Sally Morgan

From the Guardian newspaper 20/9/11:

On Monday 12 September, a caller named Sue phoned the Liveline show on RTÉ Radio 1, an Irish radio station. Sue said that she had attended Morgan's show the previous night at the Grand Canal Theatre in Dublin and had been impressed by the accuracy of the readings she made in the first half of the show.

But then something odd happened. Sue was sitting in the back row on the fourth level of the theatre and there was a small room behind her ("like a projection room") with a window open. Sue and her companions became aware of a man's voice and "everything that the man was saying, the psychic was saying it 10 seconds later."

Sue believes, not unreasonably, that the man was feeding information to Sally through an earpiece attached to her microphone. For example, the voice would say something like "David, pain in the back, passed quickly" and a few seconds later Sally would claim to have the spirit of a "David" on stage who – you'll never guess – suffered from back pain and passed quickly.

A member of staff realised that several people near the back of the theatre were aware of the mystery voice and the window was gently closed. The voice was not heard again.

Sue speculated, again not unreasonably given the history of psychic frauds, that the man was feeding Sally information that had been gathered by engaging members of the audience in conversation in the foyer before the show began. This is a technique widely used by psychic fraudsters, as audience members will naturally discuss with each other who they are hoping to hear from "on the other side", how their loved one died, and so on.

Subsequent callers to the radio programme supported Sue's account.

The theatre's general manager, Stephen Faloon, claimed that the voice heard by the audience was actually the voices of two members of staff working for the theatre, not someone supplying information to Sally. Sally Morgan Enterprises also denied that the medium was being fed information during the show.

Lmao

Oh dear here we go again, at times I think Z they should go back to burning all of us at the stake to prevent the frauds amongst all to many

Admin wrote:Oh dear here we go again, at times I think Z they should go back to burning all of us at the stake to prevent the frauds amongst all to many

There have been stories circulating for some time that all was not as it seemed with Sally Morgan.

However, this is the first time, as far as I know, that more than person claimed to have heard her being fed with information throgh an earpiece.

Lest be honest this is bad press which ever way we look at it
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2040285/What-load-crystal-balls-As-Dianas-psychic-accused-cheating-stage-TV-illusionist-exposes-trickery-fool-audience.html

I am sorry to hear this. When mediumship becomes a celebrity thing, you can expect the frauds to emerge.

The best medium I have ever met is a wonderful Latvian Australian who wasn't a spiritualist per se but used to act as medium in a local spiritualist church because that is where she could give back. She actually belonged to a quite obscure Christian sect. She used get $30 a reading. Half of that went to the Church so she was not in it for the money but for service.

Yet I know that mediums like Tony Stockwell, also a celebrity, is a very good medium. Go figure.

It is very hard to perform accurately all the time yet celebrity seems to demand that. I am sure Sally Morgan has some gifts and probably has done some really good wok but the pressure of celebrity is not necessarily the best companion to good mediumship.

Quiet wrote:I am sorry to hear this. When mediumship becomes a celebrity thing, you can expect the frauds to emerge.

The best medium I have ever met is a wonderful Latvian Australian who wasn't a spiritualist per se but used to act as medium in a local spiritualist church because that is where she could give back. She actually belonged to a quite obscure Christian sect. She used get $30 a reading. Half of that went to the Church so she was not in it for the money but for service.

Yet I know that mediums like Tony Stockwell, also a celebrity, is a very good medium. Go figure.

I have known Tony Stockwell since he first started demonstrating his mediumship. He was promoted by Colin Fry on TV and yes I agree he is a very good medium.

Her TV show was on recently and it's hard to form an opinion when you are watching edited "highlights" of her stage appearances, although what was shown was impressive, in terms of technique and her stated intentions to bring comfort and closure.

A lot of the time she would provide very accurate and startling information, although at other times she would say some fairly general things, that seemed a bit like she was fishing.

One reading stood out when she was talking to the mother of a murdered child. Now are you really going to be saying in the foyer before the show, in front of strangers "I really hope my murdered child comes through tonight"?

Either way, something's not quite as it seems.

Well I see all the main papers are following up on it

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/journalists/iain-hollingshead/8779222/Psychic-Sally-Morgan-once-a-confidante-to-Diana-Princess-of-Wales-is-accused-of-foul-play.-Are-we-surprised.html

Sadly it is probably just good publicity for her and she will get even more bookings now.

i saw what appeared to be some very good Australian mediums on Sensing Murder. Any observations?

obiwan wrote:i saw what appeared to be some very good Australian mediums on Sensing Murder. Any observations?

I never saw the show but heard a few things about Scott Russell Hill that were not complimentary as far as his ethics go.

