INVESTIGATIVE FILES

John Edward: Hustling the Bereaved

uperstar " medium" John by a local printer. He visited dieir spook The great magician Harry Edward is a stand-up guy. Unlike show and volunteered as part of an audi- (1874—1926) crusaded against phony the spiritualists of yore, who typi- ence committee to help secure the two spiritualists, seeking out elderly mediums S mediums. He took that opportunity to who taught him the tricks of die trade. cally plied their trade in dark-room seances, Edward and his ilk often per- secretly place some printer's ink on the For example, while sitters touched hands form before live audiences and even neck of a violin, and after the seance one around die seance table, mediums had under the glare of TV lights. Indeed, of the duo had his shoulder smeared with clever ways of gaining die use of one Edward (a pseudonym: he was born John the black substance (Nickell 1999). hand. (One method was to slowly move MaGee Jr.) has his own popular show on the hands close togedier so diat die fin- die SciFi channel called Crossing Over, gers of one could be substituted for those "which has gone into national syndication of die other.) This allowed die production (Barrett 2001; Mui 2001). I was asked by of special effects, such as causing a tin television newsmagazine Dateline NBC trumpet to appear to be levitating. to study Edward's act: was he really talk- Houdini gave public demonstrations of ing to the dead? HI the deceptions. "Do Spirits Return?" asked one of his posters. "Houdini Says The Old The No—and Proves It" (Gibson 1977, 157). Todays spiritualism traces its roots to Continuing die tradition, I have inves- 1848 and the schoolgirl antics of the Stories tigated various mediums, sometimes , Maggie and Katie. They Behind attending seances undercover and once seemed to communicate with the obtaining police warrants against a fraud- of a murdered peddler by means of mys- the ulent medium from die notorious Camp terious rapping sounds. Four decades Stories Chesterfield spiritualist center in Indiana later the foxy sisters confessed how diey (Nickell 1998). The camp is the subject of had produced the noises by trickery die book Tlje Psychic Mafia, written by a (Nickell 1994), but meanwhile others former medium who recanted and discovered they too could be "mediums" revealed the tricks of floating trumpets (those who supposedly communicate (with disembodied voices), ghostly appari- with the dead). tions, materializing "apports," and odier The "spiritualism" craze spread across In , while photographer fake phenomena (Keene 1976)—some of the , Europe, and beyond. William H. Mumler was recycling some which I have also witnessed firsthand. In darkened seance rooms, lecture halls, glass photographic plates, he acciden- and theaters, various "" phenomena tally obtained faint images of previous Mental occurred. The con- sitters. He soon adapted the technique The new breed of spiritualists—like jured up spirit entities to play musical in- to producing "spirit extras" in photo- Edward, , Rosemary struments while the two mediums were, graphs of his clients. But Mumler's scam apparently, securely tied in a special was revealed when some of his ethereal Joe Nickell is author of many books on the "spirit cabinet." Unfortunately the Dav- entities were recognized as living Boston , including Entities: , enports were exposed many times, once residents (Nickell 1994). Spirits, Demons, and Other Alien Beings.

