A Gordon Higginson Materialisation Seance

The Arthur Findlay College written by Cecile Barton (aged 70 yrs)
“Physical Phenomena Week”
Materialisation Séance with Gordon Higginson (my first experience of this)
Held in College Library 1st December 1988 7.25pm

Chairs in horseshoe shape around small platform. Over 80 people seated in room.
I am claustrophobic and knew that any unexpected movement of reaction on my part could endanger the medium’s life. I arrived late at the library door. When the séance begins, the door is locked. I thought I was too late. I opened the door. Everyone was seated – totally still and quiet. Someone indicated an empty chair for me. It was near the front and centre of the horseshoe. I hesitated, knowing that all lights would go out except for the centre red light shining on the medium. I knew I would be surrounded by people and “trapped” with the door locked, but I had no choice. Moments after I sat down the door was locked and lights went out. In previous enclosed spaces I have felt a rising panic and I prayed to be kept calm.

We had been asked previously to choose 4 people amongst the residents (residents are known as “students”) to thoroughly examine the library. I had been especially hovered and dusted and many small items removed – this is due to so much power building up that dist particles are attracted to the ectoplasm which exudes from the medium when he is in trance, and can affect the medium when the ectoplasm is withdrawn into his body. Also, we were told to remove all removable jewellery and not to take in tape-recorders or other items – we were told the temperature rises high die to the power produced. Everyone has ectoplasm and something is drawn from each sitter to add to the power of the medium. We were told that anyone sitting regularly for materialisation wearing bright coloured clothes would find the colours fade quickly as they would be used in the materialisation.

So, 4 people examined the library and box with curtains either side where Gordon (Higginson) would sit. Another examined Gordon to be sure (as Charles amusingly put it) he hadn’t been secretly “knitting ectoplasm.” Charles (the proprietor of the college) said those examining the library may “turn it upside down” as long as everything is put back into place.
So there I sat in the stillness.

Gordon is also claustrophobic and cannot sit in the box when awake, so he sat outside on a small chair, knowing that his guide – who manipulates his body when in trance – would take him into the box when in trance. The box is essential because it contains the power for physical phenomena – although the whole room builds power it is concentrated in that small area.

After a while, Gordon began to breathe deeply and his body shook a little. This could be seen under the dim glow of the red light above his head. The Gordon stood up and his Chinese guide spoke through him. The Chinese sage said he could feel many tensions and some fear. He said it is fear of the unknown. He continued talking to lessen the tension and he spoke of the need to watch our thoughts, to realise that we are all one. He spoke of the need to be kind to one another. Much of what he said was profound and I tried hard to concentrate in order to prevent my rising agitation. As time passed, my palpitations steadied to a quiet bear and during the séance I was surprised to feel a cool breeze around me – others afterwards said how extremely hot it had been in that room.

The Chinese guide then stood Gordon up and took him into the curtained box and there was complete silence for some time. Then Coco (pronounced cookoo) spoke. She is a little coloured girl, one of Gordon’s several guides. In a way, the child’s voice did sound not quite childlike but I know this is because a separate voice-box is made by the technicians from spirit but it does have to bypass Gordon’s own voice box. Coco giggled and said small inconsequential things to help us laugh and relax.

The atmosphere is very important to the success of all mediumship but particularly in materialisation. She told us she is the “Boss” of all this. Then Paddy interrupted. He has a strong cheerful Irish accent and throughout the evening he and Coco teased each other and interrupted each other so quickly it could never be doubted they wee two individuals. It was clear also when spirit relatives and friends spoke to the members of the “Audience” that they were as new to the process as many of the audience were and they had to be helped to relax as much as us. Paddy told us that to keep the power it was essential for the person spoken to, to answer immediately and to keep speaking in any silence on the part of the spirit visitor. This maintained the power for him/her to stay.

I shut my eyes for a while, then I heard Coco say, “It’s coming!” I opened my eyes and could hardly believe what I saw. From the box where Gordon was sitting was the brightest white “material” billowing out and up. It moved and wreathed becoming more and more solid yet flowing. The curtains were pushed aside and outwards. The white glowing flowing material formed the shape of a head and shoulders. Everyone gasped.

