In 2008, psychic James Van Praagh warned talk show host Barbara Walters about her health in private. His reward was to be publicly mocked on her show “The View.” Barbara Walters is now on her way to heart surgery. Van Praagh, who has stated that he feels terribly for her, has also asked for an apology.
This unfortunate public incident highlights the misunderstandings that often dog psychics. For one, few realize that psychic information is often seen in a way that is not directly related to time as we understand it. Timelines can be hazy and non-linear. Just because Barbara Walters was given a clean bill of health two weeks after Van Praagh’s prediction doesn’t mean his prediction wasn’t accurate. It just means he was seeing further into the future than Ms. Walters was!
In addition, many psychics are faced with the dilemma of whether they should be bearers of bad news or not. This is a dilemma as old as recorded history. Mythology and history are full of stories of oracles who gave bad news to kings and heroes who didn’t react particularly well (ever hear the phrase “Don’t blame the messenger?”) Similarly, many can have the wrong reaction when hearing bad news from a psychic. Instead of asking how they can change their behavior to prevent the potential bad future from manifesting, they do the least constructive thing possible: they blame the psychic, and often try to talk to new psychics until they find one who tells them what they want to hear!
What do you think – should Van Praagh have kept quiet and kept the bad news about Barbara Walters’ health to himself? Or should he have told her – was this a case of interfering with Barbara Walters’ destiny, or was it in her best interest? And how could she have reacted in a better fashion? Might she have prevented her heart surgery if she had listened?
8 thoughts on “Can You Handle the Truth?”
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James Van Praagh is a highly respected “psychic, which is why he was invited to be on the show in the first place.. Of course he should have told Ms. Walter’s what he saw in respect to her health. He did it in private, which shows his professional and ethical behaviour. When it comes to a psychic reading, everyone needs to understand that “time” is a factor in the reading, that cannot be accurately relied on (unless the reader sees it in the utmost clarity and “knows” that a certain event is close at hand.
Mr. Praagh deserves a pubic apology from the View, and he should be invited back to hear it in person and also to allow him to explain the paradox that ‘time” plays in any reading. I’m sure many in the View’s audience don’t know the many theories of how time works, whether lateral or literal time.
I’m sure Ms. Hasslehoff had pooh poohed his very calling from the beginning. I’m hoping she learns something about humility, a trait she is sorely lacking in. While I am not psychic, I feel that Ms. Hasslehoff will be called upon to deal with serious issues that will demand she call upon powers beside the right brain approach. Pride goeth before the fall – for anyone. Peace Be.
My experience is, of course, very different from you girls. I don’t read for a living, so I am not presented with whomever walks in.
I actually stopped reading years ago for parties and random strangers. This is when I realized that the vast majority of people did NOT want to hear the truth. I started reading from a different place, which is, I will tell them what serves their highest purpose and sometimes that purpose isn’t served if I tell them the whole truth, especially when it comes to health readings.
I, too, however, did have people who told me during the reading “no way, you are way off,” and later on returned to tell me that what I said happened exactly the way I predicted it.
Interesting postings. If Barbara didn’t want the answer, she shouldn’t have asked for truth
Im finding that these posts here are such a learning experience. Just as the one about time that was written by Red if Im not mistaken. Time is hard to predict I guess. I think Im understanding more and more. And I guess some people that call do want to hear only what they want to hear, but I have always asked for the truth. Good or bad. I really thought thats why we call a psychic is so we have an idea of what is to take place, or whether we can expect a certain thing to happen. Today sign me,
Still learning
I’m sure it was a tough call for James to tell her what he saw and I get he asked if she wanted to know:-) Being a head person she wanted so desparatly prove him wrong. I hope she gives him the appology he deserves.
Many Blessings
~Abigail~
Wow- I like the things both ladies are saying about this- maryanne and gina rose. I agree with both of them. It’s nice to get the credit-but sometimes it doesn’t always happen and, it is something that I had to work on for a while. Detachment is what I do in order to not get so torn up over it. I am just grateful for those who come to realize-and later do make the connections-
miss krystal
Hi,
I agree with Gina Rose. I will read years and years out for our clients here if it is pertinent to their question or situation or if the messages just insists on coming through as well as reading for the immediate and intermediate future. It “hasn’t happened YET” is a phrase I find the need to use (gently, of course) reasonably frequently.
Unfortunately, it is human nature to denigrate that which is “different” or “Not what would (could) do”. I believe that all of us here at CP sincerely use our gifts and abilities to offer the very best information to our clients. It is not only disappointing to hear that, somehow, it was o.k. to for Mario van Praagh to be mocked publicly. What would happen in most instances if a professional of any other type was mocked publicly? Would there be law firms involved? I think so.
“Blaming the psychic” because they didn’t tell you what you want to hear seems to remain an issue in presenting information to clients. Is it ethical to tell clients only that which they wish to hear? It’s a decision each of us psychics make. I personally do not believe that is serving the client well, but others may have a different opinion. If I have less than perfect news to deliver on any topic-because all topics are not going to be negative, of course-I do it as gently as possible and offer alternatives to ameliorate the situation. Or if a particular question is not going to result in “the best one in my life” but “one of the top three in my life”, I’ll gently deliver that news as well as I do believe it is my responsibility to have a client be properly prepared on any topic and have the absolute truth to work with. Actually, it is rarely that I encounter a negative reaction from the client, but when it happens it is strongly negative, which saddens me for both the client and our profession.
Sincerely,
Maryanne
X9146
Hi,
As a psychic, in particular being clairvoyant & clairaudiant , I say ” Don’t shoot the messenger “……because
A. it’s bad Karma to do so… ( Why would bash somebody for trying to help you in the first place?)
B. you never know……it may just happen down the road YET.
I try to stay within a period of 2 years when I read for CP clients……my private clients I handle differently,I’ll range farther out……
It’s rare, but I have made predictions that happened YEARS later……. I’ve had clients come back to me years later to apologize….or to say they wished they had listened to me.
I’ve posted the story before, but the best psychic reading I ever had was over 25 years ago, at the time I was thinking: ” lady, you are way, way, WAY, off “…….some, a few, happened within 2 years but not all…..but the rest of her predictions ( VERY SPECIFIC) are STILL coming true to this day !!!!!…. I kid you not.!!!!!!!
But I was raised by a famous psychic…as such…..I knew better not to say what I was thinking at the time….
What it boils down to is that the general public does not understand the ” world ” of a psychic, nor
the ” mechanics ” of our gifts. They have their own preconcieved notions of what a psychic should be and do.
Mario Van Praagh is well within is right in asking for an apology, after all, he is a professional psychic, IN THE PUBLIC EYE and in the business of making predictions…..and Barbara Walters should show some class and give him one. !!!!!!!!
Blessed Be )O(
Gina Rose ext.9500