FIRST HINTS ON MEDIUMISTIC DEVELOPMENT.

PRACTICAL PREPARATION.   BY URSULA ROBERTS.

Mediums are those whose psychic senses are so acute that they can register the presence of beings belonging to the non - physical world and interpret the wishes and information which such beings desire to impart to people still in the body in this physical world.  The Medium's contact with the other - world denizens may result in Medium-ship of varying forms, ranging from levitation of physical objects to mental Medium-ship such as inspirational speaking, clairvoyance or clairaudience; from the healing of dire illness to prophetic utterances such as the foretelling of the future; from the trance - control by a highly evolved spirit speaking in a foreign language through the Medium's lips to a degree in which the Medium just knows that something is about to occur.  The form which the Medium-ship may take is not very important; what matters is the way in which the Medium responds to the impulsion of the Spirits.  A good description of a Medium is in the words:  The Spirit caused the Medium to speak - or see, or write, or whatever other act maybe the Medium's reactions to the compulsion of the Spirit entity.
A really sensitive Medium may be used in a variety of ways at different times, though it is usual for one faculty to be developed to a higher degree of responsiveness, and occasionally this one faculty may become so strong that the other powers fall into abeyance.  It is my opinion that good Medium-ship can manifest all the varied forms of phenomena.  During the period of development a Medium-ship often passes from one phase to another. One can watch a potential Medium sometimes sensing Spirit contacts by hearing, sometimes by seeing of symbols, sometimes by entrancement of the Medium by the Spirit entity.  It is most important that all Mediums should realise the part their own consciousness plays in the use and development of Medium-ship, for it is not true that all Spirit impulsions are interpreted by the Medium's consciousness.  Good Medium-ship comes not with the elimination of the Medium's consciousness, but with the development of the consciousness into a state where it can most readily respond to the wishes of the Spirit operators.  Many developing Mediums have the idea that they should not be aware of what the Spirits are trying to bring through.  It is a good thing to remember, at the very start of your development, that you will develop a more acute state of awareness, and your co-operation with the Spirits will come about as you learn to react more readily to their wishes through this heightened awareness.  How does one prepare for this state of Spirit awareness?  I think the steps are simply explained as coming to pass in three stages.

• First, by joining a good circle composed of a number of earnest people.
  
• Secondly, by learning how to expand the aura so that it blends with the aura of   the whole circle.
  
• Thirdly, learning how to control and direct the thoughts and emotions in a constructive manner.

There are no age limits fixed for the desirability of sitters in a circle.  Ages can range from seventeen years to seventy- nine, so long as the health of the sitters is fairly good.  A good circle is always held in a clean, quiet place which has been well - ventilated.  If it is possible, the room should not be used for some hours before sitting takes place, except perhaps for quiet meditation or the playing of some music.
The comfort of the room is a matter of which is governed by individual taste, but it is sensible to remember that it is easier to remain mentally alert while sitting upright on a chair, than it is if one is sunk into the depths of a padded settee.  The aim should be a state of bodily restfulness and mental alertness.  Temperature should be maintained - say, about 64 degrees Fahrenheit - and strong perfumes of all kinds, as far as possible, excluded.  A little thought will show that if a room is to hot or to cold, the body will be uncomfortable and the mind be occupied in trying to shut off the sense of bodily discomfort.  The aim of the circle is unity.  Things which disturb that unity should be eliminated.  A light meal about three hours before.  Make sure that clothing is comfortable.  Small bodily discomforts quickly become accentuated when the psychic power sensitises the Medium.  You want to be able to forget the body and turn your thoughts to other things.  The best way to do this is to make the body reasonably comfortable.

