Sylvia Browne

Not to be confused with pop-sensation PSY, PSYchic Sylvia Browne performed two shows at Thunder Valley Casino Resort recently, with both shows complete sellouts.

Browne is a self-proclaimed psychic and bills herself as a spiritual teacher, author, lecturer and researcher in the field of parapsychology. According to her website she is, “well known for her dynamic, genuine, down-to-earth style and personality. She lectures, teaches, and counsels people from all over the world including Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia.”

As I entered Pano Hall I was dodging wheel chairs and walkers as the mostly older crowd slowly filled the room to capacity.

Center stage was a comfortable looking chair for the 76 year-old Sylvia with a couple of microphones setup onstage and off, for audience members. Her husband of five years, Michael, assisted Browne onstage transferring her from a wheelchair to the chair. She required the wheelchair because a few months ago she broke her hip and her arm.

Sylvia Browne – Click for more images

As the show started, Browne said she was there to talk about how people can protect themselves. She went on to explain how people are concerned about how they look, but never think about their soul, going on to say, “We really in this day and age, need to be spiritual warriors.”

For about an hour Browne continued telling various stories about her life and how she guides people through storms. Many of her stories were extremely humorous and anyone coming into the room may have thought there was a comedy show going on.

As people first entered Pano Hall they were given a ticket for a chance to ask Browne a question. Almost an hour into the show Browne started pulling tickets from a jar and reading off the number, as she did people were to head to the nearest microphone.

Audience member asking Sylvia a question

After pulling about 30 tickets, Browne made it clear what was allowed when asking a questions saying, “Please just one question, and when you get up, don’t just say ‘tell me’. At least give me a category otherwise we’ll be here for a 45 minute reading.”

Questions ran the gambit from, “I wanted to ask about my health,” to, “I lost my son a couple of years ago.”

For the most part Browne provided answers that one would expect, being direct, but vague with her answers. There were times she mentioned names, but due to the format of the questions and answers, it was difficult to determine if she was accurate in her responses since there were no follow-up questions.

Browne was aggressive and harsh with some of her answers, especially when you compare her bedside manner with the likes of John Edward, who is friendlier and more astute when it comes to readings. In his live performances he takes a “shotgun” approach with a portion of the audience, narrowing down to a particular individual by asking questions until he gets a hit.

Browne is no stranger to controversy. One of her more infamous blunders came when she informed a couple that their kidnapped son was dead, only to have him surface alive three days later.

CNN’s Anderson Cooper looked into the psychic’s claims in a segment of Anderson Cooper 360, which can be viewed on Youtube.

If you are a fan of Browne, then it’s well worth your money to take in a performance and listen to her insights and humorous stories. However, I took little from her “readings” since audience members were only allowed one question, with very little interaction.