Sylvia Browne (born
Sylvia Celeste Shoemaker October 19, 1936) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
authorAn author is defined both as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created...
on the subject of
spiritualitySpirituality is relating to, consisting of, or having the nature of spirit; not tangible or material. Synonyms include immaterialism, dualism, incorporeality and eternity....
who performs as a
psychicA psychic is a person who claims to have the ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception, or is said to have such abilities by others...
and spiritual
mediumMediumship is supposedly a form of communication with spirits.It is a practice in religious beliefs such as Spiritualism, Spiritism, Espiritismo, Candomblé, Louisiana Voodoo, Shambala and Umbanda...
. She has made several appearances on
Larry King LiveLarry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN. The show debuted in 1985, and is CNN's most watched program, with over one million viewers nightly.The show broadcasts from CNN's Los Angeles studios...
, was a weekly guest on
The Montel Williams ShowThe Montel Williams Show was a syndicated talk show hosted by Montel Williams.On January 30, 2008 it was announced that The Montel Williams Show would stop production on new episodes at the end of the 2007-08 television season...
, and hosts her own hour-long show on
Hay House RadioLouise Hay is a motivational author, and the founder of Hay House, a publishing company. She has authored several self-help and New Thought books, and is best known for her 1984 book, You Can Heal Your Life.-Life story:...
, discussing
paranormalParanormal is a general term that describes unusual experiences that lack a scientific explanation, or phenomena alleged to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
issues and giving callers advice in her role as a "psychic".
Browne has been convicted of investment fraud and
grand theftGrand theft is a felony crime in the United States defined as the theft of objects exceeding a certain monetary value.Grand theft is committed when the money, labor, real or personal property stolen is valued at more than $400...
, and has been involved in numerous controversies regarding her claims and predictions, with reports about her failed predictions and claims appearing in several newspapers. Critics such as
James RandiJames Randi is a stage magician and scientific skeptic best known as a challenger of paranormal claims and pseudoscience. Randi is the founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation...
, with whom she has had a long running feud, say that she is a cold reader whose readings are indistinguishable from those achieved by
mentalistsMentalism is a performing art in which its practitioners, known as mentalists, use mental acuity, cold reading, hot reading, principles of stage magic, and/or suggestion to present the illusion of mind reading, psychokinesis, extra-sensory perception, precognition, clairvoyance or mind control...
using
coldCold reading is a series of techniques used by mentalists, illusionists, fortune tellers, psychics, and mediums to determine or express details about another person, often in order to convince them that the reader knows much more about a subject than they actually do...
and
hot readingHot reading is the use of foreknowledge when giving a "psychic" reading in stage magic performances, or in other contexts.The reader can gain information about the sitter through a variety of means, such as research or overhearing a conversation...
techniques. Recent press coverage has asserted that she is overall inaccurate, claimed to have given insight into how she treats her fans, and reported her feelings about critics like Randi.
Biography
Browne was born in
Kansas City, MissouriKansas City is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties. It is one of two county seats of Jackson County, the other being Independence, just to the city's east...
to Bill Shoemaker and Celeste Coil and she is the eldest of their two daughters. Her father was
JewThe Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
ish and had many jobs including mail delivery and jewelry salesman, and was vice president of a major freight line. Her mother was Episcopalian, and her maternal grandmother Ada Coil was a devout Lutheran. However, Browne said in 2001 that she was Jewish.
Browne says that visions started appearing when she was five years old and that her grandmother Ada Coil, who she said was a
psychicA psychic is a person who claims to have the ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception, or is said to have such abilities by others...
mediumMediumship is supposedly a form of communication with spirits.It is a practice in religious beliefs such as Spiritualism, Spiritism, Espiritismo, Candomblé, Louisiana Voodoo, Shambala and Umbanda...
, helped her understand why she had them. Browne also asserts that her great-uncle was also a psychic medium and was "rabid about UFOs."
Browne started to give claimed psychic readings in 1974 and has attracted followings of supporters and detractors. She has given thousands of one-on-one readings and with a wide variety of groups and individuals; as of 2008, she charges $850 for a 20-30 minute telephone reading. Browne claims to have provided information to police departments and the FBI as a
psychic detectiveA psychic detective is defined as a person who investigates crimes by using their claimed paranormal psychic abilities.A number of people claim they have psychic abilities that have allowed them to assist police in solving kidnapping and murder cases, or locating a corpse...
