A look at the claims, predictions and behavior of a media "psychic".
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A look at the claims, predictions and behavior of a media "psychic".
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| Email: "My Sister Margaret and Me"A man asks Browne about the health of a loved one. Published: Apr 02, 2008 - Last Updated: Apr 02, 2008  The email author Peter and his sister Margaret BackgroundI recently received an email which told a story I felt worth sharing here on the site. Not only is the story instructive, it also brings up an issue I feel is worth discussing. The EmailHere, with the author's permission, is that email. And, as usual, this email is simply one person's account of their experience.
The attached document contained the following (emphasis mine):
AnalysisYet another example of someone, in a moment of desperate hope, reaching out to Sylvia Browne for some insight into an awful situation. And yet another example of her being - sadly - totally wrong. Margaret, who Browne said would live "a long time," died sixteen months later, at the age of 35. People may say "So what? What is the harm in that?" After all, what impact did Browne's inaccurate statement have on Peter? On Margaret? I hope the impact was very little, as Peter was apparently not a big believer in Browne. But I have read accounts from others who regretted decisions they made based on Browne's having incorrectly told them that they, or a loved one, were going to live a certain length of time. People can foolishly ignore a doctor's warning, since Browne told them they would live a long life. Similarly, people can neglect to put their affairs in order, bringing unnecessary anguish to their loved ones. Mistakenly believing that a sick loved one will recover and live a long life can cause someone to put off reconciling with that loved one, making the death all the more difficult on the one left behind. Conversely, someone told they will die soon, when in fact they will live far longer, may neglect health issues ("I'm going to die in two years anyway, why should I get a check-up?"), or become unnecessarily withdrawn and depressed over a predicted imminent death which in reality will not occur for years or even decades. These are just a handful of examples of the potential harm in "harmless" predictions such as the one in this email, if taken to heart. I will leave it to the reader to imagine some of the others. ConclusionMy condolences to Peter on his loss. And my thanks to him for sharing his story with me, and with the readers of this site. Update Apr 02 2008When this article was first put up, several people asked about the picture inside the email, which is photoshopped. When I mentioned this to Peter, he sent another, non-Photoshopped picture of the two of them, which is what is now at the top of this article. In addition, he sent along this photograph:  Peter with Sylvia Browne at the book signing. |
top of page![In loving Memory of Margaret [last name]: September 2nd 1966 - June 16th 2002](images/email_mysistermargaretandme_2.jpg)