Gary Mannion

[[File:Gary Mannion.jpg|165px|thumb|right|Gary Mannion]]
{{cquote|By examining his methods and past controversies, it becomes clear that Mannion is more showman than shaman, relying on illusion and trickery to exploit the vulnerable.|||Jon Donnis<ref name="Jon Donnis">[https://www.badpsychics.com/2024/12/the-illusion-of-supernatural-critical.html The Illusion of the Supernatural: A Critical Look at Gary Mannion’s Psychic Medium Claims]. Archived on [https://archive.ph/Qfb6S 12 May 2025].</ref>}}
{{Paranormal}}
'''Gary Mannion''' is a fraudulent [[Spiritualism|spiritualist]] medium and [[psychic surgeon]].<ref name="Fraud">[https://web.archive.org/web/20250125122731/https://www.garymannionfraud.com/ garymannionfraud.com]. Archived on [https://archive.ph/9Y90t 12 May 2025].</ref> He works in [[Australia]], Switzerland and the [[United Kingdom]]. In 2016, a secret night vision camera caught him faking spiritualist phenomena during a [[séance]] at Banyan Retreat.<ref name="Fraud"/><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20250512170129/https://www.banyanretreat.com/wp-content/uploads/PsychicNewsMag%20Oct16-GaryMannion.pdf banyanretreat.com]. Archived on 12 May 2025.</ref> Mannion has been described as a charlatan and conman by pretty much everyone including [[Parapsychology|parapsychologists]], skeptics and spiritualists.<ref name="Jon Donnis"/><ref name="Fraud"/><ref name="Psychics News"/>

==Psychic surgery==

Mannion from South Harrow started his career by working as a [[psychic surgeon]].<ref name="Harrow">[https://archive.ph/1BKTY Harrow 'psychic' under investigation]. mylondon.news.</ref> In 2008, Mannion was offered £50,000 if he could prove his psychic surgery claims. He originally agreed to be tested and Professor [[Chris French]], a psychologist specializing in the psychology of paranormal beliefs and experiences, was supposed to carry out the test. However, the test was cancelled because Mannion took issue with the protocols.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160620155212/http://www.skeptic.org.uk/news/gary-mannion-to-take-the-test Gary Mannion to take the Test?]</ref><ref>[http://www.badpsychics.com/2014/04/a-personal-invitation-for-you-to-attend.html A personal invitation for you to attend a private séance by Gary Mannion!]</ref>

It was reported that Mannion was earning up to £2000 a week from his psychic surgery and had falsely used a testimonial on his website that claimed he cured cancer.<ref name="Harrow"/> Mannion has stated that his spirit guide Abraham "uses my hands to perform psychic surgery" and enables him to "see inside people's bodies".<ref name="Harrow"/> In 2009, Mannion was featured in the BBC Three programme "Gary: Young, Psychic and Possessed".<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00jhbb3 Gary: Young, Psychic and Possessed]. bbc.co.uk.</ref>

==Fraud==
[[Skeptic]]s suspected for a long time that Mannion has been involved in psychic fakery. 

Indisputable evidence of fraud was obtained in 2016 during a [[séance]] at Banyan Retreat, Kent.<ref>[http://www.badpsychics.com/2016/06/gary-mannion-secretly-recorded-cheating.html UPDATED: Gary Mannion Secretly recorded cheating in the seance room at The Banyan Retreat Spiritualist Centre]</ref> Mannion was supposed to be firmly controlled in a cabinet during the séance. However, secret night vision camera footage revealed him leaving his cabinet and moving around the dark séance room faking spiritualist phenomena. The video footage is now public.<ref name= "Gary">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QdDMzX4znE What really happens when you sit in the dark with Gary]</ref> In one video, he can be seen fully conscious taking his shirt off and swinging it around to imitate "spirit" breezes.<ref name= "Gary"/>

Mannion later responded to the evidence of fraud, claiming it wasn't really his fault as he was unconscious in trance.{{lie}} He did not apologize for his actions:

{{quotebox|This whole incident may of{{sic}} thrown the spiritual movement into disarray and i think thats{{sic}} a good thing. Those who have been to my seances before judge me on what you have experienced for yourself. Going forward I will strive to gather as much evidence as I can and continue to work in more and more lighted conditions. A bigger statement will follow in the near future if thats{{sic}} not enough for you feel free to unfriend me and not comment to my posts!<ref>[http://www.badpsychics.com/2016/06/gary-mannion-finally-comments-on-being.html Gary Mannion Finally Comments On Being Exposed as a Fraud in the seance room ]</ref>}}

The incident caused a large uproar in the spiritualist community. Mannion has been denounced by fellow spiritualists such as Ian Broadmore.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170314175855/https://www.ianbroadmore.com/gary-mannion-seance-death-physical-mediumship/ Gary Mannion Séance]. Ian Broadmore.</ref>

The spiritualist magazine ''Psychic News'' has denounced Gary Mannion as a "blatant fraud".<ref name="Psychics News">[https://web.archive.org/web/20161022033756/https://www.psychicnews.org.uk/articles/Psychic-News-TRUTH-campaign Time for action]. Psychic News.</ref> They have commented that "his ability to fool many people poses serious questions about the involvement of Spiritualist churches – some of them SNU members – and independent centres in unwittingly exposing their followers to fraudulent activities."<ref name="Psychics News"/>

===2024 exposure===

Mannion was caught on camera fraudulently pulling séance sitters off their chairs and touching their heads whilst pretending to be a "materialized" spirit in Bern, Switzerland on August 13th 2024. The footage has been uploaded online.<ref name="Fraud"/>
===Plastic horror mask===

Gary Mannion is known to use in a plastic horror mask that looks like Freddy Krueger during his séances. He pretends that the mask is the spirit of a deceased man known as "William".<ref name="Fraud"/>

==See also==
*[[Kai Muegge]]
*[[David Thompson]]

==References==
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[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Psychics]]

Categories: Living people, Psychics