My Diary.... A Cergyman's View on Spiritualism... We look on ourselves as the Good Guys - BUT?

 

13^th August I attended ASK Cumbernauld to the usual full house that one expects when visiting this church.

15^th – Development Circle...
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8^th I was off to the Albany Street Spiritualist Church, Edinburgh. (SNU)  Our capital city is always busy at this time of the year with the Edinburgh Festival - this year I found it busier than normal so it will be interesting to see if the numbers are up for this year.

20^th –  At a discussion on Spiritual Healing...

22^nd - Development Circle...

24^th – My workshop at the Glasgow Association which was again well attended.

25^th  - Kilmarnock Spiritualist Church. (SNU)

26^th -  A change for me...Instead of being on the platform I sat in the congregation of Glasgow Association Spiritualist Church and after the service I enjoyed watching the church’s fledglings go through their paces.

28^th   Taking part in a discussion on Spiritualism.

29^th – I was at Langside Spiritualist Church

30^th - Psychic research...

31^st - I felt privileged to be asked to take part in psychic research in a well known area in Scotland – an area which has many myths and legends attached to it.  Unlike the previous evening there was a lot of activity here. I am sorry I cannot tell you any more at this stage but when the report is published I will let you all know.

 

 

 

A few years ago a clergyman stopped me and asked many questions on Spiritualism.  He said he knew about the basics of our religion but wanted to fill in the gaps.  At the end of our session he said he had been surprised to find there was a number of his congregation going to his church on Sunday and then also attending a spiritualist church on a Tuesday evening.

A few years later we met again just around the time the local spiritualist church was moving to a bigger hall and another spiritualist church was just about to open in the area.  He said - not in a nasty way - “I am not too worried.  I am not being disrespectful but I feel that many attend your church for a bit of entertainment”.

Recently we came into contact and again the conversation got around to religion.  I will only take one sentence from this conversation “”I am not worried about the drift away from my church to your religion as in the end they will come back to their home”.  Again the was not said in a nasty way and I did not take offence.

To be honest I could see that this clergyman has his finger on the pulse of what is going on and in many ways I have to agree with him.  There are those who look on a demonstration of clairvoyance as entertainment.  But as we all know there are demonstrations of clairvoyance that don’t take place in our churches and are not part of our Divine Services.

The comment “they will come back to their home” is perfectly true.  Many people attend a spiritualist church for years, yet in the end they go back to the religion they were born into for their wedding or funeral.  Usually only one or two members of a family attend a spiritualist church and when it comes to their funeral it is usually easier for the family to opt for a funeral conducted by one of the mainstream religions.  Although this seems to be changing as spiritualist funerals and naming ceremonies (christenings) are on the increase.  But I have not noticed much of an increase in spiritual weddings.  And we have a compromise with several joint funerals that I feel is an admirable in a way with two religions coming together at such a time...

But we all have free will and Spiritualism never force anyone to accept our way of thinking.  whether one looks on us as nothing more than entertainment – and many within our organization don’t help matters here – spiritualism has proved time and time again of not only proof of life after death but also that there can be communication between the two dimensions.

 

 

 

 Dana  - Spiritualist mediums do not "tell fortunes." They attempt to provide you with evidence of the survival of the human soul after death.

Blair – as you have only sat in two development circles so i would steer clear of trance workshops at the moment.  You have barely dipped your toe in the water as far as learning about  your psychic ability is concerned so stick to the basics.

And I would say the same to Jane... who has only sat in her fourth development circle and is not too keen on the programme for the month of October which dwells mainly on ‘trance’.  Tell your circle leader that is too much too soon and she should understand.  Well, hopefully she will understand or you should look for another development circle.

 

 

 

We have reached a stage where atrocities, no matter where they happen around the world, are relayed into our living rooms via our TV screens.  I feel that so many become immune to the suffering of others.  After all we have seen it all before in war and disaster movies.  But this time it is not actors playing the part but innocent men women and children being killed or maimed. 

In movies there always has to be a good guy and a bad guy and it is the same with atrocities all around the world.  But on many occasions the innocent civilian population caught in the centre of war zones find it hard to distinguish between the good and the bad guys.    

