It didn’t take a psychic to see this coming. Self proclaimed psychic spiritual teacher Sylvia Browne is trying to get the StopSylviaBrowne website closed down. Get a load of the absurd threatening letter the site owner just received. It seems all the spiritual love goes out the window the moment her money-making scheme is exposed for the sham it is.
Clearly Sylvia is feeling threatened, and sending a bullying letter from her lawyer is easier than just taking Randi’s challenge and proving she can actually do what she claims she can do. (Something she still refuses to do.) Like all bullies, she’s a coward. You’ll note, the letter just refers to a supposed copyright infringement of Sylvia’s name – nothing that even suggests the Stop Sylvia site is wrong or that Sylvia can really do what she claims.
Pretending the Fair Use Act of 1976 doesn't exist: The last refuge of a con artist.
Posted by: Bronze Dog | February 05, 2007 at 11:14 AM
Not just that, there are specific court precedents covering the exact claim Sylvia's making - that it's illegal to use a trademark in a domain name criticizing the owner of the trademark. Needless to say, the law isn't on her side. I linked to an EFF article discussing this.
This lawsuit is clearly just intended to intimidate someone who doesn't know their rights. Luckily, the author of StopSylviaBrowne.com does know his rights, and he's standing firm. The more publicity we can get for this shameful attempt at bullying, the better.
Posted by: Ebonmuse | February 05, 2007 at 07:17 PM
I emailed PZ, though I probably wasn't the only one. Figured he'd be one big node, and he's started branching out into attacking other forms of woo in recent months.
Posted by: Bronze Dog | February 05, 2007 at 07:29 PM
Hey, Skeptico, just thought I'd stop in and say hi. I'm enjoying your blog (as well as all the er...needling about acupuncture on *my* blog).
But oh, poor Sylvia, and poor Hay House, for having their copyrights "infringed." Somebody call the waaaaambulance, as Bruce Willis's character said in the movie "The Kid." Good for the publisher of the StopSylviaBrowne web site for standing firm.
Posted by: Cosmic Connie | February 05, 2007 at 08:27 PM
Yes it's all very shallow and spiteful on the part of Sylvia Browne. But the real culprits, the real scum, are the likes of Larry King, Montel Williams and the networks who have this idiot dragon on their shows in order to set people up for the deception. Who's going after them? To them Sylvia Browne is a tool (in both senses!) to be used for audience ratings and lining their own pockets. They don't consider they have a duty of care towards their audiences. And the more stupid the audience the better as far as they're concerned.
What's more does anyone really care about the victims who, in any case, contribute to their own hurt with their own wilful credulity and ignorance and their desire for tv fame.
I can't see that anyone comes out of the Sylvia Browne fiasco smelling of anything other than shit - not her, not the tv people, and not the victims. Do they represent a fair cross section of American society? I would hope not, but I'm not so sure.
Posted by: pv | February 06, 2007 at 01:34 AM
Maybe we should start referring to Sylvia as stuff like "Larry King's ratings boost" and so forth: When people read it, they'll know that we see them as accomplices.
Posted by: Bronze Dog | February 06, 2007 at 04:43 AM
Let's just hope this lawsuit goes the same way as Fox v. Franken, and Sylvia gets literally laughed out of court. The former make Franken's book's publicity skyrocket, so maybe this will help StopSylviaBrowne.com just as much.
Posted by: Infophile | February 06, 2007 at 09:02 AM
Yeah, Larry King is really playing to the New-Age/New-Wage crowd. Witness that two-part infomercial on "The Secret" and "What The Bleep" that aired last November, in the guise of "Beyond Positive Thinking." Oprah will be doing a "Secret" segment this Thursday (Feb. 8) as well. Anything for ratings...
Posted by: Cosmic Connie | February 06, 2007 at 12:16 PM
That cease & desist letter really is laughable. It won't work. I think she'd have better luck with telekinesis.
Posted by: Joseph | February 06, 2007 at 03:21 PM
"Oprah will be doing a "Secret" segment this Thursday (Feb. 8) as well. Anything for ratings..."
Ah, yes. I'd forgotten about that awful woman.
What is it about people, and so many Americans in particular, that they idolise and worship these celebrity parasites?
Posted by: | February 08, 2007 at 03:50 AM
"What is it about people, and so many Americans in particular, that they idolise and worship these celebrity parasites?"
