Why Spirit Communication?
By Rev. Simeon Stefanidakis

Physical mediumship is, perhaps, the most amazing demonstration of what spirit out of the body can do through a medium. Yet, it is the most mistrusted and least understood form of spirit communication and interaction.

Basically, physical mediumship is the process whereby someone, in Spirit, usually known as a spirit operator (as compared to a spirit communicator), works or operates through the mental AND physical energies of the medium and causes something physically to happen on the Earth plane. Physical mediumship is objective in nature; that is, when genuine  phenomena occur, everyone should be able to see and/or hear them.

In this article, I am not going to discuss the mechanics of physical mediumship, other than to say that a physical medium is a person who has an abundance of vital, magnetic, etheric energy. While in a state of deep trance (although trance is not an absolute necessity here), the spirit operators are able to exude this etheric energy and substance from the medium's body (generally through some orifice), condense it, manipulate it, and direct it, through the power of their mind and intelligence, for a variety of purposes.

It should be noted that, although the medium is the primary source of the vital energy needed for the production of the phenomena, energy from the sitters is also used during a demonstration of physical mediumship. The more harmonious are the overall conditions in the séance room, the stronger will be the energy available to the operators and the more remarkable will be the phenomena.

Once the spirit operator is given control of the medium -- through the process of trance -- the phenomena can begin. The mind of the operator is, now, in control of the energies of the medium, and, through the directed use of thought, he or she is able to work with and manipulate these energies on the Earth plane. This is done via a most astonishing substance known as ectoplasm. Through the use of ectoplasm, an almost limitless array of phenomena can occur.

Ectoplasm is a material which comes from the body of the physical medium. It originates from the material of the medium's own etheric vehicle. Etheric matter is quasi-physical in that it has physical characteristics, yet is invisible and more easily subject to mental influences. What makes a person able to become a physical medium is an abundance of this etheric substance within his or her etheric vehicle, along with the fact that it tends to be more loosely attached or bound to the physical body than in most people.

Nandor Fodor, in his Encyclopedia of Psychic Science, describes ectoplasm as follows:

"A mysterious protoplasmic substance streaming out of the body of the medium by the manipulation of which, either by the subconscious self or by discarnate intelligences, phenomena of a super-physical order, including partial and complete materialization, are produced. The word was originated by Professor Richet . . . The first thing that has been definitely established is that ectoplasm is matter, invisible and intangible in its primary state but assuming vaporous, liquid or solid condition in various stages of condensation. It emits a smell which reminds one of ozone."

There seems to be no limit to what spirit can do through physical mediumship, provided proper conditions prevail within the séance room. The phenomena range from raps and taps, to full levitation of objects and people, to the production of lights, to genuine automatic writing and painting, to direct voice, to partial and full materialization of the spirit people. All in all, it really is quite amazing what can happen when proper conditions prevail.

But, why should spirit out of body wish to produce all this phenomena? What does it demonstrate? What are the implications behind physical mediumship?

Well, it really is quite simple, and the implications of physical mediumship are even more profound than the phenomena themselves; indeed, this is true of all forms of mediumship.

Physical mediumship demonstrates, clearly, the power of the human mind and the ability of thought to make an impact on physical matter; in other words, physical mediumship sheds great light upon the mystery of "Mind Over Matter".

Physical mediumship shows us that, with directed thought, the human mind is capable of doing some amazing things; things which transcend the realm of psychology and fall clearly within the domain of physics.

If spirit can move a table, then are mountains far behind? If spirit can manipulate matter and mold it, why cannot that same intelligence manipulate matter within a body and shrink a tumor, mend a fractured bone, or heal a diseased body?

Mind over matter: that's what physical mediumship is really all about. And the healing implications behind this are staggering.