THE AURA

The aura enfolds every person in a subtle sheath, rather as a shell encloses the yolk of the egg.  The aura is intended to be protective.  It is the part of man which shields him from the curiosity of his fellows, and which should protect him from the influence of Spirits who have not yet become highly Spiritual.  When development takes place, this aura loses its outer firmness.  The person becomes somewhat like the egg without its shell.  The shell-less egg is still composed of a yolk, surrounded by transparent substance, and the individual still retains the physical frame surrounded by an aura which is tenuous and which can be expanded and contracted at the will of the individual.
The developing Medium should endeavor, by an effort of thought, to expand the aura when sitting in a circle so that it will blend with the aura of the persons seated on either side.  The simplest way of doing this is to feel an affection for the other sitters and to realise that your endeavor is to become part of the whole circle, rather than just an individual wholly concerned with your development.  If you are wholly engrossed with yourself and your feelings, it is easy to see that your aura will not expand, but will firmly enclose you, just as it will enclose you if you are afraid.  It is almost useless for you to seek development if you are frightened of what you may see or hear, because fear causes the aura to contract, and a contracted aura shuts you off from the flow of psychic force which circulates around a well-conducted circle.  The motto of all sitters should be, "May I be used - if not for my own development, then to help others to develop!"
After you have been in a circle for a few times you will become aware of a change of feeling.  You ought to find it easy to settle down and be at peace.  You should feel the power coming around you, like something very quiet, but strong and protective.  This means that your aura has been blended with that of the other sitters, and you are then a part of the circle.  The aura shows every state of thought and feeling;  it can, therefore, be controlled by thought and feeling.  It expands with feelings of pleasure, and affection causes it to expand widely.
Conversely, feelings of repulsion causes it to contract into a narrow, protective circle.  The developing Medium should learn how to master the thoughts in such a way that the aura will be controlled at will.  If this is not achieved, the Medium will find himself or herself influenced by other people's moods to such extent that it will be difficult to discover what moods belong to the Medium and which are the ones the aura has absorbed from other people.

THINGS TO REMEMBER.

• There are Spirits who are not enlightened, but filled with mischief, and sometimes with evil intentions.  These Spirits can come near you if you foolishly disregard the law which is contained in the words, "Like attracts like."  If you lose your temper, consort with licentious people, drink heavily, or tell lies, you may attract to yourself Spirits with similar tastes.  Decide what Spirits you want near you and then design your life to a pattern which will draw the kind of company you desire.  A life of prayerful self - discipline is not an easy one, but it is infinitely worth while.
  
• Fear is an attractive force.  If you are afraid of Spirit contact, then leave Medium-ship alone.  Remember that you will have to become fearless if you are to fulfill your work as a Medium.  I would advise you to trace every fear to its source.  Fear of thunder, of the dark, of being alone, of insects, of contagion - all these fears have a root somewhere in your past experience.  Young children are generally fearless.  Fear is instilled in them by the experiences through which they pass.  If the Medium can remember the original cause of these fears, often the unreasoning terror will vanish, for the adult mind can laugh at childish terror.
  
• Water is a psychic, as well as a physical, cleanser.  Bath frequently and drink plenty of clean cold water as your Medium-ship develops, and you will not retain psychic "conditions."
  
• Do not allow Spirits to control you when you are alone.  There should always be a reason for a Spirit taking the trouble to entrance a Medium.
  
• Use your reason and test the Spirits.  If they flatter you, or tell you that you will be, for instance, "A Bride of Christ," or you are a reincarnation of Jesus, or you will be, the greatest Medium ever born, then beware - for these Spirits invariably belong to the realm of the deceiving Spirits, and it is your vanity which has made it possible for them to draw near you.

LORD TENNYSON EPITOMISES A MEDIUM'S BEST ATTITUDE IN THE WORDS:

"How pure is the heart, how sound in head,
With what divine affection bold.
Should be the heart of him who'd hold,
An hour's communion with the dead."

There are many BOOKS and a lot of Ursula Roberts work now on the Internet.  I would like to thank  "SPIRITSPEAKS"  WEBSITE  for their permission to write the piece I have chosen.

Ursula's Spirit Guide was Ramadahn.

THE TEACHING OF RAMADAHN THROUGH THE MEDIUM-SHIP OF URSULA ROBERTS.

*WISDOM OF RAMADAHN*

QUESTIONS ABOUT INCARNATION.

