Trance Mediumship

The medium stood solemnly on the rostrum of the Spiritualist church and, with closed eyes, said in a rather theatrical Chinese accent:

“Gleeeeeetings from the spirit world.”

She was one of Jane’s and my favourite mediums, not necessarily because of her evidential power, but because watching her antics was an absolute howl.

We fought back our smirks as, partway through her trance address, she suddenly gave us what can only be described as an advertisement break. One eye opened, and the guide announced:

“This sister is currently unable to get to church because of transport problems. If any drivers are available, please speak to her afterwards. You can also speak to her about private sittings and personal paragraphs.”

Then, without missing a beat, she slipped back into the trance address.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Although words such as “fruitcake” may spring to mind, the medium in question was a lovely and sincere lady. She was certainly not the Spiritualist mediumship norm. However, mediums like this can give trance mediumship a bad name.

Trance mediumship, sometimes called channelling, has also attracted many surreal practitioners who deliver shallow philosophy from grandiose spirits. Some grunt like animals, whistle like dolphins, or claim to bring messages from aliens. Perhaps some really are in touch with such beings; there is no way to prove they are not. But equally, there is no way to prove they are.

Craig talks about the importance of evidence in trance mediumship.

Deluded Trance and Channelling

Trance mediumship, or channelling, can sometimes become a form of self-hypnosis, self-deception and foolishness.

From what I, and other sensible witnesses, have observed, genuine spirit communicators are humble. They do not seek fame, glory or grandiose titles. They have no need for colourful names, invented lineages or theatrical displays.

Spirit guides may use a particular form or identity so that we can recognise them, but not for vanity. They usually speak through the medium’s own voice. They do not need exaggerated mannerisms, dramatic gestures or unrecognisable languages. In my view, such exhibitions are often the medium’s own projections, expectations or desires.

My Work with Trance

My own trance work developed only after ten years of working as an accurate platform medium. I have always insisted that the guides who take control must give verifiable evidence to prove that spirit is truly communicating.

Without evidence, how can we know that the communication is genuinely from spirit?

It could be the medium’s subconscious. It could be imagination. It could even be impressions from the deeper levels of memory or past lives. Whether the communication is intelligent philosophy or strange psychobabble, it is not proven to be spirit unless some form of verification is provided.

How else can we test the spirit and know it is true?

Getting Proper Proof

Before explaining the function of trance work in a circle, I want to give an example of what I mean by proper evidence.

When I am in trance, I have only vague memories of what has been said. In some sessions, I have little or no awareness of who has attended.

At one open trance session, we had a visitor whom none of us knew. Later, Sue, one of my circle members, recalled the evening clearly:

“I remember the evening we had extraordinary proof from your guide Tara. The lady you linked to had never been to a trance session before. The guide told her that she had lost someone very close to her recently and that it had been a sorrowful and painful time for her. This was confirmed. The guide then asked if she minded continuing, as it was obvious she was still distraught.”

I later discovered that the woman’s name was Vanessa Gates. She was thirty-five years old and from Fareham, Hampshire. She was shocked when, during the session, she believed she had heard from her brother in spirit.

Vanessa later said:

“I heard about Craig and visited his psychic development group in Eastleigh. I was keen to get in touch with my brother, Brian Price, who had died thirteen years earlier.

“Sitting in a nearby pitch-dark room, waiting to hear the voice of spirit people, was a bit like the séances you see in films. Soon, Craig began speaking to people. His knowledge, he explained, was passed to him by his spirit guide. Eventually, I dared to ask: ‘If someone is murdered, can they tell you who killed them?’”

Spirit Speaks

Vanessa continued:

“Craig paused, allowed his guide to overshadow him, and then said, ‘You are asking because of your brother, Brian, who is with me now. He was murdered in London. They cut his head off.’

“The whole room was shocked. Craig did not know my name and, apart from greeting me when I arrived, had not spoken to me before. What he was saying was shocking — and true.

“My brother Brian had been murdered. He was thirty-eight. He and his girlfriend had been stabbed repeatedly, and then their heads were cut off.”

Brian had been mixing with dangerous people, and the police considered the case to be a gangland murder involving drugs. The murder had remained unsolved for thirteen years.

Through the spirit guide, Brian appeared to make contact. He described how the murderer had continued to stab his body after death. He mentioned names that Vanessa recognised as being connected with the inquiry. He described dying in a dirty flat in a near-derelict block, with rubbish and broken glass around the room.

He said there had not been one murderer, but three people present. He also said they had come from Bristol, which made sense to Vanessa, as Brian had lived there.

Vanessa thought about passing the names to the police, but Brian did not believe his murderers would be punished for what they had done to him.

Criminal Connections

Vanessa said:

“They will be convicted for other crimes, though, he said. But he made a point of saying he had died with the first stab to his chest and had not suffered. He had watched the events unfold from outside his body.

“For a long time, I had been haunted by the thought of him suffering. This put my mind at rest, as did realising that everyone gets a second chance in the afterlife.”

Phill, also from the circle, later added:

“Tara mentioned that the man who had been murdered was dealing drugs out of Bristol and that the people who murdered him were doing business with him when something went wrong.

“All three of them played a part in his death, but the police did not know who had actually killed him. Then Tara gave the three names of the people involved in the murder. These were people known to the sitter and also known to her brother. To me, this made it an exceptional night, and that is why I remember it so long afterwards.”

If there is honest communication from a spirit guide, then that guide should be able to provide verifiable evidence of the continuation of life. For this reason, I believe trance mediumship should not be developed until the medium is already well developed as a mental medium.

There are a few exceptions in the history of Spiritualism where evidential trance mediumship has developed before mental mediumship. Even so, I seriously question any form of trance that cannot provide some verifiable proof of spirit communication.

Starting Too Soon

Students are often eager to try trance work far too soon, before their mental mediumship has properly flowered.

The assumption is that it is easy to “channel” inspired talk. But the development of trance does not depend on personal ambition. It depends on spiritual need, suitability and discipline.

Much later in a medium’s development, the overshadowing of the spirit communicator may increase until it becomes trance. This will happen only if the medium wants it and chooses that route. Not all mediums are trance mediums.

During light trance, the medium remains partially conscious and may later recall much of what was said. In deep trance, the medium is entirely unaware of what is happening.

In many cases, the medium’s consciousness shifts between light and deep trance, depending on the need of the communication and the available spiritual energy in the room.

Deep Trance

During deep trance, a powerful atmosphere may fill the room as the guide speaks directly through the medium.

The guide may tell sitters things about themselves that could only be known clairvoyantly and may also provide astonishing evidence of spirit survival. When you sit with a genuine trance medium, it can become unmistakable that spirit has communicated.

As my circle is primarily a teaching circle, the trance work I do is usually intended to help develop fledgling mediums. The trance teachings are given only once students have advanced enough to understand what is happening and can ask the spirit questions about their own development and the progress of the group.

Trance Circles

If you are running a circle without an experienced medium, this level of trance work may not be possible for your group.

I must emphasise again that trance mediumship should not be developed until the medium has several years of provable mental mediumship behind them.

As my circle evolves and the sitters develop their mediumistic skills, the spirit guides work through me in trance to prepare novice mediums for their first public demonstrations.

Once the sitters become mediums in their own right, the circle may either disband or continue towards a more advanced stage, perhaps even developing physical mediumship and accompanying phenomena.

I believe every developed medium should maintain a circle as a permanent part of their spiritual work.