Crossing Over with John Edward

Kevin Christopher

John Edward, psychic medium and author of the book "One Last Time: A psychic medium speaks to those we have loved and lost," is host of "Crossing Over with John Edward", a new show on the SciFi cable channel. "Crossing Over" is a monstrous hybrid of talk show and psychic fair, spliced with the look and sound of a 900-line infomercial. Ethereal New Age music fades up in the background each time audience members and guests recount how they got in touch with loved ones in the spirit world.

Edward swaggers around the set spreading his broad plume of the paranormal visions. "Anybody up there Russian?" says Edward. "I might be switching. Who's Anna?" A woman responds who apparently has a Russian background and also knows someone named Anna (What are the odds?).

Edward claims to have a direct line to the spirit world, but despite being an medium with a direct line to the dead, he seems to always be the one asking the questions. An objective look at the dialogue reveals the techniques of "cold reading." According to Ray Hyman, "'Cold reading' is a procedure by which a 'reader' is able to persuade a client whom he has never before met that he knows all about the client's personality and problems. At one extreme this can be accomplished by delivering a stock spiel, or 'psychological reading,' that consists of highly general statements that can fit any individual." At its best, cold reading gives the subject being read an assessment uniquely tailored to him or her.

Cold reading relies on three core assumptions:

1. We are all basically more alike than different.
2. Our problems are generated by the same major transitions of birth, puberty, work, marriage, children, old age and death.
3. With the exception of curiosity seekers and troublemakers, people come to a medium/slash cold reader because they need someone to listen to their problems on love, money, and health.

Edward has the additional benefit of knowing that everyone on his show specifically wants to get in touch with deceased family and friends. He throws out vague bits of bait that could apply to almost any human being and hooks his subjects into supplying him with all of the specific answers. A reading of one member of the audience is representative of the reading dialogue throughout the program (parenthetical remarks are mine):

Edward: "I have a male that's older than you." (Is there any human being on the planet that doesn't have some relationship to an older male?)

Subject (eagerly): "Yes. Yes."

Edward: "Who's passed?" (He seems to love this question, despite that premise that if he's channeling, his contact must be a dead person. But, hey, maybe he's got to have some way of subtly reminding his subjects that it's really their job to know who he's contacting, not his.)

Subject: "My father-in-law."

Edward: "OK, thank you. 'Cause I was going to say it's got to be a father figure." (Yeah, right.)

This is the kind of late-night programming that leaves you with the urge to grab a bottle of Windex and start cleaning your television--obsessed by the idea that something dirty is still clinging to it.

The reading dialogues in "Crossing Over" are sometimes hilarious. The centerpiece interview of the first episode is between Edward and actress Linda Dano--who is, through an uncanny synchronicity, star of the soap opera "Another World." Here is a small excerpt:

Edward (continuing on the subject of Dano's grandmother): "I'm getting 'Bo-bo.'"

Dano (perplexed): "Bo-bo?"

Edward: "Like two 'b's. 'b-b'" (Dano is not making a connection with any human she knows.) "Wouldn't be a dog, would it?"

Dano: "Beebee?"

Edward: "Passed?"

Dano: "Yes!" (Dano pauses and a look of amazement passes across her face.) "No! I had a dog named 'Beebee'!"

Edward: "Passed?"

Dano: "You get dogs?"

I almost fell out of my chair when I heard that response. Of course he gets dogs. That might just be because Dano didn't call either of her grandparents "Bubbi"; there's probably no one in her family named Robert, Roberta or Bobbi; and presumably neither Dano, nor anyone in her family cared much for Bobo the Clown.

You can almost forgive John Edward for what he does because his subjects are--literally--asking for it. They want and expect to connect with their deceased family members. In fact, the "Crossing Over with John Edward" web page at www.scifi.com/johnedward clearly lays out "John's Rules" for visitors who are thinking about being a guest:

"By entering the stage area, you're agreeing to be 'read' by John. John cannot control who 'comes through.' So there are no 'passive audience members.' For instance, John has read the cameraman, soundman, and someone in the next room during rehearsals. If you feel you'll be too embarrassed, too frazzled, or just not interested, we ask that you give up your seat to someone who's anxious for a reading."

The thing that will really anger the skeptics is Edward's words of advice at the close of the show: "You always want to retain a healthy sense of skepticism, so this way you can learn and understand what's happening." This appeal is infuriating coming from the host of show that thrives on mystery and relies on credulous and obliging guests and audience.

The legal disclaimer from Glow in the Dark productions that flashes on the screen for little more than a second or two is a cruel mockery of how the show is actually presented to viewers.

"The producer has relied heavily on the contributions of John Edward and other third parties in the creation of this program, which has been produced for entertainment purposed only. Materials and opinions presented in this program by John Edward and other third parties, including statements, predictions, documents, photos, and video footage come solely from the respective third party sources and are not the views, opinions, and the responsibility of the producer and, are not meant or intended to be a form of advice, instruction, suggestion, counsel or factual statement in any way whatsoever."

"Crossing Over" may indeed have been "produced for entertainment purposes only," but in practical terms the show and its online promotion at www.scifi.com are clearly aimed at convincing viewers that Edward is in fact a real psychic who can communicate with the dead. John pontificates to the studio audience and the TV viewers on all things "psychic or metaphysical." And interviews with gushing participants serve as testimonials for Edward's abilities. The "Crossing Over with John Edward" web page promotes him as someone who has the "psychic gift" and a "practicing psychic medium." The link to "John Edward: About the Man" cites pro-paranormal "data" from the June 2000 Journal for of the Society for Psychical Research and states that Edward "tells both clients and audiences that each of us has our own psychic abilities; we just need to learn how to be open and receptive to them."

"Open" and "receptive" are nice euphemisms for "gullible." Unfortunately, I cannot force myself to describe "Crossing Over with John Edward" with any euphemisms. This program is shameless and takes advantage of the most emotional of subjects: the loss of loved ones. Memories of deceased spouses, family and friends put many people in an emotional state that leaves them vulnerable and susceptible to suggestion. It's sad to see people fall for paranormal distractions: they deserve better answers to perhaps the most significant problem of being human.

For recent CSICOP examinations of the tactics of psychic mediums, see Senior Research Fellow Joe Nickell's "Review of Psychic Medium Van Praagh on CNN's Larry King Live" at www.csicop.org/articles/19990608-vanpraagh/ and "Talking to Heaven--Who's Answering?" a review of James Van Praagh's book Talking to Heaven (Dutton, New York, 1997), also by Joe Nickell, at www.csicop.org/si/9807/praagh.html.

Nickell also discusses John Edward's readings in depth in his September 1998 Skeptical Briefs "Investigative Files" column--Investigating Spirit Communications--available online at www.csicop.org/sb/9809/i-files.html

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