I’ll admit I was skeptical about interviewing psychic and spiritual teacher Sylvia Browne about her abilities. In the end curiosity got the better of me; both Montel WIlliams and Larry King have had her on their shows, and she’s a New York Times bestselling author. So regardless of my hesitations about her powers, America can’t seem to get enough of her. And she’s making a stop in Seattle this Saturday to do a show at the Paramount; if you have any searing questions about your love life, when you’re going to die, or if you’re ever going to win the lottery, I suggest you buy a ticket.
Q: When did you realize you had psychic abilities?
A; I started out at 3, but at 5 I began to know who was coming, who was going to die, all kinds of things, but I come from a family of psychics. They track back 300 years, my grandma was, my mother was, and my son is.
Q: What signs do children show when they have a gift? I know your son is gifted as well.
A: He would tell me about his past lives, and display the same skills I did; who was going to come to the door, who was going to call, who would die; you see it right away.
Q: With most jobs, the more you practice the better you get. Is it possible to get better, or learn new skills in your profession?
A: I think you get better, like anything else you get better with time. It’s like a muscle you keep working. You get more accurate, more seasoned, and wiser. Even if you’re not psychic. I think everyone has a psychic ability, but not everyone is a psychic.
Q: Of course it’s only natural you will have come across critics and nonbelievers. What do you say to them when they challenge your profession?
A: I don’t care, honey, I’ve never let that get me down. Everyone’s skeptical about something. Only God is right all the time, I just tell people I’m more right than wrong. But if you dwell on the skeptics, they’ll get to you. It’s like being a movie star, not everyone likes them. But if you’re doing what you know God wants you to do, and you’re doing it for the right reasons, that’s all you need. You know I support 3 foundations; their schools, churches, everything. I don’t worry about the skeptics.
Q: What is the basic run-down of a show like the one you’re doing next weekend in Seattle? I assume your work requires a certain amount of one-on-one time, how do you work with an audience?
A: I try to get to the heart of them; I sense and feel what they need. My lawyer asked me the other day, how come your lecture changes every night? I just get a feel for what the people need; I sense if they need to laugh, if they need to go into themselves to find their fear or whatever. I’ve been doing this for 35 years, and after that long, you just have a sense of your audience. The question and answer period takes up most of the time. But a lot of times I call on people, and they say the question that they were going to ask was already answered.
Q: As with any profession, I’m sure there are good and bad, legitimate and illegitimate psychics. What advice do you have for people who are looking for spiritual help?
A: I actually have a book coming out on this. I would ask these questions; what are they supporting beside themselves? Are they registered with the Better Business Bureau? Do they have a license? With me it’s easy. Everyone knows me, and everyone knows where to find me. I don’t just set up a tent somewhere and offer readings.
Q: Have you noticed if your clients are a certain type of people? Any similar traits, or personalities?
A: Oh no, I get people from everywhere. Doctors, lawyers, farmers; There’s no special type of person. There’s no way to pigeonhole it.
Q: What’s the most disturbing reading you’ve ever done?
A: Oh wow. That’s hard; I’ve been doing this for 54 years. When I work with police, that’s always really hard. Working on a rape case, or when a child’s missing, that’s always disturbing.
Q: How do you deal with having to tell clients when you’ve read something really horrible, or depressing?
A: A true psyche is also a protectorate. Just the other week I told my client, “Don’t drive in a blue sedan.” She said, “How did you know I drive a blue sedan?” I said, I’m psychic, it’s my job to protect you too: don’t drive in a blue sedan because you’ll have an accident. All psychics are also protectorates, there’s a misnomer that once a psychic draws an ace of spades, that’s it. It’s not true, we were meant to warn you. Nothing is set in stone; you can always change your future.
