Mark Tilbrook distributed fliers at three of Sally Morgan's stage-shows, urging the audience to view the alleged psychic's performance through a sceptical lens.
Tilbrook says he was confronted by John Morgan, Sally Morgan's husband, who threatened him with physical violence and ruination, and that the performer's solicitor sent him a letter alleging that the fliers were libelous and seeking damages and fees — or else. Simon Singh — who successfully defended a shameful libel suit brought by the British Chiropractic Association after he published an editorial saying that chiropractors couldn't cure cancer — has offered Tilbrook his support and the support of the Good Thinking Society.
I am not particularly pushy with my own beliefs – you can't force someone to believe the same things you do. For all I know, my beliefs about the supernatural could be wrong. I can't say for certain that psychics aren't speaking to the dead. This is why my intention was to encourage Sally's fans, and fans of other psychics, to think about what they are being told and then decide for themselves.
With the legal threats hanging over me and the worries about physical threats, it has been a difficult few months, but it will have been worth it if it has helped even a few question the information they get from psychics. I won't pretend there haven't been a few sleepless nights, but it has made me more determined to hand out more leaflets, regardless of the threats made towards me.
This month I will be working with the Good Thinking Society to promote what we have dubbed Psychic Awareness Month. We have printed more leaflets and have sent them to groups around the country – people who also care about encouraging the public to ask questions. Together we're going to be attending the shows of many prominent UK psychics, and giving their audiences more leaflets. Our hope is that Sally Morgan, other psychics and their families will appreciate the value of free speech and the importance of asking questions.
Psychic Awareness Month Leaflet
Our campaign goes on, despite threats from psychic Sally Morgan's team [Mark Tilbrook/The Guardian]
(Thanks, Colin!)
(Thumbnail: The Psychic Phenomeno, public domain/Wikimedia Commons)
