EPISODE 043: Trance Mediumship & Associated Phenomena with Tony Stockwell

Tony Stockwell, International Psychic Medium, Teacher and Author, has been with me in the studio this week.

We’ve talked in depth about trance mediumship, transfiguration, overshadowing, inspirational speaking and trance healing.

In this episode, Tony explains what trance mediumship entails and how it can be used to encourage the seeker to feel the spirit world without having to journey there, giving us a glimpse of an afterlife.

This Week’s Episode

Episode 043 Resources

Here are some resources referred to in Episode 043, which you may find helpful.

• Tony Stockwell
• Trance Mentorship Programme Application Form
• Andrew Jackson Davis
• Edgar Cayce
• Bang Sisters
• Ivy Northage
• Grace Cook
   

About Psychic Matters Podcasts

Ann Théato, CSNUt, Psychic, Medium and Spiritual Tutor, investigates psychic development, mediumship techniques, and paranormal science, so that you can come to understand your own innate psychic ability and expand your knowledge, whilst learning to develop a curious mind.

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PM 043

Tony Stockwell, International Psychic Medium, Teacher and Author, has been with me in the studio this week. 

We’ve talked in depth about trance mediumship, transfiguration, overshadowing, inspirational speaking and trance healing.  

In this episode, Tony explains what trance mediumship entails and how it can be used to encourage the seeker to feel the spirit world without having to journey there, giving us a glimpse of an afterlife.

You’ll Learn

• The difference between mediumship and trance mediumship

• What is transfiguration & overshadowing

• The importance of sitting for trance

• What a spirit communicator feels like when they come close

• Why the spirit world are drawn to the light of our soul

• What phenomena is associated with trance mediumship

• Why our environment affects atmosphere during trance

• How we can use trance to inspire and improve our creativity
  
  

TRANSCRIPT

Hello everybody! My name is Ann Théato and welcome to the Psychic Matters Podcast – episode number 43.

Thank you for being fantastic listeners, I am getting some great reviews in from listeners all over the world and I cannot thank you enough for those, I read them with such pleasure and they really, really lift my spirits.  Please do keep them coming in, it’s really wonderful of you to take the time to write an honest review because it does really make a big, big difference to the podcast and the way it moves up the podcast charts.

And a podcast at the top end of the charts, is much easier to find, for those people across the world, who are in great need of spiritual training, but who may not have access to it.

Thank you also to my Patrons!  You folks Rock!  If you are interested in learning about being a Patron yourself, a Patron of the Psychic Matters podcast – there are some great benefits – head to httpspatreon.com/psychicmatters and you can pick up all the details there.

Meanwhile, here is this week’s episode!

My incredibly gifted guest today is an International Psychic Medium, Author, Teacher and Speaker with a career spanning just over 30 years!  He is a Certificate Holder of the Spiritualist National Union, an approved tutor & Course Organiser at The Arthur Findlay College, and he has taught at some of the most respected schools for mediumistic development in the world. He has appeared many times on tv and has had three of his own television series: you might recognise him from The Psychic Detective, Street Psychic and Psychic School. And as well as his tours and media appearances, having a husband to look after and two children, and a couple of ponies! And some chickens! he has found time to publish four highly acclaimed best-selling books, about his experiences as a Spiritualist medium.  He has released seven teaching and instructional CDs on communicating with spirits, angels, and spirit guides and he also runs his own training school in Billericay, Essex and online, for developing mediums. He is here to talk to us today about working with altered states of consciousness, often called trance mediumship, and he, is one of the most experienced Trance Mediums in the world – with 32 years of practice to date.  Tony Stockwell, welcome to Psychic Matters!

Tony

Thank you very much Ann, thank you very much for having me.

Ann

It’s a pleasure, it is so great to have you here Tony, I know there is going to be so many listeners squealing, like oh my gosh this is so exciting, Tony’s on.  So, could you tell us Tony, or define for us maybe, what is mediumship and then maybe what is trance mediumship.  Because the listeners of the Psychic Matters podcast.  Some people have never really heard of mediumship at all and some are professional working mediums,  so we’ve got a big range.

