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Original poster

spookies-do you believe

25 replies

georgiana · 04/10/2002 15:40

My friends wanted to do a seance in my house the other night and I said no way are we doing it in MY house.I haven't actually done one since I was at school but the glass did move.I am fascinated though.What's your spooky stories? Has anyone seen a clairvoyant?And has what they said come true?I would love to see one once.Can you recommend anyone?

OP posts:

ionesmum · 04/10/2002 16:38

My advice would be not to even consider it.

lilibet · 04/10/2002 16:55

Please don't even think about gettting into anything like this.

Tinker · 04/10/2002 18:39

ionesmum and lilibet - why are you so dead against?

threeangels · 04/10/2002 18:58

Have to agree with lilibet and Ionesmum.

ionesmum · 04/10/2002 21:02

Tinker, I don't want to go into it but I've had a couple of bad experiences. One was of my own making and the other wasn't, which was far scarier. Believe me, it's not good news.

On a practical level, I also know several people who have seen 'clairvoyants' and been told absolute b*s.

Hilary · 04/10/2002 21:03

I'm with the others, you're best off steering well clear IMO

lilibet · 04/10/2002 21:19

As a Christian I know that God exists and so I also know that the devil exists and very strongly beleive that this sort of thing plays straight into the devils hands. In the bible God tells us that he knows the plans he has for us, it is up to Him to know that not us, we must just trust Him to always do what is best for us. Trying to find out (IMO by any means, inc horoscopes, but I wouldn't come down quite so strongly against anyone who beleives that on thursday of next week they will fall over becuase the just happen to be born in October!) is wrong. Sorry to sound preachy but I get as panicky when I know someone is messing with this sort of thing as I would if I saw a child playing unsupervised near a busy road. Not saying that anyone is a child just trying to explain the panicky feeling I get. Don't want anything bad to happen to anyone and I beleive that these sort of things are not harmless fun but evil.

Snugs · 04/10/2002 22:22

Georgiana - at the risk of loud shouting from our christian friends on this site who are so set against anything of this nature - I am a believer in spiritualism and mediums etc. However, please do not 'play' with seances or the like. They are not party tricks for amusement.

If you are seriously interested in clairvoyants, then ask around for recommendations. Don't spend too much money - decent mediums charge expenses only - and maybe try an audience type meeting in a hall first (this is called platform mediumship - Stephen Holbrook is highly recommended if you ever see him advertised in your area).

Try this previous thread on a similar topic

Tortington · 05/10/2002 17:33

am fascinated with this stuff tho never had personal experience

SueDonim · 05/10/2002 19:11

My MIL is a spiritualist and goes regularly to seances at her church. I've no idea whether she has ever learnt anything of interest, though. She also does healing and reads crystals.

Chinchilla · 05/10/2002 21:56

When I was really depressed over two years ago, I went to see a Tarot card reader/medium. I wanted to hear the usual stuff about being happy etc. I was told that I would not have a child with my dh (who I had married the previous August), but would meet the perfect man that October. It was then March. When I told her that I had only just got married, and that this news was a bit worrying, she said that I didn't have to take the new man, but that, if I did, I would fall pregnant immediately and be incredibly happy. If I stayed with my dh, I would still be OK, but not as happy as with the other option!

I had also recently lost my Grandad, and had hoped that she would have a message for me from him, but she couldn't even 'see' him.

I went from depressed to nearly suicidal. I had previously been sceptical about psychics, but now am totally against them. To add to all this, none of what she told me came true. I did not meet any new men around October, and certainly have never met any that I would be tempted to run off with! I fell pg the first month that my dh and I tried, which ironically was the month that I was supposed to meet my new man! This woman was a complete charlatan, and as such, I fail to see why she could not have just told me that I would be happy and have children, as it was obvious that this was all I wanted to hear.

I am sure that some people think that they have psychic abilities, but I would need a lot of convincing - lottery numbers for the next Saturday perhaps! I have been left with a bitter taste in my mouth over the whole thing. Prior to that, I had really been interested in how Tarot cards worked. Now I feel that it is all a con.

FWIW, I still would not have a seance in my house!

Ghosty · 06/10/2002 04:01

georgiana - I agree with snugs here. I have no particular church affiliations but I do believe in God. I also believe in spritualism and clairvoyants. My grandmother was a clairvoyant and was always very accurate.

I do however agree that you should not experiment with this sort of thing 'for a laugh'. You can really scare yourself as it is something that you know so little about. If you are really interested go to a reputable medium who someone has recommended. As snugs said reputable mediums do not charge the earth.

I made a big mistake not so long ago and paid 40 pounds to a woman who spoke so quickly that I couldn't understand everything she said. When I asked her to slow down she said that she couldn't because the spirits were making her go that quickly! All I picked up was that I would get married one day but not yet (I had just celebrated my 3 year anniversary!) and that I would have children but not yet as it was too soon (DS was one and a half at the time!)

Moral - there are loads of cons out there but there are some genuine ones - you just need to look for them.

