Ouija? NonNien! Not on Coast to Coast!

Tonight was George Noory's infamous Coast to Coast Ouija Board experiment. It went down more or less exactly like I expected. George opted out at the last minute in a deluge of negative feedback and recriminations from one side, and applause from the other. The feedback was almost evenly split.

I respected the ultimate decision. I was against the idea from the start. My only gripe is with the way it was drawn out over a period of weeks. Noory is too shrewd and experienced a talk show host not to know the impact on the audience of drawing out the decision for that long, and the controversy can only be good for ratings. I can understand why some members of the audience expressed anger and disappointment at his decision. I can understand they might feel misled. But Noory sounded sincere to me. I'll take it just as I heard it. I do think he struggled with this, right up to the end, and it probably wasn't easy for him to walk away from it. I found his personal story of a near-death experience compelling and interesting.

My beef with the folks who are angry at him is that they seem to have no empathy for his struggle over the moral decision to expose potentially millions of people to spiritual and psychic forces they might not be ready to deal with. That's my beef with the makers of the Ouija board itself. The argument was made that we all have personal responsibility, and on one level this is absolutely true. But on the other hand, you don't give a handgun to a child and tell them to go out and play. Many of the listeners of Coast simply aren't ready to deal with exposure to psychic forces of this kind. They simply have no idea what they are opening themselves up to.

I'll take this a step or two beyond the Ouija board ... one theme in my own thinking, since I wrote Living With Your Psychic Gifts, is the idea that far too many people approach psychic experiences as "dabblers", and that's the core of the problems I end up seeing for large numbers of my readers. They started playing with something as a lark or a toy, but they opened Aladdin's Lamp and the Genie won't go back inside (nor is he cute cuddly and blue with Robin William's voice or sense of humor, for that matter).

I do discourage "dabbling". If you get involved in psychic development, you should understand that you will be making a lifetime commitment to your personal growth, and there will be effects you won't like at times. I will never forget one email from a reader who asked me a dozen questions, all of which were answered on my site. When I told her to go read it first and I'd answer any questions not answered later, she responded rather huffily that she didn't have time to do that! My response, with all due respect, was to tell her that if she did not have time to read it, then chances were good she wouldn't have the time to follow my advice, either. Prozac can shut down some psychic ability (if you can tolerate the side effects, costs and danger), but there is really no "magic pill" that can stuff the Genie back into the lamp entirely. Don't dabble in any of this stuff unless you are prepared to take the time to deal with the issues it will bring up. As Noory's guests said many times tonight, whether it is Ouija in particular or psychic experimentation in general, the baggage you bring with you is going to make a huge difference to the kind of experience you will have. There is no faster way to discover that you have hidden issues than to start opening up to your psychic ability.

I specifically discourage neophytes from dabbling with Ouija because of the way it is marketed. This is not a game, it is a heavy duty psychological experiment wrapped up in a metaphysical box, IMNSHO. It is a direct and immediate connection to the subconscious. On top of that, it opens the spiritual doors to any and all entities who may want to drop in. It's psychic Russian Roulette. You don't know who you are gonna get, and there is absolutely no spiritual or psychic protection guidance offered by the makers of the Ouija.

I am sure I'll get letters from experienced psychics who have had nothing but wonderful experiences, and the odd dabbler who got lucky - but the warning here is not for you. Sure, I grant you, some people have had positive experiences, but the majority of stories I have heard have been terrifying. And like George Noory, I am not sure that possibility is worth the risk.

If you have played with a Ouija board and are having negative experiences, my suggestion for disposal is simple. Send it back to the manufacturer, without a return address. Let them dispose of it in whatever manner they see fit. Maybe if they get enough of these "toys" back in the mail, they will rethink the way they have marketed this "game".

Brandi

Child Senses Spirit of Loved One

Hi Brandi - can you please help with this question? I have a 2 year-old daughter who appears to have psychic abilities as she can see and hear a recent loved one who has recently passed away. The strange thing is when he is present she hear a sort of humming/buzzing sound which sometimes scares her as well as (sometimes) getting a sore neck (the deceased loved one hung himself). I would really appreciate a response to help me deal with this.

CF
Dear CF

The humming/buzzing sound may be coming from the loved one, but it may also be coming from the distinct probability that your daughter also has out of body experiences on a regular basis. This symptom is common with psychics of many different kinds. My suggestion is to have her hearing checked, just in case, to rule out any physical causes. Whenever she hears it, be as comforting as you can. If it becomes uncomfortable, or she seems to be ungrounded, wash her feet and hands in cold water (not too cold mind you).

I would tell her lots of people have these experiences. I wouldn't tell her "there is nothing to be afraid of", unless she actually mentions being fearful. One thing I have discovered is that most children are not afraid of spirits until they find out that it is something their elders are fearful of. Think of the typical first haircut or dentist appointment. How do children react when we tell them "Don't worry, it won't hurt?" ... almost always with tears, because all they hear is "worry" and "hurt" at that age. "Spirits are not to be feared" puts the concepts of "fear" and "spirits" together in the same sentence. You may not have done this, but chances are someone has. It's well-meaning, but it doesn't work.

If she is truly fearful at this point, the best you can do is reassure her that this is someone who loved you and her and all he is trying to do is communicate with her, to let you know he is okay. Ask leading questions like, "How do you feel about this?" and "Did he say anything?" ... keep it age-appropriate of course, and back off if this upsets her. The idea though is to give her the idea that this is something perfectly normal and natural. She will have questions about how he died, and that may be better addressed by a child psychologist than myself, but my 2 cents is that honesty is always best (again at age appropriate levels, and without revealing facts that might distress her further).

As for this loved one, the way he died is a challenge for you. He's likely earthbound, and may be confused and disoriented. He needs some help crossing over. Then there is the profound impact on your family emotionally, never mind psychically, which may also need to be addressed. There is an excellent book by Edith Fiore called "The Unquiet Dead", that I highly recommend. In a nutshell though, tell him he was successful in ending his life, and that now he must cross over into the Light. His activities are upsetting and harmful to your child, and as much as you love and miss him, damaging to himself. It's not fair for him to keep coming back to her when he is causing fear and neck pains to her. I would do this while she is asleep, after the next time she reports him being present (not in the same room, children hear a lot more than we think when they are asleep). If you sense resistance, and/or she reports continued visits, let me know, and I will make some further recommendations ... but 90% of the time, these spirits leave on their own accord, once they realize that their presence is causing disruption.

Brandi

Dr. Turi - Coast to Coast AM July 07

Dr. Turi made only a brief appearance on Coast to Coast AM this evening, but he did make one specific forecast ... on July 30 he expects a serious surpise, could be a large explosion of some kind. Turi was declared right about last space station prediction by George Noory and Richard C. Hoagland, as they did indeed experience a lot of computer problems in the last mission.

Update: Early July 31, Mount Bulusan explodedin the Philippines. I'm calling this a "hit".

George Ure and "Cliff", Coast to Coast Live July 5, 2007

Last night on Coast to Coast, George Ure and "Cliff" were guests who use a proprietary web bot technology. They study language patterns in Internet discussions to forecast indicators for future events.

