Physical mediumship in dark or light ???

I read recently that during a physical seance it is appropriate if the attendees join hands with the person sitting either side of them. As this is to make sure that no hands are flailing around and causing waves in the power as this could disrupt the energy and make the medium very ill.

I am familiar with the joining of hands and seance room etiquette but must admit this is new to me. Has anyone else heard of this before.

I have to be honest, I have sat with a physical medium that requested this.. and also ask that if any1 breaks hands or moves that the people sat next to them speak up straight away,
Now im 6ft2 and 15 stone... and sitting on a hard wooden chair holding hands and not being able to move for nearly 3 hours... was extremely uncomfortable... my back hurt... my backside hurt.. my legs hurt as we were not able to stretch them...
Now im only 34... i dont have any physical problems... but was in agony. and i would assume that if i felt like that others were too.... in fact after about 70 mins i wanted out... sad sounding i know but true... but im simply not patient when i feel like that... now obviously i didnt say anything as im not going to be disruptive... but, the one thing i know about physical mediumship is that harmony between the sitters is required and i wonder how much of that we provided if there was a few of us feeling that way.

bravo321uk wrote:I have to be honest, I have sat with a physical medium that requested this.. and also ask that if any1 breaks hands or moves that the people sat next to them speak up straight away,
Now im 6ft2 and 15 stone... and sitting on a hard wooden chair holding hands and not being able to move for nearly 3 hours... was extremely uncomfortable... my back hurt... my backside hurt.. my legs hurt as we were not able to stretch them...
Now im only 34... i dont have any physical problems... but was in agony. and i would assume that if i felt like that others were too.... in fact after about 70 mins i wanted out... sad sounding i know but true... but im simply not patient when i feel like that... now obviously i didnt say anything as im not going to be disruptive... but, the one thing i know about physical mediumship is that harmony between the sitters is required and i wonder how much of that we provided if there was a few of us feeling that way.

I agree has been times were I felt the same it's not a nice feeling must admit. I like the way you mentioned harmony I agree, I am sure this could have an effect on the results, there needs to be the happy medium. Three hours is long though.

Interestig points about having to hold hands. Surely if the the energy is good and the harmony is there, what difference would holding hands make?

Wes,

Although most physical mediums today seem to think it is done to allegedly ensure that no one is getting out of their chairs and to ensure that no one will make a sudden grab at the 'materialised' entity moving around the room, in reality the habit of every one joining hands began as a practice in the very early 1850s because Spiritualists at the time believed that by holding hands an 'electrical energy circuit' was created which facilitated the build up of power for spirit manifestations, be they raps, or more physical phenomena.

Indeed, more than a few circles even went so far as to use copper wire wrapped in silk which was held by everyone around the circle to create the necessary energy circuit, though most just settled for the holding of hands.

In later decades, especially with the emergence of 'materialisation' mediumship, the purpose began to alter towards that which is given as the rationale today. Of course, for unscrupulous mediums, it was also the perfect means by which they could prevent the sitters from taking any action that might reveal their fraudulent activities!

I wonder if 'electrical circuit' aided the flow of energy as those who practice tai chi believe - as in the placement of the tongue into the roof of their mouths in order to aid the chi flow.
I think there is more to the 'flow' of energy (regardless of the guise i.e. chi etc..) than we understand, perhaps often stumbling across certain psychical actions, such as holding hands without realising the true value?

bravo321uk wrote:I have to be honest, I have sat with a physical medium that requested this.. and also ask that if any1 breaks hands or moves that the people sat next to them speak up straight away,
Now im 6ft2 and 15 stone... and sitting on a hard wooden chair holding hands and not being able to move for nearly 3 hours... was extremely uncomfortable... my back hurt... my backside hurt.. my legs hurt as we were not able to stretch them...
Now im only 34... i dont have any physical problems... but was in agony. and i would assume that if i felt like that others were too.... in fact after about 70 mins i wanted out... sad sounding i know but true... but im simply not patient when i feel like that... now obviously i didnt say anything as im not going to be disruptive... but, the one thing i know about physical mediumship is that harmony between the sitters is required and i wonder how much of that we provided if there was a few of us feeling that way.

I'm like you, tall and robust Therefore would (and do) find sitting in the manner you describe uncomfortable - as I'm sure the majority of people present would. The other issue I have with this, is the knock on effect from being uncomfortable... that of being.... because I'm concious of it, it detracts me from settling my mind and being as attentive as I would like to be. Which of course means I'm either going to 'miss' something and not possibly contribute as much as I would to the session (as in energy and focus) due to my mind and body being distracted.

I do personally think that it is a mediums preference though.... and not usually a spirit preference

_Leslie_ wrote:I wonder if 'electrical circuit' aided the flow of energy as those who practice tai chi believe - as in the placement of the tongue into the roof of their mouths in order to aid the chi flow.
I think there is more to the 'flow' of energy (regardless of the guise i.e. chi etc..) than we understand, perhaps often stumbling across certain psychical actions, such as holding hands without realising the true value?