Gordon is a large man in width, not young, though with enormous presence and vitality in spite of many severe illnesses. He was sitting down. The whiteness rose high above his head to the top of the box. It was, in fact, covering the form of a spirit relative. In the past, relatives had used this ectoplasm to completely materialise in his/her familiar physical form, walking away from the box where Gordon would remain sitting, clearly seen and heard by all. But some years ago, Gordon received a shock by an action of one of the “sitters” (I have to find our exactly what and will then record this). The shock caused the ectoplasm to be rapidly withdrawn into Gordon’s solar plexus and burnt him. He overcame the shock to his system (it could have killed him) and told the doctor later that the burn was due to a hot water bottle. The doctor wouldn’t have understood or believed the true explanation.

Since that day, the ectoplasm has only been seen in “wisps” though the voices still spoke. According to people who have attended previous materialisations, although detailed features didn’t show on this present occasion, this year was exceptional since the accident.

At one point Paddy said in his jovial way, “Don’t touch him! If you do, there will be one more in Heaven and there isn’t room. We’re full up!”

The first spirit relative called a name. Paddy repeated the name clearly. The voice sounded soft and uncertain. He said, “It’s Dad.” A sitter answered, “Hallo Dad, how lovely you should come.” The father spoke to this person about personal things known only between them. Sometimes, there were longish pauses. Caring people around the sitter whispered “keep talking – keep talking.” The sitter stammered quickly – anything to keep the power (rather as one might talk on the telephone). “Dad, are you there, Dad? Talk to me,” and the quiet shy soft-sounding voice spoke again. Clearly, all that was said was totally accepted and understood by the sitter. More silence and the ectoplasm diminished. It shrunk thin and small down towards Gordon’s solar plexus. Then another relative appeared as the ectoplasm rebuilt and rose and swayed. One of the relatives said, “It is strange, being covered with this stuff.”

A lady sitter had answered to her relative in a stiff and unemotional manner. I was noting her rather cold responses when suddenly, she burst into tears.

Gerard’s brother came. Gerard is only 33 and his brother had “died” seventeen years ago. Gerard sounded emotional and after some conversation the ectoplasm shrank and the speaking stopped. Paddy then spoke to Gerard and said the brother hadn’t been able to hold on long because of the emotion felt by both. Often Paddy would help the struggling relative by giving messages when the relative was unable to keep the power going for himself.

Another lady sitter unwittingly amused us all. Paddy had said to her (calling her by name) that the person coming to speak had been a neighbour of hers who had died suddenly and she replied in confirmation, “Yes, he dropped dead in the bathroom.” Had this been said in conversation by non-spiritualists outside the séance room it would have produced the response of shock and horror or sympathy but her statement was almost a joke, as clearly, no-one was “dead,” suddenly or otherwise, speaking to us at that moment.

