Sylvia Browne is a Fraud, Plagiarist and Convicted Felon
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Before you read further, let me start by saying I am a believer in most things metaphysical. I have been profoundly clairsentient from a very young age, and I have been studying alternate belief systems for almost 20 years now. I am not one of those people who shrugs off psychism and insists it's impossible - on the contrary, I know it isn't. This does not change the fact that Sylvia Browne is one of the creepiest, most inaccurate, and unkind self-proclaimed psychics on earth.
Oh, I used to think she knew what she was on about. Like many, I discovered her through the Montel Williams show. Back when I actually watched talk shows, that is. I thought she was brilliant. Yeah, she seemed a little snippy and snide, but hey, we can forgive that if she's doing us little peons a favor and sharing her otherworldly gifts with us. Did I say sharing? Make that selling. The woman's moral fibres are hanging by a thread. And to prove it, here are some facts you may not be aware of.
- She's a Rip-Off Artist -- Sylvia Browne charges 750 bucks for a 20 minute reading. That's a nice chunk of change, huh? You might even think it money well-spent, if you were getting a proper service in return. All you get, however, is a cold reading. The "cold reading" isn't a new concept. Con artists have been scamming the public for years, making a fortune on people who don't know any better. The victims tend to be individuals so desperate for guidance, they will take any information offered and convince themselves it was divinely intended.
- She Is Highly Inaccurate -- While she may really be psychic (hey, I can't rule it out), she is not accurate enough to warrant these fees. All you have to do is watch those YouTube clips and you'll see how shockingly wrong she can be. Even Anderson Cooper has investigated her! Unfortunately, people like Montel give her credibility when she deserves none. That's not to say Montel is doing so knowingly - I suspect he's been suckered under her spell. But that doesn't bode well for his audience. As far as most of them are concerned, if he says she's legitimate, she must be.
- She's a Plagiarist -- I'm a professional novelist. If I so much as copy a sentence from another author, I have to make it very clear that I've done so. Sylvia, however, seems content to pass whole paragraphs off as her own. I suppose when you're making millions of dollars, you might decide ethics aren't terribly applicable to you anymore, but they are to me. I'll give you an example I found on the StopSylviaBrowne.com website.
From Browne's 2005 book, Secrets & Mysteries of the World, page 196:
"If the Shroud were in fact painted, it would explain some image flaws that have always raised questions. For example, the hair hangs as for a standing rather than a reclining figure; the physique is unnaturally elongated (like figures in Gothic art); and the 'blood' flows are unrealistically neat (instead of matting the hair, for instance, they run in rivulets on the outside of the locks). You see, real blood soaks into cloth and spreads in all directions rather than leaving picturelike images."
From Nickell's 1998 article, in the July/August 1998 issue of Skeptical Inquirer magazine, page 21:
"That the Shroud is indeed the work of a medieval artist would explain numerous image flaws. For example, the physique is unnaturally elongated (like figures in Gothic art!). Also, the hair hangs as for a standing rather than recumbent figure. . . . Everywhere the 'blood' flows are unrealistically neat. Instead of matting the hair, for instance, they run in rivulets on the outside of the locks. . . . In addition, real blood soaks into cloth and spreads in all directions, rather than leaving picturelike images."
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- She Has Her Own Church (!!) -- I don't know about you, but I tend to view people who use themselves as the centerpiece of a church as a little wacky. Her reverends are only supposed to teach from her books, if you can believe it. I guess that's one of the perks of having your own church called Novus Spiritus. You even get 10% of the collections sent to you at NS headquarters. And hey, who can blame her for preying (no pun intended) on her flock? She only makes 750 bucks a reading, for God's sake.
- She's a Convicted Felon -- In 1992, Sylvia Browne and her then-husband were convicted of Grand Theft and Investment Fraud. I know, I know. Hard to believe someone like this would get wrapped up in anything involving money. Nevertheless, she did. If this doesn't go straight to her character, I don't know what does. This wasn't something that she did at age 20, either, so don't make excuses. She was 56 at the time. And if that isn't enough...
- She's Just Plain MEAN -- Even back when I thought she had a clue, Ms. Thang still made me wince every time she spoke. Her entire demeanor sucks. Her body language, facial expressions and tone of voice say - very loudly - that she simply doesn't give a lick about you, me, or anyone else. She rolls her eyes, waves her hands about and acts as though nothing you've said matters. And it doesn't - not to her.
If you're a diehard Sylvia fan, you probably think I'm the devil by now. That's fine. If, however, you've found these items as disturbing as I have, make a point of following up on these matters and draw your own conclusions. I certainly have - Sylvia Browne is a fraud.
xx Isabella
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Comments
Thanks, James! :) It *is* an outrageous sum of money. I don't mind psychics making a living, but that is just sick!!!!!!!
Thanks Isabella for exposing people like this. I don't know her at all, perhaps because I live in another part of the world. Though it is people like this who are off centre with their good intentions. Perhaps she began that way but you can see she has been hijacked by greed and her own sense of power over the vulnerable.
