Mediums

Grumppa “Old Meg she was a Gipsy...” and she knew full well how to con those who were vulnerable.

However my epitaph would read “Old Meg she was a Scientist.....”

I'd say they are like any group of people, some you can connect with and others you can't.

I do think some people have a gift although I have seen a couple of mediums for private sessions and have been to a couple of shows too. They were all rubbish but, at one show I went to, I sat next to a lady who took one look at me and said that she could see a flat mountain. I had recently won a competition to go to Cape Town in South Africa and of course table Mountain is there. She said she was a spiritualist and would do a free private reading for me. My father always said that he would try and contact me if he could so I did go to her but it was very upsetting. She said she could see him with blood pouring down his head on one side and stopped the séance. As he died from a stroke which would have been a 'bleed to the brain' I interpreted it as that. My father had a particular disability tough so I would not be totally convinced until a medium mentioned that for proof.

Trouble with science it sometimes gets things wrong

I was given a gift of tickets to see Psychic Sally a couple of years ago. I wasn't impressed.
I used to work nightshift with a local lady who lived just down the road from the Nursing Home. One night she came upstairs to where I was having a break. She told me that a man was standing behind me. She described my maternal grandfather exactly, even told me how old he would have been when his hair turned white. She was correct, as verified by my mother. I am opened minded.

Many are frauds and out to get money, including some of the most famous names. On the other hand. others are genuine - when I was in London, I studied at the College of Psychic Studies under Liz Farrell and was amazed at some of the experiences we had. Now looking forward to finding a convenient development circle. I'm a psychometrist/tarot reader/astrologer and although can't explain all my own experiences, have seen enough to convince me!

Somewhat puzzled by the comments about how awful it is to charge people who go to these events, as though the venue can be had for no money! I went to a couple of spiritualist church meetings ((fee £3) after the deaths of my father and two sisters within 3 years or so. The first medium, if that's what she called herself, told me there was an elderly man who was saying something about Hyacinth Bouquet (houseproud unbearably snobby TV show character). Dad had for years said that my godmother was exactly like her and that my eldest sister was also becoming like her. I still don't know how the medium could have got that from a cold reading of me.

Its like any line of work: charlatans/cowboys whatever you wish to call them in all walks of life.

If I go to a bad hairdresser. It doesn't mean all hairdressers are bad. Same with a bad builder. They aren't all.

There are some who are bad. They give all a bad name. I don't go to tham anyone more. Last one I seen was on 2002. He was bang on.

Stuff he knew and told me was too unusual intricate and personal for him to know. It was at a private 1-1. Not a group booking.

Got to be careful as there are some who are scammers. That's the same as in any profession

Misguided human beings preying on the vulnerable.

The only time I went to see a male fortune teller at a shopping mill about 7 years ago.
I thought he had got somethings right but he had got something very wrong he told me one of my brothers lives in Canada I'm sorry you got that wrong but he insisted that he was correct. The next night I went to mums and she said she had just had a phone call from my younger brother and he had been told only that morning by his commanding officer the regiment was relocating to Canada. Explain that.

Mediums, if they could tell your future, I haven't seen one win the lottery. So they are all fake.

" Stop messing about with milk bottles , just buy yourself bigger socks ! "
The very respected spiritualist was somewhat puzzled as she said it , but my dad , an intelligent philosophical bloke who had lost Mum a year or so before understood immediately. His arthritis made it difficult to pull on socks so he stretched them over a couple of bottles every night. There were other instances like this when messages from Mum were very specific . He left me details so I could contact him ; I never did . If he was that convinced , he would find other ways , and I think he has . I never feel he's very far away .

I've been. Some are good, some are not. You just have to find the genuine ones.

Hi Venus, haven’t seen you around for a while.

We need to keep an open mind to the paranormal but take care not to get taken for a sucker.

I am a “medium “ I don’t have any control of what I sense .
I keep the bad feelings to myself but share the good with family and friends .My husband was a non-believer until he lived with me .

