Mediumship

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There is an almost bewildering range of mediumship, but what every medium has in common is the claimed ability to see or hear the spirits of people who have died and to communicate with the living on their behalf. 

  From the sublime to the absurd
Apr 25, 2012

Rodin thinkerPhysical phenomena produced at seances are regarded by many as the pinnacle of mediumship. To be able to produce the spirit form of someone who has died, capable of being seen and recognised, and to walk and talk to the assembled witnesses, is the goal of many who sit regularly in home circles. They hold out the hope of emulating the achievements of famous mediums of the past who are credited with these extraordinary powers. And some, like David Thompson (about whom I have written several times on this Blog), are happy to demonstrate their mediumistic abilities on the road while they are – to put it kindly – still a work in progress.... more
  Still in the dark over Thompson seances
Apr 25, 2012
IN THE DARKLast year, in a report on a David Thompson physical seance, I offered two points of view about his mediumship: negative and positive. That discussion provoked numerous comments, for and against, which can still be viewed on this website. It is clear that people attending seances held under similar situations – total darkness – can come away with opposing opinions about the genuineness of what they experienced. I'd like to think that with the passage of time Thompson's mediumship could improve to the point where he can produce impressive evidence of spirit communication on a regular basis and maybe even exhibit convincing phenomena in red light. Currently, what he is offering is little more ... more
  Bert Weedon consulted spirit doctor
Apr 20, 2012
Bert WeedonThe death of brilliant guitarist Bert Weedon, who influenced many of today's musical icons - including Beatles Paul McCartney, John Lennon and George Harrison, as well as Eric Clapton and Brian May - was announced today. He died at his Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, home at the age of 91. Much will be written about his musical skills and charitable endeavours. But I suspect few of the obituaries will touch on his interest in spiritual healing and the help he received from George Chapman, a trance medium through whom the spirit of William Lang, a noted ophthalmic surgeon, conducted spirit operations. I collaborated with Chapman... more
  Spiritist film festival opens in London
Feb 20, 2012
Chico film posterLONDON. A five-day free Spiritist film festival starts tomorrow in London. It features the teachings received at seances by Allan Kardec, on which Spiritism is based, as well as the remarkable abilities of some of its top automatic writing mediums – notably Candido "Chico" Xavier and Divaldo Franco – and the evidence for life after death they have provided. The event takes place at Queen Mary, University of London, at Mile End. Some of the screenings are already sold out. The 1st Lusophonic Spiritist/Spiritualist Film Festival kicks off with a 2005 film, Allan Kardec, the Educator. Lusophonic - for those unfamiliar with the word - means "Portuguese-speaking", reflecting the popularity of Spiritism in Brazil, which was once a Portuguese colony. The language is spoken by 263 million people, so it is ranked sixth in the world. The good news is that all the films will have English subtitles. To view the programme and reserve a seat ... more
  Thompson decides to answer seance questions
Oct 21, 2011
SpiritofPN ThompsonBritish-born medium David Thompson, now based in Australia but travelling the world to demonstrate his physical mediumship, took exception to my report on one of his seances which I attended in the UK. He gave his own verdict on my report on his website, but refused to publish my response to the points he made or answer seven questions I put to him. But we now have the answers. My original report resulted in 70 comments, for and against the evidential nature of Thompson's mediumship, on www.ParanormalReview.com, and my follow-up account of Thompson's response led to 17 more, though technical problems (now resolved) made it impossible for many people to post their views. At the same time, SpiritofPN website, run by Susan Farrow, reported on my experiences at the Thompson séance, giving a link to this website. It also published an incredible 366 comments, showing just how much interest there is in physical mediumship and also how varied the views are about its value and the quality of the phenomena produced. Thompson even joined in those comments, saying in response to a contribution from me... more
  David Thompson replies - then refuses to give answers
Sep 8, 2011
Katie KingUPDATED 10th and 13th September
I'm delighted to report that British-born physical medium David Thompson has responded to my report on a "materialisation" séance I attended last month. I had hoped that it might open up a dialogue in which he would participate, on an immensely important subject and one that has been hotly disputed for more than a century, since the photo of the spirit of Katie King (right) was taken by Sir William Crookes. His criticism of my Blog was posted on the website of his Circle of the Silver Cord. He has also submitted it to me for inclusion as a Comment here. Rather than do that, I think it is important that his views are not buried among the many other opinions that have been expressed, and for that reason I am treating it as a new topic. Besides, that gives me an opportunity to correct many of the misstatements and false assumptions he makes. Unlike David, however, I am not going to suggest any ulterior motive – just his lack of knowledge in certain areas. To help readers get the most from this exchange ... more
 
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