Sylvia Browne tv psychic sidesteps challenges: popularized by Larry King and Montel Williams, self-proclaimed psychic Sylvia Browne has reneged on promises to be tested for her extraordinary claims of communicating with the dead and “seeing” health problems. Is she really psychic? Would the medical profession consider her to be practicing medicine without a license? Do the media care?
Bryan Farha
One of the most popular “spiritual mediums” in the world is Sylvia Browne.
Sylvia’s Web site (www.sylvia.org) states:
Sylvia began her professional career as a psychic on May 8, 1973,
with a small meeting in her home. Within one year her practice had
grown very large and she decided to incorporate her business as the
Nirvana Foundation for Psychic Research. Wanting to make her work
as professional as possible, then as now, Sylvia maintains required
business licenses, is a member of a national consumer protection
agency, and donates a lot of time to charitable organizations and
working with police. Her business has remained in the same general
vicinity since beginning her work.
Sylvia’s family line includes several practicing psychics and
mediums. Her maternal grandmother, Ada, was an established and
respected counselor and healer in Kansas City, Missouri. This
familial psychic talent has also passed on to her son Christopher
Dufresne. There seems to be a genetic component necessary to create
exceptional psychics, Sylvia’s bloodline carries that
predisposition to excellence. As Sylvia says, “Anyone can learn to
play the piano, but not everyone is a concert pianist.” (2003)
Sylvia “diagnoses” health problems, purports to communicate with the dead, and even claims to have proven there is an afterlife. Her recent books include Contacting Your Spirit Guide and Past Lives, Future Healing: A Psychic Reveals the Secrets to Good Health and Great Relationships. For several years, she has been popularized by TV talk-show hosts Montel Williams and Larry King. Williams–who has hosted Sylvia more than seventy times since 1995–will have absolutely no part of a skeptical perspective. Larry King has included skeptics as guests on two of her three recent appearances during the past three years. But neither Williams nor King has shown the slightest interest in checking out her monumental claims. And, as far as I know, neither is interested in whether Sylvia’s health advice causes people to delay appropriate treatment or to undergo needless tests to look for nonexistent problems that Sylvia “sees.”
For health questions, callers can get a “reading” from Sylvia for only $700 by phone or $750 in person, according to her Web site (2003). Does that sound like proper commercial activity for someone who has no medical license, just a master’s degree in English literature?
Sylvia in Action
On September 3, 2001, Sylvia was challenged on Larry King Live by James Randi, the conjurer/skeptic who heads the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF), a nonprofit organization founded in 1996 to “promote critical thinking by reaching out to the public and media with reliable information about paranormal and supernatural ideas so widespread in our society today” (Randi 2003). During the program, Sylvia claimed that she had worked with 350 doctors and had cured a child of seizures. When asked how he thought Browne worked, Randi replied that she asks questions, makes guesses, offers suggestions, throws out words, waits for answers, and builds on what she gets–a method commonly referred to as cold reading. Randi also pointed out that people tend to remember what seems to fit and forget what does not. During the program, she demonstrated her technique to one caller (2001):
Caller: Sylvia and Larry, I enjoy you so very, very much. I listened to you for years and I just wanted to get on for a long time. Randi, I feel sorry for you as well, became we have to believe in something. My question is, Sylvia, I never had a chance to say goodbye to my husband. And I am wondering if he knows how much I loved him.
Browne: Not only did he know that, but what was the–clot or whatever that let loose? Because it looks like there was something about a clot.
Caller: Yes, he had a severe brain hemorrhage at the very last minute.
Browne: Because it looks likes it was, not only that, but this was massive.
Caller: Yes, it was.
Browne: Yeah.
Caller: Right through the top of his head.
Browne: And he really–you know, there are so many times, like when I lost so many people. I don’t care how many times if you can say good-bye, you never have enough good-byes. But see, aside from Randi, he hears everything you say, especially when you talk to him.
Caller: Well, I don’t really know whether I can say anything to him. There are people like that. But I feel sorry for them. Because we have to believe.
