Lifestyle

7^th October 1997

Middlesbrough Evening Gazette

Free your mind

IT was a meeting of minds unlike anything Middlesbrough has ever seen.

One clairvoyant, the other telepathic, they joined together under the same roof to create an evening where anything could happen… and plenty did.

MICHELLE DAVIES was there to witness the mind-bending show, put on to raise money for the Hostages in Kashmir appeal.

ANYONE sneaking a peek inside Middlesbrough Town Hall on Thursday would have been blown away by the bizarre spectacle.

Hundreds of Teessiders all staring intently at the stage as Uri Geller, international psychic and mind-manipulator, stared silently back.

As Uri’s fingers pressed to his temple and the audience yelled “GROW!”, tiny poppy seeds began to germinate in the psychic’s hand.

We watched on the big screen as the green leaves sprouted… and the crowd gasped.

Whether you’re a sceptic or a believer, last week’s evening of psychic phenomena was a big hit with Teessiders, and an excellent way of raising thousands of pounds for the Hostages in Kashmir Fund.

Both Uri Geller and Gazette columnist Gary Fowler, our own 26-year-old Middlesbrough medium, offered their services for free as they gave a highly entertaining evening of clairvoyance followed by mind-bending tricks.

Nervous

The intimate venue was quite a change of scene for top psychic Uri, who usually performs to crowds of thousands, but he said it made no difference to him whether he performed to 100 or 10,000: “I get just as nervous before any show”’ he confessed.

“It depends on the crowd. I can never be completely sure if the performance will work.”

“But as long as some people turn up and raise money to help the hostages I’m not bothered.”

He had nothing to worry about.

His show began after Gary Fowler’s hour of clairvoyance.

Gary had made several contacts with ‘the other side’ bringing uncannily accurate messages to stunned members of the audience – so there was already a frenzy of psychic excitement.

And there was plenty more to come.

Telepathy with the audience, lifting people with the power of a finger and the compulsory spoon-bending and watch fixing, soon had people dumb-struck.

One Teesside lady, Audrey, leapt up waving her house key around excitedly. In amazement the audience watched as the thick metal key continued to bend, seemingly of its own accord, in her hand.

But Uri modestly brushes off suggestions he is working miracles.

He believes that everyone has the power to manipulate – he says it is all down to positive thought, and the audience plays as big a part as he does.

Applause

Uri even believes that Mindpower could help Middlesbrough FC rejoin the Premiership next season! A suggestion greeted with rapturous applause from the audience. He has offered to talk to Bryan Robson and his players.

But as close to the stage as we were – and even though I had seen Uri arrive and prepare for the show with no staff and none of his own props -it’s hard to believe his amazing spectacle.

Still, his abilities have been tested in many scientific experiments and baffled scientists.

Julie Mangan, Keith’s wife, is delighted Uri is lending his support.

“I first got in touch sometime ago because I wanted him to do something to help us, but I was surprised to hear he already was,” she says. “He’s already donated so much money – it’s great that he’s flown all the way up here free of charge, just for the evening.”

Uri has already donated £50,000 of his own money to the fund and has set up a web site where people can access one of his huge orange dots, famous for channelling psychic power.

He believes that if enough people log on and concentrate on this dot, positive energy could help lead rescuers to Keith Mangan.

It is well documented that Uri once worked for Government Offices who asked him to influence and sometimes delete various sources of information.

Worthy

But Uri says that’s all behind him now, and today he is concentrating on using positive power for worthy causes.

And he is nothing if not optimistic! He believes if billions of people all close their eyes and think hard enough simultaneously we could disarm all the nuclear missiles in the world…

For the time being, though, I think the majority of Teessiders would be quite content with Boro going up.

Uri Geller’s web site address is: http:\\www.urigeller.com