Tony

Yes of course.  Well mediumship is the ability of someone, such as you and I and others, to still our own minds, that we become clear in our thoughts, and in that moment of clarity, after of course we’ve set the intention, we may start to feel information that’s not our own.  So, it’s information that hits our consciousness, that gathers from another source, and that source we believe, is from another soul being, that happens to be discarnate, as opposed to incarnate, i.e. someone who has passed, as opposed to someone who’s alive.  And those images and those thoughts and those feelings, all come together in such a way, that we become I suppose, expert at interpreting those feelings.  And so an image of a lady in our mind, with the sense that she worked maybe in a baker’s shop, with a feeling that she had many children, become your first line of information… I’ve got an older lady here in a bakers shop she’s a mother of many children would you understand?  And of course, if that is an indication, we are talking about someone’s grandmother, then of course we will have a reaction and that opens a door. And then once you have a reaction from our recipient, other information comes much in the same way, but the whole idea of that type of mediumship, is that we’re trying to give people an understanding, that just because we pass over, just because we die physically, that our spirit selves go on.  And so what I’ve described I suppose, it comes under the idea of evidential mediumship, trying to describe to those who don’t know, that there were is an afterlife, that these loved ones are still there, and dwell and are around us, is a very important part of what we do, because it opens doors, it opens people’s minds, it allows them to to see for themselves, this is not the end, physical death, but just simply the beginning.

Ann

Yeah, that’s great and often you talk about this wonderful feeling of the spirit people around you, and how it feels like when they come close. Can you describe that, how that is, or how that feels?

Tony

Well, thank you.  Well, the feeling differs, no question.  So the mind of the medium grapples, I think to begin with, you know, when we start a reading, which I’ve just done a reading funny enough for a lady, although it was mainly life guidance.  Towards the end, the feeling of a man, a man with the mechanics, he had his own professional garage.  I can’t honestly say that’s a wonderful feeling, because I’m trying to feel who have I got?  Is this real?  Does she understand?  Because it changes enormously when, you know, the reaction is, wow, that’s my grandad, and you feel a surge, an emotional feeling, and then you can close your eyes as the medium, trying to become grandad, looking towards his granddaughter because she’s going through, you know, some real pickle of life situations and this kind of thing, and that’s that warm, loving emotional, deep feeling.  But again, it doesn’t come straight away, we have to work into that feeling.  The first part is, who have I got? And it does stimulate the mind of a medium, because we’re so busy making this true and right and marvellous, but once it’s received, then we enter into a totally different feeling, because I suppose for the medium, it feels like we are being embraced by another soul being and it’s not just about the facts, what takes precedence over that is I’m still grandad, and I still love you.  And so whatever they are reaching out to offer there, our recipient moves through you, so you, I don’t know, you are experiencing like, you’re in a sandwich of love that’s what it feels like, between a living person and a spirit person, we hold space for them and it feels wonderful.

Ann

Oh, how beautiful.  And so, what is the difference Tony then, then between mediumship and trance mediumship that you are so experienced at?

Tony

It is mediumship, so therefore you would imagine it is the same, but in reality, it feels very, very different.  And to my mind, trance mediumship I suppose, it’s that same wonderful, loving feeling that we’ve just described, you know, with normal communication, a feeling of once she knows it’s grandad, we can close our eyes as the medium and move to into a different space of conveying loving thoughts.  So, if you imagine that, and tripling, quadrupling that feeling, that really is what trance feels like.  So you’ll have the medium and invariably but not exclusively but invariably, we will close our eyes and concentrate upon our breathing.  And the whole idea is we are trying to focus the mind of the medium to become clear and very, very still.  So, concentrating upon each inward and outward breath for me has always been very, very helpful.  And we’re setting not only the intention of friends from the other world come close to me, and blend with me on a soul to soul level, let me feel you, friends, and then of course with time, because it’s not something that necessarily happens overnight, but with time we learn to trust, so there is a building of a power that gathers when another soul being enters that space.  And then there is this balance of how much of the medium is aware of that, wanting to be aware because it is a fabulous feeling.  Knowing that we have to become less than, that we’re trying to tuck the mind of the medium somewhere in the heart of the medium, so there’s more of the medium for that same soul being to entrance and manifest through.  What does that feel like?  That feels that the most amazing surrender but maybe the word surrender isn’t always helpful but imagine being very lightly tucked into the cleanest, whitest duvet and held by the most protective arms.  That’s kind of what it feels like, and your, they are holding you, as then they are able then to either to speak words through the medium, or maybe another one of these manifestations. 

Ann

Yeah, great and I’ve heard you say before that spirit have no interest in merging with our physical body, they got no interest in the physical, but that, want they merge with is our spirit counterpart.  So that is what you are describing there is it?

