Theos-Talk Archives (November 2003 Message tt00202)

THE SÉANCE HIGHLIGHTS 

The evening was notable for the clarity and fluency of the two 
principal communicators, who introduced themselves as William 
Charles Cadwell, (died 1897) and Sir William Crookes (OM, FRS) both 
of whom invited and answered questions. Two other voices familiar to 
the regular participants also came through: a cockney youth named 
Timothy Booth, and Louis Armstrong. Both had very distinctive 
features and claimed to have materialised. Timothy was responsible 
for the widespread reports of touches and boisterous noises, as well 
as the delicate management of the ectoplasm and the ordering of the 
correct degree of red light to enable us to see the medium but not 
harm him. I produce below an edited account of the entire séance
for the record. Despite its necessary length, each virtually 
verbatim account, based on a tape recording, highlights interesting 
aspects of mediumship phenomena and ontological issues. I have 
omitted such phrases as "my dear friends," "of course" and suchlike 
adornments.

HOW VOICES ARE CREATED 

Cadwell, who came through very soon after the introductory music 
stopped, and who talked in a clear, elderly and precise voice, not 
dissimilar to that of Crookes (apart from the impediment Cadwell had 
in rolling his R's) who spoke much later, described himself as a 
guide and mentor to "young David here" and expressed an interest in 
me as "some would say, an understanding scientist" (I expressed 
modest gratification). They (his spirit associates) would "endeavour 
to prove to you that life exists beyond death". He urged us all to 
follow Paul's guidelines for the protection of the medium and of
the circle itself. He invited questions. When Paul sought permission 
for me to use my notepad, he gave approval provided I held the 
notebook neatly against my torso; then he withdrew into the cabinet 
for a few moments, accompanied by a whooshing sound, and then 
proceeded to invite questions.

I asked how the voice was produced, and how far it used the
medium's larynx, or how far it was direct voice. "Well, I could 
describe it to you now that I myself am partly materialised. The 
ectoplasm is exuded from the medium's body by various orifices
and is moulded around the young man's voice box to create a
larynx effect, but of course I myself am speaking to you with my own 
voice: placing myself within the ectoplasm exuded from the
medium's body by means of coating the etheric body of the
ectoplasm, you understand?" [Yes] "And I am then able to speak. 
There is at some point during the séance when the materialisation
of form is not taking place and it is merely that of independent 
direct voice. You understand?" [Yes] "But I myself partly 
materialise." [Thank you very much].

Q: Do you feel you have moved into the room, or are you still at 
your point of departure?

A: I hope that I am in the room; otherwise I'm in the wrong place 
[laughter].

Q: You feel that you have moved?

A: Yes my friend: I feel as solid as solid can be [Thank you] ... So 
many people; so few questions...

MK: Well, perhaps I could ask again. You say you feel solid, but you 
are in fact a creation of your own mind: is that not the case?

A: If I could describe to you this: due to the vibration of young 
David that is emanating from his physical body, I am able to 
interpenetrate that of the earth's vibration by means of my
etheric body vibration changes. I am then able to coat myself into a 
physical ectoplasmic form; then I am able to be here within the 
earth environment; but when the energy depletes it is much more 
difficult for materialisation and communication to take place, so 
the need is for the energy to be produced, so often by yourselves, 
to help the energy of the young man within the chair: to substantiate
(1) the energy levels and keep them at such a level that I myself 
and others are able to commune. You understand? 

MK: In so far as any such communication can make sense of our 
limited capacity to envisage a different world, and a different 
means of communications, as it does - it is very difficult ...

A: As it is for me to describe absolutely what is taking place: it 
is quite a process that is more than what I have explained, of 
course: you understand.

DEMONSTRATING MATERIALISATION 

The voice then urged us to hold hands for a moment.

A: "I shall show you something. What is your name, sir?

MK: Mine? Montague.

A: Good evening (pause) [I was then slapped vigorously on my right 
knee].

MK: I was heartily slapped on my ... oh again [on my left knee] with 
a very solid feeling. Thank you! 

A: You may now release hands. Now you see how ... materialisation 
within the earth's vibration by means of ectoplasm? [Indeed]

Q: Why, when we held hands there, did that make it easier for you to 
demonstrate that?

A: It helps the energy to be built up to greater levels, but also it 
is for the safety of the medium and the ectoplasmic structure. Quite 
often when people are touched they feel the need to touch back or 
flee from whatever: so it may be safety as well, you understand.

Q: You mentioned the energy being heightened by holding hands. Is 
that what would have possibly enabled Mr Webber(2) to work without a 
cabinet during his mediumship, because I think they held hands 
throughout the whole séance.

