Monday 7 March 2011

Bring out your Dead.


What would you think if I said that I was a Necromancer with a magical power that allowed me to talk to the dead.
Then what would you say if I said I would use that power to get money out of the recently bereaved and the vulnerable?

I bet you wouldn't be too impressed. Yet People like John Edwards are not only tolerated, they get their own TV shows.

For those of you who don't know him, Edwards is one of those people who claim to be able to pass messages from dead people to living people. He tours the States like a rock star and is interviewed on US chats shows where the hosts talk about his 'powers' and 'gift' with totally straight faces and congratulate him on bringing comfort to the bereaved.

If you ever get a chance to watch Edwards or any of his type, it is always interesting to see that dead people never give a clear message.
Instead the 'psychic' will ask if the name Dorothy or the letter R mean anything to anybody and when someone bites they will ask a series of questions, usually with their head cocked on one side as though listening to an invisible presence.

Why don't dead people just give a straightforward message? The answer to that is 'cold reading'.

This is the technique used by people who call themselves psychics where they ask general questions to a person and gradually narrow the questions down until they have sneakily gained enough information from the audience member.

Then twist it as though this person hasn't given him them the information at all but instead he has been told this by the dead.

Let's for a moment say that he is in fact talking to the dead. Does this mean that in the afterlife we can only talk to the living through some low-rent showbiz type with funny hair?

But Tony, you may say, what about the comfort he gives to all the lost, lonely and bereaved people?

Well I have felt the horrible, hollow ache of grief when a loved one dies and the thought of someone using that pain to line their pockets does not sit well with me.

If psychics are really concerned with bringing comfort to the bereaved then why ask for money? Why only do it on TV shows and sold out theatres?

If they truly believe int this gift why don't they approach the world of science and say "I have the power to speak with the dead, why don't we join forces and together we can prove there is an afterlife"?

Instead they stay well away from any procedures that may cast doubt on the claims they make and forge a lucrative career feeding on other peoples misery.

Normally when a person says they are hearing dead people talking in their head we fear for their state of mind. But when someone says this with the intention of making money we accept it.

It is wrong. Rant over.

13 comments:

Oilfield Trash said...

I agree with you 100%.

that guy said...

great post!

i see you commenting alll over the place and you have good insight, so i bounced over to see your stuff...

i totally agree...

not that i do not believe there is much more than just this world/life etc, but come on!

i used to give my wife crap about watching this guy but then she discovered dr phil...

charlartans in the guise of helping people...

Bruce and Tucker
Bruce Johnson JADIP
Evil Twin
stupid stuff I see and hear
The Dreamodeling Guy
dreamodeling!
The Guy Book
The Guy Book

Amy said...

I agree! I recently saw a documentary on faith healers, and was saddened to see how much money they take for a "blessing". Some of the people who forked over money were crippled or terminally ill. How can someone claim to be doing "God's work" by swindling the needy out of their money?

Margaret said...

If it helps, the only John Edwards I know is the one who ran for president and then had a baby with his mistress while his wife was dying. So not all Americans follow such scurrilous fare.

Tony Van Helsing said...

It doesn't matter to me whether you believe in life after death or not. There are people like this all over the world unfortunately, I have only picked out Edwards as he has his own show. What matters to me is people like him cheapening death for their own ends and making a mockery of the fundamentals. I'm sorry, I said the rant was over but it seems I've got a bit more left.

Al Penwasser said...

Plus, wasn't there a Jonathan Edwards, who was an 18th century preacherman and another Jonathan Edwards who was a singer in the 70s?
In any case, you are spot on. Rant away!

Gelai said...

I just realized I forgot to click the FOLLOW button the other day! My bad! I'm learning a lot from you, sir! :)

Have a wonderful day!

Tony Van Helsing said...

Thanks for your comments, I've feel like I've been shouting into the void for a long time. @Gelai, it isn't your bad. It took Gwen Murray at Everything I like Causes Cancer to show me how to follow other peoples Blogs. We all learn from each other.

PJ said...

I can think of a lot of reasons for not wanting to talk to the dead. I say, "RIP."

Tony Van Helsing said...

Good point Paula, let it lie.

SkippyMom said...

You are so right Tony - you summed it up well in the last paragraph.

Thanks for the visit today - I see we have a lot of the same blog friends. :) Loved the camping story - we camp all the time and I can't wait to share it with my husband. He will laugh as hard as I did.

Tony Van Helsing said...

Cheers SkippyMom. I like your blog.

Magaly Guerrero said...

There are few people and things I dislike; this um... being, is very close to the top of the list. Right under a tick that sucked on wrist (for what seemed like forever) while I sat on an ambush, not able to remove the blood sucker without giving away my fireteam's position.

What this man does is sickening.