# "Crossing Over w/ John Edward"- for real or clever con? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 22, 2001, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossing-over-w-john-edward-for-real-or-clever-con/66151 "2001-05-22T01:58:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2001, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossing-over-w-john-edward-for-real-or-clever-con/66151/21 "2001-05-26T06:11:28Z")
> [@](#): > > I COULD be totally wrong, but I suspect John Edward is such a person. I don’t believe for a second that he has > ANY psychic powers, but he SEEMS like a nice enough fellow, and my hunch (take that for what little it’s worth) is > that he truly thinks he’s psychic. My hunch is is that one day Edward realized that he could turn a pretty penny by bilking people at their most vulernable. Fast forward a few years, and we have three (or is it four?) books and a TV Series, not to mention a lucrative touring schedule. He’ll probably go down in the annals of history as one of the greatest conmen ever. I mean, he can make people _cry_, and still manages to keep the smirk off his face as he collects their money. If only people in Hollywood were as talented as he is, movies would be a lot more interesting. ---
**Author:** ![elektrakitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b19c9b/32.png) [@elektrakitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elektrakitty)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossing-over-w-john-edward-for-real-or-clever-con/66151/22 "2003-09-07T14:09:42Z")
Ok - once again its the folks that have never personally gotten involved with a psychic of John Edward’s talents that go about smashing him. Two points: 1. James Randi has been “debunking” for over 20 years. I know that his million dollar award to anyone that can PROVE his ability is BS because I was involved for many years with attempting to “debunk” James Randi. I worked at a radio station where psychic George Anderson was a refular guest. This psychic was studied by leading scientific groups and was deemed by many as REAL. Randi made up excuses for being unavailable, hid away, and finally flat out refused to meet with the psychic. HE , not the psychics, is using this “schtick” to make himself rich. He’s full of crap and if he could make money selling books and doing tv appearances to prove water wasn’t real - he would. 2. I went as an anonymous and uninvited guest to a John Edward reading (two people removed from the original client so as to be completely anonymous and unexpected). There could be no prior investigating. Cold reading? Does that usually include knowing someone’s name, the European name of a relative, the cancer that was about to attack my husband, the exact details of my father’s death - including a very profound hospital mistake, the EXACT names of my father’s two closest dead relatives, and much more. I practiced making no facial expressions, I literally sat on my hands to prevent body language clues, I didn’t speak to the person who’s reading I encroached on. I am a firm cynic. More than ever since I lost a child of my own. I REFUSE to be taken advantage of. But I am astounded at the number of fools who choose to believe, when not personally confronted with someone’s psychic ability, that it must be faked. Shame on anyone who lets others make up their mind for them! ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossing-over-w-john-edward-for-real-or-clever-con/66151/23 "2003-09-07T15:56:42Z")
The [longest](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=156629) recent JE thread. He’s not even a very good cold reader. Most of his readings are hot ones. > [@](#): > > Cold reading? Does that usually include knowing someone’s name, the European name of a relative, the cancer that was about to attack my husband, the exact details of my father’s death - including a very profound hospital mistake, the EXACT names of my father’s two closest dead relatives, and much more. I practiced making no facial expressions, I literally sat on my hands to prevent body language clues, I didn’t speak to the person who’s reading I encroached on. Yes, **elektrakitty** that’s sounds like a cold reading to me. He’s a professional enterrainer. He gets paid for these tricks. All he has to do is look at what your eyes are doing, listen for hestitions in your voice, head looks up, head looks down. Shoulders shrug. Unless you’ve been trained by a professional to eliminate body language, he will read you like a book. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossing-over-w-john-edward-for-real-or-clever-con/66151/24 "2003-09-07T16:00:03Z")
The [longest](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=156629) recent JE thread. ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossing-over-w-john-edward-for-real-or-clever-con/66151/25 "2003-09-07T16:02:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elektrakitty \* > HE , not the psychics, is using this “schtick” to make himself rich. How? ---
**Author:** ![Black\_Train\_Song](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@Black\_Train\_Song](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Black_Train_Song)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossing-over-w-john-edward-for-real-or-clever-con/66151/26 "2003-09-07T16:29:15Z")
**Wicked Blue** , I’m guilty of the same thing. I didn’t create the chat room but once I saw that the “psychic” had already left I took the liberty of becoming one myself. I would just read peoples profiles and use that information in my reading. They were so easy to convince. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossing-over-w-john-edward-for-real-or-clever-con/66151/27 "2003-09-07T19:12:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astorian \* > \*\*I COULD be totally wrong, but I suspect John Edward is such a person. I don’t believe for a second that he has ANY psychic powers, but he SEEMS like a nice enough fellow, and my hunch (take that for what little it’s worth) is that he truly thinks he’s psychic. \*\* [south park] Kyle: You’re a douche JE: I’m not a douche! What id I really do believe I can talk to dead people? Kyle: Then you’re a stupid douche. [/south park] He’s a con man, plain and simple. There is nothing that he can do that I cannot, save not laughing out loud when the gullible people believe every word I say. ---
**Author:** ![Murcielago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Murcielago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Murcielago)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossing-over-w-john-edward-for-real-or-clever-con/66151/28 "2003-09-07T21:03:16Z")
As the audience enters in to these scams with a desire to believe, the cons don’t need to be particularly clever. People will ignore several wrong guesses and cling to the “correct” ones, even though often times they have unwittingly provided the information themselves. I lost my only brother and both parents by the age of 22, so I understand their grief and vulnerability. To prey on this is beyond disgusting. Memories are all you have left and to sully those with this nonsense is vile, even if these charlatans actually believe they are providing a “service.” ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossing-over-w-john-edward-for-real-or-clever-con/66151/29 "2003-09-07T21:15:51Z")
Since a lot of people have already talked about what a complete bullshit artist (I use the term loosely) John Edward is, I’ll try something different. Which is a more sensible explanation: 1) He’s using some well-known and easy-to-understand techniques (you can read them explained in the [skepdic.com](http://skepdic.com) article) to get responses from people _who are already willing to believe him and give him the benefit of the doubt_, or 2) He is somehow able to commune with the spirit world. Lemme think about it. Also, the man is on a taped, edited television show. If he blows a bunch of guesses, do you think they’ll make it to the air? I sure don’t. Likewise, they can edit “Jim- Joe- John- Joan- Joanne- Joanna” to just “Joanna” if that happens to be the right answer. Conniving sample bias kind of stuff. The man is a :wally ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossing-over-w-john-edward-for-real-or-clever-con/66151/30 "2003-09-07T22:00:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elektrakitty \* > I’m no idiot One can be very smart and still be fooled. > [@](#): > > I worked at a radio station where psychic George Anderson was a refular guest. This psychic was studied by leading scientific groups and was deemed by many as REAL. Wouldn’t such a radio station (and its audience) that has this “psychic” on regularly be biased in his favor? And please give the names of those “leading scientific groups” and where their studies were published. > [@](#): > > Randi made up excuses for being unavailable, hid away, and finally flat out refused to meet with the psychic. Exactly what were these excuses? Surely he’s not obligated to appear in a venue that’s probably biased against him. He has plenty of experience in that already. > [@](#): > > HE , not the psychics, is using this “schtick” to make himself rich. He’s full of crap and if he could make money selling books and doing tv appearances to prove water wasn’t real - he would. This is quite an accusation. Can you provide documentation? > [@](#): > > I am a firm cynic. More than ever since I lost a child of my own. I REFUSE to be taken advantage of. But I am astounded at the number of fools who choose to believe, when not personally confronted with someone’s psychic ability, that it must be faked. Shame on anyone who lets others make up their mind for them! I am sincerely sorry for your loss. But I’m no longer astounded by the number of people who are 100% sure they can’t be fooled and who see “psychic ability” which can’t be distinguished from a technique well-known among magicians. Shame on them. ---
**Author:** ![Beagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Beagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beagle)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossing-over-w-john-edward-for-real-or-clever-con/66151/31 "2003-09-07T23:11:59Z")
Spirits come to him single letter at a time. :dubious: I have “feelings” about things that come somewhat true all the time. I thought Miami would win the damn game 38-31. Am I four points from being psychic? I did a lot of internet transactions and had a credit card stolen. I had a ‘feeling’ and then checked my credit card account. I don’t usually check it. Hmmm? I _must be_ psychic. Or, maybe I rationally concluded what with all the hackers and hackings recently that I better check. ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossing-over-w-john-edward-for-real-or-clever-con/66151/32 "2003-09-08T01:33:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elektrakitty \* > \*\*Does that usually include knowing someone’s name, the European name of a relative, the cancer that was about to attack my husband, the exact details of my father’s death - including a very profound hospital mistake, the EXACT names of my father’s two closest dead relatives, and much more. It would be interesting if we had a transcript of your conversation. Did he come right out and say your name on the first guess? Or did he say that he was sensing a name with a certain letter or sound, and then wait for YOU to spill the beans and say the full name? ---
