Could it be that psychic Sylvia Browne is not infallible?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I had total trust in Sylvia until I read this article at the New York Daily News website. Can this be true? Say it ain’t so!

You may remember the recent news story where a missing boy was found along with another boy that had been gone for several years (CNN). The latter (the boy missing for several years) was named Shawn Hornbeck.

On the Montel Williams show in February 2003 Sylvia Browne told the parents that she believed their son was dead, and the body could be found in some woods 20 miles from their home. It seems that some search teams redirected their efforts to their woods after her “vision”, and people in the area of the woods started calling in phone tips. The parents also claim that she offered additional psychic services for a fee (a claim Ms. Browne denies).

Perhaps Ms. Browne should use the preview function on her predictions. Her edit function doesn’t go back 4 years.

2

I will presume for the moment that this statement was made in jest … Yet I am constantly amazed by how many otherwise intelligent people (including my wife :o - who has purchased 6 of Sylvia’s books :eek: :smack: :confused: :mad: ) who think Sylvia is for real.*

For the moment, I am also gleeful that CourtTV is having a dispute with DishNetwork and is not currently being aired. At least for the time being I don’t have to suffer through ‘Psysick Detectives’ for a while …

*(Just in case anyone out there in Doper land hasn’t learned the truth, you really need to check out this site, and then visit the James Randi Educational Foundation to find out more about this woman. And so many others …)

Lucy

3

I have no opinion on Ms. Brown, but I could swear that when I first read this thread’s title it said, “Could it be that psychic Sylvia Browne is not inflatable?”

4

Yes, LucyInDisguise, I was joking about my trust in Sylvia Browne. I didn’t know that James Randi had also mentioned this on his website. The one thing I don’t know is if Sylvia Browne sincerely believes she is a psychic. I’ve never seen her on television. But I assume she has faith in her own powers.

Misnomer, I hope that Sylvia Browne is not inflatable. That brings up gruesome images.

5

If she did she’d have taken Randi’s test by now.

Browne knows damn well she isn’t a psychic. She’s a con artist.

6

:cool:

(Having previously noted “SDSAB” under your name, I will now cease wiping sweat from brow …) :smiley:

Oh Yeah, and to what RickJay said, ditto. Any ideas on how to deal with my wife’s fantasy? [No, not that one! The one where she believes in … ughhhh … you know … psychotic stuff …]

Lucy

7

You think that’s bad. Take a look at this clip of her.

In a way, it’s appalling that she continues after hearing she’s obviously wrong.

8

I would think it’s possible to deceive themselves with the common excuse that “my power won’t work when I am surrounded by unsympathetic minds or negative vibrations”, and use that as the explanation as to why their powers couldn’t work in a “controlled” environment. A con artist would do that of course, but a person that has belief in their “powers” might do that too.

I am willing to admit that Sylvia Browne could be a con artist, but, as I say, I’ve never seen her in person or on television.

9

The New York Daily News article in the OP mentioned that she was on Montel Williams’ show on Wednesday, so he deserves some blame for giving her a forum to air her crap. But I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt; perhaps the show was taped some time ago. So I hope he doesn’t invite her on again.