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Taken from Medium9: The Transformational Powers of Spiritual Energy, Donna Smith-Moncrieffe
Page 125: Based on my research in 2011, the factors that enhance spirit to earth communication revolve around the medium, spirit, discarnates and the sitter. These factors are outlined as follows:
Factors Related to the Medium
Level of Mediumistic Ability: Many gifted mediums have a predisposition to being clear channels. Some have the ability to use many extrasensory perceptions to more frequently receive and communicate accurate messages. The best mediums are able to vibrate high enough to avoid using information from their brain – they should be only obtaining information for spirit.
Symbols and Interpretation: When mediums receive the symbols, they sometimes interpret the information inaccurately. Sharing the symbol and asking the sitter to interpret is sometimes construed as fraudulent when in fact sharing symbols and leaving the interpretation to the sitter is a better and more appropriate practice.
Emotional reaction to the sitter or the spirit: The medium’s reaction to the sitter being read and the discarnate providing the message can change the outcome of the reading. This is especially common when the sitter is emanating negative energy during the reading.
Factors Related to Spirit
Stage/Ability: Depending on the level of evolution some discarnates are not able to communicate with the medium to convey the message. In some cases, they need assistance from another discarnate or they are still adapting to their environment and are not ready to communicate via the medium.
Life/Purpose: Issues related to karma and higher life purposes have an impact on whether information is permitted for sharing between higher entities, the medium and the sitter. If certain information is shared, this could affect the sitter’s free will and opportunity to fulfill a previously agreed on plan for the current incarnation
Limitations and Source of Knowledge: Since spirit dictates who will convey a message, the sitter may want to hear about Aunt Lily but will only hear from Harris, a former next door neighbor. Harris may not be able to convey the type of knowledge the sitter wants to hear. Higher entities have more knowledge and higher level general knowledge than discarnates, therefore it I important that the sitter and medium be able to identify the source of the spirit message.
Factors Related to the Sitter
Predisposition: The sitter’s perspective and emotions can have an impact on the reading. Negative feelings, fear and anxiety can block the flow or decrease the vibration further reducing the clarity of information between the discarnate, medium, and the sitter.
Post-Analysis: Information verified months after a reading can provide answers to questionable information shared during the reading. Family members and neighbors may have information that the sitter does not have.
Lecture at Church of Universal Love Spiritual Centre, Toronto
What seems to be one of the strongest cornerstones of Spiritualism? Mediumship! One of Spiritualism’s unique qualities tends to embrace the world of spirit and spirit communication.
What is a Medium? This is a person whose body is capable of attunement to vibrations from a spiritual dimension and who acts as a channel of communication to obtain information and messages. A medium uses their psychic abilities in a three-way conversation – from spirit to medium to recipient. Each medium is unique in their delivery of the message because they use a variety of gifts to provide communication even though they may be trained in the same basic techniques. The way they work is based upon how their spirit guides can work with the medium most effectively.
How is a medium different from a psychic? A medium makes contact with spirit. A psychic is someone who can pick up information about the living person’s life. Most mediums are also psychic.
Mediumship is a cherished talent or ability that is to be continually developed and exercised. Mediumship’s purpose serves to unite loved ones isolated in death. It serves to expand the purpose of life and life after life. It can also provide relief of the pain of grief; help remove the fear of death; and teach us that we are, first and foremost, spirit having a physical experience.
Mediums are highly sensitive people who have developed their psychic awareness. Normally but not always, mediums are characterized by sensitivity, emotionalism, generosity, impulsiveness, self-consciousness and forgiveness. Signs of good mediumship are based on kindness, sincerity, humility, honesty, trustworthiness, truth and perseverance. The work of a medium is to provide proof of survival after death and to provide practical help and understanding of the purpose of life, when needed.
Everyone is born with varying degrees of psychic ability. There are those who have exceptional gifts who are known as mediums. Some show signs at a young age while others manifest these gifts after a long period of time.
The main goal for any developing medium is to expand into a complete spiritual awareness. Spirit uses the entire range of senses if the medium is open to it.
A spirit guide or helper controls the communication between the medium and the other side. The operator and medium possess a close, harmonious partnership. The helper works through the medium’s mind so that the thoughts are placed by the spirit world. Mediums cannot call up the dead. These personalities come to the medium, if they so choose.
