Notice the faint orbs!
This photo was taken with a digital camera on 7 June 2008. Notice the faint orbs, (view in low light) they are inexplicable by conventional science. A few seconds previously, I had just sat on this chair in what is called a spiritualist's cabinet, and the first photo was taken with no orbs showing – proving this is not dust particles or reflections on the camera lens. Then I mentally went into the stillness, but not yet a trance as my eyes were still open, and this second photo was taken now showing the faint orbs. Due to the faintness of the orbs on the computer screen, they were not noticed for a while, but something perceptible to the digital camera is very definitely there!There are other much clearer photos of orbs around spirit-mediums, but with the two photos taken from exactly the same angle within a few seconds of each other, and the only difference being a change to my mental state, this is personal evidence.
In the Light of Experience
When for the best of intentions we eventually discover that we got it wrong, however painful it is, we then learn. ...In my case it was in trusting religion, but it did not accommodate my mixed gender, the eventual clash was like a volcano exploding, many issues were swallowed in. Now I do not blindly trust any religion! — Today 'Science' is becoming the new 'religion', many people hold its statements as sacred, beyond question or doubt. Yet in the light of experience...For Spiritualist Ministry today, sensitivity is not enough. We also need to have walked in the Light of Experience, our assumptions challenged, then be able to receive what Spirit needs to say, and able to engage with the folk who need to hear it. Those who have never been hurt, cannot engage with others who are also now hurting.
The Spiritualists – new name, old profession
Whether we were called Druid, Shaman, Oracle, Seidr woman, or have the 'Second Sight', these were terms for their culture and age. The word 'Spiritualist' comes from the mid-nineteenth century where some 'Sensitives' of Christian background wishing to distance themselves for Witchcraft, used psychic communication with spirit entities for the primary purpose of proving survival, after death of the physical body. Also, some philosophy was conveyed, spirit healing, and along with some physical phenomena that aroused the interest of the scientific community. These new Spiritualists formed themselves into churches having the flavour and style of the Christian, but they suffered persecution from religious zealots. When they eventually won legal recognition for themselves as a "religion", the persecution stopped but the science community disengaged, which has been disastrous for the movement... Done for the best of intentions, but it was a wrong move!
Photo of the old Blackburn Spiritualist Church I used to attend
All religions have good and true people amongst them, of the Christians the best by far were the Quakers (Society of Friends). Muslims and Jews also had their sensitive people who communicated with spirits, Imam Ali's philosophy of the Spirit and related physical phenomena was astounding. But more generally, the excessively male dominated culture has severely limited the scope of spirit communication and introduced much false doctrine. The theology pontificated about people born gay is perverse!
Conversely those who are in Nature Spirituality and open minded about gender, their communication with spirit is considerably far more reaching. The Native Americans were the highest and most profound that I know of, yet their persecution and genocide by people who call themselves Christian has been awful. The Norse people practised Seiðr [pronounced SAY-ther] which borrowed and blended from Sami-Siberian Shaman practice. This was used for both passive prediction and active psychic influence. Often the practitioners were psychic people who were gender neutral. ...If science people reject the spiritual because of monotheistic awful behaviour, then look to the genuine spiritual.
What actually is Communicating?
The words 'Spirit' and 'Spiritual' are allegorical, there is no adequate dictionary definition for these words, rather they reference the nature of a volatile liquid in a metaphysical context. Other cultures use the words 'Breath' or 'Wind' for a similar allegory. The Latin words 'Animus' and 'Anima' refer to that which animates.So by spirit-entities we can be referring to several possibilities – deceased people or other kinds kinds of life forms, such as Elementals or extra-terrestrials. Yet this may be something different that we are tapping into, like a specific aspect of a Collective Unconscious as proposed by Carl Jung, or the Akashic records – this would mean some facet of the Divine.
