Sounds a bit like 'Doris Stokes' , A medium here in the UK, she would book a venue and just before she got there read the obituaries in the venues local paper. Find out who died and then send an invite to the family of the deceased.
Then in the 'show' she would say " I have a message from x" of course x's family would say thats our son/daughter/mum/dad ( delete as applicable). She was fraud to the max.

I saw sylvia on tv one time. She picked out a black man in the audience and told him to stand up. She said she had a message for him. She continued on. Theres an older dark skinned woman (note the man was black) with gray hair. She's shorter than you (the guy was tall) She says to tell you she's okay and happy.

I'm sorry I just burst out laughing. The man was impressed and thanked her. I'm thinking dude...think about this.

I do think at one time she had a gift. Many people have this gift but smart people don't go around telling the world about it.

I also believe once you use it to increase your riches here on earth you loose it. For the gift is to help people not to make yourself rich.

One thing we do have to give people like her credit for is it's helped to get many people to think outside of the box. It's helped to make it so anyone that does think outside of the box is a not crazy person.

It is time for her to hang up her hat so she doesn't destroy the progress that has been made in not being like the rest of the crowd.

I know one year she predicted lots of destruction by water. I think it was the year katrina hit. Many people were in awe of her. A good friend of mine told me that any good astrologer would of told you that by the stars. Again she was vague and told something that by cycle could be predicted. In my opinion she has lost any gift she's had because of greed.

Originally posted by Frankidealist35
Is the reason why the psychic phenomena is under so much scrutiny because of people like her?

No, I think it's because it's a human experience so pervasive that all the effort in the world over time from immensely powerful sources, ranging from The Church to modern Scientism, can't seem to stamp it out.

From the book I read by her she seemed so into-herself and so narrow in her views that she couldn't think of natural explanations for things which she thought was psychic phenomena.

Well I haven't read it.

I have read some Hans Holzer stuff that used her as the psychic that I found quite intriguing (I had never much thought about Lincoln's assassination before but he revolutionized my thinking on it), but then Hans was making an effort to do it right, to keep info even from himself until after her work was secured so she wouldn't be influenced or able to pick it up from him, etc. so perhaps the setting made it more seemingly reputable.

One problem with the whole topic is this: that the definition of "psi" essentially is forced to amount to, "the acquisition of information which we could not have acquired through _known_ means." That means everything we learn about physiology chips away at the definition of what can actually be considered "psychic" because the "known" means of information acquisition keep growing as we keep learning more about the human body and mind.

What was "definitely psychic" at one point, with science controls as good as anybody knew how to make them at the time, is considered basic subconscious processing of information later. This is why science protocol in field evolves but especially in one like psi research (which now is almost entirely based in remote viewing; free-response psi has a small but consistent effect-size when studied well, unlike forced-choice psi, the primary approach of the past, which in lab terms has a much less robust effect size.

Two studies/technologies most people know about now example science vs psi: that of pheremones, and that of the frequencies within the human voice. Both of these provide information that is completely unmeasurable "consciously" by a human being; only technology can really tell you of it; yet both transmit potentially huge amounts of information (and by proxy, based on experience patterns giving us much info based on subconscious assumption of similar things) without 'seeming' to, to the human body.

You can put a psychic in a pitch black room with another person. The other person can be in the darkness, with their back turned, across the room, utterly silent, utterly immobile, and the psychic may not even know they exist. Yet if they have information about something the psychic is being asked -- or even an opinion about it, even if they don't have real info -- the psychic has access to information from them.

How much info, what kind, and how good that psychic is at pulling that 'through' the normally subliminal pathways, is another story... pretty much impossible to measure. We only know that while they MIGHT be psychic, if the person in the dark knew thing X, and the psychic in the same room came up with thing X, that there are ways of this happening that do not qualify by our current level of science definition for "what is psi".

The irony is that the psychic may, in fact, have gotten data on Thing X through nothing but sheer, total psychic ability. It's simply that there is no way to know this unless all the physiological (etc.) factors are controlled for; hence the whole point of a science protocol in the investigation or controlled utilization of psi.

But in her defense I must say this: something merely being 'possible' to know or predict via 'natural' means does not mean psi is not present.

People who do psi work must as part of the skill learn to "allow and accept" some degree of it.

I am convinced that Sylvia Brown is a scam now. How can people continue to believe her? Are there other scam-artists out in the industry?

The vast majority of that industry is some degree of BS. Legitimacy reaches homeopathic proportions in anything geared to the media, frankly. It is not entirely BS though -- psychic functioning is a legit human ability and some are better than others with it.

It's important to understand that some of the people who are "mostly BS" are also, ironically, genuinely psychic -- at times -- in pieces -- in spots -- under appropriate conditions -- but they are not willing or capable of operating in an environment, within controls, or communicating within parameters based on that, which would help separate what is legit from what isn't even to themselves, let alone to others.

