Customer Reviews

The Truth About Medium: Extraordinary Experiments with the real Allison DuBois of NBC's Medium and other Remarkable Psychics

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(30)

 

 

At first glance, the title of this book is a little confusing as one is inclined to wonder why "Medium" is singular. However, the subtitle explains that the reference is to NBC's hit drama, Medium, based on the life of true-life medium Allison DuBois.

And while the title also suggests an exposé of some kind, it is definitely not that, although the author points out that the television program is not completely based on fact.

Dr. Gary Schwartz, the author, is the director of the Human Energy Systems Laboratory at the University of Arizona. In his 2002 book, The Afterlife Experiments, he detailed his early research with mediums, including John Edward, who hosted a popular television program, Crossing Over, for several years. This book picks up where Schwartz left off in the 2002 book, discussing his continuing research with other mediums, including DuBois.

Schwartz clearly validates and praises DuBois and the other mediums discussed in the book. "As far as I can tell, they have an extraordinary and genuine gift," he writes. "They can do specific things with their minds - getting accurate information about deceased loved ones - that I had been educated to believe was impossible."

Schwartz explains how he first met DuBois and her then medium-mentor, Catherine Yunt, and how he initially put them to the test. He also discusses subsequent experiments, including one with popular spiritual author Deepak Chopra and another in which the late Princess Diana seems to have communicated to a British journalist who had been a friend when Lady Di was alive.

While recognizing that much of what he relates in the book will exceed the "boggle threshold" of many readers and will result in more hissing from his cat-like colleagues, Schwartz courageously pushes on in the pursuit of truth, pointing out that if we become more "survival-minded" we can find new meaning in life. While admitting that his current experiments do not provide definitive proof of survival of consciousness after death, he concludes that the available evidence is consistent with survival.

Schwartz concludes the book with a prediction that "those of us who hunger for understanding the existence of life and the meaning of love will at some point be able to celebrate the reality of spirit and soul, and the magnificent intelligence of a universe that has equipped our species with the potential to discover scientifically this fundamental spiritual truth."

As Schwartz states in the Introduction, if you already believe in survival of consciousness after death, the book "will make your heart smile." If you don't believe in survival and are befogged and cramped with lifelong materialistic prejudices, you'll probably just get a headache, assuming you take the time to read it. If, however, if you don't believe in survival but are open-minded, you may very well find yourself rethinking your earlier position.

Unfortunately, you'll likely find many people in the second category - the pseudo-skeptics with blinded eyes and cloudy intelligence proudly parading under the "science" banner - attempting to discredit Schwartz, calling his research faulty and saying he is a traitor to science. They know nothing of the extensive research carried out by other esteemed scientists, such as Sir Oliver Lodge, Sir William Barrett, Sir William Crookes, Dr. James H. Hyslop, Dr. Richard Hodgson, and many others who came to the same conclusion as Schwartz after extensive studies of mediums. But these scientific fundamentalists along with the religious fundamentalists, who see it all as demonic, may very well be a necessary evil. Back in 1854, Victor Hugo, the famous French author, was communicating with high spirits through a medium and asked why God does not better reveal himself. The reply came: "Because doubt is the instrument which forges the human spirit. If the day were to come when the human spirit no longer doubted, the human soul would fly off and leave the plough behind, for it would have acquired wings. The earth would lie fallow. Now, God is the sower and man the harvester. The celestial seed demands that the human ploughshare remain in the furrow of life."

In effect, absolute proof is not a good thing. However, for those who choose to give up ignorance and blind faith for the conviction that comes from research such as that being done by Schwartz, life, especially the final years, can be so much more enjoyable.

The back stories of what we see on TV is vitally important and too- often not told by public relations people from the networks. Dr. Schwartz and William Simon really know what Alison DuBois can and cannot do. For those of us who are "hooked" on this TV show and wonder about the lady involved---the REAL lady -- this is a must-read book. These authors include other information to help people like me understand what is real and what is not. This is an important book and so precisely put together. Congratulations, I say. to the authors and publisher.

This was the worst book I've read in a long time. No "truth" was revealed in this sloppily edited (if at all) book that was obviously just written in a hurry to cash in on the show Medium's success. Confusing, poorly written text. I learned nothing. Don't waste your time or money on this one. Ugh.