Celebrity worship *is* the true American religion. Actually, though, "The Secret" was spawned Down Under by Australian TV producer Rhonda Byrne, though it quickly spread by viral marketing until it had infected the US.
And yesterday's "Oprah" show was, as I'd expected, little more than an infomercial for the infomercial that is "The Secret." Oprah is thoroughly enchanted with "The Secret" and claims to have used the big secret (the so-called Law of Attraction) all of her life.
Posted by: Cosmic Connie | February 09, 2007 at 09:09 AM
Sylvia Browne told the parents of a missing child on Montel Williams that their son was dead and they needed to release him in order for his spirit to cross over to the other side. A few years later the child was found alive and well. Under her previous surname spelling of "Brown" she has a crimminal record in the State of California for securities fraud where she debunked investors by telling them that her psychic ability indicated the investment would make them lots of money. These are just two incidents and don't forget she said the Sago Miners were safe on national TV until they were found dead except for one. Consider the Source. This is a book about Christ. Christ himself said that not all spirits are to be believed, they must be tested, and only those spirits who are of God are to be listened to. Now, going back to the Old Testament .... there is a commandment among the 10 that says "Thou Shalt Not Lie"........and "Thou Shalt Not Take the Name of the Lord in Vain" ... and "You Shall Not Steal".... Please note I am not a bible thumper and am open to spirituality. In all things practice discernment. The Bible also warns - Even the Devil himself disguises as an angel of light to deceive because especially he knows the Bible itself inside out to mislead spiritual seekers.
Posted by: Katherine Alexandria | February 28, 2007 at 10:00 PM
Hay House's Sylvia Browne and other writers are all in it for perhaps - money???
False prophetess Sylvia Browne ... and her deceptive book on The Mystical Life of Jesus. Consider the Source. Sylvia Browne told the parents of a missing child on Montel Williams that their son was dead and they needed to release him in order for his spirit to cross over to the other side. A few years later the child was found alive and well. Under her previous surname spelling of "Brown" she has a criminal record in the State of California for securities fraud where she debunked investors by telling them that her psychic ability indicated the investment would make them lots of money. These are just two incidents and don't forget she said the Sago Miners were safe on national TV until they were found dead except for one. Consider the Source.
There are a lot of dangerous products in the market right now and one very deceptive writer is Doreen Virtue whose Ph.D. is from a degree mill in California. Virtue's claim to fame is that she is teaching the world how to work with the angelic realm. Her trademark product is called Angel Therapy which is about working with one's angels to manifest what they want. Wow ... in the Holy Bible whenever someone was met with an angel their reaction was one of fear. Angels are messengers and they reveal themselves to people to tell them to do God's bidding. Virtue has revised this ancient role by telling people that the angels are our errand boys just like the Greek pagan myth of Mercury and his winged feet!
Now everyone is entitled to their beliefs. The Crusades were a dark example in Christian when faith went out of hand and people killed in the name of God. However, one must always consider the source. It is not uncommon for employers to do a background check on potential workers. Nor is it foolish to interview a surgeon before deciding on having them operate on you. So ... let's consider the source of all these seemingly beautiful angel messages.
Doreen Virtue is on her fourth marriage to a man named Steven Farmer, who is a plastic shaman at best and promoting the pagan practice of animal spirit worship. Her Ph.D. is from an unaccredited Clarkson University (at least the Ph.D. program is not accredited) and she charges $2500 to train someone to become a medium. Doreen claimed to have worked at a psychiatric hospital that is now closed and when people call to verify her employment the response is vague at best. If I were an investor this would spell penny stock to me.