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November/December 2001 19 Altea, , and George Margie, or some M-G-sounding name," dead rather than the living. Eventually he Anderson—avoid the physical approach and yet again heard from "either Ellen or changed his billing from "psychic" to with its risks of and possible Helen, or Eleanore—it's like an Ellen- "psychic medium" (Edward 1999). The criminal charges. Instead they opt for sounding name." Gone is the clear- revised approach set him on the road to the comparatively safe "mental medi- speaking eloquence of yore; the dead stardom. In addition to his TV show, he umship" which involves the purported now seem to mumble. now commands hundreds of dollars for a use of psychic ability to obtain messages The spirits also seemingly commu- private reading and is booked two years from the spirit realm. nicate to Edward et al. as if they were in advance (Mui 2001). This is not a new approach, since engaging in pantomime. As Edward mediums have long done readings for said of one alleged spirit communi- "" their credulous clients. In the early days cant, in a Dateline session: "He's point- Although is the main tech- they exhibited "the classic form of ing to his head; something had to nique of the new spiritualists, they can trance mediumship, as practiced by affect the mind or the head, from what also employ "hot" reading on occasion. shamans and oracles," giving spoken he's showing me." No longer, appar- Houdini (1924) exposed many of these "'spirit messages' that ranged all the way ently, can the dead speak in flowing information-gathering techniques in- from personal (and sometimes strik- Victorian sentences, but instead are cluding using planted microphones to ingly accurate) trivia to hours-long pub- reduced to gestures, as if playing a listen in on clients as they gathered in lic trance-lectures on subjects of the game of charades. the mediums' anterooms—a technique deepest philosophical and religious One suspects, of course, that it is not Houdini himself used to impress visi- import" (McHargue 1972). the imagined spirits who have changed tors with his "" (Gibson 1976, Some mediums produced "automat- but rather the approach today's medi- 13). Reformed medium M. Lamar ic" or "trance" or "spirit" writing, which ums have chosen to employ. It is, Keene's The Psychic Mafia (1976) the entities supposedly dictated to the indeed, a shrewd technique known as describes such methods as conducting medium or produced by guiding his or "cold reading"—so named because the advance research on clients, sharing her hand. Such writings could be in subject walks in "cold"; that is, the other mediums' files (what Keene terms flowery language indeed, as in this medium lacks advance information "mediumistic espionage"), noting excerpt from one spirit writing in my about the person (Gresham 1953). It is casual remarks made in conversation collection: an artful method of gleaning informa- before a reading, and so on. Oh my Brother—I am so glad to be tion from the sitter, then feeding it back An article in Time magazine suggest- able to come here with you and hold as mystical revelation. ed John Edward may have used just such sweet communion for it has been a The "psychic" can obtain clues by chicanery. One subject, a marketing long time since I have controlled this observing dress and body language (not- manager named Michael O'Neill had medium but I remember how well used I had become to her magne- ing expressions that indicate when one is received apparent messages from his tism!, | but we will soon get accus- on or off track), asking questions (which dead grandfather but, when his segment tomed to her again and then renew if cotrect will appear as "hits" but other- aired, he noted that it had been the pleasant times we used to have. I wise will seem innocent queries), and in- improved through editing. Accotding to want to assure you (hat we are all here with you this afternoon!—|Father[,] viting the subject to interpret the vague Time's (2001): Mother],| little Alice!—land so glad statements offered. For example, nearly Now suspicious, O'Neill recalled that to find it so well with you and we anyone can respond to die mention of a while the audience was waiting to be hope and feel dear Brother that you common object (like a ring or watch) seated, Edward's aides were scurrying have seen the darkest part of life and with a personal recollection that can seem about, striking up conversations and that times are not with you now as getting people to fill out cards with they have been .... to transform the mention into a hit. (For their name, family tree and other facts. more on cold reading see Gresham 1953; Once inside the auditorium, where and so on in this talkative fashion. Hyman 