Comments on: Psychic James Van Praagh Shows Off His “Powers” On The Dr. Phil Show http://www.skepticalmonkey.com/why-do-people-believe/james-van-praagh-dr-phil/ A journal that shows you why not to believe everything you're told. Updated weekly. Mon, 01 Dec 2008 18:23:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Dave Ewan http://www.skepticalmonkey.com/why-do-people-believe/james-van-praagh-dr-phil/#comment-253 Dave Ewan Fri, 23 May 2008 03:51:15 +0000 http://www.skepticalmonkey.com/?p=69#comment-253 Sorry, but there's no tooth fairy, no Santa Claus and nobody communicates with the dead. When Van Praagh was doing the reading of the audience members, he was using a technique called "Cold Reading". Go to http://www.drphil.com/shows/show/1094 and read the transcript. "There’s a guy here who died on a motorcycle,” he says. A curly-haired woman stands. “My friend died on a motorcycle,” she says. This seems miraculous, but let's think about it. Dr. Phil's audience appears to contain a few hundred people. The chance is very large that someone in that audience will know someone who died on a motorcycle. Remember, it did not necessarily have to be the woman who stood up. He gets credit for a hit if anyone stands up. Van Praagh asks if he was in a band? She doesn't answer this question, so not a hit. Are you in a band? She says that her friend is. Apparently she's not and the dead motorcycle guy was not, so no credit for this one. "There's a Michael also", he says. She answers that Michaels was his last name. By saying "there's a Michael also", he is implying that this is a different person, not the motorcycle guy, but she connects it for him, so it appears to be a hit. If you walk up to 100 people and ask if they know anyone named Michael, I'd bet that 99 would. How can VanPraagh lose?. \ Sorry, but there’s no tooth fairy, no Santa Claus and nobody communicates with the dead. When Van Praagh was doing the reading of the audience members, he was using a technique called “Cold Reading”. Go to http://www.drphil.com/shows/show/1094 and read the transcript. “There’s a guy here who died on a motorcycle,” he says. A curly-haired woman stands. “My friend died on a motorcycle,” she says. This seems miraculous, but let’s think about it. Dr. Phil’s audience appears to contain a few hundred people. The chance is very large that someone in that audience will know someone who died on a motorcycle. Remember, it did not necessarily have to be the woman who stood up. He gets credit for a hit if anyone stands up.
Van Praagh asks if he was in a band? She doesn’t answer this question, so not a hit.
Are you in a band? She says that her friend is. Apparently she’s not and the dead motorcycle guy was not, so no credit for this one.
“There’s a Michael also”, he says. She answers that Michaels was his last name. By saying “there’s a Michael also”, he is implying that this is a different person, not the motorcycle guy, but she connects it for him, so it appears to be a hit. If you walk up to 100 people and ask if they know anyone named Michael, I’d bet that 99 would. How can VanPraagh lose?.

\

]]> By: Sara http://www.skepticalmonkey.com/why-do-people-believe/james-van-praagh-dr-phil/#comment-247 Sara Mon, 19 May 2008 21:24:42 +0000 http://www.skepticalmonkey.com/?p=69#comment-247 It seems like most of you here agree with us! I'd love to ask Dr. Phil what his thought process was in having Van Praagh on the show. Could he possibly have a reason besides ratings? I don't think for one second that Dr. Phil takes these psychics seriously...and I'm disappointed that he didn't take more of a stand. I think I'd have minded less if he actually DID believe in psychics. The fact that he doesn't just made this episode even more sad. It seems like most of you here agree with us! I’d love to ask Dr. Phil what his thought process was in having Van Praagh on the show. Could he possibly have a reason besides ratings? I don’t think for one second that Dr. Phil takes these psychics seriously…and I’m disappointed that he didn’t take more of a stand. I think I’d have minded less if he actually DID believe in psychics. The fact that he doesn’t just made this episode even more sad.

]]> By: heather http://www.skepticalmonkey.com/why-do-people-believe/james-van-praagh-dr-phil/#comment-246 heather Mon, 19 May 2008 19:24:38 +0000 http://www.skepticalmonkey.com/?p=69#comment-246 Good post. There seem to be an infinite of Dr Phil-style presenters who will happily advertise self-proclaimed psychics. It's really amazing how many psychic bullshitters get to be on TV. Whole nights pass when half the UK cable channels show nothing but dross like "Most Haunted" and "Psychic detectives." Good post. There seem to be an infinite of Dr Phil-style presenters who will happily advertise self-proclaimed psychics.

It’s really amazing how many psychic bullshitters get to be on TV. Whole nights pass when half the UK cable channels show nothing but dross like “Most Haunted” and “Psychic detectives.”

]]> By: James http://www.skepticalmonkey.com/why-do-people-believe/james-van-praagh-dr-phil/#comment-245 James Mon, 19 May 2008 17:35:28 +0000 http://www.skepticalmonkey.com/?p=69#comment-245 This uncritical pandering to psychics by television continues to be unfortunate, although there have been a few decent critical news commentaries in recent years. But, as you pointed out, this all seems to be nothing more than a promotional commercial for Van Praagh - sell out indeed. This uncritical pandering to psychics by television continues to be unfortunate, although there have been a few decent critical news commentaries in recent years. But, as you pointed out, this all seems to be nothing more than a promotional commercial for Van Praagh - sell out indeed.

]]> By: Did Dr. Phil Sell Out With Psychic Show? « Cool Aggregator http://www.skepticalmonkey.com/why-do-people-believe/james-van-praagh-dr-phil/#comment-244 Did Dr. Phil Sell Out With Psychic Show? « Cool Aggregator Mon, 19 May 2008 01:27:55 +0000 http://www.skepticalmonkey.com/?p=69#comment-244 [...] Skeptical Monkey wonders if Dr. Phil let the psychics and psychic-believers on a recent episode too easy: [...] [...] Skeptical Monkey wonders if Dr. Phil let the psychics and psychic-believers on a recent episode too easy: [...]

]]>