As I write this I am in the Philippines teaching mediumship and healing. Spiritism is massive in the Philippines with about 2000 Spiritist centers around the country, at least half of them affiliated with the Unión Espiritista Cristiana de Filipinas. Established in 1905 the founders of the Union were greatly influenced by the writings of the French Spiritualist Allan Kardec. Presently there is much debate in the Union over the correct approach to mediumship development between the many members heavily influenced by mainstream Christian doctrine and orthodox ritual and the more scientifically oriented, adherents of Kardec’s writings. The Spiritists within the Union who are largely Christian oriented believe that mediumship is a gift of the Holy Spirit and as a result mediumistic development does not require education or training. The Mediums Book and other works by Kardec played an important role in the approach of the founders of the organization. Kardec was an intellectual and an educator who like other of the pioneers of the Spiritualist movement emphasized learning and scientific inquiry in regards to the practice and study of psychic phenomena and mediumship. A problem that arises within the Union concerning the practice of mediumship is that mediums tend to be placed on a pedestal by many Spiritists, who do not question their ability as mediums or the communications purported to originate from higher spirit teachers using the vocal chords of an entranced medium to speak. This is largely due to an overall lack of formal training in the mechanics of mediumship along with the common belief that the individuals chosen by the Holy Spirit to function as mediums are infallible. Many of the Union mediums claim to receive messages from spirit teachers who are Biblical personalities, Christian Saints and Archangels. Instead of questioning the identities and the messages being delivered many within the Union blindly accept what is given as being authentic without testing the medium and the message and validating the information that has been presented. At one of the centers located in a remote providence in the northern region, there is one official medium who regularly delivers messages at the meetings held several times a week. A friend of mine who is a member at this center mentioned to me the great inconsistency in the messages given by this medium. In one message the communicating spirit will repeat several times that they are the Lord coming through and need to be listened to and followed. Then in the next sentence the same personality will say that they have been sent by God. My friend is not sure what to say as there is no time allocated within the period of the trance address to ask questions of the communicator. Are you God or are you are messenger of God? Or better yet: Please give me some evidence of your identity? If the phone rang and a female voice on the other end claimed to be Barrack Obama calling, I would most likely doubt that the President of the United States of America was calling me. But like Kardec and other early pioneers within the Spiritualist movement, I would want verification of the identity of the alleged spirit communicator even if the voice of the caller sounded like Obama. What is sad in the situation commonly found with the Filipino mediums is that they can claim to channel any personality they chose and say practically anything without being challenged. Unlike the National Spiritualist Association of Churches in the USA, the Spiritualist National Union in the United Kingdom and other groups that have formal educational standards and examinations for mediumship, there is no standardized training offered or required for the Filipino mediums to operate. Although fraud and delusion have always been a problem when it comes to psychic phenomena regardless of the geographical location, the lack of higher educational standards within the Filipino Spiritist movement creates an environment where mediums can get away with claiming practically anything without being held accountable. P. T. Barnum was correct when he stated that a sucker was born every minute. Gullibility and a lack of rational thinking have always rightfully been condemned by genuine spirit teaching communicating through mediums. At practically every trance session that I have attended, or conducted as a medium, the spirit communicators have encouraged those listening to participate by asking intelligent questions about their identity as well as philosophical. Authentic spirit communicators from a higher level do not beat around the bush or give unreliable messages nor do they attempt to impress their audience with important sounding names. This is a basic concept generally emphasized in any development circle for beginners. As far as I am concerned mediumship is a science and should be approached as such. Is mediumship a gift? Yes it is, the same way that artistic or musical talent is a gift that may be greatly enhanced through practice and education. The idea that mediumship does not require education and that mediums only need to rely on the direct influence of spirit teachers is not unique to the Spiritists in the Philippines. This misconception has been around since the beginning of the Spiritualist movement and continues largely due to the laziness of the part of mediums who want to do the work without improving their abilities as mediums. An educated mind is ideal for the spirit teachers to work with. Ignorant mediums with a weak connection greatly restrict what the spirit personalities may express through them. Mediums must do their part and meet the spirit world at least half way. Physical, emotional and mental health are essential for mediumship development. It is not enough to reach a certain level as a medium and then slack off and stop training. Regardless of how long someone has been involved in practicing mediumship there is always room for improvement. Sitting in circle for development, daily personal prayer and meditation along with continuing education are mandatory for the serious student of mediumship. A well known British medium I know is friends with several popular Television mediums. He told me that one of the famous TV mediums suggested to him that he should never been seen by anyone attending other mediums workshops as it would give the impression that he was not the best and needed to learn from others. While this may be true I think that the more training and ideas that one gets in regards to mediumship, the better. Sadly my friend listened to him and as a result never does any continuing education or training with other mediums. I love teaching in the Philippines as there are so many people sincerely interested in developing their mediumship. While I cannot change the mentality of those who deliberately avoid continuing education, I will continue to encourage those at my programs to constantly strive for higher levels of perfection with their mediumship. Kardec’s approach to investigating the practice of spirit communication was in accordance with the scientific laws that govern the mechanics of mediumship. The founders of the Filipino Spiritist movement were highly educated and well cultured as individuals and would not appreciate the lack of education currently found within the organization. Unfortunately if they were physically present, their ideas would likely be disregarded by many of those currently involved in the movement. The philosophy of Spiritualism/Spiritism teaches progression in all areas of life. Greater education expands the mind and improves the intellect. A mind with substance within it is a better mind for the spirit teachers to influence and work through. A medium with training, discipline, and understanding of the process will also always be a more effective instrument.
Feb 102013