Mediums--Myth or Magic? Associated with mediumship, or channeling as it is now more commonly called, are a number of myths and stereotypes, along with a number of outdated ideas. In this article, I present a more modern view of the process, one that I hope will dispel many of the myths and will help readers understand what channeling is--and what it isn't. Of course, in reading this article, it is important that you remember that it reflects my own perspective on the process; other people will almost certainly have a somewhat different take on the subject. Much of what a person experiences as a channel (also called a channeler) or as someone who seeks out channelers for answers depends on who you are and what your background is; more on that later. Essentially, most people who approach a channeler for answers or who are first learning to channel hold some or all of the following beliefs:  Belief: The channeler is a conduit through which the information comes. As such, he or she brings nothing to the party, so to speak, but instead can be thought of as a glorified spiritual radio tuning into the information being broadcast by the entities being channeled. NOT TRUE! - Belief: The entities being channeled, by virtue of either being dead (deceased, departed from physical life) or by virtue of never having been in a physical body, are perfected beings who have only the highest thoughts and intentions toward we lowly and inadequate human beings. NOT TRUE!
- Belief: The information coming through is, therefore, always 100% accurate and always comes from a high and loving source. NOT TRUE!
- Belief: Anything that comes through a channeler, therefore, is never to be questioned, but instead should be accepted and followed verbatim. NOT TRUE!
- Belief: Trance channels or channels who are not conscious of their channeling are more accurate than conscious channels. NOT TRUE!
Unfortunately, many people continue to hold these beliefs even after consulting a channeler, or (worse yet) even after becoming a channeler themselves. It is my belief that this is not a good thing. What often results is that the person consulting a channeler suspends all judgment and rational thought along with their disbelief, often, then, ending up with more of a mess than they had before they consulted the channeler. Another unfortunate effect of believing these things is that when, inevitably, the channeled material turns out to not have been so perfect, the ensuing disappointment can lead to completely giving up on consulting channelers or on reading channeled material. Disgruntled, the disappointed person snorts in derision whenever anyone else mentions channelers, and swears to never again look in that corner of the universe. The mantra for all channelers should be, "I could be wrong." The mantra for all people who consult channelers or other psychics should be, "They could be wrong." Obviously, there must be some kind of middle ground between having so open a mind that all your marbles fall out and having a mind that is completely closed to the idea of channeling and to the information that can come through a good channeler. There is, and this article attempts to address the beliefs that can cause disappointment and to introduce some new concepts and ideas with which to approach your next encounter with channelers or channeled material. Mediums, or channelers as is now generally preferred (though I dislike both terms because there are so many misunderstandings associated with each) are neither mythical nor magical (well, most of us aren't, most of the time). At least, not from our own point of view. As always, the truth lies somewhere in between. |
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