[Nat]

Originally Posted by faeriestarre

Glad he impressed you though, theres nothing better than a good reading! lol

Ooops, I probably was not very clear there, ... I was not talking about Tony Stockwell, I was talking about an Aussie medium Brett Favoloro, but making the point (coz others have thought Tony good) that your disappointing experience could just be coz good mediums simply sometimes do have bad days. Don't we all - and in whatever we do?

I have probably sent around 20 people to Brett tho, and only two had not much idea what he was on about - and unfortunately, one of them was my dad who I really wanted to get a good reading for his first time doing such a thing too, (especialy coz he had to wait months to get to see him) so I can understand your disappointment about your hubby. :cry:

Nat xxx

[charleejade]

hi there.

I also went to see tony in a theatre and the same as you he wasnt getting many links either but i had to put this down to a lot of the audience clutching at straws what you have to remember is in a room of 100 ppl or more it is very hard for the medium as lots take the evidence instead of just say 1 in a pivate reading and i fel this as too be accounted for also when i have been to these shows a lot freeze when they understand the evidence and wont stand up and take the info as they are afraid . ie i had a woman after the tony stockwell show tell me she could take all the info on the first communication but was too shy too stand up and say so becasue so many had already said maybe they could and she didnt want too interupt obviously this makes for a very difficult time for the medium . i must say also that years before this show when i used to work in the spiitualist church near where i live i was fortunate enough to meet tony in person and he offered to read for me which he did with amazing accuracy .

[Sibyl]

You must also take the prevailing conditions into account when seeing a medium.

If you go to the Arthur Findlay College of Psychic Science in Stansted and you have half an ounce of clairvoyant ability you will amaze yourself cos the atmosphere is electrifying. You come away from the Hall, as I did, knowing I was an amazing clairvoyant, went to do a Church Service and it was like trying to walk thru mud, it was so hard, heavy and absolutlely awful, which taught me a hard lesson.

Mediumship is about suggestibility; once we are open to spirit we are also open to everyone else and if there are just 3 people sat in the front row sending up negative thoughts to you, like: who does she think she is, i can do better than her, i dont want a message from her (which has been known to happen - there is a lot of jealousy among mediums for some reason) then you can struggle.

So good and bad days do happen; it can be that the medium is not well but is endeavouring to fulfill his commitments but it can also be the audience, many of whom are there for the wrong reasons and others, who are so desperate for a message from a loved one, are pulling like mad, so given a good day, a good audience, most mediums who are as exprienced as Tony will do well.

luv
vi

[drusila]

is there any way to protect yourself from negative conditions, sybil, to make it a smoother connection?


dru xx

[Wollpot]

I think everybody has an off day.

But why is spiritualism so full of jealousy? This is something I've really noticed a lot.

[Nat]

Excellent question Wollpot, I would like to know the answer to that one myself. And not just in mediumship, but all walks of life. Why can't some people admire each others achievements or abilities? Or at least not get their nose outta joint over them? I just don't understand jealousy, it seems a very strange emotion to me. I understand it on a theoretical basis, but I just still don't really 'get' it, ... if ya get what I mean.

Nat xxx

[kylieangeliqe]

I dont think that jealousy is exclusive or more prominent in spiritualism, I think its just human nature and happens in every profession, some more so then others, but I really havnt noticed it in a huge way amongst mediums, or do I have blinkers on ? lol

Kylie xx

[hellee]

I will probably get banned from this forum for the following post, but I'm one of those people who will say what they think whether it is popular or not.

I'm not sure what to make of this. You seem to be putting down sceptics, criticising them in fact, and questioning their motives, because you think they have nothing better to do. However, your reasons for criticising them are entirely different and justified, yes? You are different? Better, maybe? How people choose to use their time is up to them. At least they're not out murdering anyone or contributing to vacuous sites about WAGs. They have a genuine interest in a subject which involves us all - the possibility of life after death, and the existence or otherwise of mediumistic ability. This means that they also have a right to voice their own opinions, however much you disagree with them. In fact many of the people you mention put a lot of time into researching their subject of interest.

Once again, although I feel that I am positively hammering my head against that well-used brick wall, I will say it again. Sceptics are not the same as cynics. All they require is evidence. It is not in the interest of a sceptic to judge a medium badly without evidence. If you are going to make claims that you can communicate with the dead, explain to me why in the name of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle people should not be able to ask for proof!! Also explain to me why it is not reasonable to inform others of fakery where you have found it. Now I think I might be psychic, because I know what you're thinking. 'To the non-believer, no proof is sufficient, to the believer, no proof is necessary'. Yes, that's very handy. But it's not really very constructive to criticise someone whose idea of proof is different to yours. Someone who tells you that your dead grandmother is happy now may well be a medium, but unfortunately this alone does not prove it. That's just a simple fact, and it's really pointless and dare I say immature to attack someone because you don't like that.

