Psi vs. survival: A qualitative investigation of mediums’ phenomenology comparing readings and ostensible communication with the deceased Adam J. Rock, Julie Beischel & Christopher C. Cott

Certain mediums are able to report accurate and specific information about the deceased loved ones (termed ‘discarnates’) of living people (termed ‘sitters’) even without any prior knowledge about the sitters or the discarnates, in the complete absence of any sensory feedback, and without using deception. Despite recent experimental research investigating this phenomenon (e.g. Beischel & Schwartz, 2007), few systematic qualitative studies (e.g. Rock, Beischel & Schwartz, 2008) have been conducted. Consequently, six certified research mediums were asked to describe in as much detail as possible their subjective experiences during discarnate communication and psychic readings for the living. Thematic analysis revealed various comprehensive constituent themes for each experience type. and psychic reading experiences were subsequently situated within Grof’s (1975) cartography of the transpersonal dimensions of the psyche. The present study constitutes an initial step towards isolating the phenomenological processes underlying discarnate communication readings. A detailed understanding of these processes may, in turn, assist researchers with regards to determining the source of the purportedly non-local, non-sensory information mediums report.

ROF (1988) asserted that mediumship 2007). However, after over a century of phenomena constitute transpersonal research (reviewed by Braude, 2003; Gexperiences characterised by the Fontana, 2005; Gauld, 1983), the current extension of one’s consciousness ‘beyond state of mediumship findings does not the phenomenal world and the time-space directly address which parapsychological continuum as we perceive it in our everyday mechanisms are involved in AIR by medi- life’ (p.105). Skilled mediums can report ums. In and of themselves, the data cannot accurate and specific information about the distinguish between hypotheses including: deceased loved ones (termed ‘discarnates’) (a) the survival of consciousness (i.e. life of living people (termed ‘sitters’1) using after death; the continued existence, sepa- anomalous information reception (AIR) – rate from the body, of an individual’s con- that is, without any prior knowledge about sciousness or personality after physical the discarnates or sitters, in the absence of death); (b) super-psi (i.e. the retrieval of any sensory feedback, and without using information through , precogni- deceptive means (e.g. Beischel & Schwartz, tion, and/or with the living, also

1 Mediums performing readings with proxy sitters provide information for (and sometimes about) living people who are not present at the reading. Consequently, ‘sitter’ would be more completely defined as a living person who requested a reading from a medium and who has a desire to receive information about one or more deceased people with whom s/he had an emotionally close relationship, irrespective of whether or not s/he is present for or hears the reading as it takes place. Conversely, a ‘proxy sitter’ is a living person who is present for the reading, but is not the person for whom the information reported during a reading is intended. A proxy sitter may or may not have knowledge about the absent sitter or the deceased persons contacted during the reading.

76 Transpersonal Psychology Review, Volume 13, No. 2, Winter 2009 © The British Psychological Society ● ISSN 1366–6991 Psi vs. survival called super-ESP; reviewed in Braude, 2003, for immortality may affect individual and and Fontana, 2005); and (c) the psychic group behaviour. For example, research in reservoir hypothesis (i.e. that all information Terror Management Theory has found that since the beginning of time is stored some- belief in an afterlife may liberate people how and somewhere in the universe and from ‘the compulsion to continually prove mediums are accessing that cosmic store our value and the correctness of our beliefs’ rather than communicating with the (Dechesne et al., 2003), an impulse that can deceased; reviewed in Fontana, 2005). manifest in extreme cases as radical actions The continued evaluation of the medi- that defend or propagate the dominance of umship process together with research one’s beliefs, religion, nation, etc. (which addressing the survival of consciousness provides the individual with the psychologi- hypothesis are important for many reasons, cal comfort of symbolic immortality). For including those that are academically impor- these academic and socially relevant reasons, tant as well as those that are socially relevant. it is important to continue investigating the First, an understanding of the mediumship information mediums report as well as the process may aid in determining which mech- mediumship process itself. anisms may be at work during the processing It is noteworthy that previous and historic of non-local, non-sensory information. Sec- mediumship research has been primarily ond, survival and mediumship studies pro- proof-focused; that is, it has been concerned vide unique evidence for an issue central to with demonstrating a specific and replicable consciousness science: the relationship effect (i.e. AIR) in a laboratory setting. How- between the mind/consciousness and the ever, by limiting research to proof-focused brain. That is, is consciousness (a) a product studies, important phenomenological medi- of the brain as theorised by materialist neu- umship processes underlying AIR may be roscientists (e.g. Crick & Koch, 2003) or is neglected (Rock et al., 2008). In contrast, consciousness (b) mediated, transmitted, the phenomenological researcher engages transformed, guided, or arbitrated by the in process-orientated research investigating brain (e.g. Clarke, 1995)? ‘the way things are experienced by the expe- On a socially applicable front, this riencer, and … how events are integrated research is important beyond just addressing into a dynamic, meaningful experience’ the public’s growing interest in mediumship (Hanson & Klimo, 1998, p.286). Previous and the survival of consciousness. First, research has used phenomenological analy- mediums may be able to perform socially sis to investigate, for example, the experi- useful tasks like finding missing persons or ence of meditation (Gifford-May & contributing to criminal investigations, but Thompson, 1994), being unconditionally in order for society to sensibly utilise the loved (Matsu-Pissot, 1998), and shamanic- information mediums provide, the process like journeying (Rock, 2006). This type of by which it is acquired needs to be better analysis has the advantage of allowing the understood. In addition, the information researcher to ostensibly identify the essential mediums provide may contain wisdom or aspects of the experience being investigated knowledge that could benefit scientific, tech- (Fischer, 1998). nological, and/or social progress. Further- However, to date and to the best of our more, scientific evidence for life after death knowledge, there is a paucity of systematic could revolutionise healthcare by alleviating qualitative research addressing modern-day the anxiety felt by hospice and end-of-life mediums’ phenomenology pertaining to patients and their families and changing the AIR (e.g. Rock et al., 2008). Nonetheless, it is way allopathic physicians view death. Medi- important to acknowledge that numerous – umship readings may also be helpful in grief arguably unsystematic – qualitative studies counselling and recovery. Finally, evidence were conducted during the first half of the

