Another "psychic" is exposed as a fake...

[Archae]

Big surprise, wouldn't you say? :eyes:

New Psychic Sally Morgan hears voices from the other side (via a hidden earpiece) by Chris French - "According to her website, Sally Morgan is "Britain's best-loved psychic"....Could it be that, like so many self-professed psychic superstars in the past, Morgan is nothing more than a self-serving con artist?" This episode is reminiscent of the exposure of faith healer Peter Popoff by James Randi in 1986. Popoff would wow his audiences by giving specific and accurate details of their medical problems before claiming to cure them with his divine powers. This information was, according to Popoff, provided to him directly by God. It was certainly an effective technique, as at this time Popoff was raking in around $4m per month (tax-free) from his poor, sick, and uneducated followers.

http://networkedblogs.com/nnTQm

[Fire Walk With Me]

1. rofl

[RKP5637]

2. Much like religion IMO, there's much $$$ to be made. n/t

[jberryhill]

5. You just don't have an open mind

But if you open your mind, I'll open your wallet.

[RKP5637]

6. Yep!!! n/t

[pitohui]

15. well there isn't very much money to be made

this woman may be an exception but most psychics i know are destitute

nothing screws up your ability to operate in mainstream society quite like noisy voices in your head screaming for attention

it might actually be easier for a fake psychic to make a living than it would be for the real thing, for sure, the psychics i knew who actually seemed to know something were broke on their ass

[Archae]

16. Depends on marketing.

Sylvia Browne has *NEVER* shown to be anything but a fake.

She even royally screwed up, saying a boy had been abducted and murdered, and would be "found near water."
Turns out the kid was alive and being held captive by a vicious child-molester.

She's hardly "destitute."

And then there are the TV "psychics..."
Yeah, they really are "destitute."

And you know what we call "noisy voices in one's head?"
Schizophrenia.

[pitohui]

20. i don't know any genuine psychics who are into marketing

do you? did you ever really think sylvia brown was anything other than an entertainer? no offense...

[Archae]

21. You don't know any "genuine psychics."

If they aren't lying like Sylvia Browne does, they are self-deluded.

"Gee, I got these super-powers!" :eyes:

[Odin2005]

27. "genuine psychic" is an oxymoron.

[trotsky]

43. No True Psychic Scotsman! n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

64. We are starting to get evidence of a sixth sense

Even limited foresight...but full fledge psychics...I don't think so

[Major Hogwash]

81. And mine tells me that you won't be here on Friday.

Whether you want to be . . or not!

Dunn, dunn, dunn.

LoL

[nadinbrzezinski]

88. You might be correct

Family emergency. And if the wireless in Mexico city ain't working...

Oh tingly.

[Odin2005]

25. If you have voices in your head you are not "psychic", you are Schizophrenic.

[Major Nikon]

30. Unless the voice is god

Then you can either go to work for the 700 club or become presidunce. Then if you really want to have some fun you can invade a sovereign country and when the people ask why you just tell them god told you. How can anyone possibly argue with that?

[Name removed]

68. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[greyl]

79. Scientists say there are many more than 5 senses. "Psychics" are behind the curve as always.

http://harvardmedicine.hms.harvard.edu/fascinoma/fivesenses/beyond/extra.php

http://www.cracked.com/article_19296_6-lies-about-human-body-you-learned-in-kindergarten.html

[Dogtown]

48. *Exactly* like religion:

Chicanery and fraud.

[SpiralHawk]

3. Another 'scientist" exposed as right-wing troglodyte reality-denying materialist

Read all about it.

You'll have to do your own damn googling, though. Story is too damn common to bother citing just one instance.

We need to something about these damn 'scientists.'

[Confusious]

7. A majority (> 75%) of scientists are left wing

Who are you taking about in this "common" story? And why do you have a sig line with a woo site?

I can only assume that you have something against science and are pushing new age claptrap.

[Abin Sur]

14. It should be noted that the phrase "new age claptrap" is inherently redundant.

[Archae]

18. The music is ok...

:-)

[SpiralHawk]

39. "Assume" ? WTF?

You call that "science"?

Puh-lease...sounds like one of them there 1-800 psychic predator expressions...

