Frequently Asked Questions

The topics mentioned here are a response to the many enquiries I receive and I sincerely hope they enable others to understand this vast subject.
- Shaun Dennis

The content of these subjects represent the views of the author and may differ from others. The serious enquirer should seek out many opinions and form their own judgment on the topics covered.

What sort of people do you both admire and respect?

All those that look after our physical, mental or spiritual well-being; such as doctors, carers, nurses, cleaners, police officers, the armed services, and charitable organisations.

It does include sincere public servants, journalists and aid workers who both risk and have lost their lives in the many troubled spots of the world.

Do all people believe in the Spirit World?

Sadly not, but most people in the world believe in some form of afterlife. To explain, imagine a line, that at one end are the people that totally believe and at the other those that completely disbelieve. Everyone else lies somewhere in between.

The very sceptical have a view of existence that excludes all paranormal phenomena. Their belief system excludes not only psychics and mediums but God too. I believe that is the position of Y.N.D (initials) as well. To that extent their opinion about all such matters is based on the physical and rational world. It is a perfectly understandable position. Indeed, I would much rather live in a society that allows different opinions than one that does not.

Therefore to a sceptic, if a medium claims to have received a full name when performing in front of an audience, they will assume that the information was obtained by a non- paranormal method such as chance, guesswork or some form of trickery. They may, for instance, form the view that the medium had access to the names and addresses of theatre audience members.

At this point I would like to state that we have never asked for such information prior to a show. Indeed, it is highly unlikely that any theatre would provide it if asked. Furthermore, even for those shows we book through our own office, only a person’s initials are asked for, not their names, for that very reason. This policy has been in place for some years. The point being, that we feel very strongly that a medium should have no prior information regarding his or her audience members.

We believe that it is important that each person forms their own view about psychic medium-ship. In fairness, to a non-believer asking someone to accept the existence of a spirit being let alone any ability for him or her to be able to communicate can be a huge step for someone.

Faith and belief for many are often very private matters. All we ask at shows is for people to come with an open mind.

What types of people attend your shows?

Wide ranges from those who have lost somebody from our side of life, people that are interested in paranormal subjects, fellow mediums and the curious too. Those of a sensitive nature are certainly interested in the subject. For instance, it is my experience that many females are naturally intuitive and are drawn to the subject of life after death.

There have been occasions when I have carried out follow-up visits to the homes of people who have attended my shows. Two of those that are shown in the second page of the Media Section of my website were also featured in a two page spread in a national magazine called Chat its fate.

The first of these, Marie Black, concerns a television documentary she was featured in as a direct result of a very serious assault she was subjected to. At a performance, I gave her a message from her grandmother (who also gave her name) and the road where they lived before this unfortunate event had taken place. During this spirit message the exact location of the houses within that road were also mentioned. However what was really surprising is that she did feature in a documentary as a result of this tragic incident. At the time I didn’t know it was going to be as the result of her being the victim of a personal attack

One aspect of this situation that I would like to point out is that despite having to deal with this harrowing assault, Marie and her daughter are like others in this World, trying to put their life back together again. This fine young lady has already had facial reconstructive surgery and is likely to need more. Her mother, also called Marie has been a constant source of strength throughout. Thank God for mothers like this!

The other story that was featured in the magazine is about Susanne Todd that attended one of my shows. Her husband now in spirit made a very moving connection with her that provided some surprising details including his name and the names of other family/friends that came with her along with the number on her door. An after-show interview of her is also shown on the second page of the Media Section of my website. They are also featured on the Testimonials Section of this site. To me, the females mentioned above are the real heroes! I never cease to be surprised at the tremendous inner reserves of strength that women like these can call upon when tragedy strikes.

What type of person becomes a medium?

A high concern for the welfare of others is normally present. This extends to all living creatures. Many, like myself, are vegetarians. A strong faith is obviously a great asset too as is a non-judgemental attitude wherever possible.

The person will possess a deeper level of empathy and sensitivity involving so-called sixth sense abilities enabling them to act as an instrument between ‘Worlds’. Although great emphasis is placed on psychic abilities, in my view, these channels are being put to their best use when they are applied to bring comfort and reassurance to the lives of others. This, in essence, is the work of a medium.

Usually, but not always, a medium first serves for many years in a voluntary way for The Spiritualist Movement. This was the road I followed. Indeed, during my life I have spent many years in gaining valuable experience while involved in voluntary roles of one sort or another.