This hugely adds to the confusion. Because sometimes, both to them and to others, it's "the real deal." And other times... sigh. It makes outsiders dismiss the whole process or all the people or that person, but this is one of those messy-confusing situations not helped by lack of clear thought. To outsiders looking in at psychics, "they all look the same to me." There is a lot of complexity and confusion that even people IN the field are hard pressed to sort out, think clearly about, and communicate clearly to onlookers. And there are cultural problems galore. Our culture wants to consider it either impossible or magic. If you try and explain it the way it really is, they don't want to think that hard, they don't care that much, they just want one or the other to be true.

To sort it out you have to understand that there are many elements of psychic functioning. At heart is the acquisition of information. We do not know how this happens in 'psi'. In fact psi may eventually cease to exist as a word, as we better understand all the 'scientific' ways this 'can' happen until finally there is no mystery at all. Right now the word almost functions as the warehouse for "whatever we don't yet know about how we could know it."

Which might turn out to be a lot like metaphysics, or might turn out to be more like physics--or maybe it'll turn out those are about the same thing.

I think that sylvia is a pseudo scam. i think she has some abilities but has stretched them to be more then they are.

any true psychic will tell you they are not completely accurate, because they have to interpret, much like reading a picture book to get the story. And sometimes the picture is right, but their interpretation is wrong.

George Anderson gives an example, (i can't recall accurately) he was shown a picture of a violin. he kept asking if the deceased was a musician, played violin, conductor, anything. People are like no no no. Well then he found out later their last name is Stratavari or something. Like stratavarius.

And often times the people being read are wrong too. he said people will come back often months later saying, you know what, you were right, we did have relative named mary. Found out our grandmother used to have a nickname of Mary or something.

There have been times when people have asked me questions and I realize I had the right answer later, so that is human nature.

Sometimes, the "wrong" question will cause people to look and actually find what was being referred too. That object the deceased brought up was eventually found in hidden in their things.

One thing I mentioned but didn't address was how psychics communicate about their experience.

A responsible person would probably attempt to impose as many science protocol elements on the process as possible, merely to reduce the potential of error, fraud, accident, etc., to begin with.

A responsible person would understand that there is no saying something is psychic until you know it's accurate. It's wild guessing or imagination until then. And you don't know it's accurate until you have feedback.

A responsible person would attempt to emphasize and spell out the degrees and detail of both of these factors when communicating anything to the public about their data concerning the future.

Particularly if that future is something which generates fear.

Unfortunately the "psychic culture" has not had the benefit of other kinds of thinking that most other cultural elements have had, because our society has essentially blacklisted psi from academia for the last couple centuries, with rare and limited exceptions, and has made it such a topic of biased scorn in public.

If this were not the case, you would find more people like me, who can discuss the subject in a way most people can relate to even if skeptical, and fewer people who instead go on late night radio to tell 20 million people how their children are gonna die if you don't buy their DVDs (or maybe you're just doomed anyway).

Our culture is as dysfunctional about psi as it is about politics, and the result is that the very worst people seek and get the most publicity.

I'm not shocked that she was some big scam. Isn't every Psychic out there are fraud nowadays. Can someone please tell me what Psychic is not a fraud? I would like to hear who's legit?

I whole heartedly believe in the supernatural, but I too have yet to know of any true phycics. Many people have offerd rewards for someone who can pass test to prove there abilities. Houdini went out searching for a true phycic. Syvia brown makes people feel good and if people are willing to give her money for her comments then so be it.

Not fond of Sylvia Browne.

I know of a extended family member that went to see one of her shows because she missed her mother.. And this was not someone who was rich.

Kind of sad to see her taking advantage of desperation.

Is that the old lady withe voice like finger nails on a chalkboard, who Montel would have on his show like once a week?

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I have psychic abilities but have never done readings professionally and don't intend to. Not only that I don't have that show biz glam that some are able to incorporate. I have never believed that any phychic can give a reading for anyone at any time, it just doesn't work that way. I have never liked Sylvia from the first time I heard her, I watched her on TV several times and got totally wrong vibes from her, to the point where I wish I had been able to tell others but then she was the star and I wasn't. Speaking of star, she has that show biz thing going on, difficult to explain but you just see it in people that are there to put on an act for the audience. I never felt that she was sincere or truthful - sorry to say but I think she is just too into herself, she is doing this to make money without regards that it could hurt others in the process.

My position on psychic powers has changed quite dramatically over the years. As a child I was acutely aware of things that most people could not comprehend; a creative imagination of course, artistic, sensitive would be words used.

I never knew when something psychic was taking place, to me it was more like a memory. Typically I would say something that would make others turn to me and say, "where did you hear that?", or "what are you talking about", and then whatever I had said would happen over that day or following. Then the scrutiny and ultimate laughing about how uncanny that was. It confused me because it wasn't something that seems out of ordinary but more like a memory. Sometimes I would think that I had heard it before; sometimes the feeling about the memory was as if it was months prior when I had seen or heard about what it was I was remembering. I didn't see it as something being "enlightening" or spiritual, or receiving-like.

