by Kai Muegge/Lucius Werthmueller
PART I:
THE BILL MEADOWS SEANCE and THE APPORT PHENOMENA AT THE CIRCLE OF HUMANITY, NY
Introduction
During the weekend of the 25th and 26th of September 2009 a distinctive group of international authors, scientists, journalists, experimenters and pioneers of the Spiritualistic Scene was joining together a weekend with the Rainbow Circle and The Meadows Circle, organized once more by the Noahs Ark Society- (now defunct) successor, the ZERDIN Phenomenal.
Organized by the international Coordinator Dennis Pearman and his wife and editor-in-chief of the “Zerdin Phenomenal magazine”, Rosalind Pearman, all guests were booked into a beautiful hotel, an old manor, still in possession of all its historical charm and very well out staffed for its guests in every sight.
On schedule were 3 Séances between Friday evening and Saturday evening and so the most guests arrived Friday during the day. The weather was fine and a clear blue sky was unfolding upon Oxfordshire and expecting the visitors from their more or less exhausting journeys.
It is not for the first time that a ZERDIN-event – the organization is originally U.K.-based – turns out to be a multinational gathering with interesting personalities from 8 different countries in this case (Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Australia, USA, Colombia, Great Britain).
Not only the possibility to socialize internationally and to exchange experiences and knowledge from different cultural backgrounds is a fascinating opportunity – one gets additionally an idea of a worldwide movement – creating a belt of spiritual awareness around the planet.
At 6 p.m. – the most guests had already met and introduced themselves in the Hotel Lobby – all visitors of the semi-public séances (only for Zerdin-members) came together in Wroxtons „Jennys Sanctuary“ – the very special place where in the last years Ron Gilkes and his wife held hundreds of Physical- and Materialisation-Séances. Three completely staffed séance rooms with manufactured cabinets of different size, adjustable light- and completely blacked-out conditions were offered to the Zerdin-Staff for the planned event.
The crowd was there officially welcomed by ZERDIN Friday evening. 25 sitters are in fact a moderate number of people in comparison to usual public séances, but ZERDIN is interested to ensure everybody can see from his seat and nobody is disadvantaged in an overcrowded room. That is why the theses gatherings are restricted in number – for everybodys’ advantage.
Introducing Dennis Pearman outlined once more the certain different terms and conditions under which mediums and their “spirit-teams” work together and interact with the physical part of reality.
He declared specifically, that the spirit teams of both upcoming circles apply a certain ethereal energy that is spent not only by the medium – as it is mainly the case with ectoplasm-based phenomena – but also to a huge amount by the sitters.
Energy based phenomena are thus mainly produced by a groups energetic effort, channelled and catalysed by the present mediums.
From that moment on a fascinating tour through the wonders of the nature of man began and Sunday we were leaving enriched in many ways.
Please enjoy the upcoming reports by Lucius Werthmueller and Kai Muegge, who want to provide a glimpse for the reader on the marvels that were unfolding in Wroxton September 2009.
THE MEADOWS CIRCLE-SEANCE
the 26th of September 2009
by Kai Muegge
I am a 40 years old Journalist from Germany, for many decades studying the effects science does sum under the term „paranormal“. Especially certain physical phenomena that are accounted of since the early days of Spiritualism do fascinate me much and I am very well acquainted with the issue, its literature and its controversies.
In the question, if „Physical Phenomena“ actually do occur – to different degrees, with or without mediums – the central dispute within the scientific parapsychological Community does escalate.
Already as a young lad of 12 years I was confronted with the issue and experienced in the burdened family of school comrades the complex reality of a Poltergeist-Outbreak in their flat. For many, Poltergeist-Phenomena are uncontrolled mediumistic abilities, unleashed by certain “focus persons”, the mediums.
Very quickly I was into the Phenomenology of Spiritualism – especially “Physical Mediumship” – fascinated by what scientists were confronted with at the time and how it became a worldwide movement.
Naturally I also became aware of the fact, that with the years several tricksters were caught in faking physical mediumistic phenomena to gain money or reputation.