The chemical attack in Syria is horrific as it killed and injured so many innocent people.  But innocent men, women and children are dying every day by the actions of the so-called ‘good guys’ now and in the past Drone attacks, the use of Agent Orange, cluster bombs, using bullets and shells with depleted uranium on the tips of them.  Some of our allies are even today still manufacturing and exporting cluster bombs. 

Surely all human life is precious and it is not acceptable that anything goes as long as we take out the so-called ‘bad guy’?   We cannot use depleted uranium bullets and shells knowing that this will sign a death-warrant to many of our troops and civilians.  This cannot be acceptable as long as we win the battle.

It is easier to transport a negotiation table around the world than an army and may save more innocent lives?

Capital Punishment... Spiritualism – The Second Religion... Automatic Writing... Run till they drop – DEAD... Roy Dutton’s – Dowsing... Wise words from Marcel Proust... And “Rainbow”. a poem by Lillian Wilson –

 

16^th July I was on my way north to the Dalneigh Spiritualist Church Inverness to a great Highland welcome and a good turnout.

22 nd – I attended the Pollockshaws and District Spiritualist Church.  It was good to see Bill Thompson sitting in the congregation.  Bill a good medium in his own right and founder of this long running church.  Bill has not been too well recently  and has had to step back from church activities.  But he will not be too concerned as the church is in good hands with Margaret Ross, Irene and Susan at the helm.

25^th  -Development Circle...

28^th I was at ASK Dunfermline and this usually busy church and this night was no exception as there was a full house.

29^th – A workshop... “Understanding your psychic abilities”.

31^st – A workshop...   “      “      “           “     “    “      “       “

7^th August giving a talk... “Spirit are closer than you think”

During this time I have been receiving Indian Head Massage from a friend and I must say I have been receiving benefit from it.

 

 

 

With the conclusion of the case on the murder of little Daniel Pelka I have had several emails asking me as a spiritualist what are my views on capital punishment.

My main reason against capital punishment is that there is no guarantee that an innocent person will not be executed.  Many times in the past mistakes have been made and I can think of nothing worse than an innocent person being executed for a crime they did not commit.   But with the horrendous suffering and eventual death that little Daniel Pelka had to endure, I feel that there are exceptional cases where capital punishment may be the right sentence to fit the crime.    Maybe we should have capital punishment standing by on the sidelines for cases like this one.     

In Magdelena Luczak and Mariusz Krezolek we know we have those responsible. And although they will spend at least the next thirty-years in jail.  Every minute of every day they will be in fear of their lives.  It may be impossible to keep these two safe because of the hatred other prisoners will have towards them.  On top of that because of such a barbaric crime it will be hard for the most even tempered and disciplined officer to be civil to them.  Maybe this is one case where the death-sentence could be rolled out.  This crime has brought out the worst in so many, as they say what they would like to do to this evil pair. But we must not stoop to their level, or all is lost.  We live in a civilized society – not perfect – but fairly civilized.  We cannot go back to the dark ages because of this evil pair. 

Will this death of this little man finally be the wake up call to the authorities to act and not to say ‘sorry’ after such an incident?

 

 

 

Spiritualism seems to be the second religion of many people.  As well as attending churches of the religion they were born into they come along to our services.  Even regular attenders to our churches refer to the religion they were born into if asked what religion they are...  One clergyman I know was surprised how many of his flock attended spiritualist churches.  He said “I am not too concerned as they will always come back to their home”.  Two years later with the original spiritualist church in his area moving to bigger premise, and a second one opening, he confidently said “I think most attend these places for a bit of entertainment and nothing more”.  I have to agree with his last comment in a way.  There are those who look on our religion as entertainment and some in our movement are happy to have it look like entertainment to draw people in and to expand their ego...  But in general our churches fly the flag as “Spiritualism the Religion”.

Talking to a small group of spiritualists and non-spiritualists recently, all who had sampled our divine services admitted, after other religious services spiritualism was like a breath of fresh air.

One gentleman said “Spiritualism is an open and tolerant religion I am fee to come and go as I please.  I attend several of your churches in our area I do not confine myself to one church and no one cares”.