I have come to understand that we (all life forms) are both connected and separate, also that Time as we experience it is something of a projection. Everything that ever was, and ever will be, is in some part current. This is weird to comprehend I know, and is why I said In the Light of Experience, after our assumptions have been challenged, we can then comprehend. So as we are all both connected and separate and irrespective of time, we can think of spirit-entities relative to the culture position we view them. In absolute terms they are both separate individuals and also aspects of the ubiquitous Divine, like we are.
Distorted-Religion teaches that the 'God' is separate to us (and male), but the reality is that the Creative God-Force is within all and everything – Immanence!
Modus Operandi (mode of operating)
With audio equipment – telephones, radios and loud speakers, we talk about signal to noise ratio. Even the best studio equipment still has some noise, while at the other extreme, a walkie-talkie radio has a lot of noise, yet is no less useful. Spirit communication always has a similar problem... though its mode of operating is quite different to audio-electrical signals.
The Spirit-entities communicate through whatever can be resonated between them on the spirit plane and us on the physical plane. It could be telepathy or intuition or through energies in the body, whatever can be made resonant. The majority of Spirit-Mediums work with Spirits who are still quite close to the earth, like the recently deceased. Words and body feelings can be conveyed to help identification, and hence give evidence of survival after death. The medium feels whether the spirit-body was tall, thin or short, and often the feeling of the ailment they died with. Quite detailed pictures can be built up, but there is always that signal to noise ratio problem!!
Philosophy Mediumship is a bit different...
Seldom do I receive words, rather I receive 'packets of thought'. Never do I sense anything of the spirit-body they may once of had, no names either. Our human language sentences are similar 'packets of thought' – that is the meaning or sentiment it expresses. With my philosophy mediumship, it is me who puts these into English, as though I was translating from another language, but it is just the thoughts that come, not words. Very often when I scribble something down fast, the grammar is completely wrong for English sentence construction, often something like Yoda speak! Yet only because I have suitable 'packets of thought' already in my consciousness, are the Spirits around me able to rearrange and communicate the concepts they do. This is particularly essential with deep Philosophy and Holistic Science issues. I walk in the light of experience, and am therefore able to resonate the suitable 'packets of thought', albeit rearranged, to effect the communication.Spiritualists For Today
Much in the world is changing fast now, both of natural cause and human cause. There is a lot that is wrong. The religions people used to trust, are being replaced by the new 'religion' of Science and Technology, yet in the light of experience, much is still wrong. For today, sensitivity to spirit is not enough for Spiritualist Ministry, we also need to have had our core assumptions challenged. All is not what it appears.There is a sickness in society which science and technology cannot fix. Many people are now chasing things of little importance while breaking-up things that are. Religion's corruption has done a lot of damage, pushed people away from the Spirit (whatever we may call it). We all need to connect with that which gives deeper meaning to life, and its troubles.
Science must connect with the spiritual, religion cannot do this, only the Spiritualist can help.
Our Spirit-Philosophy in a Nutshell
Be Kind, Be True, Be Balanced, Be Curious.That is all that is needed, but in letting go of false beliefs, it becomes much more involved.
We do recognise that in the history of the world, the input of Prophet Religion has had many positives in turning society to the better, and away from cruelty. But this has always come at a price – the negative effect of Religion. There are always two sides to any input, the positive and the negative.
Everything is connected, it is all the Same at some level... including the positive and the negative! (lessons learnt, lessons to be learnt)
Physical Mediumship
Physical Mediumship is special form of Mediumship, though very rare. My quest into alternative ideas in science began after personally witnessing (several times) this physical phenomena, and also it around myself... Phenomena that is impossible according to conventional theories of physics.
In Physical Mediumship, a great many different physical phenomena can happen such as; 'Materialisation' which means everyone attending the séance can actually see or sense the communicating Spirit-Body; Direct Voice can be heard from the position of the Spirit themselves rather than speaking through the Medium's voice; Teleports where articles just appear or move about; Matter passing through Matter; spirit automatic writing and painting of pictures; Levitation of heavy objects and other phenomena. This is all brought about by the advanced knowledge of energies and dimensions by those in the Spirit plane.
