by Janet Hosmer, Ph.D.
If we believe that there is something that is inside of us, or of the world we know, and it is not materialistic in nature, then we are considered to have a spiritual belief system. The word itself is derived from the Latin word spirare which means "to breathe”, and is the source for the English words aspire, expire, conspire, and inspire. Many definitions for spirit are used – soul, life force, animating force, and supernatural being. Yogi Ramacharaka states how the Bhagavaad Gita, as translated by Edwin Arnold, expresses how nothing really dies in the following passage, (The Life Beyond Death)
The spirit shall cease to be never.
Never was time it was not;
End and beginning are dreams.
Birthless and deathless, and changeless,
Remaineth the spirit forever;
Death hath not touched it at all,
Allan Kardec in his Spirits’ Book, found online at www.spiritwritings.com/ kardecspiritstoc.html, defines spirit in the following manner, “Spirits may be defined as the intelligent beings of the creation. They constitute the population of the universe, in contradistinction to the forms of the material world.”
Sacred writings from around the world, from all nations and tribes largely have a belief in spirits and spirit communication. Were not the angels who came to those in biblical times, and quoted in the Torah and the New Testament not spirit beings? Why did they long ago stop speaking to those who believed in their existence?
And what of the prophets – those seers and messengers that have given us prediction from ancient times through the present? Their insight and predictions, (the word prophet in Hebrew translates to spokesperson), was believed to come directly from God, but perhaps the communication came from wise departed spirits instead, since the modern Christian definition of prophet means someone who spreads God’s truth. Some of the most notable of the hundreds of prophets include Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, Nostradamus, Merlin, Mother Shipton, the Oracles of Delphi, Aleister Crowley, and Edgar Cayce. As a side note, scientists now believe that the Oracles of Delphi, who were living in caves, were exposed to toxic gasses that were essentially making them euphoric and ‘high’. The term itself implies that one is able to tap into higher levels of consciousness and be able to more easily receive messages and communication from a plane other than the physical.
Uriah Clark in Plain Guide to Spiritualism (1863) says, “When Christianity began to be embodied in creeds and forms, and the clergy grew jealous of the rights and liberties of the people to receive and believe for themselves, then spiritual gifts began to cease, and priesthoods set themselves up as authorities to block out the light of heaven and insist on the end of all revelations and inspirations.”
Believing that a spirit world does exist however, does not necessarily mean that we believe that communication with those who reside on the other side after death is possible. Those who do believe in otherworldly communication are in our modern day are called Spiritualists. Some may be members of the formal Spiritualist religion, and some may not, although their belief in the continuation of life after the death of the physical body, and communication with it through the assistance of a medium or channel, is the thread that ties them together.
Life After Death
Since the beginnings of human life on earth, man has been intrigued by what happens after we leave the earthly plane. Numerous belief systems and religions exist, some believing that the soul continues on to reward or punishment, or directly toward God without reincarnating back into human form. Others believe that we return back to earth time and time again in order to learn and grow. And many continue to believe that there is nothing after death at all. Still, many others have varying philosophies that are none of the above.
Those who feel that ‘something’ continues after the material form ceases to exist believe that nothing really dies, the energy that occupies the conglomeration of cells called our physical body only changes from the material to the non-material. Sylvia Browne in Life on the Other Side (2000) explains it like this, “Death is only the beginning of a whole new life, and the tunnel is simply the vehicle that delivers us there.” However, believing that the afterlife exists, and being able to actively communicate with those who have taken up residence there are two different things altogether.
Early Spiritualism
Spiritualism is a religion that began in the United States and flourished from the 1840s to the 1920s. The Memorial Spiritualist Church, a member of the National Spiritualist Association of Churches, defines Spiritualism in the following manner on their website at www.memorialspiritualistchurch.com, “The Phenomena of Spiritualism consists of Prophecy, Clairvoyance, Clairaudience, Gift of Tongues, Laying on of Hands, Healing, Visions, Trance, Apports, Levitation, Raps, Automatic and Independent Writings and Paintings, Voice, Materialization, Photography, Psychometry and any other manifestation proving the continuity of life as demonstrated through the Physical and Spiritual senses and faculties of man.”
Spiritualism is listed as the 11th largest religion in the world at www.adherents.com with 15 million followers. The top two religions on this list are Christianity and Islam respectively. Not surprisingly, there are numerous Spiritualist Associations and Camps and many more Spiritualist churches in America today. A search on Wikipedia, the web based free encyclopedia, lists more than 20 separate associations, with multiple churches found in each. A short list of churches in the United States can be found at www.dmoz.org/Society/Religion_ and_Spirituality/Spiritualism/Spiritualist_Churches/United_States. The number of churches is definitely growing in most states throughout the country, from Maine to California, and from New York to Florida. The camps contain groups of Spiritualist mediums and spiritual healers living in quaint surroundings, and most offer classes, workshops and programs aimed at teaching visitors and seekers more about Spiritualism, spirituality and various esoteric topics.