1977; Nickell 2000.) each family was directed to prcassigned scats, more than an hour passed before It should not be surprising that show time while "technical difficulties" "Cold Reading" Edward is skilled at cold reading, an old backstage were corrected. By contrast, today's spirits—whom John fortunetelling technique. His mother was Edward and his fellow mediums suppos- a "psychic junkie" who threw for- Edward has a policy of not respond- edly contact—seem to have poor memo- tunetelling "house parties," one of the ing to criticism, but the executive pro- ries and difficulty communicating. For alleged clairvoyants advising die then- ducer of Crossing Over insists: "No example, in one of his on-air stances (on fifteen-year-old that he had "wonderful information is given to John Edward Live, June 19, 1998), Edward psychic abilities." He began doing card about the members of the audience with said: "I feel like there's a J- or G-sound- readings for friends and family, dien pro- whom he talks. There is no eavesdrop- ing name attached to this." He also per- gressed to psychic fairs where he soon ping on gallery conversations, and there ceived "Linda or Lindy or Leslie; who's learned that names and other "validating are no 'tricks' to feed information to this L name?" Again, he got a "Maggie or information" sometimes applied to the John." He labeled the Time article "a

2 0 November/December 2001 mix of erroneous observations and base- through, what I see, hear and feel. I with an atypical revelation. Edward less theories" (Nordlander 2001). interpret what I'm seeing hearing and stated he was "being shown the movie feeling, and I define it. He raised his hand, it made sense for him. Great. Pretty in Pink" and asked if there was "a Very Hot pink connection." Then he queried, Be that as it may, on Dateline Edward was HOCKENBERRY: But a cynic "Are you, like, wearing all pink?" The would look at that and go, 'Hey,' you actually caught in an attempt to pass off unidentified man acknowledged that he know, 'He knows it's the cameraman, previously gained knowledge as spirit rev- he knows it's DATELINE. You know, was. Yet Edward had thought the sub- elation. During the session he said of the wouldn't that be impressive if he can ject was a woman, and I suspect that spirits, "They're telling me to acknowl- get the cameraman to cry?' erroneous guess was because of the edge Anthony," and when the camera- color of his attire; I further suspect Mr. EDWARD: Absolutely not. Ab- man signaled that was his name, Edward solutely not. Not at all. Edward knew it was pink, that as the seemed surprised, asking "That's you? man entered the room Edward Really?" He further queried: "Had you Bui try to weasel out of it as he glimpsed a flash of the color as it was not seen Dad before he passed? Had you might, Edward had obviously been reflected off some shiny surface, such as either been away or been distanced?" caught cheating: pretending that infor- the glass of a picture frame, the lens of Later, playing the taped segment for me, mation he had gleaned earlier had just the video camera, etc. I challenge Dateline reporter John Hockenberry been revealed by spirits and feigning Edward to demonstrate his reputed challenged me with Edward's appareni surprise that it applied to Tony the cam- color-divining ability under suitably hit: "He got Anthony. That's pretty eraman. (And that occurred long before controlled conditions that I will set up. good." I agreed but added, "We've seen Time had suggested that an Inside mediums who mill about before sessions Edition program—February 27, 2001— Inflating "Hits" and greet people and chat with them and was probably "the first nationally tele- pick up things." In addition to shrewd cold reading and vised show to take a look at the Edward out-and-out cheating, "" and Indeed, it turned out that that is jusi phenomenon." That honor instead goes "mediums" can also boost their appar- what Edward had done. Hours before to Dateline NBC.) ent accuracy in other ways. They get the group reading, Tony had been the In his new book Crossing Over, something of a free ride from the ten- cameraman on another Edward shooi Edward tries to minimize the Dateline dency of credulous folk to count the 1 (recording him at his hobby, ballroom expose , and in so doing breaks his own apparent hits and ignore the misses. In dancing). Significantly, the two men rule of not responding to criticism. He the case of Edward, my analysis of 125 had chatted and Edward had obtain- rebukes Hockenberry for "his big statements or pseudostatements (i.e., ed useful bits of information that he Gotcha! moment," adding: questions) he made on a Larry King afterward pretended had come from Live program (June 19, 1998) showed the spirits. In a follow-up