Here And There - Part 2 of 3: Mediumistic Communication

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Dealing with death and its aftermath is something as old as the human race itself, for death is an inevitable part of physical existence. Even the most "primitive" of tribes have some sort of funerary rite in order to commemorate the passing of a tribe member. Just as the earliest humans had to come to terms with death, the concept of the invisible worlds and the afterlife were also appreciated, perhaps even more so than in the modern world.

The medicine men and shamans of these tribes not only held the roles of doctor and counselor, they were also responsible for the spiritual well-being of the tribe. This responsibility extended both to the physical tribe members and the deceased. These wise men typically protected the tribe from malefic spirits and influences and were also the connecting link to the tribe's ancestors, who were often seen as the tribe's invisible guardians. Implied in these customs is the belief that the afterlife and the invisible worlds play as important a role in the conduct of life as physical existence itself.

There are many reasons why people would want to converse with spirits and learn more about the spirit world. Some people do it to find out the fate of their departed loved ones. Others simply want to reassure themselves of the reality of the invisible worlds. Yet others seek an advantage in terms of knowledge or guidance on what to do.

For people who do not have enough psychic talent or skill to communicate with spirits, they will have to employ the services of a medium. A medium is exactly what the term implies, a go-between that allows you to communicate with an incorporeal entity. Mediums can be found in almost any corner of the world. It could be the shaman of the tribe or even your next door neighbor.

Powerful people have always been fascinated with the paranormal, since it holds the promise of gaining an advantage over adversaries. As such, even mediums of humble birth have rubbed elbows with nobility. For example, with the kingdom of Israel in crisis, King Saul consulted the shade of the prophet Samuel through the witch of Endor (1 Samuel 28). John Dee, an astrologer and occultist in the court of Queen Elizabeth I, used the services of the medium Edward Kelley in seeking contact with angels. Their collaboration resulted in the introduction of angel evocation and the Enochian language (supposedly the language of angels).

The Victorian Era saw an upsurge in mainstream interest in the esoteric and the occult. It was during this period that esoteric organizations such as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and the Theosophical Society were born. In the United States, this era also saw the development of the New Thought movement, which carried on into the early 20th century with authors such as Napoleon Hill (Think and Grow Rich), Charles Haanel (The Master Key System) and Wallace D. Wattles (The Science of Getting Rich) publishing books that reflected the principles of New Thought.

It was into this tableau that a Frenchman named Allan Kardec took an interest in spirit tapping, an activity that was already popular in his time. His subsequent investigations led to the publication of The Spirits' Book as well as four other titles that formed the basis of organized Spiritism. Allan Kardec's work had important consequences because it transformed spiritism into a systematized undertaking. This helped spiritism achieve a measure of credibility in a field of practice littered with charlatans and half-skilled practitioners.

According to a lecture given by one of the spiritist groups still active in the Philippines, systematized mediumship reached the shores of the Philippines when the Union Espiritista Christiana, Inc. was established in 1901. Most of the early mediums were from the province of Bulacan, although the practice slowly spread throughout the country as several lunduyans (spiritist centers) were set up in various locations. The training for mediumship is quite rigorous, requiring no small amount of discipline and courage. Suffice to say, it's not for the faint of heart. There is a reason why various occultists warned against the dangers of mediumship.

Still, one can really learn a lot through these mediums. According to one such medium I talked to, they were able to learn a lot about the spirit world through their sessions. They were also given certain oracions (incantations) for various uses such as protection, healing, etc. But in most cases they would facilitate communication between living people and their deceased loved ones. Another important service they performed were space clearing sessions for areas haunted by various spirits. Again, it's really quite interesting as long as you can stand the idea of coming face to face (sometimes literally) with the paranormal.

If you'd like to know more about mediumship in the Philippines, I highly recommend the book Mediumship by Claudette Rosal, although I'm not sure if you can still find it in bookstores. It was a book that stemmed out of her thesis and in the course of her investigations she briefly became a medium herself. We had the fortune of meeting her one time and she has many amazing stories to tell, some of them not found in the book.

At this point I'd like to devote some attention to some of the information that one may get from mediums. Even if we remove charlatans from the equation, mediums sometimes give widely varying accounts of the spirit world, its workings and its environs. This has led some people to doubt the veracity of the methods employed by mediums. But really, this variety of information really shouldn't be surprising. Supposing an alien who has never been to Earth nor seen it were to interview several humans about the places they lived in, it would also get many replies. An Arab would say he lived in a hot desert environment, an Eskimo would say his land is full of snow and ice, while a Vietnamese would say his place is full of jungles and mountains. Same thing with the spiritual realms, spirits experience varying conditions depending on their vibration and level of spiritual evolution.

The development of the medium should also be taken into account. The more highly developed the medium, the more highly developed the spirit beings he/she can come into contact with. Lower vibration entities have a limited range of knowledge and are more prone to give deceptive information.

Still, mediums perform an important function for those people who are desperate to contact their departed loved ones just one more time, or for those people who would like to know more about what lies beyond the veil but are unable to investigate for themselves. But just like any information you encounter for the first time, you first need to take it with a grain of salt. Verification is of course a big challenge when you yourself don't have the tools to do it, but there are still some things that one can do:

1. Investigate the background of the medium. Is he/she well-trained and recommended by people you trust?

2. Higher vibration beings do not incite one to negative deeds or feelings. And be careful if a spirit requires one to perform a certain ritual first before giving any information. That's one way to unwittingly enter into a pact with a negative entity.

3. Do not immediately act on whatever information that is given. If possible, go through several mediums or if the information is about the status of objects or people in the physical realm, try to verify through your own mundane sources.

Going by the above guidelines, it seems like it's so much trouble to interact with mediums. But again, there is a reason that the role of medium has endured throughout history even unto today's materialistic-minded environment. When bereaved family members feel a sense of peace that their deceased loved ones are doing well, or when one is able to assist earthbound spirits to "find the light" and ascend to higher realms of existence, then the medium's place in society is more easily understood.

The point is, we're all headed to the spirit world, and the only question is when. Hopefully you don't need to find yourself on the other end of the communication line between a medium and the loved ones you left behind. But if ever you do, perhaps you'll be thankful that such sincere people do exist.

One other tip if ever you decide to avail the services of a medium. If you decide to contact your deceased loved one, once should be enough. Spirits also have their own roles in the spirit world and they still undergo spiritual development. Constant contact also disturbs them. T. Lobsang Rampa compares this situation with receiving several phone calls from home while trying to work in the office. You'd hardly get any work done if your phone rings every few minutes.

In any case, as I mentioned in a previous article, truth has to be experienced. The accounts of spirits already on the other side can serve as a guide, but there's nothing like experiencing and validating it for yourself before you're dead. For ordinary people who have had near death experiences that's exactly what they did, though one need not barely escape death in order to do so. I will discuss these things on the third part of this series.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3