A short description of the three of the major Spiritualist camps is presented here.
Lily Dale Assembly, Lily Dale, NY
“Since it was established in 1879, Lily Dale has been the world’s largest center for spiritual development and the practice of the Spiritualist religion. For nearly 130 years, Lily Dale has offered a world-renowned summer program of lectures, workshops and other activities featuring best-selling authors, leaders in academic and scientific research into psychic phenomena, as well as the world’s most powerful mediums, teachers and healers. Lily Dale is widely known as a place where knowledge and enlightenment converge in ways that deepen faith and heighten awareness.” (from www.lilydaleassembly.org)
Having visited Lily Dale many times myself for workshops and programs over the past years, I can say that the experience has been life changing for me. Not only from the readings I’ve received from caring and loving mediums, but from the atmosphere and the definite presence of spirit. Walking through the cottage lined streets, or sitting in meditation at Forest Temple or Inspiration Stump, gave me such a sense of peace, serenity and acceptance. There is no other place that I’ve been that has had such a profound effect.
Cassadega Spiritualist Camp, Cassadega, FL
The Cassadega Spiritualist Camp Association is the oldest active religious community in the Southeastern United States. Founded in 1894 by George P. Colby, the approximately 57 acres in rural and hilly Florida is owned by the Spiritualist church and is home to about 25 mediums and spiritual healers. The camp is on the National Register of Historic Places, and began as a winter retreat from the Spiritualist Camp in Lily Dale. Thousands of visitors make their way to Cassadega to enjoy the peaceful surroundings, take one of their many offered courses, and to try to make contact with those loved ones who have departed.
Camp Chesterfield, Chesterfield, IN
Camp Chesterfield is the property of the Indiana Association of Spiritualists, and was founded in 1886. Camp Chesterfield is also on the National Register of Historic Places. Over twenty registered mediums reside there, many of which are clairvoyants and spiritual healers. The camp offers a wide range of programs, special events and educational classes throughout the year.
Mediums are the conduits in the Spiritualist religion, and the earliest recorded practitioners of this philosophy – the mediums and psychics – were European. Three of the most prominent early Spiritualists are mentioned here.
Emanuel Swedenborg – 1688 - 1772
Arthur Conan Doyle chose to begin The History of Spiritualism (Echo Library 2006) with the chapter on Swedish born Emanuel Swedenborg. In it he states, “From the day of his first vision he continued until his death, twenty-seven years later, to be in constant touch with the other world.” Doyle calls Swedenborg a great seer and a great pioneer of psychic knowledge. Sig Synnestvedt writes in The Essential Swedenborg at newearth.org/frontier/esaspect.html, “There are several aspects of the theological phase of Swedenborg's career. First, for much of the period, he wrote and published anonymously, and therefore few, even among his close friends, knew the nature of the theological studies as they evolved. Second, he invested a considerable amount of his own funds in the process since none of his theological studies enjoyed any significant circulation. He gave away many copies anonymously, to clergymen, universities, and libraries. Third, he lived a normal though sometimes secluded life during the early theological years. Unmarried, he was much alone with his books, often in a small summerhouse which he built at the back of the garden of his Stockholm property. Fourth, experiences in his last years reversed the anonymous and secluded pattern of his life as his works became widely diffused in learned circles. Finally, he remained convinced that the Lord had commissioned him to bring a new revelation to men. Fulfillment of this commission depended upon a dual existence in both the spiritual and natural worlds alternately, for year upon year as his commentaries multiplied.”
Andrew Jackson Davis – 1826 - 1910
Andrew Jackson Davis is sometimes referred to as the John the Baptist of Spiritualism and was a specialist in trance diagnosis. He wrote his Principles of Nature in 1847 when he was only 21 years old, and in it claims that spirit from the other worldly plane can and does communicate with spirit that resides in humans while alive. Davis was greatly influenced by Swedenborg, and subsequently was a great influence on Edgar Cayce, the Sleeping Prophet.
Some references claim that Davis counseled Abraham Lincoln.
John DeSalvo calls him the first American prophet and clairvoyant, and writes in his online biography of Davis at www.andrewjacksondavis.com, “Andrew Jackson Davis, Seer and Clairvoyant of the 19th Century, was able to enter into a higher sphere of consciousness and obtain higher spiritual and physical knowledge. He could, by entering this state, obtain future information about the sciences, including astronomy, physics, chemistry, medicine, and psychology. Many of his scientific predictions have only recently come true. Unlike other prophets, Davis was very specific in his predictions and his accuracy is much higher than any other known seer or prophet. Davis could actually see and observe the death process and the way in which the spirit leaves the body and forms a new spiritual being. He even describes the hereafter in detail, which he was able to enter at will.”
Helena Petrovna Blavatsky – 1831 - 1891
Madame Blavatasky was a founder of Theosophy and the Theosophical Society with Henry Steel Olcott and William Quan Judge. The society was formed in 1875 to extensively study and explore mediumistic phenomena. She believed that all religions held truths in their inner teachings, however imperfect in what they portrayed in their external manifestations. Blavatsky based her career on the idea of Spiritualism, and spent many years throughout her life demonstrating her mediumistic talents and promoting the idea of religious freedom.