A: Yes, that is correct.

Q: So it is possible to work without a cabinet ...?

A: May be in time to come, when young David is more developed in his 
physical mediumship we aim to dispense with the cabinet, and there 
have been times in the past when this would have been possible, but 
you must understand that any emotional or psychological change 
within the medium has an affect upon the energy levels and also 
affects that of the physical manifestation. [Right]

Q: So that, therefore, it would be beneficial for those in 
development to sit within a cabinet rather than ...?

A: Yes, of course, in the early stages. The cabinet is used to allow 
us to keep the energy close to the medium, but also for the 
ectoplasm to be manipulated far more easily for materialisation to 
take place.

Q: Is it going to be possible for the medium here to actually 
produce physical phenomena in some sort of light?

A: Recently photographs of ectoplasm have been taken in red light. 
We don't wish to disappoint Mr Fairbairn, but we do understand
that maybe there is a little concern with him (?) regarding the use 
of other venues in the area, so Denzil can you hear me? [I can] We 
shall endeavour this evening to produce ectoplasm that can be seen 
in red light. This will be the first time it has been done outside 
the environment where the home circle is normally conducted(3). So 
it will be a first: it will be your sanctuary where we wish to do 
this.

DF: An honour and a privilege, William; thank you.

USE OF INFRA-RED PHOTOGRAPHY 

MK: May I ask another question: this anticipates some of the 
inevitable queries by my more sceptical colleagues who are always 
insistent that, despite the elaborate precautions taken to avoid any 
form of deception, they would still like to have infra-red 
photography through a video: we have never quite understood what the 
technical objections are to this. Would you be prepared to elaborate?

A: I understand: any form of electrical equipment that is used for 
infra-red photographic images of any sort does exude a type of ray, 
I believe the right word is, but of what consistency I do not know, 
but this type of ray that is exuded from the photographical 
equipment has a burning sensation upon the ectoplasm. It is a little 
like placing the hand in sulphuric acid. But as mediumship 
progresses in time there will be no need for infra-red photography 
because all will be seen in spirit-induced light or that of red 
light if possible so that, as sceptical as your colleagues may be, 
they cannot be sceptical when the medium is firmly strapped in the 
chair and a materialised form is seen to be standing in the room.

MK: If I may say so, with great respect, you'd be surprised how
far scepticism is sometimes taken.

A: Of course, there will always be those whom you cannot prove to 
them no matter what you do. Within your field you will always have 
those who believe or wish to believe, and those who do not. This is 
a fact of life.

A: Unfortunately this is too true.

FEAR OF DEATH 

[Veronica then asked whether there was anything she could tell her 
sister to help her when she was so frightened of dying.]

A: Convey to her this: to pass into the spirit vibration is a 
glorious reunion of souls that have passed before. It is nothing for 
your sister to be frightened of: it is a changing of vibrations - 
that from the earth to those of the spirit vibrations. Quite often 
people are retarded because of their religious belief that they are 
going to some place of eternal sleep but, of course, in the initial 
stages of entering that of the spirit dimension they themselves 
might feel the necessity to sleep, and quite often these people wake 
up and wonder what they are doing when they have no physical body to 
sustain them any more; and when this occurs it is quite often that 
clergyman of their chosen religion will go visit them and speak to 
them and explain that there was certainly [...?] eternal sleep. Now 
if I remember right Mr Leslie Flint, who was a direct voice medium, 
there was a tape produced by Dr Cosmo Lang who was the Archbishop of 
Canterbury, and who returned and said, `Of course life goes on,
and I was wrong in my assumptions whilst I was here upon the 
physical plane'. My great friend Dr Theobald Slawinsky who is a 
cardio-vascular surgeon and works with young David in the state of 
trance for the purpose of healing and psychic surgery, would be more 
than happy to visit your dear sister, and if he is able to help, of 
course he will [Thank you very much]. Be assured there is nothing to 
fear.

THE REINCARNATION ISSUE 

Q: There some schools of thought who say that the earth plane is a 
plane of individualisation. I was trying to sort out in my mind 
whether this individuality once established on the earth plane: does 
it remain in the person's consciousness once they are in spirit?