I find this process intriguing. Basically the premise is that the Internet forms a reflection of global consciousness. Since the advent of the Internet, I have been forecasting that the Internet is the formative stage of a true global consciousness that may eventually become self-aware. So I am fascinated to see the possibility that this infant consciousness may also be psychic. At the same time, this type of forecasting has the same limits as any form of psychic ability. George and Cliff admit that they tend to focus on negative keywords, as they have the strongest emotional impact. As a result, so most of the forecasts are negative and frightening. They also admit that at times what they pick up has more to do with global fears than actual outcomes. And they admit that sometimes the pattern only becomes clear after the event.

Some of their forecasts:

The US dollar could collapse.

The International Space Station may have to be abandoned.

Millions of people could be scattered in a "diaspora" by a severe weather event around the end of September 2007.

During the first three months of 2008 there could be a pandemic, possibly the bird flu.

In Fall 2007, they see some kind of fungus that will impact crops and human health.

Three earthquakes could occur in California sometime between September to December 2007. A prominent wedding may be disrupted.

They believe that Greenland's glacier will melt, causing a global coastal catastrophe within the next five years. Millions of people will be killed in a huge tidal wave.

I am a tad ambivalent about this particular set of forecasts, even though they are heavily disclaimered as "For Entertainment Value Only". These two fellows are selling a newsletter based entirely on fear-based values. I can see the demand for this, it's canny marketing. Fear sells. I just wonder if that is the best use of their talents and technology. I would love to see the same process applied to some positive values as well.

Clairsentience - Turn it off? (2)

I don't want this, it's made my life hell, I have been ostracized by my peers, no one believes me, or they believe me and just believe I'm nuts. I can't control it. It won't just appear on command, so it makes me look even more nuts. Depression seems to play a factor in this, so does stress. I will give you that. It seems to hit hardest when I feel like crap or I'm really stressed.

I have studied meditation, the tarot, and even astrology, a friend of mine recommended them because of the feelings I was having, they aren't really visions, they are more like feelings. They only seemed to make the stupors last longer and become audible, they make them worse. I have no control what so ever.

I'm so ashamed, my priest says im going crazy too, he thinks I should see a dr.

I am alone...

You are not alone. I went through the exact same thing, and I have gotten many many letters over the years, just like yours. It's heartbreaking to me to read your pain and know I cannot provide the answer you are hoping for, but I don't believe you are crazy, either. You are just a hyper-sensitive empath living in an unsympathetic situation.

I don't have any real control over my visions or impressions either. I have come to accept that too. They come when they do. The more journaling I have done though, the more the evidence has mounted up that what I sense is real, and the more I am able to tell the difference between fearful thoughts, wishful thinking and a real intuition.

One thing that has made a huge difference to my happiness is that I don't try to convince anyone else that it is real anymore ... not even you. I don't care if you believe me that my gift is real or not. What matters is that I believe it. If you are still doubting yourself, it is no wonder you are unhappy. Start journaling and meditating. You will benefit from it in ways you can't begin to imagine.

Some of my friends are doubters too ... but you know what? I don't care! Those who truly love me, love me anyway, and those who are mean about it ... well, I weeded them out of my life a long time ago. Life is too short to have closed-minded, fear-based people around me. That includes family in my case. The only one I really talk to much is my mother. That may sound sad, but the truth is I never had much in common with the rest of them anyway. I have a new circle of friends now who are the most loving and supporting people I could hope for, and I am the happiest I have ever been. When I look back, the truth is I am better off without some of those people in my life.

I felt strongly from the beginning that depression is a factor in your situation, and the best thing I did for depression was taking The QuinnTessential Experience classes. If you don't feel that is for you, and you cannot get to Toronto, then the next best thing is to go see your doctor and see if you can get a referral to a cognitive therapist. That's the closest thing in traditional medicine to what they teach at The QuinnTessential Experience. Watch the movie "The Secret". There are some clues in there as well. I think you are not "crazy" if you are just depressed. I think your priest is probably trying to get you to get help for your depression, but unless he actually used that word, then you are projecting your judgments onto him. I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt.

I don't understand why you feel ashamed. What have you done to be ashamed of? If in the rare event you do have some sort of mental illness (I am not a psychiatrist but you sound sane to me), then that is not your fault. Talk it over with your doctor, he or she will be able to see if you need intervention. If you don't have a mental illness, then all you are guilty of being is sensitive and gifted! Cut yourself a break. It's bad enough that other people have been unsupportive, you don't need to put yourself down as well.

I do think you should avoid Tarot or astrology for now. It will open you up more, when what you need to do is ground yourself. Focus your energy on physical activity. Meditate, learn how to ground yourself. Pray. Once you get to the stage where you can accept this, that is the time to broaden your studies.

Brandi

Clairsentience - Turn it off?

How do you turn it off and forget about the ability?

OSO

The truth of the matter is you can't simply turn it off and forget it. The simplest analogy I can think of is if you wanted to stop eating, because you want to lose weight. You can certainly cut down on eating, or eat more wisely - but stop eating altogether, and you won't be around too much longer.

Your psychic ability is tied to your intuition, creativity and intelligence. The only way to totally turn it off is to stop thinking. I can think of a few blonde exceptions to the rule ... but most of us need every advantage we can get, and by totally turning your back on this gift, you will deny yourself and the rest of the world many valuable insights along with the challenges. not only that, but in my experience, the harder you fight to stuff it down, the more intense it will get until it breaks through, usually in chaotic ways.

You can learn to accept it, to learn from it, to control it better over time, though. If you have frightening visions, the more accepting you are of the experience, the more positive they will become over time. If you fight, resist and deny it, it will find other ways to express itself in your life. You are far better off working with it than fighting against it.

I wonder though if "how do you turn it off and forget about the ability?" is the real question. I suspect the real question is deeper than that. If you are unhappy with your psychic experiences, chances are good you are unhappy with other experiences in your life. I find that depression is all too common amongst hyper-sensitives.

I did find that Prozac helped me "shut down" my psychic abilities during one particularly difficult period of my life, but if I could go back into that time, I would change many things I did, including taking a dangerous, expensive, potentially addictive drug to escape my feelings. What I have learned since then is that my attitude towards life has a huge impact on the quality of my psychic experiences. As I have become a more happy, joyful, fulfilled and confident woman, I have also developed more control over my psychic abilities.

What happened was that I took The QuinnTessential Experience class, and it totally changed my outlook in life. I have now lived without depression for more than four years. It also had the side effect of giving me a set of growth skills I needed to finally get real control over my psychic abilities. When I began to develop a happy, confident, effective mental outlook, everything else fell into place naturally. The class costs less than a year's supply of Prozac, even accounting for travel costs from most places in the US and Canada. Even though this class has absolutely no content strictly related to psychic ability, if you are unhappy with your experiences, it is the fastest way I can think of to turn your life around.

If you can't get to The QuinnTessential Experience, the next best thing is to read my book. Study everything you can get your hands on about meditation, grounding, and psychic protection. When you have a frightening vision, write it down. Go back to it later on and look at what you wrote. You will have insights that will help you better accept and understand your visions. Reach out to others, though the discussion groups here and at other psychic protection sites online. Knowing you are not alone is a huge step towards acceptance, and that is the thing that will help you the most.

Brandi

The Circle Meditation

When I did readings, people often used to ask me what their Life's Purpose was. I came to realize that the point of coming to incarnate life on Earth is not to discover a purpose that God has hidden from us like some silly game of emotional hide and seek, but is instead to create meaning out of whatever circumstances come our way. If we do have a purpose, then it is up to us to create it out of what we have, not find it hidden in the subconscious of some psychic we happen to meet.