interview Hockenberry came down on the side of that he was incorrect about as often as Hockenberry revealed the fact and the professional skeptic they used as my foil. He was identified as Joe Nickell, a he was right and that his hits were grilled an evasive Edward: member of the Committee for the mostly weak ones. (For example he Scientific Investigation of Claims of the HOCKENBERRY: So were you Paranormal, which likes to simplify mentioned "an older female" with "an aware that his dad had died before things and call itself CSICOP. He did M-sounding name," either an aunt or you did his reading? the usual sound bites: that modem grandmother, he stated, and the caller mediums arc fast-talkers on fishing Mr. EDWARD: I think he—I think supplied "Mavis" without identifying expedilions making money on peoples earlier in the—in the day, he had said grief—"the same old dogs with new the relationship; see Nickell 1998.) something. tricks," in Hockenberry's words. Another session—for an episode of HOCKENBERRY: It makes me feel Crossing Over attended by a reporter for like, you know, that that's fairly sig- Edward claims to ignore any advance Magazine, Chris nificant. I mean, you knew that he information that he may get from those Ballard (2001)—had Edward "hitting well had a dead relative and you knew it was the dad. he reads, but concedes, "it's futile to say below 50 percent for the day." Indeed, he this to a tough skeptic" (Edward 2001, twice spent "upward of 20 minutes stuck Mr. EDWARD: OK. 242-243). on one person, shooting blanks but not HOCKENBERRY: So that's not Edward may have benefitted from accepting the negative responses." This is a some coming through, that's actual information on another occasion, common technique: persisting in an something you knew going in. You while undergoing a "scientific" test of attempt to redeem error, cajoling or even knew his name was Tony and you his alleged powers (Schwartz et al. browbeating a sitter (as Sylvia Browne knew that his dad had died and you knew that he was in the room, right? 2001). In video clips shown on often does), or at least making the incor- Thai gets you . . . Dateline, Edward was reading sub- rect responses seem the person's fault. "Do jects—who were brought into the hotel not not honor him!" Edward exclaimed at Mr. EDWARD: That's a whole loi of thinking you got me doing, then. room where he sat with his back to the one point, then (according to Ballard) Like I said, I react to what's coming door—when he impressed his tester "staring down rhe bewildered man."

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER November/December 2001 21 When the taped episode actually Ai the time I appreciated the fact that I attempt to insulate a position and to aired, the two lengthy failed readings surprised my clients, but while aware of evade or shift the burden of proof, which the fact that 1 was deceiving them I did had been edited out, along with second- is always on the claimant. As Houdini not see or understand the seriousness of rate offerings. What remained were two trifling with such sacred sentimentality (1924, 270) emphatically stated, "It is of the best readings of the show (Ballard and the baneful result which inevitably not for us to prove the mediums are dis- 2001). This seems to confirm the allega- followed. To me it was a lark. I was a honest, it is for them to prove that they tion in the Time article that episodes mystifier and as such my ambition was are honest." In my opinion John Edward being gratified and my love for a mild were edited to make Edward seem more has already failed that test. sensation satisfied. After delving deep I accurate, even reportedly splicing in realized the seriousness of it all. As I Acknowledgments clips of one sitter nodding yes "after advanced to riper years of experience I statements with which he remembers was brought to a realization of the seri- 1 appreciate the assistance of Tom Flynn disagreeing" (Jaroff 2001). ousness of trifling with the hallowed who helped me analyze the video clips reverence which the average human mentioned in the text and refine the Edited or not, sessions involving a being bestows on the departed, and hypothesis that Edward may have group offer increased chances for success. when I personally became afflicted glimpsed a reflection. I am also grateful to By tossing out a statement and indicating with similar grief 1 was chagrined that I Tim Binga, , Kevin Christopher, a section of the audience rather than an should ever have been guilt)- of such fri- Ben Radford, and Ranjit Sandhu for other assistance. individual, the performing "medium" volity and for the first time realized that it bordered on crime. makes it many times more likely that References someone will "acknowledge" it as a "hit." O f course tricking people in order to Ballard. Chris. 