Why psychics should butt out of Aisling Symes case

GONE: Aisling Symes has been missing for over a week.

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OPINION: Is there life beyond the grave? Does conscious thought exist after death? These are big questions, but here's an even bigger one: at TVNZ, does conscious thought exist before death?

Information just in suggests we can confidently answer "no" to that last question.

Last week, Sensing Murder psychic Deb Webber appeared on TVNZ's Breakfast show with Paul Henry.

While Ms Webber does not believe in watching the news media on the grounds that it's all "pretty much fear-based," she was happy to put her principles to one side to flog tickets to her upcoming tour.

Ms Webber, who calls herself a "metaphysical researcher", mentioned in passing that she'd love to get involved with the search for missing two-year-old Aisling Symes.

At a press conference about Aisling's case held later that day, TVNZ reporter Amy Kelley suddenly piped up that Ms Webber had given them information about what had happened to the toddler, and demanded to know what police planned to do about it.

TVNZ approached a friend of Aisling's family to suggest that they have a meeting with Ms Webber. When asked whether it was appropriate for our national broadcaster to introduce a TV psychic to a couple enduring every parent's worst nightmare, a TVNZ spokesperson replied: "You know what they are doing? They are being human".

Don't you love this display of righteous indignation? Sure, it's great publicity for Ms Webber's tour, and sufficiently good publicity for TVNZ for their reporter to announce it during a press conference but, hey, the real reason the meeting was set up is because everyone at TVNZ is so very caring.

There are many reasons why people believe in psychics. They may, for example, be thick. They may be extraordinarily gullible, in which case I have an exciting Nigerian investment opportunity they may be interested in. Or they may be mired in grief, and willing to suspend their judgment in exchange for the hope of hearing one last time from someone they have loved and lost.

I don't blame anyone for believing in psychics, any more than I blame myself for having once believed in the Easter bunny. But it's a different matter when our state broadcaster stops treating psychics with any degree of scepticism.

Ms Webber's Breakfast appearance came only a week after the show hosted Lisa Williams, the medium who claims to have foreseen 9/11 but didn't think to mention it to anyone in advance. TVNZ even advertises psychics' tour dates on its website.

Let's look at the evidence backing up TVNZ's view that it is justified in intruding on the privacy of the Symes family, and in asking police to take time out from the investigation to examine Ms Webber's leads.

Sensing Murder is a franchise that has been running in several countries for years, and is notable for having failed to solve a single case.

Here it has provided no new information to New Zealand police, which means its sole purpose is to exploit the vulnerability of the families of murder victims for the purposes of entertainment.

Given the show's strike rate, it's no surprise that none of its psychics have taken up Christchurch businessman Tony Andrews' offer of $20,000 if they can prove their paranormal abilities in a simple test.

Last year, Eating Media Lunch replayed a sting by Australia's Channel 7, in which Ms Webber managed to communicate with three dead people who didn't exist. She has developed a far slicker act since then, and her appearance on Breakfast was a masterwork in sidestepping, fudging, evasion and prevarication.

Ms Webber claimed to be on the show not to sell more tickets, but to alert people to the fact that "the consciousness of the earth is changing". Fear is out, love is in, and karma is going to "hit you in the face".

To his credit, Paul Henry did raise the thorny issue of why the spirits of murder victims never get around to saying who killed them.

Ms Webber's answer is this: "Let's say we want today to find the murderer. What if the person has a contract with life or the universe to still live and affect other people still? . . . 'cos everyone's affecting everyone."

Do I have a contract with life, too? And if so, could I have the paperwork back, please, so I can write in a clause about not having to listen to this bullshit on publicly funded television?

* This story is now closed for comment. Read what readers said below:

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CEH.   #328   03:58 pm Oct 12 2009

Prove her 100% inconclusively wrong then write about it. Otherwise stop pretending to be a journalist.

Sean   #327   03:32 pm Oct 12 2009

To all those people who are wholeheartedly siding with Deb Webber.

As much as I have enjoyed reading your banal rhetoric, I fear you have missed the point. And for those of you are struggling to overcome the limitations of a room temperature IQ, here it is for you. None of you have managed to grasp the simple fact that she was played for a fool by an Australian Show, that she claimed to have communicating with dead people who never existed. Does any one of you have an explanation for this?, or will you resort to telling us that we are "narrow minded" for not ignoring a titanic hole in her credibility. It then has to be asked that who is narrow minded then?

And yes you are welcome to believe what you like, but no one ever said you were right.

And to Amy Kelley, forgiven if you were told to do that at the press conference, but if not, then I'm sorry, while you may be damned hot, just please go home.

GeminiAngel   #326   03:15 pm Oct 12 2009

thanks Sarah # 228 - finally words of wisdom!!

Whether your skeptical or a believer - who cares. Everyone has their opinion and if what Deb does (or Kelvin, or Sue or anyone else for that matter) helps people find peace, then I don't have an issue with it.

And thank Megan for trying to correct the ignorant turds who twist things around for their own benefit - I spent time with Deb on Saturday and she was personally asked to help by the family. If any of the narrowminded opinionated fools or put words on this page actually got their information correct - they would know that psychics and the like DON'T intrude, they wait until asked for help. If they can provide leads for the Police - let them! Hardly timewasting if they are able to come up with something 'outside the square' that the cops haven't thought of!

My love and support to Aisling's family - we are all hoping for her safe return.

Stefan   #325   03:08 pm Oct 12 2009

Some other comments to the contrary, I think this is one of the best articles I've ever read on Stuff. For "psychics" to prey on people who are suffering from more stress and grief than most of us can imagine is sickening. For TVNZ to use the offer of a deluded woman - or scam artist - to further their own agenda is just as bad.

Physics do nothing more than offer false hope to the grieving friends and family of dead of missing people. They aim to benefit from tragedies, and often go so far as to waste police time.

Hilary   #324   03:01 pm Oct 12 2009

Great article. I'd be more impressed with TVNZ if they focused more on reporting the news and less on trying to create it. After all - as they kept telling us for ages on their grandstanding ads - its not about them.

Dave   #323   03:00 pm Oct 12 2009

according to persons who actually edit the Sensing Murder TV show - It should be renamed Sensing B.S. Cleverly edited, well marketed B.S.

Matt   #322   02:55 pm Oct 12 2009

Fair comment and everyone is entitled to their opinion, so heres mine....if she claims to have information then let her go for it! surely the bigger picture here is finding the little girl?

Brad   #321   02:51 pm Oct 12 2009

Psychics use very simple tricks to dupe gullible people my grandmother to me of how I could explain how this psychic she met could have known her mother in law's name. I asked her exactly what happened, turns out the psychic had said "Does anyone know someone called mary?" and my grandmother obediently raised her hand. She failed to comprehend how I was so completely unimpressed.

Dead my A**   #320   02:46 pm Oct 12 2009

I once got told, by a so called psychic on a radio station, that my dead mother was reaching out to me from the grave to tell me she forgave me for my indescretion, whatever that meant, and that I should take good care of my dad for her. Trouble was my mum wasn't dead but my father was/is. Perhaps the weather was wrong and she was receiving mixed signals from "the spirits". It's all a crock of s**t and no-ne should be fooled by it. Great blog by the way!

Joe   #319   02:38 pm Oct 12 2009

Joseph #278 You're absolutly right, this is a pretty compelling part of the article, is this not enough for people to condemn Deb Webber for powers which are literally proven, in this case to be false. I mean come on people, she's actually caught red handed, making things up. I think you can still see this episode of Eating Media Lunch on TVNZ on Demand website, I recommend to all beleivers in this nonsense to watch it.

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