You don't have to be psychic to see she is a troubled woman. Perhaps she should have been working on her own issues instead of 'fixing' everyone elses!
Great hub, I believe in some people having special powers like this, but it is obvious Sylvia is milking her clients. Many are gullible believe what she says and give her the money, she is just tricking them, truth will come out soon and will show what a fraud she is.
I have no doubt people like this are frauds. If they really were psychic they wouldn't have to charge $$ and they would be 100% accurate.
While I don't believe in psychics any more than I believe in bigfoot or aliens, I believe all things are possible through God and satan has got some pretty good tricks of his own -guess who I think Ms. Browne gets her "gift" from.
Isabella - Whoa, you certainly opened my eyes. I always thought she was a bit nasty too but a crook and plagiarist? Seals the deal for me. Whatever happened to John Edwards who was always "crossing over?" Did his wife finally get psychic and figure out that with all of his ballroom dancing and tight t-shirts he was gay? Great hub (as always).
Jewels - Very true, she's incredibly greedy and incredibly unhelpful!
Cgull8M - I hope sooner than later!
Fretbuzz - She'd definitely charging too much money, but I do think it's reasonable for good psychics to charge for their readings. I dont have a problem with them charging 200 bucks an hour, if they are accurate. I feel this way because they have to make a living, too! If doctors and lawyers can make big bucks, I dont see why psychics should have to be paupers just for having a gift. ;-) But she's not a good psychic, if she's psychic at all, and she's just a thief!
SLS - John Edward is another one. I used to think he was good, but after seeing others, I know how incredibly vague he is. I don't think he's a crook, though, I think he really thinks he's that good. He's actually kind of snide, too, now that I think about it. But gay?? Do you really think so??
I like this hub alot, Isabella. I've seen Sylvia Browne on television countless times, and something about her never sat well with me. And although I frequent the New Age section at Barnes & Noble and have passed her 204902 books over and over again, I have never been inclined to purchase her works the way I have with others. I can't believe she had the audacity to tell that couple their son was dead!
Yep, she has her nerve, thats for sure. She doesnt even apologize!
I have never had a good feeling about her, but I didn't know why. Now I do. Thanks
You're welcome!
I. too, was a Sylvia fan and have bought nearly all of her books, except for the few latest. I have done a great deal of studying about spiritual matters that were either written or the ideas conceived by many masters and none of them seem to be materialistic or arrogant. In fact, a hallmark of a saint or master or even a spiritual person is to be just the opposite of this. I used to cringe whenever I would hear her say that it is not necessary to forgive in this life when Jesus and other masters have stated that it is necessary to forgive and to do so is a sign of becoming more Godlike in your earthly life. I discovered Ms. Browne when I was going through a particularly difficult time in my life and I will say that she and some of her philosophies were a help to me then but she did seem to have a more compassionate tone at that time which was about ten years ago. For those who find themselves looking for some clarity about aspects of life, I would like to recommend the teachings of Yogananda. He writings have give answers to the questions of life.
I have always been very interested in things metaphysical. I bought Sylvia's book called "The Other Side and back" last week and as I read through it, I couldn't help feeling suspicious about Sylvia because of the things she wrote. Some of the things just didn't sound right. For example, she says there exists this group of evil beings she calls the "dark entities", who can never change to become good; and that these beings are reincarnated without a 'blueprint'. I just can't agee with that.
And you're right about her being a mean one - she calls her mother a Dark Entity, and that according to her, is someone beyond salvation.
Guess what ... I didn't finish the book .. not letting her waste another minute of my time.
I don't buy anything she says. I have been to a few great psychics which blow her away, she is almost always very vague. Once in awhile she hits the nail on the head, but then again I think that most of us can be right some of the time. She is also not very tactful. I agree with that Montel seems to be bewitched by her, or he realizes that she brings lots of viewers tom his show.
Capricorn - Thanks for the tip!
DelSol - Me neither! ;)
Paulette - Hmm.. good point. Is it just the viewers, I wonder??
Bravo, Isabella...
I'm wondering what others think of John Edward?
The media (and foolish psychics) have a lot to answer for here. I'm not saying any of the above mentioned psychics are genuine or not but- what I will tell you is it is going to be difficult for any psychic to perform on demand, under studio conditions, I also feel it is at the very least in 'extremly poor taste' and unwise for a psychic to even attempt to read for anyone who has a missing child eg. This is not a subject for entertainment. (As with the famous S.Brown example) If a psychic feels they can help such a person- it should be attempted privatly in my humble opinion.
Thanks for the plug (StopSylviaBrowne.com)!
It's nice to see someone who believes in psychic abilities know that she's a fraud. I'm the same, only I never believed she was anything but. You did an excellent job with this article and the way you wrote it was excellent.
