As soon as the wheels of the unstoppable Spiritualist engine were set in motion opposition to the faith sprang up from all quarters, in particular from the Christian faction. Literature was soon published citing biblical quotes which spurned the new religion and warned its followers that they were dealing with dark forces. Ronald Pearsall summed up the general feeling of the time in his book The Table Rappers by noting:
‘Astute clergymen recognised that Spiritualism
could offer something that nineteenth century
Christianity could not.’
Indeed, the Christian miracles loudly proclaimed from pulpits every Sunday morning were suddenly becoming overshadowed by apparent real-life phenomena occurring in parlours nationwide.
By Emma-Louise Rhodes
Stephen Hawking opens up to Discovery News correspondent Irene Klotz
On Thursday 25th September 2008 viewers finally got to see the long awaited Extraordinary People with Derek Ogilvie. Now as many of you know Derek has been the focus of many people and organisations. Sceptics and even some psychics have been appalled and outraged by this man for the way he has claimed to be telepathic and have psychic abilities. He has used the most innocent of human beings, children.
Very conveniently, as you will read later, Derek became a household name in his native Scotland in 2000. Here is a breakdown of the programme, quotes from Professor Chris French and James Randi and ending with a test that shows the desperation that Derek and Channel Five had trying to retrieve anything usable left behind in the Ogilvie wreckage.
By Conbott
Sometimes no words are needed, so just take a look at these photos and ask yourself what the world is coming to.
Not sure how I missed this, but in todays (28th September 2008) issue of The Independent On Sunday, friend of the site Robert Chalmers interviewed Sally Morgan.
Instead of the usual pap interviews we seem to see with psychics, Robert gives Sally a good grilling and even questions her regarding some of the claims on this very site.
Robert also receives a reading from Sally which is rather interesting, but after talking to Richard Wiseman, it seems another explanation may be more plausible than Sally actually being psychic.
But what is without doubt the most interesting part of the interview is where when asked about a specific occasion where we exposed her, she actually blames her director! Yes folks, Sally blames her shows director for MAKING her tell lies on her TV show!
By Jon Donni
The following snippet of information about Gary Mannion (see www.badpsychicsgarymannion.co.uk for further details) recently appeared in “Psychic News”:
Gary is also taking part in research with Dr Harry Oldfield, which involves various tests including work on brain functions.
"When I worked with him, my brain produced multiple waves which is evidence of spirit," he [Gary] claimed...”
Oldfield’s name rang a bell but I couldn’t quite place it at first. Then I remembered – our own Tom Roberts, in his UK-Skeptics persona of “bindeweede”, recently quoted a New Age website which linked Oldfield’s name with Gary’s. With the help of microbiologist Tom Irving I did a bit of research into Dr Oldfield’s work, and it soon became abundantly clear why he was so eager to be impressed by Gary’s multiple brain waves...
By Julia
Yes its that time again, what has now become known as Mannion hour, here on BadPsychics.
A while ago I made a promise to Gary Mannion, a promise I intend to keep.
Anyway back over to Julia for the latest.
The following article was originally published on our sub site
www.badpsychicsgarymannion.co.uk
Last month Gary's brush with the sceptic community was the subject of a (very) brief article by Tara Brady in the Harrow Observer, which was later picked up by Psychic News.
By Julia
BadPsychics is a 100% free website, and always will be.
But we still have costs, as well as the time taken to produce the site.
We have now lost the Ask.com links, so anything you donate will be very much appreciated.
So if you appreciate the hard work we do here, and would like to contribute, maybe buy us a beer or 5, then just click the paypal donate button on the right of the screen.
Even as I type this Gary and other woo-merchants are in the midst of the Soul Companions Event being held at the Stackpole Centre, a National Trust property near Pembroke in Wales. Who are the Soul Companions? Well, they claim to be "contemporary wisdom-keepers", which is Newage-speak for "sellers of feelgood fantasy to people who can't be bothered to educate themselves about the real world". You name it, there's a Soul Companion flogging it in workshops and books - angels, aliens, alchemy, Atlantis...and that's just the stuff beginning with A!
It's sad to see this sort of claptrap being aided and abetted by the National Trust, but anyone who's noticed the New Age books and trinkets on sale in NT shops will not be surprised. Personally I find this sort of thing as incongruous as seeing Jack Chick tracts or Creationist literature in the gift shops of Anglican cathedrals, but there you go.
Obviously the full complement of Soul Companions won't have invaded Wales en masse, but I thought you might like to know more about Gary's comrades in extreme New Age numptiness.
WARNING: I CANNOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR BRAIN DAMAGE, SOILED UNDERWEAR OR SUICIDAL DESPAIR CAUSED BY READING THIS ARTICLE.
By Julia