Many years ago, I was thrown by a horse. I suffered 2 broken ribs which healed, but I was left with a very painful shoulder. My GP told me that I would have to put up with it. A friend suggested that I visit a Spiritualist church for healing. My Friend was not a spiritualist herself, but had received healing in the past which worked for her. I like to keep an open mind so I attended a service the following Sunday for the healing which came at the end of the service. I did not tell anyone what was wrong.
The Spiritualist, a lovely Lady put her hands on my shoulder as she knew where the problem was. She prayed and then basically swept her hands gently across my shoulder as if sweeping something away. I will not lie. I really was not convinced by what she did, but hey ho, I had lost nothing.
Within a couple of days, the pain had lessened. Before the end of the week, all that was left was a niggle. I was absolutely stunned. I returned the following week. This time I saw a Male Spiritualist. He held his hands over my shoulder for a few minutes. When he had finished, the first thing that he said to me was "Are you a healer"? I was really puzzled by what he said and asked why?
He told me that he was getting as much healing back, as he was sending. I was even more puzzled by now and laughed.
To cut a long story short.
The shoulder pain had gone completely before the end of the following week. You could argue that it was a placebo effect, I am not so sure.
I laughed at being a healer and forgot about it.
Years later, I went into nursing and finally found my niche in life. This post has reminded me about being asked if I were a healer. Maybe, just maybe, this is what I was meant to do but in a different way ? I have no idea but his words now come back to me.
Lastly. Whilst attending the Spiritualist Church service prior to the healing, I received messages. This was not what I expected as I was there purely for the healing, but this one sticks out in my mind. A Spiritualist, an elderly gentleman approached me and said "I want to give you a pencil, you are an artist".
No, I am not an artist, but Art is the thing that I really excelled at throughout my school life, and my dream was to go to Art college when I left school. Sadly, the one person who also understood my dreams, and supported them, died when I was just 14 yrs old, my Darling Dad, so it never happened.
Just keep an open mind is all I would say to anyone sceptical.
You never know.

I went for a medium reading, encouraged by a friend who was very impressed by this woman. My friends husband and daughter went regularly for readings and were very impressed by things that she said ‘that she couldn’t possibly have known’. I found quite the reverse, I had a very difficult troubled father who, poor man did not know how to be fatherly. He died when I was 8years.I really wondered if she would pick up on this, as I was secretly hoping against hope for some resolution or contact. But she was completely wrong talking about my adult relationship with a loving father I didn’t recognise at all. It was obvious that she was winging it. My friend put this failure down to my being unsympathetic and sceptical which ‘ blocked her’.
I am far from sceptical. My sister was showing a potential buyer around her house when the very ordinary pleasant woman turned to her and said that she was a medium ,and she was getting a very strong message for my family, it was my father she said, and I really recognised the way the message was worded and things were said that ‘she really couldn’t have known’. No money changed hands, and my sister said the woman was apologetic, that she felt compelled to speak out. So..... make of it what you will. Genuine or charlatan?

Nicola Payne, aged eighteen, disappeared in 1991. A new search has just begun to find her, I would love to see a medium find her, just for her family to finally know he whereabouts. I believe one or more have tried....and failed!

I had a tarot reading once where she made several predictions. She told me I was about to become a Grandfather again and it wasn't my daughter who was pregnant at the time. Shortly after, my other daughter told me she was expecting. She said I would have 5 Grandchildren, I now have seven. Finally, she told me I wouldn't win the Lottery Jackpot, well she got that right!

