MEDIUMSHIP EXPLAINED FROM BEYOND

　　　CHAPTER VI

MEDIUMSHIP EXPLAINED FROM BEYOND

　"IS a medium a person who possesses a battery of psychic power which makes it possible for psychic phenomema to take place?” When this question, one of a series asked by a reader, was put to Silver Birch, the guide replied:

　"I would not describe it as a battery of psychic power. I would say that a medium is one who is sensitive to the world of spirit, who uses the faculties of the spirit body while on earth and as a result can tune in to the vibrations of the world of spirit.

　"The medium is, as the title itself connotes, an instrument, a go-between, an intermediary. The medium is able to per-form this function because the psychic faculties have been developed, or else they lie so closely to the surface that they are able to operate with ease.

　"That, of course, raises the question as to what is psychic power and what is the power of the spirit. The answer is very difficult to give because of the difficulty in finding words of physical measurement that will express spiritual reality.

　"Roughly speaking, psychic power is the power of life. It is the same essence as that out of which all conscious activity is formed. It is the same creative power that sustains the universe, divine in degree and similar in essence."

　"How does a person become in possession of psychic power?" was the next question.

　"You cannot possess psychic power in the sense that you have earthly possessions,” replied the guide. "You can become the channel through which psychic power operates. Every individual possesses psychic faculties. These are the means by which the spirit expresses itself when it is released from the physical body. In embryo you have all these faculties now. You do not normally exercise them, but the medium does.

　"These faculties are not all at the same stage of develop-ment with every individual. Thus it is that if people would attempt to unfold the gift or faculty which lies nearest to the surface, then they would become mediums. Clairvoyance is seeing with the eyes of the spirit. Clairaudience is hearing with the ears of the spirit.”

　"Is healing power different from psychic power?” the correspondent wanted to know.

　"It is not different because it is all psychic power that is used, but it is one of the qualities of psychic power," Silver Birch answered. "The source of life eludes all physical inquiry. No scientist in your world has succeeded in establish-ing the source, the origin of consciousness. It is a mystery on which the finest brains have been engaged but with no success.

　"The fact is that spirit is life and life is spirit. All the energy, the motive power, the driving force of life in your world, in ours, in all worlds throughout the whole universe, is spirit. Where you have life you have spirit and where you have spirit you have life.

　"You are able to perform all your daily functions because you are spiritual beings. When the spiritual essence is with-drawn from the physical body you are dead to the world of matter. It is said that you die every night, but you return because the vital cord is still intact. Were it to be severed during your sleep state, then the life force could no longer re-animate the physical frame.

　"The physical body is the machine driven by the power of the spirit. You are not the body, but the spirit which inhabits that body and expresses yourself through it while on earth. When the body serves its purpose the spirit departs.

　"The spirit, being infinite, has an infinite number of variations in its modes of manifestation. These are limitless because spirit is limitless. You are familiar with the modes of expression through your physical body, the power to think, reason, judge, decide, reflect, weigh, examine, ponder, the ability to hear, see, feel, move and touch. These are some of the properties of the spirit as they express themselves through physical bodies.

　"Freed from this limitation, spirit is able to express itself in greater modes of manifestation. Where you have a medium, one who is receptive to spirit influence and able to reproduce this influence in your world, it is possible to transmit some of this power.

　"As to the amount, or quality, or degree, that depends on the receptivity of the instrument, and that in turn depends on other aspects, the state of the psychic faculty, the evolution of the medium, health, weather conditions and the contribution made by all others who are present at the time.

　"It is possible to introduce spirit power into your world through mediums to perform a variety of functions. These powers, obeying other laws than those of matter, can seem-ingly contradict the laws which apply to the world of matter, although it is not actually a contradiction.

　"Part of the power of the spirit is healing in its quality. Being part of the life force it brings this dynamic into opera-tion in your world, and also other degrees of this healing power. So that the answer to the question, if I attempt a short summary, is that the power to heal is part of the spirit, it is one aspect of it."

　"I think that is masterly," commented a member of the circle, who read the final question: "Is psychic power a power which develops naturally after a certain level of evolution has been attained? In other words, will everyone in the world eventually be psychic when a certain stage of evolution is reached?"

　"The answer to that is 'Yes' because the evolution of the race means the heightening of qualities now dormant in the race," was the spirit answer. “Man has reached the summit of physical evolution; not yet has the crown of mental attain-ment been reached. Mental and spiritual unfoldment are the next stages of evolution. Gradually through the years, the whole of mankind will become more and more aware of its psychic faculties.

　"But it is necessary to qualify all of that by pointing out that the ability to express psychic faculties is not in all cases due to spiritual attainment. You can manifest the whole of the faculties of the spirit body without being an evolved soul. It is when they are developed in co-operation with beings from our world for the purpose of giving service that you begin to reach any spiritual level.”

　A highly-developed medium discussed her problems with Silver Birch when she and her husband were present at our home circle.

　The medium had been ill, and was anxious to resume her psychic work. As Silver Birch has proved he is expert in advising those who seek development or have begun it, his talk with this instrument will help others who aspire to co-operate with the spirit world.

　"It is a source of unfailing pleasure," he began, “to welcome very old friends whose faithfulness to the truths of the spirit does not dim with the passing of the years.”

　The medium said that after her illness she seemed to be "cut off," and added, “The only thing I want to do in my life is to serve."

　Silver Birch replied: “The way will be made clear to you. The world of spirit is far more real to you than it is to many people. You have seen so much of its wonders, its joys, its beauties its radiance, that its reality is something which cannot be explained to other people.”