Also, a response to delsol's comment: she says that there are no demons, and no devil, yet she claims everyone she dislikes is a "dark soul entity". That makes no sense, seeing as if someone is truly beyond reincarnation, are evil with no hope for salvation, etc. that sounds like demons to me. Technically, demons are entities who hold only malicious intent for all living beings and go out of their way to harm others. That sounds like a "dark soul/spirit/entity" to me, especially with her happy-go-lucky version of the world. Normally I don't have a problem with unbalanced views of the universe (only light and happy, no unhappy, dangerous dark stuff here!) other than not understanding it, but she's completely wrong about everything she says, in more ways than one. It's a good idea to just return the book and never pay positive attention to her again.
Dramatherapy - Hopefully they are skeptics!
Psychic - I agree!
RSLancaster - You're welcome! :)
Brandy - I think you're right, I wish I still had mine to return!
I read one of her books and was impressed by the after-life reassurances, but as I got deeper into the book, I realized that a lot of fantasy got mixed into it.
If she truly believed in the existence of her heaven,
she would do all this for free, wouldn't she?
I too have never liked Sylvia Browne. I can't even watch her for one minute on TV as she makes my skin crawl. Her whole demeanor exudes negative energy and I always wondered why Montel promoted her so much on his show. It doesn't make sense. (Of course he could be receiving kickbacks which would explain a lot.) The best clairvoyants I have seen charge a normal professional rate. On par with your average professional salary. They are usually kind, considerate of others feelings and do not promote repeated contact. $750/20 mins! That's ludicrous! Down with Browne I say.
What's with all the Sylvia Brown bashing??? Let me play the devil's advocate here for a moment and yes, I speak from first hand experience of Sylvia Brown and I also have a cousin by marriage who was a psychic for a police department in New York State for 25-30 years until her death.
I saw Sylvia Brown about 22 years ago when she had an office in Campbell, CA. At that time, she charged $250.00/session. Her session lasted about one hour at that time. I thought that was very steep at the time, but it was Sylvia Brown!!! Right off the bat she impressed me by what she said as I walked into the room. I won't go into detail about our session because it would just take too much time. I would say that overall, she was about 75% accurate. Some of the things that she told me didn't actually happen for almost 15 years - but they happened just like she said they would. Some things were of course not very accurate.
Her overall demeanor is similar to people who have been born and raised on the East Coast. Predominantly New York/New Jersey. Now don't anyone get offended by that. I'm originally from that part of the world also. I guess that's why it didn't bother me so much. She sounded just like my East Coast Italian Aunt. I'm not sure where Sylvia is from, but that may be worth checking out for curiosity's sake.
Regarding her accuracy. Having had a professional psychic family member I can say this. Psychic images are not exact photos. They are images that are a little distorted and sometimes difficult to read even for the psychic. When Sylvia Brown in the clip above kept insisting that there was water and the person drowned, she was taken too literally. There are many ways of drowning without water being present. Congestive heart failure was the first thing that came to my mind when I watched the clip. Your lungs literally fill with fluid and you drown from the inside out. That may fit under the circumstances. Even fine dust filling your lungs will feel like drowning. It's not an exact science. As I understand it, you deal with images and feelings that can be vague. The feelings can be interpreted incorrectly due to the feelings of the deceased at the time of death. It can be very frustrating being a psychic. You can only give what you see and hopefully decipher the truth from that image. Or keep trying to get the image clearer, but in a moment to moment situation like national TV, there wasn't enough time to do that. Also time means nothing. A psychic telling you something will happen in two weeks, first of all is probably a fraud. If there's a number 2 connected to the image, it could be 2 minutes, hrs., days, weeks, months, years, decades, etc. You get the point.
My cousin used to tell me that she would get calls from the police department a few days later or a few weeks later stating that her information was correct, even though it seemed completely inaccurate at the time. They just needed to work together as a team to try and decipher what she was seeing and not dismissing details that seemed unimportant. I will say that my cousin needed to be around either the crime scene, a family member, or have an article of importance from the victim in order to get any images and sometimes she could not get anything no matter how hard she tried.
As per Sylvia Brown's recent activity I had no knowledge of this. Starting her own religion is a little over the top in my opinion. The plagiarism seems to be somewhat unethical. True psychics who can't shut it off do tend to go a little off the deep end eventually. I know my cousin did. She appeared to be almost certifiably insane during the last couple of years of her life. She actually predicted her death without knowing it. She started saying about two weeks before her death that the world was coming to an end because she couldn't see a future. All images were either dark or not there. Two days before she died, the family was going to institutionalize her. She kept crying and screaming about the end. It was the end......it was her end.