Another – “In your churches I feel free to discuss my doubts and concerns without being quoted a few ancient verses and looked upon as if I am a trouble maker”.

“The best way I can think of your religion is that it is a thinking-person’s religion”.

“I was a regular member at my spiritualist church for eleven years and never in that time did anyone force me to become a member.  Then I felt the time had come to enrol and I am glad I did.  Now as a member and now I can have a say on the running of the church.  Being a member of my old church/religion I never had any say in what went on”.

But not all positive remarks as one would expect...

“A thinking person’s religion?  I think that those who think about what is going, on instead of being carried away with the thought of the dead communication with us, will smell a rat and stay well away” commented one gentleman.

 

Automatic Writing

The ability to write intelligible messages without conscious control or knowledge of what is being written, sometimes called ‘trance’ writing.  The sceptics refer to this as no more than a parlour game

 I read three very spiritual poems that a lady had written while meditating.  She was surprised at the words when she looked at her writing pad after sitting meditation in her home. It took her all her time to write a letter to an aunt in a residential home in Canada, never mind poetry.  A friend told her that “This would be the dead writing through her” and that she should contact her local church.  This she did and was told that what was happening was demonic spirits taking control of the fingers.  As she had let them in once they would take control of her again and the clergyman went through a ritual to cleanse her.

 Luckily she had not taken the poems with her to the church or they certainly would have been destroyed.  In fact she was going to burn them when some friends asked to see the poems.  “How on earth could such lovely verses have come from a demonic spirit?” they commented after reading them  This she accepted and kept the poems, eventually getting two printed in a magazine.   without revealing the story behind them.  I have lost touch with this lady and misplaced these poems; if I come across them I will print them on this site.

 In the past spirit has worked through me with automatic writing although not poetry.  In fact there are poems on this site by Annette Lavelle and writings by Carolyn Crockart only to mention two that come to my mind at the moment, my apologies to the others.

 And like everything else there can be frauds claim to be involved in automatic writing when that is not the case.  A fellow medium took a group recently and a gentleman showed her a lovely poem which came from spirit.  The medium felt she had heard it before and later it dawned on her that the poem was one she had learned at school.

 

 

 

 

 

The deaths of racehorses on the racetrack seem to be accepted as part and parcel of the sport, but I wonder how many of those who contribute to the racing industry by gambling realize the following.

 

Up to the end of July...of the sixty-eight horses ending their lives on British race courses in 2013 – 10 have collapsed and died during or immediately after a race... And this is called a sport?

 

      If I was writing a book on the subject the only title there could be is “RUN TILL THEY DROP – DEAD”  I am contacting the RSPCA to comment on this and will be interested in their reply.

 

 

The fourth and final part of Roy Dutton’s Dowsing.

 

 

Chapt.  4                         Conclusion.

 

  Unless the reader has experienced the mysterious crossing of two well-balanced rods during a serious dowsing session, he or she will probably consider the things described in this article to be just too incredible, despite my claims of scientific objectivity throughout. It is true, nevertheless, that my sole motivation has been to understand more about life’s mysteries. Indeed, my insatiable curiosity has led me to investigate other strange and uncommon human experiences as they have come to my attention throughout my life. Unadventurous people with closed minds are simply not on my ‘wavelength’.

         

The writing-up of my experiences as a dowser (or, more accurately, a diviner,  because water has been only incidentally involved in my activities) is part of my desire to communicate my findings during the experiments described here and during others of a different nature, to people who have been persuaded to close their minds to such subjective phenomena. In my view, all that we perceive is subjective, even those phenomena that have been categorised and presented by scientists ‘objectively’.  Each one of us is at the centre of our personal universe, from birth to death. No one else can exactly share our experiences in our personal location in Space and Time. Scientists are in this situation like everyone else, but, today many have tried to persuade people to the contrary.

         

I have tried to understand why those rods cross in response to some image held in my mind. The only feasible solution seems to be that very small (imperceptible) nervous impulses in my arms are created in the circumstances described, these producing minute changes in the balancing of the rods. At no time have I been aware of such changes. How I have managed to sense the location of the unseen imagined object, why the cross-over point of the rods should have been directly over the object sought for and what kind of signal was received by my body to produce those responses, I still have no clear idea.

