SEANCES WITH GOD

Don't for one minute be put off by the title of this book. No doubt Dr Jones-Hunt means to catch the eye of the general public as well as providing an important reference book for the serious investigator.Worldwide coverage of man's claimed communication with celestial beings and otherworldly entities over the last few millenniums are detailed this substantial volume.

Dr Jones-Hunt makes no judgement as to the authenticity of the visitations and communications. She concentrates on the various forms of manifestations and communications in the light of modern parapsychology and mediumistic understanding. She also examines from the perspectives of Shamanism and the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg. Part of her abstract states "... (the) book contains an exhaustive survey of the literature concerning Psychic Sensitives with theoretical explanations of mediumship and other metaphysical phenomena. ... (The book) shows the 'family resemblances' of such phenomena observed historically and trans-globally; this book supports the unifying theory that such phenomena are linked to the origin of the major World Religions".

There is excellent coverage and analysis of the many Biblical events involving Celestial communications with Gods or their emissaries etc. The serious mistranslations, intentional or otherwise, that have occurred to many of these ancient accounts are particularly well analysed. The mistranslation problem is especially relevant to the 180 or so pages devoted to the Old Testament where ancient language of somewhat limited vocabulary provided much scope for misinterpretation on translation into more sophisticated or comprehensive languages. Not all ancient languages have limited vocabulary - Sanskrit has about twelve words to describe 'love'. We have to make do with the one word!

To a lesser extent, translation problems are apparent in the section devoted to the New Testament. Although here there is the added factor that politicised theological interference over the centuries has vigorously promoted the exoteric (the Outer Teachings) rather than esoteric (the Inner Teachings) aspect of Christianity prevalent pre Council of Nicaea in 325AD. This suppressed the extent of mediumistic type communication with a deity or celestial beings in those early days of Christianity.

Skipping on to the section devoted to the Seventh to the Seventeenth Century, there is coverage of mediumistic communications plus prophetic and precognitive guidance of some of the great Christian Saints, and of course, the seer Nostradamus. Greater exposure is given to the Eighteenth Century onwards. It is particularly pleasing to see 21 pages devoted to Emanuel Swedenborg, who does not receive as much attention as he rightly deserves these days.

Swedenborg is considered by many to have laid the foundation from which modern Spiritualism developed. This in turn lead to the birth of the Society for Psychical Research and later on, perhaps the main trigger for the formation of the academic discipline, Parapsychology. There is a proficient introduction to the famous Cross-Correspondence communications and to the Super ESP debate. Modern theories by David Bohm, Karl Pribram (SMN), Archie Roy (SMN) and others are also succinctly covered.

In the conclusions to this section, contemporary phenomena is looked at in the light of worldwide historical mediumistic accounts and compared to the ideas of Plato (the transmigration of souls after death). It would have been great to have seen more pages on worldwide shamanic traditions, Eastern religions and ancient Greece. These sections are not so comprehensive covered as the Biblical and contemporary sections. However, to cover these areas to the same degree would have at least doubled or trebled the size of this already substantial volume.

This is very much a scientific rather than philosophical book with the author taking a none-judgemental view on the source of the communications. However, the following quotes from her book give an insight into her own thoughts. "The survival of physical death, the existence of non-physical realms and forms of judgement are beliefs demonstrated by adherents to many world religions including Shamanism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam" and "Assessing the level of spirituality of all spiritual philosophies and spiritually orientated mediumistic communications can be ascertained by evaluating the level taught of love, compassion, forgiveness and therefore doing no harm to human, animal and the Planet."