I believe the best guidance to our true purpose is to follow what brings us joy. Unfortunately, too many people are stuck in an unending angst brought on by contrary values that insist on the one hand that work must be "hard" and on the other that we must follow the path of least resistance to find our true place in life.

The other big mistake people make is in assuming that one's career is the ultimate or only reflection of our purpose in life. I've found it hugely rewarding to participate in The QuinnTessential Experience, yet I make no money from that. I really do feel that The QuinnTessential Experience or something very much like it is my true purpose in life. Maybe I will become a facilitator one day, maybe not, but regardless, that is where I find the deepest, most profound meaning in my life. Your purpose does not have to be your career.

Still, for most people, career ends up being their purpose, and many people are stuck when it comes to making career decisions. While seeing a good psychic or astrologer may help clarify things, in the end, you are the one who makes the choice. If you are finding yourself stuck with any choice, I highly recommend the following clarifying meditation to open your heart and mind to your highest joy. I would dearly love to have your feedback on this ...

Mentally prepare yourself. Center, meditate, if you use the Silva Method, go to Alpha, or simply relax in whatever method works best for you.

When you are mentally ready, imagine yourself at the beach. As you walk along, you will notice things. Pay attention to anything that draws your attention. While you are walking, gently ponder the circumstances that have brought you to this decision. Symbols of your circumstances will float up to mind. Does something get in your way? What kind of people approach you as you walk further down the beach? Do animals or obstacles enter your path?

When you feel you have gone through all the circumstances in your life that are relevant to the question, stop and draw a circle around yourself in the sand. Now, imagine that you are inside a magic circle that protects you from any harm, and brings to you all your needs. The circle magically transports any people from your life whose expectations, demands or desires may be affected by this decision, but somehow, they are all unconditionally loving and supportive in this new environment.

You can do anything you want to inside the circle. You are happy, prosperous, productive and fulfilled, though you are totally alone inside the circle. Mom, Dad, brothers, sisters, your best friends, “The Joneses”, peers and people you barely know, but care about, all are outside the circle, offering their total, unconditional support. Sit inside that feeling for a time.

Now, think ... what are you doing inside the circle? You may find yourself doing a lot of things, perhaps just one, but whatever you find yourself doing in that circle is a clue to your purpose. If nothing immediately comes to mind, thank everyone and let them float away. Now, an angel floats down from heaven. Pay attention to the appearance of this angel. It isn't the typical greeting card angel, it is a being of light, but a very unique one. This angel bears a gift for you. Make a note of what the angel is wearing, what the angel looks like. The angel will give you a gift. Thank the angel and let it float away. Now, look down at the gift ... what is the gift the angel left for you?

Most often the gift will be something symbolic. If the symbol isn't obvious to you, just keep that gift in mind for a while. Eventually it will break through and make sense to you.

Ground yourself and come back to reality.

Many people have had remarkable breakthroughs using this meditation, but it is only the first step. Now that you have an idea of the direction to take in your path, "reality" really starts to matter.

If you choose to move to another city, or to study certain topics in school, your parents may be hurt or confused. You may have to deal with loneliness and will probably experience money problems. The path won't always be easy, but at least you will have a goal, and an idea of what you want to achieve in life.

Some people are so confused by the demands of other people and of society that they cannot block out the needs of loved-ones, and may find that absolutely nothing comes to them inside the circle. Others may find that something outrageous occurs to them that they cannot accept as a practical alternative. This is when a qualified astrologer or psychic counselor might be helpful.

The Circle Meditation is featured in my Book Living With Your Psychic Gifts - Chapter 12. This meditation can be adapted to almost any major life decision, not just career decisions. Whenever you are stuck, not knowing what you really want to do, give it a try and see what comes up for you!

June 13 2007 - Louis Turi with George Noory

Dr. Louis Turi has a lot to teach people about the ancient art of astrology, I’d like to take one of his classes, especially since he holds them in places I am drawn to. He’s an entertaining, lively guest, it always makes for good radio whenever he’s on the Coast to Coast show.

Turi says he has faith in humanity and technology. "God did not create the earth to end up in a miserable way."

"We are not doomed George, we are not," adding that we can shape our future and bring peace, love and respect to the world.

I applaud his positive attitude about the future of the world, especially coming on the Coast to Coast show where so many psychics and seers seems to see nothing but disasters.

The tail and head of dragon are still in Virgo-Pisces axis. Middle East oil continues to be strongly affected by the nodes. With the Dragon moving into the Aquarius-Leo axis at end of year, expect incredible, surprising shocking news, nature has not yet spoken. He mentioned serious tragedies, earthquakes, and tornadoes but offered no specifics on dates or locations.

His strongest forecast this time around was that NASA will be forced to be entirely restructured. He sees devastating events coming at the space agency, including possible deaths of astronauts. When speaking with Richard Hoagland at the end of the show, he says he sees millions of tax dollars wasted, and more computer problems ahead . I find Hoagland’s tortion (sp?) and hyper-dimensional physics as an explanation for astrology an intriguing possibility. I hope the two of them can follow up on it together when they are not under the constraints of a show like Coast.

Turi rattled off a quick list of dates I could not write down quickly enough, though Lex Lonehood will be posting a summary in the usual place on the Coast site (in the past show summaries). He also posts these in his mailing list and web site. His Moon Power Star Guide for the year 2007 is available on the web site.

Turi said June 16 will be the beginning of an ending, a cycle of destructive weather. The same energy that produced Katrina will return. He says to check CNN on that date for earth-change disasters, earthquakes, hurricanes, etc. On June 16, the Moon is moving into Cancer. Beginning or ending of important phases of life. France and Italy will make news, the Ring of Fire will become active. Real estate in the US will be turned upside down. [As of June 30, I feel this is a "miss" - there was no major storm to my knowledge in this time frame]

I'll give Turi a hit though for "Famous Death/Dramatic News/Police/FBI/CIA/Mob/Secrets/Scandals/Wake Up Call/Terrorism/Finances/Sex/Serial Killers." - I don't recall him saying this on the show - he may have provided it to Lex after the show. There are definitely news stories right now relating to these themes, some of them quite surprising and unexpected.

The economy, stock market does not look good this year, but gold looks good.

It seemed to me that Turi was trying to focus on explaining his craft while George Noory was looking for more “wowie-zowie” predictions for his prediction-hungry audience (as usual). He did a pretty good job of doing just that. This time around we got to see him in action with questions from callers, impressive, as I know as an astrologer myself it is not easy to quickly whip off readings in such short time frames. He’s blunt, straightforward, and doesn’t hold back what he sees to spare anyone’s feelings.

I do have a couple minor quibbles about Dr. Turi, the primary one being a semantic argument over how he uses the word "predictions" on the one hand to describe his craft … but at the same time he says "I don't predict anything". Actually, I agree with him – what he does, and he does extremely well, is forecast (see my article "Forecasting versus Prediction" for an explanation of the difference between forecasts and predictions). I fear his confusing of this word is doing his credibility a disservice with skeptics who might latch onto an apparent contradiction that he does not intend.

I do subscribe to his mailing list, and highly recommend it. He pulls no punches though – he doesn't have any patience for fools and religion, and he finds them together on not infrequent occasions. Some say they see him as overbearing and egotistical. I see him as blunt and a bit impatient with his critics, but he is as entertaining and informative on the Internet as he is on radio

Dr. Evelyn Paglini Makes More Psychic Hits

May 13 2007 - Dr. Evelyn Paglini was on with Art Bell on Coast to Coast again tonight, as a number of her previous forecasts have come to pass. See my previous blog on April 21.