I have been reading all the comments with interest. While I agree there are some charlatans out there who prey on the vulnerable, there are also some very dedicated people who all they want to do is bring comfort to people. Firstly mediums will tell you they are not fortune tellers, they just want to prove their is life after death. I have had my proof. This is how it happened. I was very close to my gran. When I got the call from the hospital that she wasn't expected to survive the night I rushed to be with her. She was unconscious when I got there, I sat with and talked to her. Suddenly she opened her eyes looked at me, and passed. For months I Wondered if she knew she hadn't died alone and I Was there. When I mentioned this to a friend she suggested I went to see a medium, I wasn't sure, not because I Didn't believe in life after death, but had in the past seen mediums who I hadn't been impressed with. My friend suggested I Went to the Spiritulist Assoc. in Belgrave Square in London. For weeks I carried the telephone number around with me, and eventually decided to go. I saw a lovely lady, I'll just mention before I went to Belgrave sq, I had had my haircut, a few days before, it had been long and I decided to go short. I walked into the room and before I Had even sat down she said, "your nan doesn't like your hair" this really took me aback. Also I Was wearing my Nan's wedding ring, I Wear lots of rings on both my hands, again she said I was wearing my Nan's ring, I automatically put my hands out, and she said it's the ring on your middle finger, and while I wear it I Will always be surrounded by love. That brought a tear to my eye! She also answered my question, that nan knew I was there's hen she passed. I think I have said so much, but one last thing. A few weeks before going to meet this lovely lady, I had written several letters to hospitals about wanting to do my nurse training, and was still waiting for replies. I was told a lot more things that no-one else could have known, personnel things, but as I was leaving she said there would be a letter the next day and I was going to be accepted at a London training hospital, sure enough the next day the letter arrived. I was a nurse for 31yrs. If you want to know more about The Spiritulist Assoc google it. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wasa believer and a Patron. Sorry if I have gone on a bit, but I'm a believer and now a member of the Spiritulist Church.

It's me again there was just one other story I wanted to mention, you may have heard it. The magician Houdini was very interested in mediums, and life after death, and spent a lot of time and energy trying to prove it. In his quest he met a lot of charlatans and exposed a lot. It's reported that he made a pact with his wife that whichever of them died first they would come back to prove that there is life after death. They told each other what they would say to prove it was them, they told no one else. As we know Houdini did die first. His wife spent many months going to mediums, On the anniversay one year after his death She got the message she was waiting for. She was on the brink of giving up when she was told of a medium who everyone who had been to her were singing her praises, so off she went, apparently some things were said, but she felt they could apply to anybody, when sudden,y the medium started to laugh, and said she didn't think she could say what she was being told. Mrs Houdini asked her to say it, the medium said, " your husband has just come in riding on an elephant, To which Mrs Houdini cried and said that was definetly her husband, that was the message they agreed he would say. Strange but true.

That's really interesting Sillynanny.

So would you say the mediums offering sittings there are more likely to be reputable?

Sillynanny how strange. I am cynical but you mention Arthur Conan Doyle. My dad used to say ACD talked about 'coming back' but he never did. As a result my dad did not believe it possible that he would come back himself. Actually he appeared in my dreams until one night he told me to stop calling him back unless I really needed him. However I put this down to my own sub conscious, learning to accept his death.

If I ever encountered a 'medium' I am more likely to take note of one that I had not deliberately arranged to meet. My MIL told a story of a lady on a bus suddenly turning to her and telling her there was a man behind her who was looking after her, and described my dead FIL. MIL was also sceptical about such things and never saw this lady again. This seemed to comfort her though.

If something similar happens to me in the near future I will let you all know. Unlikely to be hearing from me then! The only 'dust' particles I am likely to see are those around my house!

I believe mediums but you have to find someone who is the real deal. I saw a medium last year just before we put up the tombstone for my dad. My dad came through and it was as if we were talking to him. He told my sister and I (through the medium who could not have known these details) financial things, that he knew my sister had been attacked, had sold her house etc. The best was when the medium said she saw my mom and dad sitting together holding hands, which is what they did when they were both alive. We came away smiling!
How do I know she is a honest medium? when you come in she says don't tell me anything! Only if I ask a question answer it but only that question. I don't go often maybe once every two years but I find it is very comforting.