A warning to paranormal groups who use psychics.

                                                                  Warning!

A recent story hit the news and I wanted to share it and warn paranormal groups to be very cautious. A psychic named Presley "Rhonda" Gridley was ordered to pay $6.8 million in damages to a Texas couple after she made a false claim about multiple murders and a mass grave at the home of Joe Bankston and Gena Charlton.

Gridley called the Liberty County, Texas Sheriff's Office in June 2011, claiming that a mass grave containing dead and dismembered bodies was at the plaintiffs' home.

The sheriffs' office told the media about these accusations and the story resulted in world-wide headlines and set off a wave of bad press toward the victims of the false claim.

The court awarded the couple $6.8 million dollars in damages, mostly to their reputation. 

Another recent story of note is that of renowned psychic Sylvia Browne, who predicted, ten years ago, that an Ohio kidnapping victim named Amanda Berry was dead. Browne told the mother of Amanda Berry, on the Montel Williams Show in 2004, that "she is not alive, honey."

Berry was found alive on Monday. Browne's response was, "Only God is right all the time."
Source: Yahoo.com news website

Here's the deal. The legal system is getting the message that this is a new area of concern in which they, the lawyers, and the clients can make huge profits. Why? Because paranormal groups are using self-proclaimed psychics, sensitives and mediums in their investigations.

These psychics make claims to know things and share them with the client or the investigators. If, later, the client finds that what the psychic or the paranormal group members shared with them is
1. false,
2. psychologically hurtful or damaging,
3. libelous,
4. intended to cause or unintentionally did cause emotional stress, pain, suffering,
5. caused damage to reputation
6. caused loss of peace of mind or caused increased anxiety, worry or fear,
7. or was simply found to be untrue
then the paranormal group can be legally held responsible. 

I worked in the insurance business for a while in my early life. Signed most of the time, wavers of liability are not worth the paper they are written on. You can still be taken to court and found liable if you were negligent or irresponsible in your actions in any way.

Juries tend to be very generous to plaintiffs in cases where they see that people have been duped, lied to, scammed, or taken advantage of.   Just because you do not charge money for an investigation does not get you off the hook. Just because you make no guarantees also does not get you off the hook.

Here is what I suggest.
Do not use psychics, sensitives or mediums in your investigations.
Keep it science-based, objective, and do not make claims that you cannot back up or prove, advise action or tell the client what to do based upon guesses by sensitives.
Do not claim that you can "cleanse" their house, or move the spirits on to the next life, or to the light. Do not predict the future based upon what a psychic tells you.
In this litigious environment we live in today, being wrong can cost you $6.8 million dollars.

Let's get real. Unless you want to lose not only your group's reputation, but your money and your future, do not use psychics in your paranormal investigations. It's now dangerous, risky and just plain stupid.

And for all of you people out there who have recently noticed that you are a sensitive, have psychic abilities, can channel spirits, or think you have suddenly become the next Long Island Medium, heed the warning. Stop playing with fire.
What The Ph...

P.J.

Comments

Pam Wellington said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said…
So, just found your site by looking around for info about Kim Russo. I read some of your posts and have to wonder, do you not trust any psychics? Do you feel they are all fake? What do you think of Ghost Adventures? Have you ever had any personal paranormal events happen in your own life? Sorry for all the questions, but, I'm curious because I enjoy watching a lot of ghost shows due to having some strange happenings in my own life.
Pam Wellington said…
Yes.

I do believe that some psychics are trustworthy and for real. I have known some very well, one in my own family. Read in my entry on psychics; how to tell a real from a fake. Here is my list of what to look for in a real psychic:

1. They are very quiet and secretive about their abilities. They don't like talking about it, and will even deny it.
2. They never take money for using their gift.
3. They never or rarely use their gift for personal benefit.
4. They do not enjoy their gift. They often admit that they wish they didn't have it.
5. They are usually willing to submit to tests. They have nothing invested, no ego to hurt, no reputation to ruin. They don't seem to care how the test comes out.
6. They are humble ordinary people.
7. They are real.

Just because one or more of things on this list are true, that does not necessarily mean they are real. Also, just because one or more of the things on this list are not true, does not mean that a psychic is not real.

I watch Ghost Adventures and Ghost Hunters all the time. I enjoy Ghost Adventures. They make it interesting and exciting and very entertaining. But if you examine what they are doing, they use a lot of equipment correctly, they use a lot of outside experts to evaluate their evidence, and they do research. They use psychics, but rarely. What I don't like is the extreme provoking. However, the team has admitted that their style of investigating is not for everyone, and may have resulted in them having spiritual and/or emotional problems, possibly as as result of their provoking.

You have to keep in mind at all times that first and foremost in a TV show is that what is going on is for entertainment purposes. That makes everything you see questionable. Don't totally trust any of it completely. That is wise.
My personal paranormal experiences began when I was 13 at my grandparent's farmhouse in Maine. I, my cousin and mother experienced loud footsteps on the second floor and no one was there. We never found an explanation. I experienced other events through my teens and twenties. I studied parapsychology while in college. I studied the paranormal continually over the years, and got involved in investigating about 6 years ago and continue that to this day.
If you know a real psychic you probably don't know it. Or, if you do, it is because they are very close to you and trust you. I do not believe that many of the psychics that you see on TV are real. Sorry, and that is just my opinion. Only my opinion. You have the right to disagree with me.
I believe in ESP, and the supernatural. I would not be as involved in this field as I am if I did not.
If I were you I would continue to enjoy the paranormal shows, just remember that it's TV, it's entertainment. Some are completely fake. Some have been nailed for faking and have been taken off the air. Some are trustworthy and real. I hesitate to recommend any, but I do recommend Ghost Hunters (TAPS). They are consistent, knowledgeable, and are committed to finding the truth, rather than finding a ghost. I watch many of the shows to hone my own abilities to observe.
Thank you for your questions and comments. If I have not answered your questions to your satisfaction, please feel free to ask me more.
P.J.

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