Two major hurricanes that will hit the gulf coast, tornados and storms that will make history [there have been heavier than normal storms and tornados, though no major hurricanes as of late October] . She would put FIMA along the Gulf Coast and the Central Plains. She does not like the look of the dams and levies she has seen. She says she sees "other people killing children"[there have been two school shooting events] . She says there may be riots or civil unrest in major cities. This is "not a done deal yet", but is "still in the planning stage". It could happen in the "heat of the summer" [summer is over and this did not occur] . She remains worried about a virus with flu-like symptoms that will be deadly. It will be released "by man's hand" in the United States, and will take a long time before they will find treatments. She foresees financial troubles ahead, a slow-down this fall, with a major stock correction in September-October [she was correct on this one, this is a solid hit] . There will be another oil interruption, which will not be caused by weather. She recommends communities and individuals put away food and water for possible disasters between now and 2012. There will be a rash of contaminants in our food, both accidental and deliberate. There will be a lot of solar flares between now and 2012, and a possible nuclear exchange.

She seems to think that the Northern Midwest will be more safe than the coastal areas.

Dr. Paglini is impressive. She says she does not want to call her statements "predictions", she wants to call them "warnings". She says she doesn't have all the answers, and seems concerned about the primarily negative quality of most of the predictions that come to her. I give her extra kudos for that, and for saying that future events can be changed.

She told one caller not to worry about the warnings and visions he was getting, to write them down. She also has a Mind Dynamics Course that will teach people to shut down or improve their psychic abilities. I haven't got a copy of this course to review it, but if it is as direct and straight-forward as she is on Coast, it should be worth a try.

Discovery Network is looking for a Psychic Family

Authentic Entertainment is searching for a psychic family for an upcoming episode of "MY UNIQUE FAMILY", a series for The Learning Channel (TLC) which is part of the Discovery Network. The first three episodes of MY UNIQUE FAMILY aired in February and were very well received. Each of the families profiled felt that their story was accurately portrayed and ratings were high.

The goal of the MY UNIQUE FAMILY series is to show how families work together to overcome challenges. The psychic family we profile must have abilities that have been passed down from one generation to the next, and must have children. Ideally, one of the children would have issues with his families psychic abilities, and would be struggling to fit into the mainstream. Through the course of the show, however, the child would come to a new appreciation of his/her family.

If you know any families that might be interested, please have them email me 1-2 paragraphs:

Katrina Drabkin
Producer
Authentic Entertainment
Email: katrina@authentictv.com
Cell: 323-842-2445

Thanks!
Katrina

Psychic Children

My niece foresaw the Virginia Tech Tragedy. We always new she was going to have a much stronger Psychic ability that the rest of the family but it's all coming to a head at an amazing rate and it's scaring the crap out of her. She see's orbs, ghosts, spirits, they follow her home, events have happened at school in her classrooms for all to witness, she hers conversations, she feels their feelings. We are having trouble trying to comfort her and remind her that this is a gift. Any suggestions? This is not a joke. I need to find her some help. She's too strong psychically. It's like a switch was turned on in her psyche and the rest is history. Where can we find help? We know she is psychic but we don't know how to help her except to support and comfort her when things get scary.

SS

Dear SS,

The first thing is to remember to have an attitude of detached interest when she shares her experiences. What I mean by that is be interested, encourage her, but don’t make a big deal out of this. If she feels fear, it is in part because what she sees is scary, and in part because the adults around her react with the shivers when she brings it up. That gives children the clear message "This is a big deal, it's a scary thing". The truth is, it does not have to be scary.

Wherever you can, ask don't tell! Learn how to do "Active Listening". That's a technique featured in "Parent Effectiveness Training" (PET). Essentially what you do is guide the other person to come to their own conclusion with some leading questions. I have an outline on my anti-bullying section here. I also recommend looking into PET ... it will help you deal with other emotional situations – psychically sensitive kids also tend to be emotionally sensitive as well.

If I spoke to your niece, I would acknowledge that I have had some scary experiences of my own. Then I would ask her if she has ever had a scary dream. Chances are good she will say yes. Then I would ask her if she was ever really hurt by something in a dream. Once she woke up, didn't the scary thing go away? Of course the answer is yes there too. So I would ask her if she sees any difference between her visions and impressions than dreams in that regard. While they are happening, they may be scary, like a movie or a dream, but once they are over, nothing bad has ever happened, has it?

Encourage her to start keeping a journal of her experiences. Teach her to meditate. Teach her some of the protection exercises in my book (especially grounding), or those techniques that your family has taught in the past. Remind her that you and others in your family have a similar talent. Tell her it's natural, most people have it, but other families don't all talk about it because they have different traditions about it. See if you can bring her along to local classes or seminars. One I recommend for children is "The Virtues Project" ... it's not about being psychic, it's more about better communicating, and that will help her in many ways, not just as a sensitive. There may also be psychic classes, meetings or gatherings in your community. If she is surrounded with people who are open-minded and supportive, she will eventually realize that this is a normal part of life.


One last thing ... if she is having any trouble integrating what she saw with the Virginia Tech tragedy, it will most likely take the form of guilt and grief.

About guilt ... Let her know that many others also likely foresaw it, but it's rare we get enough information to act on these things. Nothing that happened was her fault, and there was nothing she could have done to prevent it, regardless. Society is just not ready to listen to intuition about such things ... heck, people came forward with actual direct warnings from knowing the shooter, and even that could not prevent this from happening.

About grief ... even though she may not know any of the people who died, she may have a stronger than normal attachment to them. At some level, she may feel she knew them. Treat this grief as normal. Accept it. Get her counselling for it, if she is open to that. Even non-psychic children may be experiencing anxiety and trauma from what they have seen on TV. How much more traumatic must that be when a child has seen it in her psyche?

Brandi

No agape for psychics in Philadelphia

City inspectors in Philadelphia shut down more than a dozen psychics, astrologers and tarot-card readers after learning about a decades-old state law that bans fortune telling for profit. More --->

This is a timely warning for anyone in the "psychic business" that antiquated laws and attitudes still rule in many parts of the USA. Hopefully the ACLU and some of the affected businesses will sue to repeal this unfair law. In my opinion it is an infringement and a violation of the civil and spiritual rights of the people of Philadelphia.

I am as concerned as anyone about hoaxers and frauds in this business, and I believe that the police should be called in wherever there is evidence of "curse removal" or similar scams going on. I want to see hoaxers hammered - hard. But if we were to apply the same broad-brush tactics to medicine or psychiatry, we'd be closing down hospitals willy-nilly just because of the presence of a few quacks. In my personal experience with the medical establishment and with psychics, I have to say I have encountered as many frauds and quacks in medicine as I have in psychic fairs.

Canada has a federal law dating back to the 1800's outlawing "witchcraft", which forbids anyone from "pretending to tell the future". In Canada, it is rare that there is any attempt to enforce it. Periodically fundamentalists invoke that law to try to get psychic fairs and businesses shut down. I was present at on fair in Calgary, where the week before we'd been forced to get "fortune teller" licenses at $200 a pop. Then the police reluctantly showed up to try to shut the show down, with a small gaggle of placard-waving protestors behind them. The irony was not lost on police that we had city-issued licenses for the activity they were wanting to shut us down for. We put up signs saying readings were for fun and entertainment purposes only which satisfied the police, and the issue was dropped.