Were all physical mediums fakers? Everybody who knows the countless international experimental efforts and their details and outcomes – from the publications – has to become persuaded, that „Physical Mediumship“ is a fact.
Since 2005 I am experiencing in a Physical Circle in Germany many of the described effects, but the 26th of September I made one of the most impressive experiences in this field one can make.
During the Saturday event with The Meadows Circle I had a top seating-position in the first row besides the wife of the medium, whose job it was to control the light, to handle the music and several items the partially materialized spirit forms asked for to operate with.
What moreover predestines me to write this article about The Meadows Séance the 26th September is the fact, that it was me who bound, checked and secured the medium and cabinet – and checked the mediums’ state and position of the bindings I had applied several times during the séance, always immediately after phenomena were occurring.
Finally I was chosen to shake the materialized hand of one of the spirit controls, „Jonathan“.
Especially this highlight of the evening was observed by me under most satisfying conditions. Standing in bright red light in front of the cabinet, no one was as near as I was that moment to the bound medium and the materialized limb. These convincing circumstances and what I have experienced there I describe in full below.
But who is Bill Meadows? Is he maybe a clever trickster and his present circle members helpers to deceive the international sitters-crowd in the room? In my humble opinion fraud seemed impossible or at least extremely hard to exercise – and I will tell you exactly why that is the case.
The Meadows Circle is a circle of senior-spiritualists from South East England.
Bills hands show clear signs of age, with age-spots and slightly arthritic fingers. On his right hand he wears a ring that will later on play a special role. This ring cannot be taken from his finger. Several guests were trying and checking the conditions the ring was on, but none was able to pull it over the knuckle.
Present from his circle was his his brother, his wife and the oldest sitter of the circle, Monica, approximately 80 years old. Monica and Colleen, Billd wife, were sitting in the first row on my sides. For 16 years the circle is already experimenting and accordingly its results and „spirit rapport“ are so very stable and capable enough to perform in public Séances.
At the entrance as always everybody was body-searched, including the ZERDIN Staff, the medium and the Meadows-Circle Members by two of the international guests that have never seen or had contact with the medium before. The body searches are always playing an important role –they are part of several efforts to ensure to a most possible satisfyingly degree no obvious fraud is involved in the performances.
In the first row of six seats in front of the cabinet between every circle member a guest sitter was positioned and everybody was advised when phenomena were occurring to control his neighbour by holding hands.
This simple practice excludes basically the possibility of accomplices from the first sitters’ row and is also part of the usual procedure done at Zerdin Séances to prevent critics’ attacks.
The well-known Australian lawyer and author of articles and books about mediumship and its connections to an Afterlife, Victor Zammitt, and me were searching cabinet and armchair, before we secured the searched medium safely with Velcro-Strips and cable-binds to the cabinet-chair.
This chair had not 4 legs but left and right from the seat downwards one trapeziformed metal pipe, with no elision, where the mediums feet were bound to with a broad Velcro-Strip and upon it was additionally a cable bind fastening the captivation. The hands were secured the same way onto the armrest of the chair.
Asking the medium to try to slip his hands out of these it became immediately obvious: these hands were securely fastened. If he even though freed his hand it would take minutes to re-establish the original securing-state. The only 2 pliers in the room, that could cut open the captivation Victor and me sank in our trousers until the séance was ended.
The medium now was ready, and beginning to induce his trance state his narrow body sank even deeper into the armchair. Then his wife closed in front of everybody’s eyes the curtain – made of only one drape that left openings on the left and the right side of the cabinet – and the last white light bulb was taken out of its socket.
With an opening prayer spoken by Dennis Pearman the séance finally began.
The physical and spiritual phenomena in the following two hours were happening in such a quick succession and were additionally partly recurring (f.e. the drum- and the harmonica-play) that I luckily am in possession of an audio recording of the evening, without which the exact right order of events could not have been reproduced by me.
The events I do account of on the other hand were observed by me with all senses highly aware and from the viewpoint of a scientist observing seldom wonders of nature.
As the reader may know, in public Physical Séances, the controlling entities are seeking to demonstrate their supernormal origin not through certain knowledge – although in between the physical demonstrations such knowledge is sometimes demonstrated – but mainly through experiments that defy physical and gravitational laws.