[Confusious]

105. Again, you make no sense

Call what science? The exposure of a fake?

I was talking about your picture.

[i am That.]

73. Science is the child of Spirit. n/t

[Odin2005]

23. What a dumb post.

[SidDithers]

49. +1...nt

Sid

[AngkorWot]

55. War on psychics? Must be ancient aliens.

[Quantess]

87. Who told him that was a good hairstyle?

You don't need psychic powers to know that's not a good look.

[NYC_SKP]

4. Peter Popoff sells a "Miracle Spring Water and Debt Cancellation Kit". I can't wait!!!

Nothing suspicious about this sort of thing to some people, I guess, or he wouldn't be so successful.

[johnnie]

8. Princess Diana used her

Goes to show you what a sucker the princess was too.

[SidDithers]

9. K&R...

there is no psychic ability. Mysticism is bunk.

Sid

[roguevalley]

10. I have talked to two psychics in my life, Laurie Campbell and

George Anderson. They aren't bunk. Just because one is does that mean they all are? You need to see for yourself before you pronounce them cons. They aren't. Some will blow your mind. And as far as it goes, I know when people are going to die. I tell you personally, it isn't bunk.

[pipi_k]

11. I saw one, years ago, with a friend. The guy only knew our first names...

He was an older guy with blue/white eyes (the irises, I mean).

His house was a pigsty. Cans and newspapers piled up everywhere.

Like I said, he only knew our first names...nothing more about us.

He was spooky accurate in what he told me. Things nobody else would know. Specific things that had happened, and that were going on at the time. I forget what else he said about the future...I was too creeped out to remember much.

[roguevalley]

12. I never met Laurie and George. It was a phone call and they told

me that if I said anything they would be pissed. In a nice way of course. 60 things about my situation including the floorplan of my house, so that my mom would be sure I knew it was her. George was uncanny. Both of them are the most studied psychics around. Until you go through the experience, you cannot know. I have the tapes and play them once in a while. it is wonderfully comforting.

[shanti]

26. george anderson

has been around for quite some time now. i've read one of his books, he feels like the real thing. i'd love to have a reading by him, but it is very $$$!

[roguevalley]

36. yeah. I saved up. He is amazzzing. I can't emphasize that enough

but the one who hit the closest to my mother was Laurie Campbell. She is unbelievable and one of the nicest people ever.

[greyl]

118. The less one understands how they are achieving that high-priced effect,

the more amazing it is. It's the same way with admitted magicians and those on the edge of fraud such as David Blane and Chris Angel

[jberryhill]

120. Oh that's easy...

Send me 100 people and let me predict their future. I'll charge them $10.

The five guys that come back next week and say "wow, you were right!" are going to have to pay a little more.

This is the "reverse Geico effect". You see, Geico tells you that the average person who switched to Geico saved 15% or more. Allstate says the same thing. They can both be right because practically NOBODY switches to another company of their rate would be higher. The ones who switch - to any company - do so primarily because they can get a better rate.

[jberryhill]

71. Question:

If someone tells me things about myself which only I would know, then what do I gain from the experience?

I already know that stuff.

That someone else would do that would certainly be surprising, but what do I get out of having someone tell me things about myself which they have no apparent reason to know?

For example, let's say I sit down and someone tells me my middle name, favorite color, names of my friends, and so on. That's impressive. But so what?

[pipi_k]

116. First he told me things only I would know

so I could judge as to whether he knew what he was talking about.

Then, like I said, he told me things about the future that I would NOT know at the time.

Anybody can tell you things about your future. But when they tell you things only YOU would know, and THEN tell you about your future, that sort of makes it more real, I would think.

[jberryhill]

119. But how would those two abilities be related?

My sister can play the guitar and piano.

If I show you how well I can play a guitar, then would you believe I can play the piano?

In other words, let's say he had the ability to know things only you would know, and forget that people say the same exact thing when a mentalist does a cold read. Let's say he actually has that ability.

I don't see how that ability implies a totally unrelated ability to know future events. Why should one imply the other?