.
In April of 2008, Sylvia Browne launched a new website billed as "an online spirituality destination that includes articles, blog postings, and videos from Sylvia."
Marriage and children
She was married to Gary Dufresne from April 1959 until 1972. Dufresne said in a February 10, 2007 interview that he does not think Sylvia has any paranormal abilities, and that she admitted it, saying that the gullible deserve to be taken advantage of. Sylvia acquired the surname
Brown from Kenzil Dalzell Brown during the third of her four marriages, and added a final
e after she was indicted on Security Fraud charges. In September 2002 she and Larry Lee Beck ended their marriage.
Sylvia says her son Christopher is psychic, and attributes this to a genetic predisposition. Her website says "If Sylvia is the best psychic around - then Chris is the second best."
Novus Spiritus
Browne is the head of the Sylvia Browne Corporation, Sylvia Browne Enterprises, and the founder of a church in 1986 in
Campbell, CaliforniaCampbell is a city in Santa Clara County, California, a suburb of San Jose part of Silicon Valley, in the San Francisco Bay Area. As of 2007 population estimates, Campbell's population is 39,200...
, known as the Society of Novus Spiritus.
According to its website, the church employs forty ministers, though only a small number are actually paid employees. Those that are paid also work for Sylvia Browne Corporation and Sylvia Browne Enterprises, and are members of the Board of Directors of
Novus Spiritus.
Novus Spiritus refers to itself as "Gnostic Christian." It states that it follows the same traditions and teachings which
JesusJesus of Nazareth —also known as Jesus Christ or occasionally Jesus the Christ—is the central figure of Christianity. Within most Christian denominations...
himself followed, yet does not exclude
BuddhismBuddhism, as traditionally conceived, is a path of salvation attained through insight into the ultimate nature of reality. It encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha...
,
JudaismJudaism is a set of beliefs and practices originating in the Hebrew Bible , as later further explored and explained in the Talmud and other texts...
,
IslamIslam Islam Islam ( al-’islām,
[There are ten pronunciations of Islam in English, differing in whether the first or second syllable has the stress, whether the s is or , and whether the a is pronounced as in father, as in cat, or (when the stress is on the i) as in the a of sofa...]
, or
HinduismHinduism is the predominant religion of the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism is often referred to as ', a Sanskrit phrase meaning "the eternal law", by its adherents. Generic "types" of Hinduism that attempt to accommodate a variety of complex views span folk and Vedic Hinduism to bhakti tradition, as...
. The society teaches the Biblical works of Jesus Christ while also incorporating the Gnostic Gospels (ex: Gospel of Mary Magdalene), and says that while the Bible is a "marvellous book" and should be used as a teaching tool, it is not the "unaltered word of God".
Books
Browne is the author of dozens of books on
paranormalParanormal is a general term that describes unusual experiences that lack a scientific explanation, or phenomena alleged to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
and
spiritualSpirituality is relating to, consisting of, or having the nature of spirit; not tangible or material. Synonyms include immaterialism, dualism, incorporeality and eternity....
topics, including
The Other Side and Back,
Adventures of a Psychic, and, most recently,
All Pets Go To Heaven: The Spiritual Lives of the Animals We Love.
Paranormal claims
Browne says she knows what it is like in
heavenHeaven may refer to the physical heavens, the sky or the seemingly endless expanse of the universe beyond. This is the traditional literal meaning of the term in English...
. In her book
The Other Side and Back, she says the temperature is a constant 78°
FFahrenheit is the temperature scale proposed in 1724 by, and named after, the physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit . Today, the scale has been replaced by the Celsius scale in most countries; it is still in use for non-scientific purposes in the United States and a few other nations, such as...
(25.6°C), that there are no insects–-unless one wants there to be, that pets go to heaven, and that one can build one's house wherever one wants unless it obscures the view of a river or some trees, in which case one needs permission. She asserts that the "other side" exists approximately three feet above ground level and at a "higher vibrational level" and so is difficult for humans to perceive. However, like other psychics, she claims to have been born able to perceive a wider range of "vibrational frequencies".
Browne declares that she can see angels and that they look similar to depictions in paintings, but have different traits depending on their
"phylum"In biology, a phylum ["Phylum" is adopted from the Greek phylai, the clan-based voting groups in Greek city-states.] is a taxonomic rank below Kingdom and above Class...