I would agree with you Leslie being an unrepentant fan of Crookes and Cox I use the term Psychic Force (so did Camille Flammarion) but call the force what you may its there.

I do think that the holding of hands routine is a ritual that has come to signify the intent and purpose of the seance whether or not it actually adds anything to the production of phenomena.

As a spiritual healer though, I am quite sure that holding hands does create a circuit of energy if the intent to link is present. In fact, I use an exercise to that effect in my healing courses.

With regard to physical seances, I am neither that tall or large but have always found the extended sitting in a confined space for an extended period of time, in the dark absolutely intolerable and entirely non-conducive to harmony, positive energy or comfort.

I have sworn to never sit in another physical phenomena again as I find the claustrophobic atmosphere in the dark, and without the ability to actually see anything that is allegedly taking place, so unpleasant, and ultimately meaningless, that I decided it simply was not worth the bother, not to mention the cost.

Its interesting Lis,,, that you say about healing. as when one of the guides comes through during trance communication... he always gets every1 to hold hands when he talks about healing.,, hmm
Also I find it so sad that when we are talking about physical mediumship the cost always comes into play.
We hope to start demonstrating transfiguration through the churches at the end of the year,, and money or the thought of money does not play a part.

How wonderful to hear that Bravo321 uk. I wish all those involved the greatest success.

I can only say I wish you the very best for that work Bravo

I believe the linking of hands does somehow give a boost to the energy in the seance room.
In our development group we are currently being ask by spirit to put on the red light for the last 10-15 minutes and to link hands for one tune, (about 3 minutes)
This short link up seems to help the spirit team produce phenomena in the red light conditions and as it's only 3 mins it has no detrimental effect on the minds of the sitters.

hmmmm when i think about this a little more, it seems the guides in our circle ask for this more than i had realised.. Ie for instance during the transfiguration part of a sitting, spirit sometimes ask for a sitter to come close... and i mean real close.... knee to knee,,, and spirit will ask to hold the hands of the sitter.. whilst spirit come through in transfiguration for that person.

Interesting piece in the Telegraph about attendees at a "dark seance" set up by Universities remembered Real Phenomena. Up to 31% believed the table had moved. Now move that percentage up in any setting where you add people who believe a dark seance is real.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/3311509/Volunteers-at-fake-seance-remembered-seeing-table-levitate.html

that is a crazy percentage..

Absolutely Bravo just imagine how high it would be if you were a believer.

so many replays

Must be in the light, without question!

I agree whit you normy - if demonstraiting it!

I also think it's a bad move to develop in dark conditions, why not start as you mean to go on in light? It doesn't have to be strong white light, as long as all can see what's going on, and it's been done before, why not now? The spirit team, presumably, after assisting long development in the dark, would have to start again with new energies when light is introduced. I'm totally against dark seances in all circumstances.

Hmm..... I´m not convinst of that normy!

if spirit can come in light conditions - they whil let us knowe.
the problem is that people whit not right intenton try to do physical mediumship - they dont have the paitiens to with for developpment and they probbebly dont have the capasaty do form ectoplassma. so they start to sheet both them self and there siters.

I men it taks time to developp physical mediumship - and it shuld- there are werry , werry rare mediumship - so howe so many now days can sitt for developpment is for me strange.

I do think is fear to say you cant sitt in the darkt - it is fear to and of trusting the medium. It shuld be in love and dedikation.

The problem is to many sitt for it- that shuldent(((

That sounded a bit harsh I suppose, but I wonder what is the point of darkness. When I led a physical circle in my home, the physical medium we sat for insisted that every chink of light in to the room was eliminated, otherwise she did not expect good results. However, one day I asked for an attempt at transfiguration with one member of the circle, in good red electric light, and it ended up with very active table tilting with at one point nobody touching the table, which all could see. Intelligent answers seemed to be given to questions in the usual way, one tilt for yes etc. I also saw a very convincing table tilting session at Swansea many years ago with Dell Round and Jonathon John, in very good red light when no fraud was possible.

So, the most basic communications, liketable tilting, works very well in light, and the most advanced, materialisation, needs to be in light to see it , and some mediums could do most phenomena in light, so where's the problem? I would never pay to attend a dark seance, or even bother to go to one if it was free. Even in the Noah's Ark Society years ago, the two demonstrating mediums never allowed any light, which is bound to leave question marks as to the value of the demonstrations. I still wonder if all the very interesting phenomena which took place was as it was claimed, although I have no evidence there was fraud. You have to see for yourself, not imagine what might be happening.

I wonder what is the point of darkness.

Reel ectoplassma is higly sensetiv to light - thats way!

If light can come in the seans room they whill let us knowe! but in developing i see a danger bringing in the light from the beginning - it might just be telekinesi as you are telling whit tabeltilting- no need for ectoplassma there.

I do agree whit you - I wuldent go an sitt whit a demonstrationg physical medium in dark condishuns - it is not reddy developt then!.and shuld not be oute pubblic.