At some point events will take place to persuade the medium to devote all of their working time to the role. For some this can be a major event in their lives such as a potentially life-threatening illness or perhaps losing someone very special from this side of life.

The path of medium-ship obviously requires a high level of commitment. Contrary to some views money is not the driving force. For if it was, the medium would not have spent so many years out several times a week in all weathers on a voluntary basis.

There is a view that some backgrounds are better than others in helping a person to become a medium. Its situations such as these that have provided me with the honour of touching the lives of people in a very meaningful way which can be a very humbling experience. However, my background before public stage medium-ship also involved working with people in challenging official roles and situations, training or representing them in various ways. The earlier ones certainly involved the sharp end of life and some of them resulted in court prosecutions for those who harmed members of the community.

Being able to stand in front of an audience or congregation and keep calm and confident is essential along with a strong sense of humour!

Why can’t the Spirit World provide full names all the time in their communications?

We must try to understand that the spirit body does not have a physical voice box as we have and they do live in another sort of dimension called by many names including heaven. It can be an immense task for them to place recognisable information into the mind of a medium.

By using pictures, feelings and what I sometimes call living thoughts they try to get the right message to our side of life. For instance, you will often hear a medium saying something like ‘Its either Stephen or Stephanie because very often they are able to get the ‘Steph’ thought in but not always the ending of the word.

Similarly, if when giving a road the first part might be clear but the ending less so. I remember giving a message to a lady saying its Green something. I was half expecting her to say its Green Lane or Greenfields Lane. She just smiled with surprise and said ‘my surname is Green’. We both laughed.

It is my firm belief that one day we will all fully accept the reality of the continuation of the living soul. All forms of communication have their difficulties. If we try and understand it from the spirit loved one’s point of view rather than a sometimes-limited opinion on this side of life, we might be then able to work with their attempts rather than against them.

Mediums have made the conscious choice to devote part of their lives to be both a channel and bridge between worlds. Although the public performers are well known, there are countless others who serve in Spiritualist Churches day-in and day-out, wishing to bring comfort to the bereaved. For all genuine mediums, that is their best and most meaningful reward!

Are 1 to 1 spirit readings always possible?
(Private Readings)

Many mediums will tell you that for a variety of reasons, private home readings on a one to one basis can’t always take place at a particular time for a person. Fortunately, its only a small percentage but it can happen. Some of the explanations for this can be understood, others cannot. Remember that a medium is an instrument, who when the circumstances are opportune and balanced, will receive information and interpret it. If the message can’t be sent at a particular time accept it and try again when the connection between worlds is more favourable. Otherwise, it’s a bit like blaming the postman when the letter wasn’t sent or calling the television names when the signal is affected by bad weather.  

From what we know of the Heaven World, it’s a place where thoughts of peace, love, compassion and harmony exist. It follows, therefore, that the ability of spirit loved ones to make effective thought communication with a medium will be hampered when these qualities are at a low level, or in some extreme cases, totally absent at the time and place of the reading.

The best approach is to be open-minded and relaxed. Otherwise, negative or tense atmospheres can be produced thereby interfering with the very process of spirit communication. Cynical attitudes, are therefore, by their very nature, unlikely to produce very favourable results.

Try to avoid interpretations such as ‘they don’t exist, or they don’t want to get in touch’. To some extent, all links are experiments in communication. I prefer stage work since as my website show recordings demonstrate, some remarkable links can be made with the spirit world regarding the accuracy of information that is produced.

Despite its paranormal nature, spirit communication must follow certain laws that have yet to be fully comprehended. Working with the issues we do understand is surely a far more positive approach to the process than dismissing it because it didn’t work for you at a particular time.  

Why do you ask for initials rather than names when people wish to reserve tickets by phone using the 0151 281 5539 number?

To explain, many shows are now arranged through the theatre box offices that take their own details which we don’t have access to, or indeed ask for.

However, some contact numbers are through our own office and we only ask for initials so no previous knowledge is in our possession of the names or addresses of customers. This policy has been in place for a number of years now. It has been put to Shaun on a number of occasions that the firm could benefit with market research and future mail outs if we had such details. Shaun maintains that it is vital he has no awareness of a customer’s personal details so that his messages can be seen to be 100% genuine.

Tickets booked through our own office have no assigned place in the room for the same reason.

Do you believe in Reincarnation?