. She has also claimed that they do not speak. Her granddaughter, who is purportedly psychic, claims to have witnessed the angels that Browne states surround humans.
Browne professes the ability to speak with her
spirit guide"Spirit guide" is a term used by the Western tradition of Spiritualist Churches, mediums, and psychics to describe an entity that remains a disincarnate spirit in order to act as a spiritual counselor or protector to a living incarnated human being....
, "Francine," and has given details of fifty-four of her own former lives as divined by her.
Introduction to predictions
Although Browne has made many public predictions, according to
James RandiJames Randi is a stage magician and scientific skeptic best known as a challenger of paranormal claims and pseudoscience. Randi is the founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation...
her accuracy rate has been no better than educated guessing. Her predictions include: that
Bill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton was the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He was the third-youngest president; only Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy were younger when entering office...
was falsely accused in the
Lewinsky scandalThe Lewinsky scandal was a political sex scandal emerging from a sexual relationship between United States President Bill Clinton and a 22-year-old White House intern, Monica Lewinsky. The news of this extra-marital affair and the resulting investigation eventually led to the impeachment of...
(proved incorrect); that
George H. W. BushGeorge Herbert Walker Bush was the 41st President of the United States . He was also Ronald Reagan's Vice President , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence....
would defeat Bill Clinton in the 1992 U.S. presidential election (Bush lost); that
Bill BradleyWilliam Warren "Bill" Bradley is an American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, and former three-term Democratic U.S. Senator from New Jersey. He ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic Party's nomination for President in the 2000 election.Bradley was born and raised in a small-town...
would win the 2000 U.S. presidential election with the
Reform PartyThe Reform Party of the United States of America is a political party in the United States, founded by Ross Perot in 1995 who said Americans were disillusioned with the state of politics—as being corrupt and unable to deal with vital issues—and desired a viable alternative to the...
coming in second; the "hiding in caves" of
Osama bin LadenOsama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden is a member of the prominent Saudi bin Laden family and one of the founders of the terrorist organization al-Qaeda, best known for the September 11 attacks on the United States and its associations with numerous other mass-casualty attacks against...
and
Saddam HusseinSaddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the President of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
(found in a spider hole in the ground); the death of bin Laden (later reported by the
Central Intelligence AgencyThe Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government.It is an independent agency responsible for providing national security intelligence to senior United States policymakers....
as incorrect); a verdict of guilty in the
2005 child molestation trialPeople v. Jackson was a 2005 child sexual abuse trial involving recording artist Michael Jackson. The accuser was a boy, Gavin Arvizo, who was 13 years old at the time of the alleged crimes...
of
Michael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson , known as the "King of Pop", was an American musician and one of the most commercially successful and influential entertainers of all time...
(Jackson was acquitted); and the cure and prevention of
breast cancerBreast cancer is a cancer that starts in the breast, usually in the inner lining of the milk ducts or lobules. There are different types of breast cancer, with different stages , aggressiveness, and genetic makeup. With best treatment, 10-year disease-free survival varies from 98% to 10%...
by the end of 1999.
Janet McDonaldJanet McDonald wrote novels for young adults as well as a memoir, Project Girl, about her own upbringing and education. Her best-known children's book is Spellbound, which tells the story of a teenaged mother who wins a spelling competition and a college scholarship. The book was named as the...
, an author of books for young adults, describes her experience receiving a psychic reading via phone, for which she paid Browne $700. Browne predicted a "really long life" for McDonald, who died of cancer at 53 just over four years later.
In 2005 Browne told
NewsweekNewsweek is an American weekly newsmagazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
that
Larry KingLawrence Harvey Zeiger , better known by his stage name Larry King, is an American television and radio host.He is recognized in the United States as one of the premier broadcast interviewers. King has conducted some 40,000 interviews with politicians, athletes, entertainers, and other newsmakers...
, a believer in the paranormal, has asked her to perform private psychic readings.
On September 3, 2001, Browne stated on Larry King Live that she would accept the
James Randi Educational FoundationThe James Randi Educational Foundation is a Fort Lauderdale, Florida non-profit organization founded in 1996 by magician and skeptic James Randi...
's $1,000,000 challenge to demonstrate supernatural abilities in a controlled scientific test. , Browne has claimed that she has found it increasingly difficult to contact the Foundation or respond to Randi's enquiries.
