Michele Knight, psychic and teenage pop sensation

I'm delighted to welcome back Michele Knight - a psychic and an occasional reader of this blog - for her third appearance (see also here and here).

Hi Michele! I like your new look (and I mean that sincerely). Did you model it on teenage pop sensation Rebecca Black?

(Image credit - left, Ark Music Factory; right, Michele Knight)

My previous complaints about Michele Knight have focused on her continual use of the words "accurate" and "accuracy" in her publicity materials.

Sadly, despite two brushes with the ASA, the message doesn't seem to be getting through. Her website promotes a bevy of delusional beauties for whom dozens of claims of psychic "accuracy" are made.

Here comes reminder number three!

"The website promotes a psychic reading service and makes a number of claims for the "accuracy" of its readers. I'd like to challenge whether the advertiser can substantiate her claims that the readers are "accurate".

1. ( http://www.micheleknight.co.uk/psychic-readers/angelique-2127/ )

"A gifted natural psychic clairvoyant who uses Tarot as a tool, Angelique will give you an in-depth and specific reading. She blows clients away with her accuracy."

2. ( http://www.micheleknight.co.uk/psychic-readers/anya-2109/ )

"Anya passed all of her tests with flying colours. She has been undertaking psychic readings for over 20 years and has a real gift that allows her to use her psychic energy to immediately tune in to the issues that surround you with amazing and detailed accuracy"

3. ( http://www.micheleknight.co.uk/psychic-readers/cherriane-2245/ )

"Cherriane was outstanding in her test readings. Cherriane is sensitive and accurate"

4. ( http://www.micheleknight.co.uk/psychic-readers/emma-2273/ )

"She gives astounding astrology and psychic readings in a similar style to my own. She gives accurate, specific insight as well as a deep, intense delve into your very soul!"

5. ( http://www.micheleknight.co.uk/psychic-readers/erin-2233/ )

"Erin is clairaudient and is able to pick up quickly on your ancestors and is able to give accurate readings"

6. ( http://www.micheleknight.co.uk/psychic-readers/jan-lee-2103/ )

"Jan Lee is an exceptional medium who gave me a brilliant test reading including describing every toy I had as a child. She also described very specific things in the childhood of my partner. I found her to be very accurate for me and loved all the details."

7. ( http://www.micheleknight.co.uk/psychic-readers/karen-2225/ )

"Client feedback: The information she gave me about past and current situations was very accurate and she did not need any background information."

8. ( http://www.micheleknight.co.uk/psychic-readers/laura-t-2129/ )

"She is also a medium and can use remote viewing. She immediately gave accurate physical descriptions of my first tester and the important people in her life."

9. ( http://www.micheleknight.co.uk/psychic-readers/linda-2254/ )

"I found her very accurate about what was going on for me – and she was not afraid to give me a push to get on with a few projects in the pipeline that I’ve been neglecting!"

10. ( http://www.micheleknight.co.uk/psychic-readers/martine-2230/ )

"I was so delighted when Martine joined the company as I had been trying to get her on board for three years! She is a stunning psychic who has an amazing ability to hone in without any information and gives you exact details on what is going on. She is brilliant at all types of readings and is shockingly good. Warm, accurate and fab she is clairvoyant, clairsentient and clairaudient."

11. ( http://www.micheleknight.co.uk/psychic-readers/nikki-2118/ )

"Nikki S has always been a popular reader with Michele Knight Psychics. I highly recommend her – she is amazing! She is very accurate"

12. ( http://www.micheleknight.co.uk/psychic-readers/rosemary-2216/ )

"She is a stunning psychic who will blow you away. She is an Aries like me so gives it to you straight. She is accurate"

13. ( http://www.micheleknight.co.uk/psychic-readers/zena-2152/ )

"She is warm, direct, honest and accurate"

I've made some screenshots of the relevant pages, which are available at:
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=B3njamVCMk
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=Wdya2g81oP
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=J1sEJhEzVC
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=TWC0YQa64J
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=R4FYCVB0H5
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=irQnjXOu7j
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=vYoNTVkAHh
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=GN3WrQtDcG
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=MpDIGURd0g
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=cGObyPViIk
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=W7DJTeC6so
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=0rYxWVP4ng
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=zvYIc14cTv

I can confirm that I have no connections with the advertiser or with the premium rate telephone service industries."