I believe that the core essence of our eternal spiritual nature is our soul. Its quest is to constantly improve which can be achieved, like other aspects of our lives, by a series of tests.

To that end, each thought, word or action can bring us nearer to the divine centre or further away from it. Our physical lives and some of the choices we make during our time this side of the veil provide us with the opportunities to improve our spiritual nature. I believe that this progress can either take place within the heavenly realms or by making the right decisions during a series of earthly lives. Many of the people who have been subject to a procedure called regression have often reported in extraordinary detail what happened to them, in what many believe as past lives. I used to perform with Alan Bates who applied this method on willing individuals, which produced some very interesting results on many occasions. I too, many years ago, used to regress volunteers in special sessions when working within the Spiritualist Church Movement. Many of these outcomes were also very surprising in their content. Once again, however, I would prefer it if the reader used their own judgement when forming opinions about this fascinating subject.

 

Do the spirit world communicate with you all the time?

Most people who have been professionally trained in this type of work will be both taught and advised to ‘open up’ before acting as a spirit link and to properly ‘close down’ at the end of a session. Failure to do this could lead to unwanted intrusions within our ordinary day-to-day lives.

What ‘deaths’ have you found to be most difficult?

Each passing is both unique and moving in its own way to those affected. However, the loss of a child I have found to be very traumatic for parents to cope with. I have come across a number of children who have taken their lives after being bullied. I remember my own upbringing and being subject to both physical and verbal abuse by those who were racist and thought I was either Jewish, Pakistani or Black. All were upsetting although the first two seemed to be more ingrained in these misguided individuals. I’m sure there are many out there in the broader World Community who can relate to this sort of offensive behaviour.

Those children faced with such attacks respond differently depending on their own perceived situation. For me it was a response of intense and prolonged unarmed combat training, which put a stop to the bullying. There are many, however, who feel trapped by these unfortunate circumstances instead of making them public and seeking the appropriate help. It is issues like racism or bullying that have to be kept at the forefront of our minds in order that its shadow can be removed from society.

Do evil spirits exist?

Opinions on this one differ. I take the view that good and evil exists on this side of the veil and in the inner realms too. Like many questions, a response involving a few lines is inevitably inadequate. Our main concern should be the harm that one human being can do to another. Perhaps the greatest evidence of this in history are the acts of attempted genocide. Events such as the Holocaust, the slaughter of the innocents in Rwanda and now what is taking place in Darfur. In addition, we should not forget the countless lives that have been affected by that dark stain on human history referred to as the Slave Trade. There are some people on this planet that have experienced many centuries if not thousands of years of persecution, merely because of their race, colour or creed.

Does the medium summon spirits to communicate?

Those on the other side know when a session involving communication between worlds is going to take place and will make the necessary preparations. Decisions will be made by those on the higher side of life of those spirit people who will be involved at that particular event. To that end it is more of a request rather than a demand.

To summon a spirit can be done but isn’t it going against the law of mutual respect? Students of the subject will know of the stories of sorcerers and necromancers who used rites of invocation to summon spirits often with a selfish motive such as the discovery of treasure etc. For their own protection, they would stand within a very carefully prepared magic circle and not leave it until the spirit entity involved had returned to their realm. My own view is that when thinking of a spirit person with love, a signal is both sent and received and the occupant of the inner realms will draw close. This is one explanation for the countless reports of apparitions or paranormal phenomena that occur when situations of family strife occur. I have investigated quite a number myself, including a female who was being physically and emotionally abused. Her grandfather on the higher side of life named himself and the culprit involved along with some detailed images of what had been taking place.

 

I believe in the spirit world but my husband is still sceptical, what should I do?

Absolutely nothing. Your husband has a right to his point of view and that should be respected. After all, its one of those subjects that we all have to make our minds about depending on our own faith, awareness and personal experiences. Lets face it, to a non believer, its quite a tall order to accept particularly those who may have witnessed a great deal of suffering of the human body In reality, many people retain a degree of scepticism. Even if a spirit form manifested at one of my shows, other than having the effect on the audience of clearing the room in two minutes flat, there would still be those who would feel that the spirit appearance had been produced through some form of projected image.

What is meant by the term ‘raising the vibrations?’