A January 2007 episode of Anderson Cooper 360 featured Linda Rossi, Browne's business manager for 35 years, and James Randi. Randi proposed that Browne undergo a test where she would provide readings for ten sympathetic people, each of whom would then identify their own reading among the ten. Rossi declined on Browne's behalf.
Of her predictions that might be considered accurate, many are predictions that are easy to make. Examples from her list of predictions for the 21st century include: "Elizabeth Taylor ends up back at the Betty Ford Center"; "Neither Warren Beatty nor Donald Trump has any success in politics"; "Air travel reaches an all-time high, but because of overbookings and poor service, the airlines will need to revamp their scheduling practices".
Television and radio appearances
Browne has been a frequent guest on US television and radio programs, including
Larry King LiveLarry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN. The show debuted in 1985, and is CNN's most watched program, with over one million viewers nightly.The show broadcasts from CNN's Los Angeles studios...
, the
Montel Williams ShowMontel Brian Anthony Williams is an American former television personality and television and radio talk show host.-Early life:Williams was born in Baltimore, Maryland...
, and
Coast to Coast AMCoast to Coast AM is a North American late-night syndicated radio talk show which deals with a variety of topics, but most frequently ones that relate either to the paranormal, or to alleged conspiracies. It was created by Art Bell, airs seven nights a week 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m...
. During these appearances she usually discusses her abilities with the host and then performs readings of audience members or callers. Browne hosts her own hour-long show on
Hay House RadioLouise Hay is a motivational author, and the founder of Hay House, a publishing company. She has authored several self-help and New Thought books, and is best known for her 1984 book, You Can Heal Your Life.-Life story:...
, discussing
paranormalParanormal is a general term that describes unusual experiences that lack a scientific explanation, or phenomena alleged to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
issues and giving callers advice in her role as a psychic.
On some occasions Browne is paired with other guests, including skeptics such as
James RandiJames Randi is a stage magician and scientific skeptic best known as a challenger of paranormal claims and pseudoscience. Randi is the founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation...
. These shows often feature verbal sparring between the two, with each trying to convince the audience that the other is wrong. One such Larry King show, in 2001, involved Browne agreeing to be tested by Randi to verify if her abilities were true. she has not yet conducted the test. In March 2004, their feud escalated on the popular
St. LouisSt. Louis is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. With an estimated population of 354,361 in 2008, it is the principal municipality of Greater St. Louis, population 2,866,517, the largest urban area in Missouri and sixteenth largest in the United States...
radio program
The Paul Harris Show when Randi accused Browne of lying.
Browne appeared on CNN's
Larry King LiveLarry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN. The show debuted in 1985, and is CNN's most watched program, with over one million viewers nightly.The show broadcasts from CNN's Los Angeles studios...
eight days before the
September 11, 2001 attacksThe September 11 attacks were a series of coordinated suicide attacks by Al-Qaeda upon the United States on September 11, 2001. On that morning, 19 Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners...
, but did not predict the event. After the fact she claimed she had disturbing dreams involving a lot of fire in the week preceding the attack.
Browne has also appeared on the television
soap operaA soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on television or radio. The name "soap opera" stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers such as Procter & Gamble,...
The Young and the RestlessThe Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional version of Genoa City, Wisconsin. First broadcast on March 26, 1973, The Young and the Restless was originally broadcast as half-hour episodes,...
as herself in December 2006.
Sago Mine controversy
On January 3, 2006, Browne was a guest on the U.S. radio program
Coast to Coast AMCoast to Coast AM is a North American late-night syndicated radio talk show which deals with a variety of topics, but most frequently ones that relate either to the paranormal, or to alleged conspiracies. It was created by Art Bell, airs seven nights a week 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m...
with
George NooryGeorge Ralph Noory is an American radio talk show host.As of 2009, he is the weekday host of the late-night radio talk show Coast to Coast AM. He is heard across the United States and Canada on many AM, FM and XM Satellite Radio. His show is one of the most listened to overnight programs...
. At the start of the broadcast it was believed that 12 of 13 miners trapped by the Sago Mine disaster had been found alive. When Noory asked Browne if she had had any psychic premonitions regarding the men -- if she had felt "that this was a very gloomy moment -- and that they might have all died?" she replied, "No, I knew they were going to be found." Later in the program it was revealed that the earlier news reports had been in error, and only one of the men was believed to have survived. At this point Browne was alleged to have contradicted her earlier statement, stating that "I don't really think there's anybody alive", and, "How crazy for them to report that they were alive when they weren’t!" Browne later argued that she had never specifically stated that the miners would be found
alive, only that they would be found, and that she was referring to the bodies of the dead miners being found. In the October 3, 2007 episode of
Coast to Coast, Noory identified this incident as the reason he has not invited Browne back to the show.
