Some medical nonsense from Sylvia- please comment

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

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MONTEL WILLIAMS, HOST

My next guests are sisters who were on this show last year, and they were anxious to find out some answers from Sylvia. Take a look at this.

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http://web.lexis-nexis.com.proxy.wexler.hunter.cuny.edu/universe/document?_m=379a9551e427df872b43069755ae61d3&_docnum=16&wchp=dGLbVzW-zSkVA&_md5=50d3c82ca7f2d085fde12cb85871a7d7

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

From the same episode:

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MONTEL WILLIAMS, HOST

Okay. Yes, sir, you had a question.

MALE ONE, AUDIENCE MEMBER

Sylvia, I suffer from migraines. I was wondering if it was a deeper problem than just a migraine?

SYLVIA BROWNE, BEST SELLING AUTHOR AND WORLD RENOWNED PSYCHIC

I'm sorry?

MALE ONE, AUDIENCE MEMBER

I've suffer from migraines for like 15 years now. I'm just wondering...

SYLVIA BROWNE, BEST SELLING AUTHOR AND WORLD RENOWNED PSYCHIC

Stay off wheat and start taking some niacin.

MALE ONE, AUDIENCE MEMBER

Niacin.

SYLVIA BROWNE, BEST SELLING AUTHOR AND WORLD RENOWNED PSYCHIC

About 500 milligrams of niacin. I--I'm telling you, niacin is a boom to migraine sufferers.

MALE ONE, AUDIENCE MEMBER

Thank you.

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[EeneyMinnieMoe]

From the same episode:

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MONTEL WILLIAMS, HOST

Yes, ma'am, you had a question of Sylvia.

FEMALE 21, AUDIENCE MEMBER

Hi, Sylvia. Five years ago, I had a bad back operation, plus a pinched nerve on my right side.

SYLVIA BROWNE, BEST SELLING AUTHOR AND WORLD RENOWNED PSYCHIC

That was sciatica.

FEMALE 21, AUDIENCE MEMBER

Since then, my right leg, I have problems with it, and my sole of my foot and my toes are numb.

SYLVIA BROWNE, BEST SELLING AUTHOR AND WORLD RENOWNED PSYCHIC

That's all sciatica, sweetheart, is what I'm trying to tell you.

FEMALE 21, AUDIENCE MEMBER

Is it going to get corrected?

SYLVIA BROWNE, BEST SELLING AUTHOR AND WORLD RENOWNED PSYCHIC

Yeah--try to get with somebody that's gonna do some physical therapy and do some stomach crunches to get the blood flowing.

FEMALE 21, AUDIENCE MEMBER

Thank you.

SYLVIA BROWNE, BEST SELLING AUTHOR AND WORLD RENOWNED PSYCHIC

All right?

FEMALE 21, AUDIENCE MEMBER

Thank you.

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[EeneyMinnieMoe]

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MONTEL WILLIAMS, HOST

Yes, ma'am, you had a question for Sylvia.

FEMALE TWO, AUDIENCE MEMBER

Hi, Sylvia. After having my second child, the doctors said my uterus might not be able to carry another child, so I was wondering if I was gonna be able to carry one in the future.

SYLVIA BROWNE, BEST SELLING AUTHOR AND WORLD RENOWNED PSYCHIC

No, they told me the same thing. Don't take the chance, honey. For instance, if you had the same thing like I did. Not to, you know, give everybody this information, but you have an infantile womb. They must have told you that. You don't hold it right, so I wouldn't take the chance.

FEMALE TWO, AUDIENCE MEMBER

Okay, thank you so much.

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http://web.lexis-nexis.com.proxy.wexler.hunter.cuny.edu/universe/document?_m=379a9551e427df872b43069755ae61d3&_docnum=17&wchp=dGLbVzW-zSkVA&_md5=08dcdb89707dc5ff523d069def84a7d7

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

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FEMALE NINE (AUDIENCE MEMBER)

I have chronic lyme disease for about 14 years and I've been extremely ill, and I'm trying to find my way back into society. And I'm wondering what my purpose is because I'm very lost.

SYLVIA BROWNE (BEST SELLING AUTHOR AND WORLD RENOWNED PSYCHIC)

I know. Yeah, see, you're, you're very much like me. You're a humanitarian. I do some writing, though. But please put yourself on a protein diet. That really gets rid of lyme disease. But do some writing. Write about what you've been through.

FEMALE NINE (AUDIENCE MEMBER)

Thank you.

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http://web.lexis-nexis.com.proxy.wexler.hunter.cuny.edu/universe/document?_m=4278ce530a2824dfccb98cba34132efc&_docnum=11&wchp=dGLbVzW-zSkVA&_md5=e4ea3185d9faf552d448ed41e9398cab

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

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MONTEL WILLIAMS (HOST)

Yes, ma'am, you had a question for Sylvia?

FEMALE ELEVEN (AUDIENCE MEMBER)

Hi, Sylvia. My son just recently turned a year old, and he's been sick since birth. And the doctors just can't seem to find what's wrong, a lot of G.I. problems.

SYLVIA BROWNE (BEST SELLING AUTHOR AND WORLD RENOWNED PSYCHIC)

Wheat. Wheat.

FEMALE ELEVEN (AUDIENCE MEMBER)

But he just--he's been on formula up until...

SYLVIA BROWNE (BEST SELLING AUTHOR AND WORLD RENOWNED PSYCHIC)

But don't do any gluten. Sometimes, in some formulas they do have gluten.

FEMALE ELEVEN (AUDIENCE MEMBER)

Okay.

