The spiritualist development circle.

[Papa Bear]

Originally Posted by Henri77

Every summer our group would visit a spiritualist camp-retreat for a weekend or so.... and have a nightly circle there...

I recall we once did a table tipping to experience how it worked...

Was the night circle outside?

We had trumpet circles, and transfiguration circles once every couple of months, they produce some very interesting results.

[Papa Bear]

Originally Posted by Native spirit

They are different depending on the medium who takes the circle we always started with a protection prayer and closed down with one.what the others in the circle found was in ours you could actually feel the energy coming up from your feet, other groups do it different


Namaste

Greeting Native Spirit;
That’s interesting coming up from your feet, as it suggests an earthed grounding being part of the process of producing the resulting overall conditions.

Ours were more a reflection of our church leader or me, as we led all circles over many years. She had more of a religious reasoning to her content, and I was more directly referencing Spirit themselves. As the focus was more on a meditating condition in our development circle, creating harmonized overall conditions was more to do with energy flows, than practical activity.

May I ask, was there trance mediumship in your development circle, and if so could you share any information regarding that form of mediumship?

[Papa Bear]

Originally Posted by God-Like

Hi P.B.

I have been in many spiritualist development groups . I went from developing on my own for about 10 years before becoming part of 3 circles . Physical. healing. Mediumship . My close friends run our local spiritualist church .. which is handy for when I want to find the right moment to entertain the platform (lol)

I am currently focusing on physical more than anything else now although the healing aspect is an everyday occurence so to speak ..

x daz x

Hi Daz,
Does physical refer to physical mediumship? Or may I ask what form of mediumship, trance maybe, or clairvoyance from the platform?

While working alone did you invite Spiritual mediumship, or focus on your own Spiritual journeys?

And in your healing was there a practical process for healing others, beyond the more varied understanding of healing capacities?

And as a curiosity is your friends spiritualist church affiliated to a larger association?

Originally Posted by Papa Bear

Was the night circle outside?

We had trumpet circles, and transfiguration circles once every couple of months, they produce some very interesting results.

The camp, being located in a forest, nighttime mosquitoes precluded this,
So we met on a screened cabin porch... and primarily shared messages rather than pursuing physical manifestations.

During days, the large chapel was used for twice daily services.... but didn't have a daily public healing portion ,oddly enough,
Resident mediums had their own cabins for private readings.....

I understand the camp grounds were previously sacred Indian grounds, located high over the local town.

I recall our minister sharing some photos of physical mediumship on rare occasion
but our church group never pursued trancework or manifestations.

As a rather quiet guy, I benefitted immensely from doing public readings and leading the services, delivering a brief improvised "sermon"
Something our core group took turns doing, after our minister passed over.
I was always terrified by public speaking, but learned to trust spirit-myself through these valuable experiences.

[Native spirit]

As i was only helping to run the circle the other person took control which was fine by me ,but he kept asking am i doing it right i fell out with him i didnt agree with how he was speaking to the members,he was telling them who their guides where and if they didnt agree he would tell them they were wrong, as for trance i was sitting there one evening and my guide overlapped my face and told them that he was going to speak in the circle.
but i left i was asked to take it over on my own but at the time i couldnt

Namaste

[Papa Bear]

Originally Posted by Henri77

The camp, being located in a forest, nighttime mosquitoes precluded this,
So we met on a screened cabin porch... and primarily shared messages rather than pursuing physical manifestations.

During days, the large chapel was used for twice daily services.... but didn't have a daily public healing portion ,oddly enough,
Resident mediums had their own cabins for private readings.....

I understand the camp grounds were previously sacred Indian grounds, located high over the local town.

I recall our minister sharing some photos of physical mediumship on rare occasion
but our church group never pursued trancework or manifestations.

As a rather quiet guy, I benefitted immensely from doing public readings and leading the services, delivering a brief improvised "sermon"
Something our core group took turns doing, after our minister passed over.
I was always terrified by public speaking, but learned to trust spirit-myself through these valuable experiences.

Sounds wonderful Henri, being among like-minded developing mediums, in such a natural environment must have created some excellent memories for you.

