Making a Buck and Taking Advantage of Belief
Wednesday January 16, 2008 8:27 AM
A desire to explore the world of the paranormal, seeking that which is unexplained or unproved, is exciting and often fulfilling. But unfortunately, our society has an M.O. of taking advantage of belief and desire. It can make the faithful into fools. And usually that can be accomplished with simply separating the believers from their hard-earned money.
Paranormal technology has the potential to enhance seekers' paranormal quests. Or it can be useless scams. The latest in this arena? Various expensive tools designed to capitalize on grieving believers' desires to contact departed loved ones.
Some examples. The Phone Angel, a cell phone buried in a grave with an external speaker, has been sold for nearly $2,000 a piece. Mourners can call and broadcast their voices towards their deceased family member or friend. Or how about the Endless Echoes satellite dish tool, developed on the idea that dead souls float in outer space. For the price of $24.95 a minute, you can leave a message on the company's answering service — ideally that message you never got to communicate — and have it blasted into space.
There's more. The Afterlife Telegram is a personally communicated message from a newly deceased person. The company maintains a team of terminally ill patients who memorize your message and the intended recipient, and promise to deliver it when they finally pass on. The fee is a "donation" of $5 a word, and the company protects itself by saying many things can go wrong, particularly if the messenger ends up in a "different place" than the loved one.
Of course, this could be the voice of a cynic (which, I fully admit, I often am). But these seem to be egregious efforts on the part of enterprising moneymakers to take advantage of new technology and the willingness of some to believe in the paranormal and the afterlife. Yuck.
Comments (1)
How pathetic and deceitful does a company have to be to prey on people? Especially people who are in mourning and will do anything to attempt to contact their loved ones who have passed on. It a shame that there are people who fall for these, in my opinion, scams. It is also a black mark on the legitimate people who are searching to understand the paranormal and those who are attempting to educate the rest of us with what we do know. Thanks for writing this and bringing light to those who prey on the believers, as misguided as they may be for falling for it.
Posted by Liz | January 16, 2008 7:27 PM
Posted on January 16, 2008 19:27