At another séance, this time at Jenny's Sanctuary near Banbury and after other phenomena was demonstrate, these soft-toy balls were ejected from a plain box, scattering them around the room. This one came to me. Now consider the physics of this, what kind of force is in action that is apparently spirit-controlled, but acting in our physical world? It is not magnetic as there is nothing ferrous in the soft-toy. It is not visible or detectable by any known instrument, but something yet to be discovered, is doing it. So regardless of the Spiritualist explanation, something phenomenal has happened.
It has repeatedly been shown under tightly controlled conditions to prohibit all possibility of fraud (which there has been), that in Physical Mediumship matter can pass through matter, literally, like the links of a chain or bands can separate from each other without either link being damaged. ...Material objects can be brought from far away to enter the séance room, discarnate-people in the spirit world can temporarily materialise and be wearing their clothes! With the permission of the Spirit controlling the physical séance, melted wax has been put over a materialised hand, allowed to solidify, and the Spirit then withdrawing their hand even though the wrist is narrower than the hand. Plaster of Paris has afterwards been poured into the wax mould to make an exact replica of the materialised hand, even showing the fingerprints! However, the plaster-casts are not always full size but can be smaller where the psychic energy in the séance room was insufficient! This, coupled to the puzzle of materialized spirits wearing their clothes gives further enlightenment: it points to somehow being projections of 'thought energy' rather than just 'solidified' spirit beings! Examples of such plaster-casts are on display at the Museum of Spiritualism in The Arthur Findlay College, Stansted Hall, Essex, GB. ...Also Spirit writing found on the inside of two slates bound together, the authenticity of which confirmed by independent external examiners. Photographic plates likewise exposed by Spirit still within the camera! These many phenomena are facts, so even if you don't believe the Spiritualist explanation, they do prove that matter is not as real and solid as one might assume! ...They are witnessed phenomena that actually happened; quite distinct from any analysis or explanation thereof. ...What is actually witnessed cannot be called 'pseudo-science'!
In Physical Mediumship, the Medium connects with the Spirit plane as in normal mediumship, but instead of sensing communication, or having a 'Spirit-Control' speak through the Medium while in the trance state, strong forms of assumed natural energy from the earth build-up within the Medium, these forms of 'energy' are then used by the Spirits to construct the physical phenomena; a white misty substance which has been named 'ectoplasm' has been seen coming out of the Medium's body, especially from the nose and mouth areas. Another postulate is the Spirits Controls using a form of 'Life Force Energy' (like the Chinese 'Chi' energy) taken from the sitters in the circle, rather than 'ectoplasm' from the Medium. Possibly both methods are used.
Because Physical Mediumship is so rare, strenuous efforts are usually made to provide ideal conditions for the Séance, which traditionally means a small group of harmonious friends sitting around the Medium in total darkness and the Medium being sat within a black cabinet: Chanting, singing or background music can also improve the Séance conditions! However, other Mediums have produced Physical phenomena without the need for a totally dark room or use of a cabinet, though these aids do seem to help focus the energies.
Physical Mediumship can only happen under very exceptional circumstances; where a very rare individual – a 'Physical Medium', meets in the company of dedicated sitters who help build sufficient 'psychic energy', plus there is the essential atmosphere of Love and Kindness.
Attending these séance meetings we go as invited guest observers; and as such we must follow the rules and conditions set out by the group Leader, which may include signing a disclaimer – as what is witnessed may prove disturbing to the point of life-changing! While the effects are physical, they are driven by mental 'forces', including the mental-atmosphere coming off all attendees, so we must respect their conditions for attendance. ...Validation of genuineness is most important, but must be done by means of 'non-destructive testing'; the same as with experimentation in many other disciplines where observer effects the observed!
...Scepticism is not a problem, but hostility is!
Science must connect with the spiritual, religion cannot do this, only the Spiritualist can help.