Email: Rosanna, a Montage
Excerpts from one woman's correspondence with this site.
Published: Dec 30, 2007
Written by: Robert S. Lancaster
"Sylvia was sent by God to help us but like with every other great messenger, there have to be those out there who will fear them and therefore try to crucify them."
- Rosanna, email author
Background
For nearly a year, I have been corresponding with Rosanna, a woman living on the East Coast of the United States.
Below is a montage of excerpts from her emails to the site.
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The Emails
Note that these are excerpts, not the entirety of each email. I have inserted some comments, and links to articles referenced within the emails.
January 2007
This was the first email I received from this woman. I do not know what brought her to the site, but she was definitely not happy with what she found here.
Sat, Jan 06, 2007 9:55am
Hello,
I have had two readings – one by Christopher (1998) and one by Sylvia Browne (2004). It is because of these readings that I am absolutely amazed that you even have your website.
I am sure that you have launched your rather vicious attack on Sylvia Browne because you either fear what you don’t know or you have your own religious beliefs and Sylvia’s abilities must clash with them so you are desperate to prove she is a fraud. She IS NOT. I am not a friend of hers and I have absolutely no reason to lie. I suggest you call her and get a reading yourself so that you might find the knowledge that I have.
I hope that you open your mind a little and consider that you may be victimizing an innocent woman and her son. She and Christopher may not always be right but then again, I would like to see you predict the future with any accuracy. She admits to only being 85% correct and Christopher less. Sylvia was sent by God to help us but like with every other great messenger, there have to be those out there who will fear them and therefore try to crucify them.
I replied, thanking her for writing, and explaining that I did not fear psychic powers (it's hard to fear something you don't believe exists), nor did Browne's "abilities" interfere with my religious beliefs (I am agnostic).
Sun, Jan 07, 2007 6:03am
Truly, I do understand not believing in psychics because, like I said, I didn’t use to either. I just wish you would take it under consideration that you may be wrong. If you admit that we obviously do not know everything while we are here, then isn’t it possible that some people are sent here with that gift?
Mon, Jan 08, 2007 8:29am
...while I disagree with what you are doing and how you are doing it, I do respect you for trying to protect people from what you perceive to be a threat.
In the same email, she asked me to explain how Browne had "known" some of the things she had told Rosanna during her phone reading. I explained some things about cold reading and the possibility of hot reading, and said that it would be difficult to comment on the reading without either hearing it or at least reading a transcription of it.
Tue, Jan 09, 2007 5:06am
I have to say that you make a very good case and I have actually been considering that you may have a point. I am going to listen to Sylvia’s tape again and see if there are any specific things she says. If there are, I will transcribe it and send it to you. I am interested in the truth. IF she is a fraud, then I strongly believe she should be debunked.
It has become obvious to me that Sylvia has made a lot of errors in her readings but I have to tell you that her reasoning for what comes afterlife makes a lot more sense than any other religions that seemingly feel that heaven is only for their believers.
[...]
So while I may entertain the concept that she is not as good of a psychic as she says, I definitely think she has a good message to spread and I do honestly believe she has psychic ability.
Rosanna found the tape, and transcribed what she felt were some of the more convincing parts of it, and asked me what I thought of them. I gave my opinions, showing her how these could have been cold reading.
Wed, Jan 10, 2007 7:47am
Lastly, I would just like to say that I have been thinking long and hard regarding Sylvia Browne and I have come to this rather simple conclusion – regardless of whether she is a psychic or not, she gives thousands of people a feeling of being loved by a higher power. She preaches tolerance, acceptance and love. Does she make money from it – yes! But in my opinion, she deserves it for helping people find peace in this world. It is truly a horrific place with many tragic occurrences everyday. I hope you never debunk her because she gives so much that even IF she is a phoney (which I do not believe she is), she gives enough back that she should be allowed to do her thing without being made some kind of criminal.
Please understand, there have to be skeptics in the world to keep everyone honest. I just wish you could see all the good she does do. All the inner peace she gives people. She never tells anyone that they have to come back for more readings or that she can get rid of their bad luck if they just pay her more money. Just as you excuse all the good she does, I will excuse all the bad. Mainly because I feel the good outweighs that bad ten fold.
