john edward-crossing over

I searched this topic to see if anyone else has brought up john edward..im new, so if this has been discussed already, please forgive me..im a newb!
Im fascinated by this tv show..I'm not quite sure I believe in his ability..I watch him like I watch David Copperfield..I know its a trick and I wish I could figure it out, but its so damn entertaining!
What are your thoughts on this?

Im not to sure about John Edward, but if its all a tricks its a pretty good one because i no of loads of people who believe in his ability

Here's an intersting read on John Edward's show. It's about an ABC Dateline story they did to debunk this.

www.valleyskeptic.com...

by Michael Shermer
"I was on the John Edward show. He even had a multiple guess "hit" on me that was featured on the show. However, it was edited so that my answer to another question was edited in after one of his questions. In other words, his question and my answer were deliberately mismatched. Only a fraction of what went on in the studio was actually seen in the final 30 minute show. He was wrong about a lot and was very aggressive when somebody failed to acknowledge something he said. Also, his "production assistants" were always around while we waited to get into the studio. They told us to keep very quiet, and they overheard a lot. I think that the whole place is bugged somehow. Also, once in the studio we had to wait around for almost two hours before the show began. Throughout that time everybody was talking about what dead relative of theirs might pop up. Remember that all this occurred under microphones and with cameras already set up. My guess is that he was backstage listening and looking at us all and noting certain readings. When he finally appeared, he looked at the audience as if he were trying to spot people he recognized. He also had ringers in the audience. I can tell because about fifteen people arrived in a chartered van, and once inside they did not sit together."

The video clips I was shown make it obvious why Edward does not want raw footage going out to the public--he's not all that good at doing cold readings. Where I estimated Van Praagh's hit rate at between 20-30 percent, Edward's hit rate at between 10-20 percent (the error-range in the estimates is created by the fuzziness of what constitutes a "hit".

There are alot more facts provided in the article, its worth reading. I never really believed any of his work and now even less. Whether he's real or not, the show has become very successful. But is it ethical?

OMG im not letting my mum watch his show anymore, I knew it was a fake all along

John Edwards is a stage magician who has made a career from ONE really good trick.

If David Copperfield did the same trick over and over again, we would soon get bored and stop watching. John Edwards gets away with it because he pretends its not really a trick.

It's been used by Gypsies, soothsayers, and phony psychics for hundreds of years.

Nowadays, technology can give it a real boost.

See the movie "Leap of Faith" for an excellent depiction of how this is used.

Here's a simple scenario (based on the John Edwards idea).

Various "plants" are in the audience. However, these plants are not the ones picked. Instead, the plants talk to their neighbors (while wearing a wire). They ask the neighbor, "So, who are you here to see? I'm here to try and talk with my dead aunt Sylvia..." The target then responds, "Oh, I want to speak to my dead husband David"... It goes on from there, until the target is "amazed" when John calls upon her and says "I sense you're looking for your husband...his name starts with a D...David?" *Gasp* He then uses various Cold Reading techniques, to cue up desired responses in the target, to flesh out the details (as well as details gained by the plant). And the target is truly innocent, and leaves thinking John is truly gifted (as does the tv audience). I think you can see how effective this is....

Neat trick, huh?

He also had ringers in the audience. I can tell because about fifteen people arrived in a chartered van, and once inside they did not sit together."

Right there, a dead give-away

[Edited on 11-8-2003 by Gazrok]

That is a pretty cool trick, i think i have a new party trick now

I hate crossing over.
bring back farscape sci-fi.
you bunch of cacks.

Originally posted by Fury
I hate crossing over.
bring back farscape sci-fi.
you bunch of cacks.

That is another thing I hate about it. I want to see sci-fi on the sci-fi channel.

Crossing over is fake.

[Edited on 11-8-2003 by Hyperspace]

I agree with what most of you say....But i have experienced a true psycic before...
she had never met me, i had told her nothing about me
and i made sure i never said anything prior to meeting her as i wanted to see if she was true...
she asked me not to respond to what she was saying as so give nothing away.....
she was spot on all the time....
do you believe some are true?
or do you think all have tricks?

i've had experiences like you with pyshics,who know nothing about me, and i believe them. But TV pyshics are fake, they're laughin their way to the bank.

From the link above..

The reason John Edward, James Van Praagh, and the other so-called mediums are unethical and dangerous is that they are not helping anyone in what they are doing. They are simply preying on the emotions of grieving people. As all loss, death, and grief counselors know, the best way to deal with death is to face it head on. Death is a part of life, and pretending that the dead are gathering in a television studio in New York to talk twaddle with a former ballroom-dance instructor is an insult to the intelligence and humanity of the living.

