June 1, 2023 • 21 mins
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psychic abilities, paranormal phenomena, metaphysics, spirituality, intuition, extrasensory perception, divination, spiritualism, self-help, personal growth, meditation, clairvoyance, telepathy, astral projection, dream interpretation, chakras, energy healing, esotericism, cultural influence, human nature, self-awareness, spiritual practices, consciousness, psychic development, holistic living
psychic abilities, paranormal phenomena, metaphysics, spirituality, intuition, extrasensory perception, divination, spiritualism, self-help, personal growth, meditation, clairvoyance, telepathy, astral projection, dream interpretation, chakras, energy healing, esotericism, cultural influence, human nature, self-awareness, spiritual practices, consciousness, psychic development, holistic living
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Your psychic powers and how to developthem Baheroward Carrington, Chapter one, How
to Develop Every student of Psychics.Every one who has experienced phenomena of one
kind or another, or who ismore or less mediumistic, desires to know
(00:20):
how to develop his own powers andfaculties, so that the phenomena which come
through him may be increased in power, in clearness, and in excellence.
It is quite possible to ensure this, since we are all more or less
mediumistic or psychic, and need onlyto cultivate our powers in order to develop
them and bring them into maturity.Development may differ according to the character of
(00:45):
the phenomena we desire. Those whodesire physical phenomena must develop in one way,
those who desire to obtain automatic writingmust develop in another, and those
who wish to become clairvoyant must developin still another, and so on.
Spontaneous phenomena. To begin, letme give a few general hints to those
(01:06):
who have experienced spontaneous phenomena in theirwaking state, or who have experienced remarkable
dreams which they feel signify something,but just what they do not understand.
These spontaneous phenomena are often the simplesttypes of mediumship, though as a matter
of fact, they are also anindication of psychic power, having but little
(01:30):
to do with true mediumistic messages.That is, they are the result of
remarkable powers within ourselves. All whoobtain phenomena of this nature should make it
a point, first of all,to maintain the physical health at the highest
possible standard, so that the energiesare not drained and the body remains healthy
(01:52):
in the mind clear in its judgment. It is essential to reduce the amount
of stimulants which may be taken tothe lowest possible quantity, or, if
possible, omit them altogether. Thisapplies not only to alcohol in all its
forms, but also to tea andcoffee. These stimulants excite the nerves and
(02:12):
the imagination, and often induce manifestationswhich are not true psychic phenomena at all,
but merely the results of a disorderednervous system. The subject should not
eat too much meat. On theother hand, fruits of all kinds,
particularly acid fruits such as the pear, peach, plum, orange, and
(02:32):
lemon, are especially suitable, sincethe juices of these fruits act upon the
liver and tend to cleanse the blood. Of course, these precautions are only
for those who are serious in theirstudy and who are determined to obtain the
best possible phenomena. The mind shouldbe exercised in all healthy channels. Do
(02:55):
not interspect or reflect too much onyour own own inner mental conditions. You
must learn to live outside of yourhead, so to speak, in the
outer world. Do not constantly wonderwhat is going on within your own brain.
If you do, you will surelylead yourself into difficulties later on.
In short, you should lead ahealthy, active life, and between those
(03:21):
times when you experience phenomena, youshould think about them as applied to yourself
as little as possible conditions for development. If you desire to obtain certain manifestations,
it is not advisable to sit forthem or try to obtain them for
longer than twenty minutes to half anhour each day. At first, five
(03:44):
or ten minutes would suffice, andthis time can gradually be lengthened as you
progress. This is especially important,and the neglect of this rule is one
of the great reasons for the dangerswhich mediums experience later on in their development.
Suppose, for example, that someoneappeared to you and gave you certain
(04:04):
advice as to your course of action. It would certainly be unwise for you
to follow this advice in every casewithout inquiring whether or not it would be
just and sensible, and without usingyour own judgment when the advice was given.
