ABOUT CHANNELING

The process by which a medium can communicate information from
nonphysical beings, such as spirits, deities, demons or aliens through
entering a state of trance or some other form of altered consciousness.

Channeling has existed in all cultures throughout history. In
primitive societies a designated person â€" a priest, shaman, oracle
or similar individual â€" had the responsibility of communicating with
the nonwordly beings. The priestly caste of ancient Egypt communicated
with the gods through trance; the ancient Greeks revered their
oracles; the prophets and saints of Judaism, Christianity and Islam
received the will of God in a form of channeling.

In the nineteenth century, the claims of spiritualism to be able to
communicate with the dead attracted a large following, and in the same
period Madame Helena P. Blavatsky, cofounder of Theosophy claimed to
be able to channel the wisdom of various Tibetan adepts. Interest in
channeling revived in the West during the 1970s and 1980s, with the
growth of the new age movement. In the last few years, tens of
thousands of people have sought out channels privately or in workshop
situations, while millions more have read material or have listened to
or viewed tapes said to be channeled. The Seth Material, the Findhorn
books, and A Course in Miracles are some of the recent major bodies of
work that are either channeled or based on channeling. They have
enjoyed a remarkable following among people of varied personalities,
world views, and walks of life...

There have been times in history when channeling and related phenomena
have been accepted, in keeping with the mainstream world view and
notion of what a human being is and can be. At other times, phenomena
such as channeling have been deemed unusual or paranormal and have
been treated as fads or voguish â€" which may be the case today. And
at other times, such phenomena have been devalued, ignored, or
considered a type of confidence game or even a punishable crime.

Channeling, like mysticism, is a phenomenon that has been part of
human experience as far back as human records go. It appears to be an
essential element in the origins of virtually all of the great
spiritual paths. It is not just a curiosity of current interest based
on a resurgence of inner voices, visions, trance seances, and
automatic writing. Rather, the phenomenon is an important aspect of
human consciousness, a crucial experience for human beings in all
cultures and times, even though we do not yet understand its origins
or mechanisms.