 

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 Individuals I admire will continue in my next blog......................

 *  My next workshop will be at the Glasgow Association of Spiritualists, on 24th August at 10am....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

       

 

 

 

 

         

Spirit Guides...... “Why I Am A Spiritualist” by Aberdeen author Ada A McKay.... The Dalai Lama..... “Dowsing” Chapter 3 by Roy Dutton...

24^th June saw me travel by public transport to Saltcoats Spiritualist Church as I did not have a car after the accident.  I must thank the ladies from Dalry – I never got their names that went out of their way running me home after the service.  After an extremely warm day at a seaside resort there was still a good turnout at the church.

26^th – I was taking an evening of clairvoyance at the Arthur Conan Doyle Centre in Edinburgh.

29^th – Was another of my workshops at the Glasgow Association of Spiritualists, Somerset Place, Glasgow. (SNU)  This was another well-attended session.

30^th – I was on my way north to the Perth Spiritualist Church (SNU) 40 new Row, Perth...

3^rd July - I got a call at the last moment to give a talk to a group whose intended speaker for the evening could not get to the hall on time so I was asked to fill in.  I gave a talk on “Spirit around Us” which seemed to go done well even though none of those attending had ever been to a Spiritualist Church or had ever paid the slightest interest in the paranormal.  But as usual after this talk there were one or two who felt that they have had some sort of spirit connection without actually thinking anything about it at the time.  Any church who wants to do something a little different. I am willing to come along and give a talk on how close spirit can be yet even we spiritualists fail to notice at times.

4^th - I had only to travel a short distance to the Pyramid Spiritualist Church in Pollock, Glasgow.

 

Gordon Higginson was one of the finest mediums of the last century and a great medium, speaker and teacher. His gifts of mediumship were wide ranging and comprised mental mediumship, trance, physical mediumship and healing.  Gordon was a dedicated Spiritualist and is the longest serving President of the Spiritualists National Union (SNU), serving for an exceptional 23 years from 1970 until his passing in 1993.  He was also the Principal of the Arthur Findlay College at Stansted Hall from 1979 to 1993, as well as being a Minister of the SNU .  Stansted Hall was very dear to his heart and a place where many came from far and wide to hear his lectures and see his demonstrations..  Even today Gordon’s name is constantly mentioned in our churches

Instead of constant praise would it not be better if modern day Spiritualists heeded the wisdom of Mr Higginson?

 Gordon Higginson comment on SPIRIT GUIDES; -

“These are spirit people who can inspire us; those who can work with us. They do not belong to us. They do not want us to exalt them. They are being of service. There is only one guide — God”.

Words that. those sitting on executive committees of large Spiritual organizations, Presidents of churches and their committees, Spiritual Mediums, Spiritual Healers and all those who call themselves Spiritualists, should all learn off by heart?

I heard a comment on the radio recently that many Christians seem to put Jesus before God.  I think it can be said that there is a tendency these days to put Spirit and Mediums before God as far as Spiritualism is concerned...  I was asked at a question and answer session one evening if we Spiritualist believed in a God.  I was taken aback for a second but all became clear as the gentleman

 Spoke on.  He said that he had attended many Spiritual services and seldom heard the word “God”, apart from a brief mention in the opening prayer.  Someone else chipped in with “I even heard a prayer when God was not mentioned”.  During the discussion that followed many thought that God was being ignored and some amazing Spirit Guides and Mediums had taken his place.