Even supposing that the person who appearedyou were really the spirit it claimed
(04:27):
to be, there is always apossibility that this spirit may be mistaken,
and the further possibility that some maliciousand lying spirit is coming to you pretending
to give advice, while in realityit was only leading you astray. There
is this further possibility that the figureyou saw was not really a spirit at
all, but merely the product ofyour own subconscious imagination. Often this is
(04:51):
the case, and yet the figurehas given true and sound advice. All
that we are saying now is thatthe judgment the individual who receives such messages
or advice must always be exercised uponthe message received. If you do not
cultivate this habit, you will findthat messages often become more and more insistent
(05:15):
when they are not followed, andwill sometimes give untrue or lying information.
They may even urge you to docertain things which are against your own welfare.
All this can only be settled bythe exercise of right judgment and by
the advice of those who know howmuch to believe in the messages. It
(05:36):
is for this reason that the counciland help of one who has had long
training and experiences in this subject ismost desirable during these early stages of mediumship.
The proper formation of the circle.The proper formation of the circle is
of the utmost importance, and uponit depends the excellence of the phenomena and
(05:59):
whether not helpful personalities are drawn intoyour aura and environment. The best results
may be obtained by closely obeying thefollowing rules. From six to ten persons
usually constitute a circle. They shouldrange, on the average from twenty to
fifty years of age. Of these, half should be gentlemen and half ladies.
(06:21):
They should sit alternately round a tableor around the room. In the
case one of the party enters thecabinet, it is desirable to join hands
in order to form a battery socalled, and the feet should be kept
flat on the floor. The circleshould not last more than two hours and
not less than half an hour.An invocation or short earnest prayer should begin
(06:45):
the proceedings followed by slow and quietmusic, which may or may not be
accompanied by singing, according to theexpressed wish of the controls or the experience
of those forming the circle. Thelight should be subdued, but absolute darkness
should not be permitted unless strict instructionsare given to that effect. Avoid dark
(07:06):
seances if possible at all times.The value of flowers. It is advisable
to have flowers in the seance roomwhenever possible, as their presence and said
to attract spirits in a peculiar manner. The spirits say that these flowers are
lights. Plenty of fresh air shouldbe allowed to enter the seance room.
(07:29):
If any member of the circle beill, he or she should not be
permitted to sit in the circle untilwell again. A developing circle should meet
in the same room, since thisroom tends to become mediumized or soaked in
the magnetic influences given off by thesitters. The chairs on which the members
of the circle set should be woodor cane bottomed. The use of upholstered
(07:54):
chairs is generally inadvisable. The tableround which the members of the circle set
should be free from metal. Thechair on which the medium sits must be
cane or wood, and as alreadysaid, free from all cushions or upholstery
atmospheric conditions. Atmospheric changes play agreat and important part in all mediumistic conditions.
(08:18):
The drier the atmosphere, the betterthe phenomena. As a rule,
on damp, rainy days little canbe obtained. During a thunderstorm, Startling
phenomena occasionally take place. High rarefiedair is better than that of lower levels,
and for that reason a house onthe side or even the top of
(08:39):
a high mountain should be selected,if possible, in which to hold silences.
Failing this, select a house whichhas as high an altitude as possible.
One member of the circle must,by universal consent, undertake to conduct
the proceedings, to converse with thespirits when they appear, to arrange the
(09:00):
sitters in their proper places, toadjust the amount of light required, etc.
His word must be followed at onceand without question, Otherwise the necessary
harmony will be destroyed and the circlewill fail to obtain as good results.
Excitement in all its forms should beavoided. If one in the circle developed
(09:20):
mediumistic power, he should be placednext to a more fully developed medium,
unless instructions are given not to doso. In this way, the power
is concentrated and focused at one pointmisuse of spirit advice. Never attempt to
use psychic power for worldly purposes.If you do, you will invite mischievous
(09:43):
and lying intelligences to your circle,and the medium will possibly lose what mediumship
he already possesses. Do not sittoo frequently. Every other night at most
should sittings be held, or eventwice a week. See that the room
is not too cool and is notunduly heated. As soon as the first
(10:07):
manifestations have been received, encourage thespirits by talking to them in a natural
tone or voice as you would ifthey were visibly present in the room.