Instead of personally attacking those who you regard as bullies, why don't you try and look at what is said - from all sources - from an unbiased point of view? That's what I try to do, and I find it helps. It makes it much easier to spot bogus arguments when they arise, like oh, I don't know, claiming that criticising the 'gifts' of mediums gives sceptics a sense of superiority, whereas claiming that you have a 'gift' and can communicate with dead people is just your way of providing a valuable service. and you quite clearly operate on a higher plane...right?

I'm a sceptic. This means that I never out-and-out believe claims of mediumship or psychic abilities, but it also means - and this is important - it also means that I never out-and-out disbelieve these claims either. I do not 'revel' in it when another so-called 'medium' is exposed for what they are. I would LOVE for mediumship to be real. There are a few people I could really do with talking to just now, but unfortunately they're dead. I am not nasty. I simply refuse to accept the woolly logic and downright hypocrisy of SOME people who operate as mediums.

Now let me just say that there are people who masquerade as sceptics who are in fact cynics or DNBs (Dogmatic Non-Believers) in disguise. Real sceptics will no more espouse the views or actions of these people than a genuine medium will espouse the views or actions of a fake medium. People who crow at the downfall of another human being may well have their own personal issues, but claiming that you need to feel sorry for sceptics as a group is really a way of deflecting the argument from its original course while justifying to others what you believe in. If you feel that finding the truth and then letting people know is an act of negativity, this is really a problem that you yourself need to sort out. Surely genuine mediums should welcome the exposure of fake mediums, who are giving your vocation a bad name. What you seem to be intent on pursuing is an Argumentum ad Hominem, and it really does not do your argument justice. It might be your first reaction, when someone you see as a kindred spirit is 'outed', to go for the jugular of the person who exposed them, but it's completely counter-productive and makes you look like you've got nothing of more value to say.

[Nat]

I assume you are talking to me, and obviously feel I was talking about you. Please note, my inclusion of the words 'some people', I did not personally mention anybody in particular. Yes, because of quoting your response tho, I can see that may have come across as me saying 'all skeptics'.

So for the record, ... I myself am skeptical, as are many of the mediums I have learnt from. I would not have listened to them if they were not discerning. I question everything, and require evidence with any phenomena. Just tonight I was watching some mediums giving 'spirit links' and thinking - no, that is all psychic, I doubt you even have a spirit telling you anything. I do apply discernment when deciding what constitutes evidence or not. I have even written elsewhere on this site that I hoped the standard of evidence was applied and did not cease to be, to any phenomena encountered, ... but likewise this works both ways, so without evidence of someone actually being shonky, I have a bit of respect for peoples livelihoods being damaged perhaps on unfounded notions. So I think the standard of beyond doubt should be applied before potentially affecting another on such a level. Obviously some others take lightly affecting people in such a manner, but I couldn't.

What I have a problem with, is not with skepticism, not with people being reported to relevant authorities, not with proven frauds being exposed, it is with people potentially harming another based on speculation - when we are not talking about hurting their feelings, we are talking about hurting their livelihoods. That is a pretty serious thing to do to someone - in any field.

What I don't condone tho, besides a lack of evidence, is the manner in which some people go about what amounts to a slur campaign. Sadly, some people do bring up all manner of unrelated evidence, sadly some people really do enjoy cutting others down, sadly sometimes these people feed of each other and it starts almost looking like a competition for who can come out with best bit of dirt whether it has anything to do with fraudulent mediumship or not, sadly some do revel in doing this, ... and these are the 'some people' to whom I referred, ... whether that apply's to you, I don't know, because I will not do as you did and assume I know what you think.

I could go on and on here about numerous other points you have made, but hopefully you can now see that you made numerous assumptions about what I believe regarding skepticism, burdens of evidence, rightful exposure, etc, etc, etc, and that therefore much of what you said does not actually warrant response due to it being non reflective of my actual thoughts and therefore irrelevant.

I can't see that you stating your opinions should cause you any problems tho, I certainly don't have a problem with it, ... tho they might have been of value themselves if relevant to my actual thoughts, ... but I am afraid, if you think I apply unreasonable standards to someone's livelihood being put at stake, well then send me the bill for a stack hat, coz I am not going to sway in my thinking that there should be evidence before the naming and shaming begins, so you will have to keep on head butting that wall.

Oh, btw, I really do hope you get to hear from those in spirit who you said you could do with talking to, and hopefully that will give you some personal evidence, ... but as always, apply discernment to all future encounters too, ... coz yes, some mediums really are shonky. Not having a bad day - just plain ol shonky. :shock: :lol:

Take Care
Nat xxx

[genuine]

Hi Sylvia

Just wanted to echo your comments re being open to others as well as to spirit...I have learned how true this is, and that the thoughts or intentions of those around us can have a huge impact...I am not surprised to hear the impact of a 'mere 3'...i imagine the mix of intentions in a large audience can make the job close to impossible...I have wondered why they choose to read for so many at once...one of the lessons taught to me in my interactions with spirit was the importance of, in my own mind at least, blessing the person and wishing them well, and then 'being done with thoughts of them', if you get my drift. Can be a challenge and it took me a long time to realise that these things can have an impact.


regards
Bronwyn