As I have mentioned in a recent blog ‘the inspiration of Spirit’ is being eroded by some churches in abandoning addresses.  Also by the powers that be – here on the Earth Plane in pushing the medium more towards history lessons on Spiritualism that a Spirit inspired address.  I know of Christian friends who regularly attend Bible study at their churches, so why does Spiritualism not follow suit by having classes on “The History of Modern Spiritualism”?  I did broach this with a church president and she said “There would not be enough turn up to make it viable”.  .  If we are going to proudly claim to be a religion then we must accommodate five or five hundred.    OK – I can see where this is not viable for a church renting out a hall, but some of my Christian friends take turns at having Bible study in their own homes.  The ‘only a few would attend’ should not be an excuse to opt out for a church with its own premises.   There is always a solution or a compromise if one is willing to look for it.   This is an opportunity for a church in each area to hold a monthly meeting on our Spiritual beliefs and history.  With members of other local Spiritualist churches also invited along.  I am sure then there would be enough attending.  . 

If there are only a few wanting to know about the background of our religion - then why force it on congregations during the address of a divine service?  Surely the answer to all this is let Spirit inspire the address and if they find there is a need for a for a history lesson – so be it.  Let our church committees arrange separate nights for further education into Spiritualism...........

Back to Gordon’s words; - “They do not want us to exalt them”.

And should that not be the same with those in the hierarchy of Spiritual organizations and Spiritual Mediums?  As each year passes the Spiritual Medium is being put more and more under the spotlight of fame and fortune, taking all the glory and leaving Spirit as no more than playing a very minor supporting role.  ...

“They are being of service” (spirit).     And should a Spiritual Medium not be the same?    There are many working for Spirit in many different spheres of our communities that have never having heard of the Spirit World.  But they do their bit working alongside Spirit in helping others.  They don’t seek fame or fortune so why should the Spiritual Medium?

 

 

 

I have just finished reading a most interesting book – “Why I am a Spiritualist” by Scottish author Ada A McKay.  This is a very personal statement of Ada’s beliefs.  The book is intended as a simple introduction to the Spiritualist faith through the eyes of Ada and why she believes in Spiritualism as opposed to the established Christian Churches.   Ada hopes that those who read the book will be interested enough to follow on and explore Spiritualism themselves. 

The author gives her views on

What happens after death?

Is there a Judgment Day?

Do animals survive physical death? 

Can we trust the Bible?

Does everyone go to heaven or only those who accept certain beliefs?

What happens to atheists and agnostics after death?

Is baptism important?

Does everyone survive death or is this only for a chosen few?

This book does not hold back on certain subjects and I would not say that I totally agree with everything that is written.  But I feel that a lot of research and soul searching over the years has gone into the book and will be of great interest to Spiritualists and non-Spiritualists alike.  Whether the reader agrees with Ada or not it will give them a lot to think about. I am sure if a church adds this book to its library then its members may feel encouraged to press for a regular discussing evening to discuss points raised in the book. 

Ada hails from Aberdeen and is a retired librarian. In the course of her career she has worked in public libraries, a children’s library, a college library and a university library. Books and knowledge are very important to her and she believes that for readers to enjoy a book it must use words and expressions which are familiar and easily understood. In her book she has used everyday language and included references to TV programmes, movie stars and books which everyone will recognize. She hopes that her book will make readers THINK and perhaps reconsider some long cherished beliefs, always remembering that Spiritualism teaches don’t accept anything unless it makes sense to YOU!

“Why I am a Spiritualist” £5 including p&p

http://www.missadamckay.com

 

Continuing with David’s “What individuals over the past few years have you admired for acting in a spiritual or selfless way, yet they were not part of the spiritualist movement?”  My third choice although in no particular order is.... His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. 

His Holiness is the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people describes himself as a simple Buddhist monk.  . He frequently states that his life is guided by three major commitments: the promotion of basic human values or secular ethics in the interest of human happiness, the fostering of inter-religious harmony and the preservation of Tibet's Buddhist culture, a culture of peace and non-violence.

The Dalai Lama is a man of peace. In 1989 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent struggle for the liberation of Tibet. He has consistently advocated policies of non-violence, even in the face of extreme aggression. He also became the first Nobel Laureate to be recognized for his concern for global environmental problems.

He has travelled to more than 67 countries spanning 6 continents. He has received over 150 awards, honorary doctorates, prizes, etc., in recognition of his message of peace, non-violence, inter-religious understanding, universal responsibility and compassion.  He has also authored or co-authored more than 110 books.

His Holiness has held dialogues with heads of different religions and participated in many events promoting inter-religious harmony and understanding.