At any rate, there was no control to this because there was nothing to control, it was purely coincidental in my mind. There was never a rhyme or a rhythm to it.

When I was a teenager I began drinking like most youngsters do. Back then the legal drinking age was 18, and I could usually sneak into a bar at 17. It was while under the influence of alcohol that I began becoming impulsed by strangers from across the room. I would see someone I did not know and walk up to them with a message. I never remembered doing it and it took time before this "gift" began to catch up to me. Suddenly months later I would be stopped by total strangers asking if I remembered them, they would tell me how they met me in the bars (yeah plural) and what I had told them and how it had manifested in their lives. It was very confusing and very creepy to say the least. I did not like what I was hearing. I could not remember meeting them or telling them those things.

As my twenties passed I began learning about crystals and healing, all the stuff you would find in your typical 'Metaphysical Bookstore', I began attending 'Psychic Fairs'. I had some fabulous readings done for me in which most times the first words from them were, "you are psychic".

As I neared my 30's I went through a 'rebirthing' ceremony. I am not sure where this ceremony originates but it was conducted by a Minister of Scientology who claimed to be free of the Church of Scientology. She made her living doing psychic readings, specifically she would utilize palmistry with a mixture of numerology. I trained under her for six months before she skipped town with all my money (earned through a joint venture in doing 'Psychic Fairs'. It wasn't much money but it was all I had invested and all we had earned. Sad really, I thought we made a great team. Later on (without her) I investigated and applied with a Psychic Hotline, one of those 1-800-Networks. I was hired after just one interview on the phone, they seemed so impressed. When my employment package arrived it was everything and all that anyone would need to know about manipulating the caller and milking them for as much money as possible. I tried to disassociate myself from this part of the industry but I just could not do it, I tried saying to myself that this was just for 'entertainment purposes only', but it did not work. I turned down the job and sent all the materials back so they would not charge me.

I continued doing readings for folks as a novelty, often causing all kinds of ridiculous friendships. I would never charge to do readings ever, not even 'Love Donations'. Once I did do a booth at a big party to raise money for the San Antonio SPCA, I charged $5 a reading and made several hundred dollars. By the end of the party I was drunk and my mind was in a blissful blank. I learned how to do readings and forget immediately the reading itself. I would forget the person and their reading no matter how personal it was to them.

In my 40's I swore I would stop. I did to an extent, but sadly I was caught up just two months ago into extending myself again. I really wished I hadn't. I couldn't even tell the person the truth, I stepped around the truth with messages of hope. I knew they would not believe me.

At any rate, here I am and no I am not psychic. I don't believe in it. I believe that we all have a demon inside of us, each and every one of us is housing a demon. Demons have a hierarchy just like everything else, no matter the dimension. Man was born pure and then somehow man fell from Grace.

I am slowly learning to have discussions with God. I am slowly accepting the Christ within. I am slowly believing I may save my soul. I go through extreme highs and then I find myself plunging into my dark side; I pray for forgiveness.

Every person that has ever tapped into this phenomenon knows that I am speaking the truth. They turn to the light for their inspirations and they realize that there is a force that wants them to turn away, wants them to turn to the darkness within; I am probably not strong enough some might say, but I am trying to be.

I await the coming of our Lord. I fear my eternal soul and I pray to be given strength over my sins as I ask forgiveness.

Now I find that I am being targeted by people, being lied about, being accused of things. I think I realize now that I am attracting them to me, to reveal my sin so that I may embrace and stand up to it. My sin is that I have lived in fear my entire life, it is time to become strong and overcome the fear. I speak of Faith, Wisdom, Hope, Commitment, Honor, and the list goes on and on, but I do not speak fearlessly and that is something I want so badly. Maybe then I can finally Love myself.

Can I see the future? No, but I can ask and it doesn't take much to hear the answer. Can I see into another person's motives? No again, but I can ask and the answer streams into me. Sometimes the message comes through in parts, but I get it before long. Some things never reveal themselves no matter how hard I try to force them. Now I am realizing that my Demon really is on my side, but not to be trusted, because until the Days of Christ returns I cannot cast my Demon out without hurting myself in the process.

I wish there were Psychics to save the lost children. I wish there were Psychics to save the innocent victims. I wish I were Psychic, but I am not, I only have a Demon and so do you, we all do for the moment.

Originally posted by Greensage

Our Demons are acting out more and more every day, and to most they do not see how their actions and behaviors can cause such harm. Most think they are are being divinely guided.

Thanks for your reply.

I only wish to point out one error in perception of the above qouted by you. Divine guidance can be observed using one's 5 senss by others. It is there for all to see if it is divine guidance or acts of the devil.

We know what are the 7 deadly sins, and it is plain as sight for anyone to discern between the 2 diametrically opposites. And it is such awareness more are finally awakened to.

[edit on 1-8-2010 by SeekerofTruth101]