The Clairvoyant - How it Went/My Views.

It was a very pleasant evening, a light and happy atmosphere in a Spiritualist Church where we were made to feel very welcome. 

I am not mentioning any names and am being deliberately vague when it comes to details, in order to retain anonymity for others.

Before I start, I will reiterate what I said before. I am not for one minute suggesting that I have all or even any answers. Nor am I calling anyone a liar or any other name. I will also restate here that I am striving to keep an open mind. I would love to think that there is some way we can communicate with loved ones after they have died. If there is ever solid, evidential, undeniable proof of that then I will be one of the first to sign up for a reading.

I also readily admit that I am not remotely religious. That said, and before anyone calls me a hypocrite, I paid lip service to the brief prayer and the hymns out of respect for the company I was with, the church we were in and the purpose of the evening. I wanted to immerse myself in the spirit of the thing, pardon the pun. It also goes back to the open-minded bit. It could certainly do no harm to join in. (I will say it was the oddest rendition of The Lord's Prayer I have ever heard. I got lost along the way, forgetting the words (I learned it as a child) because of the oddness of the way in which it was sung. Still, each to their own...)

I went to this evening with three people, all of whom are believers to varying degrees but are not easily fooled. Our group had a lot of readings between us. I will say right here and now that I was not convinced. A lot of what was said was, in my opinion, very general and could be true of just about anyone. A lot of things were also said that were likely to give the readers a 'hit' simply because of our age group - grandchildren, someone at University or college, teeth problems etc... Accent etc.. gave away other clues that the readers passed along as 'messages.' Still other messages could easily be guessed at based on prior information that those being given the reading had already confirmed. For example, three of us had walking sticks with us. The 'medium' had already learned that one of our number had serious back trouble. The next message was in reference to weakness in her legs. Her walking stick was resting on the chair in front! It wasn't too great a leap to work that out, in my opinion. 

One of the mediums hit on a name with one of my group almost straight out the gates. The person being read accepted this willingly. It wasn't until we were walking home when it was all over, that I pointed out that we had been sitting chatting for at least half an hour before the readings began, and I had used that name freely and quite loudly in that conversation. It was no surprise to me that the medium 'picked up on it.'

One of them gave an extremely accurate reading to a lady sitting behind us. People were impressed and perhaps they should be. However, when the lady first arrived it was quite obvious from the way they greeted one another that they knew each other at least reasonably well. I will say no more than that.

So many people volunteered information willingly when they should have just either confirmed or denied the message meant for them. It was blatantly obvious to me that a lot of the audience was doing half of the work for the mediums without realising it.

There were one or two things that were not so readily explainable, I openly admit that too. An interesting remark about something I did in my childhood that not even the close family members who were with me knew anything about. But even then, after mulling it over, I think I can see how that was potentially a guess - albeit a good one - hazarded from information she already knew about me. Maybe not, perhaps I am wrong and she genuinely got a message about that, but why?

That is another thing that puzzled me. The 'messages' for the most part were not really messages at all. They were statements, which the reader could either accept or deny. Surely if someone from beyond the veil got in touch, it would be for good reasons and not simply because they want to tell you that you're having trouble with the car - something mundane and which you already know? What would be the point of that?

I also maintain that if my dad, bless him, wanted to say anything to any one of us he wouldn't do it through a psychic, a stranger to him and to us, he would do it directly to us himself!

I don't say these mediums in particular set out to be deliberately fraudulent. They were kind in that when they did 'see' something slightly unpleasant, they offered common sense advice to the person concerned. They did not foresee doom and gloom at all and were gentle with those they were giving readings to. Credit where it is due. I can say that much for them. However, other psychics have been proven to be deliberately fraudulent and in it for the money and the status.

While we are on the subject of the mediums themselves: one of them was, for want of a better word, an established psychic. The lady with her was her protege of sorts, learning to be a medium from her. Which made me wonder. I was always led to believe that being psychic is a gift. How can you be taught to be psychic?

I know some of you will answer by saying that she was not being taught to be psychic, but that she already has the gift and is being taught to channel it. Not sure how I feel about that if I am honest. There again, you CAN be taught how to Hot or Cold Read...

So, to summarise: I felt that the vast majority of the evening was easily explainable. The rest, not so much, fair enough. It was a very ordinary group of people in fairly ordinary surroundings. There was no 'sense' of being in touch with the dead. No spine-tingling atmosphere, no hairs rising on the back of my neck, none of that at all. I was a little disappointed in that regard, I must admit.

I respect everyone's beliefs and do not mean to decry anyone. If there really is something to this then wonderful, I hope some day I witness unequivocal, genuine proof.

In the meantime, it is something that offers comfort to a great many people. It is widely believed in across the world, but then so are numerous Gods...

By the way, some people confuse my skepticism about psychics with general disbelief in the supernatural as a whole. Having had a few odd, strange and downright scary experiences myself, I utterly refute that. I have even used a few of my own experiences in my writing, and have a few more yet I may one day draw inspiration from.

It is undoubtedly a great tool for supernatural fiction of all description and ultimately that is where my interest lies. If and when I use a psychic medium in my work, I will strive to make him or her laden with atmosphere, intensity and feeling and on that front at least, I will do my best to make you a believer...

I welcome your thoughts and comments. All I ask is that we keep it respectful. Thank you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wtfhZwyrcc