Even though the situation was resolved amicably, the repulsive law remains on the books in Canada, and it is periodically dragged up by religious groups or skeptics to harass psychics. If this law outlawed any other religious belief and forbade "prophecy", there would be an outcry across the country. But it is still okay to persecute "witches" and those who would pursue faith and spirit independent of an organized faith. Psychics beware ... Salem is not that long past us.

Another "Hit" on Coast to Coast AM

"I think the Dow will go to over 14,000 this year" - Shawn David Morton, earlier this year on Coast to Coast.

So far the "Coast Psychics" have a pretty good hit rate. I am finding it impressive, even if I know most skeptics won't. I have also started some discussions with some other psychics who are not wild about my "prediction versus forecast" position. But I don't think they are understanding what I am saying. Most of those who have taken issue with what I said feature "predictions" heavily as part of their work. But when I really read what they are doing, they are in fact "forecasting", at least for the most part. I'm only taking them to task for their choice of language. I'd like to see us be more precise about what it is we claim to do. There are some limitations to foresight. What works well are overviews of conditions in the future. What works less well are predictions as to the actual manifestation those conditions will trigger.

"I think the Dow will go to over 14,000 this year" is pretty specific. It's probably based on two things - one being Mr. Morton's knowledge of remote viewing, and the other his understanding of the markets. Someone like Mr. Morton can take the symbolic impressions common to psychics and remote viewers and make an educated assessment (some psychics did not like my use of the word "guess") as to how the energy behind those symbols will manifest.

One of the challenges for beginners and professionals alike is taking the symbolic language of psychic ability and translating that into the expected manifestation. For example, one time I had two clients with strong transits in their fifth houses of their astrological charts. One got pregnant, and the other started a new business (daycare as it happens). Recently I have had a strong transit in the 5th house, and I recently decided to sponsor a child through Children International, plus I have been cranking out one painting after another. All these things feature children and creativity, the hallmarks of the 5th house. But as we are very different people, we all used that same energy in very different ways.

It's my position that we will continue to face irrational and energetic skepticism until we can come to an agreement as to just what it is psychics claim to do. When we focus on our "predictions" without explainging the process to our clients and the media, we reinforce the idea that we are making claims we can't support. I feel a small change in our language would help illustrate the difference between "predictions" and "forecasts", and that would help us all.

On the other hand ... I am secretly rooting for the Coast Psychics. The better they do, the more clear it becomes that we're not all crazy after all.

Dr. Evelyn Paglini makes two solid hits on Coast to Coast

April 21, 2007 - Tonight on Coast to Coast with Art Bell, who was filling in for George Noory, psychic Evelyn Paglini was brought in to talk about successful predictions she has made on previous Coast shows. She had been on the show March 31 where she predicted that "the pet food problem will continue to spread" and that "children killing children ... will escalate". There were references to a disaster worse than Columbine, and people jumping out of windows in her earlier prediction.

"This was one time I did not want to be anywhere close to being right," said Paglini. "I started picking up this evil presence back in November. We're going to see more carnage and more horror. There is a non-human evil at work here."

She said this evening that she foresees another similar event that will include explosions. She also sees a horrendous killer heatwave, blackouts, and power-outages in the USA and Europe. There will be a "number of arson fires in the West that will be worse than usual. She sees a couple groups doing planning, who are "intentionally setting fires [CNN reports the "Witch Fire" (interesting name for it) in Santiago County was deliberately set, October 24] . A deadly flu outbreak will be unleashed, there will be panic, but they will ultimately find a treatment. There will be a "contaminant found in canned human foods. There will be flooding in India.

"You will have this year more shootings in schools ... with guns and with explosives."

Major Ed Dames - Coast to Coast AM Predictions April 02, 2007

My one pet beef with what I call "Media Psychics" is the focus on predictions. I wonder about the ethics of making predictions for a number of reasons. First, there seems to be little if any accountability. Nobody is really doing any serious tracking or oversight of how accurate they are. Second, I have noticed that it seems to be the more sensational and negative psychics who make it on the air (the subject of today's blog being a prime example). Finally, I wonder about the usefulness of predictions altogether. One reason I got out of doing readings is that was the item of biggest interest to my clients, and of least interest to me. I believe the future is always in motion, a change of mind can change the world. A healthy mind stays focused on the only moment that matters: right now.

I do recognize that most of my audience doesn't share those concerns <g> ... you love predictions. So I figured it would be interesting to log the predictions and statements of popular psychics here for posterity, so we can all have a look at them in the future. I also decided to have a little fun on my blog with my favorite radio show, Coast to Coast AM. They often have psychics and remote viewers on, they tend to feature some of the more popular and famous psychics on a fairly regular basis. I was thinking it would be fun to review the shows that feature psychics and psychic topics like remote viewing and consciousness. I can't promise to review each one of these appearances, I don't listen every night ... okay I DO listen every night, but I foresee the possibility that one night I might not be able to do so.

Major Ed Dames - Coast to Coast AM Predictions April 02, 2007

Ed Dames is a well known "remote viewer" whose main focus seems to be end-times prophecies, finding lost items and generally scaring the willies out of his audience. His nickname is "Doctor Doom", and for good reason, his predictions are almost exclusively about disasters. I am not going into some of the past predictions they went through on the show, I will focus only on the new predictions he is making.

This time, Ed predicts:

Worldwide damage to wheat and grass crops Update April 16, 2007 on Coast with Art Bell - Apparently there is a new variety of wheat rust fungus spreading in Africa, which meets the outline as Dames predicted.

Honey Bees will become extinct soon (there are already reports of them disappearing, nobody knows why). He believes intense UV radiation is blinding them, that they are starving to death.

We are facing a barren planet within 50 years. Quote "We are going down". He recommends people look into underground self-contained habitats.
Plankton in the ocean will die off.

There will be a nuclear reactor accident in Russia, another Chernobyl-like release of radiation.

A space shuttle will be forced to the ground by a meteor shower then there will be a massive solar flare Ed calls "The Kill Shot" that will take out most life on earth.

There is an alien race on earth watching us, helping with the ozone level. One of his working groups is working on contact.

The US will not get to Mars, the Russians and Chinese will make it first.

Casini may not be able to photograph it, but there is one of the deepest canyons in the solar system on Titan.

Once again Art Bell and Ed circled and danced around each other on the issue of free will. Ed Dames believes in free will "on some level" but does not believe that the things he sees in remote viewing sessions can be changed. I firmly disagree with this assertion. Far too many times I have clearly foreseen a specific outcome, related it to a client and had them change their path for the better. This is of course another reason why I am not a huge fan of predictions, especially as given by negative fatalists. I agree with art. I see no benefit to knowing a future that I cannot change.

The danger with predictions is in taking them too seriously and too literally, both faults I have found with his process. Whenever I listen to Ed Dames I am reminded of one psychic I used to know in Vancouver who was forever predicting the fatal earthquake that would dump the city into the ocean. Every time she had a vision though, it was right before another blow up with her abusive husband.

The "earthquakes" never happened for Vancouver, but the earth was definitely shaking in her dysfunctional home. I learned to stay away from her family for a few days whenever she'd have another vision. I tried to point this out to her, but she was convinced that eventually these predictions would pan out. I have not seen her for nearly 15 years, but Vancouver is still there, last time I checked. Eventually she will be right, after all, Vancouver is part of the Ring of Fire, and earthquakes are not uncommon there. But her visions are not about the ground shaking, they are metaphors for part of her life she wants to remain in denial about.

