Mediums

A bit late with this! I have an open mind about psychic powers etc. Just recently someone I know was in great distress following the death of her husband and she felt dreadful because he had suffered so much towards the end and she had felt helpless. I was amazed when she told me she had visited a medium (she has a strong Christian faith) but she was totally transformed following her meeting. She had been told that her husband was in a good place and sent a message asking her not to worry as all was well. He told her to wear her blue suit to a neighbour's wedding. This freaked her a bit as the wedding had been announced 6 months after his death. I just don't know what to think.

It seems that being under anaesthetic can "bring on" psychic powers. A surgeon I know was on night duty and dosing on a day bed with nothing on but his trousers as it was a very hot night. The alarm bell went off and he rushed to save a patient in extremis, just putting on his white coat. Some days later, the (by now) much improved patient said she wanted to thank the surgeon who had nothing on under his coat.

It sounds it Sillynanny. Thanks for all the information.

I have a friend who I don't see very often because she's not local. She shocked me some years ago by telling me that she now believed in guardian angels - her husband too. This really shocked me and I just humoured her pretending I was interested and stunned.

They'd been invited for a meal by a couple they were friends with and were sitting chatting after the meal. The husband of this other couple suddenly started talking to my friend and her husband about their guardian angels being in the room with them. He pointed to where each angel was and my friends were shocked to realise that they could see them.

I can't remember all the details now, but I remember the angels didn't have wings and halos, etc. They were more ordinary than that, but not of our time. I don't think the angels were visible as whole people, just the head and shoulders, but I can't really remember. The only thing that I do remember for sure is that her husband's angel looks like an American Indian and was wearing a buffalo skin including the head.

I think my friend thought I would ask to meet the husband of the couple because the wife worked for the same department as we did. That wasn't my reaction and because we don't see each other much, we never spoke about it again.

It shook me that my down to earth friends would believe something like that.

In answer to your question WilmaKnickersfit, I was told by the friend who suggested I went to the Spiritual Association that the mediums there were tested, before they were allowed to give a readings. It's a very interesting place.

There are some very genuine people out there, who definitely have a 'gift' - but there are also a lot of charlatans. So difficult to tell them apart!
I have a friend who now and then gives me a reading - he has been astonishingly accurate, touching on subject from my inlaws past that he could never, ever have known. He does this a hobby, and is thankful for any genine feedback he gets. My SIL is also extremely sensitive , and I trust her judgement completely. However, her 'gift' scares her, so she doesn't allow it free rein very often.

I have known others who are clearly using generic terms or fishing.

I’m sceptical about these, but a couple of things have made me think.
My friend’s mother had died in hospital, and a medium told her ( in an open show), that she had died wearing a pale green cardigan, and was annoyed that my friend hadn’t managed to touch up her ( the mother’s) roots. Both things were true.

One of my son’s friends said he had “ the gift”, and one day when son was speaking to him on the phone, he said bye to his cousin, who was leaving our house. His friend asked him who it was, then told my son his cousin had just crashed his car into a small white car, and driven off. Cousin was astonished, as it was true.
So, who knows?

I think some people may have a psychic gift, but most mediums are doing cold reading or even getting information about people before they meet them.

A friend of mine who was recently bereaved was very impressed when she met a medium at a retreat she went on. the medium somehow knew she was recently bereaved, and told her things about the deceased that nobody could possibly know, including the fact that he was carrying on with a favourite hobby in heaven and was very happy.

I didn't want to take this bit of hope away from my friend, so I didn't say what I thought - that the medium was probably getting enough information about people from staff to know if anyone was recently bereaved, and the favourite hobby could have been a good guess, or come out of cold reading. I see no reason to think that her deceased relative wouldn't be in heaven, but obviously she found it very reassuring to be told that he was.

I think some mediums genuinely want to give people comfort, and maybe use a few 'tricks' to do that.

Opelessgran, you are right, my mother was a member of the spiritual church and it was as you say, she was a Christian .

Have any of you spoken to a real medium or visited a spiritual church? I mix with mediums and clairvoyants. Most are genuine, and have no say in the gift they are given. There are charlatans and frauds in every walk of life. Most mediums and clairvoyants use their integrity and especially if affiliated with the Spiritualist National Union, and have to adhere to strict codes of conduct, and also follow the 7 principles laid down by the spiritual church, one of which is personal responsibility.I am told by a friend who has a strong Christian faith( a lot of spiritualists are christians as well) that it is common for them to receive messages too, in prayer , quiet times and meditation, and they have to speak to their minister who will decided if it can be passed on to anyone concerned or not. Most mediums abide by the rules of their faith. As I child , I went to another faith church. Those claiming to be true and genuine often turned their back on those who needed help, and that struck me as a child. On the subject of cost, most mediums give a percentage of their money to the church or charity, and mediums who speak or give messages from the platform in a spiritual church only get travel money or expenses for staying over if they are doing a two service stint. Like I said, always charlatans in every walk of life( and I do know some that are and were quickly found out) but also very good people who work genuinely and to the best of their ability.

I have seen a lot of mediums. My mum was, and my son is naturally psychic. My current feeling on the matter is that there is DEFINITELY something there but there is a spectrum of aptitude, ranging from the charlatans at the bottom to the the 'real' deal at the top. I have experienced both. And you definitely don't get what you pay for. My top reading was 1-1 with a woman in London (I actually travelled from Lancaster to see her) - Cheaper than many of the stage shows and just absolutely brilliant. I walked in and she told me about family before I had even opened my mouth. Do keep an open mind folk!

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.

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!

That's really interesting Sillynanny.

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

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.

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.

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!

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 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?

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 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 .

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

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

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

" 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 .

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