The bigger picture is starting to come to light about the controvery that seems to be surrounding this book. When I read the back cover of this book, I thought it was endorsed by James Van Praagh and John Edward. But after reading one of these reviews I checked the endorsements and sure enough, the endorsements are clones from The Afterlife Experiments! One has to wonder what the real "truth" is. It seems like there is a lot of lies in this book....over all i get really bad vibes about the bigger picture of what is going on....

I would like to add a note regarding my appearances on local and national television programs. I have had the wonderful opportunity to be interviewed by some great people in the news industry. Once these clips are taped, they are often available for other producers to use. Although I am proud of what I say, I do not want anyone to be misled by my appearances. In most cases I have not even been informed that these shows are going to air. If I happen to be on a show that includes another medium or a researcher, I do not want it to imply that I endorse these people. In most cases I have never met these people and I do not have an opinion one way or another. I was warned that when you become a public figure that people will come out of the woodwork to profit from you. Well I guess I'm no exception.

One person who has been included on shows with me that I do not endorse is Dr. Gary Schwartz. I was disappointed to find out that the four years that I spent in the lab for "science" are, in my view, being misused by Dr. Schwartz -- even after I expressed my disapproval. Some critics posting to Amazon.com suggest that my disappointment stems from the fact that I am not sharing in the profits of Dr. Schwartz' book. I never asked for a cut of any project that Dr. Schwartz sold because money wasn't the issue.There's no money to be had anyway, ha ha! just kidding. The issue has always been trust. That trust has been broken. Gary says that I asked him to write a book about me which is a figment of his imagination. I actually asked him to NOT write a book about me which his publisher Hampton Roads is well aware of since they were served by my attorney before it released.I was not asking for any money but rather that he correct the falsehoods in his book. He still continues to say that I endorse his book even though I've made it clear that I don't. He points to an e-mail from a year ago that he cut and pasted and only shows part of the e-mail trying to make the argument that I said I'd endorse his book. This was in response to a coversation where I told him that I would not write a foreword for a book about me because that would be ridiculous. Further more I was not comfortable with him writing a book about me at all. So my e-mail was to say that if he wrote a book about "science" and included all the mediums studied in a scientific manner that I'd write a blurb for his book. Weeks after that e-mail I resigned from the board at the lab, found out his book was being sold on my name and saw him fully in a different light. So there you go, an endorsement that was never written is his argument, go figure.

Participating in lab studies with Dr. Schwartz was never to be a for-profit venture. I always understood that we were participating in scientific studies to help us and the world gain a better understanding of our abilities. Several of our "sitters" in the lab, unknown to many of the mediums, turned out to be writing their own books. In turn, Dr. Schwartz wrote forewords for those books or was mentioned in them. I was promised complete confidentiality and anonymity in how Dr. Schwartz and the University would report the results of these studies. Needless to say, I as well as other mediums were surprised to find our participation in the lab featured in so many other books. I was also surprised to hear that Gary's still talking about my "mentor" Catherine that I haven't seen in over three years as though her mentorship continues. I think I've had reading people down for awhile but who knows maybe Gary needs to find another way to tie himself to my name as though he has insight into my personal life. He also has no idea which parts of Medium are fact or fiction since he's not a part of the making of the show yet he wrote a chapter about it as though he had inside information on the murder cases I've worked or my family. He seemed upset about the episode of Medium that included a scientist character who studies sleeping disorders, the writers decided to make a ficticious scientist that had no connection to Schwartz. Since that episode was just good writing he seemed to decide that none of them are true which sounds like a bruised ego to me. I'm always waiting to hear what Gary will conjure up about me next it's fascinating.

I work very hard to be a compassionate, detail specific medium. I cannot endorse, much less vouch for many of the other mediums out there, and never could. This doesn't mean there aren't other great mediums out there they are I just couldn't possibly know them all. Even in the lab, I understand that some of the mediums were either not tested scientifically or achieved far less significant results than others. So I'm leary of sending clients to mediums that I'm unaware of their accuracy and compassion. If you hear by word of mouth a mediums great by all means that's a good indicator you're in good hands. I stick to the ones I've been WOWED by and always have my ear open to hearing from others about wonderful mediums they've encountered. What I do is not a carnival sideshow attraction, nor a morning tea leaf reading. I take what I do very seriously because people that come to me need to leave a reading with me in better condition than they arrived or I haven't done my job.