Ed Dames might protest that this process does not apply to him - after all, it's not just him seeing these things, he has large numbers of students seeing the same thing. Fair enough, and time will tell. Some of his previous predictions have come true. But remember also that like attracts like. People who have similar talents, biases and issues are going to be drawn into his inner circle. I remember when I did readings, I would attract one person after another to my booth who had the exact same "stuff" going on in their lives that I did. In the "Psychic Circle" we noticed that we would all do it. The reader with the breakup would attract the lonely hearts. I would attract the prosperity-seekers. There would be exceptions, but the rule held about 90% of the time. I got to figure out what issues I was overlooking by watching the themes people brought to me as clients. I believe that the Dames project teams are reading as much off him as they are each other, and this is coloring the results they get.

Be careful what you wish for

For a long time i believed i never had a gift. my nan, aunty, mum and sister all do. but i never showed any signs. I wished and wished for something to happen and now it has i cant control it. it started with a dream. i had spent the whole evening wishing that i could be "special" to, when i fell into a very deep sleep i dreamed that my nan who has been dead for 9 years now came and told me i had a gift i was shutting it out because i was afraid of what it ment. and that when i woke my life would never be the same again. now all i see is reflections of people i dont no. but yet when i turn no one is there. ill be sat in my bedroom when i will go cold and my body starts to tingle. now ive got the gift i dont no what to do with it i dont no what these poeple want. did i make a big mistake by wishing for something i cant handle. is my nan punishing me for wanting more than
what i already had. please help me.

k

Dear k,

There are quite a few people I think have indeed asked for something they weren't ready for where it comes to psychic abilities, but I don't know if that is the case for you. Your gift might have developed exactly as it has, regardless. The women in your family have the gift, it runs in families, chances are good that you would have developed it anyway. What happened in the past isn’t important. You can't change that, so there is no point in worrying about it. What matters is, what are you going to do with it now?

I think you are a bit nervous because you are realizing now that with power comes responsibility. But what you may have overlooked is that the first responsibility is for yourself. It doesn’t matter what anyone else wants you to do. What matters is what you really want to do. I noticed something in your email – often when you refer to yourself as “I” you use a lowercase “i”. Why are you trying to make yourself small? Think about that for a while, it may be related to the confusion you are feeling right now.

One thing I am pretty sure of, and that is I don’t think your nan is punishing you. In fact, I'm sure she just loves you and she’s just trying to help you with this – her words right true, don’t they? You asked for this, and now you are trying to shut it off. Your trying to shut it off is what is causing the problem. So the solution is to find a way to positively express this gift you asked for. Start keeping a journal. Do the daily “grounding” and “white light” exercises. You are so blessed to have others in your family who have the gift, learn what you can from the women in your family who share the gift. Learn what you can from the library, from web sites like PsychicProtection.net.

As for the visions you are having of strange people, don’t assume they necessarily have a huge amount of importance just yet. You are in the early stages of learning about your abilities, and the worst thing beginners do to themselves is to blow these experiences out of proportion. I did that at first, and now I know that I scared myself for no reason whatsoever. Most psychic experiences are ordinary, mundane experiences. It’s just another way of communicating, it’s only that in our culture people don’t talk about it openly. I wager that most of the people you are seeing are people who have passed on who are looking for mediums to talk to. Have you ever seen the movie “Ghost”? The Patrick Swayze character was wandering around after he died, trying to find someone to tell his lady how much he loved her. Most of the time when I see spirits, it’s something similar. Tell them you want your space, that they are only to contact you when you are ready for it. Tell them to go into the light, to pray for guidance, or to find someone else with more experience than you, until you are comfortable enough with your gifts to be able to discern their intentions and find the right way to help them.

Once you realize that this is nothing to be worried about, it will just become something you take for granted. You might decide to become a professional psychic, but you could also decide to become a highly intuitive doctor or lawyer instead. It doesn’t matter what anyone else wants you to do with this gift, it is yours to play with. Follow your heart.

My sister is tortured by evil demons.

My sister is tortured by evil demons. How can I help her or how can she herself get rid of them? It has been going on for years. Doctors have diagnosed her w/ all different things. She thinks she has schizophrenia and multiple personalities. Here are a few things I have seen. I have seen her as herself, I have seen her at times where a "black shadow" crosses over her and she begins talking about horrifying things to scare/ depress herself and people around her. She never leaves her house. She is not able to take care of herself - shower, dress. She absolutely hated my Christian pictures at my house-- sacred heart, last supper..bad things happen when she is around-- my daughter's dog got hit by a car when she was at my apartment, I have lost many things financially and personally. It is like grieving one death after the next. Her husband has not left her, but he has become an alcoholic. Her son never leaves the house and has dropped out of high school w/ one year left to graduate. It is what is inside of her that is affecting everyone and she does not see it. I don't know how to approach her on it but, I have to sooner or later because I will not have her inside of my house. She needs to know. Also, since it has been years and lots of doctors and she is just getting worse. The doctors prescribe meds and she does not take them right and also when she does take them, she drinks alcohol w/ it and she has taken up chain smoking 3-4 packs/day. I think it may have been ouija board, tarot cards when she was a teen. Also, she had neighbors (25 yr ago) that were involved with some type of devil worship. She is not a spiritual person. I have seen her change within seconds -- her whole face and then she is all gloom and doom -- the sky is falling kind of thing. I have recently found a medal of St Benedict. I think that may have been an enlightenment or confirmation of what I believed to be going on. If it were a medical thing, then she should have been getting better over the years, but she is getting worse by the day. I think her husband is planning on leaving her so she has to get herself together quick. I don't think that I can help her since I am her sister, and I don't know how to tell her that she needs spiritual help-- she will most likely think I'm crazy. Any thoughts??

V

Dear V:

I'm not a doctor, and I share some of your doubts about the medical establishment, but I do have some familiarity with schizophrenia. I have a second cousin who suffers from it, and have had encounters with others during the time I did psychic readings. It can get worse over time, in fact, that is common. It can be treated but there is no cure. It will get worse for certain if she does not stay on her medication, and most of the meds have really awful side effects, many schizophrenics can't handle them.

As a psychic, I believe that schizophrenia can be both a medical and a spiritual problem at the same time, the "causes" are not necessarily mutually exclusive. I believe that schizophrenia can, and often is, a sign of a torn or broken aura. Most schizophrenics are incredibly psychic when they are lucid (and sometimes more so when they are not). There are some doctors who are beginning to believe that some of the visions schizophrenics have may have a basis in reality, or that they tap into the dream space in a waking state. They just can't "shut down" and stay grounded. If this is her problem, she isn't going to get herself together "quick". She will need all the support she can get, but she may not make that easy for you. You could try talking to her doctor(s) - they will not share any confidential information with you about her, but they may be able to offer you some advice for dealing with her. If you can't do that, speak to your own doctor. Get more information on this side of it.

I do feel negative entities can be attracted by Ouija boards, but I have seen no evidence of that with Tarot. I've used them myself for over 20 years with no negative effects. I have report after report of negative experiences with Ouija, though. I think the reason for this is that Ouija is designed specifically to invite comment from spirits, where that is not the case for Tarot. It's a bad idea to play with Ouija - we would never think of inviting strangers into our homes, but that is exactly what the Ouija does on the spiritual level. No wonder there are so many horror stories. At the same time though, it is rare that negative entities hang around long if everything else is well. If there is a negative spirit around her, it's not about these tools, or her exposure to negative neighbors, it is about choice. If it is true that she is possessed, then on some level she let this in, and she is going to have to be the one to decide she wants to overcome it.