Transpersonal Psychology Review, Volume 13, No. 2, Winter 2009 77 Adam J. Rock, Julie Beischel & Christopher C. Cott

20th century2. The resulting publications telepathy4 readings for the living, then that often included descriptions of individual may lend more support to the survival mediums or readings (e.g. Newton, 1938; hypothesis than to the super-psi or psychic Saltmarsh, 1929; Thomas, 1928) and reports reservoir (collectively ‘psi’) theories. about groups of mediums (e.g. Assailly, 1963; The present study extends a previously Carington, 1939). It is perhaps noteworthy published process-focused quantitative study that these early studies tended to neglect (Rock & Beischel, 2008) that experimentally mental mediumship in favour of physical investigated the phenomenological differ- mediumship (e.g. Besterman, 1932) and ences that arose psychologically in accor- mediums during trance states (e.g. Caring- dance with the demands of a discarnate ton, 1939; Thomas, 1928). This is consistent reading task versus a control task5. Rock and with Fontana’s (2003) assertion that medi- Beischel administered seven mediums, who umship has gone through various develop- had undergone an extensive certification mental phases: ‘Initially it was rappings, table procedure6, counter-balanced sequences of a turning and boards, then came more discarnate reading and control condition. sophisticated physical phenomena, after The discarnate reading condition consisted which the focus shifted to trance work, then of a phone reading including questions to , and then to mental about a target discarnate in which only a mediumship and channeling’ (p.16).3 blinded medium and a blinded experi- Going forward, additional proof-focused menter were on the phone. The control con- research in the absence of a process-focused dition consisted of a phone conversation component may continue to provide evi- between the medium and the same experi- dence for AIR, but it will also continue to menter in which the medium was asked sim- neglect addressing the survival of conscious- ilar questions regarding a living person s/he ness hypothesis. Proof-focused studies alone (i.e. the medium) knew. Mediums’ phenom- are not able to differentiate between survival enology during each condition was retro- and other parapsychological explanations spectively assessed using the Phenomenology of for the phenomenon of AIR such as super- Consciousness Inventory (PCI; Pekala, 1991). psi and the psychic reservoir hypothesis. It was found that the reading condition However, if, for instance, process-focused scored significantly higher than the control studies find that mediums’ experiences of condition with regards to phenomenological ostensible communication with discarnates dimensions including negative affect, altered during mediumship readings are phenome- body image, altered time sense, and altered nologically different than their experiences state of awareness. In contrast, the reading of information received during psychic condition scored significantly lower than the

2 Schouten (1994) states: ‘The first extensive studies of verbal statements of mediums appeared about 100 years ago in the publications of the British and American psychical research societies. These studies were purely descriptive. Hundreds of pages were devoted to transcripts of readings of mediums and discussions of interpretations and the validity of the mediums’ statements … The subjective estimation of the significance of data became less acceptable and was gradually replaced by the application of quantitative and statistical evaluations’ (pp.222–223). 3 It is also salient that, since the first half of the 20th century, several investigations of mediums’ experiences ‘from within a variety of academic disciplines’ (Cousins, 2008, p.334) have been reported (e.g. Emmons, 2000). 4 Telepathy can be defined as ‘a particular type of extrasensory experience that ostensibly entails direct mind-to- mind communication’ (Irwin & Watt, 2007, p.5). 5 That is, this study was not concerned with whether phenomenological differences were due to differential information sources (i.e. a discarnate versus a living person), but rather whether phenomenological differences arose as a result of the mediums’ psychological responses to different task demands. 6 The procedure is described in detail elsewhere (Beischel, 2007/2008; Rock et al., 2008) and briefly at www.windbridge.org/mediums.htm.

