Psychic Sally Morgan challenged to prove her powers

[Rational]

Psychic Sally Morgan recently made the news after allegations she was being fed information during her stage shows. She has now been challenged by The Guardian to prove her powers in a test situation. It could be a step towards a claim for James Randi's $1,000,000 prize for anyone who can prove their 'gift' is real, but I doubt it.

My view is that all psychics, mediums etc should have to prove they are genuinely talking to the dead/feeling auras or whatever the hell their claim is, or, be charged with fraud.

www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/oct/27/sally-morgan-psychic-powers-halloween?INTCMP=SRCH

What do you think?

susiedaisy

During her show in Dublin a few of her fans, people who had paid to see her, heard a man's voice speaking from an open window within the theatre. About 10 seconds after he spoke Sally would say the same. Someone became aware that people at the back of the theatre could hear and hurriedly closed the window.

Full story, with others too, here

www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/sep/20/psychic-sally-morgan-hears-voices

"Some bereaved vulnerable people turn to psychics. Some bereaved vulnerable people turn to the church. If it makes them feel better I can't see any harm in either of them."

Really? You see no harm in vulnerable people being conned out of their cash?

"I have been to one of her shows. She said some things she couldn't possibly have known. The only thing she didn't get was that it was about me, not the woman 2 spaces down from me."

So what are the chances that one of the many things she says about one of the many people in the audience will hit home with someone who's 2 seats away from that particular person. About twenty Four people will be sitting within two seats of anyone in the audience if Sally picks people away from the aisles.

So I wonder how many of those other 23 people who were within 2 seats of the person that Sally claimed she was talking about also came to the came conclusion. If you expand it a bit to be within 3 seats then you're looking at 48 people around each person she speaks about.

Again there have been many demonstrations and scientific explanations about how this sort of thing works.

There only needs to be one, just the one, scientific proof that there's anything psychic going on. There never has been, even with a million dollars on the table.

I am a bit meh about most mediums. Apart from the 'superstars' they appear to be fairly well meaning a delusional about their own powers. Its big round here (East End) and always has been. The churches dont charge and when they have visiting mediums they charge a nominal fee.

I honestly do not think they are preying on anyone and if people choose to go its up to them.

BUT that Sally Morgan

I cant stand her. I have seen her shows on tv and when she says she is in contact with a dead child she puts on this hidious little girly voice and stupid [face]

I cannot describe how vile I found that play acting. It was a pantomime.

Anyone who makes money out of this immediatly loses any sort of credibility. I understand that many would say none of them have credibility and I get that but people are allowed to believe if they want too. Millions are religious and believe in God and I dont see this as any different.

Their beliefs should be respected too. (IMO)

You see I'm a big believer in respecting the person but not necessarily their beliefs. Do you respect the beliefs of people who perform female genital mutilation? Or the beliefs of people who stone women to death?

So no, just because it's religious, or supernatural or just plain without explanation doesn't mean it automatically warrants respect.

I can see what you mean about about the mediums who do little shows in local churches etc, maybe they are delusional, I think in some cases you may be right although I'm not altogether convinced.

IMO it needs to be discredited, shown for what it is. It is people's choice to go to them, but wouldn't it be great if they knew the truth and saved their few quid for something that'll really provide comfort?

I think the comparison in your first paragraph is pretty offensive tbh.

Someone believing that they will one day be reunited with their dead child is not on a par with genital mutilation (which is not a religious practice AFAIK anyway, nor is stoning a woman to death).

Its not up to you to tell people what to do. People who go to these churches are not all idiots who need someone clever to rescue them.

But you can do what you like to the Sally Morgans of this world.

I saw sally morgan live, it was awful, the only thing she got right was the smell of smoke as the fire alarm went off, and we were made to leave the building, we were not allowed back in and we didn't get any refund on our tickets!!!!

thefirstMrsDeVeerie

I didn't say either practice was religious, they are based on the cultural beliefs of those who perform them though. They are firmly held beliefs. All I was indicating is that not all beliefs should be respected. You saying that people who believe in mediums and religious people's beliefs should be respected is just the thin edge of the wedge as far as I'm concerned.

I'm not sure where the animosity has come from.

I hate ANYONE preying on vulnerable people, I hate people pretending they're talking to people's dead children in the same way I hate people who act as gasboard workers stealing old people's pensions.

If just one of these big stars of the psychic circle would be scientifically tested it would end it all now. Let's face it, if I'm wrong and they are indeed communicating with the dead the laughs on me and they're $1,000,000 better off.

Oh yes I forgot about the little girl voice and expression when she talks to those who have lost a child.

