Fifty Years a Medium – Chapter 9, 3/10 by Estelle Roberts

It was not until I had had three or four years’ experience of trance mediumship that Red Cloud asked me to form a circle so that I could train for direct voice development. I was more than willing. There was no difficulty in organizing a circle having as its nucleus Maurice Barbanell, Hannen Swaffer, Shaw Desmond, and Constance Treloar.

These four attended regularly and were augmented by some fifteen to twenty other persons, who varied from séance to séance. None attended without Red Cloud’s prior approval. Occasionally their names would be known to me, but mostly they were strangers, introduced by other members. Names were rarely mentioned, and never when a circle member asked Red Cloud’s permission to bring a friend to the next séance.

Newcomers were warned at the moment of their arrival against volunteering any information that could afterwards be said to have destroyed the value of the evidence they had received. All this was rather conspiratorial and was frankly quite unnecessary because names mean nothing to you when you are in a trance. Nevertheless, it was a practice we persisted in, if for no other reason than that it satisfied the sceptical visitor.

Direct voice communication is perhaps the most convincing evidence of survival after death. The medium’s party is wholly passive since it is not through her vocal chords that the spirit voices are made audible. Before these voices can be heard by the circle a replica of a larynx must be constructed.

The larynx is formed of ectoplasm (drawn partly from the sitters but largely from the medium) acting on psychic rods of power, the whole delicately pitched to the mental vibrations of the medium. The larynx, when constructed, is surrounded by walls of light to protect it from unwanted spirit intruders.

The one who has been chosen is passed inside the walls by the guide with instructions to communicate as clearly as possible. Within the protecting walls the communicator’s vibrations impinge on the larynx and are translated into audible speech which is clearly heard through the trumpet.

A successful demonstration of direct voice is as much dependent on the spirit communicator as on the medium. He must know precisely the message he wants to convey – Red Cloud says it is not unusual to rehearse the hesitant ones – and be able to transmit his message with clarity.

The communicator must be allowed to deliver his message without interruption. Here the circle members play an important part. They must be sympathetic and receptive. Any attempt by one of the sitters to project his own ideas at such a moment will defeat the object of the séance because strong thoughts impose barriers which the communicator cannot break down.

It is easy to harass and confuse a communicator by posing a question for which he has not come prepared with the answer. Usually when this happens he loses control of the trumpet.