An Inside Look at a 'Psychic's' World
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BOOK REVIEWS] An Inside Look at a ‘Psychic’s’ World RAY HYMAN very skeptic will want to read this book. It provides a rare and Einsightful view of a self-pro- claimed psychic’s world. Mark Edward, Psychic Blues: Confessions of a Conflicted Medium. By Mark Edward. Feral House, Port Townsend, WA, like many youngsters, began perform- 2012. ISBN 978-1-936239-27-6. 220 pp. Softcover, ing magic tricks in his early youth. $18.95 He graduated to conducting séances at Hollywood’s famous Magic Castle. Perhaps, as a result of performing these séances, Edward decided that stan- dard magic lacked the mystery and appeal of mentalism and mediumship. He dropped doing magic tricks and marketed himself as a psychic and a medium. This book provides fascinat- sional help. Unlike other “psychics,” ing, and often depressing, descriptions Edward takes pride in the fact that he refuses to provide advice on certain of his experiences during twenty-five Edward currently occupies years as a professional psychic. legal or medical matters. When his Edward’s career includes a decade an ambiguous role in the client begins talking about suicide or working as a 900-number psychic for skeptical community. other delicate matters, he refers them to the Psychic Friends Network. He also He is quite active in help- suicide hotlines or agencies that provide worked other venues, including stints as ing skeptical groups test help or advice on such matters. Edward seems to take pride in the fact that he a radio psychic, a spiritualist medium, psychic claims and debunk doing private readings, and providing avoids telling his clients what they want readings at parties for Hollywood ce- obviously phony psychics to hear. Instead, he says, he tells them lebrities. who exploit their clients. what they need to hear. Edward either possesses an impres- At the same time, My colleagues who are clinical sive memory or he took prolific notes Edward still performs psychologists or psychiatrists might from all his encounters. He provides question how well Edward may be detailed, often verbatim, reports of as a “psychic.” qualified to know what his clients his clients’ concerns and his responses need to hear. To support his position, to those concerns. From his vivid de- Edward quotes from a letter from a scriptions of his exchanges with callers boyfriend would return. Other callers woman named Ginger. When Ginger to the Psychic Friends Network, we re- were contemplating suicide. originally phoned Edward, “she had a alize how pathetic and desperate many Edward is aware that he is dealing loaded gun to her head and was ready of the callers were. Many callers were with clients who obviously require the to pull the trigger.” After talking with asking Edward if he could tell them if help of professional psychologists or Edward, she put the gun down “and has their boyfriend would return. Typically, psychiatrists. Like many other profes- since turned her whole life around for the boyfriend had beaten them, even in sional “psychics” I have known, he ap- the better…” The problem is that this one case gouging out his girlfriend’s parently justifies his attempts to advise is one of the very few cases in which we eye. Yet, the caller was hoping that his clients with the belief that these know an outcome. Over the many years Edward would offer her hope that the people do not have access to profes- of answering queries from callers, we Skeptical Inquirer | November/December 2013 57 [NEW AND NOTABLE Listing does not preclude future review. have no idea how the advice from Edward BOOTSTRAP GEOLOGIST: My Life in Science. Gene Shinn. made a difference. So it is an open ques- Geologist and occasional SKEPTICAL INQUIRER contributor Shinn recounts his interesting career in marine geology, tion of whether a caller’s interaction with including some examples of pseudoscience such as his Edward made any difference—positive or debunking of the so-called “Bimini Road” evidence for At- negative—in the client’s life. lantis. University Press of Florida, 2013, 296 pp., $34.95. Arguably, many of Edward’s other in- teractions with clients may be more be- nign. This might especially be so when he THE MYSTERY OF EXISTENCE: Why Is There Anything At All? is giving readings at private celebrity par- Edited by John Leslie and Robert Lawrence Kuhn. A phi- ties. However, even when doing readings losopher (University of Guelph) and a public intellectual for “fun”—and I confess to having done and host of the long-running PBS series on science and many such readings over a number of philosophy Closer to the Truth assemble readings from years—the clients often do take the read- Plato to the present (by a number of eminent scientists and thinkers) on the question of the title and subtitle and ings seriously. My guess is that most such all ramifications thereof (including the question “Why Ask readings are harmless. But, as I said, this is Why?”). Wiley-Blackwell, 2013, 314 pp., $29.95. just a guess. Edward takes pride in making sure he is doing no harm. However, it is fair to point out that we just have no way PHILOSOPHY OF PSEUDOSCIENCE: Reconsidering the to know. Demarcation Problem. Edited by Massimo Pigliucci and Edward currently occupies an am- Maarten Boudry. The editors argue convincingly that the biguous role in the skeptical community. nature of science and the difference between science and pseudoscience are topics of crucial interest for philoso- He is quite active in helping skeptical phers, historians, and sociologists of science and also groups test psychic claims and debunk ob- intrinsically interesting and directly relevant to people’s viously phony psychics who exploit their lives. They present twenty-four essays by prominent and clients. At the same time, Edward still per- original thinkers on the subject to help “bring some order forms as a “psychic.” He does not claim to to a large, complex, and inherently interdisciplinary field.” have psychic powers. On the other hand, University of Chicago Press, 2013, 469 pp., $35, £24.50. he does not openly disclaim such powers. He leaves it up to the client to decide if the REALITY CHECK: How Science Deniers Threaten Our Fu- reading is based on paranormal powers. ture. Donald Prothero. Prothero, emeritus professor of This position is controversial with other geology at Occidental College and coauthor (with Daniel skeptics who come from a magical back- Loxton) of several skeptical books, including Abominable ground. They insist that Edward should Science! (reviewed in this issue on p. 59), takes a close openly tell his clients that his readings look at science denial in various forums, including evo- have no paranormal basis; to do otherwise lution, HIV as a cause of AIDS, and anthropogenic global is to behave unethically. warming, arguing that science deniers pose a serious and genuine threat to society. Indiana University Press, 2013. Edward, on the other hand, insists that 368 pp., $35.00. he sees himself as a performance artist. If he openly told his clients that what he does THINK: Why You Should Question Everything. Guy P. Harri- is a fraud, it would deprive the reading of son. The author of 50 Popular Beliefs People Think Are True its mystique. challenges us to think critically and understand the wisdom Because it provides us a rare insight of questioning the “infinite number of weird claims, unusual ideas, dangerous ideas, and unlikely-to-be-true beliefs into a psychic’s world, as well as raising stalking you every day.” Organized into five lively sections: some important ethical issues for skep- Standing Tall on a Fantasy-Prone Planet, Pay a Visit to the tics to ponder, I highly recommend every Strange Thing Living in Your Head, A Thinkers Guide to Un- skeptic carefully read and ponder this usual Claims and Beliefs, The Proper Care and Feeding of a book’s contents. Thinking Machine, and So Little to Lose and a Universe to Gain. Prometheus Books, 2013, 170 pp., $16.95. Ray Hyman is professor emeritus of psychol- —Kendrick Frazier and Benjamin Radford ogy at the University of Oregon. He is also a member of the Executive Council of the Com- mittee for Skeptical Inquiry. 58 Volume 37 Issue 6 | Skeptical Inquirer.