A: It depends whether you believe in reincarnation, and David is 
open-minded as you may know. I myself wholeheartedly believe in the 
fact of reincarnation. I believe this: this is just my 
interpretation, that when we pass to the world of spirit we 
obviously still retain our personality, and upon the transition 
through the spheres of living within the world of spirit you start 
to lose that identity of the earth's environment and the 
consciousness that you had, but it cannot be totally eradicated, and 
when the time of reincarnation takes place, there is always an 
essence of that of what you were, and this is quite often how, when 
some people are regressed, they are able to bring forward that of 
past memories. It would be, and it is, quite foolhardy of me to say 
this: that all thoughts are eradicated, but you must understand that 
like young David, who is open-minded about the fact of 
reincarnation, he himself would find it very difficult under a state 
of hypnosis to bring forward that of any past life experience. This 
is due to himself being open-minded, but more so of the fact of 
being disbelieving of the fact of reincarnation. So it could be 
firmly embedded in his sub-conscious mind that it would be 
detrimental to his thoughts and his emotions - if you can imagine: 
quite often people who have had difficult-like childhoods - they 
hide from every fact within the recesses of the subconscious mind, 
do they not? So much for past life experiences. No matter how hard 
you try, you are unable to bring forward that what it is. I hope 
that answers your question. [Thank you, chorus] I must go now. A 
pleasure to have been speaking to you; may be I'll speak to some 
more people at another time. Good evening to you. [Good evening]

ENERGETIC SPIRIT DANCING 

Music: all join in singing "Jerusalem" after a squeaky voice was 
heard. This was followed by an Irish jig, accompanied by clapping 
sticks in strict time to the music; then a more vigorous jig to 
which something appeared to be dancing and clapping materialised 
hands. "Banging on the ceiling" said my wife, amid much noise. The 
trumpet's luminous tip was flashing around the room and
periodically touching sitters. When the music ceased, amid cries 
of "well done", another less energetic tune followed, and a small 
voice said "Turn it off", at which point Bianca switched the music 
off, and Tim introduced himself. After some light-hearted badinage 
with DF, Tim explained in a high pitched, artificially baby-like 
voice that it was his job to make the ectoplasm come out(4). He 
asked whether he should materialise, which he was encouraged to do. 
Then he said he needed a bit more ectoplasm, and urged us to hold 
on. There was a whooshing sound of a strangulated type, and a sudden 
scream of childish laughter. DF said he had missed the board [with 
his jump from the cabinet]. Tim complained that it had been put a 
long way away [from the medium](5). Paul commented, "Just testing 
you". DF: mind you don't twist your ankle! Tim: No need to test me, 
Buzzy Boy (5).

DF: Timothy, when you had the trumpet up, it would seem that 
separate from that - I don't know whether anyone else noticed -
but I did see quite a few sort of flashes. Is that something you 
were experimenting with?

Tim: They were spirit lights we were hoping to bring, eventually. 
Did everybody see them? [No]. You must be blind, then! [General 
laughter accompanied by a high-pitched cackle from Tim.]

DF: It was very, very quick and subtle, rather like a glow of energy 
rather than a pinpoint of light, but it was definitely separate from 
the trumpet.

Tim: D'you know what we're going to do tonight? You've
got choices. If you want to see ectoplasm in red light we won't
be able to bring in any loved ones. We haven't quite mastered
doing both. [The consensus of opinion was sought by Paul. Tim 
assured us that he could always come again and bring through loved 
ones. Red light had it.] Tim commented: "We can do most things but 
we can't work miracles" - another cackle. He asked whether anyone 
was frightened. Was my companion my wife? I confirmed this, and said 
she was nervous only when he laughed. He urged her not to be 
frightened and assured her she would not be hurt - may be a little 
bit [more laughter]. He then asked everyone to listen because he had 
fully materialised. There were sounds of something walking about; 
Veronica let out a short scream as she was touched on the knee. Then 
both her right and my left hand, holding one another, were fondled 
for several seconds by what seemed to be a small hand, quite soft 
and warm. Paul, on my left, said that both his hands were holding my 
right hand, and the man on Veronica's left confirmed that he had 
been holding her left hand throughout, all the more tightly because 
she was clearly nervous. Tim asked whether we had heard his 
footsteps: "You see, I materialised partly, then". When he 
complained that we were a very quiet lot tonight, I commented that 
we were awestruck, and Tim remarked that oars were used for boats 
[cackle]. He appeared to require more ectoplasm and said we could 
release hands for the moment. DF said he could see a fairly bright 
light in front of him, but it seemed to have gone. It stayed in the 
same place even when he moved his head. Tim explained that they were 
creating an energy field around the room.

Tim then addressed "Mrs Monty" and asked whether she had a camera - 
a new-fangled one. Veronica said she had, and Tim confirmed that, at 
the end of the sitting but before the medium was cut out of the 
chair, she could take a couple of photographs, if that was all right 
with Paul. Paul sought further guidance and suggested it would be 
better if the pictures were taken when the medium had been released 
and had been given some water, but Tim said it ought to be done when 
he was still bound. The medium would say when he was awake.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]