The Montel Williams Show
Browne has been a weekly guest on
The Montel Williams Show for many years. In the episodes in which she appears, known as "Sylvia Wednesdays," she takes questions from audience members asking for advice about health, love, and finance, as well as information she may have about deceased or missing loved ones.
In 2002, Brown told Gwendolyn Krewson that her daughter Holly, who had been missing for seven years, was living in Hollywood, California and working as an exotic dancer in a nightclub. In 2006, dental records were used to positively identify a body found in 1996 in
San Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego , named after Saint Didacus , is the second-largest city in California and the ninth largest city in the United States, located along the Pacific Ocean on the west coast of the United States. The US Census Bureau estimates the city's population at 1,279,329 as of 2008...
as that of Holly Krewson.
Browne predicted that Ryan Katcher, a nineteen-year-old who disappeared during the night in November 2000 in Illinois, had been murdered and could be found in an iron mine shaft a few miles away from the Katcher home. Katcher was later found in his truck in a pond in Illinois and had died of drowning.
In 1999, Browne told Audrey Sanderford that her six year old granddaughter Opal Jo Jennings had been taken from
Tarrant County, TexasTarrant County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2007, it had a population of 1,717,435. Its county seat is Fort Worth. Tarrant County is the second most populous county in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex and contains its second and third largest principal cities. The county...
to Japan and forced into "
white slaveryProstitution is the act or practice of engaging in sex acts for hire. In most cultures, prostitution is viewed by many as a deviant profession, either illegal or socially discouraged...
", in a town she named as "Kukouro" or "Kukoura". No such town exists in Japan. In August of the same year, Richard Lee Franks was arrested and charged with Jennings' abduction and murder; he was convicted the next year. Jennings' remains were found in December 2003, and autopsy revealed that she had died from trauma to the head within hours of being abducted.
In 2002, Browne told Lynda McClelland's daughters that their mother had been abducted by a man with the initials "MJ" and taken to
Orlando, FloridaOrlando is a major city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan region...
, but was still alive. McClelland's body was found buried less than two miles from her home in Pennsylvania. The man charged and convicted for the murder was David Repasky, McClelland's son-in-law, who was present for the reading.
In 2003, Browne claimed that eleven year old Shawn Hornbeck had been abducted by a very tall man with long black dreadlocks and a blue sedan, and that his body could be found near two large, jagged boulders in a wooded area about 20 miles southwest of Richwoods. Her claims led to a refocusing of search efforts of numerous people calling in with tips regarding possible spottings of the rock formations Browne had mentioned. Hornbeck was found alive four years later, having been abducted by a white man with short brown hair who drove a small white Toyota pickup. Browne told the
New York Daily NewsThe Daily News of New York City is the fifth most-widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 632,595, as of June 13, 2009. The first U.S. daily printed in tabloid form, it was founded in 1919, and as of 2007 is owned and run by Mortimer Zuckerman...
, "I'm terribly sorry that this happened, but I think my body of work stands by itself. I've broken case after case."
In January 2006
Anderson CooperAnderson Hays Cooper is an American journalist, author, and television personality. He currently works as the primary anchor of the CNN news show Anderson Cooper 360°. The program is normally broadcast live from a New York City studio; however, Cooper often broadcasts live on location for breaking...
reported on Browne's 2003 claims and interviewed the Hornbeck parents, Randi, and Browne critic Robert Lancaster (Browne declined to be interviewed). The Hornbeck parents reported that Browne offered to "tell them more" if they booked a private meeting at $700 for 20 minutes. Browne denied having ever asked such a thing.
In June 2008,
OfcomThe Office of Communications or, as it is more often known, Ofcom, is the independent regulator and competition authority for the communication industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established in the enabling device, the , but received its full authority from the Communications...
ruled that
ITV2ITV2 is a 24 hour, free-to-air entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998, and is available on digital television via satellite, cable, IPTV and terrestrial platforms...
