Visions, Voices and Dreams.

The Dephic Oracle

Throughout history there have been those who could, apparently, predict the future. Indeed in Greece prediction was officially recognised and practised in a temple at Delphi where the Oracle was a succession of females called Pythia. There were fees charged for the services of the prophetess who gave predictive messages to great historical names such as King Croesus and Alexander The Great. Cities and even countries would send officials to seek advice from the Oracle at Delphi. The method used by the Pythia involved a form of trance brought on by the inhalation of gasses that emitted from within the rocks upon which the temple was built. Whilst in trance the Pythia received communication and visions of the future. Of the Greek poet Homer the Pythia said ‘He shall be deathless and ageless for ever’ and so his name and work is. Though perhaps Homer thought he would physically live forever.

Site of The Delphic Oracle

The problem with many predictive messages, voices and visions, seems to be in recognising their meaning. Priests did the interpretation of the messages given by the Oracle at Delphi. These were often obscure and even after interpretation the meaning was not brilliantly clear. It is so today with the visions dreams and voices that many of us experience requiring clarification. Simply recognising that one has experienced communication from the spirit world is difficult enough as the messages initially come in unfamiliar ways. Interpretation of the message is even more problematical.

Hearing voices when there is no obvious source can be quite disconcerting, at least at first. Yet for clairaudient mediums hearing discarnate voices is normal. However that is not the case for the vast majority of us. Yet there are occasions when many do hear such voices, often this is in time of trouble. Perhaps only a single word is heard, or maybe a name. Whatever it is once you have experienced the phenomena there should be no doubt in your mind that it is real, unless you question your senses. I personally have heard an unseen spirit presence calling my name. I don’t think I’m mad, though others may have a different opinion. I believe that the voice I hear calling my name is warning me. Certainly in times of trouble and strife I have noticed the phenomena presenting itself. During one period, as I was writing the lyrics to a song for the singer P.J. Proby, I heard an unseen spirit shouting my name, ‘John!’…..’John!’ it called to me. My wife was in the main lounge and at first I thought it was she calling of me. However, when I went into the room to see what Mary wanted she assured me that no one had called my name. But they had, I heard it and I should have taken heed and left the trouser splitting Texan well alone.

P J PROBY Featured on Granada TV September 1990 with John. I should have listened to the warning!

A gentleman named Gerald Mills of Sheffield wrote to me telling how he had received a warning from the world of spirit. Mr Mills told me he had been in Bow Street Spiritualist Church one Tuesday afternoon and the medium there had given him a message ‘don’t fight’. Now Mr Mills assures me he is not the aggressive type and would not normally engage in fisticuffs. So, when he heard this short message, he wondered what it might mean. Unfortunately for Mr Mills he was soon to find out.

It was approximately 7.30 that same evening and Gerald Mills saw a strange man prowling about near his home, which is located in a cul-de-sac. Wondering what this stranger wanted Gerald walked out of his house and asked him. ‘I’m lost’ the man told him and, being a gentleman, Gerald offered to direct him. However, this man was not lost, he was a thief. Suddenly Gerald became aware of a spirit presence that told him to hurry back indoors. But the thief was faster than Gerald and ran into his home and started to search the house for money. Remembering the words of warning he had received from the Spiritualist church medium Gerald did not try to physically prevent the thief from stealing his wife’s money. Instead he wisely called for help from his neighbour whose two ex-Army sons grabbed the stranger and handed him over to the police. Gerald Mills is certain that he received a timely warning from the world of spirit that may have saved his life. If he had physically tried to stop the thief from stealing he might have suffered injury so ‘don’t fight’ was good advice indeed.

I have, over the years, toured the UK with a number of professional mediums presenting demonstrations at theatres from Aberdeen to The London Palladium. At one venue in East Kilbride, Scotland the medium on stage gave a message of warning to a lady in the audience. ‘Make sure you have secured you car it’s in danger of being stolen’. The lady thought this quite amusing and was not in the least concerned. However when she left the theatre and went to the car park, there her car wasn’t. It had been stolen even as the medium on stage gave her the warning. Great proof of communication, but just a little too late to be of help.

Sometimes the warning of danger from the spirit world comes as a dream whilst the recipient is asleep. It is a matter of record that immediately prior to the terrible 1966 Aberfan tragedy, in which 128 children and 16 adults lost their lives, a number of individuals, had premonitions of the disaster. One of these was a Mrs Grace Engleton of Sidcup, Kent. She had a dream on the 14^th October, seven days before the tragedy, in which she saw ‘a valley with a big building filled with children. Mountains of coal and water rushing down the valley, burying the building.’ There is good testimony that this dream foretold the future disaster as Mrs Engleton had told a number of people about it, including her neighbour Mrs Rollings who confirmed this in writing.

ABERFAN: WE SHOULD NEVER FORGET THIS TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.

The question is how do we recognise the warnings we receive as Visions, Voices and Dreams? The book stores are full of titles such as ‘Interpret Your Dreams’ or ‘10,000 Dreams and Their Meanings’. Keeping a dream diary is one way of developing ones own ability to interpret dreams. Perhaps also keeping note of all other psychic phenomena would assist in an individual’s ability to make some sense out of the seemingly inexplicable occurrences that may, in fact, be messages from the world beyond. In the recent past in the U.S.A. a gentleman called Robert Nelson set up a Central Premonitions Bureau. This bureau recorded thousands of predictions and premonitions including many that came true, such as the Chappaquiddick incident involving Senator Ted Kennedy, in which a lady died. A woman in Pennsylvania who wrote to Mr Nelson prior to the fact, foresaw this incident in a dream.

Dreams, visons and voices that show us in many different ways images of the future are warnings yet they are not usually effective, that is generally no one pays attention. Perhaps we should.