Psychic World
Encounters with the miraculous
Spiritual consultant Jenny Smedley’s latest book, Supernaturally True (O Books, UK £9.99, US $19.95) was written because she felt that paranormal issues were being portrayed as “scary, even evil sometimes, by some of the media”.
Jenny (pictured) said: “Some of the magazines that used to cover positive supernatural stuff, like angels, have now switched to headline-grabbers with a more sensational and usually frightening subject matter. “I want people to get closer to their spiritual sides, not shy away from them, so I compiled this book which contains only positive, true stories which, I hope, will inspire people to embrace their spiritual side and look into it more deeply.”
Sub-titled A Collection of Uplifting Spiritual Encounters, the book raises the fundamental question of how you would view your life if you knew for certain that death was not the end, and how the advent of such powerful meaning would change your world.
Here are many true stories of spiritual and angel encounters, grouped into areas such as signs, portents and warnings, spirit saviours, angelic messages, synchronicity, dreams and near-death experiences – the kinds of supernatural events that seem like miracles when they happen.
“Life after death and visits from beyond are rarely anything to be afraid of,” says Jenny, who believes that evolutionary change towards the spiritual is accelerating.
A specialist in past-life regression, Jenny is a TV and radio presenter and an international columnist, as well as a best-selling author, and already she has another book on the way. This is Soul Angels (Hay House), published in March 2010, bringing the concepts of angels and past lives together in a new revelation.New realms of dowsing
Traditional dowsing activities such as water divining and the tracing of earth energies now exist alongside plotting the layouts of buried archaeological sites, helping people who suffer from "geopathic stress" - negative energies caused in their homes by underlying watercourses - and even the diagnosis of problems we encounter in our daily lives.
The books Dowsing for Answers and Dowsing for Cures (Green Magic), by the Dorset dowser, medium and spiritual healer Wilma Davidson (pictured) were real eye-openers when they came out in 2007 and 2008.
Wilma guides readers through the basics of dowsing and then shows them how it opens up "a whole new world of possibilities" by its use to find answers to all kinds of basic questions, so helping to make life easier.
A pendulum - one of the main tools of the dowser's trade along with divining rods - was able to answer questions on health, car or computer problems, the chemical content of our food and drinking water, the dangers of electromagnetic fields and microwave ovens, even pet problems and how best to do your gardening.
Many dowsers today are also embracing the spiritual and fitness realms. Wilma, who is also a Reiki master, said: "I think people are becoming more aware." She believes many are turning to alternative treatments because they have suffered adverse effects under conventional medical practice.
She explains how dowsing can also be used to help the release of earthbound spirits which she regards s "one of the most important tasks a human can perform", and her latest book is Spirit Rescue (Llewellyn Worldwide).See the Resources page for links to Wilma's website and to my podcast interviews with her on the Western Daily Press website.
The books Dowsing for Answers and Dowsing for Cures (Green Magic), by the Dorset dowser, medium and spiritual healer Wilma Davidson (pictured) were real eye-openers when they came out in 2007 and 2008.Wilma guides readers through the basics of dowsing and then shows them how it opens up "a whole new world of possibilities" by its use to find answers to all kinds of basic questions, so helping to make life easier.
A pendulum - one of the main tools of the dowser's trade along with divining rods - was able to answer questions on health, car or computer problems, the chemical content of our food and drinking water, the dangers of electromagnetic fields and microwave ovens, even pet problems and how best to do your gardening.
Many dowsers today are also embracing the spiritual and fitness realms. Wilma, who is also a Reiki master, said: "I think people are becoming more aware." She believes many are turning to alternative treatments because they have suffered adverse effects under conventional medical practice.
She explains how dowsing can also be used to help the release of earthbound spirits which she regards s "one of the most important tasks a human can perform", and her latest book is Spirit Rescue (Llewellyn Worldwide).See the Resources page for links to Wilma's website and to my podcast interviews with her on the Western Daily Press website.
* Psychic surgeon Andy Porter has added a forum to his website where you can discuss psychic surgery, schizophrenia, spirit attachment and esoteric subejcts with like-minded people. See my Resources page.
Envoy to the spirit realm
A new star rising on the psychic scene is Paul Derrick who sees his role as an envoy, passing on knowledge and understanding of the spirit world.
Viewers will remember Paul, pictured, from 2008's ITV West series The Paranormal Five in which he appeared with the Wiltshire-based UK5 Paranormal investigation team.
Paul can pin down the moment that changed his life not just to the year and month, but to the time of day, too. At precisely 3.40pm on November 7, 2003, he realised he could work with spirit as a medium.
Visited by two sisters, both mediums, who spoke to him about spiritual matters, he heard the voice of a spirit guide who predicted TV and stage appearances and, suddenly, realisation dawned about his special gift.
"I'd had it all my life, I just didn't know what it was," said Paul, of Westbury Wiltshire, who heard voices in his head as a child but, as a teenager, began to block them out – until that fateful day in 2003. "It went absolutely mad from there. It really was fantastic."
But, as you might expect from his occupations as an engineer and as a retained fireman, Paul is a rather down-to-earth character. His family readily accepted his new-found calling but his friends and workmates poked fun when he told them he could talk to dead people. He had to tell them he "didn't give a monkey's" what they thought.
Paul doesn't try to imitate celebrity psychics such as Derek Acorah and Tony Stockwell. "I don't want to follow in anybody's footsteps," he said. "I just want to make sure I'm portrayed the way I am. I've got two normal jobs and I want to keep my feet on the ground. I want to make sure I'm doing what I'm doing for the right reasons."
Paul, currently busy with one-to-one readings, hopes to expand into stage and TV work following a successful theatre event in Bristol in February. "But, ultimately, for me, it's making sure the right person gets the right message," he added. "I want to work with spirit properly."
►Hear my podcast interviews with Paul Derrick, and with celebrity TV psychic Derek Acorah, by visiting the Mysterious West archive on the Western Daily Press website. See the Resources page.
Viewers will remember Paul, pictured, from 2008's ITV West series The Paranormal Five in which he appeared with the Wiltshire-based UK5 Paranormal investigation team. Paul can pin down the moment that changed his life not just to the year and month, but to the time of day, too. At precisely 3.40pm on November 7, 2003, he realised he could work with spirit as a medium.
Visited by two sisters, both mediums, who spoke to him about spiritual matters, he heard the voice of a spirit guide who predicted TV and stage appearances and, suddenly, realisation dawned about his special gift.
"I'd had it all my life, I just didn't know what it was," said Paul, of Westbury Wiltshire, who heard voices in his head as a child but, as a teenager, began to block them out – until that fateful day in 2003. "It went absolutely mad from there. It really was fantastic."
But, as you might expect from his occupations as an engineer and as a retained fireman, Paul is a rather down-to-earth character. His family readily accepted his new-found calling but his friends and workmates poked fun when he told them he could talk to dead people. He had to tell them he "didn't give a monkey's" what they thought.
Paul doesn't try to imitate celebrity psychics such as Derek Acorah and Tony Stockwell. "I don't want to follow in anybody's footsteps," he said. "I just want to make sure I'm portrayed the way I am. I've got two normal jobs and I want to keep my feet on the ground. I want to make sure I'm doing what I'm doing for the right reasons."
Paul, currently busy with one-to-one readings, hopes to expand into stage and TV work following a successful theatre event in Bristol in February. "But, ultimately, for me, it's making sure the right person gets the right message," he added. "I want to work with spirit properly."
►Hear my podcast interviews with Paul Derrick, and with celebrity TV psychic Derek Acorah, by visiting the Mysterious West archive on the Western Daily Press website. See the Resources page.