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Sylvia Browne

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Sylvia Browne

Sylvia Browne (born Sylvia Celeste Shoemaker on October 19, 1936 in Kansas City, Missouri) is an American fraudster, who has been convicted of investment fraud and grand theft. She is a self-proclaimed psychic medium, and author of numerous books on spirituality.

However, since Browne declines to be tested under controlled conditions, and because her readings are indistinguishable from those achieved by mentalists (entertainers who create the illusion of being psychic by using techniques such as cold reading, warm reading and hot reading), skeptics believe Browne to be a fraud and confidence artist, callously making money off of the pain and suffering of those grieving over the loss of their loved ones.

Claims of psychic ability

In a 2001 interview with Larry King, Browne stated that she is Jewish. Her stated beliefs include the notion of spirit guides: discarnate spirits who have previously lived mortal lives and now watch over currently living mortals. Communication from these guides might manifest, for example, as the "little voice in the head" telling a person to go another way home from work to avoid danger, or waking up a person in the middle of the night with news that someone has died. Browne professes the ability to speak with her spirit guides, and has given details of fifty-four of her own former lives as divined by them.

She also claims to know what it is like in Heaven. In her book Life On The Other Side, she says the temperature is a constant 72 degrees Fahrenheit, that there are no insects (unless you want there to be), that pets go to Heaven, and that you can build your house wherever you want it to be unless it obscures the view of a river or some trees, in which case you need permission. She asserts that the other side exists approximately three feet above ground level and at a higher vibrational level and so is difficult for humans to perceive. However, she claims to have been born, like other psychics, able to perceive a wider range of vibrational frequencies.

Browne once declared that she could see angels. She said they had wings and looked exactly the same as they do in paintings.[1]

History as a psychic

Browne began performing psychic readings in 1973 and has attracted a relatively large following. She has performed thousands of one-on-one readings and with a wide variety of groups and individuals. She is known to have provided information to police departments and the FBI, however police officers and family members say that in all 35 cases she worked on she played no useful role. It is also claimed she has advised former U.S. presidents; but little evidence exists to support these claims.

Browne has made many predictions of varying accuracy concerning the future, including that Bill Clinton was falsely accused in the Lewinsky scandal (proved false), claiming that Bill Bradley would win the 2000 U.S. presidential election with the Reform Party coming in second, the "hiding in caves" of Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein, the death of bin Laden (later reported by the CIA as false), a verdict of "not guilty" in the Robert Blake case (later established true), and the appearance of alien life on Earth by the year 2010. Her predictions have not touched upon some of the major events of the last few years such as the September 11, 2001 attacks or the wars in Afghanistan or Iraq (though Ms. Browne has stated she was not given the 9/11 information "beforehand", other than having rather disturbing dreams involving a lot of fire). Most of her past predictions no longer appear on her website, but can be found on Internet archives such as the Wayback Machine. Browne's predictions for the year 2000, however, are still viewable directly on her site. She acquired the surname Brown during the third of her four marriages, and enhanced it with a final e for her stage name.

Television and radio

Browne is a frequent guest on US television and radio programs. She has appeared numerous times on Larry King Live as well as the Montel Williams Show and Coast to Coast AM. During these appearances she usually discusses her abilities with the host and then performs readings of audience members or callers, with varying degrees of success.

On some occasions other guests at her appearances have included skeptics, with one of the more frequent ones beings James Randi. These shows typically result in a lot of verbal sparring between the two, with both trying to convince the audience that their point of view is the right one.

In March, 2004, their feud escalated on the popular St. Louis radio program, The Paul Harris Show, when Randi came out and called Browne a liar, referring to her claims about Randi's Million Dollar Challenge and other statements she had made about Randi.

Criticism

Some skeptics assert that during her readings Browne cold reads to fish for information, rather than displaying psychic abilities. Some also assert that during her televised performances she may be chatting with the audience during commercial breaks and using the information gleaned when the cameras roll again. Other critics, particularly those of the Christian right, may also point to the similarity of her beliefs to those of the New Agers/"Christian" Witches, although her beliefs diverge significantly from the commonly-held beliefs prescribed in Wicca and other pagan varieties.

Sago Mine controversy

Recently, many skeptics have cited an incident involving Browne which occurred on the U.S. radio program Coast to Coast AM with George Noory as evidence for their allegations of deception and fraud. The incident, which was broadcast live on January 3 2006, involved Sylvia Browne making her predictions for 2006. Browne and Noory were discussing the nature of her psychic premonitions, when Noory brought up the 2006 Sago Mine disaster. At this time it was believed, due to erroneous news reports, that twelve of the thirteen trapped miners had been found alive. A transcript of the conversation follows:

Noory: Of course, this is after the fact, with the twelve or thirteen coal miners they found successfully.
Browne: I know.
Noory: Had you been on the program today, and had they not been found, would you have felt as if, because they had heard no sounds, that this was a very gloomy moment, and they might have all died?
Browne: No, I knew they were going to be found. Uh, you know, I hate people who say something after the fact. It's just like I knew when the Pope was dead and I said it on, thank God I was on Montel's show, and I said, according to the time, it was 9-something and whatever Rome time was, and I said he's gone, and he was.

In this segment of conversation, Browne clearly states that she "knew" the miners would be found alive. Although Browne made no specific statement that this was a psychic premonition, this statement was presented as an example of her psychic abilities.

