# data[].attributes.body
Assignment #2
Theresa Caputo
By: Pamine Santhiraseelan, Bailey Agnew, Bree Ells

# data[].attributes.body
Description
This is a photo of Theresa Caputo cleansing the room to get rid of any bad energy.
Connection
Ancient wisdom is involved due to Theresa smudging using sage to clear any negative energy out of the house hold. This has been around for over 4000 years and originated from the Indigenous community. This photo could also be Conformation Bias due to this women allowing Theresa to come into her home and having the trust in her to do this practice. The women has know knowledge of Theresa being actually able to clear the negative energy in her house but is going along with it due to her known name and her celebrity appearance.

# data[].attributes.body
1. We learned how big her fan base is. She is one of the most known mediums in America and is able to fill massive venues of people to listen and get her to read them. She is able to channel multiple spirits at once while going into depth about the situations that the loved one or deceased person has gone through.
2. As a group, we have all contemplated ghosts and spirits at some point in our lives. It was interesting to see that mediums are able to contact said spirits which in a way shows that spirits are real and can be contacted.

3. The research we found most interesting was Theresa's website including her podcast, events, videos and shows. It made us realize how much of a fan base she has and how many people follow and believe the gift that she claims to possess

4. what will resonate with us for a while is the fact that Theresa has this gift that people can't quite prove and will most likely never be able to prove yet she is highly successful in her field and is able to make solid connections between the clients and spirits. This is all shown through her television show as well as various media platforms. Even though we're unable to prove this gift we are unable to say it's not true and that is the one thing we will take away from this research.

5. After completing all course content, we believe the most harmful pseudoscience belief is medical pseudoscience because people die. The least harmful would be; ESP belief because that is a personal belief that doesn't harm anybody.

6. The most important thing we could pass on our knowledge to a family member or friend would be; to stay true to our beliefs. Everyone has a different view and opinion on things, but that doesn't mean what you feel or think is not also valid. Don't change your beliefs to benefit other people's beliefs or to fit in.

# data[].attributes.body
Description
This website talks about Theresa's journey as a psychic. The star of TLC's reality TV show "Long Island Medium" aired for 14 seasons, and ended in 2019. Theresa continues to give readings through a podcast "Hey Spirit" as well as; "Long Island Medium: there in spirit" on Discovery plus during Covid. Now she is back to doing live shows for an audience starting October 7th in Akron at E.J Thomas Hall. She also opens up hoe nervous she gets  “Oh my God, I am nervous! I feel like I’m gonna have diarrhea before every show. Are you kidding me?" (Caputo). None the less, she enjoys every show and reading she does and thinks even if you are in the audience and don't get a reading, it's still a great experience.
This website uses .
Connection
This website uses Appeal to Authority. Teresa is letting the audience know that regardless of receiving a reading, you should still come to her shows. Hearing the star herself encourage people to attend her shows, because it's a life changing experience would motivate viewers to buy tickets.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Theresa Caputo is a psychic medium with a larger-than-life personality (and hairstyle).

She's done what's known as "readings" - connecting to people's late loved ones - for decades now, but she's best known for being the star of TLC's reality show "Long Island Medium."

The show, which ran for 14 seasons, quickly made Caputo America's psychic sweetheart.

It chronicled the medium's often impromptu readings (while out to dinner, at the market, etc.) as well as her personal family life.

Although the TLC show ended in 2019, Caputo continues to give those grieving a sense of peace and comfort.

Now she does her readings via her podcast - "Hey Spirit," as well as on her spinoff show on Discovery Plus called "Long Island Medium: There in Spirit" which follows Caputo's Zoom readings that she relied on through the pandemic.

Now that live shows are a thing again (and usually with safety protocols like masking in place), she is back on the road and is set to give readings for a live audience on Oct. 7 at E.J. Thomas Hall in Akron.

She talks spirit, nerves and skeptics on a phone call ahead of her Akron appearance.