Just the mention of his name should be enough to get Jim's attention, much like waving a red flag in front of a bull

Not quite Wes I actually like Scott Russell Hill as a person and he makes it clear he is a Psychic and what the difference is between that and Mediumship.

Howevrr, he sometimes comes out with things which may be best left alone, well alone. i think that is the way he likes to be seen though.

I saw Psychic Sally on tv last night and again she came up with some information that didn't seem like something that would be talked about in the foyer before the show. But just like the debate going on elsewhere over David Thompson, the only way to know for certain if she's legit is to test her in controlled conditions.

Absolutely right Wes,

I have no time for all this celebrity mediumship, some may be genuine but it's all money. I have seen Sally on television and you can tell she is not a trained medium by the way she acts, for instance she has said things like this''oh darling mummy's crying here beside me, why weren't you there when I died sweetie'' speaking in a whiny voice. No trained medium would ever say that. Sally is not a medium.

Ah the problem of a lack of training, people often seem to believe that if they have some natural talent that is all they need. How many of the really expensive Celebrity Mediums have real training.

Time was when Platform Mediums kept up their development in circles with other Mediums under fairly tough teachers.

Admin wrote:Ah the problem of a lack of training, people often seem to believe that if they have some natural talent that is all they need. How many of the really expensive Celebrity Mediums have real training.

Time was when Platform Mediums kept up their development in circles with other Mediums under fairly tough teachers.

Gordon Smith springs to mind as a "celebrity" medium with spiritualist training. You are right though Jim, he'd be the exception to the rule.

True Wes but I note that Gordon is not one of the really expensive group and does a lot of very helpful work too.

Admin wrote:Ah the problem of a lack of training, people often seem to believe that if they have some natural talent that is all they need. How many of the really expensive Celebrity Mediums have real training.

Time was when Platform Mediums kept up their development in circles with other Mediums under fairly tough teachers.

Oh I have heard that as well, ''I am a natural medium, I need no training''or some sit for a few weeks in a circle and think they are great and start working on the public platform. Gordon Higginson wouldn't let Simon James call himself a medium until 7 years of dedicated sitting for spirit. That is all gone now, we have people taken a weeks course at the Arthur Findlay college and they think they are medium's. I know of one guy not to mention his name, he took a trance course at the college, when he returned he was a trance medium and a teacher of trance, this is just mad hatter stuff, and the tutors are allowing this to happen.

Tony Stockwell is a 'celebrity medium' but I believe he undertook training from his teenage years and is very good. He is humble as well and is a joy to watch.

I have only seen him on U Tube but Joanne King, a well known medium here, has seen him in the flesh and speaks very highly of him. He does not seem to go for the sensational media coverage which some of them seem to court.

But perhaps they do good that is not so easily seen. I think mediumship and spiritualism does more by attraction than anything else. You have to be curious and at least a little open. That is just my opinion but we don't know what sows the seed for each person.

Gordon Smith sat with wee Jean Primrose from his earliest 'opening' and it shows. He had some later polish from Albert Best.

Both Albert and Jean were of the old school and as one who sat in the group, I can assure you that even the Spirits trembled before her! Dedicated to a fault (almost), she was simply brilliant in this field.

Probably staying 'grounded' and developing humility are the best basic tools for an aspiring Medium. That, plus a sound 'pre-development' training in insight into yourself are absolutely essential and can only be had from yourself under sincere guidance.

Sadly, the rush to platform - years too early - block the very thing that is sought.

Hi Quite,

Once again I place Tony Stockwell very much in teh bracket of Gordon Smithin terms of never that expensive and by repute a really nice guy.

As you can imagine I am thinking of others and in there terms I think Blue Lotus's comment is very true

Oh I have heard that as well, ''I am a natural medium, I need no training''or some sit for a few weeks in a circle and think they are great and start working on the public platform. Gordon Higginson wouldn't let Simon James call himself a medium until 7 years of dedicated sitting for spirit. That is all gone now, we have people taken a weeks course at the Arthur Findlay college and they think they are medium's. I know of one guy not to mention his name, he took a trance course at the college, when he returned he was a trance medium and a teacher of trance, this is just mad hatter stuff, and the tutors are allowing this to happen.

Luckily I work with a dedicated group who are accepting that both time and training are necessary.

Jim

Guardian journalist, Simon Singh, on exchange of emails re Sally Morgan:

http://simonsingh.net/2011/10/sally-morgan%E2%80%99s-lawyer-sends-me-an-email/

Lol

Sally Morgan is not her real name, her real name is Michelle West.

Why do mediums feel they need to change there names.