78 Transpersonal Psychology Review, Volume 13, No. 2, Winter 2009 Psi vs. survival control condition with regards to dimen- Step 1: Written questionnaire. sions including self-awareness, volitional Step 2: Personality/psychological tests. control, and memory. Consequently, this Step 3: Telephone interview (with an study provided an indication of the quantita- existing certified medium). tive phenomenological processes associated Step 4: Telephone interview (with an with mediumship readings for discarnates. investigator). The aim of the present study, however, Step 5: Two blinded telephone readings. was to qualitatively investigate modern-day Step 6: Mediumship research training. American mental7 mediums’ experiences of Step 7: Human research participants purported communication with discarnates training. as compared to their experiences during psy- Step 8: Grief training. chic readings for the living in which psi (i.e. Upon completion of the steps, the medium telepathy, clairvoyance, and/or precogni- was termed a Windbridge Certified Research tion) was ostensibly used. Medium (WCRM). In the present study, six WCRMs were Method emailed the following two open-ended ques- Participants tions in counterbalanced sequences:8 The participants in this study ranged in age 1. Please describe in as much detail as from 44.25 to 55.67 years (mean=48.63, possible your subjective experience SEM=1.96, SD=4.81) and included five during mediumship readings (that is, females and one male. Prior to participation readings or portions of readings in which in this study, each medium was screened and you communicate with discarnates). Use trained over several months using an inten- as many words as you need; the more sive certification procedure including ques- complete the response, the better. tionnaires, tests, interviews, and test 2. Please describe in as much detail as readings; the procedure is described in possible your subjective experience detail elsewhere (Beischel, 2007/2008) and during psychic readings (that is, readings briefly below. At the time of data collection, or portions of readings in which you DO these mediums had been participating in NOT communicate with discarnates and laboratory research from 1.66 to 5 years instead use telepathy, , or (mean=2.79, SEM=0.63, SD=1.53). clairvoyance to provide information about the living). Use as many words as Materials and procedure you need; the more complete the As stated above, each medium was screened, response, the better. trained, and certified prior to participation in this study. Briefly, the screening steps were as follows:

7 The subset of research mediums who participated in this study remain conscious and aware during readings and their abilities to report accurate and specific information have been repeatedly demonstrated under controlled conditions in the laboratory. Thus, the sample of participants in this study is not representative of claimant mediums in general, or of the extensively observed historical trance and physical mediums, but rather of modern-day, American, mental mediums whose abilities have been documented. Mental mediumship (also called ‘clairvoyant’ mediumship) ‘occurs in a conscious and focused waking state’ (Buhrman, 1997, p.13). In contrast, trance mediumship occurs in a ‘sleep-like state’ and involves amnesia (Sher, 1981, p.108). Mediumship can also include physical phenomena such as independent voices, lights, apports (objects that inexplicably appear), the or movement of objects, , and raps on walls or tables (Fontana, 2005, p.244). 8 See Rock, Beischel and Schwartz (2009) for a defense of methodologies that involve qualitative data collection via e-mail rather than face-to-face interviews.

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Thematic analysis of original protocols protocols. Those constituent themes The original protocols of the six WCRMs judged to have the same meaning were constituted the data that were analysed using pooled into comprehensive constituent the principles of a phenomenological themes. research methodology originally developed 5. A fundamental structural definition was by Giorgi (1975) and subsequently then formulated for each counter- expanded on by, for example, Colaizzi balanced question by integrating (1978) and Elite (1998). Standard phenom- comprehensive constituent themes into a enological inquiry stipulates that a real-time, ‘final definition paragraph’ (Matsu- face-to-face dialogue between researcher Pissot, 1998, p.325). The definitions and research participant is the most effective provided a succinct description of the method of eliciting the essential aspects of essential constituents of: (a) mediumship an experience (e.g. Giorgi, 2000). However, readings; and (b) psychic readings. due to the considerable geographical dis- 6. Each of the WCRMs was contacted via tances separating the WCRMs and the e-mail and invited to provide feedback researchers, we opted to collect data via and verification with regards to the email. Consequently, in a strict technical comprehensive constituent themes. sense, the present study did not use a phe- The analysis was performed by an independ- nomenological methodology but rather used ent researcher who was not affiliated with various principles of phenomenological the Windbridge Institute and was unaware of methodology (e.g. Elite, 1998; West, 1998) to the WCRMs’ prior anecdotal reports regard- thematically analyse the WCRMs’ responses ing similarities and differences between the to the aforementioned counterbalanced phenomenological processes underpinning questions. mediumship versus psychic readings. In accordance with standard phenomeno- logical inquiry (e.g. Elite, 1998; Matsu-Pissot, Results and discussion 1998; West, 1998), each counter-balanced Mediumship reading question was separately analysed using the The analysis revealed the following compre- following procedural steps: hensive constituent themes for a medi- 1. Each original protocol was read and umship reading: reread in order to develop an under- 1. Verificatory ‘sign’ of contact with a standing of the subjective experience discarnate. associated with: (a) mediumship 2. Partial ‘merging’ with the discarnate readings; and (b) psychic readings. (adopting the discarnate’s emotions, 2. The salient statements, phrases, or personality traits, etc.). sentences were extracted within each 3. Apparent independence of the original protocol. discarnate from the medium. 3. The extracted significant statements with the 4. Multiple modalities functioning same meaning were integrated and simultaneously. translated into constituent themes where we 5. Visual imagery pertaining to the translated the WCRMs’ ‘words in a way discarnate and their loved-ones. that remained true to the underlying 6. Auditory information pertaining to the essence of the experience itself without discarnate and their loved-ones. severing any connection with the original 7. Tactile information pertaining to the protocol’ (Elite, 1998, p.312). This discarnate and their loved-ones. allowed us to formulate comprehensive 8. Olfactory information pertaining to the themes for each WCRM. discarnate and their loved-ones. 4. The constituent themes were 9. The experience of ‘just knowing’. subsequently examined across original

