Channelling is the modern term for mediumship which claims to provide contact with the spirits of the departed. It has become fashionable in recent years for channellers to claim communication with spirits from Atlantis and or Lemuria/Mu! As a means of assisting in the quest for Atlantis, channelling, in the opinion of your compiler, is about as useful as a packet of sausages. To put it at its simplest, why have none of the published psychics and psychotics, who claim to have communication links with departed Atlanteans have never been able to offer a verifiable location of Atlantis?
A recent article regarding psychics and police work has only strengthened my scepticism(a)(b). Simon Singh, the well-known author, recently penned an article on the subject(c)(d).
When law courts allow channelled information to be admitted in evidence, I will be happy to change my opinion. While speaking of courts I should point out that the evidence of witnesses is preferred where there is corroboration, partly in recognition of the fragility of memory(f) and partly because of the risk of lying. How do you corroborate that the ‘spirit source’ of a medium is real? A recent study(g)
of a high profile medium Allison DuBois would do little to encourage channelling as a dependable tool.
In the meanwhile, it might be worth reading an article by Karla McKlaren, a former New Age leader, on her conversion to scepticism(e).
(a) http://www.miller-mccune.com/culture/psychic-detectives-have-a-perfect-record-35601
(c) http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/oct/13/sally-morgan-prove-psychic-powers
(d)
http://www.simonsingh.net/2011/10/that%e2%80%99s-entertainment-or-an-experiment-or-neither/
(e) http://www.csicop.org/si/show/bridging_the_chasm_between_two_cultures
(f)
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/29/health/the-certainty-of-memory-has-its-day-in-court.html?_r=1
(g)
http://www.csicop.org/si/show/medium_allison_dubois_is_testedand_failsin_the_real_world