The last thing I'll comment on is the fact that payment is involved. I only have one comment for that.....WHY NOT. If someone has a gift, a talent, a service that is a marketable comodity and there is a demand for this gift, talent, service, etc. why do we expect them to give it away? After all, we all have the same needs in life such as food, shelter, clothing. We all have bills to pay. A lot of people go to jobs every day that they hate and that's unfortunate. They do this because they either don't have or they don't realize that they have a very marketable gift that they can be presenting to the world. To do what you love every day for people who need it and then to get paid for it, seems to be everyone's dream. Or at least it should be. I have some close friends who ask me to sell their homes for free for them since I'm a Realtor. I'm always blown away by that. One of those friends sells cars for a living. Can I go into the dealer and demand a free Toyota because we're friends? Of course not.
There's my little rant on Sylvia. Just some food for thought. Oh, also, I've never read any of her books either. My experience was simply that one time. Hope I didn't offend anyone. It was not my intention.
Kenny - Yes, exactly!
RFox - Too right! She's very slimey!
Realestateguru - Im not offended, but I almost didnt publish your comment because its incredibly long for a comment. The only reason I am, is to say your comments about being from a particular area are really off. Im from Brooklyn, - and her demeanor is shite. So are her readings. Ive seen tons of them. If you watch someone like Colin Frye youll understand why she's completely bunk, and has no talent whatsoever. Apart from being skiled at cold readings - which is just reading the reactions of the person youre reading.
I too, am a psychic. I have bought some of slyvia's books. I have found she repeats herself alot and she also contradicts herself alot. I feel she charges way too much money for her gift, it is to be shared. I charge 45 dollars and I am quite comfortable with that, because people do come for help and I know most people can not afford an outlandish price. To me giving people a little hope is more improtant.I also have a hard time with the church idea because to me it is a place for a tax front and she is no different than other occults.The biggest peeve with sylvia is, her working in las vegas, sin city. What's up with that?
Thank you so much for this article; I just came across it and as someone who was a believer of hers for a while I did get severely disillusioned as well.
My biggest eye-opener was that she had a major contradiction in two of her books. She attributed the same story to two different people. In two different books she related the story of a man's animal totem--a panther--which was seen by the other people in his apartment building. In one book this was supposed to have happened to a client, and yet in another book I received around the same time, she attributed the same exact story to her husband.
Add to that the fact that a lot of her ideas, as you have listed here, are lifted from other sources and her major 'tude on the Montel spots, and she's just an outlandish fraud. Worse yet, the majority of her new age subjects are nothing new; she doesn't offer any fresh perspectives or new insights on information that's been covered time and again.
Someone I would highly recommend rather than her? Doreen Virtue. The woman has the demeanor to make herself much more believable on the subject of angels especially. She sounds like one herself.
Anyone reading this web should examine their life. Sylvia Brown is not whom she says she is. She is a Charletan. She wrote a book about the mystical life of Jesus which can be discredited just by reading the Bible. She stated in her book that Mary Magdelene and Joseph removed the body of Jesus from the tomb as a ploy, this is rediculous.
I am sick and tired of these charletans making millions of dollars off of people by writing non informative information in regards to Jesus and God. Sylvia is nothing more than a deceiver.
Do not buy her books, she has no idea what she is talking about when it comes to Jesus and God.
hey I just have to say that I also believed that she might be credible when i first heard of her, but ive seen how she was wrong alot of the time on montel. I dont watch talk shows anymore either, but its really interesting what you said in the article. I did not know all those fun facts about her. great hub cant wait to read more.
Hey, I think I'm psychic too!!! From the very first time I saw her on Montel, I KNEW she was a very evil women. The way she talks to victims loved ones is so obnoxious, and would be almost funny, until you realize how cold and cruel she really is. She should be spoofed on Saturday Night Live. S. Brown IS an evil entity incarnate!
It does seem that Sylvia is sometimes impatient and dismissive. It is also true that it is very difficult for any psychic to be 100% accurate. It often takes a long time for predictions to come true. One of the hardest things for any psychic to predict is WHEN something will happen. In the spirit world, time is different than on earth. Communication between the spirit world and earth is not always 100% clear. Also, there are "parallel realities" (meaning many different things that could happen). A psychic might see one reality that we could step into, but perhaps we might decide to step into a different reality than that which the psychic predicted.
I've been into metaphysics for many years. I've read so much and delved into various religions and philosophies. I used to believe in psychics. Now having so many views to consider, I realize I will NEVER know the truth about life and what it's all about. Is there ANY way to know what or who to believe ??!!
A very informative hub.
The following comment is somewhat lengthy, so please feel free to edit as you wish.
I read some online articles about her a few years ago, and bought her book about dream analysis shortly after, only to realize that she offered nothing new, really. Curiosity piqued, and not being one to give up easily, I plagued the local library and brought home many of her books, for 'research'... I only had to read one book (I forget the title, but she writes her predictions about different aspects of the future) to realize that she was a fraud: whether a victim to delusions, or a conscious practitioner, I could not decide.
