An Extraordinary Journey: The Memoirs of a Physical Medium

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Our concept of the ASC is, therefore, built upon this foundational perception of a generalized productive waking consciousness. ASCs from this perspective are modes of experiencing the world through forms of consciousness different to our ‘everyday waking consciousness’. Of course there is a wide range of these alternate modes of consciousness, including everything from early morning drowsiness and caffeine rushes to dreams, trances, ecstasies and psychedelic states. For the first time in its 50-year history the Arthur Findlay College (AFC) has issued a formal protocol governing demonstrations of physical mediumship (PM). It has an outer plastic covering containing an insulation layer made of PVC or Teflon and 2 parallel conductors each having a separate insulated protection cover. The coaxial cable transmits information in two modes: Baseband mode(dedicated cable bandwidth) and Broadband mode(cable bandwidth is split into separate ranges). Cable TVs and analog television networks widely use Coaxial cables. In her paper ‘What is Spirit Possession?’, cognitive anthropologist Emma Cohen suggests that the apparent similarities in spirit possession practices and beliefs across cultures arise from innate human cognitive processes. This work draws heavily on the writings of of cognitive scholars of religion such as Pascal Boyer 56 and Justin Barrett. 57 According to Cohen’s model, spirit possession is a complex phenomenon involving multiple cognitive processes, and which usually takes one of two distinct forms: voluntary and involuntary. Cohen suggests that these can be explained in the following way: The gift of PM is possessed by very few people (estimated at significantly fewer than one in a million), and in its most developed form is spectacular, involving the visible and audible manifestation of living, breathing ‘dead’ people. In other words, PM at its highest level can enable you to see, touch and speak with a loved one you thought was lost to you forever.

Ong, A. (1988). ‘The Production of Possession: Spirits and the Multinational Corporation in Malaysia.’ American Ethnologist, Vol. 15, No. 1, pp. 28-42. Crabtree, A. (1988). Multiple Man: Explorations in Possession and Multiple Personality.London: Grafton Books. Beischel, J., Mosher, C. & Boccuzzi, M. (2014). ‘The Possible Effects on Bereavement of Assisted After0Death Communication During Readings with Psychic Mediums: A Continuing Bonds Perspective.’ OMEGA: Journal of Death and Dying, Vol. 70, No. 2, pp. 169-194. Pathogenic possession concepts result from the operation of cognitive tools that deal with the representation of contamination (both positive and negative); the presence of the spirit entity is typically (but not always) manifested in the form of illness. Executive possession concepts mobilise cognitive tools that deal with the world of intentional agents; the spirit entity is typically represented as taking over the host’s executive control, or replacing the host’s ‘mind’ (or intentional agency), thus assuming control of bodily behaviours. 58 As another counterbalance to Lewis’s model, Susan Rasmussen has highlighted the practice of spirit possession amongst the Kel Ewey Tuareg of Nigeria, noting that Tuareg women ‘are not subjugated, but enjoy high status and prestige’, and so do not fit the standard social-protest model. 21 Owing to these obvious discrepancies between Lewis’s general theory and the ethnographic reality, Donovan (2000) has argued that Lewis’s hypothesis, although generally applicable to many possession cults, ought not be thought of as a complete theory, but rather should be supplemented by other approaches. In other words, while it is undoubtedly the case that spirit possession performs a range of social functions, this is not necessarily all that is going on. Therapeutics

It is clear that further research into the phenomenology and neurophysiology of trance states is required. In the context of spirit mediumship, the term ‘trance’ might best be understood as referring to the state of consciousness in which the medium’s personality is purportedly ‘dispossessed by an intruding intelligence’. 88 Conclusion: Cross-Cultural Features In spite of this, the concept of altered states of consciousness is still a useful tool in the study of mediumship, enabling us to develop a continuum of states of consciousness and to place the ASCs associated with spirit mediumship and possession within the broader context of human consciousness. There is a danger, though, that the scholarly use of the ASC concept lends itself to a reduction of the phenomena of spirit possession to the simple formula of ‘spirit possession is just an altered state of consciousness, and as such has no basis in reality.’ This kind of interpretation is inherent in Western culture’s general monophasic attitude to consciousness. Another view is that altered states of consciousness should be thought of as preconditions for the experience of spirit possession, not necessarily as its cause. We might say therefore that ‘spirit possession involves the use of altered states of consciousness, but is not necessarily synonymous with them.’ Trance With today’s Photoshop technology the original 80 year old photographs have been given a little more contrast for this publication but absolutely NO other changes have been made to them. (AH Publisher) Wilson, D.G.M. (2013). Redefining Shamanisms: Spiritualist Mediums and Other Traditional Shamans as Apprenticeship Outcomes. London: Continuum.

This association of spirit possession with pathology has been a persistent theme in both anthropology and psychology. 36 While it is true that in many cultures spirit possession, more specifically ‘spontaneous’ or ‘pathogenic’ possession, is associated with illness, 37 recent neurophysiological research has demonstrated distinct differences between the underlying neurological activity of individuals experiencing spirit possession as a voluntary practice, on the one hand, and epilepsy on the other. 38 Further research in this direction promises to differentiate pathological conditions from the trance states associated with spirit possession practices, 39 and may also point towards neurophysiological differences between specific forms of mediumship, 40 for example differences between psychic readings and communication with discarnate spirits. 41 Nutrient DeficiencyAnother pathological interpretation of spirit possession that was, until relatively recently, popular in the anthropological literature is the ‘nutrient deficiency hypothesis’. This essentially suggests that instances of spirit possession, particularly in women, occur as a result of – and in response to – extended malnourishment. 42 Kehoe & Giletti write: Winkelman, M. (1986). ‘Trance States: A Theoretical Model and Cross-Cultural Analysis.’ Ethnos, Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 174-203. Stripline is a transverse electromagnetic (TEM) transmission line medium invented by Robert M. Barrett of the Air Force Cambridge Research Centre in the 1950s. Stripline is the earliest form of the planar transmission line. It uses a conducting material to transmit high-frequency waves it is also called a waveguide. This conducting material is sandwiched between two layers of the ground plane which are usually shorted to provide EMI immunity. You hear voices but have convinced yourself it's nagging thoughts, overactive imagination, or things you just made up in the past #11

Sound is always important in a physical seance. Silence does not provide the right energy for physical mediumship. It is important to have vocal responses from the sitters about what they are experiencing or what they are not experiencing, so that these can be compared. We must remember that physical mediumship is witnessed by all present through the physical senses, therefore all should be perceiving the same thing at the same time.Music can be a great help in building the energy, but should not be so loud that it is distressing to the sitters and is not required to be played throughout the seance. Levy, R.I., Mageo, J.M., Howard, A. (1996). ‘Gods, Spirits, and History.’ In J.M. Mageo, & A. Howard (eds) (1996). Spirits in Culture, History, and Mind. London: Routledge.Halloy, A. (2010). ‘Comments on “The Mind Possessed: The Cognition of Spirit Possession in an Afro-Brazilian Religious Tradition” by Emma Cohen.’ Religion and Society: Advances in Research, Vol. 1, pp. 164-176. Others have worked over the last couple of years which I understand included a visit from David Thompson, Gordon Garforth and Jean Skinner. Minister Steven Upton has also been working towards the use of physical mediumship within healing for several years and Sharon Harvey is starting to experiment with this aspect of her mediumship at the College.” Taves, A. (1999). Fits, Trances and Visions: Experiencing Religion and Explaining Experience from Wesley to James. Princeton: Princeton University Press. But I cannot and should not go against the guidance of those I care for in the world unseen, and that is what has led me to this outcome.