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 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