June 1, 2023 • 19 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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(00:00):
Chapter twenty. Trance Trance is acondition into which certain mediums enter in order
to receive messages and give them inthe form of speaking or writing. No
one knows at the present time whatthe medium trance is, or, for
that matter, any other kind oftrance. Doctor George Moore, in his
(00:21):
use of the Body in relation tothe Mind, says trance is a state
of body sometimes produced in man,a condition utterly inexplicable by any principle taught
in the schools. Professor William Jamesstated his belief that the medium trance was
different from any other trance of whichwe have any knowledge, and this seems
to be borne out by the factthat spirit messages are given in this condition,
(00:44):
as well as telepathic, clairvoyant andpromontory messages of all kinds. What
is trance? Both trance and catalepsyoccur spontaneously. Both may also be induced
artificially by hypnotism. Both are mistakenfor death, and in many respects they
are very similar. In catalepsy,the body is rigid, whereas in trance
(01:07):
this is very rarely the case,this forming the chief mark of distinction external
indication between the two states. Whatthe internal differences are we do not know.
Various attempts, however, have beenmade to find them. Doctor Franz
Hartman E. G. Thus distinguishesthem. Quote. There seems hardly any
limit to the time during which aperson may remain in a trance. But
(01:32):
catalepsy is due to some obstruction inthe organic mechanism of the body on account
of its exhausted nervous power. Inthe last case, the activity of life
begins again as soon as the impedimentis removed or the nervous energy has recuperated
its strength. End. Quote Death, Its Causes and Phenomena by Heroward Carrington
(01:53):
and John R. Meter. Whena hypnotist places his subject under hypnotic control,
the subject remains on rapport with theoperator. The influence comes from a
living person in the medium trance,it seems possible that the operator is not
a living but a deceased person,and that it is a kind of telepathic
influence from spirits which induces this state. In fact, it is brought about
(02:17):
by influence from the other side.Light and deep trance. There are all
grades and degrees of trance. Fromthe very light stage, in which there
is but little difference from the ordinarywaking consciousness to that degree of deep trance
where the medium is totally unconscious ofeverything that passes around him. Very deep
(02:38):
trance of this character is rare,but many of the most famous mediums have
got their best messages while in thatcondition. The famous Missus Piper of Boston
had almost to die to all outwardappearances before she could enter this deep trance,
and at the end of two hoursor so during which the trance lasted,
the only signs of life were slowerinspiration and heartbeat. The only signs
(03:01):
of consciousness were manifest in the righthand and arm, which did the automatic
writing. Many test mediums and sensitives, on the other hand, pass into
a stage of trance so light thatno one but an expert could detect any
trance at all. Yet in manysuch cases no memory of the condition remains
(03:22):
after the trance is finished. Theselight trances differed but slightly from cases of
day dreams, absent mindedness, etc. When we say to a person half
in joke he were in a tranceby shades and degrees, this becomes deeper
as the state becomes more profound,and lower and lower layers or strata of
the subconscious mind are reached. MissusPiper had three distinct layers of this character.
(03:46):
The first differed slightly from the wakingstate. In this condition, she
talked. The second condition was fardeeper trance, and in this stage spirits
were seen instead of human beings.In the third, or deepest stage,
speech was usually absent, and automaticwriting occurred. Spirit control during trance.
(04:08):
In trance, we may assume thatthere is a gradual and fluctuating control of
the medium's mind and body by thecommunicating spirit, and that as one vacates
or as driven out by the invadingintelligence, the latter is able to control
more and more effectually the medium.Just as two solid bodies cannot be in
the same place at the same time, so two spirit intelligences cannot occupy and
(04:31):
control the same body at the samemoment. When once the fact of spirit
control is granted, the nature andcharacter of this control remains to be solved.
How does the spirit manipulate the brainand nervous mechanism of the medium to
bring about the desired results, Whatparts of the brain are used, and
how These and many similar questions remainto be answered, and it may take
(04:55):
many years of scientific research before weare enabled to answer queries such as these
with any degree of confidence. Thedifference between somnambulism and trance, the difference
between somnambulism and the medium trance,seems to be that in the former we
remain unrappoor with ourselves, and inthe latter we are in touch with the
(05:15):
spirit world. Many mediums who giveinspirational messages or lecturers from the platform are
in a condition of light trance,and children have been known to pass into
this condition and give a large amountof valuable information unknown to their seniors,
and which certainly could not have beenknown to themselves. Properly managed, the
trans condition is not harmful, thoughit may become so in the hands of
(05:39):
blundering persons. The Spiritualists Manual givesfour chief reasons why the trance state should
not be harmful to those who enterit. These are various methods of conveying
information during trance. One, theintelligences acting upon them the mediums are almost
invariably of a superior character, andtherefore must mold the organism by constant use
(06:02):
for the expression of higher forms ofthought. Two, the relation of the
medium to the manifesting intelligence is thatof pupil to teacher, sometimes that of
a child to a wise and lovingparent, and sometimes both. At these
relations combined with a subtle and ennoblingspirituality. Three, there is always a
(06:24):
mutual spiritual relation, even though themedium is not humanly conscious of it,
and no one can be a mediumfor the perfect expression of spiritual messages or
discourses who does not consent to theprocedure and cooperate with a manifesting spirit.
Four. As the master musician improvesthe instrument he plays upon, so also
a spirit controlling a human organism forthe purpose of expressing wholesome thought imparts a
(06:48):
greater power both to the brain andspirit of the medium. It is often
difficult for spirits to control a mediumsufficiently to manifest in any way through him
different types of control. There arevarious types of control which are used by
spirits in trance mediumship. A.There is the telepathic method, in which
(07:10):
the thought is conveyed direct to themind of the medium, who is sufficiently
awake in light trance to receive thisthought and give it out to the sitter
in speech or writing. B thereis the picture or pictographic method, in
which the spirits present certain images orpictures to the clairvoyant eye of the medium,
and these pictures are seen and interpretedeither directly or symbolically. C There
(07:33):
is the sense impression method, inwhich general sensations or impressions are conveyed to
the medium, who takes on thecondition of the communicating spirit, describes pains
felt in various parts of the body, et cetera, as the case may
be d There is the direct controlmethod, in which the spirit apparently removes
the medium's own spirit more or lessfrom the body in deep trance, and
(07:57):
manipulates it as he would an instrument, by acting upon the nervous system direct
in much the same way that weact upon our own nervous systems throughout life.
This latter method is very rare andis only found in cases of very
deep trance. Doubtless, there areother methods which spirits employ at times,
and probably combine all the above onoccasion, but these are the most distinctive
(08:20):
methods, and they are the oneswhich may be seen more readily than any
others in cases of trance mediumship.In cases of so called ecstasy, the
spirit of the medium obtains the informationhimself, either by clairvoyant vision or by
partially separating itself from the body andvisiting the spiritual world direct. The visions
which are obtained in ecstasy are thusdescriptive of the spiritual world and what is
(08:43):
happening there, and for this reasonmost of the revelations so called are ecstatic
visions, more or less symbolic.The best way to enter trance, many
persons cannot enter transpontaneously would have tobe mesmerized by another person before this condition
is brought about. Even Andrew JacksonDavis was mesmerized for years before he could
(09:07):
develop spontaneous trance so that he couldenter it at will. This may be
one of the best ways for thebeginner to begin his trance mediumship, but
you should take care that the personwho mesperizes you is of a suitable temperament
and in every way fitted and qualifiedto do so. If he is not,
you are liable to attract to yourselfspirits of a lower order, and
(09:31):
then you will bring to yourself lyingand malevolent spirits, and you may induce
a case of so called obsession.However, if the operator is harmonious and
qualified for his task, He willnot only prevent this, but would see
you through more safely than if youenter this condition spontaneously and by yourself.
Trance is very closely akin to somecases of suspended animation, to certain yoga
(09:56):
trance conditions, and even death itself, which has and called its twin brother.
As we have seen. However,it differs from all these very widely.
Spontaneous trance is doubtless the most commonlyexperienced, and is the one which
you should endeavor to cultivate in yourself. Other things being equal, during these
(10:16):
conditions, as you develop, manyodd and striking phenomena will doubtless become manifest
to you. If your hand writesautomatically, you will probably note that it
becomes more or less sensitive or anesthetic, as explained in the chapter on automatic
writing. If speech is induced asthe result of trance, this may be
striking and coherent, or quite possiblymere nonsense and gibberish. If the latter
(10:41):
develops, you may be sure thatsomething is wrong, and you should strive
to ascertain what this condition is andcorrect it if possible. Here as elsewhere,
you must be careful and exercise yourown judgment and discretion on the messages
received, and not to accept allthese as absolute truth, for if you
do, you are likely to begreatly deceived, especially at the beginning of
(11:03):
your mediumship, where everything is faultyand difficult. The clearer the communications,
generally speaking, the surer the messages. But those coming through what might be
called amateur mediums are to be trustedonly when they have been verified. How
to experiment with the trance You mayexperiment with your own trans condition profitably in
(11:26):
the following manner. Sit with pencilin hand for automatic writing, and induce
one or more friends of yours todo the same thing at the same time.
See whether there is any connection betweenyour writings when they are compared the
next day. In many instances wherethis has been tried, striking coincidental messages
have been received partly through one mediumand partly through another. They thus tend
(11:50):
to confirm each other and show thatthe same spirit intelligence is active and manifesting
through both mediums at the same time, almost or one directly after the other.
How to enter trance by yourself.In order to induce trance spontaneously in
yourself, you should proceed more orless as follows. Begin by gazing for
(12:11):
some time at a bright object,such as a reflected light coming from a
mirror, crystal ball, et cetera. This will tend to tire the eyes
and nerves slightly and bring about adazed condition, which is usually the beginning
of trance. While looking at thebright object, breathe deeply and regularly through
the nose and from the diaphragm,as explained before in chapter six. You
(12:33):
must not let this distract your attention, however, as all the bodily processes
should be unconscious. If you havealready practiced deep breathing as before explained,
you should by this time be sofar advanced that you can do so at
will without consciously thinking of it.While looking at the bright object, do
not concentrate or think of anything inparticular beyond keeping yourself conscious and remembering all
(12:58):
the time that you are your self, that you are not leaving your body,
and that you are not going tobecome totally unconscious. During this process.
The room should be as quiet aspossible, though some monotonous sound such
as the ticking of a large clockmight assist matters. Do not listen to
this consciously, however, Abolish allfeelings of fear and all anxiety, as
(13:20):
such mental states will effectually prevent youfrom entering the trans condition. Let yourself
go and develop as far as possiblesymptoms of early trance mediumship. You must
not imagine that the beginnings of yourmediumship will be either profitable or pleasant,
because they probably will not be.Nearly All successful mediums will tell you that
(13:43):
they have passed through a period atthe beginning of their mediumship when they thought
themselves in danger and believed that theirminds were being impaired for the time being.
This, however, passes off asyou progress, provided that you progress
along the right road at the beginningof your mediumship, and this you should
endeavor in every way to do.If you can consult an experienced medium,
(14:05):
or still better, if you cansit with him during your development or induce
him to be present during your psychicunfoldment, things will be far easier for
you and far safer than they wouldbe otherwise. The oncoming of trance is
often signified by certain physical and psychicalmanifestations, which must not alarm you when
they appear, as they sometimes butnot always do. Hiccoughs, sudden and
(14:28):
spasmodic pains, and cramps, afeeling of all goneness, nausea, flashes
of light, or the sensation offaintness, and that everything is turning black
before you. These are a fewof the symptoms which you are liable to
experience during your early development, andthough they may not be pleasant, you
had better be warned of them inadvance and not be alarmed when they appear.
(14:50):
Sometimes, however, none of thesesides are manifest, only a delightful
sensation of falling asleep upon a bedof roses. In these cases, the
psychic has developed himself properly and systematically, and his guides or controls are also
wise and helpful. These are thefortunate but unhappily rare cases, but it
(15:11):
is hoped that by following the advicegiven in this book, many more will
be enabled to develop in this wholesomemanner. The three rules to follow.
There are three chief and most essentialfactors to be considered. One, your
mental and physical health must be quiteup to the standard. If you are
depleted, exhausted, or run downphysically, if you are suffering from any
(15:35):
disease, or if, on theother hand, you are full of fear,
apprehension and doubts, or if angerand similar thoughts rage in your soul,
you may anticipate a difficult time inyour development and unpleasant experiences throughout that
slow process. Two, you shouldbe careful to keep your self consciousness active
and alert when entering trance. Donot give yourself up completely or allow the
(16:00):
mind to become a blank at first. Give yourself up in every other way,
but this you must always keep inthe background of your mind the thought
I am I, I am soand so your name. I will remain
in my body. I am strengthand power. I will not be influenced
against my will by forces other thangood. I can always return to myself
(16:22):
when I want to. These andsimilar suggestions you must give to yourself and
hold them in your mind as acentral point of force while entering trance,
even while allowing yourself to become passivein every other way. If you do
this, you will avoid a greatdeal of difficulty and danger. Three.
If you can in any way assureyourself that you have a band of spirits
(16:45):
or controls on the other side whoare ready and willing to help you,
this would mean much. A goodmedium or clairvoyant could probably tell you whether
this is the case, and thenature of the intelligences who are trying to
influence and act upon you. Ifthese are described as evil, you had
best postpone your development until this conditionchanges. If, on the contrary,
(17:07):
they are described as good and helpful, you may proceed. Subject to the
above precautions and advice. Important conditionsto be fulfilled. It is important to
have a plantiful supply of fresh airin the room when entering trance and after
you are in that condition. Also, the light should be so regulated as
to affect you most agreeably. Thismay be semi darkness, though many trance
(17:32):
mediums develop in full light. Softmusic may be found beneficial in some cases,
though not at all. You shouldhave everything ready to hand, such
as pencils, paper, et cetera, before you enter the trance condition.
During the trance state, you willprobably be more or less sensitive to objects
placed in your hands. That is, you will be enabled not only to
(17:55):
psychometrize them, but in connection withthe objects given you, you will get
to spirit messages and information concerning theindividuals to whom they formerly belonged. All
objects of this character carry the auraor influence of the person with whom they
have come into contact, and forthis reason those objects which have been next
the skin are the best for thispurpose. Gloves, headbands, et cetera
(18:18):
are especially valuable. These should bewrapped as before explained in oil silk,
and they should be handled as littleas possible after the death of the person
to whom they belonged developing exercises.A very good practice in developing trance mediumship
in yourself is to cultivate the habitof analyzing your own falling asleep process.
(18:40):
Try to catch yourself as you fallasleep and hold on to yourself when in
this semi sleeping condition as long asyou can before finally dropping off to slumber.
This you will find very difficult atfirst, but it can be mastered
more or less in time. Ifyou can succeed in catching yourself in this
manner when nearly asleep and retaining acertain degree of conscious control, you may
(19:03):
rest assured that you will not onlybe a good trance medium, but that
you will be able to protect yourselfwhile in the trance state, and that
harm can hardly come to you whenin this condition. This is a very
excellent practice and has given many psychicsthat power over themselves which they have formerly
lacked. Spiritual repose is essential forthe trance medium who would develop simply harmoniously
(19:25):
into practical and wise mediumship. Inthis manner, you are said to come
in tune or harmony with the greatcosmic currents of truth and wisdom which flow
hither and thither in our world,and to and fro from the spiritual source
of love, wisdom, and intelligence. Once get into harmony with this stream,
and your progress not only as amedium, but as a supreme psychic
(19:48):
is assured. End of Chapter twenty
Chapter twenty. Trance Trance is acondition into which certain mediums enter in order
to receive messages and give them inthe form of speaking or writing. No
one knows at the present time whatthe medium trance is, or, for
that matter, any other kind oftrance. Doctor George Moore, in his
(00:21):
use of the Body in relation tothe Mind, says trance is a state
of body sometimes produced in man,a condition utterly inexplicable by any principle taught
in the schools. Professor William Jamesstated his belief that the medium trance was
different from any other trance of whichwe have any knowledge, and this seems
to be borne out by the factthat spirit messages are given in this condition,
(00:44):
as well as telepathic, clairvoyant andpromontory messages of all kinds. What
is trance? Both trance and catalepsyoccur spontaneously. Both may also be induced
artificially by hypnotism. Both are mistakenfor death, and in many respects they
are very similar. In catalepsy,the body is rigid, whereas in trance
(01:07):
this is very rarely the case,this forming the chief mark of distinction external
indication between the two states. Whatthe internal differences are we do not know.
Various attempts, however, have beenmade to find them. Doctor Franz
Hartman E. G. Thus distinguishesthem. Quote. There seems hardly any
limit to the time during which aperson may remain in a trance. But
(01:32):
catalepsy is due to some obstruction inthe organic mechanism of the body on account
of its exhausted nervous power. Inthe last case, the activity of life
begins again as soon as the impedimentis removed or the nervous energy has recuperated
its strength. End. Quote Death, Its Causes and Phenomena by Heroward Carrington
(01:53):
and John R. Meter. Whena hypnotist places his subject under hypnotic control,
the subject remains on rapport with theoperator. The influence comes from a
living person in the medium trance,it seems possible that the operator is not
a living but a deceased person,and that it is a kind of telepathic
influence from spirits which induces this state. In fact, it is brought about
(02:17):
by influence from the other side.Light and deep trance. There are all
grades and degrees of trance. Fromthe very light stage, in which there
is but little difference from the ordinarywaking consciousness to that degree of deep trance
where the medium is totally unconscious ofeverything that passes around him. Very deep
(02:38):
trance of this character is rare,but many of the most famous mediums have
got their best messages while in thatcondition. The famous Missus Piper of Boston
had almost to die to all outwardappearances before she could enter this deep trance,
and at the end of two hoursor so during which the trance lasted,
the only signs of life were slowerinspiration and heartbeat. The only signs
(03:01):
of consciousness were manifest in the righthand and arm, which did the automatic
writing. Many test mediums and sensitives, on the other hand, pass into
a stage of trance so light thatno one but an expert could detect any
trance at all. Yet in manysuch cases no memory of the condition remains
(03:22):
after the trance is finished. Theselight trances differed but slightly from cases of
day dreams, absent mindedness, etc. When we say to a person half
in joke he were in a tranceby shades and degrees, this becomes deeper
as the state becomes more profound,and lower and lower layers or strata of
the subconscious mind are reached. MissusPiper had three distinct layers of this character.
(03:46):
The first differed slightly from the wakingstate. In this condition, she
talked. The second condition was fardeeper trance, and in this stage spirits
were seen instead of human beings.In the third, or deepest stage,
speech was usually absent, and automaticwriting occurred. Spirit control during trance.
(04:08):
In trance, we may assume thatthere is a gradual and fluctuating control of
the medium's mind and body by thecommunicating spirit, and that as one vacates
or as driven out by the invadingintelligence, the latter is able to control
more and more effectually the medium.Just as two solid bodies cannot be in
the same place at the same time, so two spirit intelligences cannot occupy and
(04:31):
control the same body at the samemoment. When once the fact of spirit
control is granted, the nature andcharacter of this control remains to be solved.
How does the spirit manipulate the brainand nervous mechanism of the medium to
bring about the desired results, Whatparts of the brain are used, and
how These and many similar questions remainto be answered, and it may take
(04:55):
many years of scientific research before weare enabled to answer queries such as these
with any degree of confidence. Thedifference between somnambulism and trance, the difference
between somnambulism and the medium trance,seems to be that in the former we
remain unrappoor with ourselves, and inthe latter we are in touch with the
(05:15):
spirit world. Many mediums who giveinspirational messages or lecturers from the platform are
in a condition of light trance,and children have been known to pass into
this condition and give a large amountof valuable information unknown to their seniors,
and which certainly could not have beenknown to themselves. Properly managed, the
trans condition is not harmful, thoughit may become so in the hands of
(05:39):
blundering persons. The Spiritualists Manual givesfour chief reasons why the trance state should
not be harmful to those who enterit. These are various methods of conveying
information during trance. One, theintelligences acting upon them the mediums are almost
invariably of a superior character, andtherefore must mold the organism by constant use
(06:02):
for the expression of higher forms ofthought. Two, the relation of the
medium to the manifesting intelligence is thatof pupil to teacher, sometimes that of
a child to a wise and lovingparent, and sometimes both. At these
relations combined with a subtle and ennoblingspirituality. Three, there is always a
(06:24):
mutual spiritual relation, even though themedium is not humanly conscious of it,
and no one can be a mediumfor the perfect expression of spiritual messages or
discourses who does not consent to theprocedure and cooperate with a manifesting spirit.
Four. As the master musician improvesthe instrument he plays upon, so also
a spirit controlling a human organism forthe purpose of expressing wholesome thought imparts a
(06:48):
greater power both to the brain andspirit of the medium. It is often
difficult for spirits to control a mediumsufficiently to manifest in any way through him
different types of control. There arevarious types of control which are used by
spirits in trance mediumship. A.There is the telepathic method, in which
(07:10):
the thought is conveyed direct to themind of the medium, who is sufficiently
awake in light trance to receive thisthought and give it out to the sitter
in speech or writing. B thereis the picture or pictographic method, in
which the spirits present certain images orpictures to the clairvoyant eye of the medium,
and these pictures are seen and interpretedeither directly or symbolically. C There
(07:33):
is the sense impression method, inwhich general sensations or impressions are conveyed to
the medium, who takes on thecondition of the communicating spirit, describes pains
felt in various parts of the body, et cetera, as the case may
be d There is the direct controlmethod, in which the spirit apparently removes
the medium's own spirit more or lessfrom the body in deep trance, and
(07:57):
manipulates it as he would an instrument, by acting upon the nervous system direct
in much the same way that weact upon our own nervous systems throughout life.
This latter method is very rare andis only found in cases of very
deep trance. Doubtless, there areother methods which spirits employ at times,
and probably combine all the above onoccasion, but these are the most distinctive
(08:20):
methods, and they are the oneswhich may be seen more readily than any
others in cases of trance mediumship.In cases of so called ecstasy, the
spirit of the medium obtains the informationhimself, either by clairvoyant vision or by
partially separating itself from the body andvisiting the spiritual world direct. The visions
which are obtained in ecstasy are thusdescriptive of the spiritual world and what is
(08:43):
happening there, and for this reasonmost of the revelations so called are ecstatic
visions, more or less symbolic.The best way to enter trance, many
persons cannot enter transpontaneously would have tobe mesmerized by another person before this condition
is brought about. Even Andrew JacksonDavis was mesmerized for years before he could
(09:07):
develop spontaneous trance so that he couldenter it at will. This may be
one of the best ways for thebeginner to begin his trance mediumship, but
you should take care that the personwho mesperizes you is of a suitable temperament
and in every way fitted and qualifiedto do so. If he is not,
you are liable to attract to yourselfspirits of a lower order, and
(09:31):
then you will bring to yourself lyingand malevolent spirits, and you may induce
a case of so called obsession.However, if the operator is harmonious and
qualified for his task, He willnot only prevent this, but would see
you through more safely than if youenter this condition spontaneously and by yourself.
Trance is very closely akin to somecases of suspended animation, to certain yoga
(09:56):
trance conditions, and even death itself, which has and called its twin brother.
As we have seen. However,it differs from all these very widely.
Spontaneous trance is doubtless the most commonlyexperienced, and is the one which
you should endeavor to cultivate in yourself. Other things being equal, during these
(10:16):
conditions, as you develop, manyodd and striking phenomena will doubtless become manifest
to you. If your hand writesautomatically, you will probably note that it
becomes more or less sensitive or anesthetic, as explained in the chapter on automatic
writing. If speech is induced asthe result of trance, this may be
striking and coherent, or quite possiblymere nonsense and gibberish. If the latter
(10:41):
develops, you may be sure thatsomething is wrong, and you should strive
to ascertain what this condition is andcorrect it if possible. Here as elsewhere,
you must be careful and exercise yourown judgment and discretion on the messages
received, and not to accept allthese as absolute truth, for if you
do, you are likely to begreatly deceived, especially at the beginning of
(11:03):
your mediumship, where everything is faultyand difficult. The clearer the communications,
generally speaking, the surer the messages. But those coming through what might be
called amateur mediums are to be trustedonly when they have been verified. How
to experiment with the trance You mayexperiment with your own trans condition profitably in
(11:26):
the following manner. Sit with pencilin hand for automatic writing, and induce
one or more friends of yours todo the same thing at the same time.
See whether there is any connection betweenyour writings when they are compared the
next day. In many instances wherethis has been tried, striking coincidental messages
have been received partly through one mediumand partly through another. They thus tend
(11:50):
to confirm each other and show thatthe same spirit intelligence is active and manifesting
through both mediums at the same time, almost or one directly after the other.
How to enter trance by yourself.In order to induce trance spontaneously in
yourself, you should proceed more orless as follows. Begin by gazing for
(12:11):
some time at a bright object,such as a reflected light coming from a
mirror, crystal ball, et cetera. This will tend to tire the eyes
and nerves slightly and bring about adazed condition, which is usually the beginning
of trance. While looking at thebright object, breathe deeply and regularly through
the nose and from the diaphragm,as explained before in chapter six. You
(12:33):
must not let this distract your attention, however, as all the bodily processes
should be unconscious. If you havealready practiced deep breathing as before explained,
you should by this time be sofar advanced that you can do so at
will without consciously thinking of it.While looking at the bright object, do
not concentrate or think of anything inparticular beyond keeping yourself conscious and remembering all
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the time that you are your self, that you are not leaving your body,
and that you are not going tobecome totally unconscious. During this process.
The room should be as quiet aspossible, though some monotonous sound such
as the ticking of a large clockmight assist matters. Do not listen to
this consciously, however, Abolish allfeelings of fear and all anxiety, as
(13:20):
such mental states will effectually prevent youfrom entering the trans condition. Let yourself
go and develop as far as possiblesymptoms of early trance mediumship. You must
not imagine that the beginnings of yourmediumship will be either profitable or pleasant,
because they probably will not be.Nearly All successful mediums will tell you that
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they have passed through a period atthe beginning of their mediumship when they thought
themselves in danger and believed that theirminds were being impaired for the time being.
This, however, passes off asyou progress, provided that you progress
along the right road at the beginningof your mediumship, and this you should
endeavor in every way to do.If you can consult an experienced medium,
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or still better, if you cansit with him during your development or induce
him to be present during your psychicunfoldment, things will be far easier for
you and far safer than they wouldbe otherwise. The oncoming of trance is
often signified by certain physical and psychicalmanifestations, which must not alarm you when
they appear, as they sometimes butnot always do. Hiccoughs, sudden and
(14:28):
spasmodic pains, and cramps, afeeling of all goneness, nausea, flashes
of light, or the sensation offaintness, and that everything is turning black
before you. These are a fewof the symptoms which you are liable to
experience during your early development, andthough they may not be pleasant, you
had better be warned of them inadvance and not be alarmed when they appear.
(14:50):
Sometimes, however, none of thesesides are manifest, only a delightful
sensation of falling asleep upon a bedof roses. In these cases, the
psychic has developed himself properly and systematically, and his guides or controls are also
wise and helpful. These are thefortunate but unhappily rare cases, but it
(15:11):
is hoped that by following the advicegiven in this book, many more will
be enabled to develop in this wholesomemanner. The three rules to follow.
There are three chief and most essentialfactors to be considered. One, your
mental and physical health must be quiteup to the standard. If you are
depleted, exhausted, or run downphysically, if you are suffering from any
(15:35):
disease, or if, on theother hand, you are full of fear,
apprehension and doubts, or if angerand similar thoughts rage in your soul,
you may anticipate a difficult time inyour development and unpleasant experiences throughout that
slow process. Two, you shouldbe careful to keep your self consciousness active
and alert when entering trance. Donot give yourself up completely or allow the
(16:00):
mind to become a blank at first. Give yourself up in every other way,
but this you must always keep inthe background of your mind the thought
I am I, I am soand so your name. I will remain
in my body. I am strengthand power. I will not be influenced
against my will by forces other thangood. I can always return to myself
(16:22):
when I want to. These andsimilar suggestions you must give to yourself and
hold them in your mind as acentral point of force while entering trance,
even while allowing yourself to become passivein every other way. If you do
this, you will avoid a greatdeal of difficulty and danger. Three.
If you can in any way assureyourself that you have a band of spirits
(16:45):
or controls on the other side whoare ready and willing to help you,
this would mean much. A goodmedium or clairvoyant could probably tell you whether
this is the case, and thenature of the intelligences who are trying to
influence and act upon you. Ifthese are described as evil, you had
best postpone your development until this conditionchanges. If, on the contrary,
(17:07):
they are described as good and helpful, you may proceed. Subject to the
above precautions and advice. Important conditionsto be fulfilled. It is important to
have a plantiful supply of fresh airin the room when entering trance and after
you are in that condition. Also, the light should be so regulated as
to affect you most agreeably. Thismay be semi darkness, though many trance
(17:32):
mediums develop in full light. Softmusic may be found beneficial in some cases,
though not at all. You shouldhave everything ready to hand, such
as pencils, paper, et cetera, before you enter the trance condition.
During the trance state, you willprobably be more or less sensitive to objects
placed in your hands. That is, you will be enabled not only to
(17:55):
psychometrize them, but in connection withthe objects given you, you will get
to spirit messages and information concerning theindividuals to whom they formerly belonged. All
objects of this character carry the auraor influence of the person with whom they
have come into contact, and forthis reason those objects which have been next
the skin are the best for thispurpose. Gloves, headbands, et cetera
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are especially valuable. These should bewrapped as before explained in oil silk,
and they should be handled as littleas possible after the death of the person
to whom they belonged developing exercises.A very good practice in developing trance mediumship
in yourself is to cultivate the habitof analyzing your own falling asleep process.
(18:40):
Try to catch yourself as you fallasleep and hold on to yourself when in
this semi sleeping condition as long asyou can before finally dropping off to slumber.
This you will find very difficult atfirst, but it can be mastered
more or less in time. Ifyou can succeed in catching yourself in this
manner when nearly asleep and retaining acertain degree of conscious control, you may
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rest assured that you will not onlybe a good trance medium, but that
you will be able to protect yourselfwhile in the trance state, and that
harm can hardly come to you whenin this condition. This is a very
excellent practice and has given many psychicsthat power over themselves which they have formerly
lacked. Spiritual repose is essential forthe trance medium who would develop simply harmoniously
(19:25):
into practical and wise mediumship. Inthis manner, you are said to come
in tune or harmony with the greatcosmic currents of truth and wisdom which flow
hither and thither in our world,and to and fro from the spiritual source
of love, wisdom, and intelligence. Once get into harmony with this stream,
and your progress not only as amedium, but as a supreme psychic
(19:48):
is assured. End of Chapter twenty
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