Many of her predictions were just too vague, others seemed to scream "believe me, because I am SYLVIA BROWN, the greatest psychic of all times". She seems to cast a glamor, citing her experiences, her church, even her faith as qualifying reasons. Skimming the book, I found predictions that simply did not ring true. It was as if she had no idea what she was talking about. Her concept of the shadow entities was too similar to the concept of demonic/ negative energy presence to be anything but, as another writer points out in an earlier comment.
I was born and raised with a background in Eastern culture, philosophy and beliefs, so I am no stranger to metaphysics and parapsychology. I believe in many things others might scoff at: beings that co-exist with us on Earth, familiars (though not known by that name back home), and Earth 'magic' given power by the beliefs of the practitioner and the beneficiary/victim. That lengthy introduction just to say that I try to keep an open mind and try to feel out the truth from the chaos. The straw that broke the camel's back was the announcement on her website about how her sons were also psychics, giving readings for $700+, while a phone consultation with her cost in excess of $1,000!!! A hefty price to demand for services that are offered as aid to those in need. It was the commercial aspect of her business, couched in language formulated to make people believe that she is a sympathetic friend is what probably disappointed me the most. To understand the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of people is a great power, and to exploit that for commercial reasons seems insanely base. For the record, though, I must say that I do not believe her to be an evil person; just one whose ethical sense is misguided, and who uses their strengths to other people's disadvantage.
In response to Diane's question about how to know what or who to believe, may I take the liberty to offer this strategy that has helped me plenty: trust your instincts always, because where logic fails, we instinctively reach for the truth, whether or not we realize. We see others as a reflection in our own spirits, so our mirror must be clear and unclouded, otherwise we will only see what we want to see, or glimpse what refractions we believe to be true when they are, as the word refractions suggests, only bent beams of light and reflection: fears to match our own, insecurities and weaknesses that reflect what we fear to face within ourselves. If we can face the truth in ourselves, we will be able to see through the glamor and facades of others with greater ease. I find a discord in most people I come across- they say one thing but mean another. Increasingly I find myself reacting with sympathy, rather than anger or confusion--- though there's plenty of that in my life too.
(I almost deleted this last paragraph: it sounds almost presumptuous. If so, my apologies...) Thanks for reading!!!
Yeah, I totally agree the more I think about it. I used to be a fan of Sylvia, and when I was going thru a really tough time, I made an appointment for a reading. BIG mistake! $750 dollars for 13 minutes and nothing turned out to be accurate at all!!!!! What the hell???? NOTHING in my reading was accurate!!!!!!
Ok, I agree with you on that. BUT I'd say the best psychic is Laurie Cabot the main witch of salem.
N oh Laurie Cabot charge is $400.00, she is so correct and great at reading people that if she sees some thing in you or feels any negitive wibe she will ask you to leave her shop ASAP with out any its or buts.
I am responding to a comment here. . I'd like to stop the negative sterotyping of New Yorkers and "people from the East Coast" as being like Sylvia Browne. The number of times I've had tourists come up to us for help - or else - we'd call them over and buy them lunch - are innumerable, and hundreds of them have always left saying I don't know why NY'ers have the rep they have, I've never had anything but great treatment from you guys... IMO it's usually the many others who flock to NY - calling it their new home - bringing and giving their bad attitudes full reign, believing they can act like idiots because they are away from home, that give NY'ers a bad name. ReaL NY'ers have hearts of gold.
Hello everyone. My name's AJ. I could not agree with you more Isabella! I was never once convinced of SB's supposed "powers." However, I had always written her off as just a joke. That was until I learned about that one missing persons case where a boy went missing & his parents desperately consulted with her during a MW talk show. She gave them this crock story about the kid being kidnapped by a black man, she gave them a full description of how their son was abducted. Then they asked her if he was still alive & she said NO.
They ended up calling off the search for their son based on SB's BS only to find out later that their son was still very much alive & living with his kidnapper. When the parents asked her to expound on what she saw,, they were told that they would have to schedule a private consultation with her at $700. for 20 minutes.
Her fee is now $850.00
I am a professional psychic. I've been doing this work for over 20 years. I've given over 15,000 readings & have a clientele that spans the globe. I also have credentials with a Doctorate in Metaphysical Science & a Ph.D. in Transpersonal Counseling.
Point is that, if anyone has a right or reason to charge such astronomical rates, it would be someone like myself, who has dedicated his entire adult life to the work of serving others.
HOWEVER, JUST THE MERE THOUGHT OF CHARGING THAT MUCH MONEY, REGARDLESS OF HOW GOOD I MAY OR MAY NOT BE, KICKS MY KARMA BACK 100000 LIFETIMES!
I would NOT be able to live with myself knowing that a clients are putting that much faith in me & are that desperate for my help. Heck, if it means that much to a client to where they are willing to pay a weeks salary for 20 minutes of my time.., I would rather give them 2 hours for free because obviously they'd be coming to me for a very good reason.