During the song „Welcome to my World“ Bills trance state was completed.
And while all still were singing along, his first control was crying against the music to lower its volume. „Marie“ was introducing herself, complaining, she thought „the Music would never stop“ and if something „was wrong with the audiences’ ears“.
Such a humorous opening quickly broke any reluctance of the sitters and the rapport between the communicating spirits and the audience was developing very natural and lively in the following hours.
“Marie” was the Spirit of a 9-10 year old girl that died in a German concentration camp. She was mostly charming with us, making jokes with some and allowed the backwards seated persons to stand up, when phenomena should be occurring.
„The shiny trumpets in front of the cabinet please“, she asked for and Colleen, the mediums wife, who was talking very lovingly, like a loving grand-mother, to her, positioned the trumpets in front of the Curtain.
„Do you want to check the medium?“ Colleen was asking the audience, but we were still satisfied so far and so the music started again on Maries’ request. The bright red light shining during the conversation was now unlit.
12 seconds later the trumpets rose from the floor and were handled for several seconds as if one or more persons in front of the curtain were manipulating them. The trumpets had illuminated tabs around their broader ends and were very well observable. They did huge leaps up to the ceiling and above the first rows heads.
Suddenly one trumpet was suspended in midair. Victor Zammitt was asked to step forward. Red light was lit. Everybody was seeing the trumpet somehow attached to the curtain in head height and Victor was requested to pluck it from the curtain. Several seconds later, it was my turn to step forward, while little „Marie“ was commenting proudly, what she was conducting. I also plucked the trumpet and positioned it as requested back on the floor in front of the curtain.
While doing this, no music was playing and I was standing maybe 2.5 feet from the medium. Bright red light was illuminating the curtain, but not a slightest impression of movement or sound I had from behind the cabinets’ curtain, right before Marie said: „Kai, you can check the medium!“ I grabbed for the curtain, and unsure what to find there after the obvious activity, I lifted it largely aside to have and to give a good view on what was behind. And there he was Still sunken in his chair, sleeping or unconscious, the fastenings in the exact same position and tight as before as far as I could assure this with my own hands and eyes.
The curtain was closed again and promptly Jonathan, another “control” was speaking.
Away was the charming flair of Marie and now the earnest tone of an adult became audible, shortly greeting the sitters, before requesting music.
Red lights were unlit and almost immediately from a small table (one and a half foot from the cabinets’ right side) an illuminated plaque, a quadrant piece of wood with fluorescent paint on it, began to travel in huge protruding moves in front of the first sitters’ row.
Again one could only have the impression, as if a person was marching up and down the room displaying the plaque to the audience in several movement patterns.
The medium never may have freed himself in that short time, and every sitter present sat controlled in the sitters’ chain.
So who was it?
At the same time loud knocks were suddenly heard out or from behind the cabinet.
What was this man unleashing here…?
„Raps! Who is there? Anna?“
Colleen asked and the raps were answering two more guesses until Marie was heard, laughing and admitting gaming around with Colleen. Now Marie addressed a lady sitter from New York and described her not long ago deceased mother correctly. Marie was several times expressing her fondness for hair and described then how the curly hair of the sitters’ mother were beautifully framing her face and were falling on her shoulders.
Marie began asking some sitters questions – with the impulsive curiosity of a child – and expressed again and again a considerable knowledge of the sitters’ affairs.
After a few more seconds of Music „Ralph“ was shortly “coming through”, nearly inaudible, also addressing several sitters, before lights were again unlit on request, Music was starting and almost immediately the trumpets in front of the cabinets’ curtain began a quaint step or march, like illuminated shoes doing a stiff dance. Suddenly one and a half feet behind them the illu-taped drumsticks rose from their original position on the ground, and began to drum on a small drum also laying there.
Additionally now a harmonica was linking in and playing along. And when the music was slowly fading out the invisible drummer performed a technically “correct” drum-whirl (double hit left, double hit right) that implied some technical knowledge on playing the drums.
The drumsticks fell onto the ground and Marie called Victor and me to check the medium.