Tony

Absolutely, well, and of course, this has always been very helpful when it dawned on me what was going on some years back, and that is that there is the physical part of the medium, there’s the emotional part of the medium, and there is the mental part of the medium.  But housed within all of that human, is the soul of the medium.  So, in the soul of any one of us, there is this eternal light being, there is a soul being from another dimension who is the incarnation, so although you may hear my voice and look at my physical, you may hear the words that I speak, that’s a manifestation of a number of things. That is a manifestation of my intellect, my emotional response, but also God-willing, it is in part at the very least, a part of my soul trying to convey.  So, I don’t want to make this rather too confusing, but there is that balance of the human as it operates on a spiritual level, and it is a combination of the things that make up the human, and the things that make up the soul. So, when spirit come close, I don’t think that they actually see us as physical beings, as we see each other.  So, they don’t necessarily focus at least on our arms and legs or our intellect, and that sort of thing, but what they are drawn to, is the light of our own soul. So, the light of our soul, so the more, with time and effort that we can surrender, that we might surrender the physical need, the human need to be involved in this process, the lighter we become and the more soul-expressive.  And so, the light of our own soul becomes so expansive, and brighter and more, available to that spirit person.  They are actually trying to merge with us on a soul-to-soul level.  So, their soul and our soul, blending together.  In short, they’re not trying to embody our human, they’re trying to embody our soul being.  And so when that happens of course, the thing to be aware of, any one that’s listening that’s also an aspiring trance medium themselves, is the reaction can be very human.  So as they blend with us on a soul to soul, we might sometimes feel a rapid heartbeat, we might sometimes feel flickering eyes, we may sometimes feel dry in the mouth, like we need to breathe in, like we are breathing for two, but those physical things that happen when we move into a trance like state, it is just our human self reacting, making sense of what’s now happening.   And that is for a moment or two, or an hour or so eventually, we are holding space for another soul being.  So it is two soul beings holding space and as we hold space with them, the human body has then to consider, what is this?  And so there is at times a reaction.

Ann

Yeah, I think some people feel quite frightened about that, or there’s a lot of fear around trance, well not a lot of fear, but people do experience fear around it, so.

Tony

And I can understand that and especially to begin with.  It is almost like closing your eyes in a crowded room, and inviting people you do not know, to embrace you, and hold you for some time.  You wouldn’t do it.  Humans wouldn’t do that.

Ann

No, you wouldn’t.

Tony

I don’t know you, anyone in this room come and embrace me tenderly and hold me!   We wouldn’t do that. So when we’re working with spirits, effectively what we’re doing, at least our conscious mind, is having to become very comfortable, very quickly, at the prospect of an unknown soul being, becoming incredibly intimate with us in our souls embrace.  And the thing that I would suggest for anyone who wants to work on this level, that they might encourage, and that is to recognise that these soul beings as they come, love us so completely, that what we focus on is not so much the embrace, but the enormous amount of joy and kindness and love that we do feel when this blend takes place. And it is, it is blissful, it is blissful.  Good trance is, it is like we do enter a space of bliss, that’s what it really feels like. But going back to your very, very true point that some people might fear trance to begin with, they may well do, and I understand it completely, but when they surrender themselves to feel the love that comes within that embrace, there’s no fear available, no fear needed.

Ann

Yeah, that’s beautifully put.  So what would you say is the purpose then, of sitting in trance and  getting this closeness to spirit?

