Developing Mediumship

Introduction

Have you ever thought, ‘There’s got to be more to life than this?’ I think most people at some stage or other in their lives do so, and usually go on to more probing musings like, ‘Why am I here?’ or ‘What is the purpose of my life?’ and ‘Is there life after death?’ This is particularly true for those who feel they possess psychic or mediumistic ability.

Throughout history there have always been people who have shown unique gifts and special abilities for seership, healing, telepathy and even communicating with the so-called ‘dead’. You may ask, ‘Is all of this just pure coincidence?’ Some people would dismiss it as such, but the succession of psychically gifted people recorded throughout time seems to suggest that there are abilities that cannot yet be fully explained, and moreover that there are people who possess these abilities.

I should say up front that I am not a person who believes in coincidence. And ever since I can remember, I have been aware of a sense of something strange happening around me – a feeling, if you like, of being different, a bit unusual, aware of energies that others didn’t seem to see or feel. Many psychic and telepathic experiences occurred during my early life that no one close to me seemed able to explain.

When I was a young child, these happenings frightened my mother, causing her great alarm. I was distressed to be the cause of her upset, so I learned very quickly to keep them to myself. Then, in my early twenties, after the sudden death of a close friend’s brother in a house fire and his early morning visitation to me to say goodbye as he passed over into spirit, I could no longer ignore the truth of what I could see, hear and feel. Spirit was asking me to wake up.

So I took it upon myself to investigate these mystical happenings. I felt compelled to learn more. It was something I felt I just had to do. It was as if a voice inside me kept calling and calling until I finally answered.

Soon after committing to exploring my abilities, I set out to join a Spiritualist development circle. I literally walked the length of West Prince’s Street in Glasgow three times one Thursday night, trying to find my new spiritual classroom. On the third pass by, I decided to give up if I had no success in finding the right place.

Fortunately for me, Mrs Primrose, my new spiritual teacher-to-be, was somehow moved to look outside the door one more time before starting her circle. As circumstance would have it, I was passing that door for the third and final time at that very moment. She spotted me and looked searchingly into my eyes, right through to my soul. It was then that she invited me inside. And so it was that I began my true spiritual journey.

It is my firm belief that she was meant to look out at that moment and I was meant to be there that night. I don’t believe that people who are meant to work for the spirit world can ever be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Spirit ensures that this simply does not happen.

Remembering how close I was to going straight home that night, and in all probability never going back, I realize that spirit made sure I was not allowed to slip by.

Despite having experienced many psychic happenings during the course of my early life, joining this circle was to be just the beginning of my real training. Those early life events turned out to be no more than mere glimpses of what I could achieve as a medium if my abilities were properly developed.

A quick word of definition here: there is a very large difference between being psychic and being mediumistic. To be psychic and to have psychic ability is to tune into an object or person here on the earth plane and see their life. Mediumship, however, is to provide a bridge for those who have crossed. For an example, if a person saw the future and it happened, that would be a psychic event, but to bring a message through from a person in the spirit world to one still living here would be mediumship. All mediums are psychic, but not all psychics are mediums. That’s because all mediums pick up information psychically from people as well as through the spirit world.

There are actually many thousands of people all around the world who have both psychic and mediumistic gifts. However, for whatever reason, only a few make concerted and committed attempts to develop them further. If you are one of those people who is aware they might have a gift and at the very least a desire to help others with the aid of spirit, then I am writing this book especially for you.

So how do you know that you really want to be a medium? Most eventual mediums have experienced paranormal episodes throughout their lives, often starting at a very young age. Some have a calling to investigate and understand their gifts, while others wish to help others and feel this is the right way for them. Others are not sure what lies ahead for them, but would like to gain greater awareness of themselves, spirit and others and see where the journey takes them.
If you would like to explore further, then this book contains a course of possible development I have charted for you, as well as explanations of the different types of spiritual ability and what you may encounter during your development. The episodes and experiences that I went through were personal to me – you will encounter your own during your journey – but I hope they will give you an idea of what you might expect. Many of the working mediums I know and have spoken to have been on very similar journeys. If you feel called to this path and to working with spirit, in whatever capacity, I welcome you to walk it with me and invite you to take it as far as you feel spirit wants to travel with you.

The journey to realize your particular abilities and develop them to their fullest can and probably will take many years – though that time will seem to pass very quickly! Be brave enough to step onto the path and trust where that will take you. Spirit has touched you for a reason and will honour your courage to proceed. I would advise anyone who is seriously seeking to take this path to take heart and be as open as possible to what spirit has to reveal to them, though always with great humility, trust and love.

During my time in development there were far too many questions left unanswered, questions that left me puzzled, confused and often dispirited, and eventually led me to seek my own answers. It is only now, in the writing of this book, that I fully understand why I quested after the truth. Everything I learned was for a specific purpose – to aid others as best I could, in love and honesty, with the guidance of spirit to help and heal. I suspect that, in your own personal way, this will be your purpose too.

At this point, though, I feel I must say as clearly as I can that spiritual development is not suited to everyone. You first must be very sure that you really want to do this. To embark on this journey will bring about changes in your everyday life that you may or may not welcome, and you as a person will change, for to understand spirit is to understand and transform yourself.

That will of course affect every relationship you have. Some connections with friends and loved ones will benefit, growing stronger as a consequence of your development as a person and as a medium, while others may not. You may have relationships that will wither away from fear of your development. Many people around you, including close friends and family, may not understand your reasons for doing this, nor the special energy and dedication it requires. People who are sceptical or religious extremists will also doubt you, openly question you or try to thwart your work. Worse still, some will claim your actions are nonsensical or even evil. You will need to be resilient in the face of such doubts and sure that you are acting out of love.

I must also say that people of a nervous disposition or those dealing with major traumas in their lives would be better suited to joining a relaxation course or a meditation group before seeking out a development circle or embarking on any course that develops spiritual awareness. Why? For the simple reason that spiritual development takes you through an intensive examination of your mind, self and emotions before you even begin looking into the external world of spirit. It is not a quick path and the terrain can occasionally seem gruelling along the way. So, if you are already facing trauma or disruption or have fears to deal with first, now is not the time for it. Be gentle with yourself and take some time to be still. That in itself can be of great help in your life. The first part of this book will give you some ideas on how to go about this.

So, if you are aware of some of the possible obstacles and you still want to embark on the path, then please do take the next step on your journey. If inside you there is a voice, however small, calling to you, encouraging you to meet these situations and to challenge convention, then go boldly forward. If you cannot help but follow that voice, then the quest to broaden your mental horizons and develop your spiritual mediumship, not to mention discover your own true self and spiritual nature, has already begun.