[Hugabear]

126. How do you know it's not just a huge coincidence?

First of all, the really "good" psychics are really adept at reading people, by inferences about them just by reading their body language, the way they're dressed, the way they talk, etc. If they know that you're coming ahead of time, they can also do some research on you, prepare themselves for your visit. For things that they don't really know, they'll throw out generalities, hoping that you'll latch on to them. For instance, they might throw out a couple of very common names ('I'm sensing a John...or a James...or perhaps a Jason...') and wait for you to either verbally or subconsciously react.

As for "predicting" the future - most of that is also done with a lot of vague generalizations. They might throw in some specific predictions as well - knowing that for every 100 predictions that they get wrong, you'll forget those and remember the one that they got right.

[GoneOffShore]

13. She didn't see this coming? Oh Noes!!

[sakabatou]

17. If psychics really wanted to prove themselves

They'd go for the James Randi Prize.

[Archae]

19. That's just it, the Randi prize tightens up the conditions so they can't cheat.

That's why they fail. EVERY time.

Looks like a couple cold readers suckered a couple people above.

[Odin2005]

22. They are all fakes.

[Hugabear]

24. whats truly amazing is people still believe this bullshit

You would think nowadays, nobody would believe in psychics, ghosts, and other supernatural nonsense.

[Archae]

28. Hey people believe in sorts of crap.

Even long after it's been shown to be crap.

Conspiracy theories.

Flying saucers.

Fundy religions.

Crystals.

Faith healing.

Exorcism.

Republicans. :-)

[trotsky]

45. You forgot to put "Supply-side Economics" on that list! n/t

[Major Nikon]

33. Many people believe in talking snakes, global flood, man living inside a whale, ...

talking bushes, talking donkeys, apocalypse/rapture, Native Americans are the lost tribe of Israel, virgin birth, people that came from volcanoes, talking to an imaginary man in the sky, and magic underwear. The fact that some believe in other forms of superstitious nonsense isn't a stretch really, if you think about it.

[Fool Count]

42. Why is it amazing? Does any of the psychic claims sound any more fantastical

than any of the multitude of claims made by any of the world religions? Yet a solid majority
of people in the US believes in such even more outrageous nonsense. Dowsing and telepathy are
almost rational in comparison with religious scripture on gold plates delivered to the prophet
personally by an angel. And the latter claim is believed unconditionally by millions of people.

[Hugabear]

54. Well yes, that too

It all goes along with people believing in hoo-hoo nonsense

[johnaries]

29. Thank the Universe! All these fakes just make the rest of us look

bad. :)

Whether or not some people can tell the future, you're really better off not knowing and letting it flow naturally. Seriously.

[Tallulah]

31. many years ago

I worked for a psychic. Her son was dating someone I knew and she was looking for help. She hired me.

She was Cuban, lived in a 14 room house. The house had pink leather furniture, an indoor pool, LOTS of religious statues and candles, magnificent place. She read palms, did readings over the phone. She had a crystal ball. I laughed when I saw it. She didn't think it was funny.

Last I heard, she had bilked some older man out of $100,000 and was cheating the IRS. She got 15 years in prison for that.

If she's not dead, I suspect her to be operating in Florida under the name Sister King.

True story.

[Lucian]

32. People who give money to those idiots are just as dumb as the "psychics."

"A psychic once told me that I'm psychic."

[roguevalley]

65. I did. I will match my IQ and educational attainment with anyone.

as for all of them being fakes, wrong. I don't care if you believe me or not. Try it with a legit person before you say otherwise. It might surprise you. And, again, I am not dumb, thanks. Truly.

[Lucian]

94. A "legit psychic" is an oxymoron.

:eyes:

[Desertrose]

34. Just because one is proved a fake....

doesn't mean they are all fakes. There really are many out there who can access information via ways conventional accepted mainstream science cannot explain. And most of them are not out to try to separate you from your money. There are always phoneys and cheats everywhere...even in the scientific community- and certainly in the political community.


If anyone ever wants to read an excellent book filled with science based info/research...

Check out Source Field Investigations.

[Archae]

35. Fine. Show me.

Not some wackadoodle book making claims they can't or won't EVER back up.

And every "psychic," astrologer, crystal reader, whatever, fails.
If they can't cheat, they fail. Every time.

[Desertrose]

59. Have you read this book?

You want proof...here it is.

[Confusious]

104. Really? Have they won the Amazing Randi's millon dollars?

You got the proof, go collect.