King: I thank you, ma’am. (Turning to Sylvia): Now, help me with something.
Browne: Yes?
King: Did you see that clot?
Browne: I saw the clot letting loose.
King: How do you explain?….
Browne: I don’t know. It’s like Randi said one time to one of the psychics, a lot of psychics just say chest. Of course, because a lot of people have chest problems. But not everybody has a massive embolism.
King: How would you explain that. A massive …
Browne: I know what he is going to say, it’s a guess.
Randi: Larry, you’re asking me to explain specific things. I don’t know who this woman is who called. I don’t know whether she is a ringer. I’m not saying she is, and I’m not suggesting that.
Browne: Oh.
Randi: But it is possible. There are many possibilities here. We have made a lucky guess, and we have hit. An embolism. A clot.
King: There are many possibilities. Is one of them–Randi, is one of the possibilities Sylvia is right?
Randi: Absolutely.
Randi was actually being generous. A clot might be involved in a heart attack, a stroke, or a few other rapidly fatal conditions. Because heart attacks and strokes are among the most common causes of sudden death, the word “clot” had a fairly good chance of being correct. However, in this case it was not. Although Browne and King seemed to think that Browne’s “diagnosis” was on target, it actually was dead wrong. The caller said the problem was a severe brain hemorrhage. A clot is just the opposite of a hemorrhage. As Randi (2001) notes on his Web site:
Now, to me, this sounds as if the caller is describing an impact
of some sort to the top of the head! Clots don’t go through the
top of the head. They originate inside the head and stay there.
Notice, too, that the term “embolism,” which was introduced
by Sylvia as applying to the cause of this death, and never by
the caller, refers to a blocked blood vessel, and could not apply
here. She said, amplifying her reading–the caller had already
been disconnected by that time–that I claimed “psychics”
frequently refer to “chest problems” as a cause of death, while
“not everyone has a massive embolism.” She then predicted what I
would say about this remarkable (1)hit,” that I would call it a
guess. She was wrong; I say that it’s a dead miss. And it is. No,
not everyone has a massive embolism, nor a clot, both of which
Sylvia put forth as the cause of death, and this man had neither.
An M.D. friend said that in his opinion, Sylvia is not just
full of baloney but also dangerous. She mentioned to one
caller that she should check the “bilirubin,” which she told
King “is a liver enzyme.” In fact, bilirubin is not a liver enzyme
but a degradation product of human hemoglobin. This is routinely
checked when blood tests are done.
No need to check it separately, as any elevation
of bilirubin will give the very obvious
clinical appearance of jaundice. You just
have to look in the person’s eye to see that.
And there is no test for Epstein-Barr disease
related to the examination of fecal matter, as
Sylvia, in her vast medical expertise, offered
to a caller. And she prescribed the drug
Tegretol, as well, for another caller’s disorder.
This type of medical advice, which by
law Sylvia cannot offer, is dangerous as it
can mislead the caller. Who is she to give
medical advice? Larry King was amazed at
her facility with medical terms. As Randi
points out, facility does not necessarily
equate with accuracy.
Later in the program, Browne said that Randi needed to see a doctor because he had a problem in his left ventricle (the chamber in the heart from which the blood is squeezed out into the body’s general circulation). Soon afterward, Randi saw a cardiac surgeon, who found no problem. If you think this example is benign, consider that most of Sylvia’s readings are with people who believe in her alleged psychic ability and therefore take her seriously. Health-related readings like this are commonplace with Sylvia.
One Evasion after Another
The James Randi Educational Foundation offers a $1,000,000 prize to anyone who can show, under proper observing conditions, evidence of any paranormal, supernatural, or occult power or event. The prize is in the form of negotiable bonds held in a special investment account. All tests are designed with the participation and approval of the applicant. In most cases, the applicant will be asked to perform a relatively simple preliminary test of the claim, which if successful will be followed by the formal test. Preliminary tests are usually conducted by associates of the JREF at the site where the applicant lives. Upon success in the preliminary testing process, the “applicant” becomes a “claimant.” So far, no one has ever passed the preliminary tests (Randi 2003).
