Photo by Matt Haines

On Sunday night, I went with some friends to see Sylvia Browne, a psychic clairvoyant.  She has written many (57?) books, appeared on the Montel Williams show and Larry King Live, and tours nationally giving lectures and readings.  She also helps out many law enforcement agencies.  Jilla won these tickets at the Ad Club auction and we had no idea what to expect.  It was entertaining, but not as crazy or creepy as I thought it would be.  For the first hour or so, she lectured.  She spoke about whatever was on her mind, from her deceased mother all the way to which twitter account is really her, although Jilla and I want to know if it’s really her, or if she has an assistant who tweets for her.  It’s @Sylvia_Browne.

After the lecture, she pulled ticket stubs from a basket and read off sections, rows and seat numbers.  People lined up at the microphones.  She said people would be checking to make sure they had the ticket she called, but I don’t think they were.  I suppose if you snuck in line, she’d know and she’d call you out on it.  Oh, that reminds me, she was pretty blunt.  She said some harsh things about her mother and when people asked a follow up question, she cut them off and said the reading is over after one question.  Most people asked Yes or No questions, which I thought was kind of a cop out: “Does my deceased father visit me?”  “Yes.” Some people asked specific questions, but things that cannot be proven: “What is the name of my spirit guide.” “Theodore, and he doesn’t like to be called Ted.”

Some people got some really great answers, and then followed up with how that answer made sense to them.  One woman asked if her loved one ever tried to reach her.  Sylvia said, he leaves you coins.  And the woman said that there are always dimes on his grave, everywhere!  Whoa, chills.  Another woman wanted to hear about her son.  Sylvia said, he’s holding his head, why is he holding his head?  The woman said he had a seizure in the hospital, and banged his head very badly.  Another woman asked about her pregnant daughter, and her deceased mother.  Sylvia said that her daughter will give birth to her mother’s soul, reincarnated.  Several people asked if they, or a loved one, would overcome their illness.

Not sure how I felt about the night.  I guess I walked away from it being skeptical, but not totally against the idea either.  Even if she was a total fake, which is not necessarily what I think, she still gives a lot of people hope.  There were so many people there who seemed to be at the end of their rope.  I’d hope for her sake she doesn’t see the entire life of every person she meets when she looks in their eyes.  That could be awfully depressing. She did say something about people having a certain number of entrance and exit points, and that you can delay your death, but only by a certain amount of time.  She didn’t answer anyone’s questions negatively.  She didn’t tell anyone anything bad.  I wonder if she sees the bad stuff, but just doesn’t tell people.  Can she tell when people are sick when they don’t even know?  She said she can’t see her own future.  I wonder if she can see her son’s future and he can see her’s – they are both psychics.

It seems like cheating to know what’s going to happen to you.  I was nervous that my number would be called.  I didn’t know what I would ask.  I finally thought of one thing and then decided later that it’s probably better not to know.  Life is about the journey, not the destination.