Hay House seems to even leading formerly wonderful guides into some odd paths:
Another psychic popular with the company is Sonia Choquette who has written dozens of psychic books. Sonia Choquette's Ph.D. in metaphysics is from the American Institute of Holistic Theology which is unaccredited. She attended the University of Denver and the Sorbonne in France but from what I gather ... did not receive a certificate or diploma or baccalaureate. In Diary of a Psychic I recall her stating she dropped out of Denver and worked as a flight attendant. She has stated that she studied the Kabbalah when mainstream Judaism does not allow anyone to study it unless they are Jewish, a man, and 40 plus. Sonia once stated in her radio show that another psychic told her she was a rock star on the planet Saturn (I kid you not as God is my witness) either in a co-reality or previous incarnation Listen carefully to her radio show and other public appearances when she gives readings. There is a pattern of her saying many of the same things over and over again. She constantly tells people they are psychic so they will train with her at $3500 for level 1 and 2 at a spa resort in Illinois. More recently she has announced a new course for the price of $4000 for people to learn how to read her three oracle cards at Miravel. Before Sonia met her husband she got involved with a man who left her for another man. If she is so psychic and trained since age 12 why didn't she pick up bisexual tendencies before being dumped for another gender? She charges $800/hour for personal readings but why is it that a lot of people whom I know who have read her are often told the same thing? Her response is that she attracts a soul group. Everyone is told to do The Artist's Way, that they are psychic, to read Mindful Loving, to do The Hoffman Process (which she is on the board of advisors - maybe she gets a kickback or something), come to her workshops (of course, more money for her), and she recommended to a listener to do alternative medicine... such as homeopathy which has been proven to have ZERO ingredients to be of effectiveness. She also recommends in her earlier books (such as True Balance) the following teachers: Sai Baba (an Indian guru with controversial allegations of abuse on young followers), A Course in Miracles (written by a woman in New York City who was an agnostic Jew yet claims to channel the voice of Jesus Christ), Lynn Andrews (a plastic shaman who has been exposed for making all her books up), and in her newer book references Dr. Emoto on the impact of thought energy on matter. Dr. Emoto's Ph.D. is also from a questionable university and his findings were done not according to scientific protocol nor have his reports been peer-reviewed to maintain quality control. If you don't believe me do your own research ... and just listen to her radio show ... the same things over and over again is a pattern of messaging that is too obvious if you go through the archives carefully of her shows. In many of her writings she states that one some level you choose everything that happens to you, everything you think of creates your reality, and it begs the question: (1) in one of her books she is quoted as saying that “even the people murdered chose that reality” yet last I checked capital crimes were to be prosecuted and would she say this or even believe it if the awful fate befall someone she cared about? Would she be so spiritual about it? Would she be so calm and esoteric to say it if it hit close to home? (2) So did she have a thought about attracting in a man who would betray her to be gay on some deep subconscious level just as Henry did to her in Diary of a Psychic or in Heart’s Desire?
Hmmmmmmm....... Finally, the facts speak for themselves ... she is a graduate of an unaccredited higher educational institution that she is now on the faculty of, claims that Christ taught her to be psychic in her autobiography, says she is Catholic yet practices spiritual methods that the church does not approve of such as divination, and so forth and so on. Though she is a well-meaning lovely lady the facts for any consumer should be taken into account. All that said, Sonia's guidance has turned around the lives of many people, overall she is a sweet wise guide who uplifts many people's vibrations. But as much as I personally adore this writer for her genuine sweet nature ... as a lawyer and Catholic I cannot overlook certain facts.
Choquette’s earlier work was much better until she aligned herself with Hay House (publisher of Sylvia Browne’s books) and has become more concerned with keeping up her game and being brand consistent in her messages to truly now be of any personal use to those who seek her out. Her beautiful gift of second sight has now dimmed as her business model and personal livelihood is now so tied into having six sensory groupies all over the world in devotion of Sonia’s saying as their substitute personal religion. The very gift that brought her acclaim when she operated from a sincere spirit of service is now second to Choquette’s quest to be special and spiritually superior.
Posted by: Savattra | March 20, 2007 at 12:48 AM
This lady charges 750 $ for a reading. I understand thats how she makes her living but then you see her conference tickets cost 75.oo a piece! Take into account how many of these things she does as well as TV appearances. Jesus never charged money to hear him speak biotch!
Posted by: | March 26, 2007 at 11:12 PM
This lady charges 750 $ for a reading. I understand thats how she makes her living...[snip]
But she won't take Randi's challenge because she doesn't need/want/use her powers for money.
Jesus never charged money to hear him speak biotch!
Actually, he charged 5 pieces of silver for everyone in attendance.
Posted by: Rockstar Ryan | March 27, 2007 at 11:10 AM
Where do you get your facts about Jesus charging 5 pieces of silvers for his sermons on the mount and other places in anicent Israel?
If Jesus did in fact charge this amount ... was 5 pieces of silver on par then with $750 USD for a 20 minute reading with Sylvia?
Jesus had to support himself beyond just a carpenter. I think the issue here is - By their fruits you shall know them. And Christianity (Catholics and others) is proof that there was something to the man from Nazareth.
Posted by: Savattra | March 31, 2007 at 09:25 PM