There are two forms of mediumship – mental and physical. Mental mediumship is more common now. This form embraces clairvoyance (clear-seeing), clairaudience (clear-hearing), and clairsentience (clear-sensing). Spirit works through the medium’s mind, whereby they are able to see, hear or feel messages. Mediums have one or a combination of these three forms. Physical mediumship includes materialization, transfiguration (a mask is formed on the face of the medium, and the face is that of spirit), apports (objects dematerialized and are transported to another place and re-materialized by spirit. Often they are given as gifts to the sitters), levitation, table tipping or direct voice when spirit present themselves in visible form or speak directly to those they wish to contact.
Psychometry is another form of mediumship. An object is held in the hands of the medium and they read the vibrations emitted from the article. Impressions of who owns the object, their character, habits and incidents can be revealed. Psychometry can be used for finding missing people or police work.
The other form of mediumship is physical. It demands a lot of psychic and physical energies, which many mediums do not possess. Physical mediumship is more demanding with its requirements. The circle should consist of 5 – 7 people, with a balance of men and women. The circle sits at the same time and same place every week. The group must be in harmony with each other’s energy. It is recommended that the participants wear the same, loose fitting clothing for their appointment with spirit. Why? Because energy is to be built up to support the physical energies of spirit and the physical medium. There is no negative talk before, during or after a session. One leaves immediately afterward. It is common to sit in a dark room with a red light illuminating the darkness. It is also important to have salt, sugar, cut up oranges, water and water bowls as well as vitamins to give back to the group what was taken during the sitting.
For a medium, it seems to be relevant for the spirit guide to make him or herself known as they control the work the medium does from the spirit side. Also, from the medium’s point of view, it is a point of contact, a figure to relate to and a good focal point for the medium to attune to. The spirit guide acts as the principal teacher. The further mediums go on their journey, the less they will need to have a name for the guide. The more understanding mediums gain with the link to the spirit world, the less they will have to rely on these physical references.
Trance is also another form of mediumship. This is an intimate way of contacting spirit. Trance is done in circles consisting of a small group of sincere sitters. A medium’s guide speaks through the medium, answering questions from the group.
Trance mediumship/communication occurs where spiritual mediums are able to withdraw within and disengage to a point from conscious control of their mind, thus allowing it to function under the influence of a spirit communicator. When spiritual mediums are in deep trance, they will not be consciously aware of the content of the communication while they have been in trance. The level of trance can however vary even for a deep trance medium during any one-trance session. While it is to be hoped that there will be less interference from the medium’s mind in deep trance, there is also no reason to suppose that there is any more guarantee of the accuracy of the communication in the case of a deep-trance medium, whatever the level of trance the spirit communicators have to work through the medium’s mental processes, conscious and unconscious. The best guarantee of accuracy and a free flow of communication are for the medium to put aside his or her own ego and pre-conceptions and to be non-attached in relation to the content of the communications.
The deeper a medium can go into trance, the more receptive he or she becomes to the feelings of the personality of the spirit people who wish to come through. This helps place the medium’s mind on the sideline, allowing the spirit operator to work with the medium’s etheric energy-matter.
A physical medium usually sits within an enclosed area, called a cabinet. This helps focus the energies and creates a type of battery from which the phenomena can be built and energized.
Physical mediumship is the process whereby some in spirit, known as a spirit operator, works or operates through the mental and physical energies of the medium. Physical mediumship is objective in that everyone is able to see and or hear spirit. Everyone can develop the ability to link with Spirit, but not everyone can become a physical medium. This form of mediumship requires certain elements to be present within the physical organism of the medium. There must be an abundance of etheric matter, – called ectoplasm – which is found in the counterpart of the physical body. It acts as a battery for the medium. It energizes the physical body. It also acts as a bridge of consciousness between the spiritual and physical bodies. To a clairvoyant, this etheric vehicle appears as a thin, luminous band of light and energy surrounding the physical body by approximately 1 inch. It tends to be a silvery-blue-gray colour and varies in intensity and brilliance, depending on the general health and energy of the medium. Illness and exhaustion tend to weaken this etheric vehicle. A person who has an abundance of this vital energy matter has the potential of becoming a physical medium.
The development of physical mediumship is a lengthy process, sometimes with nothing happening for a long time. It requires great commitment on the participants. Development revolves around one or two individuals in the group while others sit to help them.
It requires a tremendous amount of selfless time and effort into the development of this type of mediumship. At one time, sitting in a physical circle was a form of socializing. Today, this is not the case.
Automatic writing is another form of mediumship. Since the early days of Spiritualism, automatic writing has been accepted as a way for trance mediums, and sometimes ordinary people, to receive communications from the spirit world. A spirit brings messages through by using a writing implement, a computer, or any other means of communicating through the written word. Sometimes the messages come in foreign languages. Often, the person does not recognize his or her own handwriting. The hand moves on its own to create the words. Sometimes, these words have to be deciphered as they are all joined together. Often, spaces are not made between words, there is no punctuation, and a picture or symbol is part of the writing. Some automatic writers know who is giving the messages while others do not. It is believed the medium is writing unconsciously and messages are formed from material in the subconscious mind or from a secondary personality that is gifted with extrasensory perception.