As Caputo explains what she does for a living, it sounds a lot like that of an improv performer - there is no set format for her live shows.

"You can't format when spirit's in control," she says.

"I think that's one thing that people don't realize. I just come out on stage and give a quick speech and then I'm down in the crowd. Spirit guides me around and I stop in front of someone and start saying things that mean absolutely nothing to me but are absolutely life-changing to the person I'm standing in front of."

Does that ever make her nervous?

"Oh my God, I am nervous! I feel like I'm gonna have diarrhea before every show. Are you kidding me? [laughs]."

"I think about it; how crazy is this? I go out on stage with no plan. It's different every night."

These shows are pretty high-pressure situations, with thousands of people hoping to hear from their departed loved ones through Caputo.

Does spirit compete for Caputo's attention?

"It's the living that is in more competition [laughs]. That's the thing I explain to people when they come to the show is I don't know who's going to get read. If I spend more time on one side of a theater instead of the other - it's not up to me."

The thing Caputo says helps her keep a bigger picture in mind with her work is that it's not about her.

"I know this has nothing to do with me," she says.

"The only thing that I take credit for is that I'm crazy enough to say the things they [spirit] have me say."

Caputo gives an example of something that happened during a show the night before, explaining that spirit told her that they died "from the wind."

"[I'm like] I have no idea what this is, this is crazy."

Quickly after, Caputo connects with an audience member who explains that their loved one passed from hypothermia after a snowmobile accident.

She says she feels just as surprised as everyone in her audience as these things unfold.

Another thing Caputo loves about live settings with thousands of people, she explains, is the energy that spirit brings.

"They tend to be more playful, a lot of their personality comes through and there's so much peace, joy, and laughter. I know that sounds crazy, but that's truly what happens.

"It's like spirit takes us on this emotional roller coaster of feeling pain, sorrow, loss and grief, and then in the next breath, they're saying something that makes everyone laugh and feel joy. It's almost like they give us permission to enjoy life. Like, it's OK, we can be sad, but it's OK to be happy too."

If you're debating going to the show in hopes of being read, keep in mind that Caputo promises it's a worthwhile experience even if you don't get read personally.

"This experience gives us peace, it gives us faith and it gives us hope. There's so much healing that goes on. The souls that speak are the ones who can deliver as many messages at one time."

There are a couple of other things she says she always wants people to know too.

"There truly is more to life than just here in the physical world, and more importantly their loved ones are still with them," she says.

"When someone passes, the only thing we lose is that physical connection; that soul bond can never and will never be broken."

Finally, she wants people to know that all those little things that go on around them that remind them of their loved ones, know that that is them.

"I say they are little 'hellos from heaven.' You have your own ability to connect with your departed loved ones. What makes me different is I have the ability to connect with everyone's departed loved ones."

If you can't catch this live show, you can also contact Caputo's podcast and leave a message, she says she may just call back and give you a reading.

As for skeptics, Caputo says, "I get it, I'm the first one to say what I do is absolutely crazy. But spirit has me talk about things there's no way I could find out about."

"Skeptics are usually people who don't understand what I do and I get it. But speak to the people who had the experience with me and [then] make your own determination, you know?"

Theresa Caputo Live! The Experience

When: Oct. 7.

Where: Edwin J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall, 198 Hill St, Akron

Tickets: $40 to $90.

Info: uakron.edu/ej or 330-972-7595

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
'Long Island Medium' Theresa Caputo to channel 'spirit' at E.J. Thomas Hall

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Theresa Caputo is a psychic medium with a larger-than-life personality (and hairstyle). She's done what's known as "readings" - connecting to people's late loved ones - for decades now, but she's best known for being the star of TLC's reality show "Long Island Medium."