80 Transpersonal Psychology Review, Volume 13, No. 2, Winter 2009 Psi vs. survival

1. Verificatory ‘sign’ of contact with a discarnate. to sitters. That is to say, the experience of WCRMs routinely reported receiving some partial ‘merging’ may be conceptualised as a kind of corroborative evidence indicating trans-egoic experience (i.e. each medium’s that they had established contact with the individual sense of self is, to varying degrees, intended discarnate. From Grof’s (1988) transcended). For example, one WCRM perspective, the mediums’ ostensible contact highlighted a union whereby his or her with a discarnate occurs ‘beyond consensus ‘blended’ with the discarnate’s reality and space-time’, and is, thus, indica- energy: tive of a transpersonal experience (p.105). ‘It almost feels like my energy is “merging” This verification typically manifested in a (often referred to as “blending”) with the energy variety of ways. Curiously, however, the of the discarnate. Sometimes it feels like being WCRMs always appeared to intuitively know in two places at the same time.’ when a particular phenomenon constituted Another WCRM explained that during dis- evidence of contact. For example, one carnate communication, the medium may WCRM stated that piercing auditory phe- replicate various idiosyncrasies that charac- nomena signified discarnate contact: terised the deceased individual: ‘Another really exciting communication I have ‘The personality of the discarnate may come with the deceased is hearing high pitched kind through to where the medium uses the same of rings or whines. I have asked for vocabulary or tone that the discarnate used.’ communication and suddenly hear inside my It was also asserted that mediums are able to ears, a high ringing sound. I am thrilled to experience the discarnate’s affective states: know this is contact. I have had this happen ‘The feelings of the discarnate may be sensed quite often.’ and felt by the medium such as a deep feeling It was also reported that vibratory phenom- of love and peace or a sense of restlessness.’ ena coupled with elevations in temperature indicated that connection with a discarnate 3. Apparent independence of the discarnate from had been achieved: the medium. Various WCRMs reported that ‘During this “contact” I could physically feel a they were unable to exercise complete con- kind of vibration and heat so I felt sure I had trol over the behaviour of discarnates. Con- a connection with the [deceased] brother in a sequently, discarnates often appeared to very strong way.’ function as ostensibly autonomous entities. One WCRM emphasised that light experi- Indeed, on occasion it was reported that dis- ences including the stroboscopic attributes carnates engaged in actions that were con- of the ‘spiritual eye’ signified connection trary to the WCRMs’ desires. For example, with the deceased: one WCRM reported that discarnates dis- ‘I often see flashes of white light during played a penchant for unpredictable behav- readings and the blue of the spiritual eye iour that elicited a fear response: flashing at me. During these flashes I am sure ‘Now you would think being a medium I I have connected to the deceased.’ would want to look and connect with them sitting on the edge of my bed. What really 2. Partial ‘merging’ with the discarnate (adopting happens is they startle me which makes me the discarnate’s emotions, personality traits, etc.). freak out!’ WCRMs commonly reported ‘merging’ to Furthermore, it was suggested that some dis- some degree with discarnates. This process carnates exhibit a tendency to provide advice tended to consist of WCRMs adopting, for regarding aspects of a WCRM’s daily routine: instance, the personality traits and manner- ‘Once a discarnate decided they needed to tell isms of the discarnate. Thus, the WCRMs me which knife I should use to cut with. I told appeared to quite literally function as mech- him to leave me alone and let me do it my way.’ anisms that allowed discarnates to manifest

