Communing With the Dead?
17th May, 2003
Have you ever watched Beyond with James Van Praagh?? I’ve watched it several times, and did so again last night. It’s on in the middle of the night (maybe during the day, too, but I’ve only seen it at night), and I found myself in front of the TV at 3:00 a.m. (insomnia sucks!) watching it. It’s so interesting! I find myself waffling between believing his gift is genuine, and believing it’s all a scam. But he knows things — things only the families and the deceased know. I don’t know …. but I think today I will choose to believe. Even if it isn’t real, he brings peace and closure to people’s lives, which is always a good thing. So either way, he’s A-OK in my book. ;)
What do you think?
May 17th, 2003 at 6:47 pm
I agree whole-heartily. If it brings a sense of peace and closure…mediums are A-OK in my book too!! Warm milk with honey,and a good book…a great little combination to fix those annoying insomnia attacks.
Sweet dreams!!
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May 17th, 2003 at 7:01 pm
OH, and don’t forget the lavender oil in the bath; on the temples and under the pillow. That’s it from me. bye-bye!! lol
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May 17th, 2003 at 9:14 pm
LUKE! DON’T GIVE IN TO THE DARKSIDE!
So-called psychic mediums are one of my personal pet peeves. Van Praagh is cut from the same cloth as John Edward, Sylvia Brown and countless others who pretend to speak with dead people. They all use similar techniques of performing what is known as “cold reading” and any serious analysis of even their heavily edited programs will reveal a startlingly low accurracy rate for the majority of their guesses. Edward, for example, tosses out questions at a rate of almost 10 to 20 a minute the vast majority of which are not answered as being a hit or a miss. Half the time the audience members are all to willing to help in the process of supplying the info the medium needs.
The problem is that these mediums don’t bring any real closure to the people they’re scamming. These people need grief counselers, not psychic hookum shows.
Edward charges $75 for a ticket to his shows when he’s on tour. A one-on-one costs upwards of $300. Van Praagh charges a mere $250 for his private sessions though his best-selling book is $22 a pop. Clearly there’s quite a bit of money to be made as a psychic medium.
Anyhow, if you want to read a bit more from the skeptic’s side of things with regards to Van Praagh then check out this link: http://www.skepdic.com/vanpraagh.html. It contains an overview and links to lots of other material on the man.
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May 18th, 2003 at 6:51 pm
Hi Les
It’s funny — I always know I’ve hit a nerve with you when you decide to comment. LOL
So, you really don’t believe a significant number of people walk away from a reading such as that with a measure of peace and/or closure? I think they do. Whether what James Van Praagh is doing is legit or not, if it gives someone relief, then I think it’s worth it. I’ve known people who have gone to psychiatrists, psychologists and therapists, spending as much money, if not more, than what these self-proclaimed mediums charge, and come away no better off than when they first started. These days, I think we all have to take our slices of peace whenever and wherever we can find them. If a person chooses to believe in the so-called “powers” of people like James Van Praagh and John Edwards, then so be it — they’re no worse off for doing so, and maybe even better. Sometimes we have unresolved issues with loved ones who have passed that no amount of therapy can ever resolve. However, I can see where one might find such resolution in a reading like these men offer. I’m not saying I’m a whole-hearted believer in this … but I am a believer in the human spirit and what it sometimes requires to feel at peace. Who am I to say what one person may require is wrong, simply because I do not require the same, or do not believe in their methods?
Anyway, Les, it is always great to hear from you!
Thanks! 
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May 18th, 2003 at 11:05 pm
I don’t know. I was always brought up to believe that preying on people in their grief was immoral and unethical so, yeah, it does hit a sore point with me. :-) But then, I get annoyed with clergymen that turn a funeral into a big recruiting drive for their church instead of a remembrance and reflection on the person who has just passed away so I can be touchy about the whole death thing.
I feel the harm that comes from this sort of thing is the fact that it conditions people to be credulous and easily hoodwinked. I mean if you’ll buy into the idea that a failed ball-room dance instructor can speak with your dead Aunt Edna then what reason do you have to doubt that nice guy trying to sell you a car that runs on water? Or that those electro-shock belts will help you lose weight? Or that homeopathy will cure anything that ails you?
I wouldn’t be against the idea as much if there was at least some indication that this is the real thing and not just someone charging you money to tell you what you want to hear instead of what you need to hear, but I’ve yet to hear any of these people come up with anything significant that would indicate there’s more to this than a pricey game of 20 questions. If you want your emotions to be manipulated for a set of the warm fuzzies you can do a better job of it for less money with a decent sappy movie.
OK, I’ll shut up now. I don’t want to offend anyone. ;-)
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May 19th, 2003 at 12:03 am
If you’re worried about offending me — don’t. I appreciate your opinions and enjoy the banter.