I wouldn't go so far as to say that mediums are unethical and dangerous. After all, for the most part it seems as though people who go to Edward's studio do so VOLUNTARILY. I'm sure many people walk away with their belief reinforced. The medium is providing a service, even if sh/e capitalizes on the faith of the audience members in order to facilitate such a service.

Yet, the troubling aspect to me is how much money Edward is making off of his sideshow act. And it is not limited to his television show-- Edward is available for private readings. Prices range anywhere from $65 - $210 EACH.

AUGUST 21, 2003 (7PM) HOLLYWOOD PALLADIUM (LOS ANGELES, CA)- $65EA
QTY: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
AUGUST 22, 2003 (7PM) NOB HILL MASONIC CENTER (SAN FRANCISCO, CA) $125-210EA
QTY: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
AUGUST 23, 2003 (7PM) WASHINGTON STATE CONVENTION CENTER (SEATTLE, WA) $115EA

www.johnedwardticket.com...

So lets take the smallest venue... $65 per ticket for the Hollywood Palladium show. Here's the information I found on the Palladium..

The Hollywood Palladium is the only venue in Los Angeles that can seat 2500 for a dinner with a perfect view of the stage. We can do anything.. Just Call!

The 40,700 sq. foot facility boasts an 11,200 sq. foot solid white ash dance floor, a 15,000 sq. foot acoustical plaster ceiling; computerized bar stations and a state-of-the-art sound system.

The main floor can host up to 3,500 along with additional sections for VIP receptions. Also on the main level, green rooms, merchandising/auction areas, and a full catering kitchen.

www.hollywoodpalladium.com...

Lets assume that he sells out a dinner function... that's 2500 people @ $65 / ticket. That's $162,500 gross. If half of the ticket price goes to the Palladium, Edward's sideshow act is still making $81,250.

Not bad for a few hours of work, eh?

But I'm sure it has nothing to do with the money, and everything to do with the fact that John is, "unwilling to compromise the quality of his work for the quantity that seek him out" (Source: www.johnedward.net...)

As John says, "Please don't put earthly expectations on a heavenly experience."

www.scifi.com...

But earthly possessions are not a problem!

I do know a few "genuine" psychics...and I myself, am capable of my own little flashes, and have a bit of "spirit sense"....

However, I know charlatans when I see them too....

The psychics I know do it because they really enjoy helping people, and most do not do it as an occupation, or for money. Even the ones I know that do practice it for money, are in no danger of becoming multi-millionaires, hehe....

Originally posted by Fury
you bunch of cacks.

If its a fake, i feel sorry for all the people who go there and get told that the dead loved ones are speaken to them.

I'll leave the likes of John Edwards and James Van Pragh to the debunkers to make of what they will but I too have had experiences with people who are clairvoyant who I'd never met and knew nothing about me but were right on the button with the information they gave me. I don't think taking small amounts of money neccessarily proves someone is on the make, after all Drs and nurses get paid that doesn't invalidate their talents and vocation. I do however think the 'you've been cursed dear, for �200 I can remove it from you' brigade need locking up. My Mum recieved one of those in the post from a woman claiming to be Zirita, gypsy clairvoyant, I wrote back to the postal address, saying whatever the curse was it wasn't half as expletive or profane as the curses I'd been directing at her for her lack of scruples.
Funny enough she didn't make contact again.

Originally posted by ubermunche
I don't think taking small amounts of money neccessarily proves someone is on the make, after all Drs and nurses get paid that doesn't invalidate their talents and vocation.

Taking small amounts of money isn't what proves someone is on the "make"(although Edwards takes alot more than small amounts of money). I dont see how you can compare John Edwards to doctors and nurses who help and cure people, Edwards is a liar. Maybe you consider him to be helping people mentally, but doing so by lying to them IMO is deceitful and wrong.

MK, you say these people go there voluntarily which is true, but lying to them and saying they're loved ones are speaking to him is still wrong.

I believe most if not all TV and Phone psychics are fake. However, I believe John Edward is both fake and real, in the sense that, he is fake due to the money making BS they go through, and some of the show editing. However, I believe he is real in the sense that, he has a gift, but he tries to hard to get people to believe him.

A real psychic will not charge an arm and a leg for a reading. One very good local psychic does 20 minute readings for 5 bucks. She has taught me a lot and I am developing the abilities of my own.

On John Edwards: I think he's both real and fake too. I think he has the ability, but the integrity got lost in the money-making process. Spirituality and opportunism don't mix.

On the ethical problem ie preying on people's emotions: don't start me on this one! I wouldn't know where to stop. Who doesn't do this? At least he has a good message: communicate, validate and appreciate the person while they're still alive. I think that's great advice. If everyone took it, the whole idea of contacting dead people to ease pain could possibly become obselete. We would feel connected with the person and wouldn't need closure with them. Of course, that's just not going to happen.

[Edited on 12-8-2003 by Sian]