Anthropology & Interpreting Spirit Communicators

Anthropology & Interpreting Spirit Communicators

Jack Hunter

I participated in numerous séances as a sitter at the Bristol Spirit Lodge, and in this capacity experienced some very interesting visual phenomena: apparent transfiguration of the medium‟s face and torso, small shining lights, hazes, mists and so on. I found itvery difficult to classify these experiences as either objective or subjective. For the most part they seemed so subtle as to be a product of my own mind, and yet, interestingly, the experiences were often confirmed by other sitters. One example I recall vividly was when I noticed that the medium‟s head was now bald and rather stern looking. When discussing the events of the séance afterwards several of the other sitters commented independently (I had not mentioned what I had seen) that they had witnessed the transfiguration of the medium‟s head into that of a bald Chinese man. Moments like this really make one wonder, how can an apparently subjective phenomenon be witnessed by more than one individual?

In addition to sitting as a witness I also engaged in mediumship development and, tomy great surprise, underwent some very peculiar sensations. I will now describe indetail the most peculiar, and profoundly affecting, experience I had while developingmy own trance mediumship. Because Jon was unable to attend a séance on the eveningof 10 March 2009, it was decided that the time would best be spent with the intention of development, and involved sitting in red light conditions and relaxing into a guidedmeditating. Michelle, a regular sitter who had had previous mediumistic experience,was placed in the cabinet, but the intention of opening prayer was for spirit intelligenceto make itself known through any of the vessels present in the room...