I’m looking at this from a more spiritual standpoint — there are people who feel things on a much deeper level than others and, in turn, require resolution on a deeper level than science or sociology can offer. If someone needs to feel they have “connected” on a spiritual level and chooses to believe in mediums, I don’t think it naturally follows that they are individuals who are easily hoodwinked or manipulated.
I happen to be one who believes completely in homeopathy, but doing so does not render me foolish enough to think that medicine doesn’t also serve mankind well. I believe there is room enough for both. I am also smart enough and possess enough common sense to know that the stupid infomercials on TV for those crazy products to lose weight, etc., are just that — stupid. But I also believe in Angels, and am a firm believer that there are spirits around us at all times. Does that make me an easy target? I don’t think so. I have enough wherewithall, hopefully, to distinguish between smart and stupid.
What I’m getting at is this: Take, for example, the issues left unresolved with my own father when he died. I’ve talked to friends, family, a counselor and, most of all, myself …. I still have unresolved issues. Why? Because they are questions only he can answer, but I never had the opportunity to ask. Now, if I were one of those people who believed wholeheartedly in mediums and had the chance to go to one, I probably would. So now I’m there and the medium tells me things I’ve always needed to hear, supposedly coming straight from my father, and I walk away a happy camper, right? And yeah, I’ve paid money for it, but I pay money for all services rendered me. The bottom line, though, is that I walk out of there choosing to believe what I’ve heard which, in turn, brings me peace and closure. I feel better now. I can move forward with a much clearer focus. The point being that I chose it. So I wasn’t hoodwinked … I wasn’t manipulated — or maybe I was — by myself. That doesn’t mean, however, that I’m going to go out and buy an electro-shock belt to lose weight. It all boils down to choice.
There are, of course, those who do not possess the wherewithall to distinguish smart from stupid, or legitimate from fraudulent and are most definitely taken advantage of. That is, without a doubt, wrong. Not only are they taken advantage of, but they are taken, period. They pay good money for no return, and that is being hoodwinked. If, on the other hand, you pay good money and do come away with a positive end result, then where is the hoodwinking? That’s all I’m saying, really (in a very long-winded way) ….. if people walk away from James Van Praagh, John Edwards, Sylvia Brown or any other person proclaiming him/herself a medium, more happy than when they walked in, I see it only as a positive. Speaking from a purely spiritual perspective, that is.
Sometimes people need the intangible in order to find tangible relief.
Rock on, Les — you don’t ever have to worry about shutting up around here. ;)
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May 19th, 2003 at 9:15 am
Coolness. I really do appreciate that I can have this discussion with you without upsetting you as I feel it’s a very good discussion that more people should have.
Despite being an atheist I can appreciate the idea that some people have a greater need for a “spiritual” connection or a more spiritually oriented form of resolution than what most psychologists or social counselors may be able to offer, but I don’t think that’s what mediums offer people. At least, not if you seriously consider the content of most of their sessions.
The first two-thirds of any reading consist of the medium trying to impress the client by gleaning information that would seem to prove they are in contact with a dead relative of the client. In the case of Van Praagh the spirits seem to only be able to engage in a form of pantomime to get their message across. The last third or so is usually just a bunch of platitudes about how the dead relative is happy to be dead and they still love the client and so on and so forth. What exactly does that offer in the way of closure?
If Van Praagh were to say something like: “Your Mother wants you to know that she understands why you weren’t able to spend more time with her at the end because of the distance involved between California and New York and the fact that your husband has been laid off. She apologizes for the argument the two of you got into on the phone about your inability to visit and that she didn’t really mean it when she called you an ‘ungrateful little wretch.’ Oh, and the reason you can’t find the will is because she’s hidden it in a small cubby under the stairs for safe keeping.”
Now THAT would make me a believer. Better yet I’d love to hear one of these mediums say something like: “Your Mother says she’s doing well and the after-life is wonderful, but she still thinks you shouldn’t have married that abusive bum of a husband you have.”
But that’s not what people want to hear. If all it takes to get closure is a handful of platitudes and some vague predictions about future events then I can offer that up for free. I would think that most religious folks would turn to their clergy for any spiritual closure they feel they needed. That is what they are there for, isn’t it? In fact, for the majority of Christians consulting a psychic medium is a violation of what the Bible teaches as acceptable.
You’re right that it doesn’t necessarily follow that people who believe in mediums are easily hoodwinked or manipulated, but I didn’t say that all people who believe in mediums are so. What I said was that it conditions people to be credulous and easily hoodwinked. If people base their decisions on what they want to be true instead of what is true then they’re setting themselves up for the con-artists who specialize in telling people what they want to hear. That’s part of what I mean when I say that it does cause harm.
I won’t go into homeopathy here as that’s easily a whole other debate in and of itself, but suffice it to say that I would consider belief in mediums far less harmful than belief in homeopathy which makes claims that are easily testable and verifiable.