Andy Porter and his cure for schizophrenia

The chap below is Andy Porter. Contrary to first appearances, he's not a Judo champion demonstrating his death-throttle on that poor woman, but a psychic surgeon, and one of the last of a dying breed.

(Image credit)

Porter along with his chums Nina Knowland and Gary Mannion are the only psychic surgeons still openly soliciting customers. The others are all in hiding, supposedly not because of the threat of a prison sentence, but because of the things those nasty sceptics are saying.

"Yes the reason most Psychic Surgeons in the UK don't make themselves very well known is that you will be the target of ridicule and in some cases quite vicious behaviour from those that are skeptical [sic]." (Forum post by Andy Porter)

Porter's claims for his psychic surgery lack the dramatic flair of his colleagues, but many of them - including claims of a cure for schizophrenia - must be challenged. ASA complaint follows!

"The website makes a number of health claims which I suspect are misleading.

1. ( http://www.andy-porter.co.uk/ )

"The spirit surgeon detects those parts of the body in which disease is developing,"

I challenge whether the advertiser can substantiate his claim to be able to "detect those parts of the body in which disease is developing".

2.

"and performs spiritual surgery in a different dimension removing disease in the same way an orthodox surgeon would with his scalpel."

I challenge whether this comparison is misleading, and whether the advertiser can substantiate his claim to "[remove] disease] with psychic surgery.

3.

"Perhaps in the future science will provide the answers we are looking for, but for now we cannot validate the healing procedure in a conventional way."

I challenge whether this claim is misleading, because published medical research has already investigated the claims of faith healing (eg Rosa et al 1998, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9533499), and "conventional" testing protocols most certainly do exist.

4.

"What conditions can Psychic Surgery treat?

Psychic surgery is able to treat all conditions"

I challenge whether this claim is misleading, and can be substantiated.

5. ( http://www.andy-porter.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=34:ps&id=61:psychic-surgery-page-2 )

"What if I feel pain

The benefit from psychic surgery is that there is no real pain, if there is the patient only need to let me know and I will communicate this to the spiritual surgeons who will immediately administer pain relief."

I challenge whether the claim that pain relief can be delivered "immediately" by "spiritual surgeons" is misleading.

6.

"What can go wrong? Nothing... at worst the psychic surgery will not be successful, please bear in mind as with all alternative therapies there are no guarantees."

I challenge whether the phrase "at worst the psychic surgery will not be successful" is likely to mislead consumers into imagining that psychic surgery has been shown to be successful, at least some of the time.

7.

"For those who are suffering, have tried the western medical offerings in the form of drugs many of which are toxic to the human body, and require help, what is there to lose?"

I challenge whether the phrase "have tried the western medical offerings in the form of drugs many of which are toxic to the human body" is misleading and whether it is likely to discourage essential treatment.

8.

"What conditions can be treated?

The work is performed by spirit surgeons working through my hands, and they are happy to treat all conditions and diseases."

I challenge whether the claim to "treat all conditions and diseases" can be substantiated.

9.

"How many treatments will I need?

Good question, this I cannot answer, some patients will need more than one visit depending upon the severity of the condition being treated, normally one visit resolves most problems."

I challenge whether the advertiser can substantiate the claim that psychic surgery can treat "severe" medical conditions.

10.

"Cancer Act (1939)

As a member of UUPS (Unity of UK psychic surgeons)... the only advice we can give regarding cancer is to read our testimonials and make an informed choice regarding psychic surgery."

I challenge whether the advertiser is a member of the Unity of UK Psychic Surgeons, which I understand no longer exists. I also challenge whether the description of anecdotal evidence as being sufficient for a consumer to make an "informed choice" is misleading.

11. ( http://www.andy-porter.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=44&Itemid=70 )

"I felt a general sense of well being after the treatment which lasted for a few days, the problem I had gone with seems to have been rectified which I had confirmed and checked at hospital."

I challenge whether testimonial claim for a cure of an unnamed medical condition can be substantiated with documentary evidence.

12.

"Hi Andy,
Thanks for everything yesterday, I would like to know if we should continue giving MXXXXX his anti psychotic medicine, I checked with him this morning re the voices, he does not hear them any more.
Regards P"

I challenge whether this testimonial claim is irresponsible and is likely to discourage essential treatment.

I've made some screenshots of the relevant pages, which are available at:
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=qUs0OVlvVY
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=Ps9FM5jdW5
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=WxKQWS391m
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=whtQmO5j6f

I can confirm that I have no connections with the advertiser or with the alternative medicine industry in general."