As of now, my fee for an hour session is $200.00. HOWEVER, all my fees are negotiable. AND I NEVER REFUSE SERVICE DUE TO A CLIENT'S FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS. I am a "Spiritual Doctor" & just like my medical counterparts, I took a sworn oath to uphold the integrity of Spirit. I don't make my fees., my clients are the ones who make my fees.
Most importantly..., I LOVE & CHERISH MY CLIENTS & I ALWAYS MAKE IT A POINT TO SHOW THEM HOW MUCH THEY MEAN TO ME. THEY'RE THE CATALYST FOR THE ROOF OVER MY HEAD, THE CLOTHES ON MY BACK, THE FOOD ON MY TABLE, PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING I USE TO SURVIVE.
Best of all.., my clients LOVE me! This is the true gift of being a healer who works on the premise of love.
SB needs to be called out! She needs to be publicly exposed in a way that NO ONE can deny. Same goes for her son who shares her "genetic predisposition for psychic excellence." Can you believe that?
I could careless about how shotty of a "psychic" she is. That's as important to me as last weeks pizza. But SHE IS SCREWING WITH PEOPLES' LIVES, HEARTS, & EMOTIONS & she takes NO responsibility for the fact either. That is just flat out CRUEL!
LLJ..:
AJ
If your wondering why I said hi it was so I could see if this works.
When I first saw Sylvia Brown I thought she was amazing. I have always loved paranormal things. I thought that everything she said was true but sometimes it just didn't sound right. After reading this and seeing some videos I really thing most of the things she has said is untrue.
I am not sure if I am psychic. Lots of weird things have always happened to me. I see strange things, hear whispering, and guessed right on lots of things.
I have gotten a lot of insite reading everybodies info. I also thought very highly of Silvia Brown. Before I read some of her books, I use to feel guilty all the time, wondering if any of my daily actions were displeasing to God. "fear of going to hell" . This is what many churches whant to make us believe as a tool of control, in my opinion. After reading her books I felt that I came out of a cocoon. I learned not to let fear keep me from living to my fool potential, which I know now that is what God wants us to do. when it comes to Silvia I just wish that she would have apologized to the couple for causing them unnessary pain. I think that when she is about to tell someone something very painful, she should remind them that she may be wrong.
I also wanted to share with you something that happenned to me just a few days ago. I received a message from a lady thru the phone that i have never known or seen in my life. She said that an angel appeared to her in a dream and gave her a message for me. She said that the angel said that i wasn't happy were I was living at the time, that I had back and shoulder problems. She said that there was a reason why i was living in that town, that I had to help someone. I was vere shocked because she was accurate about my feelings and my health issues. I thanked the lady for the message and we hung up. I honestly don't know what to do. I want to do the right thing but i just moved away from that town. I only lived there about 4 months and I didn"t relly stayed there long enough to make any friends. what should I do?
I also have experience with Slyvia Browne, I read most of her books and I thought she was good and original in the beginning and I called for her services and of course found out that I haev to wait for one year to make an appointment. So they offered me another service, I could ask her questions for a 50.00 dollars per question and fax it to her office she would answer and somebody from her office calls me so I asked my questions about myself and my kids. Most of the things she said did not come true but one thing she said about me was interesting she said I was supposed to help people either holistic or medical field. I am a energy healer and believer in New Age Spritiuality and I gather people in my house to teach and discuss about these things. So I have to say she was accurate with that. Than I saw flaws in her books same problems that other people mentioned and I am finished with her.
I think I am over with most psychic and astrologers these days because I had a terrible experience with another one. her name is TERRY NAZON she advertise herself one of the great astrologers and psychics of our times. I am a concern mother and I wanted her to look at my 20 years old daughter's chart, guess what she accused me of physcially abuse of my daughter! I was so shocked and I wrote her to look at it again she is mistaken and she started to send me nasty e-mails called me Bully, asked me to apoligize from her because she is correct and I am not ready to hear to truth, and lots of other things. Even if she could have thought strait she would know that is not physically possible. I am saving her e-mails of course. I was wondering if there is some sort of way that I can take legal action or a organization that I can complain. I wrote to the Astrology Federation because she claims to be their member but no respond from them. I am over with ASTROLOGERS , PSYCHIC ETC. If any of you any experience like that I would like to know.
I use to believe in everything this woman said when it was first air. Now looking back at all those youtube videos of hers, I can't help it but get annoyed by Sylvia interrupting all the time. Saying oh, gee, I know it all too well, and explains it us as if we are some dumbass.
I had a very bad experience with that Terry Nazon too. She charged me for a reading that I never had and then told me that I deserve everything that was coming to me. I was floored because she seemed so nice. I told her that if whe was really psychic, she would have been able to tell that she charged me in error. I think that made her really mad. I was a good client too! I certainly didn't want to get on her bad side but I when I look back at it in retrospect, I feel that I was taken advantage of during a very hard time in my life.