You’re right that it is about choice, but there’s also a difference between a wise choice and a foolish one. If vague predictions and empty platitudes are enough to give one closure then I’d be hard pressed to say whether it’s a case of their problem not being all that serious in the first place or that their problem is deeper than simply being unresolved issues with a dead loved one. From the shows I’ve seen and the transcripts I’ve studied these mediums have yet to reveal anything that would bring about any sense of closure beyond the most superficial kind. If I could see any benefit I’d have no beef with it. One would hope, as I’ve said many times before, that the after-life would provide something infinitely more useful to do than hang around a television studio on the off-chance you can play charades with a medium just to tell your relatives that everything in the after-life is peachy-keen.
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May 20th, 2003 at 12:42 am
Les, I’m definitely going to reply to your last comment (I always have something to say about almost everything LOL), but it might be a couple of days. I just didn’t want you to think I was ignorning you. ;) As soon as my Sis is well on the road to recovery and I am home more, I’ll unload on ya’ again. lol
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May 22nd, 2003 at 12:39 am
Hey Les
You’re right, which is precisely why I, myself, have never gone to a medium, nor ever intend to. But I can understand why some people do, even if they’re deluding themselves into thinking it’s real; or if they truly believe — they do find a measure of relief from it.
Is it right to prey on that? Of course not. Is there a chance that some of those mediums are for real? Anything is possible. On the show I watched a few nights ago, he actually did come up with some pretty specific stuff, and there were times when he wasn’t talking a mile a minute or throwing out 10 questions in 5 seconds. That’s the part that kind of blew me away — he knew things — personal things — that the family swears they never told anyone. Could those people be plants? Like I said, anything is possible.
As I’ve said before, I think we need to take our peace wherever we can find it. The world is just too harsh not to.
I have a question for you, Les …. do you believe in spirits? ghosts? Whatever you want to call ‘em. I’m just curious.
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June 6th, 2003 at 1:45 pm
My apologies for going so long without a response. Been meaning to get back over here and kept getting distracted.
Do I believe in spirits and ghosts? No, I don’t. There was a time in my youth when I did, but I also believed in Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny as well. I’ve had enough hard lessons in life to learn the value of a healthy sense of skepticism and I find that serious consideration of things that sound too good to be true has served me well more often than not.
It’s hard to say whether my skepticism is an outgrowth of my atheism or vice versa, but they developed more or less in parallel to each other. I tend to live by the rule that extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof. Especially if whatever concept I’m dealing would require a monetary investment on my part.
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July 14th, 2004 at 2:58 pm
Hi everyone! I was flipping on the tube, and happened to land on The Montel Williams show, Sylvia Browne was his guest today. I have often wondered if all that “other side” and “your spirit guide” stuff was real.
I am in agreement with giving out a piece of peace and closure. We ALL should be doing that. But, Im not sold on the whole medium thing. I dont believe that we have all been here before either. Im a believer of Jesus Christ, and he came to seek and save the lost. I think we should be turning to Him when we are troubled. He is the only one who knows our hearts and what we need to be healed of. Also, I would like to add that the fact they charge so much money disturbs me. If you had a gift, to help someone else…would you charge an arm and leg? Or, would you just help them because you can, because actually…the holder of the gift didnt pay a penny for their gift. If the gift of Salvation had a price…guess what? We wouldnt be able to afford it. Only the filty rich, and politicians, and goverment would be able to buy it because it would be so expensive. Thanks be to God for GIVING his only begotten son, so that I could have everlasting life….For FREE!
Love and peace forever in Jesus Christ…Amen!
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July 24th, 2004 at 1:14 pm
I lost my husband 14 months ago and my world fell apart. I waited 9 months to have a session with George Anderson, the highest regarded medium in the world. It was phenomenal. It was not a cold reading or false. My appointment was made under a different name (to protect myself) , and paid for through a friend (so my name was on nothing).
Still skeptical, I emailed their website and asked them if I paid for a session, then wanted to give it to someone else in need, would that be permitted. They told me that as long as that person was holding my letter of confirmation when they entered the room, it was their session. In other words, I could have given that letter to anyone and it would have become their session without George Anderson’s knowledge. There could be no secret background checks.
The information was about 95 percent accurate. The only confusion came was when he said that my husband told him that organized religion was null and void in our home, even though he was very spiritual. My husband did not believe in organized relgion, and felt he could worship God from anywhere, but I did go to church and took our three children to church alone regularly. He only missed by including all of us instead of just him.
If you do not know of George Anderson, you can check his website at http://www.georgeanderson.com I am fully aware of John Edward, Sylvia Brown, and the rest. George is really the only reputable medium known world-wide that doesn’t exploit himself on a TV show and wouldn’t. He’s the real deal. He has written several wonderful books on the subject and as a person who has known grief at it’s worst, I can tell you that nothing has brought me more comfort than my communication with my soulmate and husband. In no way, shape or form did I feel used or exploited. It was wonderful.
More suggested reading on the subject if you are a skeptic would be to read The Afterlife Experiments; Breakthough Scientific Evidence of Life After Death by Gary E. Schwartz
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