#175: Esther Hicks

A.k.a. Abraham

For reasons that may be hard for ordinary, relatively sane people to fathom, Esther Hicks has become a famous spirit channeller (or "receiver"). She claims to channel an otherworldly being called “Abraham” by using a creepy voice (actually, she doesn’t change her voice when channeling; it is just creepy to begin with). The whole thing becomes especially interesting when you start noticing that Esther has a penchant for talking about herself in third person, even when she does not claim to channel Abraham.

According to Esther, what Abraham is here to tell us is that Rhonda Byrne’s new age drivel “The Secret” is true. In fact Esther has been in some conflicts with Rhonda (over money, of course), and her (well, Abraham’s) big argument in this conflict is here. The conflict is hilariously reported here. She has actually been quite successful financially, selling numerous self-help books and holding several seminars, even receiving honorable mention by that patron of all woo, Oprah Winfrey.

Of course she is way into quantum woo. Her total ignorance of physics is predictably enough no obstacle to talking about observer effects and how that means that people can define their own realities by using their emotions. The messages from Abraham are standard fluffy feel-good drivel of the “universe adores you” and “you are the creator of reality” kind.

Her partner and manager is her husband Jerry Hicks, a former acrobat and movie stunt man. If Esther’s not a huckster, then Jerry surely is.

Diagnosis: Might be a fraud, but more likely stark raving crazy, clinically unable to recognize that wishful thinking is a fallacy. She has lots of followers, the most dangerous of whom are the more cynical ones who realize that there may be a lot of money in it (e.g. Mari Tierney).