[Desertrose]

109. He's not all that amazing really. Neither is his "challenge".

Have you ever read the rules and the exclusions in those rules to even get tested? What a bunch of BS.

Have you ever seen any of these supposed "test results" of Randi's ever published...anywhere?

Again...Randi saying something is false doesn't make it so...neither do his so called "tests".

[Confusious]

112. Well, yes it does

He's making sure the fakers don't get through.

Seeing as none have, they're all fakers.

Why do you want fakers to be able to take advantage of people?

[Name removed]

84. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ipaint]

37. Authored by a person who believes he is the reincarnation of

Edgar Cayce because he and his friends look like cayce and his friends. Come on.

[emcguffie]

51. Have you read the book? Nt

[ipaint]

82. No, if his discoveries are so scientifically earthshattering and his predictions

a certainty than I will hear more than enough from the peer reviewed studies published supporting his version of science.

Until then I wouldn't give one dime to a Cayce league huckster that charges for the privilege of reading his breathtaking "proof".

[Desertrose]

85. You post tells me you haven't a clue about this book.

First, he makes no claims of being a psychic and the book is based on lots of fully documented research from all over the world.

"Source Field Investigations" is just that...an investigation into what he terms the "source field" and scientists call dark matter.

One would think a person of science would be curious about new theories...you know, like those crazy little neutrinos going faster than light, after Einstein said it's impossible. But what if he got that equation wrong....

[ipaint]

103. Woo is not science. Neither is reincarnation or 2012 prophecies.

At the bottom of the page, via the wayback machine, wilcock is hawking personal psychic readings. He was peddling woo 10 years ago and nothing has changed, still selling baloney to gullible believers.

Don't miss the columbine shooting dreams he had and the epic massive land shift in 2000 unless we change our ways.

Earth Very Soon to Shift Its Position

By David Wilcock - www.ascension2000.com

2 / 23 / 99

Hello. I have finally decided to write this article after more than an entire month of dreams, affirmations, visions and "readings" regarding an upcoming and serious earth movement. It is my understanding, based on the research that I have been doing with Higher Intelligence, that the Earth needs to make an approximately 20-degree adjustment in its orbital rotation position. This adjustment comes about through the Great Solar Cycle, and our own passage into the fourth-density or fourth-dimensional vibrations. This is not intended to happen all at once, but rather in certain increments. This article is written to discuss the prophecies that I have been receiving regarding the fact that I now believe we are very, very close to the first "increment." This initial movement might only be a few degrees out of the 20 that have been indicated by several different sources.

http://web.archive.org/web/19991002055522/http://www.ascension2000.com/2.23Prophecy.html


And today he spouts more nonsense, for example-

ETS PREVENTING NUCLEAR WAR

Ancient history is loaded to the bursting-point with evidence of human ETs visiting Earth, as I have revealed in seven episodes of "Ancient Aliens" on History Channel, in the upcoming video, and in the new book.

Nuclear war was a very real threat in the 1950s, as it remains today. We don't hear about it as much anymore, but the largest nations of the world are armed to the teeth with planet-killing weapons.

This problem has apparently caused the ETs to intervene much more directly in our planet's affairs than they normally would have -- in order to prevent the possibility of nuclear exchange.

http://www.divinecosmos.com/start-here/davids-blog/956-1950s-ets




Absolute garbage, cultish nonsense.

[Posteritatis]

38. LOL, "science based info/research" and it babbles about 2012 right in the title?

The author, like all those professional psychics you're defending, is an idiot, a liar, or both.

[Desertrose]

60. Really? Have you read the book?

Why does the mention of 2012 freak you out?

....calling someone a liar and idiot without reading the referenced book?

[Posteritatis]

78. Because the 2012 "prophecies" are pure unadulterated woo.

If someone does not believe they're bullshit, they ipso facto either don't know what they're talking about, or are liars. If they're the type of person to publish a book alleging that there's anything about the year 2012 other than its succeeding the year 2011, they don't deserve to be taken the least bit seriously.

I don't need to read the book to know that any more than I need to read a book whose cover denies plate tectonics.

[Desertrose]

86. You have no clue what this book is about, yet you dismiss it as "woo".

Better yet you won't even take the time to find out more.