The same second Colleen lit the red light. Victor was already at the curtain and lifted it enough to look into it – but only to expose the obviously sleeping medium, sitting in the exactly same position as minutes before. I in the meantime also reached for the curtain: Both hands of Bill were sticking as firmly in their captivation as his feet did. Victor and I assured this by checking the bonds also by touch. I tried to stick my little finger in between the tightly fitting bonds, but could not. So the medium was strapped safe in his armchair. “Everything’s in order!” Victor called out, while reaching back to our seats.
“We wanna show, what we are able to do! We wanna show something new!” Marie announced and the weak voice of “Ralph” added: “Can you see me now?”
It was not more than 10 seconds after we had checked the medium, when a grand figure of a huge person was stepping one and a half foot forward behind the curtain on the cabinets’ right side and showed its outlines to the audience, enclosed by the curtain. Bright red light was illuminating the whole scene, when two seconds later on the cabinets left side an additional figure showed its own tiny outlines, Marie’s outlines. Marie again charmed and joked around, moving behind the curtain to become more visible before the figures withdrew again.
After another minute of Music we were witnessing another mystery: When the bright red light was again shining on the cabinets’ front, we became aware, that something was slowly lifting the one-piece-curtain more and more upwards. It seemed as if one or two hands were rolling the drape upwards. Slowly the mediums captivated feet became visible, and then his knees, his belly – and then I was called to check the medium.
When I arrived – just a second later – the curtain was still being brought slowly upwards, even though both tied up hands – obviously playing no part in the lifting process – were meanwhile completely exposed to the audience!
Slightly above the mediums hands the lifting of the curtain stopped.
I was advised then to slowly expose the rest of the mediums body to the audience and to check him one last time, before another climax of the evening was taking place. And so I did.
The curtain was drawn again for a few seconds of music when I was called back to the cabinets’ right side (right side from sitters’ views). From under Colleens’ seat the powerful red light was directed onto the area where I was standing – “Jonathan” wanted to materialize his hand and show it to the audience.
From behind the curtain, flat on the floor, as if someone was lying besides the medium on the carpet, a right hand was slowly scooping forward until 10 cm of a lower arm was also exposed. Lying flat on the ground the hands fingers were stretching out like after a long sleep.
It was a very slim and graceful hand with long, nearly female fingers and very neat nails, although it seemed to be a young male hand without any signs of age. Every finger was well outlined and its ring finger showed neither trail nor sign of a ring. Now the hand was turned 90 degrees around its axis, was slightly lifted for me to grab and to shake it. It was a warm and friendly grip that enclosed my hand.
I shook it 3 or 4 seconds before its fingers patted friendly on my hands back like patting someone’s back or shoulder.
When the grip was loosing I was opening my hand and the hand slowly withdrew.
“Go check the Medium” I heard from behind the curtain, exactly the moment I lost the hand out of sight. No other sound or movement was recognizable behind the curtain from my position. Without hesitating I pushed the curtain aside. The scenery I revealed was exactly the same like the many times this evening before: Medium was lying still in his chair, no sign of activity, slowly and patiently breathing. His right hand stuck in the firmly closed Velcro-wrist-strips, the ring on its finger, all fastenings in the same position as I had left them at the beginning of the séance, the securing cable-binds were unopened on every of the mediums 4 limbs.
I want to emphasize the impressive time frame in which the hand vanished and the medium was exposed to the audience by opening of the curtains. 1.5 seconds it took.
We have to consider, that Bill might have not been able to lay his hand so flat on the floor in his seating position. He would need to have been at least partially unstrapped to come down to the floor to show a hand under the curtain, as we have seen it.
How should he bring back on his ring onto his finger, jump back on his seat, fasten all bindings, bring them in their original positions – in 1.5 seconds???
In proving the involvement of a supernatural spirit agency, this was surely one of the most persuading experiences one can make.
Still being flabbergasted about what I had witnessed I heard Marie say goodbye to the audience before the final music-play was one last time accompanied by her drumming and when the song was finished, the drum sticks fell on the floor, Marie called out: “Good Night!!!” and Colleen lit the light.