The following is taken from the history of her life at www.blavatskyarchives.com/longseal.htm: “Helena was an exceptional child, and at an early age was aware of being different from those around her. Her possession of certain psychic powers puzzled her family and friends. At once impatient of all authority, yet deeply sensitive, she was gifted in many ways. A clever linguist, a talented pianist and a fine artist, she was yet a fearless rider of half-broken horses, and always in close touch with nature. At a very early age she sensed that she was in some way dedicated to a life of service, and was aware of a special guidance and protection.”
The text continues, “In September 1877, a powerful impact was made upon the reading and thinking public by the publication of H.P. Blavatsky’s first monumental work, Isis Unveiled, which was issued by J.W. Bouton in New York City, the one thousand copies of the first printing being sold within ten days. The New York Herald-Tribune considered the work as one of the ‘remarkable productions of the century,’ many other papers and journals speaking in similar terms. Isis Unveiled outlines the history, scope and development of the Occult Sciences, the nature and origin of Magic, the roots of Christianity, the errors of Christian Theology and the fallacies of established orthodox Science, against the backdrop of the secret teachings which run as a golden thread through bygone centuries, coming up to the surface every now and then in the various mystical movements of the last two thousand years or so.”
Spirit Communication in America
Although Spiritualism and communication with spirit had been around for many years in Europe, it was the Fox sisters in Hydesville, NY who brought the phenomena to America and the world’s attention in 1848. Margaret and Katherine Fox were fourteen and eleven years old respectively when they woke their parents because they were hearing noises in the walls of the small wooden shack they called home. The noises really shouldn’t have come as a complete surprise, since the house they had lived in for only a year was reportedly haunted and had been evacuated by the previous tenants. The noises and pounding went on for weeks, terrorizing the children and the family before young Kate challenged the rappings by asking the entity they called ‘Mr. Splitfoot’, since they believed the spirit to be that of the devil, to repeat the snap of her fingers. To everyone’s amazement each time Kate would snap her fingers, a single rap was immediately heard. If she snapped twice, two raps came back. The spirit was that of a peddler, Charles B. Rosna. Mr. Rosna, who was murdered on the premises and buried beneath the house, was the first of many spirit entities to quickly come through as it turned out. (As a side note, many years later human bones were found when the foundation of the house was being torn up, collaborating the girls’ story). After some time, someone suggested a code in order to get questions answered. Now there was a language with which to really communicate and ask questions. Maggie and Katie Fox became the initial spokespersons for the spirit world, and with their sister Leah leading the way, brought their first messages to the world at Corinthian Hall in Rochester, New York.
The sisters eventually confessed that their readings were all hoaxes, however they were at the time living lives in poverty and drunkenness. These confessions obviously damaged the movement tremendously. Historians however, disagree whether the rappings and readings were lies, or perhaps the recants were just an attempt to remove the publicity from their lives. The truth it seems, is as elusive as the spirits that were brought forth.
Spiritualism Compared with Other Religions
Unlike most religions, the Spiritualist religion is considered an ‘American made religion’ since its beginnings were formed in the United States. The following comparison of Spiritualism to other religions was found at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritualism,
“Christianity: As spiritualism emerged in a Christian environment, it has features in common with Christianity, ranging from an essentially Christian moral system to liturgical practices such as Sunday services and the singing of hymns. Nevertheless, on significant points Christianity and Spiritualism are different. Spiritualists do not believe that the works or faith of a mortal during a brief lifetime can serve as a basis for assigning a soul to an eternity of Heaven or Hell; they view the afterlife as containing hierarchical "spheres", through which each spirit can progress. This concept is related to the Catholic idea of Purgatory. Spiritualists differ from Protestant Christians in that the Judeo-Christian Bible is not the primary source from which they derive knowledge of God and the afterlife: for them, their personal contacts with spirits provide that.
Indigenous religions: Animist faiths, with a tradition of shamanism and spirit contact, are similar to Spiritualism. In the first decades of the movement, many mediums claimed contact with Native American spirit guides, in apparent acknowledgment of these similarities. Unlike animists, however, spiritualists speak of the spirits of dead humans and do not espouse a belief in spirits of trees, springs, or other natural features.
Islam: Within Islam, certain traditions, notably Sufism, consider communication with spirits possible. Additionally, the concept of Tawassul recognizes the existence of good spirits on a higher plane of existence closer to God, and thus able to intercede on behalf of humanity.
Hinduism: Hinduism, though heterogeneous, shares with spiritualism a belief in the existence of the soul after death. But Hindus differ in that they believe in reincarnation and hold that all features of a person's personality are extinguished at death. Spiritualists maintain that the spirit retains the personality it possessed during human existence.