Sylvia has promised three times to take the test. On March 6, 2001, Larry King Live hosted a discussion about criticism aimed at medium John Edward, who hosts Crossing Over. Sylvia and another alleged psychic, James Van Praagh, participated together with skeptics Leon Jaroff and Paul Kurtz and three others. During this program, Sylvia insisted that Kurtz had a prostate problem, which Kurtz denied. Jaroff urged Sylvia and Van Praagh to take Randi’s “million-dollar challenge,” and Sylvia agreed to do so (Larry King Live 2001):
Browne: I have never been offered this challenge.
King: You would take it?
Browne: I would take the challenge. I have tried to run around the table–[Randi] ran away from me.
King: She will meet with Randi and take the challenge.
Browne: He ran away from me.
Browne failed to contact Randi, but on the September 3 show, she told Randi she would take the test.
King: Randi has offered a million dollars in the past to those who would take his challenge. Would you first–let’s start with Randi–explain what the challenge constitutes? You will pay a million dollars if …?
Randi: A million dollars in negotiable bonds, Larry, to any person or persons who can provide evidence of any paranormal, occult, or supernatural event or ability of any kind under proper observing conditions. It is that simple.
King: Okay, and the observing conditions would be?
Randi: It would depend upon what the claim is. I have got a whole outline right here that will tell Sylvia exactly what the test would be if she agrees to take the test.
King: Sylvia, in the past you have not agreed to this.
Browne: Well, I don’t even want his million dollars. I don’t want his million dollars. I mean, the reason I came on is because he kept you know, my Web site, yeah, yeah, and said I would never come on and face him. But I don’t care about his million dollars. I mean, I don’t need his million….
King: Are you willing to take his test?
Browne: Yeah, whatever test it is.
After Randi suggested the specific type of psychic ability he would test, Sylvia agreed: All that was needed was for her to contact Randi. But by April 2003, she had made no contact. On May 16, she appeared again on Larry King Live, this time as the only guest. As usual, the program began with King’s mostly unskeptical questions plus phone calls from viewers who sounded like true believers. About forty minutes into the show, I managed to get past the screeners by telling them I wanted to ask about “my dead cousin.” I’m not proud of being deceptive, but I don’t believe the screeners would have let me through if they knew that I would question her about Randi’s test. As far as I know, nobody has ever been able to do this while she was on the air. Here’s what took place on that Larry King Live (2003):
King: Oklahoma City, hello.
Caller (me): Sylvia, 620 days [ago] on Larry’s show, you agreed to take James Randi’s $1 million paranormal challenge, and on a later show you even agreed to the specific terms of the test.
Browne: Yes, but let me tell you something. I also found out that he won’t put it into escrow. He won’t put the money into escrow.
Caller: You agreed to the terms of the test.
Browne: No, not until he puts the money into escrow. I mean, why would I do it when the money can’t be validated?
Caller: Have you contacted James?
Browne: I don’t want to contact him. I already know about this Russian person who the lawyer contacted and said he won’t put it into escrow.
Caller: Okay, so you agreed 620 days ago to take his test. Browne: I’m not going to do that–I’m not going to do that if he doesn’t have the money.
Caller: If I can arrange for James to come up with the money, would you take the test?
King: You said you would.
Browne: Yes, yes, I will. But if he won’t come up with the other girl, why would he come up with me?
King: If you come up with it, sir, she’ll do it.
Caller: And will you arrange for it, Larry?
King: Sure.
Caller: You got it.
King: Be happy to do it.
Promise number 3, this time from Sylvia and Larry King: King will arrange for the testing, and Sylvia will take the test if the money she previously dismissed as unimportant can be validated. Randi, who has posted a “Sylvia’s Clock” box on his home page, corrected my figures. Sylvia had agreed to take the test 808 days before I had called–620 was the number of days since she had agreed to the specific protocol.