Speak to them as you would ifthey had returned to Earth in bodily form.
Be natural in fact, you willget the best results this way.
(10:28):
Many of those who are interested inspiritualism are so situated that they cannot join
circles, but wish to develop alone. This is, as a rule,
unwise unless someone is present who understandsthe phenomena which are likely to develop,
and who can help and give goodadvice when required. You may do so
(10:48):
if the following instructions are kept carefullyin mind. If you can provide yourself
with a cabinet, it would bevery advisable to do so. Sit inside
the cabinet on a comfortable chair,and relax yourself thoroughly. Note whatever impressions
come to you, pay particular attentionto your bodily feelings no less than your
mental states. Do not exaggerate hereor let your imagination have too free play.
(11:15):
If your legs should happen to tingleor the chair to creak, do
not put these down to spiritual influence. They may be due to perfectly normal
causes symptoms of oncoming mediumship. Forthe first few evenings, you will possibly
notice nothing much of interest, althoughvery psychic persons begin to develop almost at
(11:37):
once. A peculiar lightness and buzzingis sometimes experienced in the head, together
with a sense of numbness in thehands and arms, and sometimes in the
feet and legs. The respiration seemsto become slower, and so does the
heart. Tiny lights and spots andlight or dark spots appear in the air
(12:00):
at a distance of one to twofeet in front of the subject. A
peculiar pressure is sometimes experienced on thetop of the head, or on the
base of the brain, or inthe solar plexus. Swishing sounds as of
the sea breaking upon the seashore maybe heard, and a sensation that something
inside the head is going round andround in spirals. The head, the
(12:22):
hands, and sometimes the whole bodybreak out into a profuse perspiration. At
this point, these are the firstsensations of oncoming mediumship. Very often they
are not pleasant for the first fewweeks, but if this period be passed,
the unpleasant sensations will, as arule vanish, and the subject will
(12:43):
then develop true mediumship of one characteror another, getting the best results.
Just here it is advisable to statethat the would be medium should not at
first sit for the express purpose ofcultivating any particular phase of mediumship. He
may desire to obtain materialization, butunless he is naturally endowed in this matter,
(13:07):
he might sit forever and obtain nothing, Whereas if he developed whatever phenomena
presented themselves, he might very soondevelop into a striking medium in some other
line. To return, however,to the early development of mediumship. Soon
after these early impressions have been noticed, the subject may note for the first
(13:30):
time that his mind is peculiarly susceptibleto influences of all kinds. He feels
as if his mind has been skinned, so to speak, and that he
is now exposed to the psychic breezesfrom every direction. He may become erratic
and irritable, and develop moods whichhe himself cannot understand. Peculiar buzzings in
(13:54):
the head or are sometimes heard.Sometimes cloudlike mass seem to form in space
before him, twisting and turning andmoving up and down and round about in
very irregular motion. As a rule, these clouds appear to be of the
consistency of vapor, though they mayin time become more and more solid until
(14:16):
they become built up into definite formsof this. However, later early signs
and experiences at this phase of thedevelopment, The subject may feel cool breezes
blowing upon his hands and face fromvarious directions, breezes which appear to be
perfectly physical in character. He mayalso experience a peculiar sticky sensation on his
(14:41):
hands and face, as though cobwebswere applied over the bare skin which is
exposed. This cobwebby sensation is verycommon and is not limited as many think
to mediums who obtain materialization colors andvoices. In the early stage of the
(15:01):
development, mediums very often see colorsof various shades and hues and space before
them. They are unable to tellwhether or not these colors have any definite
shape or outline. They seem topossess an odd, irregular shape of their
own, something like a large blotof ink. At this stage, also,
(15:22):
many psychics see faces of friends andrelatives, either living or dead,
just as they are falling asleep oras they are awakening in the morning,
usually the former. They also seemany strange faces. These may be mere
vague images or clearly outlined. Insteadof the faces, they may hear voices
(15:45):
speaking, and the first thing whichthese voices generally say is the name of
the subject himself. After this,the voices may become more and more clear
and intense. But such phenomena shouldbe permitted only at stated times, because
if they are allowed to develop,whenever they may be experienced, trouble may
(16:06):
result. Many odd and grotesque figuresand shapes may present themselves to the mind's
eye at the stage of development.These shapes may be highly colored or may
be almost colorless, seeming to bemade of the air itself, yet somehow
separated from this in outline. Manyof these images are symbolic, though as
(16:29):
a rule a few of them arerecognizable. More often they represent curious patterns
and figures, such as roses,circles, outlines of patterns, such as
may be seen on the wall paper, And occasionally weird and horrible images flash
into the mind, to be goneagain in the next instant Unpleasant experiences.
(16:52):
If these manifestations develop an unpleasant characterat the time, they should be checked
instantly. The subject may do thisin several ways. First of all,
he should build up his physical health. Second, he should see to it
that he obtains plenty of sleep.Third, he should exercise his brain as
(17:14):
little as possible on anything of thisunpleasant character. Fourth, he should keep
busily occupied in material, practical things, and leave himself no time to ponder
and dwell upon these unpleasant experiences.Fifth, he should avoid by all means
day dreaming, and never allow hismind to become passive or absent minded.
(17:38):
He should cultivate his objective attention andinterest in short, and focus his whole
personality, as it were, betweenhis eyes so as to have it under
thorough control. If he does thisand refuses to sit for development for a
short time, he will find thatthese early unpleasant symptoms, should they develop,
(17:59):
will soon are off, and thisadvice holds good for any stage in
the development of mediumship. Exaggeration andimagination. Many of those who develop psychic
phenomena are inclined to exaggerate the importanceof the manifestations they receive during the early
stages of their mediumship. Everything seemsso new and strange to them, so
(18:22):
remarkable, so unaccountable, so beyondthe experience of the average person, that
they feel bound to tell it toeveryone they meet, and usually it loses
nothing in the telling. They failto realize that every medium who has been
developed has gone through these same earlystages, but has progressed beyond them years
before. And observing these phenomena inyourself, you must be very careful to
(18:45):
distinguish between the facts which really occurand the fantasies of your own excited imagination,
which is inclined to extend and amplifythese facts beyond all recognition. Thus,
suppose a blurred outline of a facepresents itself to you, the next
day you meet your cousin on thestreet. You instantly come to the conclusion
(19:07):
that the face you saw was thatof your cousin, while as a matter
of fact it might not have bornethe least resemblance to him. This is
a very simple case, but willserve to explain the point in question why
and how your power may be lost. If you obtain such phenomena, you
(19:27):
must be very careful not to exaggeratethem, for if you do, you
will quite possibly lose the real sensitivenessthat you are beginning to acquire, and
this will be replaced by the productsof an over excited imagination. This is
a truth well known, as youmay see by the following quotation from a
(19:48):
work which appeared in eighteen thirteen entitledAnimal Magnetism by delws For. In it
he says, quote, do notpress the sonambulist too much, for if
you do, you will gain nothing. You will even lose the advantages which
he might derive from his lucidity.It is possible that you could make him
(20:11):
speak upon all the subjects of yourpersonal curiosity, but in that case you
will make him leave his own sphereand introduce him in yours. He will
no longer have any other resources thanyourself. He will utter to you very
eloquent discourses, but they will beno more dictated by the external inspirations.
(20:34):
They will be the product of hisrecollections or of his imagination. Perhaps you
will also rouse his vanity, andthen all is lost. He will not
re enter the circle from which hehas wandered. The two states cannot be
confounded. End quote. The studentwho cultivates mediumships should therefore be careful to
(20:57):
preserve a clear head and a modestestimate of his own phenomena. If he
does, he will doubtless progress rapidlyand favorably. End of Chapter one.
Your psychic powers and how to developthem Baheroward Carrington, Chapter one, How
to Develop Every student of Psychics.Every one who has experienced phenomena of one
kind or another, or who ismore or less mediumistic, desires to know
(00:20):
how to develop his own powers andfaculties, so that the phenomena which come
through him may be increased in power, in clearness, and in excellence.
It is quite possible to ensure this, since we are all more or less
mediumistic or psychic, and need onlyto cultivate our powers in order to develop
them and bring them into maturity.Development may differ according to the character of
(00:45):
the phenomena we desire. Those whodesire physical phenomena must develop in one way,
those who desire to obtain automatic writingmust develop in another, and those
who wish to become clairvoyant must developin still another, and so on.
Spontaneous phenomena. To begin, letme give a few general hints to those
(01:06):
who have experienced spontaneous phenomena in theirwaking state, or who have experienced remarkable
dreams which they feel signify something,but just what they do not understand.
These spontaneous phenomena are often the simplesttypes of mediumship, though as a matter
of fact, they are also anindication of psychic power, having but little
(01:30):
to do with true mediumistic messages.That is, they are the result of
remarkable powers within ourselves. All whoobtain phenomena of this nature should make it
a point, first of all,to maintain the physical health at the highest
possible standard, so that the energiesare not drained and the body remains healthy
(01:52):
in the mind clear in its judgment. It is essential to reduce the amount
of stimulants which may be taken tothe lowest possible quantity, or, if
possible, omit them altogether. Thisapplies not only to alcohol in all its
forms, but also to tea andcoffee. These stimulants excite the nerves and
(02:12):
the imagination, and often induce manifestationswhich are not true psychic phenomena at all,
but merely the results of a disorderednervous system. The subject should not
eat too much meat. On theother hand, fruits of all kinds,
particularly acid fruits such as the pear, peach, plum, orange, and
(02:32):
lemon, are especially suitable, sincethe juices of these fruits act upon the
liver and tend to cleanse the blood. Of course, these precautions are only
for those who are serious in theirstudy and who are determined to obtain the
best possible phenomena. The mind shouldbe exercised in all healthy channels. Do
(02:55):
not interspect or reflect too much onyour own own inner mental conditions. You
must learn to live outside of yourhead, so to speak, in the
outer world. Do not constantly wonderwhat is going on within your own brain.
If you do, you will surelylead yourself into difficulties later on.
In short, you should lead ahealthy, active life, and between those
(03:21):
times when you experience phenomena, youshould think about them as applied to yourself
as little as possible conditions for development. If you desire to obtain certain manifestations,
it is not advisable to sit forthem or try to obtain them for
longer than twenty minutes to half anhour each day. At first, five
(03:44):
or ten minutes would suffice, andthis time can gradually be lengthened as you
progress. This is especially important,and the neglect of this rule is one
of the great reasons for the dangerswhich mediums experience later on in their development.
Suppose, for example, that someoneappeared to you and gave you certain
(04:04):
advice as to your course of action. It would certainly be unwise for you
to follow this advice in every casewithout inquiring whether or not it would be
just and sensible, and without usingyour own judgment when the advice was given.
Even supposing that the person who appearedyou were really the spirit it claimed
(04:27):
to be, there is always apossibility that this spirit may be mistaken,
and the further possibility that some maliciousand lying spirit is coming to you pretending
to give advice, while in realityit was only leading you astray. There
is this further possibility that the figureyou saw was not really a spirit at
all, but merely the product ofyour own subconscious imagination. Often this is
(04:51):
the case, and yet the figurehas given true and sound advice. All
that we are saying now is thatthe judgment the individual who receives such messages
or advice must always be exercised uponthe message received. If you do not
cultivate this habit, you will findthat messages often become more and more insistent
(05:15):
when they are not followed, andwill sometimes give untrue or lying information.
They may even urge you to docertain things which are against your own welfare.
All this can only be settled bythe exercise of right judgment and by
the advice of those who know howmuch to believe in the messages. It
(05:36):
is for this reason that the counciland help of one who has had long
training and experiences in this subject ismost desirable during these early stages of mediumship.
The proper formation of the circle.The proper formation of the circle is
of the utmost importance, and uponit depends the excellence of the phenomena and
(05:59):
whether not helpful personalities are drawn intoyour aura and environment. The best results
may be obtained by closely obeying thefollowing rules. From six to ten persons
usually constitute a circle. They shouldrange, on the average from twenty to
fifty years of age. Of these, half should be gentlemen and half ladies.
(06:21):
They should sit alternately round a tableor around the room. In the
case one of the party enters thecabinet, it is desirable to join hands
in order to form a battery socalled, and the feet should be kept
flat on the floor. The circleshould not last more than two hours and
not less than half an hour.An invocation or short earnest prayer should begin
(06:45):
the proceedings followed by slow and quietmusic, which may or may not be
accompanied by singing, according to theexpressed wish of the controls or the experience
of those forming the circle. Thelight should be subdued, but absolute darkness
should not be permitted unless strict instructionsare given to that effect. Avoid dark
(07:06):
seances if possible at all times.The value of flowers. It is advisable
to have flowers in the seance roomwhenever possible, as their presence and said
to attract spirits in a peculiar manner. The spirits say that these flowers are
lights. Plenty of fresh air shouldbe allowed to enter the seance room.
(07:29):
If any member of the circle beill, he or she should not be
permitted to sit in the circle untilwell again. A developing circle should meet
in the same room, since thisroom tends to become mediumized or soaked in
the magnetic influences given off by thesitters. The chairs on which the members
of the circle set should be woodor cane bottomed. The use of upholstered
(07:54):
chairs is generally inadvisable. The tableround which the members of the circle set
should be free from metal. Thechair on which the medium sits must be
cane or wood, and as alreadysaid, free from all cushions or upholstery
atmospheric conditions. Atmospheric changes play agreat and important part in all mediumistic conditions.
(08:18):
The drier the atmosphere, the betterthe phenomena. As a rule,
on damp, rainy days little canbe obtained. During a thunderstorm, Startling
phenomena occasionally take place. High rarefiedair is better than that of lower levels,
and for that reason a house onthe side or even the top of
(08:39):
a high mountain should be selected,if possible, in which to hold silences.
Failing this, select a house whichhas as high an altitude as possible.
One member of the circle must,by universal consent, undertake to conduct
the proceedings, to converse with thespirits when they appear, to arrange the
(09:00):
sitters in their proper places, toadjust the amount of light required, etc.
His word must be followed at onceand without question, Otherwise the necessary
harmony will be destroyed and the circlewill fail to obtain as good results.
Excitement in all its forms should beavoided. If one in the circle developed
(09:20):
mediumistic power, he should be placednext to a more fully developed medium,
unless instructions are given not to doso. In this way, the power
is concentrated and focused at one pointmisuse of spirit advice. Never attempt to
use psychic power for worldly purposes.If you do, you will invite mischievous
(09:43):
and lying intelligences to your circle,and the medium will possibly lose what mediumship
he already possesses. Do not sittoo frequently. Every other night at most
should sittings be held, or eventwice a week. See that the room
is not too cool and is notunduly heated. As soon as the first
(10:07):
manifestations have been received, encourage thespirits by talking to them in a natural
tone or voice as you would ifthey were visibly present in the room.
Speak to them as you would ifthey had returned to Earth in bodily form.
Be natural in fact, you willget the best results this way.
(10:28):
Many of those who are interested inspiritualism are so situated that they cannot join
circles, but wish to develop alone. This is, as a rule,
unwise unless someone is present who understandsthe phenomena which are likely to develop,
and who can help and give goodadvice when required. You may do so
(10:48):
if the following instructions are kept carefullyin mind. If you can provide yourself
with a cabinet, it would bevery advisable to do so. Sit inside
the cabinet on a comfortable chair,and relax yourself thoroughly. Note whatever impressions
come to you, pay particular attentionto your bodily feelings no less than your
mental states. Do not exaggerate hereor let your imagination have too free play.
(11:15):
If your legs should happen to tingleor the chair to creak, do
not put these down to spiritual influence. They may be due to perfectly normal
causes symptoms of oncoming mediumship. Forthe first few evenings, you will possibly
notice nothing much of interest, althoughvery psychic persons begin to develop almost at
(11:37):
once. A peculiar lightness and buzzingis sometimes experienced in the head, together
with a sense of numbness in thehands and arms, and sometimes in the
feet and legs. The respiration seemsto become slower, and so does the
heart. Tiny lights and spots andlight or dark spots appear in the air
(12:00):
at a distance of one to twofeet in front of the subject. A
peculiar pressure is sometimes experienced on thetop of the head, or on the
base of the brain, or inthe solar plexus. Swishing sounds as of
the sea breaking upon the seashore maybe heard, and a sensation that something
inside the head is going round andround in spirals. The head, the
(12:22):
hands, and sometimes the whole bodybreak out into a profuse perspiration. At
this point, these are the firstsensations of oncoming mediumship. Very often they
are not pleasant for the first fewweeks, but if this period be passed,
the unpleasant sensations will, as arule vanish, and the subject will
(12:43):
then develop true mediumship of one characteror another, getting the best results.
Just here it is advisable to statethat the would be medium should not at
first sit for the express purpose ofcultivating any particular phase of mediumship. He
may desire to obtain materialization, butunless he is naturally endowed in this matter,
(13:07):
he might sit forever and obtain nothing, Whereas if he developed whatever phenomena
presented themselves, he might very soondevelop into a striking medium in some other
line. To return, however,to the early development of mediumship. Soon
after these early impressions have been noticed, the subject may note for the first
(13:30):
time that his mind is peculiarly susceptibleto influences of all kinds. He feels
as if his mind has been skinned, so to speak, and that he
is now exposed to the psychic breezesfrom every direction. He may become erratic
and irritable, and develop moods whichhe himself cannot understand. Peculiar buzzings in
(13:54):
the head or are sometimes heard.Sometimes cloudlike mass seem to form in space
before him, twisting and turning andmoving up and down and round about in
very irregular motion. As a rule, these clouds appear to be of the
consistency of vapor, though they mayin time become more and more solid until
(14:16):
they become built up into definite formsof this. However, later early signs
and experiences at this phase of thedevelopment, The subject may feel cool breezes
blowing upon his hands and face fromvarious directions, breezes which appear to be
perfectly physical in character. He mayalso experience a peculiar sticky sensation on his
(14:41):
hands and face, as though cobwebswere applied over the bare skin which is
exposed. This cobwebby sensation is verycommon and is not limited as many think
to mediums who obtain materialization colors andvoices. In the early stage of the
(15:01):
development, mediums very often see colorsof various shades and hues and space before
them. They are unable to tellwhether or not these colors have any definite
shape or outline. They seem topossess an odd, irregular shape of their
own, something like a large blotof ink. At this stage, also,
(15:22):
many psychics see faces of friends andrelatives, either living or dead,
just as they are falling asleep oras they are awakening in the morning,
usually the former. They also seemany strange faces. These may be mere
vague images or clearly outlined. Insteadof the faces, they may hear voices
(15:45):
speaking, and the first thing whichthese voices generally say is the name of
the subject himself. After this,the voices may become more and more clear
and intense. But such phenomena shouldbe permitted only at stated times, because
if they are allowed to develop,whenever they may be experienced, trouble may
(16:06):
result. Many odd and grotesque figuresand shapes may present themselves to the mind's
eye at the stage of development.These shapes may be highly colored or may
be almost colorless, seeming to bemade of the air itself, yet somehow
separated from this in outline. Manyof these images are symbolic, though as
(16:29):
a rule a few of them arerecognizable. More often they represent curious patterns
and figures, such as roses,circles, outlines of patterns, such as
may be seen on the wall paper, And occasionally weird and horrible images flash
into the mind, to be goneagain in the next instant Unpleasant experiences.
(16:52):
If these manifestations develop an unpleasant characterat the time, they should be checked
instantly. The subject may do thisin several ways. First of all,
he should build up his physical health. Second, he should see to it
that he obtains plenty of sleep.Third, he should exercise his brain as
(17:14):
little as possible on anything of thisunpleasant character. Fourth, he should keep
busily occupied in material, practical things, and leave himself no time to ponder
and dwell upon these unpleasant experiences.Fifth, he should avoid by all means
day dreaming, and never allow hismind to become passive or absent minded.
(17:38):
He should cultivate his objective attention andinterest in short, and focus his whole
personality, as it were, betweenhis eyes so as to have it under
thorough control. If he does thisand refuses to sit for development for a
short time, he will find thatthese early unpleasant symptoms, should they develop,
(17:59):
will soon are off, and thisadvice holds good for any stage in
the development of mediumship. Exaggeration andimagination. Many of those who develop psychic
phenomena are inclined to exaggerate the importanceof the manifestations they receive during the early
stages of their mediumship. Everything seemsso new and strange to them, so
(18:22):
remarkable, so unaccountable, so beyondthe experience of the average person, that
they feel bound to tell it toeveryone they meet, and usually it loses
nothing in the telling. They failto realize that every medium who has been
developed has gone through these same earlystages, but has progressed beyond them years
before. And observing these phenomena inyourself, you must be very careful to
(18:45):
distinguish between the facts which really occurand the fantasies of your own excited imagination,
which is inclined to extend and amplifythese facts beyond all recognition. Thus,
suppose a blurred outline of a facepresents itself to you, the next
day you meet your cousin on thestreet. You instantly come to the conclusion
(19:07):
that the face you saw was thatof your cousin, while as a matter
of fact it might not have bornethe least resemblance to him. This is
a very simple case, but willserve to explain the point in question why
and how your power may be lost. If you obtain such phenomena, you
(19:27):
must be very careful not to exaggeratethem, for if you do, you
will quite possibly lose the real sensitivenessthat you are beginning to acquire, and
this will be replaced by the productsof an over excited imagination. This is
a truth well known, as youmay see by the following quotation from a
(19:48):
work which appeared in eighteen thirteen entitledAnimal Magnetism by delws For. In it
he says, quote, do notpress the sonambulist too much, for if
you do, you will gain nothing. You will even lose the advantages which
he might derive from his lucidity.It is possible that you could make him
(20:11):
speak upon all the subjects of yourpersonal curiosity, but in that case you
will make him leave his own sphereand introduce him in yours. He will
no longer have any other resources thanyourself. He will utter to you very
eloquent discourses, but they will beno more dictated by the external inspirations.
(20:34):
They will be the product of hisrecollections or of his imagination. Perhaps you
will also rouse his vanity, andthen all is lost. He will not
re enter the circle from which hehas wandered. The two states cannot be
confounded. End quote. The studentwho cultivates mediumships should therefore be careful to
(20:57):
preserve a clear head and a modestestimate of his own phenomena. If he
does, he will doubtless progress rapidlyand favorably. End of Chapter one.
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