**Author:** ![elektrakitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b19c9b/32.png) [@elektrakitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elektrakitty)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossing-over-w-john-edward-for-real-or-clever-con/66151/33 "2003-09-08T01:52:46Z")
He straight out said my name. He also straight out said “who is David and who is Joseph” - my grandfather and uncle - my father’s two closest dead relatives. The European name was confusing to me because he kept saying Elizabeth - but not quite - and I just couldn’t for the life of me identify this person. This is the person who warned me of my husband’s impending cancer. Once home, my husband told me that his long diceased grandmother’s name was Elissabetha. I’m telling you this is all true…I still to this day try and figure out how it could be a parlor trick. I wish desperately to know the “truth” because I do not want to be made a fool of - but HOW does he do the name thing - no fishing and only giving names that make sense? How did he know the exact details - of the hospital’s really weird mistake with my dad on the night he died? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossing-over-w-john-edward-for-real-or-clever-con/66151/34 "2003-09-08T02:03:01Z")
Moving this to Great Debates. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossing-over-w-john-edward-for-real-or-clever-con/66151/35 "2003-09-08T02:08:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elektrakitty \* > \*\*He straight out said my name. He also straight out said “who is David and who is Joseph” - my grandfather and uncle - my father’s two closest dead relatives. The European name was confusing to me because he kept saying Elizabeth - but not quite - and I just couldn’t for the life of me identify this person. This is the person who warned me of my husband’s impending cancer. Once home, my husband told me that his long diceased grandmother’s name was Elissabetha. > I’m telling you this is all true…I still to this day try and figure out how it could be a parlor trick. I wish desperately to know the “truth” because I do not want to be made a fool of - but HOW does he do the name thing - no fishing and only giving names that make sense? How did he know the exact details - of the hospital’s really weird mistake with my dad on the night he died? \*\* Can you provide an _unedited_ transcript of this reading? Of all the transcripts of read of his readings, and I’ve read hundreds, none have been as accurate as the reading you supposedly recieved from him. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossing-over-w-john-edward-for-real-or-clever-con/66151/36 "2003-09-08T02:17:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elektrakitty \* > \*\*He straight out said my name. He also straight out said “who is David and who is Joseph” - my grandfather and uncle - my father’s two closest dead relatives. The European name was confusing to me because he kept saying Elizabeth \*\* David, Joseph and Elizabeth are ALL extremely common names. I don’t know what your name is, but it’s probably common too. i’ve seen videotape of these cold readings, and people give away and extraordinary amount of information, but completely forget that, remembering only that the “psychic” read them. He ain’t psychic and neither is anyone else. If they can prove they are, JREF has $1 million for them. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossing-over-w-john-edward-for-real-or-clever-con/66151/37 "2003-09-08T02:29:32Z")
Well, elektrakitty has _me_ convinced. Just kidding. Show us a transcript. Actually, I’m a little surprised elektra doesn’t have a videotape of the show. If I was going to appear on a television program, I’d have taped the broadcast. Besides, even if the transcript is an accurate description of your account (which I doubt), that doesn’t prove Edward has psychic ability. It would still be easier to believe his staffers did some research on you and fed Edward the information so he could make a “hot reading”. Compared to that, the existence of psychic communication is pretty unlikely. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossing-over-w-john-edward-for-real-or-clever-con/66151/38 "2003-09-08T02:36:50Z")
**Elektrakitty** , might this explain anything? > [@](#): > > _from Shermer’s [SkepDic.com](http://SkepDic.com) article_ > Also, his “production assistants” were always around while we waited to get into the studio. They told us to keep very quiet, and they overheard a lot. I think that the whole place is bugged somehow. Also, once in the studio we had to wait around for almost two hours before the show began. Throughout that time everybody was talking about what dead relative of theirs might pop up. Remember that all this occurred under microphones and with cameras already set up. My guess is that he was backstage listening and looking at us all and noting certain readings. When he finally appeared, he looked at the audience as if he were trying to spot people he recognized. He also had ringers in the audience. I can tell because about fifteen people arrived in a chartered van, and once inside they did not sit together." Also, you’re doing something that’s pretty common: giving him the benefit of the doubt. The woman’s named wasn’t Elizabeth, but he said something close to it, so you’re counting it as a hit, beefing up Edward’s numbers. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossing-over-w-john-edward-for-real-or-clever-con/66151/39 "2003-09-08T02:38:13Z")
I’m sorry, that’s from the [Skeptic.com](http://Skeptic.com) piece. SkepDic is something else. Carry on… ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossing-over-w-john-edward-for-real-or-clever-con/66151/40 "2003-09-08T02:58:20Z")
_Posted by Kiki:_ > [@](#): > > I just watched Crossing Over last night and my SO and I were discussing it. I don’t really believe in physics but he seemed to have a lot of “hits” and knew things that he shouldn’t know. You don’t believe in physics? So you think the strong and weak nuclear forces are just a lot of hooey? Incidentally, as I do every time we have one of these threads, I’d like to point out that John **Edward** is the phoney “psychic” douche, whereas John **Edwards** is a U.S. Senator from South Carolina (Democrat). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossing-over-w-john-edward-for-real-or-clever-con/66151.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossing-over-w-john-edward-for-real-or-clever-con/66151.md?page=3)