I did not trust my eyes. Although the drum was played nearly all the time the song went, the captivated man suddenly sat with his knees 10 cm distant from the first-row-sitters’ knees opposing him – transported out of his cabinet, that stood – left behind him – with closed curtains.
After a “shock-second” from the sitters aroused something like an applause, that was immediately suppressed by Dennis and Colleens gestures reminding us the medium was slowly awakening and now needing silence. As quick as possible we cut open the cable binds, unstrapped the Velcro-Strips and let Bills brother and wife guide him into an adjoining room, where he recovered within 15 or 20 minutes approx.
Finally there is nothing more to say. This most thorough account ever written about Bills séances describes this classic performance of Physical Mediumship in all its convincing details.
We have to thank Bill Meadows and his Circle, ZERDIN phenomenal and Ron Gilkes and wife for a weekend that will stay long, long unforgotten.K.M.
Presentation of the Apport Phenomena happening at the Circle of Humanity, N.Y.
During the weekend another interesting event was the Presentation of Apports by Dr. Ken S. and his séance partner Roberto S., received in high numbers during sittings of the “Circle of Humanity” in New York City.
Dr. Ken. S. is a graduated Chiropractic and part of the Circle that consists of 4 sitters.
Three of them were present in Wroxton.
The Group sits in the dark and uses a table to communicate with different spirit-controls by table-raps. Luminous tapes are positioned on the table, on a trumpet and on a tambourine acting as “focus-objects” for Physical Phenomena.
By then the apports seem to be the central phenomenology within the circles work and Ken announced the number of 49 apports received during 14 sittings. The appearing objects don t fall from the ceiling, but are regularly found after the séances on the table or on the floor in the very small séance room. Many times, they seem to adhere to several communicators spelling messages par table raps. All the 49 objects Ken was presenting on Saturday, the 26th September 2009 at the ZERDIN phenomenal Weekend in Wroxton, Oxfordshire.
Pic: Even though mainly stamps and coins from all centuries and countries are mainly received, also ear-rings, cuff-links, an old pocket watch and Indian artwork can be found under the objects.
Pic: All of the coins and stamps have been identified by the group and the help of several specialists.
Pic: The significance of the apported objects is for example well displayed by an ancient coin allegedly from the era of Alexander the Great.
Pic: Dr. Ken S., Dr. Hans Schaer and Lucius Werthmueller (f.l.t.r.) examine the interesting
array of apported objects
Regarding the large variety of apported coins and their probable conditions of appearing we want to add an interesting episode. When Lucius Werthmueller of the Basel Psi-Association was arriving Friday afternoon at the Hotel, in the lobby he introduced himself and his family to the Norwegian author Jostein Strommen and his wife Lise. His suit-case was standing beside him on the Hotel Floor. Later he also met Dr. Ken Saari.
When Lucius a few minutes later opened in his hotel room his suitcase a Norwegian coin lied surprisingly obvious on his clothing as if arranged. Did Ken induce apport No. 50 during Lucius short chat with a Norwegian? We naturally cannot say this for sure but it seems so.
Lucius could not find any rational explanation for the strange object in his luggage.
Ken is a very sympathetic and nice character, very eager to exchange ideas and making international contacts to share experiences, proposals and ideas to develop energy-based experimental groups.
Roberto in the contrary appears to the outstanding as the outbalancing counterpart in their both Joint Venture, the “Circle of Humanity”. Roberto is an explicit patient, but impressive positive character. He has Colombian roots and combines his sympathetic appearance with a big heartiness.
What is additionally interesting is the rapid succession of developing new phenomena at the “Circle of Humanity” after arriving back home. New entities promptly started to lift the trumpet for the first time and a week later the first energy voices were speaking their first reluctant words through it.
Apports have also happened again in large quantities.
An impressive plan the intelligences meanwhile have announced. They want to proceed in several steps, they described this way: “The appliance of red light shall be achieved in the near future, white light 30% chance within 5 years, 80% chance within 10 years, and 95-100% chance within 15 years.”
Accordingly, this is what the Circle is striving for, as Ken announces – full materialization in white light – the „ULTIMATE proof“!
We will follow the Circle of Humanities development closely and report further in the future.
KM