Types of Mediumship
and their related phenomena
How many types of mediumship are there?
There are only TWO types of mediumship – Mental and Physical. Healing comes under the umbrella of Mental Mediumship. Mental mediumship comes through the mind. Physical mediumship manifests phenomena.
What is the Difference Between Mental and Physical Mediumship?
The difference between mental and physical mediumship is very easy to decide. In mental mediumship all the information comes through the mind of the medium and is relayed to those present. In physical mediumship everybody present sees, hears, feels etc. If one person is not aware of any particular phenomenon taking place in a physical séance then that particular phenomenon is not being produced by physical mediumship.
The word phenomenon when used in mediumship is exactly as defined in any dictionary, ie anything that can be perceived as an occurrence or fact by the senses and any remarkable occurrence or person.
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What is Mental Mediumship?
Mental Mediumship is classified under two headings: Perception and Control. In perception the medium enters an altered state of consciousness, links to the spirit communicator, and relays the information given.
In control, a spirit guide is allowed by the medium, to draw close and influence him/her, sometimes to such an extent that the medium has no memory of any proceedings. Control is often called Trance and trance, in mediumship varies in degree from the slight overshadowing of the medium’s mind to the degree of seeming unconsciousness. In the stronger stages of trance the spirit operator will use the medium’s body, and especially the vocal organs, to address those present. This does not mean that the spirit person enters the body of the medium.
Control can actually take place from a great distance. The spirit people know which buttons to push; they cannot enter a person’s body; that person is attached to their body by what is known as the silver cord and this cord can only be severed at death, thus releasing the spirit and enabling it to return to its rightful home.
Some of the phenomena used in mental mediumship are:
What Types of Mediumship are Perceptual?
- Clairvoyance – clear seeing and this can be either subjective or objective.
- Clairaudience – clear hearing and again can be subjective or objective.
- Clairsentience – clear sensing; being aware of feelings, emotions etc.
Most mediums use a combination of the above types of mediumship when working. Other phenomena produced by the above three methods, or a combination of them are:
- Odour Awareness – this is part of Clairsentience; being aware of a perfume, home made bread etc.
- Psychic Art – drawings of loved ones done by the medium under the inspiration of spirit.
- Inspirational Writing – most mediums receive inspirational writings and these should always be kept for future reference.
- Healing – the laying on of hands and prayer. That is all that it takes plus a sincere and open channel for the spirit operators to use.
What Types of Mediumship are ‘Control’?
- Spirit writing – the medium is entranced, often falls asleep, and upon returning to consciousness finds voluminous writing has taken place.
- Automatic writing – the medium gently holds a pencil or pen, then distracts his mind, perhaps by reading and allows the pen to move of its own volition.
- Trance included types of mediumship from overshadowing to full control.
- Trance healing – here the healer goes into a state of trance and allows him/herself to be controlled by a Healing Helper and healing is then given to the patient. Healing of any kind done in a private home should have adequate supervision, for the protection of both the healer and the patient.
What is a Physical Medium?
A physical medium is a reservoir for the production of ectoplasm. To produce physical phenomena types of mediumship a special seance must be held with much restriction placed upon it to make sure the safety of the medium. When all criteria are met, the medium enters a state of deep trance and ectoplasm is taken by the spirit operators from the medium’s body and used to form many manifestations such as full-sized people, to move objects such as trumpets and form voice boxes for spirit to speak through and to levitate objects.
Everybody present witnesses types of mediumship that are clearly physical phenomena.
Some of the phenomena of Physical mediumship are:
- Materialization – spirit people use ectoplasm to clothe themselves so their physical appearance is clear to all present.
- Transfiguration – a mask of ectoplasm is made and placed in front of the medium’s face. A spirit person’s face will appear upon this mask and will speak directly to his/her loved one.
- Direct and Independent Voice – In direct voice trumpets are usually used to act as condensers for the spirit voices. A voice box is attached to the trumpet and the spirit people speak through it. Independent voice is a spirit person’s voice speaking anywhere in the room without the aid of a trumpet.
- Levitation – objects and/or people lifted, usually by use of ectoplasmic rods.
- Percussion – sound. Spirit will rattle tambourines, ring bells, knock on walls as in the Hydesville Rappings.