　"That is why it is so real to me,” she remarked, “but I am anxious to have a message of guidance."

　"All mediums are the same," said the guide, who explained the meaning of the feeling of being cut off from her guides. "Power has to be cut off occasionally when its exercise may impede your health. That you understand. When your health is not as it should be, then you must expect that there is a withdrawal of the power. But you are out of the wood now.

　"You have been associated with the world of spirit for many years, but throughout that long period your feet have never been allowed to stray outside the radius of spirit influence. It is a very difficult questionーthis one of free will, and where the inspiration and guidance of the spirit impinges upon your freedom. But these are all relative terms.

　"You are what you are because of your association with the world of spirit. You live a life of co-operation. You do not live for yourself, neither do those who work with you. From the time that co-operation begins, free will in its strict sense ceases to exist because the influence of the two spheres of life mingle and merge, blend and harmonise and one impinges on the other. So you need have no fear. Even if no direct message should come, you could go on quietly knowing that you cannot do anything which would transgress the knowledge of which you are now the possessor.”

　The medium replied: "I understand now. You want me to be at peace, not to worry about messages, just to go on. I always want to make sure. It may be a fault, but it is better to be extra careful."

　Silver Birch replied: "But there is nothing whatever for you to worry about. Ever since you two became one your lives have been guided by the world of spirit. If you pause and look back through the lanes of memory you will see how your footsteps have been guided.

　"I do not say that the world of spirit will banish all your troubles or that it will remove every stone on the road of life, but you are never confronted with any problem that is too large for you, that is beyond your resources when com-bined with our help.

　"If look look back you will see the finger of the spirit has pointed the way, sometimes clearly and sometimes not so clearly, but always the indication has been where to go. Beset as you have been by troubles, you have emerged un-scathed, unharmed, untouched and you have never been failed.

　"I have not lived for this long time without becoming familiar with the methods used by those who are charged with the task of guiding earthly children. There is a pattern, and this pattern is similar in the lives of all those who co-operate with us. The pattern is laid down long before we start to work.

　"We are shown how far we can go, where we must not obtrude ourselves, when we must keep silent and when we must talk, and then in addition to that, it is always conditioned by the circumstances of the time. But there is a definite pattern and all guides must work within that pattern because they have promised to do so. I cannot go outside the limits which have been laid down by beings far wiser than I, for it is they who have decided or planned what is to be achieved in your world.”

　"Who are 'they'?” asked the medium's husband.  

　" 'They,'” replied Silver Birch, "are the shining ones, the higher council, the hierachy, the masters. You can call them what name you like. They are the evolved beings who are responsible for all the work that we do. They are the ones whom I hope to have the supreme joy of meeting very soon. I shall report on what I have done and I shall be told as to how far I have succeeded and failed and learn what is still expected of me. There is another hierachy beyond them and beyond them, too. The chain is infinite.

　"Now," he said as he resumed the thread of his explanation, "I can tell this story of guidance in connection with all those who co-operate with us. I can say without fear of contradic-tion that there are no persons who, having passed through the tests imposed upon them before they took up the charge, will ever want for earthly bread, or feel that they have been let down, failed, betrayed, that the trust that they have re-posed in the world of spirit has been broken, their confidence gone.

　"It cannot be, because the power which is at the command of those who work through instruments of your world is sufficient to sustain them through all the trials and difficulties that beset them in their earthly life. Your greatest contribu-tion is to have perfect, unyeilding, unwavering faith in the power which is behind you, a quiet confidence in the means by which you receive all that is necessary for you day by day.”

　Returning to the medium's original question, Silver Birch asked, “Do you fear that you may be transmitting your own ideas instead of the inspiration of the world of spirit?”

　"And also that I might be able to serve more fully," said the medium.

　"You have not come to the end of your service by a long way,” Silver Birch assured her. “The gifts with which you have been endowed will continue to be used to give service, help, guidance and encouragement to many others. Your task has still to be done. It is not finished.

　“I wish I could tell you more about your guide and what a great being he is accounted in our world, a quality he has earned by the life he has lived. I cannot succeed in this, al-though I can say that few of those who return to your world are held in greater esteem than the guide who works with you. He is a being whom we all love and honour for what he is and what he has done.

　"He is a great soul and you should be very proud that you have won his love and also his confidence. Wait a little while and then you can start to use your powers again. You will find they come in increased strength, stronger than ever before."

　At this particular sitting, the last one before we separated for the interval from seances we always have at Christmas time, Silver Birch addressed all the members of his circle: "I am very grateful for all the love you have shown me during times of great difficulty. Your constancy and your faithful-ness have always made me feel very proud, and in return I have served you to the best of my ability.

　"Ours has been a wondrous co-operation, for we have done nothing to besmirch the confidence that we have in one an-other. I rejoice always at the love which you have exhibited towards me. It has made my task much easier, knowing that I have won the affection of those who help so much in the mission on which we are engaged.

　"Let us remember that the knowledge of which we are the proud possessors has to be shared by many to whom at present it is denied. Let us always think of the fields in which we have still to labour, the many, many millions who are tired and weary, without hope or guidance, who yearn for comfort and for light.

　"We can help some of them and bring into their lives that certainty, that assurance which will make life worth living for them.

　"Let us remember the millions who mourn and who are still not comforted, whose hearts are filled with sorrow and whose eyes are filled with tears.

　"Let us remember all those who are sick, many of whom can be healed by the power of the spirit, and let us always strive to increase the knowledge of these truths so that more and more of the children of the Great Spirit may know His abiding love and wisdom.

　"And so, farewell till we meet again. With love I have come and with love I will go."