I also want to add that I forgive her for that. They are human too but I think that was a bit harsh. I know that I'm a good person so for someone that you confide in, especially a spiritulist, to say you deserve bad things is pretty unprofessional. Things turned out pretty well for me anyway. God made sure of that.
my wife started reading her books, and all of sudden she was starting to change ,beliening in things she never did before, we went to the SENNECA CASINO ON MARCH 07 1909 TO SEE HER IN PERSON, NOW MY WIFE SEES WHAT I BEEN TELLING HER, SHE RUDE, A FAKE, MONEY MAKING THIEF, AND AS FAR AS HER FRIEND MONTELL WELL I AM SURE THE BOTH OF THEM PROFIT WELL TOGHTER, I WOULD SAY THE AUTHORITYS SHOULD STOP HER GOING LIVE, ITS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SHE SERVES KOOLAID TO HER AIDIENCE
She's too much into herself for me
I would like to know with all the evidence,they have against sylvia the FRAUD,Why don't the public, get together, and set-up a fund to hire lawyers that will take,this woman, to court and prosecute her? I am for getting rid of her once and for all. Please contact me .
sylvia Brown is a complete fake, she rips off other people's spiritual books and doesn't care about her clients. Montel is also in with this, he's knows exactly what is going on and was profiting off the same shows. If you look at some youtube videos there was a lady who asked when her daughter was going to meet her man. But you could tell that she wasn't impressed, infact I'm sure that that lady's daughter already was married or maybe she didn't even have a daughter. SB is a fraud!!!! People should look at her cold heart. I saw an old video of her ex husband who stated that she is a fraud and was duping people when they were together.
What Id really like is for psychics to say yes she is a fraud and isn't real instead of backing her up, or not delving into her deceit. Can't they see for sure?????
On my blog, under the post "The Calling Cards of Charlatans," I list several ways to detect and avoid phony psychics:
Hi Isabella. My name is AnnMarie. I feel the same way. $750 is theft. I am an intuitive and I use tarot to help find answers. Just recently in fact I did a reading for my father and saw he was going to die and 2 months later he did. This is not unusual for me, I have been so accurate about so many things when I do readings. Still, I am afraid to do them for a living as I am worried about accuracy and what if I am wrong? I have only done a few and they have been good, but I only charged $60 an hour. And even then I felt it wasn't right to take money for a "gift" I happened to have been blessed with. I think people should be wary of anyone who charges an exhorbitant amount of money for a reading. A true spiritual person with a gift would never feel right using it that way. That is my belief. Take Care Isabella and thank you for your wonderful Hubs.
Isabella,
Just my thought here, but I feel that Sylvia at one time had a gift that allowed her to see in the lives of others, but she corupted that gift and the longer she pursued the coruption the less the gift came to her. Hence the more inaccurate she became. If you look at the tapes you will see she is struggling to "feel" something, that look as you and I and many others know, can only be obtained from having at one time "felt" the powers within. I think she lost her way and serves as a great example of a special gift used for wrong. A wayward sheep if I may express it that way. This ofcourse if just my thoughts. I truly hope one day she "wakes up" and ammends her hurtful decieving ways. Thanks for the consideration.
Michelle
alot of you are haters who are you to judge i would love for you to try to be psychic and try to get everything right shure she seems a bit of like how she is always havin francine as a gudie i mean cuz arent you suppose to have different ones as you get older i think francine might be one of those like half good half evil sprit guides but any way i like sylvia nd believe she has abilites
I recently went to Sylvia Browne's lecture in Seattle and on my way home was honestly wondering what I paid for!! Basically she gave life advice, promoted her church/upcomint events,and cracked a few jokes and that was it! At the end of the lecture, about forty audience members got to each ask her a question...I believe she tells people what they want to hear and just picks up on their body language and voice/appearance. So that night that I got to see Sylvia Browne I was expecting something great but instead I was dissapointed..
Isabella I must agree with your views and the facts do speak for themselves. It really makes it hard for those that do have the gift and if you have it then why do you charge so much. A gift is just that a gift and God wants us to use it to help others not mislead them.I will be reading your blogs from now on. Keep up the knowledge and continue to share your wisdom.
Stumbled upon this site...been a psychic since I was little girl, just didn't know what it was "called" until I got older. Then I started reading about what was "happening" to me (I consider it a gift, and I do charge...between $45-60, for my time, not my gift. A painting from an artist would cost and that's their gift!) When I first went into the bookstore in search of...I saw SB's books on the shelves. I started to reach for one and before I could, I "heard" ..."Not that one, she's in this for money....not to truly help". I've steered away from her ever since.
I too consider myself a "spiritual doctor" and as such, I have a responsibility to treat my clients with honor, dignity and love! To those much is given, much is expected. My accuracy rate is 95-98% and sometimes I pick up on what the person "wants" me to say, rather than what is really going on. I don't get #'s for the lottery (money doesnt go with you into the next realm!) though I do get numbers in readings and such.