I had been listening with wonder to all that was taking place when Paddy said, “Barton.”
I could hardly believe my own name had been called but I responded clearly and in a matter-of-fact voice.
“I’m Barton.”
Paddy said, “Celia.”
“Yes, I’m Celia.”
“There is a gentleman here for you.”
In a vague way, it occurred to me that it might be Rocky but I didn’t have any special feeling about it, delighted or otherwise. I felt slightly tense and curious.
Then, I heard Rocky’s voice. He said, “Celia.”
There was so much feeling and meaning in his saying my name. Suddenly, Rocky was close to me. It was just him and me. My answer was immediate and spontaneous, sheer joy in my voice.
“ROCKY!” and knowing I must keep the power by talking I said, “my husband!”
Rocky said, “I love you” (how often when with me he used to say at unexpected times, “I love you so much”). He said, “I can’t believe this!”
I said, “It’s wonderful.”
Rocky, “I miss you – do you miss me?”
“I do miss you, Rocky.”
“I wish I hadn’t left you (meaning physically, as he is near me)
I said instantly, in a reassuring voice, “But you’re not far away!”
There was silence, then Paddy helped it along.
“You live in Radlett.” (this was a statement)
“Yes, I do.”
“You had to move unexpectedly.”
“Yes.”
Rocky returned, “Do you like your flat? Are you settled?”
“Yes, I’m happy in my flat.”
“Do you miss our house, Celia?”
I couldn’t quite catch what he said as the voice had become faint. I remained silent for a moment. People around me whispered, “Keep talking – keep talking.”
I said aloud, “What did you say?” Then, “What did he say?”
Various people replied hastily, “he said ‘do you miss our house?’”
I said in answer only, “I love my flat.”
Rocky, “I sit there with you. I stroke you hair the way I used to. I look out of the window at the garden with you.”
Paddy spoke again, “You’ve talked to a lot of people about this. You husband has been with you – he is glad.”
Rocky spoke again, “I want to stay, Celia. I don’t want to go.”
People around mumbled to me, “Keep talking – keep talking.”
I said, “DON’T GO – ROCKY, ROCKY, DON’T GO.”
Rocky spoke. I didn’t hear. I said, “What did he say?” People told me he had said, “Hold me.”
My mind wondered how it would be possible to fulfil such a promise but I replied reassuringly as I had on the day he was dying when he had said to me, “I don’t want to leave you Celia, I love you so much.”
So, I said, “Yes, I’ll hold you.” The voice faded and the ectoplasm diminished.
Paddy said, “You live at number 3.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Paddy, “I’ve just been over to check that everything is the way you left it.” (laughter)
When it was over, I could only say “thank-you – it’s wonderful.” Coco spoke cheekily, “Did you say I’m wonderful?” I said with feeling, “you are wonderful.”
Paddy spoke in his strong, playful Irish accent, “Do you think I’m wonderful, too?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Then tell God about it.” (laughter)

Paddy then said, “Your husband has met Mr Findlay – tell Jean.”
(My Uncle Will Findlay had died about 6 weeks ago, aged 97. Jean is his daughter. I had spoken to no-one of my Uncle Will or Jean.)

Later, outside the séance room, the man who had indicated the empty chair to me said, “It’s strange, people kept coming in but I felt I should leave the chair in front of me. The people were directed to other seats. When you came in I knew it was for you, that you should sit there.”

Someone else said, “I have been to several materialisation séances, but I have never known it like this – it was exceptional, you had such a rapport with your husband.”
Later, some said, “It was you who kept it going so long, the way you were able to talk to him.”
And someone else, “I wonder you didn’t break down and cry. I felt so sad for you about the parting. Somehow, I was surprised at this. I felt no emotion of sadness at all. Just absolute wonderment and joy and delight.
Whether what was said was “evidential” or not to anyone else is relatively unimportant. I do not accept anything on the level of “belief,” I have to know.
I know I have spoken to Rocky.
Men as well as women amongst the sitters received loved ones.
Women as well as men from the spirit world spoke to loved ones.
Other memory: In the beginning, when we were hardly used to the glow of the small red light, and couldn’t see the features of the people next to us, Paddy said, “you should see you faces! We can see them, you know.” he then made one or two comments about different people, such as to a lady further to my right when he said, “Your glasses are falling off you nose” and, amid laughter, she said, “you’re quite right, I shall adjust them.” The medium was sitting in the box when Paddy spoke.

POSTSCRIPT
Gordon received a third degree burn as the result of someone switching on a tape recorder. This information was told us by Gordon himself.

obiwan wrote:Thanks Z. These snippets help prevent my interest in such matters waning in the absence of any direct personal experience.

obiwan wrote:I wouldn't say waning. I just don't see a sensible way to progress really Mac. I feel I have got about as far as I am going to get.

obiwan wrote:I wouldn't say waning. I just don't see a sensible way to progress really Mac. I feel I have got about as far as I am going to get.

iceblue wrote:I find it very disappointing that you have not been given evidence from any medium you have been to visit,appalling actually.
Australia is even worse,not many good ones available.
So out of the mediums you have gone to see none of them have given you any of the following- a name or nick name,a physical description,how death occurred and at what age,what they done for a living,personal evidence of some sort,etc etc????
I aint promising anything,but send your loved ones to me,ask them to come and see me,many loved ones connected to the forum members do pop in now and then,lets see what happens.Duncan