In my next email to her, I had been doing some research on Browne's claim to have earned a Master's Degree in English Literature, and asked Rosanna what she would think if it turned out Browne had been lying about that.
Fri, Jan 12, 2007 6:45am
I would definitely have to re-think my stand on her if she were lying about her degree.
Tue, Jan 16, 2007 11:53am
I am certainly curious if she ever did help anyone with missing people. I truly hope that no person would be so horrible as to purposely mislead people about their missing loved ones and so I hope that you do find someone that she helped.
While I have lost respect for her, I have gained respect for you. I am impressed that you truly want to do the research as to whether or not she has been accurate. I don’t know what will finally convince me but I have to say, you are making me doubt her quite a bit.
In my next email to her, I included links to the YouTube videos of the then-recent Anderson Cooper 360 broadcast about Browne, which focused, in part, on her telling the parents of Shawn Hornbeck that their son was dead, when he was, in fact, alive.
Fri, Jan 26, 2007 10:52am
I watched the videos and I am disappointed that she would tell people that their son is dead and yet, never mentioned that she could be wrong. I do believe that she has psychic powers. I just think she needs to say that she has been wrong before and that not to give up until you have solid answers. She is causing a lot of pain to innocent people. I am very disappointed in her. She has lost a lot of credibility in my eyes, more as a person than as a psychic.
However, in her defense, I have to say that Randi’s claim that her tapes are only 20 minutes and they consist of her giving out names of spirit guides or angels I found to be untrue. She only told me my spirit guides name at the end of the reading after I asked her and my reading was definitely closer to 45 minutes.
More on this later...
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February 2007
The next email I received from her was not long after I posted an article regarding Sylvia Browne's attorney trying to silence this site.
Tue, Feb 13, 2007 11:29am
I just wanted to offer my support to you with your legal issues with Sylvia. Regardless of our difference in opinion as to whether she is a psychic or not, I do believe that you have every right to bring to light the information you have found out. I am once again disappointed to see that instead of dealing with the issues at hand, she has chosen to hide behind a lawyer and false allegations. I wish you the very best and do not ever give in to a bully. Your site has every right to be on line and this is coming from one of her supporters.
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April 2007
Wed, Apr 04, 2007 1:50 pm
Hi,
I just finished reading your website additions. I have to admit that she is not helping her reputation any. That FBI agent sounds like a real nut. I didn’t forget about transcribing Sylvia’s tape. I WILL get it done but my business is taking up a lot of my time now.
I wonder if your site is hurting Montel’s ratings too. You certainly have her going. I would hope that people that she really has given good readings to would come out and support her. I still believe she has psychic abilities but she certainly is not all that she claims to be.
Thu, Apr 26, 2007 12:24 pm
I have been reading your site regularly and I sincerely hope that Sylvia deals with some of these accusations head on instead of backhandedly having her son’s girlfriend start a gosylvia site. I remember looking on the site and trying to find out who this woman was that started it and her name was nowhere to be found. It was only because of your site and bringing out who the webmaster was that she finally came clean. To say that I am very disappointed in how Sylvia is handling criticism is an understatement. She is being underhanded and controlling. I really had hoped she’d be a better person.
I think you are doing a great job and you know what, you are right – she is harming people who are very vulnerable. Whether she has psychic abilities or not, she is certainly hurting people who are already devastated.
Thu, Apr 26, 2007 3:57 pm
Hi,
I read about the Holly Krewson case. Does she ever get ANY cases right? I have searched all over the internet for any kind of story where she correctly helped someone locate a missing person and I have to admit that I haven’t found any.
I came to the conclusion that I wanted to know the truth about Sylvia Browne and that if she is a fake then I want to know that. When I first read your site I was outraged that you would put down someone that I thought was doing so much good. Boy, was I wrong. I had thought (wrongly) that she would produce some kind of proof that she really does have a gift. Instead, she harasses you with lawyers and makes her son’s girlfriend start a fan site. She is definitely a bully. I have a feeling it won’t be long before Montel stops having her. I hope that he’s just being conned too and not that he’s simply helping her to hurt innocent people.