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Indeed, one WCRM explained that the dis- Another WCRM stated that salient names carnate’s autonomous behaviour sometimes were regularly perceived via a visual modality: provoked arguments: ‘I will see this name in my mind or in front of ‘At times I will argue with . Once prior to me in the air or with my eyes closed. At times, the reading a spirit told me not to wear my I have seen a hand reach out and start to write purple ring. Well, I wanted to. So I argued a name on the wall.’ that I was going to wear it anyway. Then she The visual modality was also described as said you are going to drop it. I replied, “No, I ‘spiritual’, which seemed to implicitly distin- will not”. Then I did drop my ring and it guish it from conventional sensory systems: landed on the tile floor popping my purple ‘I often see in my spiritual vision, symbols such triangle stone right out of the ring.’ as a favorite piece of jewellery.’ It was also asserted that discarnates often 4. Multiple modalities functioning simultaneously. utilise visual information to verify their iden- Generally, the term ‘modality’ denotes ‘a sen- tities to mediums and sitters: sory system’ and is invoked ‘to specify the ‘When seeing them they will show something sense intended, for example, visual modality, that will identify themselves … It may be a gap kinaesthetic modality’ (Reber & Reber, 2001, in between their teeth that really shows when p.440). On the contrary, following Rock et al. they smile … anything that they know would (2008), we are employing the term to indi- identify themselves to their loved one.’ cate whether an experience is visual, kinaes- Indeed, one WCRM stated that: thetic, olfactory, etc., regardless of whether a ‘The deceased will show a location where they corresponding physical stimulus exists. lived or favorite clothes they wore.’ WCRMs often asserted that multiple modali- ties were functioning simultaneously during 6. Auditory information pertaining to the discar- mediumship readings for sitters. For nate and their loved-ones. Auditory information instance, one WCRM suggested that commu- also characterised mediumship readings. In nication with discarnates may occur outside accordance with visual data, auditory data of conventional sensory pathways: tended to be identifying information about ‘In mediumship readings, communication the discarnate, or a message for the sitter. comes through in a variety of ways, and often For instance, one WCRM explained that: it is a combination of methods that go beyond ‘I have also heard music inside me for a the normal senses.’ favourite song the deceased person loved. A distinction was also drawn between the I have “heard” piano music in my ears or in ‘spiritual’ and ‘physical’ modalities: my mind and had that identified by the sitter.’ ‘The medium is communicating on many It was also suggested that discarnates some- levels and simultaneously with the different times administer verbal instructions to medi- spiritual and physical senses.’ ums: ‘One example would be a Korean man who 5. Visual imagery pertaining to the discarnate was passed on. The man kept saying a name and their loved-ones. Visual information was in Korean and instructed me to write it down. routinely conveyed to WCRMs during read- The name was the name of his living daughter ings for sitters. This information typically in law.’ consisted of images of the discarnate, written A WCRM also reported hearing the tonali- words, symbolic images, and images or ties of discarnates’ voices: scenes (e.g. the discarnates’ physical death) ‘Many times I can hear their voice tone as if a pertinent to the discarnate, the sitter, or real person is talking to me.’ other people important to the discarnate. One WCRM, for example, emphasised that: 7. Tactile information pertaining to the discarnate ‘The information comes in flickers of images.’ and their loved-ones. Tactile data was also rela-

82 Transpersonal Psychology Review, Volume 13, No. 2, Winter 2009 Psi vs. survival tively common in mediumship readings, Uncertainty was also expressed regarding although less common than visual and audi- the nature of the epistemological process tory data. Tactile data typically consisted of that resulted in the WCRMs’ acquisition of physical sensations pertaining to the discar- this knowledge: nates’ ‘passing’: ‘Sometimes it is just a knowing and hard to ‘I will also go through feelings of how they passed. define exactly how a medium received this If a heart attack my heart will beat really fast, knowing.’ drowning I will get lots of fluid in my throat.’ The experience of ‘just knowing’ was also Another WCRM stated: described by one WCRM as a ‘quickening’: ‘I do experience using my hands to feel spirit ‘There is also a phenomenon that sometimes forms and having the sensation in my hands happens which is what I call a quickening, of coldness if it’s a or even the other day where the information is coming so fast, and it when a lady came through who had died in the just comes out of my mouth without “seeing or mountains of exposure and in feeling her feeling” anything.’ “form” she felt cold to me.’ One WCRM explained that tactile data Mediumship reading fundamental structural sometimes highlighted a salient physical definition characteristic of the discarnate: The fundamental structural definition that ‘When a discarnate had a body part that they may be extrapolated from these comprehen- could not use or did not have (such as sive constituent themes is this: the essential amputees, paraplegics, or stroke victims), I will aspects of mediumship reading experiences often feel that as coldness or numbness in that were: (1) verificatory ‘signs’ of contact with a part of the body.’ discarnate; (2) partial ‘merging’ with the dis- carnate; (3) apparent independence of the 8. Olfactory information pertaining to the discar- discarnate from the medium; (4) multiple nate and their loved-ones. Olfactory informa- modalities functioning simultaneously; tion was also reported by various WCRMs. (5–8) visual, auditory, tactile, and olfactory The olfactory data appeared to serve the per- imagery pertaining to the discarnate and formative function of providing identifying their loved-ones; and (9) the experience of information regarding the discarnate. As ‘just knowing’. one WCRM recalled: ‘I have smelled violets and then found out Psychic reading Violet was the deceased person’s name for the The analysis revealed the following compre- sitter.’ hensive constituent themes for a psychic Another WCRM remarked that: reading: ‘I smell scents when they are around. Cigarette 1. Multiple modalities functioning smoke, cigars, cologne, etc.’ simultaneously. 2. Visual information pertaining to the 9. The experience of ‘just knowing’. Sometimes client. WCRMs reported simply ‘knowing’ a piece 3. Auditory information pertaining to the of information regarding the discarnate. On client. occasion, WCRMs voiced surprise when this 4. Tactile information pertaining to the information appeared to spontaneously client. manifest: 5. Empathy with the client. ‘It is just “knowing”. When this happens, it is 6. The experience of ‘just knowing’. always correct, and can even surprise me. In 7. Ostensible precognition. some cases I just look at them and start saying names and giving validations in rapid fire 1. Multiple modalities functioning simultane- sequence.’ ously. Psychic readings were akin to medi-

