Fifty Years a Medium – Chapter 2, 7/14 by Estelle Roberts

There began for me a gradual process of the unfolding of the psychic powers necessary for the fulfilment of my mission. This was accomplished, not by special training, but simply by opening up my mind to receive impressions from the spirit world and in so doing becoming the instrument for the exercise of the divine power through Red Cloud.

I would like at this point to correct a common misconception of the manner in which spirit guides are sometimes said to treat their mediums. It is frequently suggested that guides force their way through to mediums without any regard for their feelings. I must stress this is emphatically not the case.

Red Cloud has always treated me with gentleness and the greatest consideration for my health and well being. He has never asked me to do anything to which I have not freely given consent. Always he has insisted that not only mediums but all men and women have free will to act as they choose, and with it goes the responsibility for their actions.

An interesting example is the case of a young man who came to me seeking proof of Survival. He was anxious to get in touch with his father in the spirit world. Red Cloud told him: “I am sorry, my son, but I cannot bring your father to see you. When he was on earth he believed that after his death he would sleep until Resurrection Day. I cannot interfere with his free will. He now sleeps in one of the rest homes in the spirit world.”

From this it will be seen that spirit people cannot be called back against their will to communicate with those on earth. They come only if they wish to do so. There can be no questions of “raising the dead” as so many people erroneously assert.

I began to take many meetings in many districts round London, at Spiritualist churches at Hampton Hill, Richmond, Surbiton, Wimbledon – to mention only a few-giving clairvoyance, clairaudience ( a means by which I hear spirit voices), healing and trance lectures. At Richmond Spiritual Church a curious incident occurred when a picture was taken by a psychic photographer who, although a non-professional, was operating under test conditions.

When the plate was developed it contained a ray of light in the form of a spear, the head and shaft being clearly distinguishable. It was winter-time. There was no sun, and there was no window in the direction from which the spear was pointing. I had not seen the spear clairvoyantly when the photograph was taken. I can only surmise that the purpose of its appearance was to symbolize the piercing of darkness of ignorance by the light of understanding.