That's also true if the problem is medical. Either way, she is a grown woman, and her negativity is destroying her life and her family. I am certain that you are right about one thing here: She needs to know how you feel about this. The question is, how do you approach her? Have you spoken to her husband? Other family members? Can there be a loving intervention where everyone encourages her to get some help? The same concern can be expressed without quite as much risk of a counter-productive reaction if you leave your religious suspicions out of the conversation. Just tell her that her mood swings and negativity are affecting her relationships, and that you are worried about that.

Use "I" language: "When I am worried all the time how other people will react, when I am constantly treading on eggshells, when I cannot be sure from one moment to the next how someone will react, I feel fearful and unsafe. When someone around me is always negative, that brings me down. I feel that this negativity is affecting many areas of our lives. I'm afraid you may lose the people who love you the most." Use your own language, but try to be specific about how you are affected by her behavior. Don't focus on the behavior itself. That will come across as blaming and shaming, no matter how sincere your faith and love for her.

As for your religious concerns, I recommend you speak to a priest. The Church is very careful of confirming demonic possession, I understand it is actually a very rare thing that they do exorcisms, and I have not heard of one done on someone without their willing participation. He may have ideas in addition to mine, but I suspect he may say that until she is open to receive help, the most you can do is pray to God for healing for her, and strength for yourself. I do not encourage people to pray for specific outcomes, such as "Please God, drive the evil spirits from my sister" ... why? I sometimes tell the story of one case where my mother was praying for me to go back to church, and I ended up with awful nightmares and headaches. Things got a lot worse until I figured out what she was doing, and asked her instead to pray that "God's will be done". Things changed for the better immediately. I have had other experiences that have taught me to always ask before I pray for others for a specific outcome. Whether it is prayer, meditation, healing or visualization, we should do nothing for others without their express permission. As hard as that may be to hear, as much as your heart is in the right place, it isn't right to put your will over hers.

If you are not sure how she will react, if there is a chance of reaching her, and you still want to raise it with her, you might get better results from her by "asking" instead of "telling" ... "Do you ever wonder if there might be a spiritual component to this? What are your beliefs? How can I help you? Do you mind if I pray for you?" ... gently ask her to share her experiences and beliefs and listen to her without judgment. What she tells you will be a guide to ways you might open up a dialog. If you tell her blunt outright that you believe she is possessed, you might drive her away at best, at worst, if she is schizophrenic, you could trigger symptoms she is not showing (you said nothing about demonic voices telling her to do bad things, for example).

What you can do for sure is be a loving example to her while you also protect yourself and your family. Since your faith is important to you, I would start with prayer. Pray for God's strength and guidance. Ask for angels to protect you and your family. Light white candles. If you are Catholic, you should be able to get some holy water from your church - sprinkle it around the house in a counter-clockwise circle, and command any negative entities to leave in the name of Jesus Christ. Salt will also work (I'd do both). After you do this, do a prayer of gratitude for the protection you will be sent. Light a candle and walk around the house clockwise as you ask God to send in a spirit of peace and love to fill your home (never just cast things out - don't leave an empty space for them to come back to). After you do this, after any visit or call from her, and whenever you fear that something negative is around, command it to leave, and immediately focus on something loving and positive. Negative entities feed off fear. Show them love, they will run from that.

Turning Psychic Abilities Back On?

I need help. I have been told through all my life that I block my gifts and that this is the reason for all of my problems. I sometimes feel like I am going crazy! I pray hard on it and I had a dream that said this last night "he is a fool who has gifts and ignores them for he will never be where he should be in life." My problem is, I have NO IDEA how to turn them back on! Can you help me?

P

Dear P,

Wow, that is awesome! That is some of the wisest and deepest advice I have heard come out of a dream. You are so blessed! I love when I have an answer come that clearly in a dream. I would start with an expression of gratitude for your guide, angel or higher self, whomever sent you this amazing gift of love. The Law of Attraction says that gratitude is a huge factor in getting more of what you want, and I want more wisdom like that, don’t you?

The greatness of that gift is also evidence that you haven’t turned off your spiritual gifts altogether. The truth is that nobody ever really does, even those of my readers who most desperately want to. The best we can truly achieve is to stop fearing it, to accept it … or to ignore it. Even when we can do that, it’s like putting a kink in a garden hose … eventually that energy starts leaking out, and sooner or later something will burst into a watery, emotional mess.

I have done the same thing you did. And for a while, I really felt like I had shut it off, but the ironic thing was once I got to that spot, I felt lost without it. After attending The QuinnTessential Experience though, I reconnected with my intuition, and my spiritual and creative gifts have been stronger than ever. The people I normally connect with, I seem connected to in deeper, more intimate ways. Those I did not connect with before, or who were harmful in my psychic space, no longer have much effect on me. The QuinnTessential Experience class isn’t aimed at psychics, it is a personal growth seminar, but what I learned there was more helpful to my psychic growth than any of the psychic lessons or mentors I have had. If you can’t get to that class, one of their facilitators James Roswell Quinn has written a book (first edition edited by yours truly - don't be thrown by the title ), and any of the teachers of "The Secret" and might offer some value (though their classes are pricey). What I know now was that the trouble wasn’t that my psychic gift was out of whack … my attitude was. Once I discovered I had a choice how I react to things, so many other things fell into place on their own, including my relationship to my psychic abilities.

My book is called "Living With Your Psychic Gifts" and not "Turning Off Your Psychic Gifts" for a reason. Really what I have been advising people to do is not to block their gifts entirely, because, as you have learned, that isn’t healthy either, but to bring themselves into balance and acceptance with it. Still, the focus has been on "turning things down". That’s why I am working on a follow-up book. I finally have a new title, thanks to my friend Chris Cuciurean, called "Listening to Your Intuition". I hope you will subscribe to the blog or my mailing list, so you will learn of it when it comes out. In the meantime, the key is to start listening. Start paying attention. Don't set any immediate goals - just watch what happens. And ironically, for the most part, my advice for you is not all that different from the advice I give to people who are trying to block their gifts. The two most important are: Meditate daily, and keep a journal of your experiences – especially of your dreams.

Sylvia Browne Controversy

I have been seeing a lot of stories about Sylvia Browne’s wrong prediction about the kidnapped boy who was recently found alive. Sylvia Browne has been wrong before, most notably on the Coast to Coast Show during the mining disaster.

This time however, Sylvia Browne has said "I cannot possibly be 100% correct in each and every one of my predictions. I have never claimed to be." Fair enough. Mediums and psychics are not perfect. We're human, we make mistakes. Just because she made a couple mistakes, that does not mean she doesn't have a legitimate psychic gift. There are odd times when I can't connect with certain people and situations ... yet most of the time it is clear to me that there is more than coincidence or “good guessing” at work in my intuition. I give Sylvia Browne the benefit of the doubt. In her many media appearances she has often had some stunning “hits”. These particular “misses” were tragic. The most recent case was obviously painful to this boy’s family, and it’s fair to ask if such emotional and tragic situations should be explored in the informal setting of a television show. This is one reason I don’t do informal “readings” when I make media appearances.