Transpersonal Psychology Review, Volume 13, No. 2, Winter 2009 83 Adam J. Rock, Julie Beischel & Christopher C. Cott umship readings in the sense that WCRMs indicated that auditory data were more fre- reported that multiple modalities tended to quent during mediumship readings. Typi- function concurrently. Again, we are invok- cally, auditory data manifested in the form of ing the term ‘modality’ to stipulate whether words, but other sounds were also reported. an experience is visual, auditory, tactile, etc., One WCRM, for example, explained that irrespective of whether or not it is associated perceiving auditory imagery during a psychic with a physical stimulus (Rock et al., 2008). reading was analogous to a telephone con- One WCRM succinctly stated that: versation: ‘I am accessing a combination of sensory data ‘I may hear someone speaking right in my ear, simultaneously.’ calling my name or just in my mind. To me, It was also asserted that the epistemology of this is the same as hearing a phone psychic readings involved the ‘mind’s eye’: conversation, as this is how it sounds to me.’ ‘All the above aspects of psychic ability overlap The same WCRM also stated that s/he could during a reading so that one minute I may be hear internal physical processes of the client: seeing something in my mind’s eye while ‘I also have been able to hear things like blood seconds later, I might be feeling something or coursing through the veins or circulatory hearing something.’ system of a person.’

2. Visual information pertaining to the client. 4. Tactile information pertaining to the client. Visual information appeared to be the most During psychic readings, tactile information typical variant of data that participants expe- typically related to the client’s physical con- rienced during psychic readings. This infor- dition, with particular emphasis on whether mation characteristically pertained to the life the client was afflicted with health problems. of the client. More specifically, the informa- For example, one WCRM highlighted that tion tended to adopt the form of an image of the epistemology of detecting a client’s the client in the ‘mind’s eye’, scenes relating health issues included a ‘spiritual’ compo- to the client, ‘auras’, or symbolic images or nent: words. For instance, one WCRM referred to: ‘My hands are sensitive, and I experience the ‘…pictures or scenes that run through my physical feeling of touching a spirit form which mind, sometimes symbols.’ is the living person’s spirit. I also use my Another WCRM explained that they per- hands to detect health issues in the spirit form. ceived auras: So I can feel cancer with my hands or the ‘I may see beautiful colours in the or deep clothes someone is wearing, or their hair. This red angry colours or even black if there is a touch and feel kind of thing is communicated health issue.’ back to me spiritually.’ It was also emphasised that the WCRM Furthermore, one WCRM succinctly stated engaged in during psychic that: readings, which was indicative of what Grof ‘I know if I suddenly feel sick, I am picking up (1975, 1988, 1993) has referred to as a spa- the sickness of a client.’ tial expansion of consciousness within the parameters of consensual reality: 5. Empathy with the client. WCRMs reported a ‘I am able to view or remote view the location heightened level of empathy for their clients they are in at the present time. I may see during psychic readings, whereby they were portions of their house, or vehicle, or work area able to ascertain their clients’ affective states of their job.’ simply by watching, or listening to, the client speak. WCRMs implicitly suggested that this 3. Auditory information pertaining to the client. heightened empathy exceeded the level of Psychic readings were also characterised by ordinary human experience: auditory information; however, one WCRM

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‘As soon as I hear them say hello I can tell if Another WCRM emphasised that: they are skeptical, open, excited and happy, ‘I often have precognitive episodes. A recent nervous, sad … I can feel their energy, example would be seeing a man walk through therefore, know what they are feeling.’ a gate, and five minutes later he did walk Another WCRM stated that: through the gate. Another example would be a ‘I am usually aware of my clients “mood flash in my mind of a car accident up ahead and/or feelings” (i.e. deep sadness, highly in traffic and then encountering the accident a stressed, extremely fatigued, very excited, etc.) – few minutes later.’ and although I am feeling this psychically Furthermore, psychic readings were deemed (rather than physically), I am somehow aware akin to viewing a film set in the future: of the depth of what they are experiencing at the ‘When tuning into my client, I see precognitive time. This is clearly conveyed to me by their events unfold, as if watching a movie.’ energy fields if they are in the room with me … but also by the sound of their voice, if I am on Psychic reading fundamental structural the telephone with them.’ definition The fundamental structural definition that 6. The experience of ‘just knowing’. WCRMs may be extrapolated from these comprehen- reported spontaneously ‘knowing’ specific sive constituent themes is this: the essential information without being able to determine aspects of psychic reading experiences were: the epistemological process involved. This is (1) multiple modalities functioning simulta- ostensibly consistent with the ‘just knowing’ neously; (2–4) visual, auditory, and tactile phenomenon reported during mediumship information pertaining to the client; (5) readings. One WCRM asserted that during a empathy with the client; (6) the experience psychic reading: of ‘just knowing’; and (7) ostensible precog- ‘I may just suddenly “know” something nition. without any rational explanation.’ Another WCRM underscored that: WCRMs’ feedback and verification ‘In psychic readings you may receive As previously stated, the six WCRMs were information through seeing visions in the third contacted via e-mail and invited to provide eye, hearing by thought, a just knowing or feedback and verification with regards to the sensing.’ comprehensive constituent themes. All six WCRMs stated that the comprehensive con- 7. Ostensible precognition. During psychic read- stituent themes captured the essential ings, WCRMs sometimes reported what aspects of: (1) mediumship readings; and appeared to be precognitive events; that is, (2) psychic readings. For example, one WCRMs anticipated the occurrence of future WCRM stated: ‘I did receive and read the medi- events. Precognition may be conceptualised umship and psychic experiences paper. I do agree as a transpersonal phenomenon consisting with the analysis, and think it was well written.’ of ‘the transcendence of the usual limita- Similarly, another WCRM asserted: ‘Nicely tions of time and the resulting temporal done. Wow!’ expansion of consciousness’ (Grof, 1975, p.177). One WCRM remarked that a client is Mediumship and psychic reading experiences analogous to an open book: situated within Grof’s cartography of the ‘… a psychic reading is like reading a book, transpersonal dimensions of the psyche which represents your aura and energy field, The essential aspects of the mediumship that contains past, present, and future reading and psychic reading experiences information.’ may be examined using Grof’s (1975, 1988, 1993) cartography of the transpersonal dimen- sions of the psyche as an interpretative frame-

