sister went on Monday. I'm a member of a forum here in England and they've been fantastic in helping me. I'm planning on going to this psychic for a reading and exposing her. It's my way of helping just a little to stop people being treated that way. Fingers crossed. It may not be much but if something constructive comes out of it I've achieved my goal.