Tony

Yeah, good, well trance has been around for always, you know.  You look at other cultures around the world, they will dance to get into that same trance feeling, some will meditate, some become very reclusive, some may take other substances sometimes to enter this very heady space that makes us available.  So, we in this western world and from my background, which is very much through the spiritualist church, which I honour completely, my tutors were very much of that same vein, and I was very, very lucky to get, in my earliest development, to see some very good and authentic trance mediumship.  So, to answer your question, I take my mind back to when I’m sort of 17 and 18, and I was sitting with people like Marcia Ford and Joan Barham, who are names people do not know, and why should they?  These are local mediums when I was growing up and they were they were wonderful mediums and they were very helpful to me.  But I would sit, and I would be absolutely mesmerised at the process of trance, where I might sit, especially with Joan Barham, who was a lovely medium, and she would close her eyes like she was meditating for the longest time, and then you would see a different feeling come over her face, and it’s incredibly subtle, and yet when you become used to that subtle feeling, that shift, the feeling beyond the visual is incredibly profound.  And it was literally like you were sitting in the presence of another soul being.  So the room would change and her guide, you know, we often talk of the term guide, would come in the guise of a nun.  Which I know people would snigger at, you know, why would why, why would a nun come through a medium, that kind of thing.  I don’t know the answer to that, but now I potentially would possibly know more, and I would suggest that Joan in herself, may well have been the reincarnation of someone who knew the same said nun, because I think now our guides are actually our soul friends from other experiences.  So, it may well be that Joan the medium, had once lived the life of a nun, and the guide who was coming through, not only was, you know, her spiritual sister, but maybe her sister in a convent or something like this.  But either way, she would blend with this soul being.  It was profound, the atmosphere would change.  The corners of her mouth would kind of rise and fall and the lip seemed to quiver, and then you would hear a voice.  It was, it was her voice Joan Barham’s voice, no question, but the intonation, the cadence, the feeling of the voice, was very, very different.  But more than that the words and the kind of language that was used was very, very different.  And it was always a practical application in as much as there would be great advice being given.  But what is the purpose of, when I take my mind back all those years, it really made me recognise, that the other world is a real world, and it’s full of real, individual, once human, soul beings, who are wanting to reach out and affect our world.  At times wanting to intercede on our behalf, through turbulent and difficult times, etc.  It gave me a feeling of it being real.  It gave me a feeling of not being alone.  And that feeling intensified when I would sit with Marcia Ford, also another great trance medium and both ladies, now long passed, and she would have a guide coming through and he would announce himself as Tarpo and Tarpo would speak.  And I was very lucky, ‘coz, you know, Marcia liked me, and she would invite me to her home, where I would sit just one on one with her.  She would go into trance and then I would speak to Tarpo directly.  Now, that, I mean that was, looking back now, how lucky was I? And he would speak and philosophise and I could ask any question.  And you know, you could argue sometimes maybe the mind of the medium had affected some of that information, maybe so, but there were moments, there were moments where such clarity was spoken, you know, to my questions, and beyond the words, the feeling in the room, was different from normal, let’s give Tony some advice, kind of information.  And it made me realise that with trance, it is not ever just about what was said, or what you see, or how there could be a change of temperature in the room, with you know, the phenomena that is associated to trance, but it is that atmosphere that builds, which really says we are here, we are about you, know us, and know us more, and the more you relax, the more you’ll be able to feel the power of the spirit.  And so it changes everything, and it’s no longer about the evidence, it is no longer about words that suggest, it is no longer even about the philosophy, it is about trance creates a power, and I think it helps to produce the power in such swathes and such volume that you believe in that moment you’re sitting with an extension of the spirit world.  So purpose of trance many, lots of different purposes, you know when we start looking at transfig and trance healing and all those sorts of other things, but certainly it encourages the seeker to feel the spirit world, without having to journey there, you know, upon our death, it gives you a glimpse of an afterlife.

Ann

And you always say that trance has to be felt.

Tony

Absolutely, yeah absolutely, Ann, you’re so right.  The authenticity of the trance and the trance medium, it cannot be measured by again the words and anything you may see, but it is the way it makes you feel.  And good trance should make you feel as though you are in the presence of an evolved soul being reaching out on our behalf.

Ann

Yeah, it’s extraordinary because I have seen you demonstrate trance, I’ve been lucky enough to do that several times now and it is about the feeling in the space.  It is an extraordinary thing to, to experience rather than witness even, it’s to experience it.  So, when you, also when you’re teaching this, you teach about setting an atmosphere before you begin because that helps to build the power, can you talk a little about that perhaps?