Spiritism: Spiritism, the branch of Spiritualism developed by Allan Kardec and found in mostly Latin countries, has emphasized reincarnation. According to Arthur Conan Doyle, most British Spiritualists of the early 20th century were indifferent to the doctrine of reincarnation, few supported it, while a significant minority were opposed, since it had never been mentioned by spirits contacted in séances. Thus, according to Doyle, it is the empirical bent of Anglophone Spiritualism — its effort to develop religious views from observation of phenomena — that kept spiritualists of this period from embracing reincarnation.
Occult: Spiritualism also differs from occult movements, such as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn or the contemporary Wiccan covens, in that spirits are not contacted to obtain magical powers (with the exception of power for healing). For example, Madame Blavatsky (1831–91) of the Theosophical Society only practiced mediumship to contact powerful spirits capable of conferring esoteric knowledge. Blavatsky did not believe these spirits were deceased humans, and held beliefs in reincarnation different from the views of most spiritualists.
Impact of Spiritualism on Women’s Right to Vote
Spirit communication played a large part in moving America’s women toward being equals and allowing them to participate in the political process and vote in our elections. When talking about the Women’s Movement, Todd Jay Leonard in Talking to the Other Side: A History of Modern Spiritualism and Mediumship (2005) says, ‘From the very beginning of the movement, Spiritualism has served to empower women to be independent and has given them a platform in which to pursue a professional life as clergy, mediums, and businesswomen. The movement has always treated women equally, and many Spiritualism women were instrumental in demonstrating to get the right to vote for women during the Suffrage Movements in the United States.’ Nancy Rubin Stuart tells us in The Reluctant Spiritualist – The Life of Maggie Fox (2005), ‘Several Quaker abolitionists had gathered first at the home of Jane and Richard Hunt and than at the M’Clintock’s fine brick house in Waterloo. The organizers, who included Mary Ann McClintock, Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Matilda Wright, formalized their ideas for women’s suffrage around the mahogany parlor table where the raps would later reportedly be heard.’ She continues, ‘The subsequent meeting at the Seneca Falls Universalist Wesleyan Church on July 19-20 would ignite the women’s suffrage movement, setting the stage for a seventy-two year battle that resulted in the 1920 passage of the Twenty-First Amendment. Among the hundred men and women who ultimately supported its resolutions, some were already sympathetic to Spiritualism – Amy Post, Sarah Post Hallowell, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Mary Ann and Thomas M’Clintock, and Sarah Burtis.’ The name that is most associated with regards to the women’s movement in later years is of course Susan B. Anthony. Although not a Spiritualist herself, she was a close friend of Elizabeth Cady Stanton for years, and was a frequent speaker at women’s conventions in LilyDale, New York, a Spiritualist community founded in 1879.
Additional confirmation of how spirituality and spirit communication played a large part in the women’s movement was found in Judith Wellman’s The Road from Seneca Falls (2004). She writes, ‘In their search for wholeness, the M’Clintocks and several other Congregational Friends went beyond worldly concerns. In the new spiritualist movement, they explored the permeability of boundaries between life and death. As early as 1841, they had experimented with ‘animal magnetism,’ a kind of clairvoyance which transported them to other places within this world. Now impressed by the rappings heard by the Fox sisters outside Rochester, New York, they began to hold regular séances in their home. Other women’s rights supporters, especially among the Quakers, also joined this movement. Isaac Post, Amy Post’s husband, collected testimonials from people who had attended the Fox sisters’ séances and concluded that, indeed, the rappings they heard came from the spirit world. By 1851, Isaac Post himself had become a medium.’”
Mediums, Psychics and Trance Channelers
Mediums
Mediumship can be divided into two categories, physical and mental. Physical mediumship takes place when a physical action is evident and ectoplasm is produced. Levitation, materialization of matter, sounds, and the production of apports. An apport is the transportation of an object from one place to another. Mental mediumship comes through the mind of the medium. Some examples are clairvoyance, (clear seeing), clairsentience, (clear sensing), clairaudience, (clear hearing), and psychometry, (reading the vibration from an object).
Mediumship skills are not necessarily inborn, and can be developed by anyone. Joey Crinta in The Medium Touch (1982) describes the workings of a beginning mediumship development class as follows: “A proper development class will instruct you in the spiritual laws, such as the law of cause and effect, and their application in our daily loves. You will learn to relax and look inward, getting in touch with your higher consciousness by mediation and prayer; at the same time this enables you to become ore sensitized and conscious of the subtle influences of spirit. Gradually you will become aware of your ability to receive impressions and to interpret those thoughts which you may receive during your meditation.”
The First Spiritual Temple at www.fst.org also gives guidelines on studying to become a medium. Their suggestions are listed here:
“ONE: Always work with a group of people who share your interests. Mediumship is developed in what is known as a “development” or “spirit” circle. The development circle should, if at all possible, be under the guidance and direction either of a qualified medium or someone who has studied mediumship and knows the “ins and outs” of mediumistic unfoldment and development. It is called a “circle” because people sit in a circle.
