Deconstructing The Dead: Cross Over One Last Time To Expose Medium John Edward

Skeptic.com ^ | unknown | Michael Shermer

[NewsFlash]

The John Edwards, Crossing Over show was added to our TV line-up. It's a SHAME this guy is allowed a legitimate platform to scam grieving people. To add insult to injury, it's a FOX affiliate. Feel free to FReep them if you'd like. I did!

fox28prog@fox28.com

FOX's reply:

I've seen some of what you have provided already. Many people have different ideas on how Mr. Edwards does what he does. Many of those ideas have been proven wrong, but none of them have been proven right. Some people believe and others don't and I don't know the real answer. This is entertainment television. No one is hurt in the production of the show and no one pays any money to appear. We all have the ability to turn the channel and we exercise that right daily. I'm sorry you are disappointed and you don't approve of John Edwards, but I applaud your right to choose.

[I still care]

I read a very interesting expose last year in the Christian Research Institite magazine on telephone psychics. The person writing it worked as a telephone psychic. He rationalized it by telling himself that he was doing a lot of good - he would tell people to go to a professional counselor if they needed it, etc. People seemed to really need someone to talk to, and he took it to heart.

However, it bothered him that these people were paying by the minute, and ended up leaving because he realized, at the end, no matter how he thought he might help a person, in the end, he was just decieving them.

I recommend the Christian Research Journal for those who like to delve deeply into Christian theology, apologetics, and fraud. After reading it regularly one is much less likely to be taken in by religious scams such as John Edwards.

[EggsAckley]

religious scams such as John Edwards

I didn't realize that John Edward's show is a religious scam. I've watched it extensively, and there is absolutely NO religious content. Makes me think that YOU have NOT watched him.

As for him helping people, I had suffered the loss of my Dad and my favorite nephew, within two months of each other. I began watching John Edward, and I must say, he made me realize that I should open my eyes and be aware that there ARE "messages" being sent. No need for a medium, he even SAYS that. And I do get the messages now, quite frequently. Thanks to John Edwards.

[stylin19a]

Hmm....they didn't mention Hillary channelling Eleanor

[discostu]

Charlatan that will hopefully burn in everlasting hellfire bump.

This is an excellent article with a solid explanation of the tricks of mentalism.

[NEJake]

I can't speak fo John Edwards, and am generally a skeptic. That being said - My wife has always wanted to try a medium and I researched the New England area and found a woman in Boston area.

We scheduled a reading to be done over the phone(for $ 100.00), and we sent a certified bank check.

My wife and I were both on the phone for the reading, and the first thing that came up was an older woman. - BTW - if you ever do these - you never offer any information. Answer yes, no or maybe. Anyway - the older woman could have been described as anybody's garndmother... finally the medium told us "... She says you have her table..." and "...She's saying you have picture's out, and she's asking(in a joking way), 'Where's my picture'..." Remember - this is over the phone.

First of all - I have my Grandmother's table. Second - my wife had all sorts of pictures out - mostly of her relatives. At the time I only had a couple of pictures of my Grandfather, and none of my Grandmother.

I can't believe these things can be discerned over the phone, nor can I beieve that $100.00 could buy the time to gather this information.

[kjam22]

Every thing has religious content. Everything has a religious aspect. Everything.

[Portnoy]

Harry Houdini used to travel the country looking for "mediums" and exposing their "trick of the Trades".

Last year my girlfriend and I went to Key West. While we were there, we attended a Seance (sp?) Dinner Theater. It was actually quite amazing sitting there and letting the medium do his thing.

Afterwards, one of the other attendees of the seance was in tears because of her contact with the Beyond. Later, over a few drinks, I explained to my girlfriend most of the tricks the medium used to talk to the afterlife. If you think about it, its actually quite easy to figure out. Unfortunately, there are those who, no matter how many times you explain the trick, refuse to see these con artists for what they are...

[RANGERAIRBORNE]

Yes, this was a good article (I also recommend anything by James Randi on this topic)- however, it is futile to try to convince the gullible folks (like EggsAckley) that this just a simple scam- they REALLY, REALLY WANT to believe, and so they do.

Like the woman in California who fell for that stupid Nigerian money-transfer scheme and embezzled several hundred thousand dollars to send to some Nigerian con man- I'm sure that all the explanation in the world would not have swayed her from her delusion of instant riches.

People believe stupid things. Just a fact.

[RANGERAIRBORNE]

," and am generally a skeptic"

Yet you appear to have fallen for some fast-talking slickster who charged you $100 to tell you things you already knew. Not exactly MY definition of a "skeptic".

Credulous people who believe that they are REALLY hardheaded and practical are the natural prey of con-men. Good luck!

[EggsAckley]

Every thing has religious content. Everything has a religious aspect. Everything.

?

As I said, I have watched the show, and there IS no regilous element in it. Care to be a little more vague?

[EggsAckley]

Every thing has religious content. Everything has a religious aspect. Everything.

?

As I said, I have watched the show, and there IS no regilous element in it. Care to be a little more vague?

[wideawake]

The belief that people continue to consciously exist after physical death is a religious belief. In fact, it's not even a vague religious belief, but a belief which is found only in specific religions.

[discostu]

True you can't save the gullible, but you can save the "semi-gullible" who aren't sure yet. And anyway I'm friends with a lot of magicians and clowns like Edward give "honest mentalists" a bad name. If he was just doing the normal stage magic stuff I wouldn't havea problem with him, but instead he plays on the heartstrings and charges a ton for private readings, and that's sick.

Or, to put it in a way I'm sure a Ranger would understand: if even I can't win I have to try, it's a duty thing.

[EggsAckley]

it is futile to try to convince the gullible folks (like EggsAckley)

I never said I "believed" what I saw. I am not gullible, so keep your judgement calls to yourself, know-it-all. What I SAID was.......the show made me realize that I COULD receive messages myself.....don't need a medium for that.

PS: Placing this on the level with the Nigerian scam is insulting and idiotic. You ARE a real piece of work. No compassionate conservative here, no-siree. Just a mean and uncaring knee-jerk (emphasis on JERK.)

[EggsAckley]

True you can't save the gullible, but you can save the "semi-gullible" who aren't sure yet

Are you turning into a Liberal? THEY'RE the ones who are constantly trying to "save" people. Why is it SO IMPORTANT to "save" people from John Edward? Why is it any of your and RangerRoy's business anyway?

[RANGERAIRBORNE]

Oh, struck a nerve, did I? Well, I don't want to keep you- better check your message machine. Might be something important coming in from ther "other side"!

By the way, I have never claimed to be a "compassionate conservative". I think stupidity is worthy of ridicule, whether from the left or the right.

[EggsAckley]

stupidity is worthy of ridicule

Yes, indeedy. And I'm laughing my A$$ of at yours right now!!

[AshleyMontagu]

Ever seen the pet psychic on Animal Planet? People want to believe so badly that she can read their pets' minds. At least she's not preying on grieving relatives. I haven't watched her enough to know if she can communicate with dead pets though.

[discostu]

It's not a matter of discerning over the phone, it's just playing the odds. Most people have furniture that belonged to relatives (I have one of my grandmother's old tables and she's not even dead, recently I gave her back a bookcase that I'd gotten from her and she'd at one point given to my mother). And women, being more sentimental than men, are more likely to have picture of their relatives up, while men are likely to have missed some relative all together (in my house there are no pictures displayed of my relatives and pictures of most of my wife's immediate family displayed all over). Very standard stuff. Playing the odds and gender stereotypes. That's what readers are good at. Even simple yes/no/ maybe gives them tons of ammunition to help localize your personality and improve their guesses.