What does everyone here think about jOhn Edward of "Crossing Over?" I love the show and really want to believe that he can do what he claims. I believe the whole show could be staged but if it is, they sure do a good job of it. ***************************************************** 06-17-02, 03:25 PM ArCHimeDes Since I just responded to a post concerning this same topic in religion, please forgive me if I cut and paste my reply.
The channel that host this self-proclaimed necromancer speaks volumes by its own admission "Science Fiction". In recent years there has been a psychic craze that has swept the country and Mr. Edwards is riding that tide for all its worth. Having just recently lost my father, I can empathize with the folks who come, sometimes in desperation, to try to reconnect with their loved ones. This sham of a shaman is a charlatan! I wonder what his next ruse will be when this one has run dry, "time-shares" on Skylab.
06-18-02, 12:34 PM Elexina I, too, must cut and paste here so please forgive me... "I have seen his "work" and I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, because it was so ridiculous and flawed. He pushes and pushes and pushes until the audience member gives him the information he needs to "communicate" and give an "answer." I saw him badger one family for fifteen minutes about a woman named Mary who was a sister to one of them and finally they thought of a cousins' wife, named Sue or something, and this "psychic" said "yes, that's what I was saying." Yeah right. I've seen Sylvia Brown and at least she is halfway believable, and interesting. John Edward's theatrics gives those with true talent a bad name."
06-21-02, 10:36 PM LVLF I've never been a member of an audience for a TV show, but I'll wager a bet that those people send for tickets in advance and along with the request form for a ticket there may just be some kind of questionnaire that asks for things like name, address, telephone number. It is amazing what information can be found about someone with not much more than a name and address. Birth & death records, criminal records, you name it. About the only thing that can't be found are juvinile and military records. Add that to an uncanny ability to read & lead people and you have a hit TV show. wink
I am posting this under "atheist" because there doesn't seem to be any other section dealing with pseudoscience and hucksterism. The following link is to an article debunking the charlatan John Edward and his slimy, despicable show on the Sci-Fi Channel called "Crossing Over". "Putting One Over" is a more descriptive title. If you haven't seen this fiasco, John Edward, who claims to have the ability to communicate with the dead plays on the gullibility and grief of studio audience members who are there to communicate with departed loved ones.* Through the magic of video tape editing, Edward appears to be right on the money all the time. He is. He's making money hand over fist by playing on the public's precious, sentimental after-life fantasies. The article goes into greater detail: [URL=06-17-02, 03:25 PM]Shooting crap: Alleged psychic John Edward actually gambles on hope and basic laws of statistics by Shari Waxman[/URL]
To see the rest of the thread Click Here
* [added 06/24/02] One of his celebrity guests included Anne Rice, author of the Vampire Chronicles series and some of her family members. It's one thing to write about the occult, it's another to believe it. Pathetic.
[This message was edited by XaurreauX on 06-24-02 at 03:15 PM.]
06-29-02, 12:36 AM JohnGalt What do I think of him? Well, I don't know if there is such a place as Hell. But if there, is I know it will be a worse place on the day Mr. Edward arrives there! He is one of the lowest forms of charlatans there is. He not only lies to people, but he does it to grieving people who have recently lost a loved one!
Mr. Edward was on Larry King Live on Sept. 10th, 2001--just hours before the biggest terrorist strike on American soil. He didn't say a word about the attack which would happen only a few hours later. Kinda makes you wonder, doesn't it?
Here is some good reading on how Mr. Edward does his routine:
07-02-02, 06:27 PM kittypal I too think it is a big hoax, please if you say to anyone "hmmmm, I see a person with D as the first letter in their name close to you...chances are great that YES someone will have a D that you know, a neighbor, a sister, brother.... It is just playing with peoples emotions and taking advantage of that. He should be ashamed!!!
07-06-02, 06:10 PM anguilla Another stunt: a stranger approaches a person in line for the John Edward show. The stranger strikes up a conversation: "What are you here for? Who are you hoping he'll contact?"
The stranger disappears into the crowd, and John Edward magically knows why you're there and who you want to contact.
11-13-02, 04:29 PM Madkins007 Come one, with all the 'faith healers' like Peter Popov who have been shown to be charlatans by investigators like James Randi and others, you would think that people would be a tad more suspicious.
It was not that many years ago when a popular TV show was 'Kreskin's ESP' or something like that, where a self-proclaimed magician used almost idential tactics to do quasi-psychic readings with similar results. Kreskin was an odd duck- he admitted to doing magic tricks on one hand, then claimed special powers on the other.
11-14-02, 11:19 AM Julieta Martinez I don't think you all can say that he is a charlatain (sp?) without giving trying it for yourself. Read his books, they WILL answer a lot of your questions.
"One Last Time" "Crossing Over" "Crossing Over: The Stories Behind the Stories"
Julieta
11-14-02, 07:44 PM DvdGStwrt Ok, Lets see if I can do this:
Someone in this room is being contacted by an older woman named Ruth, Or Ruby - Is there anyone here who has a loved one who has passed who's name starts with an 'R'?
Ah yes, and "R" was related to a man who's name started with a "J" - Do you know of whom she is speaking?
