Comediums

I attended a spiritualist service last night - my first in some years - and I'm glad that it wasn't a 'first ever'


Held in a spotless local school, a audience of some 70 folk assembled expectantly, cheerfully and with obvious anticipation of what was to come. Nice folk, enjoying an evening out of their near-by houses.

I arrived in good time and sat down, then the first question mark was raised. A quiet voice at my side gently pointing out that 'You pay at the door - two pounds, but this includes a "free" raffle ticket'. I apologised and returned to the not very obvious pay-table, said I didn't wish a free raffle ticket, to be told that it was included. Paying the two pounds and declining the 'free' ticket, I returned to my seat.
The available seats quickly filled up as start time approached - mainly women, young and old, very vocal, jocular. I could only see one other male in the hall, apart from the Chair and the Worker of the evening.

The main event began 5 minutes late, but the medium apologised for his being late and opened with an often-heard mechanical prayer which was rattled through at top speed.

Then it began. The Clairvoyance. or, more accurately, the psychiance. The main objective was not to offer evidence but to get laughs - hence 'comedium'. The gags had clearly been around some time as the 'laughs' were deep throat cackles and not in the least spontaneous laughter. Quite embarrassing - and saddening.

A deluge of words desperately seeking a link. Vaguely described 'conditions' were hawked around seeking even the remotest stirring in any potential recipient. 'Mother figures', more than a few 'Granny figures', he even tried to give me a 'brother figure' in Spirit. Wrong, of course and it was speedily offered elsewhere.
And so the hour progressed in this fashion.
The Medium was pleasant, personable, sincere and seemingly convinced of his Mediumship, but little wonder, as everything was immediately snapped up - some items were even competed for.

The energy was very good, the audience clearly had a grand evening.

But, had I been a newly bereaved individual on the edge of suicide and urgently seeking to 'know' if 'it is true', such an evening service would have proved disastrous.
No one spoke to me apart from the pay-at-the-door lady.
It was announced that 'healing would be available after the tea' but I waited for neither. An interesting evening, indeed.

dispiriting....... I hope none of this was linked with Spiritualism as a religion or a philosophy?

As an aside, I've often found myself learning about or experiencing 'stuff' which (I later found) was about to come to its end. Modern Spiritualism feels like one of those things.

I 'arrived' nearly 30 years ago in time to see what had been happening in recent decades just as it appeared to be about to die out.

I'd love to be wrong.

The first spiritualist church I went to felt like the outpatient's department of a psychiatric hospital.

mac wrote:dispiriting....... I hope none of this was linked with Spiritualism as a religion or a philosophy?

As an aside, I've often found myself learning about or experiencing 'stuff' which (I later found) was about to come to its end. Modern Spiritualism feels like one of those things.

I 'arrived' nearly 30 years ago in time to see what had been happening in recent decades just as it appeared to be about to die out.

I'd love to be wrong.

Maybe you're the common factor in their demise Mac

'dispiriting....... I hope none of this was linked with Spiritualism as a religion or a philosophy?' mac

Unfortunately it was and the Church describes itself as -------- Spiritualist Church.

When I think of the grandeur and humility of how Silver Birch approaches the Great Spirit and the hurried, fumbled 25 second approach on this occasion - words do fail.

obiwan wrote:

mac wrote:dispiriting....... I hope none of this was linked with Spiritualism as a religion or a philosophy?

As an aside, I've often found myself learning about or experiencing 'stuff' which (I later found) was about to come to its end. Modern Spiritualism feels like one of those things.

I 'arrived' nearly 30 years ago in time to see what had been happening in recent decades just as it appeared to be about to die out.

I'd love to be wrong.

Maybe you're the common factor in their demise Mac

mac's blight!

hiorta wrote:'dispiriting....... I hope none of this was linked with Spiritualism as a religion or a philosophy?' mac

Unfortunately it was and the Church describes itself as -------- Spiritualist Church.

When I think of the grandeur and humility of how Silver Birch approaches the Great Spirit and the hurried, fumbled 25 second approach on this occasion - words do fail.

As you'd described the venue as a school hall I'd rather hoped it was a mind/body/soul type of event, where such shallowness might have been expected.....

obiwan wrote:The first spiritualist church I went to felt like the outpatient's department of a psychiatric hospital.

And that was the most positive thing you found I'd guess!

mac wrote:

obiwan wrote:The first spiritualist church I went to felt like the outpatient's department of a psychiatric hospital.

And that was the most positive thing you found I'd guess!

No actually. It was also hilarious.

I hang my head in shame when I read of experiences such as this... But sadly, this is becoming the norm. Don't get me wrong I feel that mediumship can on occasions be entertaining, but i firmly believe it should 'not' be entertainment.

An email I received a couple of weeks ago was from a lady moving house. She said she'd invited some friends around for a house warming and thought it would be a nice surprise for them if I was to to offer readings!
I replied asking if she also felt I should wear a red nose, oversize shoes and bring some balloons, because that's exactly how I felt - the 'entertainer'.
But... Believe it not, she is not alone in asking this type of request. This is the norm with people - which truly offends me.

As for the comedium rattling off the prayers, this too is common place, words seem to be simply recited, with no meaning, no validity, sincerity... Nothing.

SB had plenty to say about the lack of value of formalised prayer....

So sad that Spiritualism is linked almost irretrievably with psychic entertainment, the mind-body-spirit commercial promotions perhaps a lot to do with that?

readings? I despair.....

i know there is a need for medium to help in providing the evidence of the continual of life after death, but i think some times there is too much spot light put on the role of medium counsellings, get a reading, be the crutch for someone who can not make a decision, yes guidance but there are some who like it is said see it as entertainment, their lost on seeing the full application of mediumship or is it more on the fault of the spiritualist who allows the side show to continue for the sake of the coin.

Hi,

An all too familiar picture. You will no doubt of read of my depressing recent incident regading a recent 'physical'seance. My heart goes out to you.

Problem is that many people attending such venues have no interest in Spiritualism, and know nothing at all about the movement or its history. However, that aside many people do not wish to know.

What we see incresingly is the 'message junkie' who latches onto anything that sounds faintly familiar in their quest to get a message. Of course that sort of banality comes with it, and the vague description.

Its a guessing game, and oh yes, you get charged a couple of quid to sit there and enjoy it. Until the public and the Spiritualists demand clear evidence of survival we shall continue to get the chancers and so called mediums falling over themselves to demonstrate this trash.

Trouble is they are so ignorant of the true nature of Spiritualism they simply see it as being the norm. These 'mediums' are not so much charlatans as 'clair-deluded'. If there was ever a need to go back to basics its now, before modern Spiritualism becomes a laughing stock of its own making.

LeroyC

Funny a few recent incidents and this thread a patternseems to be forming for some of my thoughts.

One of the biggest problems I see is that many of the newer mediums appearing have not necessarily been involved with Spiritualism. They trot off to the AFC or other centres for their training because they believe they have abilities. These courses are only about the phenomena, largely excluding teh philosophy. The newbies, from a whole host of spiritual pathways then end up in Spiritualist venues. All too often half of these venues have little understanding of Spiritualism.

So we end up with a phenomena (of allkinds mixed up readings from teh mediums own mind, psychism and maybe a little mediumship) fun and frivolity. As Hiorta says no place for the bereaved nor is it any place for the thinker.

Little or no point to the whole excercise. Then look around and read some of the horror stories about the "messages" delivered remebering that all to many want to be told how to live their lives and you wonder.