Scientific curiosity or close minded skeptic? I'd say THAT proof is pretty clear.

[Confusious]

106. On open mindedness

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T69TOuqaqXI

[Selatius]

41. Well, at best, Wilcock's book shouldn't be seen as prima facie evidence affirming the positive.

It's a book that probably convinces one that the agnostic position is probably the safest ground to be on, like looking for evidence that a ghost does not exist vs. evidence that one does indeed exist when we're really only capable of saying we don't know either way given our woefully limited knowledge and technological capability.

[Desertrose]

61. You might find it interesting on a lot of levels....

but his documentation is extensive and quite compelling.

[Logical]

46. There is NO proof at all!!!

[Desertrose]

62. You mean no proof you would ever accept.

There is a difference. lol

[Logical]

90. Ok, send me one scientifically accepted ESP study! Just one!

[Desertrose]

98. If I do you would believe it?

Right.
:eyes:

[Logical]

117. I heard this crap all my life. Never seen any study proving it. It's called the....

scientific method. Read about it.

[i am That.]

70. Your need for "proof" is the issue here.

Scientists proclaimed that Pluto was a planet. We learned this for many generations in school. Now it's not a planet. Scientists are whistling in the dark.

[Logical]

89. Send me ONE recreatable experiment that proves ESP, just one

[Hugabear]

123. Epic fail

Nobody ever disputed that Pluto existed.

Show us ONE repeatable, peer-reviewed study using scientific process that demonstrates psychic abilities exist

[trotsky]

47. "most of them are not out to try to separate you from your money"

...she says with a link to a book on Amazon.com.

:rofl:

[Desertrose]

58. Are books free in your world?

[trotsky]

93. Nope. They are often used to separate people from their money. n/t

[Desertrose]

97. But not to educate? Hmmmm...what an interesting point of view.

[trotsky]

102. Ignore words much?

I said "often." Or perhaps you think Ann Coulter's books are educational?

[mr blur]

57. Oh please...

Woo Alert!

[Desertrose]

63. Easier for you to call names than to read the book

and stretch your thinking.

That's so clever.

[roguevalley]

66. don't even try, desertrose. they won't listen. some people don't

even have to know anything to be right. after all they worship Einstein and he's never been wrong.
Oh, wait ...

Hugs, desertrose

[Hugabear]

121. Bullshit. They are ALL fakes, because there is NO SUCH THING

With so many so-called psychics out there, you'd think that at least one of them would have claimed James Randi's million dollar challenge by now. The fact that his challenge still stands unclaimed should be proof enough.

Beyond that, there are absolutely no verifiable, peer-reviewed, repeatable scientific studies validating psychic abilities.

[Are_grits_groceries]

40. Who? Tim Geithner? nt

[Logical]

44. People are so gullible. Ghosts, UFOs, ESP, Etc.

[tjwash]

50. I do likes me a good UFO story though

Of everything nutbaggery that is around...all crazy flavors of religion, pshychic bullshit, spiritual healing, or genetically modified by aliens ancient-humans, at least a good UFO theorist is the least insane of all of them, and the the most entertaining.

[Logical]

91. Me too, I would LOVE a real UFO to land! Or even a SETI finding!

[jberryhill]

124. Lots of folks don't get that "skeptics" are mainly disappointed believers

I loved all kinds of nonsense as a kid, and it's a great path to stimulating interest in a lot of things.

But it's amazing how many people take "I haven't been convinced of that" as some kind of threat.

[Romulox]

52. They're ALL fake.

Hope this helps.

[Gold Metal Flake]

53. I had a feeling this would happen.

[Canuckistanian]

56. There are non-fake psychics?

Name one.

[roguevalley]

67. George Anderson and Laurie Campbell for starters.

[Archae]

69. Fine and dandy.

Are either of them willing to go with Randi's challenge?

Oh that's right!

Randi is part of the "Great Conspiracy" to "suppress" them. :eyes:

I'm not going to pay umpty-hundred $$$ just so they can do cheap stage magicians' tricks.

You want to blow your own money on these con artists, go ahead.

[Desertrose]

72. OMG. Randi's challenge again. Seriously.

Talk about a known con-artist - he fits the bill.