# data[].attributes.body
Description
This website talks about how Theresa is still doing her readings during the pandemic through a podcast. It also states that she has the ability to channel many people at once while being in a large audience of people. She delivers messages from spirits of loved ones or ones that are departed.
Connection
This website uses Simplicity by Theresa having her psychic ability to channel loved ones or people who are departed. It is hard for some people to understand her gift due to their disbelief although for the ones who do this process would be simple. As they would show up for a reading and once Theresa somehow connects with the spirits she passes the message on to the clients and it's over. For believers, this process is simple and right to the point its always in this format and will always be in this format. People either believe what Theresa is saying or being that it is a myth
Due to Theresa doing reading during the pandemic, there was an Emotional Connection between her audience and the people being read because the pandemic had a lot of individuals lost and in a poor state of mind although her still doing her readings while in the midst of a pandemic helped gain more followers and believers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It's been two years since psychic-medium Theresa Caputo's reality TV series "Long Island Medium" went off the air, but she believes "all good things come to an end."

Caputo's show ran for 14 seasons between 2011 to 2019. These days, she's still at work, developing new projects, recording her podcast "Hey Spirit!" and doing live shows. She'll also be stopping by Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa in Rancho Mirage on Feb. 4*

Caputo said during a recent phone interview she never noticed the cameras on her while filming the series, but she feels "bittersweet" now that it's over and misses the crew members following her through her Hicksville, New York home and in the community.

"I would have never thought in a million years I'd be on TV," Caputo said. "During the pandemic, the silver lining for me was being able to start a podcast because I was still able to reconnect people with their departed loved ones, not only in the tri-state area, in my home or me going to their home, but all over the world."

How does a medium prepare to do several readings in an auditorium of hundreds or thousands of people? For Caputo, there's no difference between the two and said, "there's only so many souls I can channel and count on at one time." Amid the pandemic, she still walks out into the audience during her live shows and wears a mask.

"I did not want to have to sacrifice my show and wanted to do my show the way that I've always done it in being able to reconnect people with their departed loved ones, even though they're in a room with hundreds of people," Caputo said.

Caputo faces skepticism

The practice of mediumship is popular with those who believe they can speak to the dead, but like many famous mediums such as Uri Geller, James Van Praagh and John Edward, Caputo also faces skeptics presenting her with the same long-standing dilemma of proving her abilities amid accusations of deceit.

In 2012, The James Randi Foundation awarded Caputo its "Pigasus Award," an unflattering honor bestowed upon individuals labeled as parapsychological, paranormal or psychic frauds.

A year later, magician Criss Angel offered her $1 million on his TV show "BeLIEve" to prove her abilities and then upped it to $2 million. Caputo did not take him up on these offers.

Ron Tebo, a private investigator and creator of the website scifake.com, told Radar Online that Caputo is like a vulture preying on the most vulnerable."

But Caputo said she's the first person to describe what she does as "absolutely crazy" and understands people's skepticism asking how a medium is able to communicate with someone who died.

"At the end of the day, there was no way I could find these things out, figure these things out, or watch it," Caputo said. "Looking at their faces, I can physically feel how someone is feeling and the relief (from) whatever it may be. It's truly an honor to be able to do the work that I do."

She added the experience of delivering messages from a spirit to their loved ones requires validation with "something completely unique to that person. It could be an event that happened several years ago, something that happened after that person passed away or what their loved ones are currently experiencing or struggling with.

When asked about memorable experiences of doing readings in front of an audience, Caputo said "they're all interesting," because of the common burdens and guilt people feel when a loved one passes away.

"The unique thing about the way I have a spirit validate their presence is they have to validate every healing message with something completely unique to that person," Caputo said. "That's why things are always so interesting, because they are things I wouldn't know and no way I could find out. Some of them are so out of left field the person has forgotten and it might take them a moment to remember."

It's impossible for a psychic-medium to do a live reading for everyone in a theater and Caputo says she asks the spirits to cooperate with her method of "piggybacking" before live shows. But even those who don't receive a reading describe watching her at work as "life changing."

"They'll go on to say they realized there were other people in the theater that needed to hear from their loved ones more than they did that night," Caputo said. "That statement just speaks on what I do and it's much more than communicating with people that died. It gives us the faith and hope we all might be searching for, especially during these times."

