Theresa Caputo by Rebecca Gnanasingam

1. What I learnt about this topic that surprised me the most is how much belief is behind Theresa Caputo. I myself don't necessarily BELIEVE in her, however, I am extremely fascinated by the way she is able to make connections with people, and using her "abilities" to help those who have lost people in their lives a sense of closure. It was extremely easy to find articles and videos where her abilities were put to question, but she has a way to steer people away from questioning her abilities and steers them towards believing in her.

2. This topic is interesting to me as I have grown up watching Theresa Caputo come to fame. Ever since her interview with Ellen DeGeneres back in 2014, I couldn't help but be obsessed with viewing clips from her show "Long Island Medium" as well as other interviews where coincidentally she would end up doing a reading for someone within the vicinity she was in. I had also gone through the first close death to me during that time period, and was very curious to know if psychic mediums were a reality or not.

3. I found all of them interesting, but the one that stuck out to me the most was Jimmy Kimmel's interview/reading with her. He, just like me, also has some skepticism around the whole topic of people being able to talk to those who have passed, and it was entertaining to see him go through a reading session with her. He tried to give pushback towards Theresa with humor, and she would find a way to somehow come right back at him. What I love is how even though he was skeptical, he was very much so open-minded to what she had to say, as well as how she was also presenting herself in a positive manner and not pushing back against anything he said. She was willing to accept the fact that he was not a believer, yet still stayed grounded in her beliefs and was determined to show that she was the real deal in a very punctual and humorous way.

4. Through this research, what I took away from this is that not everyone's beliefs are the same, and everyone will have their own way and version of doing the critical thinking process. It is important that even though one may not believe, that you must be respectful of someone else's opinion even though they are no where close to what you believe in.

5. The pseudoscience belief that I find to be the MOST HARMFUL would be the pseudoscience behind "all natural" products and services. I believe that this can be the most harmful as a lot of people these days are trying to go the "all natural" way, yet without proper research, it can lead to bodily harm as well as can cause a rise in health issues. The pseudoscience belief that I find to be the LEAST HARMFUL would probably be the belief behind mediums and psychics. Even though psychics and mediums tend to make money off of their "abilities and powers", most mediums at the very least tend to try to help people at least by giving them a sense of closure for those who have lost a loved one and can't seem to let go. It gives people a sense of relief and hope that the person who is deceased.

6. From the knowledge gained in this course, the information that I would pass on to family and friends is that no matter what topic or belief is being presented to you, you should always use the critical thinking process to evaluate whether or not it is something you believe or feel skeptical about. Ask the right questions, gather information about the topic, assess the evidence and then come to a conclusion based on the results you have formulated. In the end of the day, your belief is your belief, and no one can tell you otherwise.

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