'Wisdom of Ramadahn' an enlightening books by Ursula Roberts a well known and loved Spirit Medium and Healer from England.  Ramadahn was a Spirit Guide who spoke through Ursula whilst she was in an entranced state, giving wisdom and knowledge from the Spirit World, Ursula has now moved on into the Spirit realm herself and those who were close to her here often feel her present around them and a Spiritualist friend of mine, who knew Ursula said that she was influenced by Ursula to give me some healing books Ursula had written with the help of Ramadahn.  When reading this book Ramadahn refers to people here as Spirits, meaning Spirits incarnate in human bodies.  Questions were put to Ramadahn by sitters within a private circle.

HERE ARE SOME EXTRACTS OF THE KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM GIVEN BY RAMADAHN.

QUESTIONS ABOUT INCARNATION.

QUESTION:   Does a Spirit choose a particular body and come to earth at a certain time so that conditions will be right to obtain the experience needed?

RAMADAHN:  In theory this is so, but in fact when the Spirit comes to take hold upon its bodies it will forget many of the theories and original purposes as it becomes enmeshed in the life on earth.  Our teaching is to help each one to regain the realisation of their identity as a Spirit using the body for purposes of experience rather than being a body with a vague Spirit form.

QUESTION:   What is the difference between soul and Spirit?

RAMADAHN:  Spirit is the subtle, indestructible, divine manifestation while the soul, which is composed of the fine mental and emotional bodies, is the being through which the Spirit manifests.

QUESTION:   At what stage does the Spirit enter the body?  If it is pre-physical birth, what happens in the case of a still-born child?

RAMADAHN:  The Spirit may be near the woman, seeking life, for some while before the actual moment of conception.  The joining to the actual growing foetus body comes about when there is a quickening or movement within the mother's womb, but the Spirit may be conjoined and waiting within the area of the mother for some while before this happens.  When a child is born and the physical body is not able to retain life, the soul and the Spirit together have touched the vibration of the mortal world and have formed the nucleus of the soul bodies.  These bodies will then continue to grow and develop within the regions of the Spirit World.  Here, Spirits who give great love and wisdom tend and care for these infant souls.  The soul body grows and develops under the stimulation of movement, sound, and in the exchange of love ones to the other, even as a soul is nourished on the earthly plane by the exchange of love and companionship.

QUESTION:   In the case of a miscarriage, why does it frequently occur around the fourth month?

RAMADAHN:  Sometimes the incarnating Spirit is not sufficiently strong to retain it's hold in creativity upon the body which is developing.  It may seek another opportunity for incarnation.  It is true, that often the first pregnancy will be the one that miscarries.

QUESTION:   Can two people previously have been part of a twin soul in Spirit?

RAMADAHN:  Yes, Quite frequently one may choose to enter into the life incarnation simply to give comfort and love to the other half of this twin soul who has chosen to endure a life experience of extreme difficulty.

QUESTION:   When we incarnate, are we destined to have certain difficult experiences, regardless of how hard we try to live a pure life?

RAMADAHN:  Surely, for you are born into an environment which often has been planned before you enter the earthly body.  You choose the soil into which the roots of your experience will sink.  This means a certain choice is made as to nation, place, family, and the climate of opinion in which you may find yourself when you enter the earthly life.  So you may be born into a Jewish or Christian family of an agnostic, and each will give you a certain atmosphere of thought, a soil from which you may gain some earthly experience.  Then, as you move through the pattern of your life, certain events occur which test either your strength, understanding, or involve you in some greater comprehension of the world, some fuller unfoldment of your Spiritual mind.  Within this broad outline of events you have choice and freedom of will to do as you please.

QUESTION:   What about old people who are bedridden and blind or deaf?

RAMADAHN:  IT seems they are not learning anything.

QUESTION:   Why are they not freed by death?

RAMADAHN:  If they had been wise, they would have sought to learn lessons of patience in the earlier seasons of their experience, but by the goodness of the Great Power, often a longer span is given unto some souls that they may learn lessons more completely and so bring their treasures into the Spirit realm with them.  So what appears to be a punishment, or an unjust or bitter experience, is in itself a blessing, but the blessing will not be revealed until the life journey is completed.