Introduction

Hi Everyone,

Welcome to this new forum which I hope to see grow into a major source of thought, ideas and inspiration for Spiritualism.

Normal rules of etiquette, courtesy and language.

Enjoy this as it builds up

Jim

Hello, everyone. I'm Firefly and I've just joined you tonight. I'll be reading the interesting topics before I post. Talk to you later.

Hi and welcome Firefly

jim

Thank you so much for that welcome.

Welcome to the site,Firefly.
I think but not sure I may know your name from somewhere.
You sound very familiar.

Joanie

I'm wonndering how I can sound familiar when I have said so little. I don't think I've met a Petal before. Thanks for asking.

Maybe J is thinking of 'dragonflyz' from elsewhere....?

Thanks Mac.

I know someone by the name of 'Firefly'.
Probably just a coincidence.
Thought I had found an old friend but I was wrong.

Petal

hello I've just joined what seems to me an intelligent take on spirituailism i.e. this board.

Can I ask why when I watch TV and see mediums like John Edward, or Colin Fry that these type of mediums with their clarity when giving out messages are fascinating to watch yet whenever I go to my local spiritualist church its all very mediocre. If I hadn't read Leslie Flints book voices in the dark I'd have given up me searches long ago. Interesting observations Leslie gives on the spirit world becoming finer and finer given what we now know of quantum physics

julie wrote:hello I've just joined what seems to me an intelligent take on spirituailism i.e. this board.

Can I ask why when I watch TV and see mediums like John Edward, or Colin Fry that these type of mediums with their clarity when giving out messages are fascinating to watch yet whenever I go to my local spiritualist church its all very mediocre. If I hadn't read Leslie Flints book voices in the dark I'd have given up me searches long ago. Interesting observations Leslie gives on the spirit world becoming finer and finer given what we now know of quantum physics

welcome! I'm pleased to hear you're finding an intelligent approach here to Modern Spiritualism. Certainly I try to make my contributions as intelligent as I can!

It's easy to believe that communication is always as seen on such self-promoting programmes on TV. I don't know if the mediums you mention are as clear and effective when on stage and live......?

As you remark, though, reality may be somewhat different. Just the facility to edit TV footage may alter the reality of how well those mediums appear to work. On top of that discarnate communicators may find more difficulty with some mediums than with others - perhaps some are more easily receptive to their would-be communicators?

Churches have a difficult reputation for mediocre mediumship but they can only be as good as their practitioners - that's a subject much and frequently discussed. But as I've frequently pointed out, Spiritualism isn't only visiting Spiritualist churches for messages. Indeed one might point out that once an individual has understood and accepted the notion of survival, there should be much less need (if any) to continue hoping for a message at a demonstration. I rarely visit a church or centre yet consider myself a dyed-in-the-wool Modern Spiritualist.

I hope you will stay to express yourself more widely on the forum boards.

Hi Julie

The strategy I have adopted is to consider as many sources as practical (I think Leslie Flint is a great example). There are other things you may find of particular interest and that will give plenty of food for thought if you liked Leslie's work (Ernest Oaten's writing and those of Maurice Barbanel for example). Zerdini has been very helpful to me in recommending reading matter and referring to good quality research on this forum.

Whilst watching Colin Fry and John Edward is fascinating (sometimes), I don't find mental mediumship on the whole anywhere near as striking as some of the other forms of mediumship (particularly Independent Direct Voice such as Leslie and materialisation mediumship such as that evinced by Alec Harris and Minnie Harrison to name but three) - except of course you can actually witness mental mediumship for yourself (well, you know what I mean).

Once I started to set my mind to it, I was astonished by some of the research that has been carried out and the nature of the communication achieved. Although I haven't as yet been able to witness any of these forms of mediumship for myself, having a storehouse of knowledge about what has been done keeps me interested and stops me from simply closing my mind to the subject.