How many people is a matter of choice or circumstance. We feel that sitting with fewer than four simply does not offer adequate energy and opportunity to work with Spirit. Seven or eight is ideal. Of course, where two gather in the name of God, Spirit will join in. There is really no hard and fast rule concerning numbers.
TWO: Decide what type of mediumship your circle will work with. It is not advisable for any person to sit in more than one circle or to have your circle working with more than one form of mediumship. The circle should sit either for the development of mental mediumship or physical mediumship. Each requires a specific general format and a very specific type of energy to be present.
THREE: Once the group has been established and you have determined which type of mediumship you will be working with, decide upon the day and time you will be sitting. This is very important: meet at the same day and time every week. Ideally, circles should meet once a week. People should arrive at the meeting a bit early and be prepared to sit at the appointed time of your meeting. You are making an appointment with Spirit. They will be there; you should be on time.
The seating arrangement should be determined at the first meeting. Each person has an assigned seat, which should not change unless the circle teacher feel that a shift in energy is necessary. In time, others may be invited to join the circle, and a change in seating might be necessary then.
FOUR: Every circle leader has his or her preferred circle format. Regardless of what that format may be, the circle meeting should consist of the following segments:
Keep the exercises varied and challenging. Remember, the purpose of the circle is to stimulate development and challenge the sitters to step beyond their current limitations.
FIVE: Circle meetings should run at least one hour, but no longer than 75 minutes. When the circle is closed, all people should stand up and depart from the designated circle area. This helps dissipate the energies formed during the circle meeting.
SIX: Patience is so important. Mediumship is a most beautiful pearl of the Spirit. But, like any pearl of great price, its growth and maturity require time, patience, hard work, and discipline. Work hard, study hard, be patient, and you should see results.
And remember you are working with Spirit. Mediumship is a cooperative effort. God is the ultimate Guide, and you and your Spirit guide work together in this great adventure. Never forget this all-important fact.”
Certified Mediums
Certified mediums are those that have received para-professional training in the art of mediumship. Many qualified and authentic mediums are also ordained ministers of the Spiritualist religion. The Forever Family Foundation describes their certification process at www.foreverfamilyfoundation.org/certifiedmediums.htm as follows: “A science-based examination of the ability of a specific medium to bring forth information without the use of fraudulent or deceptive means. Based upon a composite scoring system each medium is exposed to a variety of sitters, and their performance is evaluated both in traditional and non-traditional communication. The sitter selection is controlled to ensure that none of the mediums has any prior access to the sitter or any information about them.”
Psychics
What essentially is the difference between mediums and psychics? Both interpret energy or vibrations, but the medium interprets energy coming from those departed, whether from a guide or the spirit entity that the sitter would like to make contact with. Jeremy Mazak, psychic and medium whose website is at www.jeremym.org explains the difference this way, “All mediums are psychic but not all psychics are mediums. When a psychic exhibits the ability to relay messages from a person who has died, we call them a medium. Not every person who performs on a psychic level will exhibit this particular ability. This does not mean that a psychic who does not communicate with people in spirit are any less able to deliver accurate information than a medium. It does mean that the answers and information you do receive will be coming to you by way of the energy surrounding you and your environment and not DIRECTLY from someone in spirit. While all mediums are able to operate only as a psychic, not all psychics are able to operate as mediums.”
Trance Channelers
When a medium shares mental and physical energies along with consciousness with a spirit entity, they are said to be a channel. Different than a medium, the consciousness of the entity takes over the mind and body of the human while delivering their information and messages. Edgar Cayce is probably the most well known trance channeler, giving medical diagnoses to thousands of people, and providing a collection of readings that are still referenced today through the Association for Research and Enlightenment in Virginia Beach, VA.
The following is taken from the Trance Channeling and Trance Mediumship Connection website at: www.aprilcrawford.com/trancechannelingandtrancemediumshipconnection, “By trance channel we mean a person who is able to set their conscious self aside in order to allow another being, a non-physical or spirit being, to speak through their body. The person who does this is the channel. The being who does the speaking is usually referred to as an entity by our group but others may call them spirit guides. The term medium could be used to describe a "channel". However, the term "medium" is usually associated with contacting recently departed persons with contact sought by relatives or friends. Channels as we use the term usually will allow more highly evolved beings and spirit teachers to come through and speak, although channels are capable of bringing through personalities who have recently died in the traditional sense of the term medium. So, the entities or spirit teachers who speak through channels are sought for the information and lessons they can give on the nature of reality and self growth rather than contact with lost loved ones. It is true that survival of physical death becomes rather apparent after a conversation with a channeled entity, and they can and will answer questions about life after death or about specific personalities who have passed on. More than likely they will try to help the interested party focus on issues that are important for their own self growth and development. When they answer questions they seem to always have this in mind. The entities will discuss any subject, be it general or personal. Some questions they may not answer and when this occurs they will explain their reasons.”