More Types of Mediumship include:
- Telekinesis – movement of objects happens with these types of mediumship. This isdone by mind power and does not always need the intervention of spirit. In a physical circle, however, ectoplasmic rods will be used to move the objects.
- Apports – an object is de-materialized and transported to the séance room where it is re-materialized. The objects are usually taken from the physical world and do not come from spirit.
- Asports – the opposite of Apports. An object disappears from the séance room and is found elsewhere at a later date.
- Psychic Art – the Bangs sisters were famous for the production of precipitation paintings. They both went to sleep on a platform in front of a large audience. Paint was thrown at the canvas and a picture eventually emerged. Whilst such an event is a physical phenomenon, it is doubtful whether the spirit people would be using ectoplasm as ectoplasm disintegrates in white light.
These are also classed as types of mediumship:
- Slate Writing – two slates were bound together and at the end of the séance a message to the sitters was found written upon them.
- Spirit Lights – colored lights would be seen dancing round the room by all present.
These are only a few of the many types of mediumship phenomena that happen during physical mediumship. The spirit world are always working towards producing more to help mediums overcome the prejudices of a materialistic outlook so prevalent in the world today.
What Misconceptions are there about the Different Types of Mediumship?
Astral Travel – when the body sleeps, the spirit will ease out of the body to attune to spiritual influences which will revitalise the physical body. With some psychic or mediumistic people, the spirit will actually leave the body and go travelling. At all times the spirit attaches to the body by the silver cord which is like a light-ray.
Whilst this cord is endless if the body is disturbed the cord will spring back, like elastic, returning the spirit to the body, often with a jerk. While out of the body the spirit can travel through the physical world or move to a level where both incarnate and discarnate spirit can meet. If a person becomes conscious just before, or during astral projection, it is important to stay in a state of total passivity as any reactive emotions such as fear, excitement etc will bring the spirit back to its body. The body needs sleep, the spirit is eternally awake.
Do mediums believe in Calling up the Dead?
Another impossibility. Free will becomes a nonsense if it is possible for a spirit person to be dragged from whatever s/he is doing by a medium and made to ‘perform’. The whole idea is laughable. The dead try to summon a medium but a medium who is in control of his of her mediumship will only respond if that is what is wished. With all types of mediumship there is free will on both sides of life.
Do all mediums believe in Reincarnation?
Some people say that reincarnation is theoretical, there not being sufficient evidence for it to be accepted as factual. Conversely others feel very strongly that the evidence recorded is substantial. This does not mean that it is not a fact and, conversely, it also does not mean that it is a fact.
Strangely enough spirit guides differ when questioned upon the subject. People must, therefore, decide for themselves whether or not returning to earth to have more experiences makes sense.
What do mediums say about suicide?
There is no hard and fast rule for the treatment of suicides even though there are many books telling of darkened states and people wandering in grey mists in limbo. As with every deed performed by each person, the motive behind the deed is the deciding factor as to the treatment which will be given.
While living on Earth some people experience mental blackouts; some people are in excruciating pain; some people have a mental illness, some people are being kept alive by machinery and some people are running away from life to escape the consequences of deeds perpetuated by them. It is seen, therefore, how each person must make reparation according to his/her motives.
Suicide is not an answer to the problems of life and to leave this life to escape them will only result in the person having to face even greater problems in the next life and the wanderings in limbo could be the wanderings of a soul torturing himself for returning home before the allotted time. Life isn’t always easy but it is to be lived.
What do Mediums say about Orbs?
With the advent of the digital camera in the public market-place, the phenomenon of Orbs has become widespread. There is a lot of hysteria attached to orbs showing up on prints and wild claims of them being spirit, UFO’s and even faeries or other folk from the elemental dimension.
Orbs are caused by dust or moisture on the lens of the camera and photographers have been aware of them for many years. It is moisture that is either on the lens at the time of the snap taken in minute form (it catches the light) or moisture in the air (humidity), snow, fine rain, and mists. Other phenomena appearing on digitally produced prints are insects captured in flight.
The speed of the camera is so great it can literally snap a dragonfly in flight which ends up looking like a tiny flying saucer on the developed print. Orbs must never be confused with spirit lights which is an entirely different phenomenon and normally happens within a séance room although they have been known to appear on photographs taken by mediums who have the types of mediumship to give the energy for such.
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