My Week... Mummies Expedition.... Has Spiritualism Peaked in Scotland?... Awareness ...

22^nd... April I was at Mrs. Primrose’s Spiritualist Church...

24^th... A new church for me  the Carluke Spiritualist Church, Lifestyle Centre,  Carnwath Road, Carluke,  ML8 4DF Church Service.  This church only started up a short time ago and already is already well supported by the local community.

28^th,, This time to a well established Saltcoats Spiritualist Church.  One of the first churches I took a service at.

30^th…It was a double bill so to speak.  In the afternoon I was at the Edinburgh College of Parapsychology at 2 Melville St EH3 7PE.  The College has many interesting events which you can check out on their website at http://www.edinburghpsychiccollege.com/

In the evening I took the service at Kilwinning Temple of Light Spiritualist Church  as usual another good turnout.

31^st...  Taking part in research work...

2^nd June I was giving a talk to the Scottish Branch of the Ghost Club.  . The Ghost Club is the oldest organization in the world associated with psychical research. It was founded in 1862 but has its roots in Cambridge University where, in 1855, fellows at Trinity College began to discuss ghosts and psychic phenomena.

Past members include Charles Dickens, Siegfried Sassoon, Harry Price, Donald Campbell, Peter Cushing, Peter Underwood, Maurice Grosse, Sir Shane Leslie and Eric Maple.

Today the Ghost Club is a non-profit, social club run by an elected Council of volunteers and its purpose remains true to its roots; the Ghost Club offers open-minded, curious individuals the opportunity to debate, explore and investigate unexplained phenomena with like-minded people.

2012 is the Ghost Club's 150th year.  To celebrate this momentous mark in our history we aim to publish a book which will chronicle the club's history people and record the results for posterity.

I was honoured to be asked to give a talk to this organization in London in 2009...

This club has a very interesting website, especially a book review section.

http://www.ghostclub.org.uk/

Isobel has a great interest in Ancient Egypt and in the past when she has visited the Ancient Egyptian section of museums I have usually visited other parts of the building.

Why?  I felt it disrespectful to put these bodies on display.  I have often wondered what those viewing these remains would think if it was their mother or child that was on display, no matter how far in the future.  Not only that but the remains to be sent and kept in far off lands.

At a debate one night recently I was told not to be so narrow minded and go to the National Museum of Scotland’s Mummies Exhibition.  and see the respect given to these exhibits.  As I am always telling other to have an open mind I decided to go along.

No one can fail to be impressed by the achievements and craft work of the Ancient Egyptians but I did feel uncomfortable at gazing on what was considered sacred by others.

At the debating group I was told that historians, anthropologists, and archaeologists now use CT scan in a lot of their work as if this made everything OK.    How would the UK react if an Arab or African country had taken the remains of one of our kings and was putting it on display for all and sundry to see?

I left the exhibition wiser about this ancient race but more determined never to attend such an exhibition ever again.

  Several of my friends have been telling me that numbers attending their spiritualist churches have dropped considerably since the start of the year. 

Why?  Has spiritualism peaked in Scotland and now numbers are dropping?  With more and more churches opening are there too many churches? Are psychic evenings outside of churches taking people away from churches?

Hi Raymond – I have heard similar comments recently but I have not noticed any significant drop in numbers at churches I have attended.  In fact at some the numbers have been higher than in the past.

Has spiritualism peaked in Scotland and now numbers are dropping?

No I don’t thinks so. I regularly find more and more people showing interest in our religion and looking for their nearest spiritualist church. But I do not expect our numbers to rise as fast as they have been in recent years

With more and more churches opening are there too many churches?  

Hmm... In most cases our churches are reasonably well spread out and only in a few cases are two in close proximity.  Most of Scotland is well covered by Spiritualist churches apart from the Border region.

Are psychic evenings outside of churches taking people away from churches?

Usually psychic demonstrations taking place in a pub, club or theatre only take place once every so often in an area and on that night, numbers at the local churches can drop slightly for that one night.

I have no fears of our numbers dropping dramatically.  I have more concern about some of these nights coming across more as entertainment and that making people feel that our religion is little more than entertainment.

Four people were asked to read the words below that were recorded at a trance circle. Then to try to be aware of all-around them and report back

“All a Learning Process”

It is only through experiencing all manner of things, negative and positive that one can leave this life knowing a little more than when they entered it…

The more you learn… … The more equipped you will be for the next part of your existence…

For the next week… Look on everything… and I mean everything… as a learning process…

Think what you have to learn from this… and what you have to learn from that…

It will amaze you by the end of the week… how you will see so much… in a different light…

A whole new world…

A whole new dimension will open up to you…

You will see things like you have never seen them before…

Never give up… Never give in to the negative side of what unfolds in front of you

Alan…

The above comments were given in a trance circle in 2000 and forgotten about till a few weeks ago.

This gave a few of us an idea to ask four people to take heed of these words and see how they get on with being more aware of their surroundings for the next week or so

To make it more interesting we decided to select four people from different walks of life;

Here are John’s comments, after paying heed to the following words. (John has been in the spiritualist movement for fifteen years.)...

 I tried for ten days to be extra vigilant of everything around me.  Instead of taking so much for granted I was extra vigilant and in many cases I did not like what I saw.

My religion, spiritualism.  Really angry at the politics that are part and parcel of spiritualism these days.  I have spent the past few years trying not to listen to gossip but in the past ten days I realise how bad it is getting.

My workplace... The same gossip backbiting everyone trying to outdo each other.

My family... I was always happy for everyone to do their own thing but I now realize that we have grown further and further apart.

I am really sorry I took part in this exercise as the end result was not what I expected.  But at least I am now aware of it and will do my best to turn things around.

It is sad the media and so many in our society point the finger at those who are overweight and accuse them of not eating a proper diet or being gluttons.  But on many occasions the overweight can be the cause of a health condition, the effect of prescribed drugs or after an operation etc.  Recently I met one lady in complete distress because of being ridiculed about being overweight, yet according to her family has never had a big appetite and only started putting on weight after a major operation.  Maybe before we shake our heads at those who have put on weight we should first find out the facts as to why this is...

Morrison emails.”I keep hearing Statstead Hall being mentioned, any info please”.

Stansted Hall, built in 1871, was gifted to the Spiritualists' National Union by J. Arthur Findlay, MBE, JP, a former Honorary President of the Union, and in accordance with his wishes is administered by the Union as a College for the advancement of Psychic Science.

The Arthur Findlay College offers facilities unequalled anywhere in the world in the Spiritualist movement as a residential centre where students can study Spiritualist philosophy and religious practice, Spiritualist healing and awareness, spiritual and psychic unfolding and kindred disciplines. Courses, lectures and demonstrations are all offered by leading exponents, together with the additional features of a library, museum, lake, magnificent grounds, recreational facilities and full board accommodation.

By John Hardaker

J Arthur Findlay stayed here in Beith for part of his life….

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Sorry that my web diary for last week was not accurate... One mix up with bookings and a hall being closed because of the jubilee celebrations.  Plus, I could not get into the diary to change it...