gzhpcu
22-April-2009, 05:40 AM
A couple of days ago, my wife said that a friend of hers is into spiritualism, and that there would be an evening with a spiritualist/medium, organized by a spiritualist society, and that we can also come along if interested.
Oh well, why not, I thought, a good opportunity to experience one firsthand.
So last night, we arrived at a local school's auditorium. Close to a hundred persons had assembled, most of which kinew each other. There was a buzz of anticipation among the crowd. My wife's friend greeted us, and gushingly started praising spiritualism. She told us that an Englishman, Stephen Barry, would be demonstrating his powers this evening.
Finally, ten minutes late, a portly Englishman, slickly dressed in a dark suit, appeared accompanied by an entourage of adoring, elderly females. My first impression was of a slick used car salesman. Being in Lugano, he was accompanied by an woman who served as an interpreter.
They mounted the stage, and Stephen began explaining that he is a "spiritualist", has always had this gift and never studied. He said that he had been a jack-of-all-trades in life, ranging from butcher, gardner, truck driver, etc. ("and now you found an ideal racket", I thought to myself.)
He then started to talk about "auras". How his aura could grow, from the energy of aura of spectators to encompass the auras of the "dearly departed".
"I am just a vehicle to contact the spirits. I am not really very good at this, there are so many conflicting impressions...* he stated (which is to already prepare the audience that he will not always be right...).
Then beaming, he started to look at the audience, and, made his first mistake, he picked me out...
He put his hand to his forehand and said, "I sense that the gentleman with his arms crossed has a tremendous aura and power...". He then went on several minutes, talking about the great power which I emanate, and which can be served for the powers of good or evil... He said that I have the power to help many people, and have a great heart. That I read a lot, but actually should be writing books myself. Did I ever write a book, he asked. Nope, I nodded. "Well, you should..." he replied. Oh brother...
Heads were turning in my direction, to see who he was talking about, including a number of quite attractive young women, who were looking at me in awe. I stifled a smirk, and my wife (who is quite jealous, bless her), nudged me in the side with a rather sharp elbow accompanied by a piercing glance.
He then said that I had had a very tough life (I haven't) and that my father was there to tell me that despite our differences (had none, I had a wonderful father), he wanted to tell me that he loved me. He went on to say that my mother was there, and asked me if she was a tall, commanding presence (I am 6'2", so he assumed I had a tall mother - which I hadn't. Mom was 5' 5" tall), when I said no, he then said, "Well a very slender lady".. (OK, he guessed on correctly).
He then spoke of a heavily busted lady among the spirits wanting to contact me. Neither my grandmother, mother or any departed person I knew matched the profile. He spoke of the name "Diane". That drew a blank. No Diane ever in my life. "Oh well, this might reflect the future...".
Having had no success with me, he then went on a classical fishing expedition. He looked at a woman said he sensed a woman called "Maria", wanted to contact her. Maria, in our neck of the woods, is a very common name... Anyone dear departed with that name, he asked. The woman said no. He then asked if the name Maria meant anything to her. The woman replied her teenage daughter was called Maria. "Ah, that's it..." he beamed, smiling like a grandpiano, "they are talking about Maria..ah, this is so difficult, so many conflicting sensations from the spirits... your grandmother is no longer among us, right" (the woman nodded yes) "Well, she wants to tell you that she is watching over her grandaughter and loves her very much...". The woman swallowed it hook, line and sinker, as the audience mumbled in awe.
The friend of my wife, looked towards me, as if to say, "see, isn't he good". I raised my eyes towards heaven, but she misinterpreted the gesture, thinking I too was converted, and smiled back approvingly.
Beside me, I could sense my wife beginning to fidget, realizing that this guy was just a con-man, playing on the needs of the mostly female audience to contact someone that they had lost.
He then fished further. He asked if anyone knew someone who had committed suicide by placing a rubber hose, connected to the exhaust of their car, in the passenger compartment. Two hands went up. He then went on to say, it was a middleaged man. One hand came down, and he then focused on the remaining hand. Was he unluckly at love? No, she replied. (No, luck with this one, so on to the next...) He asked her if he had had a desk job? Yes, she nodded. A banker perhaps? Yes...she nodded. He took his life because of errors at the bank? Yes, she nodded. My wife's friend looked up at me, as if to say "isn't he great?" (If you want to believe, there is no hope for you...). "Well, he is fine now, but sad that he left such a vacuum by commiting suicide..." he went on to say.
And on, and on. Amazingly, most of the audience was enthralled.
Going home, my wife said that that the medium was a charlatan and it was certainly the last time we would ever go to an event like that. (As we left, a rather nifty young blonde gave me a look of adoration - admiring my great aura, no doubt, infuriating my wife, especially since I looked rather smug...).
