Association of Spritual Workers..? Has anyone heard of them ?

[dalriada]

Just came across the website of the Association of Spiritual Workers

One of their round table members, Graham Hewitt, who has a remit for legal advice, a a fifth generation spiritualist, with psychic abilities,a qualified solicitor with an iinterest in indigo children etc. makes the claim that:

He has also assisted the Parapsychology department at the University of Northampton, University of Sussex in particular investigating cases where individuals have been committed to mental institutions, where they are in fact developing mediums and not diagnosed as such by medical practitioners

I don't think the University of Sussex has a parapsychology department (does it?) nor, strictly speaking, does the University of Northampton, although they do have a Parapsychology research centre CSAPP operating with the psychology department.

Does anyone know anything about Graham Hewitt and if he really is involved with psychologists at the University of Northampton in casework, snatching mediums from the jaws of misdiganosing medical practitioners?

[FarSideOfTheMoon]

I know nothing of him in particular. I had stumbled across that site (unfortunately ) quite recently tho. I thought I had maybe posted here or on BadPsychics, but I could be mistaken.

It seems to be a bit of a 'look at us, we're the genuine ones' exercise

Isn't self-regulation wonderful?

[Mongrel]

Isn't self-regulation wonderful?

All the trappings of officialness without any of those boring 'rules' or 'standards'

[ForAllOfThis]

Heres a point:

How many mediums do you think are genuine schizophrenics that just haven't been diagnosed? Their behaviour fits the symptoms for shziophrenia down to a tee. I'm pretty sure some people have been put in an institute for less.

What do you think?

Notice the petition on the right hand side of the page for spiritual work that they are taking to downing street?

[SimonC]

Heres a point:

How many mediums do you think are genuine schizophrenics that just haven't been diagnosed? Their behaviour fits the symptoms for shziophrenia down to a tee. I'm pretty sure some people have been put in an institute for less.

What do you think?

I'm not too sure about that idea. I think the voices that schizophrenics experience are very often perceived as actively hostile, and do not bear any narrative relation to the reality of the schizophrenic's life

The voices that mediums claim to hear, by contrast, seem to respond appropriately to the medium's circumstances, and are generally held to be controllable; mediums usually claim that they can 'turn off' the communication when it isn't required.

It's perhaps possible that some schizophrenics may assume some kind of communication with the dead as part of their illness, but I have doubts that a person with such a profound problem would then be able to function on a day-to-day level.

[chillzero]

I agree.
Having been part of that community, I think it's overactive imagination, rather than actual occurring symptoms.

I mean, I hold internal conversations a lot - still - and sometimes the 'other voice' doesn't sound like myself, but I don't attribute it to someone else any longer. I think maybe when that happens my mind adds to the ... I don't know how to put this ... the 'authority of the common-sense "voice" ' ... by making me think of my dad, or someone else I would tend to defer to.

And to add to the point about mediums 'switching off', I can decide to put these internal debates to a stop even if I haven't yet come to a decision. I would think that if I was basically telling a spirit to shut up, they'd fight back a little sometimes.

[ForAllOfThis]

Ok lets say I hear a voice tonight, not in my mind but actually hear it.

Its an extremely deep voice. There is no-one around who could be making the noise. The first thing my mind would do is to find an explanation. The thing about people with disorders don't know that they have disorders.

Anyway the deep voice is similar to how gods voice is portrayed on the TV. Therefore I could assume the voice is god. So what if I don't believe in god?

Is it easier for me to accept that the voice might be from a spirit or I am hearing voices? Mediums talk about getting bad vibes or speaking to bad spirits, it is possible that these are the hostile voices.

Still it is much more likely that mediums are just frauds that use cold reading and hot reading techniques (conciously or unconciously) rather than un-diagnosed schizophrenic patient.

[chillzero]

I'm sorry, I have no idea what point you are trying to make with most of that post.

I agree with the last sentence though.

[FarSideOfTheMoon]

You can account for enough psychics through self-delusion and deliberate fraudulent activity, that I honestly don't think you even need to throw in a schizophrenic hypothesis.

[Julia]

Dalriada, I've just checked - the University of Sussex has never had a Parapsychology Department.

[tolman]

He has also assisted the Parapsychology department at the University of Northampton, University of Sussex in particular investigating cases where individuals have been committed to mental institutions,

Maybe he's just bad at geography, and he thinks Northampton is actually in Sussex?

[dalriada]

Thanks for checking that out Julia. The Association of Spiritual Workers seem quite vocal in protesting against the new consumer protection laws. I followed up their website link from one of the news websites and saw that they now appear to have removed the reference to their work with university parapsychology research and rescuing mediums from mental health services...

I suspect that was not entirely a figment of the imagination though!

[tolman]

... they now appear to have removed the reference to their work with university parapsychology research and rescuing mediums from mental health services...

I suspect that was not entirely a figment of the imagination though!

The original page is currently still in the Google cache (and saved for posterity on my PC).

[monkeynuts]

I have just joined this group. I know Graham Hewitt I am afraid to say. He is a great name dropper if he goes to a meeting of 3000 people where the Dhalai Lhama ( think that is how it is spelt) is speaking then he has had a private audience.

As for Mediums and Healers there are some good ones out there unfortunatly like Graham there are many who think they are good but are not and do work off what they are told by the person who is getting the reading.

Remember if you ever see a Medium work the three answers are all you need Yes No don't know don't feed the Medium let them tell you.

Healers must believe in what they do the Christian church has Healing services, and healers use the same powers,

Last thing if spiritualists have to prove what they say does the same apply to the other religions? i.e christians prove that Christ existed and was the son of God without the bible?

[highflyertoo]

It's strange how the laws can lock you up for pyschiatric assement if you are claiming to hear voices or having spirits talk to you or are seeing spirits .

Yet if one is a Catholic Preacher who claims to see the supernatural in an oil painting then that person is invited to the next government function as an honourable guest .

If the Pentecostals are claiming to speak in tongues or being drunk in the spirit then those people are not put in mental institutions.

By definition of law the Preachers here in Australia could be made involutary patients fror claiming to have God speak to them .
THAT'S HEARING VOICES WITHOUT EVIDENCE .