What: The "Long Island Medium" Theresa Caputo presents "The Experience"

When: 8 p.m. Friday, February 4

Where: Aqua Caliente Resort Casino, 32-250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage

Information: aguacalientecasinos.com
*Update: This event was postponed from Jan. 8 to Feb. 4 Desert Sun reporter Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment. He can be reached at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
'Long Island Medium' star still connecting people to their departed loved ones

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It's been two years since psychic-medium Theresa Caputo's reality TV series "Long Island Medium" went off the air, but she believes "all good things come to an end." Caputo's show ran for 14 seasons between 2011 to 2019. These days, she's still at work, developing new projects, recording her podcast "Hey Spirit!"

# data[].attributes.body
Description
This is a photo of Theresa Caputo explaining that her readings are real. Professional myth buster Ron Tebo claims that she is a fraud and uses "old school techniques to dupe her clients."
Connection
This website uses Debunking. Many people belief in Teresa Caputo's psychic abilities. On the other hand, there are professional myth busters like, Ron Tebo and others, that say she is a fake. People who belief she is not a real reader, try to come to conclusions to expose the falseness of her show.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Theresa Caputo is the star of the TLC reality series Long Island Medium, and she claims that she has the power to talk to dead people. This type of assertion happens periodically, and Caputo is nothing new. She's a fake. She has no powers.

It's an old magic trick

If someone approached you on the street and claimed they saw something behind your ear and then pulled a coin out from behind it, you wouldn't be amazed. You would understand it was just a cool trick. Caputo is essentially pulling coins out from behind ears and performing sleight of hand with folks' emotions.

Professional myth buster Ron Tebo told Radar that Caputo uses old-school psychic techniques to dupe her clients. Her tricks include "cold reading"-analyzing a subject's body language, clothes, speech and other initial impressions to make a high-probability guess about someone-and "shotgunning"-asking a large audience a vague question for a greater chance of a positive response. "She schmoozes with the audience, and wins them over with her big hair, designer shoes and comedy. When they trust her, she goes in for the kill," Tebo said. "She'll ask the group a question like, 'Who lost an older male relative to heart problems?' It's the oldest trick in the medium's book."

That's not how conversations work

Caputo says she communicates with the dead using a " vocabulary of signs and symbols." She'll often determine what spirit she's speaking with by asking clients to relate to a letter of the alphabet, a number, or a month, but that's not how normal conversations work. No one ever brings up a mutual friend by just mentioning letters of their name. If you want to talk about Thanksgiving, you don't say "November" over and over again until someone guesses the correct holiday.

Caputo claims to relay information the way it comes to her, but it's very random and inconsistent. The dead go from supposedly speaking in vague codes to suddenly making crystal clear statements. They go from dancing around information to directly proclaiming, "I love you," or "I miss you," or "I want you to be happy." Why would a spirit flip-flop from sneaky to straightforward in a matter of minutes?

Because the "spirit" is Caputo using her tactics and experience to hone in, that's why. "Theresa is like a vulture preying on the most vulnerable," Tebo told Radar. "She does more harm than good," he said. "She's bringing comfort under false pretenses, and taking advantage of vulnerable, grieving people. It disgusts me."

She gets things wrong

When working with large audiences, there have been times when Caputo has reportedly started talking to the wrong person. For some reason, the departed don't stop her from going down this path? In fact, why does she ever get anything wrong?

People who have seen Caputo live have mentioned that she seemed to miss the mark more during live events than she does on television episodes. Disenchanted fans have even left heartbreaking messages on Ticketmaster's site after attending Caputo's live shows. "I was a Theresa Caputo believer and watched every one of her shows," said one attendee (via the Daily Mail). "My young daughter died this summer and I needed to believe in something. After tonight, I am no longer a believer...[most of the audience members] left defeated and deflated." Another attendee said, "She seemed off and almost every reading was like pulling teeth to match up info."