2001. Oprah of the other side. The Sometimes multiple audience members educate them is not the same as deceiv- New York Times Magazine. July 29. 38-41. will acknowledge an offering, whereupon ing them for crass personal gain, bur to Barren. Greg. 2001. Can the living talk to the the performer typically narrows the toy with their deepest emotions— dead? Gannett News Service, published in USA Today, August 10. choice down to a single person and builds however briefly and well intentioned—is Edward. John. 1999. One Last Time. New York: on the success. Edward uses just such a to cross a line 1 prefer not to do. Besides, Berkley Books. technique (Ballard 2001). I believe it can be very counterproduc- . 2001. Crossing Over. : Jodere Group. Still another ploy used by Edward tive. It may not be the alleged medium Gibson, Walter B. 1977. The Original Houdini and his fellow "psychic mediums" is to but ratber the himself who is Scrapbook. New York: Corwin/Sterling. suggest that people who cannot perceived as dishonest, and he may come Gresham, William Lindsay. 1953. Monster Midway. New York: Rinehart, 113-136. acknowledge a hit may find a connec- across as arrogant, cynical, and manipu- Houdini, Harry. 1924. A Magician Among the tion later. "Write this down," an insis- lative—not heroic as he imagines. Spirits. New York: Harper & Brothers. tent Edward sometimes says, or in As well, an apparent reproduction Hyman, Ray. 1977. Cold reading: how to con- vince strangers that you know all about them. some other way suggests the person of an effect does not necessarily mean the SKKITiCAI. INQUIRER 2(1), (Spring/Summer): study the apparent miss. He may cause was the same. (For example, 18-37. become even more insistent, the posi- I have seen several skeptical demonstra- Jaroff. Leon. 2001. Talking to the dead. 77rae, March 5, 52. tive reinforcement diverting attention tions of "weeping" icons that employed Keene. M. Lamar. 1976. Tie Psychic Mafia. from the failure and giving the person trickery more sophisticated than that used Reprinted Amherst, N.Y.: Prometheus Books, 1997. an opportunity to find some adaptable for "real" crying effigies.) Far better, I am King, Larry. 2001. Arc psychics for real? Larry meaning later (Nickell 1998). convinced, is showing evidence of the King Live, March 6. actual methods employed, as I did in col- McHargue, Georgess. 1972. Facts. Frauds, and Phantasms: A Survey of the Spiritualist Move- Debunking Versus investigation laboration with Dateline NBC. ment. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 44—45. Some skeptics believe the way to Aldiough John Edward was among Mui. Ylan Q. 2001. Bring me your dead. AW counter Edward and his ilk is to repro- five "highly skilled mediums" who York Post: TV Sunday. July 8, 105. duce his effect, to demonstrate die cold- allegedly fared well on tests of dieir abil- Nickell, Joe. 1994. Camera Clues. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 147-149. reading technique to radio and TV audi- ity (Schwartz et al. 2001)—experiments . 1998. Investigating spirit communica- ences. Of course that approach is critiqued elsewhere in this issue tions. Skeptical Briefs 8(3) (September): 5-6. unconvincing unless one actually poses (Wiseman and O'Keeffe, see page 26)— . 1999. The Davenport Brothers: Religious practitioners, entertainers, or frauds? as a medium and then—after seemingly he did not claim validation on Larry King SKEPncM. INQUIRER 23(4) (July/August): 14-17. making contact with subjects' dead Live. When King (2001) asked Edward if . 2000. Hustling . Skeptical Brief. loved ones—reveals the deception. he thought there would ever be proof of 10(3) (September): 1-3. Nickell. Joe, widi John F. Fischer. 1988. Secrets of Although audiences typically fall for the spirit contact, Edward responded by sug- the Buffalo. N.Y.: Prometheus trick (witness Inside Edition's use of it), I gesting proof was unattainable, tbat only Boob, 47-60. deliberately avoid this approach for a belief matters: "... I think that to prove Nordlander, Charles. 2001. Letter from executive producer of Crossing Over to 77me, March 26. variety of reasons, largely because of eth- it is a personal thing. It is like saying, Schwartz. Gary E.R., ct al. 2001. Accuracy and ical concerns. I rather agree with prove God. If you have a belief system replicability of anomalous after-death commu- nication across highly skilled mediums. Houdini (1924, xi) who had done spiri- and you have faith, then there is nothing Journal of the Society for Psychical Research, Jan- tualistic stunts during his early career: really more tban tbat." But tbis is an uary: 1-25. •

2 2 November/Oecembet 2001 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER