I bet some will have to wikipedia it too...

I got a nice black kitty. She has a toy, a track ball that she bats at and it goes around and around and around. She is sweet but not bright enough to realize she will never catch the ball.

Something just reminded me of this story...

One of the places that I worked at was very trying on the newbie’s.

I remember a new person started, we set up his area for him. He came in, later he went to use the phone but could not dial out. John told him that he had a "man's" phone, and needed to push the buttons real hard to make it work. The poor kid was pounding on the thing so hard, that he broke it. He never realized that the phone was not plugged in.

While I do believe in psychic phenomena (though I'd be hardpressed to define it), my visits to the spiritualists have been a little disappointing.

I actually really enjoyed this - felt kind of like a reality show.

Ditto

Just wondering what Spiritualists you visited? Did you present the same attitude as these seance' guys? Or is it just another story?

PS: I went to spiritualist churches

That's awesome! Obviously you didn't like them ... right?
If not, why?
Thanks
Dave

From a mentalist point of view, most of what I have seen 'could' be cold or hot reading. Using the word 'could' means that I cannot prove one way or another.

From a Christian point of view, (I'm not a Christian now but was a born again Christian for several years), spritualists and mediums are offensive to God...

Leviticus 19:31 NIV
" 'Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 20:6 NIV
" 'I will set my face against the person who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute himself by following them, and I will cut him off from his people.

Leviticus 20:27 NIV
" 'A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads.' "

1 Chronicles 10:13 NIV
Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD; he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance,

Isaiah 8:19 NIV
When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?

From a personal point of view - Having attended several meetings they all seemed to take on a similar pattern, prayer, hymns, mediumship.

The medium would call out in the fashion of a cold reader names until he had a hit. He'd confirm who the spirit was by giving evidence of aspects of the spirits life that would be confirmed by the person that recognised the spitit, all very cold reading-ish. The medium would finish with a message from the spirit which was almost always a vague statement of 'love and always with you' etc. Or something vague or un-checkable at that time etc etc.

Some of the mediums had spectacular hits, but their ability was inconsistant. I cannot understand why someone that is communicating directly with a spirit that is there specifically to give a message can have a 'miss' or have to grope around for a name or ask what the relationship to a person is. If a spirit is there, why do mediums struggle with information???

Just because you don't understand something doesn't make it right or wrong. I regularly communicate with the spirits and I can tell you they can be a moody bunch.

I think all this born again stuff is even dodgier...


I predicted MJ would never do the concerts and that he would soon be dead about three months before it happened. This is true by the way. Conincedence perhaps but I did tell a few friends in conversation that's what I thought.

And it wasn't even a "prediction" it came up a few times during conversations...

Never said it was right or wrong.

You did imply that they were wrong in most of your posts...

My spookies say they aren't happy and know where you stay. So be careful.

Imagine turning on a radio and getting nothing but white noise, with just the barest wisp of a signal coming through that you're trying to parse.

Not all but some of these mediums, why can't they spill a last name, rather than just the first?

Are you being racist? Whats wrong with black noise? Just whitey noise huh?

For the same reason you have to slap your head and take 10 mins to reveal a name...

They like a bit of a show you know.

I've visited a local lily dale congregation several times. The people are lovely, but the "messages" look like bad (really bad) attempts at cold reading, more than spirit communication, and I have some experience in both.
The medium on one occasion began her message with the words "it's like fake fur.." (the spirits were showing her something that was supposed to be faniliar with the person whom the message was intended for), and as she tweaked her message trying to get a hit, she finished her spiel with the words "it's not like fake fur."
Another medium told delivered a message about not letting her family leave all the housework for her to do. Looking at the person, I doubt she's ever done any housework in her life. The message was what the medium wanted the spirits to say to her, not what they wanted to say to the woman visiting.
In short, a competent guesser could have done far better. I don't doubt the possibility of spirit communication, but I doubt very seriously that that is what was going on.

Granted, I have a number of purely philosophical problems with the tennets of spiritualism, but I don't think that skewwed my assessment of the services I've attended.

I'm no slaphead mentalist...