It is interesting to note that Abraham Lincoln reportedly utilized a channel named Nettie Colburn to speak with a guide between 1861 and 1863, with witnesses present each time.
Contemporary Mediums & Trance Channelers
Currently, especially with the ease of use of the Internet, one has little trouble finding a medium or psychic online who is more than willing to give, (and charge for) a reading. However, most of these ‘long distance’ readings, unless they come from a notable or renowned medium, are not to be trusted as genuine. A sampling of the more celebrated and potentially, (potentially is definitely the operative word here), reliable mediums and psychics found in our modern times are noted here.
Jane Roberts
Many who have an interest in the world of spirits, spirit communication and paranormal phenomena are familiar with Seth, an entity who for almost twenty years was channeled by Jane Roberts. The Seth Material, as it was called, was published verbatim as it was received, and filled over ten volumes when communication came to completion as Roberts’ health started to fail. As published on Wikipedia, “The Seth Material covers a wide variety of topics, including the nature of physical reality, the origins of the universe, the theory of evolution, the Christ story, the nature of God, and the purpose of life. The Seth personality described himself as an "energy personality essence no longer focused in physical reality" who was independent of Roberts' subconscious, although Roberts herself expressed skepticism as to Seth's origins. The Seth personality said that he had completed his earthly reincarnations and that he was speaking from an adjacent plane of existence (or "system of reality" or "universe", all terms which Seth used). He described himself as an educator whose task was to impart the principles set forth in the Material to the current generation of human beings.”
J.Z. Knight
Ramtha was a warrior from the legendary land of Lemuria who fought the Atlanteans, and has been channeled by J.Z. Knight since 1997. It was actually Ramtha who coined the term channeling in the 1970s. Knight formed Ramtha’s School of Enlightenment, (RSE) in the state of Washington in 1987 and holds classes and events worldwide. In 1996, a distinguished panel of twelve scholars, including neuroscientists, psychologists, sociologists, and religious experts, studied Knight before, during, and after channeling Ramtha, They concluded that the physiological changes and the readings from her autonomic nervous system during the channeling event were so dramatic that they ruled out any possibility of conscious fakery, schizophrenia, or multiple personality disorder. Knight published her autobiography, A State of Mind in 2004 where she recounts her meeting of Ramtha and the years she has dedicated to his work.
John Edward
John Edward is best known for his TV shows John Edward Cross Country and Crossing Over with John Edward where he provides readings as a medium for studio audiences. He also had television broadcasts on the SciFi channel earlier in his career. Edward is also a noted author, having published many books, including One Last Time: A Psychic Medium Speaks to Those We Have Loved and Lost (1998), What If God Were the Sun? (2000), Crossing Over: The Stories Behind the Stories (2001), After Life: Answers From the Other Side (2003), Final Beginnings: The Tunnel (2004), and Practical Praying: Using the Rosary to Enhance Your Life (2005). Edwards, as a result of his prolific public appearances and career has been involved in many controversies and has had to deal with criticisms from many. He has been accused many times of using hot and cold readings where he has obtained prior knowledge of the subjects he is providing a reading for.
Sylvia Browne
Sylvia Browne was born in 1936, and is currently a best selling author and performs as a medium and psychic. Her visions started coming to her as a young child, and her gift was molded by her grandmother who was also a psychic. She has practiced her profession by giving readings since 1974, and appears regularly on TV’s Montel Williams Show and Larry King Live. She is also the president of the Sylvia Browne Corporation, and founder of her church, the Society of Novus Spirit - which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2006. Browne has authored over twenty books or sets of card decks, and offers readings and her products from her website at sylvia.org.
Browne, like others in her field, has been a part of much controversy. Wikipedia states this fact in the following way, “Sylvia Browne has been involved in numerous controversies regarding her claims and predictions. She has had a long-running feud with skeptic James Randi, who has said that her readings are indistinguishable from those achieved by mentalists using cold and hot reading techniques. In addition, reports about her psychic abilities by independent observers and the press have cast doubts on them. Her first husband, Gary Dufresne, said in a February 10, 2007 interview that he does not think Sylvia has any paranormal abilities, and that she admitted it, saying that the gullible deserve to be taken advantage of. Also supporting this conclusion are several incorrect predictions shown when the actual truth was revealed through other than psychic means.”
James Van Praagh
Van Praagh was born in 1958, and considers himself to clairsentient, or able to ascertain the feelings of the departed soul. He has written many best selling books that have been translated into over 50 languages throughout the world, and in 1977 was the first medium to appear on TV’s Larry King Live show. He also produced mini series Living With The Dead, The Dead Will Tell and the currently very popular CBS drama Ghost Whisperer.
Van Praagh’s talents as a medium were not revealed to him until he was an adult. Besides his practice as a medium and psychic, Van Praagh travels the world teaching mediumship development courses to those who are interested in becoming mediums.
Interestingly enough, Van Praagh does not have as many detractors as the other celebrity mediums of our time. As with the others however, he has been accused of using cold reading techniques.