PS My nickname has nothing to do with this subject by the way so don't think I am some kind of wierdo!!!!

robinw · 06/10/2002 06:28

message withdrawn

SueDonim · 06/10/2002 07:53

The church my MIL attends is a Christian spiritualist one. They don't charge anything for their skills as they don't feel their gifts are something to be sold. In fact, they don't even talk about them unless someone asks. MIL certainly doesn't use her gifts on us (that we're aware of!). I think she's drawn to this area because she was raised in India, which is a very spiritualist country.

oxocube · 06/10/2002 13:37

Agree with ionesmum that meddling is not a good idea. I have also had a similar spooky experience when I was a teenager and messing about with a home made ouija board. Something definitely happened and scared the s**t out of me and my brother. Don't know what it was exactly only that things on the table did move of their own accord - not at all nice!! Maybe it wasn't even anything 'supernatural' (although I think this is a possibility) and could perhaps have been some kind of harnessing of energy which was to blame, but my advice would still be that its better not to mess with things we don't really understand. (BTW, watched The Exorcist on t.v. again last night so I might be a little more jittery than usual )

Snugs · 06/10/2002 15:24

robinw - I know, I apologise re my comment about Christians - I was feeling a little bit defensive about religious choice at the time of posting (Church thread). It is simply my past experience of bad reactions from church-going Christians with respect to spiritualism and the unwillingness to discuss. I know not everyone is the same and I am guilty of generalisation. Sorry.

ionesmum · 06/10/2002 15:36

Snugs - my objection to spiritualism isn't just because I'm a Christian, it's because I have first-hand experience of the damage it can do. And I've also heard too many stories like Chinchilla's. I would feel the same about it even if I weren't a Christian.

Snugs · 06/10/2002 16:04

Ionesmum (apologies for any possible offence previously caused) - I know of many people who have had bad experiences, but also many who have received great help from spiritualism in times of need.

I would emphasise that the danger lies in people 'dabbling' with things they dont know about - and people calling themselves mediums and charging silly prices are often the ones guilty of this. As I said, a good medium would not charge the earth - and as SueDonim points out, Spiritualist Churches dont charge.

It is also a sad fact that it is often people who are grieving that seek out mediums and Tarot Card readers. They are hoping for instant answers which they are highly unlikely to get and too many of them end up with an overall bad impression of spirtitualism.

I am generalising again I know (hmm note to self - start apologies thread cos you're on a roll today)

JoPat · 06/10/2002 16:58

The fact that we regard these things as 'sppoky 'stories, and can't explain why things happen should explain why people are against these things.

robinw · 06/10/2002 18:21

message withdrawn

Tinker · 06/10/2002 18:31

I think it's the appeal of 'things that go bump in the night' I'm a complete non-believer and, tbh, couldn't stop laughing during The Excorcist. It was sooooo bad! And I was brought up as a Catholic and have a brother who still won't watch it.

However, I'm sure I would get a chill up my spine during a seance and enjoyed The Others, even though I know (for me ) there is nothing to be afraid of except the charalatans out there.

Strange how Doris Stokes doesn't appear to have returned for The Other Side!

Chinchilla · 06/10/2002 21:38

Snugs - why is it a 'sad fact' that grieving people turn to mediums in their time of need? My case was one of wanting to believe in something after death, even if it did not turn out to be Heaven. I did not want an easy answer, just something to make me feel like life was worth living. I wanted to believe that my life ahead would be good and happy, with an expectation of children.

As a matter of fact, I am very interested in the whole 'life after death' thing. I am not particularly religious, and was interested to find out what we went on to after death. The medium gave me some very interesting opinions, but, following her later performance, I have taken them with a pinch of salt.

I have visited two mediums in my life, and both have been a rip off. I am sure that each one fully believes that they are gifted, but as I said before, I would require more correct information from them before believing them. If they were truly communicating with spirits, they would both have been able to tell me facts about myself, but neither did.

I have never met a 'true' medium in my life, and would still love to meet someone who was genuine, but based on my experience, I will always be sceptical.

Snugs · 06/10/2002 22:34

Chinchilla - Sorry, rereading my post I realise it didnt across very clear.

I meant that it is unfortunate that it is often those most in need (the grieving) who find themselves prey for the charlatans of this world. Their wounds are fresh and they are emotionally open - and that can be abused. They are often in great need of answers and are therefore more likely to visit, often repeatedly, many different mediums. Charlatans tend to advertise and get more custom - the true mediums belong to groups or churches which dont feel the need. Hence, the overall bad impression that ensues. I know that this is not always the case, simply my impression from the many discussions I have had on this subject in the past.

robinw · 07/10/2002 07:27

message withdrawn

Chinchilla · 07/10/2002 22:01

Snugs - sorry, I was being sensitive! You are right. The two times I have been were during periods of depression. However, both women had been recommended by colleagues who had been satisfied with their services.

RobinW - I am sure that some people have some kind of talent for things like this. I would love to meet someone who could genuinely tell me what my future would hold, but don't believe that this is possible. Why would a spirit get in touch through a medium, just to say, 'Oh by the way, you are going to have a lucky win soon'!! I would love to hear what it like in the spirit world though, and if there is such a thing as the Heaven that we imagine, or whether we all go on to something else.

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