Some participants are so amazed by what Caputo gets right that they don't notice how much she gets wrong. The correct guesses are simply more memorable than the incorrect ones.

Nothing is negative

Caputo defends herself by saying that she makes people feel better, which is true. Her shows and specials are full of heartwarming moments, but that's exactly why it's clear the show is fake. The living and the dead never exchange any harsh sentiments on Long Island Medium. Even if there were problems, the spirits are always either sorry or forgiving.

Okay, maybe dying gives souls a sunnier perspective, but that doesn't just erase all problems. Some dead people should be like, "Even though I died, I'm still mad about that time you got drunk in front of my parents."

Caputo says she only asks her "spirit guides" to share "good things," unless, of course, a negative morsel of memory can lead to a positive breakthrough for her clients.

There's never any new information

Caputo's conversations with the dead never seem to bring up any information that wasn't already known. People keep secrets. Sometimes those secrets are small. "I never liked your cookies." Other secrets are major: cheating on spouses, hiding debts, committing horrible crimes. Are there no spirits who want to unburden their souls and admit to anything or at least brag about never getting caught? "I stole tons of money from my company and buried it in the backyard!"

Maybe Caputo has asked her so-called "spirit guides" to only transmit shared memories, but others suggest those guides are actually the show's flesh-and-blood staff members. Myth buster Tebo thinks assistants may run background checks, conduct preliminary interviews, or even eavesdrop on audience members before sessions. "When you purchase a ticket, you provide your full name, address and phone number to the vender," he told Radar. "The vender can share this information with [Caputo's] staff, and then they can investigate the individual audience members."

Others clients allege they've been interviewed by Caputo's staff before meetings and that camera crews often tour the house in advance and sometimes move furniture around or take down photos before filming. "The one thing she got right that initially shocked me was that my son liked to watch SpongeBob SquarePants in the mornings," said one participant, who declined to share her name with Radar for legal reasons. After Caputo left, the subject realized the crew had set up shop in her late son's room, which had a giant SpongeBob stuffed animal on the bed.

Caputo doesn't care if you don't believe her. "I don't focus on that at all," she told People. "I can't tell people how to feel."

She's doing the most boring thing possible with her powers

Even if everything else here hasn't convinced you that Caputo is a fake, explain this: why isn't she doing something interesting with her powers? Sure, it's cool to reconnect dead people with their living relatives. That's very kind of her. It's also not very helpful. If Caputo can really talk to the dead, how about solving some open murder investigations or clearing up missing persons cases?

There is so much mystery surrounding death, but Caputo spends most of her time telling people that their grandparents really enjoyed those Fourth of July barbecues. That's nice, but it would be much more interesting to watch ghosts name the person that murdered them. Long Island Medium would be so much better if spirits were like, "I know it looked like a heart attack, but I was actually poisoned! Gary did it!"

Caputo has defended her abilities. "I'm so blessed that I'm able to help so many people. My gift is so much more than me speaking to people that have died," she told People. "It has restored people's faith, whether it be in a religion, faith in themselves or in their family. When my clients walk in, I can feel how broken they are. I just hope that everyone gets the experience of knowing that there is truly more to life than just here in the physical world."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Theresa Caputo is the star of the TLC reality series Long Island Medium, and she claims that she has the power to talk to dead people. This type of assertion happens periodically, and Caputo is nothing new. She's a fake. She has no powers.

# data[].attributes.body
Description
This is a Youtube video of Theresa doing a reading for someone whose loved one committed suicide. This video is a huge emotional roller coaster with both parties involved and shows Theresa genuinely trying to help her move past the death.

