Mediums and psychics say they bring comfort to people by bringing them messages from loved ones and family members who are dead. There is no reliable evidence that they do this, and everything they do can be replicated by stage magicians using tricks or technology. At best, a medium or psychic is someone with an uncontrolled internal dialogue who is offering false comfort. Some are downright nasty, for example claiming that missing people are dead, and at their worst, they are deliberately using tricks and technology to make money by exploiting a bereaved person’s grief.
In October 2014 Sally Morgan brought her entertainment show to Perth, and some Edinburgh Skeptics went there with leaflets from the Good Thinking Society to encourage audience members to watch the show with a sceptical mind.
Here’s what one of them said:
Back from Perth after handing out leaflets on behalf of the Good Thinking Society, which went well. I bought a Sally Morgan program from her daughter who then took photos of [us] later, so I gave her a big grin. I just hope she got my good side. Oh, and I did write a wee note and put it in the bowl, just saying to be kind to her audience, as a lot of them were there looking for comfort.
[When I was handing out leaflets] I was called "It's one of them" so I offered another leaflet, and got a laugh.
No one wanted to chat, it was all very amiable, and polite. I did suggest that it was something to read while they waited, but I did notice some people folding them up, as you do, when handed leaflets. It does depend on whether a person will actually read them. I tend to.