Transpersonal Psychology Review, Volume 13, No. 2, Winter 2009 85 Adam J. Rock, Julie Beischel & Christopher C. Cott work. Broadly speaking, mediumship read- Similarities are also evident between the ing experiences may be exclusively situated empathy theme of the psychic readings and within Grof’s experiential extension beyond the partial ‘merging’ theme of the medi- consensus reality and space-time category. That umship readings, to the extent that both is to say, from Grof’s perspective, the themes included an experience of the target medium is communicating with an exoso- entity’s emotions (i.e. the client and the dis- matic (i.e. autonomous; independent of the carnate, respectively). However, it is perhaps percipient) entity that ostensibly resides in a noteworthy that during mediumship read- transpersonal realm or dimension. In con- ings, WCRMs tended to strongly ‘experi- trast, psychic reading experiences ostensibly ence’ the discarnate’s emotions, whereas co-mapped with Grof’s experiential extension during psychic readings WCRMs were within consensus reality and space-time category. merely ‘aware’ of the client’s emotions. Thus, these experiences seem to occur There are, however, several themes that within the space-time continuum inhabited emerged during the mediumship analysis but by the psychic reader rather than in, for were absent from the psychic readings analy- example, a parallel universe or dark matter sis (i.e. the olfactory, verificatory ‘sign’, and inde- realm. More specifically, the precognition pendence themes). The finding that these theme associated with psychic reading expe- themes were not considered essential aspects riences purportedly involved the temporal of the psychic reading experience is due, at expansion of consciousness within consen- least in part, to the fact that the target entity sual reality. It is perhaps also noteworthy that during psychic readings was a living person the visual theme pertaining to psychic read- rather than a discarnate. For example, clearly ings included experiences that appeared the WCRMs did not require a verificatory sign indicative of a spatial expansion of con- of contact from the living client who had sciousness within the parameters of consen- solicited the psychic reading. In contrast, the sual reality (Grof, 1975, 1988, 1993). nebulous nature of discarnate communica- tion necessitates corroborative evidence that A comparative analysis of mediumship and contact has been established. Furthermore, psychic reading experiences the independence theme may have emerged in A comparative analysis of the essential the mediumship analysis, and not the psychic aspects of mediumship readings versus psy- analysis, simply because it is rather obvious chic readings reveals several similarities. The that the living clients of are inde- multimodal, visual, auditory, tactile, and ‘just pendent from the psychics themselves, knowing’ themes were considered essential whereas in the case of mediums this is not so aspects of both the mediumship reading and obvious, given that: (1) a medium may be psychic reading experiences, and the conceptualised as a mechanism that allows a extracted significant statements that consti- discarnate to manifest to a sitter; and (2) tuted these themes are ostensibly similar. mediums routinely adopt the personality One significant difference, however, is that traits and behavioural predispositions of dis- psychic reading themes tended to pertain carnates. Finally, the finding that the precogni- primarily to the individual client, whereas tion theme was an essential aspect of the mediumship reading themes pertained to psychic reading experience, but not the medi- the discarnate, the sitter, and other friends umship reading experience, perhaps under- and relatives of the discarnate. Indeed, as scores the differential function of a psychic one WCRM stated: reading relative to a mediumship reading. ‘In a psychic reading, the information that That is, the function of a psychic reading may comes through usually has to do with life issues be, in part, to convey to the living client infor- and often does not continually make references mation regarding future events, whereas the back to family members.’ function of a mediumship reading is to facili-