Skeptics
Skepticism is found in the world everywhere, and especially when the topic is the afterlife and communication with those who may or may not reside there. Spirit and Sky is a spiritual knowledge repository found online at www.spiritandsky.com. Their definition of a skeptic is, “A skeptic is one who questions what others propose as facts. In the subject of spirituality, as you might guess, skepticism abounds! Everything from religions to UFO's, it's not hard to find a plethora of skeptics. In fact in nearly all areas of life, even concerning proven science facts, there are still skeptics. People that are religious are often skeptical of science, and people scientifically minded are quite often skeptical of religious beliefs. It seems like a never ending battle between believers and non-believers, people questioning everything, and though some may feel it is a ‘bad’ thing, skepticism sometimes breeds knowledge. It is our innate nature to question everything, and when we stop, we close our minds and our own personal knowledge base stops growing significantly.”
The Internet is filled with accounts of fraudulent behavior by mediums and psychics, therefore skepticism of Spiritualism is quite high. Skeptical Inquirer is an online magazine at www.csicop.org/si/ and claims that it is, “a welcome breath of fresh air, separating fact from myth in the flood of occultism and pseudoscience on the scene today.” Skeptic (www.skepticforum.com/) is a website presented by the Skeptic Society whose mission is to serve as an educational tool for those seeking clarification and viewpoints on those controversial ideas and claims.
Phonies & Charlatans
Most mediums have been detected in or have confessed trickery, and everyone must know that there are unprincipled men and women who pose as spirit mediums. There are also many people who will take advantage of someone when they are most vulnerable. Gayle Wright, one of the world’s leading psychics gives the following tips for spotting a charlatan at www.find-the-right-psychic.com/psychic-tips/how-to-spot-a-charlatannot-just-a-bad-psychic,
“1. Don’t believe in Grandiose Promises: Charlatans don’t care how they get your money, so they will make all sorts of outlandish promises they know they can’t keep. If you hear promises like “We’ll make your boyfriend come back 100%, Cast a spell that guarantees financial success,” or “Predict Lucky Lotto Numbers,” then run the other way quickly. Psychics can help and support you towards certain goals but they can’t make them happen. Real psychics are not Gods and they can not control other people like puppets. We certainly don’t want to!
2. Fatal or Scary Predictions: Predictions of death and tragedy are a great way for a charlatan to keep you enthralled (and frightened) without actually giving you any real insight or understanding about your life. These kind of predictions can often be quite traumatic for the client and my experience is that genuine psychics have no wish to create unnecessary pain and trauma for the people they read for.
3. Obscure or trivial information - Charlatans are always looking for ways to beef up a reading with comments that sound psychic but are in fact, quite nonsensical. Comments such as “I see a broken window pane in your house” or “I see a disregarded object that means a lot to you,” might actually sound impressive but on closer examination these remarks could mean anything to anyone.
4. Too many questions - There is nothing wrong with a psychic asking questions during a reading. Just because we are psychics doesn’t mean we know everything. However, when you find a reading starts becoming an endless succession of questions then you have to start wondering whether your reader is just trying to skillfully gain information from you. The best way to counter this problem is not to go silent but to ask questions yourself.”
In The Naked Quack – Exposing the Many Ways Phony Psychics and Mediums Cheat You (2000), Wendy – The Psychics’ Psychic tells readers, “Less that 1/10 of 1% of all professional psychics are psychic enough to justify charging you a fee! That’s just one out of a thousand! The other 99% are quacks!” These are certainly disturbing statistics, when so many people are handing over their hard earned money for a chance to contact a departed loved one or to gain insight into the life that they are living now. She warns that many supposed mediums are cold readers who are expert at gaining information from those sitting for a reading. Wendy also recommends that psychics and mediums be certified, licensed and registered, however the question of who will in fact do the certifying is a puzzling one at best.
The American Association of Professional Psychics defines a good psychic reading on their website at www.certifiedpsychics.com in the following manner, “A good psychic reading: combines accurate insight with practical advice; fosters hope and inspiration; encourages self-examination; highlights your gifts and abilities; and Respects your free will and power to change.”
Todd Jay Leonard interviewed a number of certified mediums in his book, Talking to the Other Side: A History of Modern Spiritualism and Mediumship (2005). When he asked Reverend Sarah Brown how Spiritualist mediums respond to accusations and attacks by others who do not believe in the religion, the practice, or the unproven continuity of life, she replied as follows, “Anytime you have the real thing, you are going to have imitators.” This in itself is quite a telling statement, and one that makes perfect sense.
Science and Spirituality
Science and religion have historically come from differing standpoints, and it seems as though the belief in life after death is at the head of the topic. In a ‘Science and Spiritualism’ essay at found online at www.spiritualist.tv/news/mar08/science-spiritualism.html, the editor of the United Kingdom based Spiritualist.tv website states, “There are now modern scientists who have a detailed knowledge of psychology and who are still investigating the hypothesis that the human consciousness survives physical death. Triple blind test results were published in ‘Explore’ Journal (2007) which provide evidence of anomalous information reception using protocols which eliminate cold reading, hot reading and mind reading.” The article continues, “Unfortunately research in this area is so often ridiculed, as the majority of the scientific community believe that acceptance of such phenomena would be completely out of the question, not to mention a bad career move.”