Tony

Yeas sure of course.  Because sitting for trance, I’m going to say it is a holy thing but the word holy sometimes, you know, we look at that as a religious, you know, holy, which I don’t want to do at all.  But there is a holy, different feeling, that is lighter and brighter, and more in tune with that power that some people may call God, or the Great Spirit, or the Power of the Universe, and we’re trying to align ourselves with a greater power that surrounds us, to make all of these wonderful things possible.  And so, to set the, you know, the space for trance is the important thing.  And it starts with, you know, sitting in a well-ventilated room, with comfortable surroundings, and all the very practical things.  Sitting in a smaller group, you know, for the trance development, playing with the light to a degree, because although trance isn’t all about the phenomena, there can be a phenomena associated to the trance.  And that trance phenomena, is light sensitive.  So, I’m a great believer that trance should not be demonstrated in the dark, absolutely not, but I I love to sit for trance in subdued light.  Which I know people might think well what’s the difference but, you know, I like to know when I’m watching trance, that everything’s okay and kosher around me, that no one’s got up, no-one’s moving around.  It is a silly thing to say, but it is exactly what I like, to know where the humans are, so I can focus on where the spirits coming in.  And so to sit for trance, say in candlelight, in a room that’s full of frankincense, myrrh and copal, you know, if you burn those 3 wonderful incenses together, it’s already creating a different vibe from our normal earthly experience.  And then to have in the background there, some other fabulous music, that you don’t need, but is really helpful to the humans that sit, to feel within minutes of holding the space for trance, that we are been transcended, moved into a different environment, if you like, and a different atmosphere.  And it was once explained to me by someone much older than I, and she was saying at the time, do you remember the parties in the 70s, you know?  And I said, well I think I do, (as a child, thank God) and she said, oh you know, we used to change the light bulbs, dim the lights, and put a bit of music on and I thought oh God, I remember my parents putting peanuts in bowls for a party, and I thought yeah, it’s right, I can remember them putting multi coloured little tiny light bulbs in our lamps, putting on a bit of Demis Roussos, or whatever was going to play, having a little finger food already, and within no time at all, the big light would go off, and as a child it would feel like a totally different vibe in the lounge, a totally different atmosphere.  And so I know we’re not talking about, you know, reminiscing to the 70s, but I want people to recognise, that creating a different feeling in the room starts practically, with maybe sitting the people in a circle, turning down lights, lighting a candle, entering some incense into that space, and then we gather to sit. And when we ask the sitters or the circle group, or that sort of thing or those who are witnessing the trance as an audience I suppose, we come into the room having used the bathroom, so we don’t have to get up again. We have a glass of water, so we don’t have to ask for one.  Because you want your group to be as settled as possible.  You’ve got half an hour to an hour or so here, where you want your group to be comfortable, on seats, settled with water, and then you want to take your group into an understanding of, what is expected of them, before the trance medium trances.  And all of these really very, very practical things may seem like what on earth is he going on about?  But if you can get those right, the humans right, the human environment right, it gives the spirit people a much, much better opportunity to come manifest here in the space.  So, to create the atmosphere then, moves from the physical into the spiritual.  So, I think it is always preferrable to, you know, either the trance medium or the trance medium’s helper or, you know, what would you call it, Master of Ceremonies or something, to take the group on a mini meditation, a mind-focusing exercise if you like, where we are asked to be really clear why we are sitting, to set the intention, to focus our minds.  So then as the medium begins to sit, we are working in accordance with, in harmony with, assisting to present an atmosphere, in which the medium might relax into, that those then that come through in the trance can serve our group best.  So, what on earth am I going on about here?  And I think it is the same with any demonstration of mediumship, if we the audience can get this right, where we feel we are able to relax enough that we can cooperate, that we are able to be as a co-worker, there is another word in there entirely, but that we can become really helpful in the way we blend with the energy of the room, and produce an energy within us, and that we can accept those who come from another dimension gladly, that the trance medium can’t go wrong, the trance medium is going to have the most amazing session.  For the room and the audience are prepared to support the medium in their mediumship.

Ann

I mean it’s fantastic I know, because I have been lucky enough to witness this myself, again on several occasions, when I was watching you giving a trance demonstration along with everyone else in the room, so 30/40 people, everyone seeing the same thing such as, many, many faces flickering across your face or watching your, your face change shape, I’ve seen from 4 feet away, a moustache grow on your face, a beard ,you can see a beard, I mean it doesn’t literally  grow but that’s what we witness and it’s not just my mind making it up because many other people are seeing exactly the same thing in the room, and they’re all saying, “I can see a moustache” “I can see a beard” so Tony is that transfiguration? is that overshadowing? What is that?