On May 18, Randi e-mailed me a scanned copy of the document from Goldman, Sachs & Company stating that the JREF prize money account contained $1,054,656.70. I immediately wrote to Larry King, with copies to Randi and Sylvia, and Randi sent the following letter to both by certified mail:
Ms. Browne:
Though proof of the JREF prize money is easily available on
request, you have not made any such request. Your May 16
appearance on the Larry King Live TV show seemed to indicate
that you were ignorant of the facts, and since we are an
educational foundation, we therefore enclose a notarized copy
of the account status showing the balance in a special “James
Randi Educational Foundation Prize Account” in excess of one
million dollars. Also enclosed is a formal statement from the
agency holding these assets, verifying that the funds are in
place. I’m sure that you are aware of the grave legal consequences
that would result against the JREF if either of these
documents were to be found false or altered.
As you are also aware, we have legally committed ourselves
to awarding this prize money to anyone who successfully
passes both the preliminary and then the formal test, as agreed
to between the applicant and the JREF This is described on
our Web page, which also clearly states all the conditions for
assuring that the prize money will be awarded if the conditions
are met. Since you have already heard and accepted the terms
and protocol of the test, and your understanding and agreement
have been broadcast across the world via CNN, it only
remains for you to give us a date upon which we can conduct
the test.
One caveat: Several of the persons who responded more
than a year ago to our request for suitable subjects–one of
which would be chosen at random–have since died. It would
be necessary for us to re-issue the request, of course, and that
would mean that a suitable date would have to be set sometime
in July, hut no sooner.
Now that this issue of the prize money has been resolved,
and there can no longer be any impediment to your involvement,
we anticipate hearing from you with a renewed acceptance
of our challenge. Of course, if you are afraid of taking
the test, or you are aware that you cannot pass a simple
double-blind test of your claims, you may wish to further obfuscate
the matter by producing more excuses and problems.
That’s entirely up to you.
Since Larry King has agreed to “arrange” that you be
assured of the existence and availability of the prize money, a
copy of this letter is being sent to him for his information.
(Randi 2003)
But on May 22, Sylvia refused to accept Randi’s certified letter. On May 26, I e-mailed Sylvia a copy of Randi’s letter and asked “any office personnel” who receive it to make sure she reads it herself. On May 27, I left a telephone message for Larry King’s producers, to which they have not responded.
The Bottom Line
Sylvia Browne would like people to believe she has the psychic ability to communicate with the dead and to diagnose their ailments. She has broken three promises made on live, international television to take the JREF One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge. More than two years have passed since her first promise. I don’t believe she ever intended to take the test. Do you think any talk-show hosts will care?
References
Browne, Sylvia. 2003. Brief history. Available at www.sylvia.org/home/index. cfm.
–. 2003. Psychic readings. Available at www.sylvia.org/home/readings. cfm.
Larry King Live. 2003. Interview with Sylvia Browne. May 16, 2003. Transcript available at www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0305/16/lkl.00. Html.
–. 2001. Are psychics for real? March 6, 2001. Transcript available at www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0103/06/lkl.00.html.
–. 2001. Are psychics real? Sept 3, 2001. Transcript available at www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0109/03/lkl.00.html.
Randi, James. 2001. Reluctant wizard Sylvia Browne. Swirl, September 7, 2001. Available at www.randi.org/jr/090701.html.
–. 2003. JREF Web site. About the foundation. One million dollar paranormal challenge. Available at www.randi.org/research/index.html.
–. 2003. Sylvia emerges! Swift, May 23, 2003. Available at www.randi.org/jr/052303.html.
Bryan Farha is a professor at Oklahoma City University where he teaches a course entitled Psychology and Skepticism. He is also on CSICOP’s astrology subcommittee. Correspondence: Oklahoma City University, 2501 N. Blackwelder, Oklahoma City, OK 73106. E-mail: bfarha@okcu.edu.
COPYRIGHT 2003 Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group