"breached standards with a repeat of the
Montel Williams Show in which a 'desperate' couple were told by a psychic their missing son was dead - even though he turned up alive last year." The ruling concerned "breaching rule 2.1 of the Broadcasting Code, which relates to protecting viewers against offensive material."
James Randi feud
James RandiJames Randi is a stage magician and scientific skeptic best known as a challenger of paranormal claims and pseudoscience. Randi is the founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation...
, a retired stage magician turned investigator of paranormal claims, has been a vocal critic of Browne. On September 3, 2001, Browne stated on Larry King Live that she would accept the
James Randi Educational FoundationThe James Randi Educational Foundation is a Fort Lauderdale, Florida non-profit organization founded in 1996 by magician and skeptic James Randi...
's $1,000,000 challenge to demonstrate supernatural abilities in a controlled scientific test. , Browne has not taken the test.
There are several reasons Browne cites for being unable to complete the JREF challenge:
- She was unable to contact Randi.
- She does not need or want the money.
- Neither Randi nor the JREF has $1,000,000.
- Randi would not put the money in escrow
An escrow account is
*an account established by a broker, under the provisions of license law, for the purpose of holding funds on behalf of the broker's principal or some other person until the consummation or termination of a transaction, or...
.
- She has "nothing to prove" to Randi (apparently no longer accepting the challenge)
In support of her final statement, Browne often quotes Randi as saying that he'll never have to pay the money because "I always have an out." Randi, in turn, states that this quote is taken out of context and his actual words were "I always have an out—I'm right," referring to his belief that no one can win the challenge because no one possesses any kind of paranormal ability.
Some have questioned the logical inconsistency of her statements that she is not interested in the money, yet at the same time requires proof of its existence. In addition, Randi demonstrates that the money is held by an independent
investmentInvestment or investing is a term with several closely-related meanings in business management, finance and economics, related to saving or deferring consumption. Investing is the active redirection of resources: from being consumed today, to creating benefits in the future; the use of assets to...
firm,
Goldman SachsThe Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is a bank holding company that engages in investment banking, securities services and investment management. Goldman Sachs was founded in 1869, and is headquartered in the Lower Manhattan area of New York City at 85 Broad Street and has its secondary office at 30...
, and that proof of its existence can be obtained by requesting a copy of the most recent account statement from the JREF, by telephone, fax, letter, or e-mail. Though a few persons have requested and received copies of the documentation, no request has ever come from Browne.
Browne retorts that the JREF refuses to put the money into
escrowAn escrow account is
*an account established by a broker, under the provisions of license law, for the purpose of holding funds on behalf of the broker's principal or some other person until the consummation or termination of a transaction, or...
, a decision that she says implies that the money does not exist. Randi originally defended the decision, highlighting the allegation that the challenge rules clearly state the money will not be placed in escrow. However, as of November 2003, Randi decided to make an exception for Browne, and declared that the money will be placed in escrow, proposing either
Larry KingLawrence Harvey Zeiger , better known by his stage name Larry King, is an American television and radio host.He is recognized in the United States as one of the premier broadcast interviewers. King has conducted some 40,000 interviews with politicians, athletes, entertainers, and other newsmakers...
or
Montel WilliamsMontel Brian Anthony Williams is an American former television personality and television and radio talk show host.-Early life:Williams was born in Baltimore, Maryland...
, both supporters of Browne, as suitable escrow agents. Though formal letters were mailed to both King and Williams notifying them of their nomination as possible escrow agents, neither made a reply. Browne never accepted nor acknowledged Randi's exception concerning the escrow matter.
After making this announcement, Randi stated on his website, "
We have now met each and every objection made by Sylvia Browne, except that she does not like me."
Browne's website posted a message sometime after August 1, 2005, apparently directed at Randi, stating that Browne never received confirmation of the existence of the million dollars (which Randi said he sent by certified mail), and suggesting that perhaps Randi sent the package to her previous business address. However, Randi's May 30, 2003, weekly newsletter indicates the documents were mailed over two years before the date Browne said she relocated. Randi said he has a certified mail receipt from the U.S. Postal Service (Certified Mail item #7003 0500 0002 3034 8133) indicating that the package was refused by Browne at 12:08 p.m. on May 22, 2003.