Although Spiritualism spiked a great deal of interest in the mid to late 1800’s, its popularity waned considerably over the next one hundred years – in part because of the greed and dishonesty of those who believed that they could easily defraud those who were distraught and looking to make contact with their departed loved ones on the other side. There is also societal fear of the unknown and of ghosts in general. Forward thinking scientists have tried for years to either prove or disprove the existence of spirit, with little headway being made – that is until recently. Some examples of scientific research of the issues involved are presented here.
Gary E. Schwartz, a Harvard trained psychologist and neurologist has authored a few books on the subject. His The G.O.D. Experiments: How Science Is Discovering God In Everything, Including Us uses quantum physics, psychology, mathematics and evolutionary biology to prove the existence of God. Along with William Simon and Deepak Chopra he has provided numerous scientific experiments and transcripts of sessions throughout the book, The Afterlife Experiments: Breakthrough Scientific Evidence of Life After Death.
Rakesh Maniktala, an electrical engineer in India states the issues plainly on his Ancient Science website at www.geocities.com/ancientscience, “To realize the dream of a spiritual-scientific culture on Earth, the spiritual level of the society has to go up. There must be a large number of people with high spiritual level to bring about a change at a very fast rate (referred to as a critical mass by some). This might sound difficult, but things are actually moving in a positive direction. Despite all the greed, hatred and materialistic hullabaloo, many of us are feeling a need for an inner quest: What are we here for? Why so much misery and pain in life? Can we rise above this and make our lives more meaningful… can we? This inner quest is actually helping us rise above the ordinary. And so the long queues at the doorsteps of Gurus and religious preachers. But only the desire for an inner quest may not help much. To hasten the pace of this change, something more is required: dedicated and evolved groups of people, working specifically and steadfastly to bring about the change. And one of the paths for them is to look for scientific-spiritual advancements of the past.”
Sara Horsfall, Associate Professor of Sociology at Texas Wesleyan University states in her essay on Spirituality and Science at web.txwes.edu/sociology/Science.html, “The questions that spirituality poses for science center around issues of reality and the limits of our knowledge. Scientists focusing on the material world have, during the last two centuries, dismissed spiritual experiences as a product of an individual's own mind, hence of no interest to them. Scientists have also regarded spiritual experiences as the product of a culture, or group (i.e. people see angels because they believe in angels; if they didn't believe in angels they wouldn't see them). Finally, spiritual experiences have been explained as chemical reactions - in the body in general, or in the brain. These explanations allow spiritual experiences to be dismissed as subjective phenomena which have little bearing on the world beyond the individual.” Professor Horsfall states clearly in her essay that beliefs and theories are changing, with scientists of all realms. Her concluding statements are the following, “Spirituality is no longer totally outside the realm of science. Through this treatise we can begin to give it a place in the social sciences. With further study of the characteristics of the ‘Ideal Spiritual Life World’ a standard can be established whereby experiences can be authenticated. In time, biologists, neurologists, physicists may develop theories that incorporate spiritual ideas, and there may be a meeting ground between the two realities, so that one can freely traverse back and forth, explaining one reality in terms of the other. The bridge between them may well be theories such as those of self-organization, and emergence (chaos and complexity).”
Conclusion
Although Spiritualism was very popular in the Victorian and Edwardian eras, and during the time span between World War I and II, its popularity has waned over the years, and seems to have become yet just another religion with weird practices – embraced by some, and completely discounted by others. One can find numerous accounts of spirit contact, both in published books and on the Internet. However one can also find just as many who discount the abilities of these conduits and are suspicious that they have any paranormal abilities at all. Which side is to be believed without any substantial proof? Unfortunately, we have become a skeptical and cynical society, disbelieving and discounting anything that cannot be proven either scientifically or otherwise. Fortunately however, Spiritualism is a religion that offers the promise of validation since it offers proof of life after death in a way no other religion can; with a qualified and trustworthy medium, the living can talk directly to their dearly departed, and, more importantly, learn how best to live to later profit after they themselves pass on.
Have the skeptics succeeded in discrediting the Spiritualist religion and the confirmation of the continuation of life after death? Has the fraudulent behavior of the thousands of spurious and phony mediums over the years managed to harm the reputation of those who truly have a gift? I think not. Although this is an age where we require proof, it is also an age of great technological advances, scientific means and modes of communication. Many believe that science and spirituality are basically one and the same, and that today's spirituality is tomorrow's science – the quantum theory is beginning to prove that. This is also an age of seekers – seekers who are ready and anxious to embrace and actually welcome something other than a purely materialistic reality. We are only just now beginning the journey to the other side.