The public speaking thing, I am sure most of us found some trepidation and challenges when confronting such experiences. I am so pleased such experiences enhanced your connectivity with Spirit. Though speaking or as we called it, giving an address, from a platform could be as challenging as demonstrations of clairvoyance. It took me a year to settle into myself just chairing public meetings, left alone giving an address.

I was never drawn to the development of clairvoyance, and only experienced it at near the ending of my spiritualist participation.

I was more inclined to understanding the `conditions` required for development, as they ebbed and flowed in various circumstances of mediumship. In trance circumstances within my own experience and while supporting other entranced mediums. Also while `supporting` demonstrations of clairvoyance. For few understood the significance of the surrounding conditions during such reflective experiences.

May I ask, could you share a reflection of the most inspiring experience you have shared as a clairvoyant, during your stages of development? One that maybe impacted your self confidence in a positive uplifting way.

[Papa Bear]

Originally Posted by Native spirit

As i was only helping to run the circle the other person took control which was fine by me ,but he kept asking am i doing it right i fell out with him i didnt agree with how he was speaking to the members,he was telling them who their guides where and if they didnt agree he would tell them they were wrong, as for trance i was sitting there one evening and my guide overlapped my face and told them that he was going to speak in the circle.
but i left i was asked to take it over on my own but at the time i couldnt

Namaste

Beyond an assertiveness of character required to subdue the egos of any evolving membership. Understanding the requirements in awareness, sensitivities and sensibilities required by a development circle leader, probably even today, would only be discernible by those who have such qualities of service in awareness and those who gain from them.

The fact you were invited to take on such a responsibility, identifies that we share more in sameness than difference. When my church leader invited me to help her run the services/circles, I was not keen as I had never considered such. Little did I know that very soon I would be doing most, and she would oversee from a quiet corner?

Some years later I asked if I may formulate my own circle in the church, on a particular evening not yet used. She agreed and I formed two variations in alternate weeks. One was simply an open discussion circle to discuss, question and inform. Something that seemed to evolve in tea rooms and café`s after church circles.

The alternate week, a dark circle which did not encourage any external forms of mediumship, but rather internal group energy exercises. With appropriate music and in total darkness for one hour, thirty to forty members. I chaired both and they evolved well for the last couple of years I was there to run them.

I also experienced trance mediumship, for many years my Spirit guides would address the membership of the development circles as they evolved. And there were more than a few extreme experiences in those memories, both external of me and internal during such experience.

But when outside looking in, so to speak, when supporting other entranced mediums, my previous personal experiences of such mediumship became invaluable, in producing an understanding of a wide range of the conditions involved in those experiences. This became the area I excelled, even if I say so myself, for I had the guidance of a particular Spirit guide.

Your reference to “my guide overlapped my face and told them that he was going to speak in the circle.”
Highlight`s two aspects of entranced mediumship, the internal experience of the medium and the external perceptions of those witnessing that mediumship. And both have their stories to tell.

May I ask, what your internal experience was during that occasion.
Apologies Native Spirit if I express too much in one reply.

Originally Posted by Papa Bear

Sounds wonderful Henri, being among like-minded developing mediums, in such a natural environment must have created some excellent memories for you.

May I ask, could you share a reflection of the most inspiring experience you have shared as a clairvoyant, during your stages of development? One that maybe impacted your self confidence in a positive uplifting way.

Sure. We all like sharing stories.

Well as our minister didn't encourage-teach trancework, clairvoyance-clairaudence was an important part of giving readings.
So she helped us develop this.

Anytime one of us had reason to phone her, she asked for a line
from spirit... I assume partly for her sake-to get us in tune, before conversing.

The most memorable class, was an evening she invited Christ , the Buddha, Mother Mary , and Swami Rama to let us experience their presence-energy, so we could recognize it in the future...and have Mary channel "energy" through each of us sequentially, to experience her blessing.

Not much could top that lineup.

Clairvoyance was and is my least reliable gift. Sometime it's a challenge and sometimes it's easy to see ... I envy those to whom this comes naturally-clearly.

I'd say when it's in service to someone, like a reading or remote healing, it works effortlessly .... or in very deep meditation. Otherwise it's iffy.
I more easily learn through the onenesss.