A short while later in the program the news broke that the original reports were incorrect, and only one of the thirteen miners was alive. Browne was still with a clearly shocked Noory and the following conversation ensued:

Noory: We're going to follow that story this hour when we're with you, Sylvia, taking phone calls and then...
Browne: Right.
Noory: For those of you who are with our affiliate stations, I will be live in that last hour of Coast to Coast...
Browne: Yeah, I don't think there's, I don't think there's, I don't really think there's anybody alive. If there is, I think maybe only one, I just don't believe that there's... I haven't heard anything because I've been with you, but I just don't think they are alive.
Noory: That's frustrating.
Browne: It's terrible, isn't it?
Noory: O.K, let's go the phones.

Later in the program, Noory once again brought the issue up with Browne, in what many see as an attempt by Noory to allow Browne to correct her previous contradiction. Instead, they claim, Browne came out looking worse.

Noory: Sylvia, with the accuracy rate that you have, and it is very high, of the few that you get wrong, do they sometimes become right, maybe later on?
Browne: Yeah, but see I never... I didn't believe that they were alive
Noory: What's that? The miners?
Browne: Uhuh.
Noory: Oh, okay.
Browne: No, I think that they're... and see I've been on the show with you, so I don't know but I don't think that there's any that are gonna make it.
Noory: Well, that's not a good situation.
Browne: No.
Noory: Thirteen were in there, they said one had died, 12 were alive.
Browne: Well, there's 12 gone
Noory: I think the misunderstanding for you was that I was telling you, after the fact, that they were alive. Had that story not broken while we were on the air... what do you think would have happened ? And that's where I think we threw a curve ball at you.
Browne: Yeah, no, I just believed that they were gone.
Noory: Well, I think unfortunately you may be right.

This has been highlighted by many as a clear example of Browne's lack of psychic abilities, citing her sudden reversal of opinion when informed of the development. James Randi, one of the lead figures in skeptical thinking, wrote on his website "For anyone not familiar with the methods of these charlatans, this would appear to be a calamitous failure, a blow-out, a total screw-up - but not to anyone familiar with the callous likes of Sylvia Browne."

Many skeptics have also criticized Noory for failing to be more direct with Browne about this change of view.

Browne vs. Randi

One notable critic of Browne has been James Randi. On September 3, 2001 Browne stated on Larry King Live that she would accept the James Randi Educational Foundation's (JREF) $1,000,000 challenge to demonstrate supernatural abilities in a controlled scientific test. However, as of 2006, Browne has failed to contact the Foundation or respond to Randi's enquiries.

Over subsequent years Browne has since offered several reasons for her failure to take part in the challenge:

  • She does not need nor want the money.
  • The money is tainted.
  • Neither Randi or the JREF has $1,000,000.
  • The tests are rigged so no claimant can possibly win.

In support of her final claim, Browne often quotes Randi as saying that he'll never have to pay the money because "I always have an out". Randi, in turn, responds that this quote is taken out of context and his actual words were "I always have an out - I'm right", referring to his belief that no one can win the challenge because no one possesses any kind of paranormal ability.

Randi also often mocks the logical inconsistency of her statements that she is not interested in the money, yet at the same time requires proof of its existence. He also goes on to point out that money is held by an independent investment firm, Goldman Sachs, and proof of its existence [2] can be obtained by requesting a copy of the most recent account statement from the JREF.

Sylvia retorts that the JREF refuses to put the money into escrow with the implication that this is because it doesn't exist. Randi originally defended the decision, highlighting the fact that the challenge rules clearly state the money will not be placed in escrow. However, as of November 2003, Randi decided to make an exception for Browne, and declared that the money will be placed in escrow, proposing either Larry King or Montel Williams, both supporters of Browne, as suitable escrow agents.

After making this announcement, Randi stated on his website "We have now met each and every objection made by Sylvia Browne, except that she does not like me." [3] (emphasis his).

A chronology of the feud between the two is available from Skeptic Report.

Browne responses to Randi

Browne's website posted a message sometime after August 1 2005 which appeared to be directed at Randi. It claimed that Browne has never seen confirmation of the existence of the million dollars, (which Randi said he sent by certified mail), suggesting it may be due to Randi sending the package to a previous business address. However, Randi's weekly newsletter dated May 30 2003 [4] claimed the documents were mailed over two years before the date Browne said she relocated. Randi said he has a certified mail receipt from the U.S. Postal Service to confirm the package was refused by the intended recipient at 12:08 p.m. on May 22 2003.

Browne also said she feels no need to prove herself by accepting the million dollar challenge and implored Randi to donate the money to a worthy cause or charity, as she claims she would do. To quote: "Let me clarify: I have no interest in your $1 million or any intention of pursuing it. (See above position on jumping through hoops.) "

Criminal conviction

In 1992, Browne and her estranged husband were indicted on several charges of investment fraud and grand theft. The Superior Court of Santa Clara County, California, found that Browne and her husband sold securities in a gold-mining venture under false pretences. In at least one instance, they told a couple their US $20,000 investment was to be used for immediate operating costs. Instead, the money was transferred to an account for their Nirvana Foundation for Psychic Research.

Critics argue that this incident highlights Browne's unscrupulous nature and raises the question, why did Browne fail to foresee her own conviction? In response to this, Browne explains that her psychic abilities do not work on herself.

Books and business

Browne has written a number of books that include both serious and humorous stories detailing her adventures. She is the head of the Sylvia Browne Corporation, and the founder of a church in Campbell, California known as the Society of Novus Spiritus. According to its website, (see external links), the church employs forty ministers, and refers to itself as "Gnostic Christian". It states that it follows the same traditions and teachings which Jesus himself followed, yet does not exclude Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, or Hinduism.

See also

References

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