Psychics - Making Ends Meet !

What strikes me most about the classified advertisements of mainstream psychic publications, which includes amongst other magazines, Psychic News and Spirit Destiny is the diversity of services offered by Psychics and Mediums in the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond.

Of course, as you might expect, many listed services include Runes readings, Horoscope, Spiritual healing and Tarot cards. Many of these services are traditionally accepted within the scope of adopted practices that have existed for a thousand years and more.

Reading further down the list of psychic related advertisements, I come across the most obscure departments, all of which exist under the umbrella of ‘psychic services’:

Spell casting
How to get your ex- partner back
Return your lover

Be that as it may, the objective of this article is not concerned with the diversity and relevance of the services offered by psychic consultants as this will be the subject of my next article which will appear in the very near future. My main consideration here is charged against the validity and range of fees demanded by Psychics and Mediums.

The principle of charging clients for a psychic consultation is, in my mind, acceptable to most people who seek out the services of professional psychics. After all most of us willingly engage the services of professional accountants and solicitors and we might pay a handsome sum of money for their time. In like manner, there is no reason why a psychic consultant should withhold charging a reasonable fee from their clients for services rendered. After all, psychic consultants have their need to pay bills and buy food.

However, what sticks in my mind as I read through the classified advertisements are the extortionate fees which are demanded by some Psychics. For example, I note one advertisement which features an internationally renowned Medium who is offering a private reading at the rate of £30 per 20 minutes consultation ( that’s £90 per hour! ). Similar advertisements demand fees which range from £1.50 per minute to £20 for a postal reading.

Contrastingly, some Mediums and Psychics suggest donations instead of fixed fees or request much smaller fees for their services. I personally know of several Mediums in the Hampshire area who charge between £15 and £20 for an hourly session.

The point I am making here refers to the fact that there is no official regulatory body in the United Kingdom which supervises the conduct of Mediums and Psychics who are free to set their own fee at a rate which they feel is appropriate for their services. Consequently the likes of bad psychics and charlatans have the potential to out price or even undercut the fees which are set down by genuine clairvoyants who perhaps deserve better.

As luck would have it, nowhere in the advertisements have I seen reference to money back guarantees for clients who are dissatisfied with their consultation!.

Spiritualism - The Comfort Zone

Each and every one of us has the instinctive need to belong to someone or something - at least for some of the time - and to be accepted by others so we may feel good about ourselves.

Not so many years ago I became a member of a Spiritualist church which was not too dissimilar to the local stamp-collectors' alliance or chess club where associates of like-mindedness would engage in frivolity and other out-of-the-ordinary activities. In due course, a bond of momentary friendship or more lasting association would develop in the midst of the group.

The age range of the members varied between 18 and 80. And like countless other clubs, the socio-economic makeup was a mixed bag of wealth and poor alike. One outstanding feature of the group was the ratio of women to men - approximately six to one. Our group would meet once or perhaps twice each week at an established venue in the heart of old town Brighton; a community which is celebrated for new age idealism and forward thinking arguments.

What sticks in my mind is the very ceremonial procedure at the heart of our association whereby a guest speaker would be invited, twice weekly, to grace our presence with the human ability of wisdom, laughter and song. Of interest, I recall, were the guest-speakers who made a lifelong impression on me. One such speaker in particular spoke for almost 45 minutes on the topic of gardening and endeavoured to liken the arranging of flowers with the life-challenges that all of us must face. Another speaker opted to share with us her very singular account of personal success in family and work-life and attempted to compare this ‘material’ success with spiritual accomplishment. To this day I fail to see the analogy.

I started as an ordinary member, the main function of which focused on the need to be visibly present on a weekly, if not in twice-weekly basis. Then, as time passed, I was assigned greater responsibilities such as collecting money from ordinary members and manning the music system and lighting controls for the purpose of entertaining our members, committee and guests alike. These assignments, like any other stepwise responsibility, grew to be out-placed by more senior tasks that consisted of booking our guest speakers and raising funds from time-to-time. Several years into my membership, I too become a guest speaker on the platform which I shared with a very experienced group-member. Finally, in the second part of my membership within this group, I was entrusted the vice presidency; a position which required the most tactful diplomacy at all times.

Another sacrament of the group's was the informal gathering of members and guests alike immediately after the closure of ‘official business’ - the serving and eating of as much home-made cakes and tea as possible before the end of the evening. The cakes were meticulously baked by our President who possessed the ability to craft the most spectacular ‘eats’ that anyone could conceive of. From time to time, the committee would co-ordinate a day trip outside of the town for the ordinary members, families and friends.

Some of the more admired venues included public gardens, visitor centres, and shopping malls, to mention a few. I call to mind the actual planning of the day amongst the committee members, many months in advance which included the momentous responsibility of booking the coach, collecting members at prearranged halts and making contingency plans in case the final head count on the return journey confirmed a missing person. Some of our excursions would customarily end in a sit-down meal, affectionately known as the 'psychic supper'.

