Believing in psychics is one of the controversial topics. Some people believe in them, while others remain convinced that this is just a scam. One of the representatives with psychic abilities was the self-proclaimed medium and American writer Sylvia Browne. Her predictions were frequently wrong and gained media attention, yet she had an extensive base of supporters. Learn more about Sylvia Celeste Browne at los-angeles.pro.
Childhood and first visions
Sylvia was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. The father of the family was Jewish. He worked hard and tried his hand at different jobs, including mail delivery and jewelry sales, before becoming vice president of a freight line. The subject of faith in the family is quite interesting since young Sylvia Browne (maiden name Shoemaker) was brought up Catholic. The girl’s mother belonged to the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States, whereas her maternal grandmother supported Lutheranism.
In an interview, Sylvia Browne said that she first experienced visions at the age of three (other sources state five years). As a teenager, she began actively using her abilities to help others. When asked if she had any relatives with psychic talents, the woman remembered her grandmother, who was a medium and helped her interpret visions from a young age. We are talking about Ada, a well-known and respected healer in Kansas City, Missouri. The woman also mentioned her great-uncle, who was a medium and was “rabid about UFOs.”
Psychic career
Sylvia Browne began her psychic practice in 1973 at home. It all started with just a meeting, but after a year, her private practice began to grow. Things were going well, so she decided to legally register her firm, the Nirvana Foundation for Psychic Research. She had all the necessary business permits and was a member of a national consumer protection agency. Throughout her career, Sylvia made time to volunteer with charitable organizations and worked with police representatives.
In 1986, the woman founded a church in Campbell, California, which later became known as the Society of Novus Spiritus. This decision was justified by her devotion to God. As you may recall, she was raised and educated in the Catholic Church, and at the age of 17 started teaching in the system of parish schools. Therefore, since its inception, Novus Spiritus has carried love, peace and devotion.
The society holds a Sunday service which helps people keep on the path. It is a way for people to get together under one roof and show each other love, support and assistance.
Writing and media popularity
During her career as a psychic, the woman authored over 40 books on paranormal phenomena. Some of them reached the New York Times bestseller list. Some of the writer’s works were written in collaboration with other authors, such as Lindsay Harrison and Chris Dufresne.
Sylvia Browne’s media popularity arose from her TV appearances on talk shows:
- “Larry King Live”. The American television talk show ran from 1985 to 2010. The program was one of the most popular, with over a million viewers each night. For the most part, the show was broadcast in Los Angeles. Every night, Larry King interviewed one or more prominent people simultaneously. One of the guests was Sylvia Browne.
- “The Montel Williams Show”. It was an American syndicated tabloid talk show hosted by Montel Williams. The show aired from 1991 till 2008.
- She appeared in the American television reality show “That’s Incredible!” which ran from 1980 to 1984. The show featured people associated with paranormal events.
- She appeared on the American late-night radio talk show “Coast to Coast AM”. The show’s topics tended to revolve around paranormal occurrences and conspiracy theories.
- She was featured in the 1991 episode “Haunted Lives: True Ghost Stories”. The scene with Sylvia was set in a haunted Toys R Us.
- The woman had a cameo appearance in the 2006 soap opera “The Young and the Restless”.
During such appearances, she talked about psychic powers with the presenters, after which she gave readings to people in attendance or those who called. It was occasionally visited by guests, including both fans and skeptics This in turn sparked a debate.
False predictions
Despite her popularity, Sylvia Browne made a number of false predictions. Such mistakes had significant effects on those people who trusted her words. It’s worth looking at some of the most prominent cases.
- The Shawn Hornbeck case from 2002. The woman was certain that the 11-year-old youngster had been kidnapped by a dark-skinned Latin American with dreadlocks, and the boy himself had died. In fact, the boy was found alive, and his kidnapper was a Caucasian with a short haircut. Such incorrect predictions caused even more distress for the boy’s family.
- The case of Amanda Berry from 2004. Sylvia stated that the missing girl died and her body was dumped into the water. Amanda Berry was found alive. Despite the happy event, the girl’s mother died before the good news arrived. The woman was desperate because she believed in Sylvia Browne’s predictions.
- Another inaccurate prediction concerned her date of death. She prophesied her death at the age of 88, but it occurred at the age of 77.
In 2010, the Skeptical Inquirer published a three-year research by Ryan Shaffer and Agatha Jadwiszczok. They studied psychic Sylvia’s predictions on missing persons and homicides. The woman claimed that her foretellings were more than 85% accurate, but the reality was different. The study covered 115 cases, in 25 of which the accuracy of the predictions was not possible to determine. According to the findings of this study, Sylvia Browne did not deserve such trust or media coverage.
These examples show that even famous psychics can make mistakes. Unfortunately, inaccurate predictions can cause serious harm to people. It is also worth noting that you should always remember to think critically and verify information from multiple sources.
Personal life
Sylvia Browne got married four times. Gary Dufresne was her first spouse, and they were together from 1959 to 1972. The couple had two sons named Paul and Christopher. In Sylvia Browne’s family, there are several practicing mediums and psychics. Interestingly, Sylvia’s son, Christopher Dufresne, inherited this familiar talent.
During her third marriage, Sylvia took her husband’s surname, Browne. In the late ’80s, Sylvia and her husband Kenzil Dalzell Browne were involved in financial fraud. They faced charges of investment fraud and grand theft. The Browne family offered to invest in a gold mining business, promising large profits. Investors were told that the funds were needed to meet the company’s running expenditures, but they were really transferred to their personal fund’s accounts. They were found guilty, and the couple received a suspended sentence and community service.
In 2009, her fourth husband was Michael Ulery, who owned a jewelry store.
The end of the earthly path
Sylvia Celeste Browne was a well-known spiritual teacher, psychic, author and teacher. She died on November 20, 2013, at Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose, California. The woman was 77 years old.
Sylvia Browne’s name reappeared in the media following the pandemic, owing to her accurate prediction. In her books “End of Days” and “Prophecy: What the Future Holds For You,” she prophesied a serious pneumonia-like virus that would spread by 2020. Kim Kardashian picked up the news.