It saddens me that some folks are out there promoting themselves to the detriment to people who really do need/desire help and reaching closure or making decisions. Getting the word out, helps....but not throwing the baby out with the bathwater!
Thanks Isabella for this site. Maybe more folks will read it!
Wow. I have been a fan of Sylvia's. I started questioning when I found out she charged $850.00 for 20-30 minutes. I believe I heard her say on Montel that true psychics don't charge (?!?) Now, she is asking the public for a donation of $1.00 each I think to keep her church going. Where does she spend all that money? I've been wishing for a reading, then I read a post here from someone who said her reading was really short and entirely inaccurate. All the above served me well: I have to work harder on my own spirituality and connection to the power that does the healing and psychic work. The true source and answers can be reached within but it's really hard to reach in a crisis or trauma. That's where a psychic comes in--when we can't do it for ourselves for whatever reason. I believe a true psychic needs some money for their time (they have bills, need to eat, etc), but NOT that much! I was a spiritual healer for awhile--got good results. I charged on a donation basis. If that meant free, then the healing was free. I am disappointed about Sylvia, but it's better to see both sides if you want to make wise choices. I have seen and chosen.
she still looks & sounds just like she did when she was my neighbor in a trailer park 20 years ago. we always let the air out of her trailer's tires just to see if she could use her psychic power to see who did it. she couldn't even do that. scammer, con artist, carnie, fraud, I can't believe ANYONE would take her seriously !
I was so excited when she predicted that aliens would finally b part of our regular lives in a few years!
I don't believe in psychics, but let's just say that they do exist.
IF (thats a big if).... IF such powers existed, they would be very rare and precious indeed. I would expect a person with such powers to charge an outrageous sum of money.
You can find plenty of lawyers. But for that one person who can actually talk to the dead? No price would be too high.
Sylvia is a fraud though, just like every other so-called psychic. randi.org million dollar challenge.
I was in the process of reading her past life book when I found this site. She seems like a different person in her literature. I suppose I am expecting an attitude like Doreen Virtue.
I am wondering. I had often heard it spoken by those that have a long-time understanding of spiritual gifts that if you misuse them, then you will lose them. I have seen this phenomenon myself. Oddest thing. Could it be that as she grew in fame and power, she has abused them by charging so much and such and almost completely lost what she once had?
Hello,
I have stayed quiet about this experience, as I always try to be non-judgemental but after reading all of this, I need to finally tell someone how I really felt when this happened to me. I wrote a book fater my July 31, 2003 experience, on the subject of "Alien Abduction". I know what some of you may think, but trust me, I am a very spiritual individual who happens to be very honest and scientifically inclined. Anyways, I was invited on the Montel William Show to meet with Sylvia Brown, to find out from her is we had actually been abducted ( 2 of us had over an hour`s missing time, and several eyewitnesses came forward after the fact...including marks and burns on our bodies, etc.) To make the long story short, she told me that we had actually seen these "beings and their ship" but that we had NOT been abducted and that the "radiation" burn marks on our bodies, were from us trying to run away from them and we "fell" down on the ground!!!
WOW! I have NO words ....thanks for listening :-)
I've read many of Sylvia's books and watched her often on Montel. I had a strange feeling about her but kept an open mind. One thing I always wondered about is why only one son has anything to do with her.
I work in the law. Can you please tell me any specifics of this arrest of hers and her ex's? I would love to know the particulars as that would clinch it for me. If you can give me some cites or case names I can look up the rest on my own.
OK Never mind. I already found it. Should have looked first. I am now going over internet stuff. I will check Westlaw later.
Thanks.
I used to believe her every word during Montel airings for some reason. Don't know why.
Wow. I hate when people use others' misery for their own sake. :\
I've had a few psychic experiences myself over the years and trained to give high quality readings in a way that is compassionate and respectful, with a healthy dose of sceptical. It saddens me when people misuse their talents and exploit people in vulnerable situations such as grief.The planet can live without such people.There are many genuine people offering help and comfort for free or a minimum amount of money to cover expenses who would be saddened by Sylvia Brownes attitude if this article is accurate.
I think ego can creep in so easily in psychic matters, either overtly or covertly. It's a subject that interests me a lot, I even wrote a hub on it. I know in certain spiritual paths, the general instruction is not to dwell in phenomena, which are a natural gift along the path.
First of all, consider Montel is total tabloid tv. I know from first hand experience, to Montel the truth is irrelevant, sensationalism is number one. I am sad to see him promoting Sylvia, he must have felt she could put on a good show, but she discredits those who have a true gift. Shame on Sylvia and shame on Montel.
JamesRay says:
2 years ago
Another great hub. I too believe that some very special people have the ability to converse with spirits or ghosts or some forms of psychic energy existing in the ether, but I am always a little bit skeptical when they start to profit from their powers. Especially to the tune of $2,250 an hour. I don't even know of any lawyers who would dare to charge that much, and we all know that lawyers are the biggest crooks. I know for sure because I used to be one. Great hub.