Connection
This video contains the reading of a loved one who committed suicide. Katie is the client and she is obviously devastated due to the death of her brother so she went to the reading to discuss the context of the death she was willing to believe in the reading as she was in emotional distress over the death and was willing to take what she can get. Since she lost someone she loved she is open to any means of connection hence this video contains Emotional Connection. Ancient Wisdom can be seen throughout the video as she is practicing rituals involved in clearing negative energy by smudging and saging the room. All practices are thought to clear the negative energy out.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Emotional Reading - Theresa Connects With Spirit That Took Its Life | Long Island Medium

# data[].attributes.body
Description
In this video Theresa consists of the interviewer talking about her abilities and how she is able to talk and feel spirits energy. She also states how she is reading people in the pandemic through zoom and now has a new series to do with 9/11.
Connection
This video uses Emotional Connection. Theresa explains that lots of people have suffered through the pandemic in their own ways. She gave readings to people through the pandemic and was able to help them cope with their situations. Also, the services that she provides people is completely for their emotional well being. She is continuing to do live shows since restrictions are lifting and she is looking forward to help those dealing with emotional distress.

# data[].attributes.body
Description
This website consists of links to THE LATEST NEWS VIP PHOTO OP ADD, HEY SPIRIT PODCAST, SHOW, ABOUT, EVENTS, PHOTOS, VIDEOS, CONTACT,

PRIVACY POLICY. This website is owned and operated by herself as a business website and a fan club type website that allows views of her show and believers view various things as well as upcoming readings.

Connection
Since this website is technically made for her fans as well as believers in her power this website portrays an Appeal to Authority. Since she is a celebrity selling her "skills" her website is heavily propaganda based. She has a big cult following therefore her website attracts many people just for her being her therefore it is an Appeal to Authority. Confirmation bias is another red flag for this website because it is owned and operated by Theresa herself so all of the things on this website including testimonies and celebrity pictures are placed on the website to make it seem more legit. There are only positives on this website which paint's a very one-sided picture.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The show is about my world, how I balance family, clients and spirit.
Many people ask how it all began. My friend Victoria Woods felt that I was made for TV and this was the perfect way to share my gift with everyone. Her sister Courtney Mullin and friend Jonathan Partridge both producers helped make that a reality. Between TLC, Magilla Entertainment and my incredible crew I've been able to share my life and amazing gift with the world. People ask, "How has your life changed since the show?" I say the only thing that changed is that I have both cameras and spirit following me now. LOL

At the end of the day I'm just Theresa Caputo a medium, wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend from Hicksville.

Faith, love and happiness to you always!!!!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Theresa's Fan Club Members receive exclusive benefits not available to the general public. 1FanFamily 2Live TheExperience 3Giving BackTo The Fans Connect With Fellow FansExclusive ContentChat ForumsWatch Along Live! Fan Club Exclusive Pre-salesVIP TicketsMeet & Greet ContestsAll Pre-sale Passwords and Links CanBe Found In The Tour Section.

# data[].attributes.body
Description
This video shows Theresa doing a mass reading to 800 people. she proceeds to do the readings to multiple people both believers and nonbelievers while bringing the whole crowd into tears and or shock.
Connection
This video consists of an Appeal to authority by having such a large audience of people who are believers paying to be there and watch her do readings. Since most of the audience are fans they won't question whether what is being said is true or not. The audience had more of a blind approach as they were just mesmerized and excited to be a part of the process. The Unexplained in this video is Theresa being a medium and not being able to have a explanation for her abilities. Her gift is something people want to believe because of the personal connection it gives them. Conformation Bias

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Theresa Gives Shockingly Accurate Readings From A Crowd Of 800 People | Long Island Medium

# data[].attributes.body
Description
This is a picture of Theresa doing a reading for someone who was affected when losing a loved one to 9/11. This was a snapshot taken from her 9/11 special that was aired a while ago.

Connection
This picture was a snapshot of her 9/11 special and id say this picture has an Emotional Connection as the people presented during this special were all victims of the passing of loved ones involved in 9/11. They were all willing to sit there and have a reading as they needed closure or one last goodbye. Unexplained is another thing found within the picture as her being a psychic has no explanation or proof we just have to take her word for it as did the individuals involved in the special including the women in the picture above.