So now you know how I spent five ritualistic years of my life, every week for six hours, every week applying the rules that governed our group like so many other groups of similar make-up. I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the Spiritualist church and by offering my help wherever I could be of service and partaking in the ceremonies and excursions afforded by the church, I benefited enormously. As did so many other people, from the friendship, warmth and feeling of belonging. Curiously, however, I eventually distanced myself from the association after so many years of service and after so many years of friendship, warmth and feeling of belonging.

On reflection, I recognise why I had to dissociate myself from orthodox spiritualism and therefore reject the friendship, warmth and feeling of belonging. I was very aware that finding the centre ground within our group was without a solution and that if I cast off one part, I was to all intents and purposes rejecting the whole lot.

I therefore opted to cast-off the deeds, which govern the people that support the seven spiritual principles, on account of my own sense of the way forward - in favour of uncertainty ahead and unchartered terrain.

I do not reject Spiritualism's optimism and the belief that the soul continues after bodily death. Quite the opposite, I consider that I have witnessed sufficient evidence to confirm the existence of the ‘spirit world’ and the people that live within that world.

For that reason I reject the tea and cakes, the day trips, the belonging and the cosy set of connections which drive the spiritualist movement today and I choose to embrace change and discover the challenging unchartered terrain.

Above all else, I accept the priority to improve mediumship and to discover new ways to work. To cut a long story short, I have abandoned the comfort zone.

Published by www.spiritVoice.biz/

Credible Mediumship

Acceptable and credible evidence of life after death is often muddled and confusing. The solution to this dilemma is best explained in the following way:

Acceptable and credible evidence of life after death is 'intelligence' from spirit communicators that will hold up to scrutiny and prove beyond reasonable doubt, the existence of the spirit communicator.

The following underpinning communication techniques and the affiliated type of evidence produced may prove beyond reasonable doubt, the existence of spirit communicators.

Direct Voice:

A means of producing and hearing discarnate souls within a controlled environment. Documented evidence suggests how witnesses are able to claim and accept 'spirit' voices; by means of the characteristic tone, style, 'live' conversations and evidential information projected by the 'spirit' voice. This exceptional communication technique is thought to be infrequent and when investigated has baffled many scientists and psychic researchers alike. Two famous Mediums that have been identified with 'direct voice' are Estelle Roberts and Leslie Flint. Roberts has been known to communicate in foreign languages, including Dutch, a language that was beyond her grasp. Scientists have extensively investigated Flint. One scientific report concluded that an 'unknown force' was operating through him.

Materialisation:

The physical form of phenomena known as materialisation is the utilisation of human energy by spirit forces, for the purpose of controlling physical movement. For example, in documented cases, eyewitnesses have reported seeing the movement of tables, chairs and small objects in a controlled atmosphere. In other examples, eyewitnesses have identified three - dimensional images of ‘dead’ relatives and friends. The conversion of human energy into a spirit force has been conveniently called ectoplasm. This process is not obviously understood; however, the resultant process is powerful enough to move objects and the spirit 'material' can become tangible to humans.

Spirit photography:

Ectoplasmic objects can be photographed under appropriate conditions. Moving and still images of spirit forces have produced an array of spirit evidence.

Psychic art:

Some Mediums are able to draw images of ‘dead’ people. Consequently, eyewitnesses can positively identify friends and relatives. This source of evidence can hold up to rigorous scrutiny and may produce reliable evidence.

Trance-mediumship:

This form of spirit communication is uncommon today, and when witnessed, can be branded as tomfoolery on the part of the Medium. Scientists, doctors and even some priests regard the idea of a spirit force, taking control of a human in a possessive action as comical. Be that as it may, eyewitnesses have been astounded by the brut-force of the 'possession'. Accounts of remarkable philosophy and knowledge have been observed and when likened with the same 'dispossessed' Medium, has proven impossible to replicate the same comprehension and intellect that was demonstrated during the 'possession'. One famous Trance Medium known today is Colin Fry.

Mental phenomena:

This is by far the most popular form of 'spirit contact' today, whereby the Medium communicates with the 'spirit' on a non-physical level and passes the information on to the third person for which the information is intended. Mental phenomena have been subjected to condemnation in recent years inasmuch as the standards of mediumship have declined. However, this process cannot be dismissed entirely in view of the fact that some spirit links can be highly evidential. For example, obscure information, unusual names and addresses which all inter-link. Excellent memory links and accurate descriptions of ‘dead’ associates may be convincing enough to hold up to scrutiny and prove beyond reasonable doubt, the existence of the spirit communicator.

This is by far the most popular form of 'spirit contact' today, whereby the Medium communicates with the 'spirit' on a non-physical level and passes the information on to the third person for which the information is intended. Mental phenomena have been subjected to condemnation in recent years inasmuch as the standards of mediumship have declined. However, this process cannot be dismissed entirely in view of the fact that some spirit links can be highly evidential. For example, obscure information, unusual names and addresses which all inter-link. Excellent memory links and accurate descriptions of ‘dead’ associates may be convincing enough to hold up to scrutiny and prove beyond reasonable doubt, the existence of the spirit communicator.