Legal issues and criminal convictions
In 1992, Browne and her estranged husband, Kenzil Dalzell Brown, were indicted on several charges of investment fraud and grand theft. The
Superior Court of Santa Clara CountyThe Superior Court of Santa Clara County is the Superior Court located in Santa Clara County.-Judges:The current judges are: To read ratings and reviews on the judges listed below, visit websites like .* Joyce Allegro* Mary Arand* Kenneth Paul Barnum...
, California, found that Browne and her husband had sold securities in a gold-mining venture under false pretenses. In at least one instance, they told a couple their $20,000 investment was to be used for immediate operating costs. Instead, the money was transferred to an account for their Nirvana Foundation for Psychic Research. Browne pleaded
no contest is a legal term that comes from the Latin for "I do not wish to contend." It is also referred to as a plea of no contest.In criminal trials, and in some common law jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant neither admits nor disputes a charge, serving as an alternative to a pleading of...
to
securities fraudSecurities fraud, also known as stock fraud and investment fraud, is a practice in which investors make purchase or sale decisions on the basis of false information, frequently resulting in losses, in violation of the securities laws....
and was indicted on grand larceny in Santa Clara County, California on May 26, 1992. Browne and Brown received one year probation each. Dalzell's disposition included "County Jail 4 months with credit for time served of 21 days," while Sylvia's included 200 hours of community service.
Additionally, the airing of one of Browne's false predictions in June 2008 caused
OfcomThe Office of Communications or, as it is more often known, Ofcom, is the independent regulator and competition authority for the communication industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established in the enabling device, the , but received its full authority from the Communications...
to rule that
ITV2ITV2 is a 24 hour, free-to-air entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998, and is available on digital television via satellite, cable, IPTV and terrestrial platforms...
"breached standards with a repeat of
the Montel Williams ShowThe Montel Williams Show was a syndicated talk show hosted by Montel Williams.On January 30, 2008 it was announced that The Montel Williams Show would stop production on new episodes at the end of the 2007-08 television season...
in which a 'desperate' couple were told by a psychic their missing son was dead - even though he turned up alive last year." The ruling concerned "breaching rule 2.1 of the Broadcasting Code, which relates to protecting viewers against offensive material."
Browne has often spoken of working with the police and FBI as a
psychic detectiveA psychic detective is defined as a person who investigates crimes by using their claimed paranormal psychic abilities.A number of people claim they have psychic abilities that have allowed them to assist police in solving kidnapping and murder cases, or locating a corpse...
, but according to The Skeptics Dictionary, in 21 of Browne's 35 cases, the details she gave were too vague to be verified, and in the remaining 14 Browne played no useful role.
External links
Criticism
- Chronology of the feud between Browne and Randi from the Skeptic Report
- Sylvia Browne and James Randi's challenge from James Randi Educational Foundation
The James Randi Educational Foundation is a Fort Lauderdale, Florida non-profit organization founded in 1996 by magician and skeptic James Randi...
- Sylvia Browne's predictions as listed on "True or False", an online psychic watchdog
- King of the Paranormal from Committee for Skeptical Inquiry July 31, 2003
- Friedman, Roger (2006). "TV Psychic Misses Mark on Miners." FOXNews.com.
- Crystal Bawl, Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online magazine, with content updated each weekday. American liberal politics is its major focus, but it covers a range of issues. Reviews and articles about music, books and films are also a prominent feature of the site....
by Janet McDonald
- Stop Sylvia Browne, is Robert S. Lancaster's comprehensive site criticizing and exposing Sylvia Browne.
Predictions
Court records
Media and transcripts
- Video: Browne's predictions analyzed January 19, 2007 Live with Anderson Cooper
Anderson Hays Cooper is an American journalist, author, and television personality. He currently works as the primary anchor of the CNN news show Anderson Cooper 360°. The program is normally broadcast live from a New York City studio; however, Cooper often broadcasts live on location for breaking...
on CNNCable News Network, almost always referred to by its initialism CNN, is an U.S. cable news network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first network to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television network in the United States...
. (CNN Video) (Browne and James RandiJames Randi is a stage magician and scientific skeptic best known as a challenger of paranormal claims and pseudoscience. Randi is the founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation...
) (Browne and John EdwardJohn Edward McGee, Jr. is an American television personality, and psychic medium. He is best known for his TV shows Crossing Over with John Edward and John Edward Cross Country, both of which are premised on Edward communicating with the spirits of the audience members' deceased relatives.Born in...
) (Browne's manager and Randi) (Browne's manager and Randi)