"Oh, he wasn't so bad, sweetheart" I replied, "he did say I have this great aura.."
Oh well, why not, I thought, a good opportunity to experience one firsthand.
So last night, we arrived at a local school's auditorium. Close to a hundred persons had assembled, most of which kinew each other. There was a buzz of anticipation among the crowd. My wife's friend greeted us, and gushingly started praising spiritualism. She told us that an Englishman, Stephen Barry, would be demonstrating his powers this evening.
Finally, ten minutes late, a portly Englishman, slickly dressed in a dark suit, appeared accompanied by an entourage of adoring, elderly females. My first impression was of a slick used car salesman. Being in Lugano, he was accompanied by an woman who served as an interpreter.
They mounted the stage, and Stephen began explaining that he is a "spiritualist", has always had this gift and never studied. He said that he had been a jack-of-all-trades in life, ranging from butcher, gardner, truck driver, etc. ("and now you found an ideal racket", I thought to myself.)
He then started to talk about "auras". How his aura could grow, from the energy of aura of spectators to encompass the auras of the "dearly departed".
"I am just a vehicle to contact the spirits. I am not really very good at this, there are so many conflicting impressions...* he stated (which is to already prepare the audience that he will not always be right...).
Then beaming, he started to look at the audience, and, made his first mistake, he picked me out...
He put his hand to his forehand and said, "I sense that the gentleman with his arms crossed has a tremendous aura and power...". He then went on several minutes, talking about the great power which I emanate, and which can be served for the powers of good or evil... He said that I have the power to help many people, and have a great heart. That I read a lot, but actually should be writing books myself. Did I ever write a book, he asked. Nope, I nodded. "Well, you should..." he replied. Oh brother...
Heads were turning in my direction, to see who he was talking about, including a number of quite attractive young women, who were looking at me in awe. I stifled a smirk, and my wife (who is quite jealous, bless her), nudged me in the side with a rather sharp elbow accompanied by a piercing glance.
He then said that I had had a very tough life (I haven't) and that my father was there to tell me that despite our differences (had none, I had a wonderful father), he wanted to tell me that he loved me. He went on to say that my mother was there, and asked me if she was a tall, commanding presence (I am 6'2", so he assumed I had a tall mother - which I hadn't. Mom was 5' 5" tall), when I said no, he then said, "Well a very slender lady".. (OK, he guessed on correctly).
He then spoke of a heavily busted lady among the spirits wanting to contact me. Neither my grandmother, mother or any departed person I knew matched the profile. He spoke of the name "Diane". That drew a blank. No Diane ever in my life. "Oh well, this might reflect the future...".
Having had no success with me, he then went on a classical fishing expedition. He looked at a woman said he sensed a woman called "Maria", wanted to contact her. Maria, in our neck of the woods, is a very common name... Anyone dear departed with that name, he asked. The woman said no. He then asked if the name Maria meant anything to her. The woman replied her teenage daughter was called Maria. "Ah, that's it..." he beamed, smiling like a grandpiano, "they are talking about Maria..ah, this is so difficult, so many conflicting sensations from the spirits... your grandmother is no longer among us, right" (the woman nodded yes) "Well, she wants to tell you that she is watching over her grandaughter and loves her very much...". The woman swallowed it hook, line and sinker, as the audience mumbled in awe.
The friend of my wife, looked towards me, as if to say, "see, isn't he good". I raised my eyes towards heaven, but she misinterpreted the gesture, thinking I too was converted, and smiled back approvingly.
Beside me, I could sense my wife beginning to fidget, realizing that this guy was just a con-man, playing on the needs of the mostly female audience to contact someone that they had lost.
He then fished further. He asked if anyone knew someone who had committed suicide by placing a rubber hose, connected to the exhaust of their car, in the passenger compartment. Two hands went up. He then went on to say, it was a middleaged man. One hand came down, and he then focused on the remaining hand. Was he unluckly at love? No, she replied. (No, luck with this one, so on to the next...) He asked her if he had had a desk job? Yes, she nodded. A banker perhaps? Yes...she nodded. He took his life because of errors at the bank? Yes, she nodded. My wife's friend looked up at me, as if to say "isn't he great?" (If you want to believe, there is no hope for you...). "Well, he is fine now, but sad that he left such a vacuum by commiting suicide..." he went on to say.
And on, and on. Amazingly, most of the audience was enthralled.
Going home, my wife said that that the medium was a charlatan and it was certainly the last time we would ever go to an event like that. (As we left, a rather nifty young blonde gave me a look of adoration - admiring my great aura, no doubt, infuriating my wife, especially since I looked rather smug...).
"Oh, he wasn't so bad, sweetheart" I replied, "he did say I have this great aura.."