I`m not sure if any on this board has seen the show " Crossing-over with John Edwards" but for some strange reason the show fascinates me. If you have not seen the show its basically a guy who does readings for people in a studio audience who have had loved ones die, 'crossing-over' to the next realm. He then connects with these dead people offering up clues to their passing and only personal things that close family would know about . Now I am a most sceptical person and view most things with suspicion, but this guy seems to be the real deal. As JW`s we were always taught that people such as this are demonized and that we should stay away from shows like this. I am not sure if his readings are real but what I see are people who are truly relieved to hear that their loved ones are okay and in some way are still connected through people like John Edwards. Even if he is bogus, the people still leave the show with a sense of closure regarding a loved ones passing. Now I know some will respond that he seems to search for clues to a person life and death but some the of readings seem to be right on and ' way out there' details seem to surface. Could he be the real deal? Your thoughts?
Crossing-over with John Edwards
by Waygooder64 53 Replies latest jw friends
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rem
He's not the real deal. He's a fraud. Remember, you are only seeing a small, edited portion of a long taping. Many investigations have been done of Edwards and it is quite obvious that he is using standard "cold reading" techniques. In some cases he has been caught "hot reading" by getting information before the reading (Dateline caught this, I believe).
Sure some people feel good after these readings, but I think he and his ilk are doing a great disservice to society. It fosters superstition and anti-science, anti-intellectualism thinking. Also, many have been hurt by so-called phsychics by taking their non-medical advice, and by getting hopes raised and dashed by failed abduction predictions. Many are swindled out of their life savings trying to get rid of non-existant curses. I've even seen Sylvia Brown (another Edwards type) tell a young lady that her mother was dead when that obviously was not the case (this is obviously not comforting). Of course failed predictions are hardly ever published.
In general, this type of magical thinking moves society backwards instead of forwards. It's fine for children along with Santa Claus and the tooth fairy, but grown ups should really know better.
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Matty
I think the brilliant James Randi put it best:
People not only want it to be true, they need it to be true. It's the feel good syndrome. Everyone wants to be reassured about loved ones who have passed. Just once I want to find a spiritualist who says, 'Oh, well, sorry. She went to hell and I can't reach her.'
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Nathan Natas
I feel that Stan on "South Park" said it best: "John Edwards is a major douche bag."
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Tashawaa
Waygooder - I've seen his show, and I like it
I battle within myself at times with the "scientific" and this world's mysteries. I love science (although I admit, I don't understand it all), but still find UFOs, psychics, NDE fascinating.
I guess the way I feel about it, is if there is "nothing", what can it hurt? I personally have a tough time with the idea that death may be the end of it. When it happens, and "that's it", then I guess I won't care BUT while I'm alive, I can watch/read the possibilities of "more" than this life, if I wish.
I feel that we are connected to an energy source, "life".
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Double Edge
Even if he is bogus, the people still leave the show with a sense of closure regarding a loved ones passing. Now I know some will respond that he seems to search for clues to a person life and death but some the of readings seem to be right on and ' way out there' details seem to surface. Could he be the real deal? Your thoughts?
I think he's the real deal. While the skeptics like to point to his 'generalities', they dismiss and fail to answer how he can be very detailed in a lot of cases. Skeptics, for the most part dismiss him out of their own biases, without even knowing him or the people he reads. (For the most part, those skeptics are those who don't believe there is anything after this life, so there really is not incentive other than bash it). While I don't think a lot of psychics are the 'real deal', I do think some people have the 'talent' - but then again, I believe there is more to this life than what we can see or feel.
Additionally, I know that when they were assembling the crew that tapes the show, in the beginning, it was just another show and there were plenty of skeptics on the production staff. Without exception, all those skeptics have changed their minds and have been touched by the experience. If he truly were a fraud, a tell-all book would have been written by now from someone who wanted to makes some buck by exposing him, and the show would be off the air.
Just once I want to find a spiritualist who says, 'Oh, well, sorry. She went to hell and I can't reach her.'
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czarofmischief
I tend to view such people with the same air that I view televangelists. The potential ulterior motive is so intense - fame and money - that it definitely degrades the message. A monk who really believes his stuff, or a small town preacher trying to hold stuff together for a troubled community - they are performing spiritual services. So, if someone uses some kind of psychic power, which there might be, to aid people in a individual way, that's more acceptable to me than starring in a major tv show. I know that reading the tarot works somehow - possibly from suggestion and variance in the vagaries, but every so often the results are so inutitively intense that it is compelling. Often, it is beneficial to think about your problem in an orderly, regular way.
As for whether it, communication with the dead, really happens, I don't believe that such things can be quantified, predicted, or really understood yet. Certainly not bet on. Hopefully not profited from.besides, if you had a previous life before this, would you have the time to talk to the morons you left behind? Not likely. Ergo, I would just let the dead move on with what they have to do in the next life.
CZAR
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darkuncle29
I think he's the real deal too.
While the skeptics like to point to his 'generalities', they dismiss and fail to answer how he can be very detailed in a lot of cases. Skeptics, for the most part dismiss him out of their own biases, without even knowing him or the people he reads. (For the most part, those skeptics are those who don't believe there is anything after this life, so there really is not incentive other than bash it). While I don't think a lot of psychics are the 'real deal', I do think some people have the 'talent' - but then again, I believe there is more to this life than what we can see or feel.
The skeptics have to bash this to protect their own world view. They do not want to believe that this is a possibility.
Science is not the end solution to all knowledge; not everything is known.
There are many fakes out there, some are not even entertaining.
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Mulan
John Edwards is entertaining but as someone else said, he is a fraud. 20/20 or 60 Minutes (maybe it was 48 Hours) did an expose' on him awhile back. He has his people infiltrating the lineup to get into the show, eavesdropping, hidden microphones so they can listen and tell JE about people who are in the audience. To have a private audience with him, takes a long time to arrange, giving them plenty of time to research you and your history.
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Double Edge
Mulan...
I saw that show too a couple of months ago. It was a re-run of a Stone Phillips 20/20 interview originally taped the last part of 2000.
did an expose' on him awhile back.
It wasn't an 'expose'. They had a skeptic on the show looking as Stone Phillips reviewed the tapes. The skeptic tried to explain how John Edward was using cold reading 'tricks'. And Stone would ask John about that, which he responded. There were a couple of times that the skeptic 'expert' couldn't explain how John relayed the information that he did. All in all, it was a very NEUTRAL interview, both sides having their say, and no ones opinion really changed. They polled the audience to respond via the internet and asked "have any of you ever had an experience where you knew that you had communicated with someone who died" The survey showed over 50% said yes.
He has his people infiltrating the lineup to get into the show, eavesdropping, hidden microphones so they can listen and tell JE about people who are in the audience.
That never happened... you must be thinking of some other show.