“I believe that this opportunity to conduct a direct, simple, understandable test of Psychic Sally and her often-stated ability is an excellent situation in which she will be able to not only establish her claimed abilities, but also move on to earn the million-dollar prize that stands ready to be paid out.”
James Randi
Skeptic, illusionist & founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF)

“For Sally Morgan to take up the James Randi Educational Foundation’s Million Dollar Challenge, we’ve developed a fair preliminary test that is entirely within the realm of her publicly claimed abilities. It’s the perfect way for her to prove whether or not psychic powers exist and whether or not she can really do what she claims to do on stage, and we look forward to working with her.”
Banachek
Director of the James Randi Educational Foundation’s Million Dollar Challenge

“It’s important people don’t think that a test is a way of debunking or disproving. It’s a great way of anyone making amazing claims to show that they hold up and are not just a result of trickery or self-deception. The test should be both scientifically rigorous and yet fair to the psychic: it would show, if the psychic is successful, that what he or she does is real.

“Such tests are important because it’s too easy for a person to fool others (or themselves) into thinking he or she has special abilities. If someone is going to put you in touch with your dead child you’d want to know if they were real, deluded or a scam artist. Unfortunately, many psychics find excuses not to take these tests, even though they can devise them with the scientists to make sure the test is the right sort for them. They say they don’t need to take tests, that their work is its own proof. But the trouble is, a fraud’s work can be every bit as convincing: hence fair tests are the only way of showing the world if psychics can REALLY do it, and that people are justified spending their money and believing them.

“If Sally is saying she can do something as amazing and potentially wonderful as putting us in touch with an afterlife (and charging for it), I hope she’ll be brave enough to show it stands up to scrutiny. And if it does, I’d be the first to champion her.”
Derren Brown
Psychological illusionist

“Psychics: how many layers of self denial do they have to wrap themselves in before they go out and wring money out vulnerable bereaved people? You don’t need to be psychic to see through their ruthless charade. And thinking about it, how come Doris Stokes doesn’t seem to have got in touch since she died?”
Sean Lock
Comedian

“If the ability to communicate with the dead is testable and life beyond death is provable, then it overturns many scientific ideas, so a psychic has a duty to humankind to submit to scientific tests if we are ever to understand ourselves and our destiny.”
Robin Ince
Comedian & host of BBC Radio 4’s Infinite Monkey Cage

“If Psychic Sally can actually talk to dead people, it will be unwelcome news for dead people. It’s bad enough being dead, without having your peace disturbed by her nauseating platitudes.”
Tim Minchin
Musician & comedian

“As a professional magician who at one time used to pretend to be psychic, and as someone who has studied the subject in depth for over thirty years, I have yet to see anything which convinces me in any way that any stage ‘medium’ or ‘psychic’ is using anything other than the same tried and tested psychological principles and techniques that theatrical magicians have employed for over a century. The only difference today is that current psychics now have the huge added advantage of the potential employment of any number of technological aids.”
Paul Zenon
Magican & trickster

“Some mediums have been exposed as fakes, and so have been knowingly exploiting the vulnerable.  Others have been shown to self-deluded and so their comments may hinder rather than help those struggling with grief.  That’s why it is so important to find out whether any medium really can talk to the dead before taking their advice seriously.  I really hope Sally takes part in the test.  This is a wonderful opportunity for her to prove that she has the abilities that she claims to possess.  Assuming that she is genuine in her beliefs, I cannot think why she wouldn’t want to step up to the mark and show the world that her alleged powers actually exist.”
Professor Richard Wiseman Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology at the Univ. of Hertfordshire

“I support the goal of testing psychic claims, with the tests being based on a well-controlled protocol which is rigorous and yet fair to the psychic subject. I also support the idea of educating the public about the many ways in which individuals can simulate supposed psychic abilities.”
Dr Caroline Watt
Koestler Parapsychology Unit, Dept of Psychology, University of Edinburgh

“Sally says that she can communicate with the dead. All we are proposing is a fair test of whether this is true. There is no earthly reason why anyone would refuse this opportunity.”
Dr Ben Goldacre
Author of “Bad Science” & www.badscience.net