It is reasonable for the press to ask if a psychic has a real gift or not. I always knew within a few minutes into a reading when I was "on" or "off". It was obvious to me and to my client. When watching Sylvia Browne, John Edwards and James Van Praagh, I have always been struck by how certain they all seem, how direct they are, and how they all seemed to tell, not ask, at least most of the time. I believe they all have real psychic abilities. I have questioned some of that certainty though. Is it reasonable to bluntly tell a kidnapped boy’s parents that you feel he is dead, so matter of fact? Right or wrong, there are gentler ways to release that kind of impression. I did face this challenge once myself, with the parents of a missing boy. I described where I felt he would be found. I told them I could not connect with him, and felt he was likely in spirit. I could not be certain he was alive or dead, but I could not give them false hope. It was probably the hardest reading I ever did. In the end, I was right, but being right brought no comfort. In cases like this, I think Syvlia Browne would agree, most psychics would be glad to be wrong.

It is also reasonable for the media to question the fees of “top tier” psychics. I don’t advertise “readings” anymore, I rarely do them. I think a reasonable fee is $30-60 for a short reading for most psychics. Then again, most psychics are not best-selling authors who are on television regularly and who are swamped with requests for private readings. I don’t know what Sylvia Browne’s satisfaction policy is, but during my time as a consulting psychic, I offered a money-back guarantee, and during that time I could count on one hand the number of clients who asked for refunds. I encourage consumers to ask about these policies before they agree to any reading. Psychics do deserve to be paid for their time, celebrity brings a premium, but I think the bar for satisfaction should be higher when the fee is $700 for 20 minutes.

I do wish the media would question more whether or not the psychic is taking advantage of people, creating a cult-like following. I worked towards empowering my clients to make their own decisions, rather than depending on me. At times I turned away clients when it seemed obvious they were becoming dependent upon me. If my personal belief system was at odds with a client's religious beliefs or their own intuitions, I stepped aside. I did not and do not want to have a "following". My goal is to not to build a following, it is to encourage leadership and personal responsibility. When I see famous psychics starting up their own religions and telling others that they should not trust their own visions if they are not in accord with the famous psychic … I start to get incredibly uncomfortable.

I’d also like to see the media take a closer look at the “skeptics” they drag on their shows whenever a high-profile psychic attracts their cynical attention. I am particularly concerned about CNN's affection for James Randi, and their unquestioning acceptance of his claim to be making a legitimate offer of an award of one million dollars for proof of the paranormal. There is a good analysis here of why this test is deliberately designed to be unwinnable, yet none of the mainstream media I have seen so far have challenged Randi on his claim. The mainstream media continues to give this so-called “skeptic” a pass even though his own methods fall far short of the scientific method.

Brandi

Praying for Deliverance

I was listening to parts of last night's Coast to Coast, my favorite radio show. It was a strange repeat show featuring Kathleen Keating, a writer who mixes Biblical and contemporary prophecy into a fearful message that apparently is extremely popular. I could not bear to listen to it all, it was all so negative and toxic. But at one point, I was struck by yet another pundit making the assertion that if one wants to be delivered from spiritual tribulations or visions that all one needs to do is "Pray in the name of Jesus". Yet another Christian pundit making the incredible assertion that this "always" works ... "immediately".

Umn, no. It doesn't.

I am always shocked by this assertion. I am a child of a fundamentalist Pentecostal/Baptist family, "born again" since the age of six. As someone who suffered greatly from sleep paralysis and terrifying visions and dreams for two years after my initial psychic awakening, I prayed with great fervor and sincerity for Jesus to deliver me, night after night. Not once were these desperate prayers answered "immediately". Many times I would be frozen, beset by terrible visions, vibrating and paralyzed, literally mentally screaming for help in Jesus' name, only to eventually awaken, exhausted and terrified, certain only that the next night I'd be stuck in the same spot once again.

I am not the only (now former) Christian who has deeply and sincerely prayed for Deliverance without success over a period of years. My readers' emails regularly feature terrified pleas for help from people of any number of faiths who have prayed and prayed for deliverance without relief. Most are convinced they must be possessed or worse, and they feel so alone. Some have gone to their Church begging for help only to be turned away. I was profoundly insulted at the repeated suggestion by others at the time that I was possessed, not sincere, or worthy of God's compassion, or that I somehow had "asked' for this by listening to rock music or reading the wrong books. I finally got scared enough to confide these visions and dreams to my mother, who dragged me off to her Church the next day. I am sure she had no idea what the sermon would be ... it was "Visions and Dreams, God's Way of Communicating". It was only after this that I finally discovered someone at a "new age" book store, who took me seriously and offered guidance, that I was able to finally get these "Experiences" under control. I now teach some of those techniques through my book and web site.

It's irresponsible to tell people that any method of spiritual protection or deliverance will "always" work. Certainly the prayer method works a great deal of the time, perhaps even most of the time. My prayers were answered after all - just not as I expected, and not immediately. I think my methods are successful most of the time, but how am I to judge? Those who fail aren't likely to respond to someone who speaks with the authority of the Bible. If you admit your prayers in such desperate spiritual circumstances are not answered, the knee-jerk reaction is to blame the victim. You must be possessed. You must be praying wrong. Are you living a "Godly" enough life? Nobody wants to simply question the automatic efficacy of such prayers.

I recall as a child being told that "demon-possessed" people could "never" resist the power of prayer in the name of Jesus. We were told often if we only had the stones to go pray over the "heathens" (especially psychics, and "witches") that they would immediately be struck dumb. Many years later, as I worked in psychic expos and other public places (and had thus become the worst kind of heathen an apostate psychic), I frequently encountered people who believed this. There was more than one occasion where some preacher or wannabee came to pray over me in the name of Jesus in some rather spectacular and usually attention-grabbing manner. It never managed to shut me up. In fact the only thing I noticed was the additional attention seemed to be good for business. One time, one poor fellow commanded the imaginary demons to "I command you to be silent and leave in the name of Jesus". I had noticed the local rent-a-cops coming up silently behind him (security at that place liked me, I think). I responded "I command you to be silent ... and leave in the name of Security." I think he turned white when he turned around to see the two hulking giants behind him, their arms crossed over their broad chests, handsome faces drawn in scowls. He'd drawn a small crowd, who burst into applause as he was escorted off the property. It turned into the best day I had for business all winter.

I just find it impossible to accept that God has some weird cosmic game that He's playing with us. If we don't all pony up to the collection plate and say the "right" prayers to the right deity, if we doubt, if we use our God-given intuition, we're all going to be hell roasted in a terrible apocalypse ... all for God's benefit? How does any of this abominable collection of ideas glorify God? How does fear glorify God? Why does God need to fulfill these abominable prophecies to prove His worth for worship? Isn't creating the entire, glorious Universe enough?

It seems blasphemous to me to suggest that God is glorified by fear. It sells books, puts bums in pews, and makes for great radio ratings, but God is glorified by love, not fear. Simply stepping outside of my fear was the most important thing that I did to stop my terrifying visions and dreams. Twenty years later, I almost never have sleep paralysis. When it happens it is rare, and only occasionally fearful, and I can almost always trace those moments to times of stress and change. Sometimes I still have visions and dreams, but they are never as terrifying as they were. Faith can be a wonderful and life-affirming thing. By all means, pray to Jesus for deliverance from unwanted psychic experiences if you are a Christian (heck, even if you are not). It can't hurt anything, and it may help. It probably will help. But don't bang on yourself, don't let fear take your heart if it does not help right away.