It's really quite sick actually. Then she leaves in a big flash car. Dreadful.

Its not animosity but you are coming across as pretty patronizing.

I know very many bereaved parents, hundreds unfortunately.

Several use mediums. If they get some small comfort for £10 why shouldnt they? They are not stupid and not all of them are particularly vunerable.

They want to go. They choose to go and its up to them.

Its really not up to you to save them from themselves and tell them how to spend their money.

What do you think would bring them more comfort for their few quid? Most know the comfort a bottle of wine brings. It doesnt last any longer than the brief comfort a positive reading brings.

I dont use mediums myself. I have had one reading that a friend booked for me. It was ok. I didnt feel violated or abused. It was just a bit meh.

I don't believe I called bereaved parents stupid, please show me where I did?

If I had a few spare £10 I'd find much greater comfort in donating it to a children's charity, maybe the hospital that cared for the child, or a charity related to the death. I personally don't think it's healthy for grieving people to pay someone to pretend to talk to their dead loved one. I'm not sure it's therapeutic.

People can of course do exactly as they choose and I'm almost certain that nothing I say on here will change the opinion of the fans of mediums. I'm merely giving my opinion that if it were proved once and for all to be the fake that it is, it would be a fantastic outcome.

I also know though that if Morgan were proved to be a fake it still wouldn't stop all the others from continuing to do it and I'm pretty sure they'd continue to have audiences full of the vulnerable and the gullible.

You dont have to say something to imply it Rational and I think you know that.

I think you will find that many bereaved parents do give money to charities and hospitals/hospices and spend years raising funds for organisations they feel helped their children. If you, as a bereaved parent, choose not to give your ten pound to a medium you have that right and no one should criticize you for your choice. I think you should respect the choices of other bereaved parents. But thats just my opinion.

you are right, people can do exactly what the want to do.

I didn't even imply bereaved parents were stupid, that's not fair.

I'm not even critisising them, I'm critisising the scammers who take their money under false pretenses.

I might apply for it! Are a lot of psychics applying?...damn I ain't got a chance then against professionals!

I think the person comes to resolve an issue with that person or clarify they are ok and happy or unhappy etc...I don't know about people who were murdered though good point...maybe person didn't realize they were murdered as happened suddenly?

You're being ironic, right?

I reckon I can do better than Sally! 90% of Mn's here can too [hgrin]

Go claim the prize then, let me know how you get on

How odd, I was in the venue thing in Warrington last week talking to the man in the box office. This woman is coming soon and has sold out. I vaguely remembered something about the information feed thing. He said the tickets went on sale a couple of days before that news broke and were doing pretty well. Once the report appeared in the media, they flew out of the door.
We were looking at her programme, IIRC there was a line about the show being entertainment and not something else. I'll see if I can get a programme later on.
I won't be booking for her show.

What a sad indication of people's gullibility, pretty strong evidence to suggest she's an outright faker, but even more people want to give it a go. I just hope her audiences attract at least some people who want to point and laugh.

If we all apply for James Randi's prize then one of us is bound to get some staggeringly convincing results, and then we could split the money

Make my year, give it a go.

Actually, after further investigation it appears you can't apply. The offer is only open to high profile 'psychics'. This is to ensure that a seriously deluded person off the street who believes they really can talk to the dead, and might otherwise be mentally ill, is protected. Fair enough, I reckon.

It's not just psychics who exploit the vulnerable. There are plenty of contemptible people who pray on the sick, ill and desperate by selling rubbish fake cures - from dodgy 'herbal' remedies adulterated with heavy metals to 'stem cell therapy' for MS patients and far too much other shit to mention. (Even Steve Jobs fell for it and failed to have proper medical treatment for his cancer until it was too late, very sadly.) Very rare that they face any action, although occasionally they are ordered to take their websites down.

And then you've got the whole financial services industry, of course, from financial advisers mis-selling endowments and pensions to PPI and investment bankers playing roulette with the entire world economy.

There's an awful lot of exploitation about. Frankly psychics are the least of our problems. (I don't mind them as long as they stick to entertainment and don't prey on the grief-stricken.)

Btw, I'm not knocking decent, qualified and knowledgeable practitioners of complementary therapies, just the lying toerags who try to convince MS patients that they can do 'stem cell therapy'.

Good grief, prey on the sick, of course! oops.

Fiddle sticks Rational I was going to give it a good bash for $1M!! [hgrin]

Edam my ds(7) I have wasted ££££'s on treatments that claim they cure .....their is no cure:( really bad isn't it....recently took ds to one treatment not one single difference did the 1K treatment make:(