Tony

Very good, excellent question.  But you know I’ve been talking to lots of trance groups recently, you know, on different trance programmes and we’re talking about the visual aspect of trance.  So, trance in itself is the surrender and the blending of a soul being with the soul of the medium, and then what may happen as they blend with us, and they hold space for us, is as you’ve already said, the flickering of many faces over the mediums’ face. And so, what is that?  So, the word that we generally use is transfiguration and when you look at transfiguration, the actual word, and I stand to be corrected, actually comes from biblical teaching or some kind of biblical reference.  So, if you put in transfiguration, go on to images on a Google search you will see wonderful pictures of Jesus ascending to heaven, and the, the light that manifest from, as he rises into the other, into the other realm, and they refer to the word transfiguration.   So, I think the word has been used by those who are, well gone now, long past to the other world, possibly mediums, you know, from the late 1800s and early 1900s, and most of their religious instruction was from a Christian based religion, you know, in the main. So, I think the word transfiguration has been used.  What does it really mean?  I think most people in the know, would talk of transfiguration, when it is almost, you stand at the side of the medium or sit at the side of the medium, and it is almost like an independent face over the medium’s face.  So I’ve seen this before, I know this to be very true, when I sat some years before the late Jean Skinner passed, who was a wonderful transfiguration medium from the North East, and I was lucky to sit with her on a number of occasions, and I looked at the side of her, whilst hosting an event for Jean, and you could see her face and its outline and you know, that sort of thing, the outline of her face, and then over her face was a misty, moving, yeah I’m gonna say the word mask, but flimsy, moving, mask, fascinating, absolutely fascinating.  So I often used word transfiguration really when something’s rather substantial the builds over the features of the, of the face of medium.  Now when you talk about these flickering faces, I don’t think they require the same mask or that depth, or that physicality to them.  So what is that called? I’m not so sure myself after all these years, but I think an overshadowing is a good term, it is a good space or a good word to use.  Reflections of spirit, transplantation, there’s lots of different words that we might use, but I think being overshadowed fast and furiously when the energy is up at its highest, but you can’t say it’s not real, because I know for a fact, people often call out seeing people long dead, over the face of the medium, in a very profound way, you know, people often will cry and call out and they have seen people’s faces over the face of the medium, you know.  Most of my experience is just my own mediumship, but I’m sure it happens in other people’s mediumship, but the idea of seeing as an audience member, the face of someone you love over the face of the transfiguring medium, you can’t take that away from someone.  I mean, that’s the evidence of the confirmation that we seek out, isn’t it?

Ann

Yeah, and it’s an extraordinary thing, because I did witness that myself with one of my uncles flashed across your face for a nanosecond, and it really took me by surprise, I was like, oh my goodness, it was extraordinary.

Tony

I find that funny, because you know, I’m, I’m you know, maybe probably heavier than I should be, white, full-faced, and yet people will talk about seeing other relatives and loved ones, that are a totally different shape and size and skin colour, skin tone, but you can’t say they can’t see.  So, I was only speaking to one of my ladies only about maybe possibly about three or four weeks ago now and she’s an African American lady, but she said, I saw my mother and, you know, the skin seemed to go dark, her mother’s features, for a moment or so, how the hell do you do, that sort of thing, because that is, you know, you would you would imagine if it was just, you know, people looking and hoping, that they might only see people that vaguely resembled the medium, whatever the medium looked like, but when you are having wonderful responses with people that come from different spaces in the world when different genders coming through, and they are convinced of what they’ve seen, I find that very exciting.

Ann

Yeah, it is, it is extraordinary, and it is very exciting, when you witness it, I have to say.  And then trance as well Tony, you can use the trance state when you’re creating something, baking a cake, speak a little about that as well because perhaps people don’t realises how they can use it, not just mediumistically.   

Tony

Absolutely, well one of my favourite things to say at the moment is, trance will enhance.  And funny enough, one of my ladies has sent me two T shirts, printed up with trance to enhance or trance will enhance, which I think is fabulous, so if for instance that, you know, you have a talent for playing the piano.  You could sit at your piano, learn to close your eyes, call to the other world, friends, inspirers, come gather close to me, and if one in your number, there is someone who wishes to play the piano with me, come friends, come join me.  And so, you would have to have the basic talents I think, of playing the piano, but as you close your eyes to play, it may well be that there is other beings that are able to entrance, move into the space of the medium, and they move the hands differently, they create, they recreate melody, you see, this outside of the experience of the medium themselves.  And I’m reminded of the late Rosemary Brown, I’m pretty sure I’ve got her name right, who was a pianist, who then learned how to become entranced by wonderful musicians of yesteryear, that she was convinced were coming through, and they would compose and play through her in this way.  Those people with a talent to draw, my increase their ability to create something spiritually, by closing their eyes, moving into that trance like feeling, and allowing those artists from the other world to come through, and influence the drawing.  Those of you as I’ve already set, the cook that can create with food.  They could close their eyes before they cook, move in to that trance-like surrender, setting the intention, if there’s any marvellous Italian cooks in your group today, or anyone who wants to come work with me, come and inspire me, and so to the layman as they continue to cook in that day, moving into a space of wonderful deepness, and I’m going to use the word surrender again, but cooking like they should cook, but feeling deeply inspired to add a little more of this, and a little less of that, spirit can come through and cook all over again, by  inspiring the mind of the chef, etc.  And you can pretty much, you know, talk of anything about anything, car mechanics, a hairdresser, makeup artist, etcetera. I think is easier if you have a basic talent or a good talent for the thing you’re working with, then it is so much easier for spirit to come in and gently inspire and offer a helping hand through inspiration.  Yeah, so, and you can do that in a lit room, and the workplace, etc., so trance will enhance, trance will inspire and will improve anything we do creatively.