SYLVIA BROWNE (BEST SELLING AUTHOR AND WORLD RENOWNED PSYCHIC)

Look for gluten, wheat, or anything.

FEMALE ELEVEN (AUDIENCE MEMBER)

Okay, thank you.

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http://web.lexis-nexis.com.proxy.wexler.hunter.cuny.edu/universe/document?_m=4278ce530a2824dfccb98cba34132efc&_docnum=11&wchp=dGLbVzW-zSkVA&_md5=e4ea3185d9faf552d448ed41e9398cab

[Björn Toulouse]

I only read a couple of lines from these posts and am not interested in the full story. No intelligent person should ever accept health advice in this manner. At the same time, I no longer feel for the victims of Sylvia or any other shyster of her ilk. These are the dark ages only for those who choose to shun the light of reason and knowledge.

[Miss Anthrope]

I'd love to challenge the Montel show to get medical records for those two gals in the beginning. Was this a recent show? I wouldn't put it past Sylvia to have ringers in the audience at this point.

As for the other stuff, pure nonsense. The Migraine person could have a serious problem that needs checking out. As for not having any more kids, why would you let Sylvia make that decision for you? ACK!!

Wheat "allergies" are very hot with the natural medicine community these days. I'm not surprised she's passing along the nonsense.

[RSLancastr]

I no longer feel for the victims of Sylvia or any other shyster of her ilk. These are the dark ages only for those who choose to shun the light of reason and knowledge.Björn, I hear this same sentiment from time to time from people who email me at my site: "If someone is dumb enough to buy into this, they deserve what they get."

I understand the sentiment, and might have even said much the same thing several years ago.

Then I spent some time as a regular on a John Edward internet fan forum, trying to understand how anyone could ever take the man seriously. As a result, I got to know many of these people, and some of their reasons for buying into Edward's con.

There are many, many people who turn to Browne, Edward and others of their kind because they are in extreme distress, and particularly vulnerable parts of their lives.

Perhaps a loved one is missing, or has died violently or mysteriously, and the police have been unable to help. Perhaps they (or a loved one) has a fatal or debilitating illness with which the doctors have been unable to help.

Many of these people are desperate for answers, and so will try things they would not have, had they been in less desperate straits. But desperate people will do desperate things.

Do you have a similar lack of sympathy for people who turn to quack, "alternative medicine" when faced with a medical situation for which medical science has no cure?

The sitations are, emotionally, very similar.

So, while there are many who have frivolous reasons for turning to psychics ("What is my future spouse's name?") and quacks ("Can you make my penis longer?"), there are many others who turn to the charlatans in both categories for far more serious and tragic reasons.

And I, for one, feel very badly for these people.

[Björn Toulouse]

.....But desperate people will do desperate things.

Do you have a similar lack of sympathy for people who turn to quack, "alternative medicine" when faced with a medical situation for which medical science has no cure?

The sitations are, emotionally, very similar.....



I say this because I used to be one of "these people". They accept whatever transaction they have entered into with the SB's of the world and do not see themselves as the victims that I see them to be. Those who have access to Sylvia have access to alternatives. If the alternatives fail to provide an acceptable outcome, it does not mean one should then don a Ghost Shirt. People deal with serious and tragic circumstances every day everywhere without resorting to the shaman.

This does not mean that I accept the Sylvias or that I would not like to see her stopped. I would like to see her exposed as the fraud she is, but just as quickly as she leaves the scene, another will take her place. They are there because there are enough people who believe their malarkey to keep them in business like the Nigerian email scammers. I don't buy a car without first checking it in a practical fashion and not just by listening to the guy that's selling it. People should do the same with their serious and tragic circumstances.

If a session with Sylvia gets one through the night, why is sympathy necessary here? If that session produces a negative result, then an opportunity to be educated has been offered.
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[Locknar]

I only read a couple of lines from these posts and am not interested in the full story. No intelligent person should ever accept health advice in this manner. At the same time, I no longer feel for the victims of Sylvia or any other shyster of her ilk. These are the dark ages only for those who choose to shun the light of reason and knowledge.

In part, I agree with you…people that go along with her nonsense pretty much get what they deserve. But of course, I say that being a skeptic and not believing in her shtick to begin with.

For the sake of discussion…say tomorrow a reported “psychic” wins the $1M JREF Challenge by correctly predicting future events; yep, that’s right…the world now has its first scientifically proven, 100% legitimate Psychic.

You get a reading from the newly proclaimed legitimate Psychic that tells you that if you play the lottery on 17 AUG you’ll win that days $53M jackpot...would you do it? I would, in a heartbeat.

The point to all this being…Sylvia, and other toads like her, are portrayed in the media as legitimate; take a look at her BIO on TV.Com, Wikipedia, or countless other sources…she is a proven psychic according to their write up. Larry King…Montel…press at large, all portray Sylvia (et all) as truly having psychic powers.

I can easily see where “rational” people would fall for her con, given the overwhelming stamp of approval they receive in the media, and the typical desperateness of their situations.

[newlyfound]

I used to go to skeptic.com and there there is a woo that swears by her, this person sincerely believes that Sylvia is a prophet! If I was her and if I believed I had any powers I'd first try to do something about that liquor ruined voice. She sounds like an ex alcoholic, or better an ex-h****er. One time, I caught a tv clip of her, yes, on Montel, one girl asked her that kind of 3 cents question: when will I meet my boyfriend? and her answer was he is tall and blue eyes, you will meet him in a park in about 2 months. from her facial expressions, I could absolutely tell she was just improvising. If this is what makes a psychic A psychic, then we all are. The fact some people are stupidly desperate is not a good reason for con men and women to go after those that are desperate.