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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The People vs. Sylvia Brown(e)The story of Sylvia Browne's 1992 felony conviction in a case involving charges of grand theft and securities fraud. 
San Francisco Chronicle article, June 6th, 1992 BackgroundOne incident which cannot be ignored in any serious attempt to analyze Sylvia Browne's behavior and character is her 1992 felony conviction in a case where she (as Sylvia Brown, without the "e"), along with her then-husband Kensil Dalzell ("Dal") Brown were charged with grand theft and investment fraud. Does it prove her psychic abilities one way or the other? No. But it does, as attorneys say, "go to character," and so is definitely relevant in a discussion of Browne and her claims. The PressI will, for the most part, let newspaper accounts of the case tell the story. All emphasis mine. San Francisco Chronicle: "Psychic Consultant Arraigned in Fraud Case"An article in the June 6th, 1992 edition of the San Francisco Chronicle:
As I understand it, The Nirvana Foundation for Psychic Research is the former name of Browne's church, later known as The Society of Novus Spiritus. San Jose Mercury News: "Spiritualist, Ex-Husband Plead No Contest in Securities Case"Excerpts from an article in the March 9th, 1993 edition of the San Jose Mercury News:
San Jose Mercury News: "Psychic Gets 1-Year Probation For 'Good Feelings' About Venture"Excerpts from the December 18th, 1993 edition of the San Jose Mercury News:
The DocumentsHere are copies of the pertinent documents in the case. These are public documents, certified copies of which can be obtained by contacting:
(Click here to view larger versions of the documents.) The Complaint: Page 1
The Complaint: Page 2
The Complaint: Page 3
The Complaint: Page 4
The Complaint: Page 5
The Complaint: Page 6
The Complaint: Page 7
The Complaint: Page 8
The Plea
The Sentence
My thanks to those who assisted in obtaining these documents. AnalysisWhile convicted of the crime, Sylvia Browne still maintains that she was not involved in the whole affair. The investors seem to be saying that she told them that her "psychic powers" indicated that the mine was going to pay off big, but she denies this. She has also stated that the whole thing was her ex-husband's fault, and that she was not involved. Why then did she plead "no contest" to the charge of selling securities without a license? It is possible that she entered the plea despite belief in her innocence, convinced by her attorney that the plea was in her best interest. But it is also possible that she knew full well that she was guilty of the charges (the investors definitely seemed to implicate her in the complaint), and thought that the reduced charges were the best she could hope for. ConclusionAn obvious question in all this would be "If she is psychic, why didn't she see all of this coming?" In the Afterword of the 1998 edition of Browne's book Adventures of a Psychic (written by Browne and Antoinette May, originally published under the title My Guide, My Self), Browne mentions none of this case, other than the bankruptcy. And of it, she says:
Of course, to someone who is skeptical of Browne's supposed psychic powers, this sounds like a convenient excuse a phony psychic would use to justify not having foreseen every unpleasant event in their life. Does this incident help to prove or disprove Browne's psychic abilities? I'll leave that for the reader to decide. But I would suggest that anyone trying to decide whether or not to spend $750 on one of Browne's 20-30 minute "phone readings" would do well to remember the lesson learned by the investors in this case, who regretted throwing their money into a hole in the ground, an overly-hyped but ultimately worthless investment known as "The Sylvia." Related LinksClicking on any of these links will load a separate browser window for viewing the linked page. StopSylviaBrowne.com is not responsible for the content of any of these linked pages.
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