Since the mid-1980’s, he has begun a dialogue with modern scientists, mainly in the fields of psychology, neurobiology, quantum physics and cosmology. This has led to a historic collaboration between Buddhist monks and world-renowned scientists in trying to help individuals achieve peace of mind. This has also led to the introduction of modern science in the traditional curriculum of Tibetan monastic institutions re-established in exile.

One of the great men of our time....

 

  Chapt. 3                    Evidence for the Sixth Sense

 

Soon after I began my experiments with the dowsing rods, it became apparent that my mind was very much responsible for whatever I discovered. I had to fix in my mind the sort of objects I wanted to locate. Retaining a provisional imaginary image also helped, as did spoken descriptive repetition of whatever was being sought. The rods seemed to be necessary tools and indicators to enable me to link up with the unseen, imagined, objects.

            Having satisfied myself that the detection of underground and under floor objects was a reality, I wanted to explore other possibilities using mental imagery and abstract thoughts. Would I be able to detect the presence of obstacles in darkness? Would it be possible for me to detect when I was in a particular, specified, location, without visual reference? A number of experiments were devised to explore these ideas.

 Obstacle Avoidance Experiments

 

With the participation of my wife and small schoolboy son, I was able to devise a number of tests indoors. In our long, through-lounge, we moved the furniture to create a cleared walkway, from front to back of the room. With eyes tightly shut (and sometimes blindfolded) I asked  my helpers to move obstacles into my path down the room. Chairs, coffee tables, poufs and other relatively light articles would be manoeuvred quietly into my path as I progressed blindly, walking with rods extended before me. My helpers were prepared to warn me if it looked as though the rods were not responding.

            During the events, no warnings were necessary.  I felt the rods cross as they passed over the edge of each low obstruction.  This experiment was carried out several times, successfully, with different obstacles placed in different parts of the room. Surely, extrasensory perception (ESP), assisted by the rods, had been demonstrated without any room left for doubt.

Encouraged by that result, I decided to go one stage further. Could the rods, after having detected an obstacle, indicate to me the unobstructed way I should walk to avoid it?  Again, with the help of my two assistants, the obstacles were placed randomly, as before, to obstruct my blind walking. As before, the rods warned me

of the presence of the obstructing item. In my mind, I then asked which way I should go to skirt round the obstacle. On each occasion, I felt both rods swing forcefully together to the left or to the right. By turning in the indicated direction, I was able to detect when I could return to my original direction of travel. Occasionally, on opening my eyes I could see that, had I turned the other way, I would have encountered another obstacle. Participating in these experiments was a fantastic experience, but it would be experienced again during the next experiments in this series.

Spatial Positioning Experiments

First experiments to explore whether the rods could indicate when I was in a pre-conceived location began with simple tests.  With the rods extended before me  and with eyes firmly shut, I walked down the lounge, as before. I then fixed in my mind an image of the location I wanted to be in; for example, beneath the ceiling light, beside one edge of the fireplace, and so on. Positive responses were obtained during each one of these trials. But I doubted the real significance of them, because I was very familiar with the layout of the room and could have subconsciously measured my steps accordingly. So, tests in an unfamiliar environment would be necessary. The opportunity would be presented to me some years later when I was in that large field in Adlington.

            Not being familiar with the distances of objects like trees and gaps in the hedgerows would help me with these spatial positioning tests. During my time in that field, one of the most telling objectives was to reveal, with eyes tightly shut, when I crossed an imaginary line between two objects located on opposite sides of the field. When I felt the rods cross, I stopped abruptly and looked to left and  right. Sure enough, on each occasion,  I discovered that the chosen objects were truly aligned on either side of my position, indicating that I was standing on that imagined line linking them. 

 I discovered, also, if I believed strongly enough, in an arbitrary manner and without any evidence, that there was something underground at particular locations, the rods would obligingly cross when I walked over those locations. This revelation led me, later, to be sceptical about the claims of some dowsers that they were able to detect Earth-energy (ley) lines in the vicinity of ancient sites.  Currently, to my knowledge, there  have been no tests devised to validate those claims.