**********
I could go on, but I shan't. My opening here is very vague and can be applied to anyone who knows an older woman who passed on with the letter "R" as part of her name - There are may Ruth's and Roses and Rubies and Rebecca's in the world. The second lead a man who's name starts with a "J" is just as open. Everything that John states starts of vague, and anyone who is intelligent and watches who they are talking to can reasonably build a convincing 'talking to the dead' conversation.
There is no way in heck that he is really talking to the Dead. If so, it wouldn't be so vague as it is. We find that he focuses on a person after he sends out a few open leads.
His questions are lead ins, he captures his prey, then he begins to bounce ideas off of them, watching ever so closely how they react to his prattle.
When the day comes where he names the person, the relation of the dead person to a living one, and gives detailed facts about a situation that took place - then and only then can we say he is talking to the dead.
He isn't -
David
11-15-02, 12:59 AM Madkins007
quote:Originally posted by Julieta Martinez: I don't think you all can say that he is a charlatain (sp?) without giving trying it for yourself. Read his books, they WILL answer a lot of your questions.
"One Last Time" "Crossing Over" "Crossing Over: The Stories Behind the Stories"
Julieta
I don't see what good reading his books will do. I don't need to read Uri Gellar's books to know he is a well-exposed and documented fraud.
Mr. Edwards books are probably well-written and internally consistant, but so? They are also self-serving and certainly not going to reveal any of his real tricks.
Heck, compared to people who are actually good at the cold and hot reading techniques, John isn't even all that talented or entertaining. His 'hit' rate is abysmal and he has a bit of a reputation for having a bit of a tempter or being short or rude when no one responds to his fishing expeditions.
What really, REALLY bugs me is people claim he is helping others. His heart MAY be in the right place, but since he has got to know he is basically a magician, you have to wonder about his real motivations.
11-15-02, 11:00 AM Julieta Martinez I mean, EVERYTHING that you guys are arguing are covered in his books. My suggestion is before you bash him and his work, read a book, inform yourselves first with what HE has to say, and then make your decision from that.
11-15-02, 11:02 AM Julieta Martinez
quote:Originally posted by DvdGStwrt:
When the day comes where he names the person, the relation of the dead person to a living one, and gives detailed facts about a situation that took place - then and only then can we say he is talking to the dead.
He isn't -
David
David, but if you've ever watched his shows you'd see that he does give excellent DETAILED facts.
11-15-02, 11:02 PM Madkins007
quote:Originally posted by Julieta Martinez:
David, but if you've ever watched his shows you'd see that he does give excellent DETAILED facts.
Well, when he can pick and choose from 6 hours of tape for a 30 minute show, that is not surprising.
Excellent detailed facts? He never knows who his info applies to- somehow the spirits that speak to him can't even identify their own relatives.
He has so far never been documneted to have revealed something that was unknown to the audience- such as hidden money or anything similar.
July 5, 2002 transcript: "John Edward: They're either trying to tell me someone has a name like Celine... or they want me to acknowledge a name like Celina... but they're telling me to say Celine [as he motions the letter "C" with his index finger]. Female Guest: I have an Aunt Zia Lina. John Edward: Ok. Has she passed? Female Guest: Yeah. John Edward: Ok. We're going to start there."
Detailed information? He missed the name (it is not even a very close connection, but he goes for it!) AND the initial letter, did not know the person had died, or even who the spirits were trying to contact. This is 0 for 4- a terrible record. The only reason I used this example is because I could cut and paste it, but it is representative of what I have seen on his show.
Read his books? Sorry. I read an average of 5 books a week, and I simply have never seen any evidence that he has anythig worth saying- he certainly doesn't impress me in his website, interviews, etc.
11-16-02, 04:01 PM SeattleRon Personally I think those show are a sham. Like that Benny Hinn guy who touches people in the face and they fall down then they are magically healed. He is very vague with his replies and answers. I think he plays on peoples emotions and they really want to believe that they are talking to past away relatives. People will believe anything when they are vulnerable.
11-18-02, 01:40 PM cattywampus Of course they do a good job! I get a chuckle when I hear people say, "He's either telling the truth or he's the best actor I ever saw!" Well, how many actors have you seen? Anyone can be trained to be an actor, and out of 200 so trained, you will find 2-3 who are better than the best you have seen. These guys want very badly to succeed, and they put a lot of time and effort into it.
I have an idea for a book involving an Edwards person who proves right 90% of the time. She gathers names and addresses of the audience before the show (buying tickets with a form) and then sends her "investigator" to their house to go through their garbage. He learns all manner of things about them. I think some of the same stuff is going on here.
Catty (who is waiting to be shown a ghost, "light rods", etc.) razz
11-19-02, 11:00 PM Madkins007 FYI: James Randi's older books "Flim Flam" and "Faith Healers" outline dozens of scams very much like Mr. Edward's. As far as I can tell, he has not introduced anything new to the game.
What I find realy interesting in cases like this is that there are people who will believe something is happening no matter how solid the evidence ot the contrary is. People claimed Houdini used psychic powers (unbeknownst even to himself, apprently) LONG after he revealled the trickery. Peter Popoff STILL rakes in big bucks after having been exposed as a fraud on national TV.
Of course, sometimes it is the skeptics that are wrong. History is full of experts making knowledgeable statements about subjects they supposedly knew about and were soon proven dead wrong.
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