Mediumship resources request

How the hell does one learn how to do it? What are the best resources? Who are the best in the field to learn from?

How the hell does one learn how to do it? What are the best resources? Who are the best in the field to learn from?

Have you established that there is anyone who can do it?

[Laird]

Jim Smith seems to be a good resource on this stuff. He doesn't seem to be posting here any more though, so maybe drop him a line on Skeptiko? I seem to recall he's got a ready-to-post "cheat sheet" / "talking point document" on this subject  - if I was a little more energetic I would try to dig it up from one of his past posts. Pretty sure he covers it in detail on his site(s).

Jim Smith seems to be a good resource on this stuff. He doesn't seem to be posting here any more though, so maybe drop him a line on Skeptiko? I seem to recall he's got a ready-to-post "cheat sheet" / "talking point document" on this subject  - if I was a little more energetic I would try to dig it up from one of his past posts. Pretty sure he covers it in detail on his site(s).

Oh, right. I'll fetch it and link it in the thread for other people who are interested.

Have you established that there is anyone who can do it?

No, have you?

Julie Beischel's work at the Windbridge institute looks pretty substantial. Also Alex recently got a successful reading over on skeptiko and I'm inclined to trust the guy on this.

No, have you?

Julie Beischel's work at the Windbridge institute looks pretty substantial. Also Alex recently got a successful reading over on skeptiko and I'm inclined to trust the guy on this.

I have to say I haven’t - and I have visited a few, some of them highly recommended.

As for trusting other people’s opinions on particular mediums, unless I know the person well or can properly talk to them about their experience I find it hard to consider their opinion conclusive or much more than ‘interesting’ at best. You may have a different way of evaluating them which is of course perfectly fine. That’s not to say their experience wasn’t conclusive for them of course but I’m not keen on relying on the judgement or evidence of a complete stranger without something to corroborate it.

The people who appear to have been very good mediums haven’t usually acquired their skills by deciding that they wanted to do this and then attending courses and reading books on the subject. They seem to have had a natural aptitude which was perhaps honed by mentoring, tuition or in a  development circle of some kind.

That said there are some examples of apparently competent mediums who did just that - ie set about establishing communication with no idea whether they had any ability or not - but it seems to have taken a very long time and a lot of dedication to get quite meagre results.

I agree that the Windbridge research looks very interesting, if it is what it appears to be. However when one reads reviews apparently written by people who  sat with the mediums tested by Windbridge the results look somewhat variable (which was true for some of the best mediums of their day in fairness). 

Personally I find it difficult to reach a firm conclusion. I’m confident some people can do this, but I haven’t met one (yet) who could do it for me.

I have to say I haven’t - and I have visited a few, some of them highly recommended.

As for trusting other people’s opinions on particular mediums, unless I know the person well or can properly talk to them about their experience I find it hard to consider their opinion conclusive or much more than ‘interesting’ at best. You may have a different way of evaluating them which is of course perfectly fine. That’s not to say their experience wasn’t conclusive for them of course but I’m not keen on relying on the judgement or evidence of a complete stranger without something to corroborate it.

The people who appear to have been very good mediums haven’t usually acquired their skills by deciding that they wanted to do this and then attending courses and reading books on the subject. They seem to have had a natural aptitude which was perhaps honed by mentoring, tuition or in a  development circle of some kind.

That said there are some examples of apparently competent mediums who did just that - ie set about establishing communication with no idea whether they had any ability or not - but it seems to have taken a very long time and a lot of dedication to get quite meagre results.

I agree that the Windbridge research looks very interesting, if it is what it appears to be. However when one reads reviews apparently written by people who  sat with the mediums tested by Windbridge the results look somewhat variable (which was true for some of the best mediums of their day in fairness). 

Personally I find it difficult to reach a firm conclusion. I’m confident some people can do this, but I haven’t met one (yet) who could do it for me.

Fair enough. I don't personally have to believe in mediumship to want to try it, a bit of a self verificationist I suppose.

How the hell does one learn how to do it? What are the best resources? Who are the best in the field to learn from?

 If you can,  go along to your local spiritualist center/church if there's one nearby, they always have development groups running.

How the hell does one learn how to do it? What are the best resources? Who are the best in the field to learn from?

It's arguable that you are unlikely to learn how to do it, hell or not.  It's said - and can't be disproven - that mediums are born with the necessary, latent attributes.   

An individual may recognise a certain ability (or be recognised for it) and undertake exercises to develop and enhance her ability (such as in development classes) and it is possible that those who don't develop or move forward didn't have the necessary attributes in the first place.  Those who do likely did.  

It's arguable that you are unlikely to learn how to do it, hell or not.  It's said - and can't be disproven - that mediums are born with the necessary, latent attributes.   

An individual may recognise a certain ability (or be recognised for it) and undertake exercises to develop and enhance her ability (such as in development classes) and it is possible that those who don't develop or move forward didn't have the necessary attributes in the first place.  Those who do likely did.  

Possibly born with it, or maybe the ability arrives unexpectedly later in life. One example is as an after-effect of a Near Death Experience, where occasionally a person afterwards may have new abilities, for example as an artist or musician, which they did not have before, and one such ability may be the rather unwanted ability to perceive or hear some of those who have passed, perhaps particularly those who 'demand' to be heard. This isn't necessarily a wonderful gift, it may present challenges, such as being able to 'switch off' or draw boundaries in order to have this take place only during set times.