I do recall a time I was waking on a busy street , and suddenly was approached by two Dolphins (in the ocean) who escorted me to meet another Dolphin.
The only time I ever had a vivid vision in such conditions....
I'd read a book about Dolphin communication, and they evidently felt I should meet them.

[God-Like]

Originally Posted by Papa Bear

Hi Daz,
Does physical refer to physical mediumship? Or may I ask what form of mediumship, trance maybe, or clairvoyance from the platform??

Hi P.B.

Yes Physical mediumship . Also been developing mental mediumship / Trance mediumship / Trance healing . Quite a mixed bag (lol) but they are all interconnected .

Originally Posted by Papa Bear

While working alone did you invite Spiritual mediumship, or focus on your own Spiritual journeys

Whilst entertaining solitude, mediumship just awakened as other aspects of self were awakening . The mediumship / clairvoyance were tools that enabled me to make sense to that which arised which allowed me to make some sense to a degree of all that came forward that was self related .

Originally Posted by Papa Bear

And in your healing was there a practical process for healing others, beyond the more varied understanding of healing capacities?

And as a curiosity is your friends spiritualist church affiliated to a larger association?

The healing process is a beautiful process if one understands the relationship of healing self in relation to healing others . As I got to know self / heal self there was a inner reflection / transformation / vibrational shift that went in tandem with what I expressed as healing outwardly to what became me internally .

The gap between the healer and the patient became lesser . Difficult to put into words but the space that one entertains when one heals continually changes .

My healing work has entertained a variety of energies because of my transformations that allows a multitude of energies to work with me / through me . This development has become me because of the self healing work amongst other things . It is a total reflection of .

When you say .

Originally Posted by Papa Bear

And in your healing was there a practical process for healing others, beyond the more varied understanding of healing capacities?

For myself I had to entertain a variey of energies so it wasn't just about attuning to the flow I was trying on one hand to put my minds attention to one's side so to speak because I started to become aware of entities that wished to take over .

For much of my healing work entailed a mental approach by creating my own picture of what I wanted to express at the time of the healing like if I was working on a back problem I would mentally project ways of improving the patients back whilst opening up to the healing rays . So it has been a mixture so far of being in control of my mind and letting the mind go .. No two healings are the same (lol) .

The practical side to the process of healing others is to be open to a state of mind that is required to allow the right kind of healing to take place . This I would say happens when one gets to know self in the first instance, so the process of healing others is a direct reflection of one's own self process .

x daz x

[Gem]

Originally Posted by Papa Bear

Hi Gem, within spiritualist churches there are services, often referred to as `circles`. Traditionally there is a congregational platform demonstration of clairvoyance, but there are also `healing circles` or development circles. The term `circle` I presume derived from the practicality that seating was around the room, clearing the centre of the room to allow for seating for healing, or mediumistic trance activities. This then created a circled environment, thus the term.

A development circle was rarer in my day, as most spiritualists’ churches did not have the required leadership skills or awareness to take on such a responsibility.

The development circle/service was an environment where focus could be directed towards the development of Spiritual mediumship. They could be `open` `closed` or `private` circles, open referred to `anyone` could attend, closed and private versions were more selective of the members in development, to provide the security of controlled or regulated conditions during such services.

The mechanisms of the development circle; seated around the walls of the room, white light changed to a softer red tone, music to soften the conditions in which those seated could meditate.

Those in attendance could just chill, go with the flow. Those who sought interconnectivity with Spirit could communicate that within themselves, during meditation. Fundamental to such a circle was its leader/s as they would accept responsibility for creating a safe and secure environment for such activities. And have the `awareness` and `experience` to be able to support or aid in any occurrence of Spiritual mediumship.

Obviously time, patience and a supportive environment and conditions helped allow for developmental progress to be shared as well as being individual.
I should also mention that the history of the spiritual development circle originated as `home` circles, where a few would sit together in someone’s home, often for years. I also had the pleasure of creating a spiritual development circle, at home.

Is there any other information you would be interested in Gem?

OK. Good explanation.

I did go to a place called 'the healing centre' when I was about 20... a group met at someone's home. They were right into Louise Hay there. I guess that's the extent of what I experienced in this regard.