Ann

Yeah, beautiful, and then going back Tony, who were our early pioneers of trance mediumship?  Where did it come from?

Tony

Well I think it’s been around for always, you know, and I am reminded, my, one of my good friends, her grandmother was a spiritualist medium, but when they would have no television back then, and the grandmother would just sit and talk to her granddaughter who lived with her by the embers of a fire and would quite often close her eyes almost to fall asleep and her guide would speak and speak to her directly.  So you know, I’m thinking of this one old lady from Yorkshire many years ago, who would literally close her eyes and allow other people to speak through her.  But there have been famous trance mediums before, people have worked in this way, and not that I know lots about the work of Andrew Jackson Davis and people like that that would work; Edgar Cayce known as the sleeping prophet, the Bang Sisters, these people were known to go into a trance-like state; the late Ivy Northage, who, with her guide Chan, etc and then we had people like Grace Cook, who would channel the intelligence and personality of White Eagle; Estelle Roberts and her guide  Red Cloud and that kind of thing.  There’s been very well-known trance mediums over the years, but it’s like everything else, not so much now, not so much now.  There’s a couple of trance healers that I know who work very well I’m sure, and they would work through and with one of their guiding spirits, you know, to bring a healing to those in need.  But it’s almost, I don’t want to say fallen out of vogue, if that’s clumsy, but where, you know, in my youth, you know, 36 years ago when I started, you know, I would go to a Sunday service, and quite often the medium would go into trance standing up, and offer the service or the address rather, sorry, in trance, and that was commonplace back then.  No-one thought anything strange in that at all.  The medium would say, hello ladies and gentlemen, my name is, and now it’s time for the address, they would close their eyes, their head would tilt slightly to one side, and a voice that was not their own, would speak aloud to the group.  But we don’t see that anymore.  You don’t ever see that now and I wonder why.  Because if if we are as a group of mediums, desperately trying to bring the voice of the spirit, it is almost like we’ve lost the confidence to do it.

Ann

And so where, where do you think it could go, you know, in the future, where do we think, where do you think we’re heading with trance mediumship?

Tony

Well, I’d like to say, you know, it’s going to have a resurgence, which I do see, do you know, so, you know, from the trance groups.  There’s a good number in trance groups now, of 30-40 people, you know, in a group, and then they move into smaller groups from their larger groups and, you know, from different trance workshops and trance mentorships etc and maybe there’s 100 people under my wing or something like that or have been, that are sitting for their own trance now.  So God-willing from a good hundred people, there’s going to be a good number of those who are going to take their own classes, they’re going to sit to demonstrate for the public, they are going to become trance healers, transfigure, etc.,  So where will it go, hopefully on the up.  Hopefully the resurgence.  I think because trance, it asks normal people, people who are just enquiring, to believe that as we close our eyes we are joined, and I think because we in the West we are quite sceptical over this sort of thing and for good reason I’m sure, but if people could just be open-minded enough to support the mediums who are advancing, that are developing and recognise that it is not to begin with at least, all about the healing, and all about the transfigure, and all about the voice, but rather more, the atmosphere and look to that first, what I hope is, trance will become commonplace.  Trance will be very much back on the map.  And I think if we have some good, good trance mediums around, it can be so beautifully convincing, that spirit truly are coming close and walking among us here on the Earth.  But if we can allow people to recognise that as true and valid, then I think what trance may become is a very real portal between worlds because I am quite convinced again that trance mediums become a portal between the two dimensions and that anything can happen when that truly opens.

Ann

So exciting and you are a fantastic teacher Tony, and I know that you have been teaching trance mentorship schemes for years now and you have one that is about to begin again this year, later this year.  What if people were interested in going on those courses, can you explain what you teach and maybe what people might experience on those?