86 Transpersonal Psychology Review, Volume 13, No. 2, Winter 2009 Psi vs. survival tate discarnate-sitter communication. In addi- and/or incomplete self-reports due to false tion, it may not be possible to report precog- memory impressions and memory loss may nitive information about a discarnate’s be curtailed. Similarly, the current study’s actions in the future. Indeed, during the veri- methodology could not control for the fication stage of the study, one WCRM stated: WCRMs’ mental sets prior to the medi- ‘One cannot predict the future of a discarnate umship and psychic readings or the environ- – unless of course, we’d like to predict what mental settings where the readings occurred. they are going to be doing “in the afterlife” – a Due to the frequently significant geo- concept that is totally subjective and completely graphical distances separating WCRMs’ resi- unverifiable.’ dences and the Windbridge investigators, the current study’s data were collected via Methodological shortcomings and suggestions for email. However, proponents of qualitative future research methodology (e.g. Giorgi, 2000) often argue One might contend that the current study’s that a face-to-face dialogue between sample is too restricted to be representative researcher and participant is the most effi- of all mediums (e.g. trance and physical cient process of extracting the integral con- mediums). It is pertinent, however, that stituents of an experience. Indeed, while the sample size is small, the WCRMs face-to-face interviews may have elicited were carefully screened and tested (Beischel, other essential aspects of mediumship and 2007/2008). That is, the WCRMs in the pres- psychic reading experiences. ent study were not mere claimant mediums, Future research might use the 53-item but instead a unique group of individuals retrospective phenomenological assessment who have documented mediumship ability instrument, the Phenomenology of Conscious- and routinely participate in experimental ness Inventory (PCI; Pekala, 1991), to quantify research. In addition, as the trend continues the intensity and pattern of phenomenologi- to shift away from the trance and physical cal effects (e.g. negative affect, altered body mediumship of the early twentieth century image, volitional control) experienced by and toward mental mediumship (Fontana, mediums during mediumship versus psychic 2003) in which the mediums remain fully readings. This methodology has the advan- conscious and aware, this small but select tage of allowing one to ‘operationally define, sample may indeed be more representative map and diagram’ phenomena typically of American mediums in general than not. referred to as (altered) states of conscious- Consequently, the collective experiences of ness (Pekala, 1985, p.207). Thus, the PCI these modern-day mental mediums are wor- would allow one to operationalise the ‘state thy of analysis and reporting. of consciousness’9 experienced by a medium The present study’s methodology did not during mediumship versus psychic readings. constitute a controlled assessment of phe- This may address whether the underlying nomenology associated with mediumship phenomenological processes of psychic versus psychic readings. For instance, the readings for living persons are quantitatively present design did not control for the time distinct from discarnate communication. elapsed between WCRMs’ most recent medi- Additionally, it would be prudent to adopt a umship and psychic readings and answering complementary mixed-method approach the two open-ended questions that consti- whereby qualitative and quantitative data are tuted the foci of the present study. It is triangulated to provide a more comprehen- arguable that by engaging in data collection sive account of mediumship versus psychic directly after WCRMs’ readings, inaccurate reading experiences.

9 Following Rock and Krippner (2007a, 2007b), we suggest that ‘states of consciousness’ may be more accurately referred to as ‘patterns of phenomenal properties.’

Transpersonal Psychology Review, Volume 13, No. 2, Winter 2009 87 Adam J. Rock, Julie Beischel & Christopher C. Cott

Conclusion psi. The present study addressed (1) and (2). The present study identified nine essential Additionally, it would be prudent for future aspects of WCRMs’ ostensible discarnate research to utilise a quantitative instrument communication experiences and seven (e.g. the PCI), to comparatively analyse the essential aspects of psychic reading experi- experimentally-induced phenomenology of ences. A comparative analysis of the essential ostensible discarnate communication versus aspects of mediumship readings versus psy- psychic readings, which will potentially serve chic readings revealed various similarities to produce (3). The conjunction of (1), (2), (i.e. the multimodal, visual, auditory, tactile, and (3) may assist researchers with regards and ‘just knowing’ themes) and differences to determining the source of the purport- (i.e. the olfactory, verificatory ‘sign’, and inde- edly non-local, non-sensory information pendence themes occurring during medi- mediums receive. This determination will, in umship readings). This suggests that turn, bring the field closer to addressing the WCRMs have the ability to differentiate question at the root of mediumship between ostensible discarnate communica- research: Is there life after death? tion and their use of psi during psychic read- ings. We also examined these themes in the Correspondence context of Grof’s (1975) cartography of the Adam Rock, PhD transpersonal dimensions of the psyche. Anomalistic and Transpersonal Research Although previous evidence for AIR Laboratory, alone cannot differentiate between survival School of Psychology, and psi, by adding (1) mediums’ reports that Faculty of Health, Medicine, Nursing and they are communicating directly with the Behavioural Sciences, deceased as well as (2) their alleged ability to Deakin University, differentiate between that communication Burwood, and their use of psi, and including (3) exper- VIC, 3125, imental evidence that the two experiences Australia. are in fact different under controlled condi- Tel: +61 (3) 9244 6357 tions, it may be possible to arrive at an empir- Fax: +61 (3) 9244 6858 ically-driven distinction between survival and E-mail: [email protected]

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