:rofl:

[Archae]

74. Yeah, he's a stage magician...

He knows the tricks "psychics" use to pretend they have super-powers, and he works with actual scientists.

Every time a "psychic" goes through the test they fail. EVERY time.
Because they can't cheat.

[Desertrose]

76. ....or the tests are biased.

[roguevalley]

83. both have been tested in universities and did just fine. I don't care

about the ridicule peope give here. I personally think there is a lot of shit we don't know. As for Randi. Yawn. Man makes a good living. What more can you say?

I just know what I experienced and was told, things they could never in a zillion years know. They were 100% right. Some people are so convinced that this is impossible they will say that psychics read people's minds. They would rather believe that oddity than the idea that the dead are merely energy in another form who can communicate with us. If you can't handle that, fine. You can't hurt my feelings. I'm fine with it.

[Confusious]

107. There is a lot of shit we don't know

Mostly just down to earth material stuff.

None of it based in magic or psychics or woo. We know enough to know that doesn't happen. Just age old parlor tricks for the gullible.

[Desertrose]

110. "Any sufficiently advanced science is indistinguishable from magic"...

Clark's 3rd law.

Yes...there is a LOT of shit we don't know. Calling it names ...woo...magic...whatever, doesn't mean we can't or shouldn't try to understand it...and at some point we will. Then it won't be magic or woo...just more natural laws we have learned about.

[Confusious]

111. It's not a law

More of an observation. And I'm sure he's rolling over in his grave having you use it as a justification for these people.

"Any sufficiently advanced science is indistinguishable from magic"

I seriously doubt any of these guys have "advanced science", or know more then the rest of us. They're fakers, grifters and liars.

"doesn't mean we can't or shouldn't try to understand it"

I don't try to understand faith healers either. They're all liars and grifters.


Get this: people will do all sorts of crazy shit for money, that includes pretending like you have supernatural powers to take advantage of the gullible.

[trotsky]

95. Yes, reality is horribly biased against "psychics."

I almost feel sorry for them, but then I thinkof how much money they've swindled from others and I don't feel so bad after all.

[Desertrose]

99. I am saying that your Mr James Randi & his tests are biased...

...totally against anything that could prove him wrong.

OMG...is it only about money or is that merely an excuse and it's about something bigger....?

[trotsky]

101. Sure it's something bigger. I have a problem with people taking money under false pretenses.

Whether they are snake oil salesmen, Republican politicians, or "psychics." They are all the same to me.

[Confusious]

108. You would think, if they really were psychic, the bias wouldn't matter.

It's not like he's telling people who claim to have telekinetic powers to read someones mind.

They claim to see the future, he tests that.

They claim to be able to rad minds, he tests that.

You're just making excuses.

[jberryhill]

125. Randi is an evil psychic who uses his own powers to defeat them /nt

[Hugabear]

122. Fine. Then why not go to Harvard, Cambridge, or any well-respected institution?

If they think that Randi is biased against them, then why not seek out someone else to perform a series of unbiased tests?

[Hoosier Daddy]

75. Scorpio is Bleeding

:rofl:

[Akoto]

77. I have been missing Miss Cleo's infomercials.

I want to call now for my free tarot readin'. :(

[Major Hogwash]

80. I thought this form of entertainment was just an American phenomenon.

I had no idea they did this across the pond, too.

[SkyDaddy7]

92. There is no such thing as a "pyschic"!!

Anyone who pays money to these con artist are being played as fools!

[TNLib]

96. I don't understand the need for a psychic to do this

It's not like it's an exact science. You just need to be highly intuitive. I've done Tarot readings for some and have had very good results. I don't claim to be a psychic just intuitive.

[Remember Me]

113. That's a distinction without a difference

psychic is just using LOTS more of the intuition everyone has.

[Throd]

100. They all are. Let me know when one is exposed as genuine.

[Aerows]

114. Well there's a surprise

A psychic turns out to be fake - who would have ever imagined that? LOL

[LadyHawkAZ]

115. James Randi has an application on his website

for the $1,000,000 challenge, which is still unclaimed after almost 50 years. Those of you who have "psychic" friends, please direct them there.

Until it's proven, it's still woo.