Tony

Sure, of course, thank you for asking.  Well, the new trance programme is monthly meets with me, me desperately trying to present something that I’ve never said before, a unique perspective with regards to trance, giving practical advice of how to sit, what to sit for, moving each month us along to different aspects of trance.  And all during that time after the first few months, giving people an opportunity to set up mini groups, that sit, you know, weekly, that people then can put into practice, what it is I’m trying to teach.  Then we get together, I think it’s two sessions in the course, that people sit with me on a one on one, that I might advise and move them on a little bit more with their trance.  Some opportunities to watch me demonstrate trance mediumship is another thing entirely, so I sit exclusively for the groups assembled.  Yeah, so it is anything and everything but trying to support, trying to come up with fresh information, and giving people the courage I suppose, to sit for their own trance development in a way that feels safe and authentic.  And of course, you know, holding people right when they have a little crises of faith and that kind of thing, because the whole thing is so marvellous that I think sometimes our human selves battle, is this possibly real? Because it’s almost too marvellous to, to behold.

Ann

But I think that’s what’s so wonderful about your mentorship programmes, that you are there to secure and support and nourish and nurture and guide, and it’s such a safe and beautiful space to learn and develop in.  And also with you, I’ve been lucky enough to do mentorship programmes with you in the past, you always teach from a place of almost direct connection from spirit, and so your teaching is always completely fresh, in the moment and I think that’s what’s so exciting about it.

Tony

Ah bless you for saying so.  Yeah, it’s very kind, but you know, I just pride myself on desperately trying to present something that I’ve not thought of weeks before.  So, I think a great part of spiritual teaching is also trying to be open to fresh layers of information, so I do see teaching our work, whether it be trance mediumship or anything else, as a part of mediumship, so we are attracting fresh perspectives from other minds.

Ann

And so just before you go, ‘cause I know you’ve been speaking to us for a long time, and we so appreciate it, but perhaps for those people who, for whatever reason, won’t be able to come to one of your mentorship programmes, have you got a small exercise you can advise them, maybe something that they can do,   just in that light trance state?

Tony

Sure. It would start with sitting comfortably and sit in a space you’re unlikely to be disturbed.  Maybe turning down the lights a little bit, so it is creating that cosy atmosphere, and with eyes closed, focus on the breath, deep and rhythmic, concentrating on each inward and outward breath.  And I would simply breathe for a minute or two, which may seem an awful long time, but it works, sit to breathe, and when a conscious thought jumps into your awareness, breathe, and take the concentration back to the inward and outward breath, and then sending a thought, clearly, concisely, guardian spirit, come close to me.  So attract one who no doubt walks with you in any case, has done for always, come blend with me, come move into my space, and then take them the thought, back to the inward and the outward breath, and then maybe some minutes later, I encourage you again friend, come blend with me, come sit with me, back to the breath, then as you go back again, it will feel different each time, because the process of trance is subtle, yet profound.  So, each time you go back, come close, you will start to feel they’re much closer than you realised.  And what you looking for, the goal here is almost to sit like you are being embraced by someone who loves you more than you ever realised, and it should feel warm and centred and good.  Sit, maybe 15 minutes at a time, and then breathe, moving fingertips and toes, grounding yourself, and come back. No fear, no theatre, no silly, just a gentle blending feeling of loving soul beings.

Ann

That is beautiful, thank you so much for going through that, that’s just wonderful for people to have that to try out at home.  Tony, thank you so much for your time today and sharing so willingly your knowledge for everybody here for the for the Psychic Matters podcast, we really, really appreciate your time so much.

Tony

No problem at all, thank you Ann for asking me.

Ann: Well, that was TONY STOCKWELL, giving us as much information as he could in the time we had together, about Trance Mediumship & Associated Phenomena. 

I do urge all of you to go sign up with Tony for his online Trance Mediumship & Associated Phenomena ten-month mentorship programme.  If you are interested, and would like an application form or want to know further details, please send an email to [email protected] pa (personal assistant) – [email protected] which, funny enough, will come through to me as I am helping Tony with the administration for that programme.  So, if you do email, please let us know what you thought of this episode – I’d love to hear your feedback.  You could write a review for it as well on iTunes or Stitcher – that would be great!

All the links and resources mentioned by Tony in this episode, can be found in the show notes – plus a full transcription, and those show notes are over on my website www.anntheato.com so head over there and you can pick everything up.

Do come and join the Psychic Matters podcast FB group page as well.  There’s some interesting discussion going on over there about all things paranormal.  

I’ll be back with you in a fortnight, and meanwhile, our collective huge thanks go to Mr. Tony Stockwell for agreeing to willingly share his wisdom and expert knowledge with us all. 

Have a very successful couple of weeks everybody, keep well and until next time… my name is Ann Théato and thank you for listening to PSYCHIC MATTERS!