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Wow! Gary Schwartz the con man?

tkingdoll

Penultimate Amazing
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Apologies if there's already a thread on this, I could find one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drrciHKm7TU

The above video is an episode of GERALDO that appeared on Fox Network on 6th October. It shows Gary Schwartz, the famed tester of psychics, allegedly involved in a $3m scam.

Now, I find several things interesting about this video. One is that there is scant or no evidence that Schwartz is scamming, and the other is that the show makes no bones about calling and condemning him as a conman.

If he had charged $500, would they make a fuss? Doubtful.

Anyway, if true, then this will surely bode badly for Schwartz (that's no bad thing IMHO, his methods are dodgier than a coconut shy) in an academic capacity, but it also raises the larger question, which is...why is this not being prosecuted?
 
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This is very good news.

John Edward: Oh, I have a study which proves im psychic!

Yep, a study conducted by a proven conman, who pretends to have the same non existant powers as you, to steal from people...
 
Ray Hyman (from the Eugene Skeptic toolbox) had us as participants read and discuss Schwartz's submitted papers. We found tons of flaws not just in his writing but in the research itself. I never heard that Schwartz was claiming to be a psychic himself, but just searching for a "white crow" in the psychic community.

Guess he figured that he could fake it just as easily as his psychics could. I don't understand what the 3.3 million was supposed to be used for? Was he asking for the money to start a business on the other side for this man's son? How isn't this illegal? Lots of questions, hopefully this hits the media big time and something happens.

Susan
 
sgf8 said:
I never heard that Schwartz was claiming to be a psychic himself, but just searching for a "white crow" in the psychic community.
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Me neither, this shocked the hell out of me. But as I said, there's a lot to be skeptical about in the video. For one, they offer little evidence. The letter the guy has is from 2003 from what I could make out.
 
tkingdoll said:
Me neither, this shocked the hell out of me. But as I said, there's a lot to be skeptical about in the video. For one, they offer little evidence. The letter the guy has is from 2003 from what I could make out.
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Laurie Campbell... in person... whoa... that's bad... for Schwartz.

Incidentally... remember "The White Crow" experiment? I believe we discussed it extensively here in the past. Well... the three "living" people(aside from 'hypothesized co-investigators) involved in the experiment were- Dr. Gary Schwartz, and "psychic mediums" Laurie Campbell and George Dalzell.

Well, here what Mr. Dalzell has to say on the matter...

http://georgedalzell.blogspot.com/

I am posting in response to questions regarding an episode of GERALDO that appeared on Fox Network on 10/6/07. It featured medium Laurie Campbell, whom I hold in the highest regard. The TV episode focused on Gary Schwartz, and I feel it's necessary to comment due to the controversial nature of statements made.

I met Mr. Schwarz and his wife, scientist Linda Russek, Ph. D. in the year 2000 after suffering a loss which led to my participation in an experiment reknown as "The White Crow Reading." This was my introduction to Laurie Campbell, who "read" me under "blind" conditions as explained in the foreword to my book, MESSAGES: Evidence For Life After Death (Hampton Roads, 2002).

While I was grateful to Mr. Schwartz for introducing me to Ms. Campbell, as well as introducing me to my publisher, incidents have taken place since that time which led to my resignation from participating as a research medium with Schwartz and the University of Arizona.

I support the complete integrity of Laurie Campbell. She is not a person who misrepresents the facts, and it is my personal belief that her remarks on the GERALDO show represent the facts.
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Ooof! indeed.
 
This is weird. Why should Schwartz ask for 3 million? I smell a rat and need more facts, folks.
Gerald Rivera did one thing that we must remember. He investigated and closed down Willowbrook, a hell hole for retarded people on Staten Island, NY. And arguably caused the shutdown of a number of similar hell holes.
But since then, his journalistic investigations have not proven to be very reliable.
 
tkingdoll said:
Me neither, this shocked the hell out of me. But as I said, there's a lot to be skeptical about in the video. For one, they offer little evidence. The letter the guy has is from 2003 from what I could make out.
Click to expand...

I know I'd like the story to be true. Schwartz's suggestions that dead people form part of his research staff are pretty wacky. But whether this story is true or not remains to be seen. The use of "legitimate psychic" Laurie Campbell to buttress Geraldo's report was kind of a red flag for me.
 
tkingdoll said:
...why is this not being prosecuted?
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I asked the same thing in an email to the University of Arizona.

Their reply:
Dr. Schwartz is a member of our faculty all of whom enjoy the ability to pursue their research interests in accordance with the principles of academic freedom.
Click to expand...
Sounds like they're a bit embarrassed by Schwartz.
 
Did someone say "white crow?"

I'm not in the least suprised that Gary Schwartz may have some integrity issues.
 
sgf8 said:
Who is this Steve Grenard?
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Steve is a man who is very interested in the existence of an afterlife.

He was a frequent poster here at one time. If you do a search on his user name (which I believe was either SteveGrenard or Steve Grenard) you will be able to view his opinions.

He and CFLarsen locked horns here on many occasions.

He also ran another message board which centered on the topic of afterlife studies, but I don't think it exists any more.
 
Ewww! He sensed the ghost of an attractive young man washing in the deceased's shower and sleeping in his bed? That's really quite...odd. :scared:
 
I've been reading the thread on Michael Prescott's blog, and there are quite a few people writing there who have worked with Schwartz. It's pretty interesting.

I'd like to hear Schwartz's rebuttal, but it doesn't look too good.
 
I am gratified that most posting here today over this matter do so while remaining truly skeptical instead of merely biased and I have just told that to Gary. He will be letting me
know shortly when he will release his formal response and I will make sure everyone here gets to see it.

I have seen it in draft as it was being submitted to his Department Head and other University brass for approval. Based on the material in the response I was relieved
that I didn't have to end our friendship based on the material shown on Geraldo
the other night.

Of course you can all make up your own minds once you see the response.

Prescott's blog contains not only a few posts by me but also a continuation of the
attack on Gary by Laurie Campbell, someone who sounds like his ex-wife, and a few other
familiar former disaffected colleagues and collaborators of his. The gentleman who
was pre-taped and accuses Gary of unethical behavior in seeking a donation is in
fact a client of Campbell's and was introduced to Schwartz by her because he wanted
to provide funding. None of what he said was (exactly) true. He deliberately confounded what
Campbell said in her readings with what Gary reported to him as Gary's own. Campbell
no doubt put him up to this. Although I am sorry for his loss and share that grief with him as I had also lost a son in 2001, a year or so before he did, I am afraid he has turned out to have some problems that reflect on his credibility where this matter is concerned.

But all will be revealed, if not later tonight then by tomorrow.

Again thank you all for your skepticism in this matter.......
 
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Armchair speculation: a story cooked up as retaliation by unhappy mediums whom Schwartz published books about without giving them a cut of the profits.
 
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