I suspect the reason you see bad/no mediumship at spiritualist churches may be because:

a) It is a rare gift;
b) Churches find securing good mediums next to impossible;
c) There seems to be a school of thought that 'everyone can do it'
d) SNU sells course for mediumship after which presumably people feel 'qualified' and off they go...
e) not many people approach the messages given in a logical and analytical fashion and are prepared to accept any old cobblers as evidence
f) Churches aren't really about evidence but are there for 'believers' ie those who no longer need good evidence for whatever reason.

Call me an old sceptic...

Welcome Julie, in terms of Mediumship I think Mac and Obi have done a good job answering.

Becoming a good medium takes time and there appear to be some specific mindsets involved. My work running development groups has convinced me that my belief everybody has psychic abilities is correct. However the step from reading another persons energy to connecting with Spirit energy is one that can elude even gifted Psychics.

Many Psychics are, however, convinced they are Mediums and often end up on platform giving a mixture of messages.

I am, luckily, married to a very good Medium and have developed my own skills to the level wher I can give reasonable evidence. We have others in training and several who do a good job who work at our Mission. All of us aim to give proof of survival based upon CERT; Communicator, Evidence, Reason For Being There and Tie the message up.

Even experienced Mediums can have off days though, for a wide range of reasons. However, those with sufficient training will normally still pull off a decent demonstration.

I do not know what area you are in but amongst those who work in the Spiritualist Churches if you see the names Michael (or Micky) Bagan, Gerard Smith and Eileen Douglas go to watch them work I understand these three are about as good as you can get.

Great piece, Jim, with some good suggestions for mediums to visit....

Admin wrote:

I do not know what area you are in but amongst those who work in the Spiritualist Churches if you see the names Michael (or Micky) Bagan, Gerard Smith and Eileen Douglas go to watch them work I understand these three are about as good as you can get.

I presume you mean Eileen Davies (rather than Douglas) from Aberdeen, Jim.

Gerard Smith is from the Staffordshire area and Michael Bagan is from London.

All work around the country from time to time so it worth looking out for them.

Thanks for replying so quickly. You see I have had my own experiences and always felt confident with spiritualism. Over 10 years ago I had an op for right temporal lobe epilepsy I could get peoples names in 'thought' forms
And I knew that consciousness was forever, since I had my op too remove a small tumour resting on my lobe (a partition in the front of your brain) I no longer have this 'knowing' .Certainly its a well known fact among neurosurgens I was told It was called the 'psychic' part of your brain and music guitar music Eric Clapton etc always triggered my convulsions No This is not the ramblings of a madwoman please feel free to google musicogenic epilepsy, However since my cure I no longer have this knowing. and I miss it. So coming across leslie Flint was for me confirmation that the spirit world existed oh and a litttle pamphlet I found about Bill Redmond helped as well.

and quantum physics wow you create your own reality how very true.

"and quantum physics wow you create your own reality how very true."

You can create your own reality but you may also enjoy those created and shared communally.

The 'next world' is as solid and real as the present one but locally malleable by individuals wishing to create their own localised surroundings....

oh well am back from me travels

welcome back Julie

umm has anyone read a book by Dennis Barrett called the healing spirit? tis good...

Rudolf steiner anyone? is he a spiritualist?

julie wrote:Rudolf steiner anyone? is he a spiritualist?

No, he was an anthroposophist.

Steiner is very interesting though Z as one of the key members of the New Thought Movement which encompasses Ella Wheeler Wilcox who wrote some great poetry.

Admin wrote:Steiner is very interesting though Z as one of the key members of the New Thought Movement which encompasses Ella Wheeler Wilcox who wrote some great poetry.

I agree, Jim.

Anthroposophy is a human oriented spiritual philosophy that reflects and speaks to the basic deep spiritual questions of humanity, to our basic artistic needs, to the need to relate to the world out of a scientific attitude of mind, and to the need to develop a relation to the world in complete freedom and based on completely individual judgments and decisions.

From this perspective, anthroposophy can also be called spiritual science. As such, it is an effort to develop not only natural scientific, but also a spiritual scientific research on the basis of the idealistic tradition, in the spirit of the historical strivings, that have led to the development of modern science.

oh ta for that. and paul beard?

julie wrote:paul beard?

Sounds like something you do to annoy a Pirate.