All that being said, I still think she does have some psychic ability. That does not undo or condone the hurt that she has caused families who have lost a loved one.
Thanks for all you are doing.
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August 2007
Fri, Aug 24, 2007 12:54 pm
I have been catching up on your site today and I commend you for your incredible work! She is not a very nice person and I am glad that you are letting the public know the truth.
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September 2007
Mon, Sep 10, 2007 2:06 pm
I just read the last few entries on your sight. For all the energy that Linda Rossi puts into berating your website, she should put it into providing you some solid proof. Of course, we all know why she doesn’t.
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December 2007
Her next email to me included a forwarded message that she had received regarding Sylvia Browne's "Farewell Tour" in 2008.
Thu, Dec 20, 2007 10:09am
Hi,
Hope you are doing well. I have been reading your website and truly she is a horrible person. I can’t believe that Montel acted like that with the young interviewers! Maybe his illness is affecting him.
I wanted to forward this to you in case you hadn’t heard. It looks like she won’t be doing anymore lecture tours, which is a good thing. That letter that you posted about her son Paul saying "The freaks come out a night" really did it for me. They are despicable people and good for you for showing the world what she and her family/workers are really like. She had said to me during our phone reading that she doesn’t make a lot of money because her board of directors decide how much she should get and she doesn’t get a lot. Oh please! I am sure she lives the high life but I hope you are able to put a stop to that.
Happy Holidays!
In my reply, I told Rosanna that I had listened to the tape she had sent me of her phone reading with Browne - I hope to put together an article on it soon - and mentioned that it clocked at just over 21 minutes.
Mon, Dec 24, 2007 7:46am
I am so surprised it was only 22 minutes! I admit that I didn’t time it but I would have sworn it was longer. The actual reading was probably 5 minutes since she babbled on about everything and anything – the traffic, how poor she is…
What a creep Montel is. I would have never imagined that Montel was really like that. I think that I assumed he was really a very ethical and honorable guy and therefore assumed Sylvia must be too since he had her on his show so much. Turns out, they are both despicable people. Maybe I am not remembering correctly but I was thinking that his last marriage was to a stripper and that he cheated on her so they got divorced.
Doesn’t she [] get that she looks ridiculous by hiring a PI because someone is accusing her of being a fake? Most people would assume that she would defend her readings by proving she gets it right. (Of course, we know she can’t do that.) She is just a very controlling and vindictive woman who takes advantage of vulnerable people. It is outrageous that her people should make fun of the very people that pay for them to live so very well. I am so disgusted with her. I was throwing out the books I have of hers but then I remembered that you wanted ones you didn’t have. Is that still true? I know you have them listed on your site so if you still want them, I’ll see if I have the ones you need.
You may use anything you want of mine either email or taped. I just ask no names because I really don’t want anyone to know that I paid for a reading from her. How things change in a year! :)
Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
It was at this point that I decided to assemble an article from my correspondence with Rosanna (not her real name, by the way). Even though I already had her permission to use her emails, I sent her a copy of the above excerpts, asking her permission to write this article around them.
Fri, Dec 28, 2007 5:48 am
Hi,
I think it is absolutely hysterical that I go from berating you to being one of your supporters – but when you are right, you are right. :) You may put it all on your website with my blessing.
I am off to []! Have a very happy New Years!
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Conclusion
Over the course of this site's existence, I have heard from many people who had sincerely believed in Browne's "abilities" until they read and considered the information here. But Rosanna's gradual change of opinion was interesting to observe, and her comment "Of course, we know she can’t do that" on December 24th was my favorite Christmas present this year.
She was determined to follow the evidence regardless of where it led her ("I came to the conclusion that I wanted to know the truth about Sylvia Browne and that if she is a fake then I want to know that"). Few people do this when the subject at hand is a closely-held belief.
My sincere thanks to Rosanna - for the correspondence, the permission to share it on the site, and especially, for the Christmas present.
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