So please don't confuse other people's attempts to profit from the gifts of mediums like myself, Laurie Campbell, Sally Owen, George Dalzell and Janet Mayer as having our endorsement. Endorsements should be well earned and hard to come by.

As a fan of the show MEDIUM I picked up this book and flipped through it...I found it difficult to read....and i am concerned about all the allegations posted here....i suspect given the fabulous talents of these rare and gifted mediums that Dr. Schwartz has done something that they disapprove of. Working with sensitive people must be difficult, but writing about them as cats and comparing them to one another as he has seems very insensitive and almost cruel. If I were Ms DuBois I would be outraged that he has likened her to other mediums who are imposters.

In the book Dr. Gary Schwartz says "If ever there was a need for humanity to seek help in solving its pressing problems, it is now. Research mediums, appropriately trained and tested, could perhaps serve us by making it possible to bring forth essential wisdom and guidance".
Incarnate beings giving messages from the other side are able to see things that I can not. This information could make a difference in the direction for human beings to take and help us not to destroy the earth and ourselves along with it. Some of the messages are message of hope as well as warnings of catastrophes.
I am grateful that research is being done to verify information being received from people that have passed on. We are in changing and challenging times and I think that books like this help with the transition.

A friend recently shared with me both the Truth and The Afterlife Experiments. I at first was impressed with some of his endorsements to this book, until I looked more closely and read some of his website. Seems like he has manipulated past endorsements as though his professional peers endorse this book, that is until I compared the books! How sketchy of Schwartz who operates under the guise of the TRUTH.....and isn't interesting how he keeps harping on DuBois' having not endorsed him, when in fact he is mispresenting her as well.....I find it disgraceful and sad. I am giving this book 1 star because frankly I don't believe this man and I believe he has abused those mediums.

According to some recent posts on a e-group it looks like Professor Schwartz has been suckered by an actress not an authentic medium! I am posting just a few of many reactions to this book.

"My opinion of Dr. Schwartz has changed, and not to the better, after reading what Allison has to say and from reading something else in the book that made me surprised and very angry. He endorsed someone that I know for sure is not a medium and could not have passed his tests.

This book is for entertainment only, and does not come anywhere close to measuring up to the scienitific value of Dr. Schwartz's "The Afterlfe Experiments".

"This is very disappointing. We have had such respect for Dr. Schwartz and his research, up until now. I don't understand how he can endorse someone that wasn't tested, someone with little experience and questionable background in the field, especially after the in-depth study that was source material for The Afterlife Experiments.

This could be a setback for the process. It's very discouraging."

"I have heard Dr. Schwartz speak a couple of times. He and a couple who lost a daughter have started an organization on Long Island called The Forever Family Foundation. After hearing Dr. Schwartz speak and also seeing hinm on the A&E special, let me just say I agree with *** Dr. Schwartz's has become too much of a "fan" of the mediums he studies.
If any of you saw the A & E special Dr. Schwartz referred many times to his "double blind" studies. The at one point when we are watching one of the test mediums, Dr. Schwartz explains that the test medium was told ( before the reading) the sitter wanted to connect with a mother like figure. This makes me question just how "double blind" his experiments really are."

I read the book and it was interesting, yet after viewing the larger picture, I am left with a feeling that just doesn't sit right with me. Schwartz continues to espouse that he had permission to write about Allison DuBois and the other mediums, but that is not the impression given on DuBois' site. I also note that he said he had written the forward for her book, but that is not the case with my copy(paperback), it was written by a Dr. Russek, and I found very few mentions of Schwartz. So, clearly there are discrepencies.... Schwartz should prove he had permission to write about the mediums, by producing a signed consent form, proving that they indeed signed their rights away to Schwartz. Why is he so attached to using their names? Why does he only have 2 mediums left on his website? Why does he not move on and use someone else? Maybe it is because very few mediums actually have the talent and ability of Ms. DuBois.

I smell a rat.