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February 2010_june_july_2009.qxd 18/02/2010 9:04 AM Page 26 26 John Edward: Hustling the Bereaved John Edward: Hustling perceived as dishonest, and he may come across March 5, 52. the Bereaved as arrogant, cynical, and manipulative-not * Keene, M. Lamar. 1976. The Psychic Mafia. heroic as he imagines. Continued from Page 25 As well, an apparent reproduction of an Reprinted Amherst, N.Y.: Prometheus Books, effect does not necessarily mean the cause was 1997. the same. (For example, I have seen several Edited or not, sessions involving a group offer increased chances for success. By tossing skeptical demonstrations of “weeping” icons * King, Larry. 2001. Are psychics for real? Larry King Live, March 6. that employed trickery more sophisticated than out a statement and indicating a section of the audience rather than an individual, the that used for “real” crying effigies.) Far better, I * McHargue, Georgess. 1972. Facts, Frauds, am convinced, is showing evidence of the actual performing “medium” makes it many times methods employed, as I did in collaboration and Phantasms: A Survey of the Spiritualist more likely that someone will “acknowledge” it with Dateline NBC. as a “hit.” Sometimes multiple audience Although John Edward was among five * Movement. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, members will acknowledge an offering, whereupon the performer typically narrows the “highly skilled mediums” who allegedly fared 44-45. well on tests of their ability (Schwartz et al. choice down to a single person and builds on the 2001)-experiments critiqued elsewhere in this * Mui, Ylan Q. 2001. Bring me your dead. New success. Edward uses just such a technique issue (Wiseman and O'Keeffe, see page 26)-he York Post: TV Sunday, July 8, 105. (Ballard 2001). did not claim validation on Larry King Live. Still another ploy used by Edward and his fellow “psychic mediums” is to suggest that When King (2001) asked Edward if he thought * Nickell, Joe. 1994. Camera Clues. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 147-149. there would ever be proof of spirit contact, people who cannot acknowledge a hit may find Edward responded by suggesting proof was a connection later. “Write this down,” an unattainable, that only belief matters: “. . . I * —. 1998. Investigating spirit insistent Edward sometimes says, or in some think that to prove it is a personal thing. It is like communications. Skeptical Briefs 8(3) other way suggests the person study the apparent miss. He may become even more saying, prove God. If you have a belief system (September): 5-6. and you have faith, then there is nothing really insistent, the positive reinforcement diverting more than that.” But this is an attempt to * —. 1999. The Davenport Brothers: Religious attention from the failure and giving the person insulate a position and to evade or shift the practitioners, entertainers, or frauds? Skeptical an opportunity to find some adaptable meaning burden of proof, which is always on the Inquirer 23(4) (July/August): 14-17. later (Nickell 1998). claimant. As Houdini (1924, 270) emphatically stated, “It is not for us to prove the mediums are * —. 2000. Hustling Heaven. Skeptical Briefs Debunking Versus Investigation dishonest, it is for them to prove that they are 10(3) (September): 1-3. honest.” In my opinion John Edward has Some skeptics believe the way to counter Edward and his ilk is to reproduce his already failed that test. * Nickell, Joe, with John F. Fischer. 1988. effect, to demonstrate the cold-reading Acknowledgments Secrets of the Supernatural. Buffalo, N.Y.: Prometheus Books, 47-60. technique to radio and TV audiences. Of course that approach is unconvincing unless one I appreciate the assistance of Tom Flynn * Nordlander, Charles. 2001. Letter from actually poses as a medium and then-after who helped me analyze the video clips executive producer of Crossing Over to Time, seemingly making contact with subjects’ dead loved ones-reveals the deception. Although mentioned in the text and refine the hypothesis March 26. that Edward may have glimpsed a reflection. I audiences typically fall for the trick (witness am also grateful to Tim Binga, Barry Karr, * Schwartz, Gary E.R., et al. 2001. Accuracy Inside Edition’s use of it), I deliberately avoid Kevin Christopher, Ben Radford, and Ranjit and replicability of anomalous after-death this approach for a variety of reasons, largely Sandhu for other assistance. communication across highly skilled mediums. because of ethical concerns. I rather agree with Houdini (1924, xi) who had done spiritualistic References Journal of the Society for Psychical Research, January: 1-25. stunts during his early career: * Ballard, Chris. 2001. Oprah of the other side. ABOUT JOE NICKELL At the time I appreciated the fact that I The New York Times Magazine, July 29, 38-41 surprised my clients, but while aware of the fact that I was deceiving them I did not see or . * Barrett, Greg. 2001. Can the living talk to the understand the seriousness of trifling with such dead? Gannett News Service, published in USA sacred sentimentality and the baneful result Today, August 10. which inevitably followed. To me it was a lark. I was a mystifier and as such my ambition was being gratified and my love for a mild sensation * Edward, John. 1999. One Last Time. New York: Berkley Books satisfied. After delving deep I realized the . seriousness of it all. As I advanced to riper * —. 2001. Crossing Over. San Diego: Jodere years of experience I was brought to a Group. realization of the seriousness of trifling with the hallowed reverence which the average human * Gibson, Walter B. 1977. The Original Houdini being bestows on the departed, and when I Scrapbook. New York: Corwin/Sterling. Joe Nickell, Ph.D., is Senior Research personally became afflicted with similar grief I Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry was chagrined that I should ever have been * Gresham, William Lindsay. 1953. Monster (CSI) and "Investigative Files" Columnist for guilty of such frivolity and for the first time realized that it bordered on crime. Midway. New York: Rinehart, 113-136. Skeptical Inquirer. A former stage magician, private investigator, and teacher, he is author of * Houdini, Harry. 1924. A Magician Among the numerous books, including Inquest on the Of course tricking people in order to educate them is not the same as deceiving them Spirits. New York: Harper & Brothers. Shroud of Turin (1998), Pen, Ink and Evidence (2003), Unsolved History (2005) and for crass personal gain, but to toy with their deepest emotions-however briefly and well * Hyman, Ray. 1977. Cold reading: how to Adventures in Paranormal Investigation (2007). He has appeared in many television convince strangers that you know all about intentioned-is to cross a line I prefer not to do. them. Skeptical Inquirer 2(1), documentaries and has been profiled in The Besides, I believe it can be very (Spring/Summer): 18-37. New Yorker and on NBC's Today Show. His counterproductive. It may not be the alleged personal website is at : medium but rather the debunker himself who is * Jaroff, Leon. 2001. Talking to the dead. Time, joenickell.com.