[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.

[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.

[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...

[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.

[tdadams]

No one is hurt in the production of the show and no one pays any money to appear.

This may be true about the show, but what many people don't know is that Edward uses his stature to book high-priced private readings at his headquarters in New York. He charges about $300 an hour and is booked for months in advance.

Do you still want to say no one's being scammed?

[Nonstatist]

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.

Hey, here's a news flash, News Flash! The guy's a pisk scam artist with a lot of khutspe and anyone who falls for his shtick is a shlemiel! He's also a gonif and a shmendrik, and didn't you learn anything in school, or are you all farblondzhet !?!

[nastypumps]

I've watched this guy & noted how the edits work (anyone w/a bit of TV production exp., like me, can see it clearly), further, there is no mystery in all this...most folks who conduct investigations, interview a variety of people in depth for employment or have some other type of exp/training in the behavioral approach to gathering & evaluating info. develop what appears to be an uncanny knack for "predicting" the future or "seeing" into the truth of someone's past & even current thoughts.
I've taught behavioral interviewing for 30 yrs. & my method (trademarked as "Predictive Selection")
appears uncanny in its accurate precasting & forecasting of people's lives (in this case, as related to employment issues & performance) but there's nothing special about it at all! As to Mr. E...read the book or see my favorite film on the subject of acts that mindread/commune with the dearly departed called Nightmare Alley.
The other guru in the field is that talon-nailed Queen of the Darned, Sylvia Brown (or Browne) who has had quite a career. Now she's really g-o-o-d!
Who has not yearned to speak w/a lost loved one? Who has not felt their "presence"? I don't care about the Miss Cleo fools, but there isn't a circle in hell hot enough for con artists who prey on the sad and desparate.
Then again, that $500 mill' billing figure IS tempting, no?

[philetus]

The only spirits that communicate with the living are evil spirits.

[BSunday]

Hey Ami, there's an amusing discussion going on here.

[steve-b]

There was a great sendup of Edward on PVP (start here and continue through the next two weeks).

[BSunday]

Al Gore communicating with his dead presidential hopes

[Contra]

Jesus in the Bible talked about "letting the dead bury their own" and "familiar spirits." This kind of stuff is nothing to fool with, whether so-called mediums are for real or not (and I think they are all frauds, anyway). The real shame of it is that they do prey upon people at their most vulnerable time. People are gullible and want to believe during this time. Grieving friends and family of the deceased would be well-advised to steer clear of "mediums" and look to Jesus Christ for comfort.

[Mamzelle]

I'm very skeptical of self-described "skeptics"--these days it's a euphemism, a code-language for *atheist*, as is "free thinker". Who can object to a free thinker?

The Skeptical Enquirer is an atheist rag, supported by the same crew that organized "Godless March on America" a couple weeks back.

Supposedly, Skeptics protect us poor gullible types from superstition.

People watch these psychic shows for entertainment, or avoid them because they're boring. They're interesting only so far as you can see the techniques that characters like Edwards use...they have a rapid-fire patter, and cast about distractingly until they hit on a salient fact.

How many actually believe them? The same people who believe what's in those UFO tabloids they sell at the grocery checkout stand.

It's a waste of time to attempt to debunk them. I guess "Skeptics" have time to waste.

[Ditter]

Well blow my dress up!!!!!!!!!!!! John Edwards is a fake!!!!!!

[spectre]

Just this morning, I watched James van Praagh. Yes, it seemed impressive enough, untill the end.

As the credits were rolling, the announcer came on and said that if anyone wants tickets to come to the show, they should call the 800 number, etc., with their name and address so the tickets could be sent.

Now, armed with the information about his audience members, names, addresses...which lead to the hometown obit page, etc., it wouldn't be very hard for James to be accurate about certain people who "crossed over".

How is it done? Tickets, names, home-towns, seat numbers...and some very cheap detective work. JMO.

sw