In discussing shamanism in such diverse places as North America, Hawaii, Indonesia, Siberia, and Oceania, Jones-Hunt draws upon other researchers in showing how the shamanistic altered states of consciousness were much the same as those of more recent mystics and mediums as well as out-of-body experiencers and remote viewers. She devotes a full chapter to the Emanuel Swedenborg, the renowned 18th Century scientist and inventor turned seer and mystic, discussing the parallels between his apparent clairvoyance and out-of-body travel with shamanism and more recent mediumship.

Much of the author's research was devoted to investigating the apparent mediumistic phenomena in the Bible. She suggests that much biblical terminology, such as God spoke, the lord spoke, the lord appeared, the angel of the lord was upon him, the gifts of the spirit, talking in tongues, enquire of the lord, can be interpreted as communication with spirits. Moreover, Yahweh and “the Lord” may have been celestial messengers rather than an anthropomorphic deity. “Modern observers of mediumistic phenomena are empowered not to perceive these narratives as subjective pictorial images but as objective experiences of communications.” Jones-Hunt writes, adding that various books of the Old Testament which appear to prohibit mediumship are likely the result of misunderstanding, misinterpretation and mistranslations and are inconsistent with New Testament passages saying that the spirits should be tested and their messages discerned.

Likewise, there appear to be frequent references to the mediumistic trance state in the Bible, such as in Job where it states when deep sleep falls on men and For God does speak - now one way, now another - though man may not perceive it, in a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men. In the New Testament, we read in Acts that Peter went on the roof to pray…fell into a trance…then a voice told him. Jones-Hunt suggests, as many other students of the Bible have, that Jesus chose his disciples based on their mediumistic gifts.

Jones-Hunt stresses that the stories of spirit contact through the ages do not offer absolute proof of survival beyond physical death, but they certainly offer strong evidence in that direction. “The historically memorable spiritual biblical figures laid the foundation stones for spiritual and eschatological teachings,” she concludes. “The underlying unifying theme of these past and present mediumistic experiences, is that they teach that a God exists, that non-material existence occurs after death for all creatures, that forms of punishment do occur in keeping with perfect non-personal natural laws…that contact can be accessed during the material life and that these experiences can raise humankind's spiritual consciousness.”

The Foreword of the book is written by Archie E. Roy, professor emeritus of astronomy at Glasgow University. “In our superior wisdom we smile pityingly at those who still clutch at the drifting matchwood raft of religion in all its many worldwide forms and dare not learn to swim stoically in the ocean of truth, accepting the reality that we are simply clever animals, our minds but the brain in action, struggling to survive in an aloof, uncaring physical world,” Roy writes, going on to say that the “purest unmuddied stream of those teachings - the perennial philosophy - can be discerned as a consensus given by the highest of those teachers and sensitives - love one another; do unto others as you would have them do unto you; as ye sow so shall ye reap.”

If only orthodox religion would open its mind to what Dr. Jones-Hunt so clearly discusses in this book, perhaps we might see a true and much needed spiritual reawakening in the world. If only…

Seances with God

Michael Tymn of The Academy of Spirituality and Paranormal Studies. (The Academy has 2 Publications The Searchlight & The Journal of Spirituality and Paranormal Studies.) www.lightlink.com/arpr/ metgat.zaadz.com.