Do not confuse automatic writing with inspirational writing. Inspirational writing is a mental exercise. The handwriting is recognizable as the writer’s, the thoughts are not. The writer guides the hand and he is are fully conscious during this exercise.
Why is physical mediumship so rare? Up until the 1930’s, physical mediumship was quite common and the strength and range was vast. In the beginning of modern Spiritualism, people needed to see evidence. As acceptance grew, teaching and philosophy shifted the focus. Mental mediumship (clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience) began to predominate. The needs of humanity dictated how Spirit would respond to those needs.
Physical mediumship is nothing like it was a century ago; however, there seems to be a resurgence of interest. Where this will lead, only time will tell.
For a medium who works with mental gifts, there are several things needed to provide a successful session for the client. A medium says a short prayer ahead of the sitting. This sets the tone as well as triggers spirit to be ready to start their communication. The medium adjusts and waits for the first communication from spirit before starting. There is no guarantee of communication, as the information does not come from the medium! At the end, the medium thanks spirit for their work and for using the medium as a channel by which information flows through.
There are common misunderstandings with this work.
- Messages are carved in stone. Actually, the information flowing through the medium is fluid, due to free will. The information is accurate the moment it is given; however, it can be influenced by free will and changed by the sitter.
- Messages are negative. The higher the evolution of the medium, the less likely there will be negative messages, as the information comes from a purer, loving source. If there is something that requires attention, it will be communicated in a loving way.
- Sittings hasten the bereavement process. Nothing is further than the truth. Time is what heals the wounds of loss. It is recommended that sitters wait during their period of mourning before taking a sitting. Mourners’ emotions can actually block their loved ones from coming, as they do not want to cause more pain.
- Mediums can read for themselves. A medium is approximately 100% inaccurate when reading for him or herself. They are constantly struggling with ego within their own messages. Ego is a persuasion that throws a message off. It is best for a medium to go to another medium for a sitting or wait for inspiration to be given.
- Mediums easily connect with crossed loved ones. Mediums are not in control of who comes in. This is the job of spirit who work with the medium as well as the availability of the personality who has crossed.
- Desired loved ones always come through. Unfortuantely, this is not always the case. Sometimes personalities come in who are not welcomed, such as the crabby mother-in-law or the sullen father or the friend you had a falling out with.
- Mediums understand what is given to them. Because the reading belongs to the sitter and the medium does not know the individual, some symbols and signs may not make sense. Clarification is sometimes needed. The medium will go back to spirit to ask for an explanation.
- Commonly, sitters refer to the source as the medium when they say, “She said this or that.” This is not the case. The medium is just that – someone by which information flows through. It is not a medium’s thoughts but communication from the spirit world.
- “They will be angry with me.” I have yet to experience any form of judgment from spirit. They give their messages with love. They see a bigger picture. They have greater understanding.
A really good medium encourages sitters to take responsibility for their lives. A medium will not try to fix things.
Physical and mental mediumship has proven to be a great source of education and comfort to the modern world. It provides a direct link with the other side of life, proves there is life after death and, in some instances, can provide instruction not normally found here on the earthplane. This was plainly experienced through the mediumistic work of Edgar Cayce, the sleeping prophet. The mediumistic work of Emma Hardinge Britten in the UK in 1871 supplied the Spiritualists’ Declaration of Principles. This documentation is the cornerstone of Spiritualism. And, really, what would a Spiritualist service be without messages? Perhaps it could be called a healing service, but then again, aren’t the healers mediums too? Aren’t they channels by which energy flows to affect healing?
Mediumship has been present on earth since ancient times and it is enjoying a renaissance. Spirit asks that you take up the challenge to attune to your inner knowing. They are here to serve you if you are willing.
Quoting directly from Harry Edwards, the greatest healer of modern times: “Mediums are only instruments of those who serve through us.”
In other words, Mediums are the vessel, the messenger, and that, is the mystery of it!
Carolyn Molnar is a Toronto based Psychic Medium and Spiritual Teacher. She has over 30 years experience. She provides readings and also teaches others how to tap into their intuitive abilities. Her book, It Is Time: Knowledge From The Other Side, has made a real impact in how people understand intuition. She has been featured on radio, television and in print. Carolyn believes intuition is accessible to everyone. Please contact her at 416-492-3202.