It is easier for those in the spirit world to communicate with people on our side of life when the psychic atmosphere of the room has a spiritual quality similar to that of the heaven world. The singing of hymns in a Spiritualist Church can raise the vibrations. Therefore, the combined effect of either positive or negative thoughts on the room where the event is to be held can be considerable. It has often been said that the medium applies his or her trade within a sea of grief. Unfortunately, such deep sadness can have a depressing effect on the surrounding atmosphere. Fortunately, the profound love within this thought energy can balance it out and can make an excellent channel for effective communication to take place. Audience members are more involved in the atmosphere of the show than they realise.

Can the deceased contact us in our dreams?
Our loved ones in spirit are best able to make themselves known when we are at our most relaxed and not distracted by the thoughts of our everyday lives. The dream state meets both of these requirements. Don't be to troubled if the dream is distorted as these efforts to communicate can become muddled with by our normal thought processes.

In what ways other than dreaming can the spirit world get in touch with us?
The easiest way to answer this question is to point out that for each of our normal senses, there is a corresponding psychic sense. Some people sense their loved ones by 'feeling that they are close'. Others might see a spirit person or smell a fragrance that is very familiar, at a time and place where nothing this side of life could produce it. It really depends on the sensitivity of your own psychic senses and the circumstances at the time.

What do you say to those people that say 'you can't talk to the dead!'
I say that they are right! The point being, that their spirits are eternal and only their phsyical body is 'dead'. Furthermore, communication is normally from them to us on a sort of mind-to-mind basis.

Can anybody be a medium?
Views differ on this question. My own opinion is that while it is possible for us all to receive some form of impression sent by the 'other side', more detailed communications may only be possible with particular sensitive qualities.

Have you ever come up against any evil spirits and when was this?
I prefer to use the term darker entities. Most people in my profession will encounter these beings sooner or later in their work.

How do you cope with the sadness of the people that you meet?
By praying for their wellbeing and comfort and trying to lift their hearts in the relatively brief time I spend with them.

How close is the spirit world?

I take the view that part of it, at least, interpenetrates with our world but cannot be seen except with certain clairvoyant vision.

One way of thinking about it is another dimension, as shown in science fiction films. Some of you may have experienced a shiver when out walking or standing. People often describe this experience as 'someone walking over your grave'. Actually, it can often be caused when a spirit of a particular energy type passes through your own energy field. This should not be viewed as harmful in any way, even though the effect can be quite startling at the time.

Can our spirit loved ones visit us?
Most definitely! They continue to take an interest in our lives, although their concerns are more to do with our emotional, physical and spiritual well-being rather than anything of a materialistic nature. They often visit at celebrations such as birthdays or weddings. People with sixth sense abilities will notice their presence at such gatherings. It can be very frustrating for them because they are aware of us but know that we cannot always sense them. Like on this side of the veil, they do respect our privacy. Remember, that life takes on a different angle when the normal phsyical drives are absent.

Do our loved ones forgive us if we weren't able to be with them during their last moments in this world?
It is very understandable to be concerned about such matters but loved ones are very much aware of our lives and do not occupy their minds in any way about what they see as unimportant issues. They can be troubled by our feelings about these events, so it is best to put difficult memories of the past out of your minds and move-on, they have!

My mother was in considerable pain when she passed and this thought troubles me. Is she still suffering?
It is only the phsyical body that registers such pain although there can be a period of mental adjustment to the spirit person's new environment and the fact that their physical life has cme to an end. Therefore, your mother cannot carry that bodily suffering into the next world. Those on the other side can make a medium aware of certain physical sensations connected with their previous illness but this is for information and recognition purposes only. I hope you can understand the logic of this point of view and that it re-assures you.

Do thoughts have power?

Even from a psychological point of view, negative thoughts can have a poisoning affect on the state of a person’s mind. Every action that has taken place in the physical world, began firstly as a thought. To that extent, we can heal or harm with them. Even the most casual examination of human history reveals this realisation.

Those who have studied or applied the mysteries will be aware of the magus using ‘words of power’ when working. To some extent, all spiritual ceremonies make use of this practise. Its surprising, within mystical circles, of how many still become careless with their thoughts. It is my view, and that of others who have studied the subject, that a sort of cause and effect chain of events can occur to those seeking to harm others by their thoughts, words or actions. To that end, we indeed reap that which we sow. This interpretation will have a more pertinent relevance to those who have applied the darker magical techniques in seeking to achieve their desired results. This may well be one possible explanation for the expression ‘what goes around comes around!’ Think in your own lives and I’m sure there have been many times when words alone have been used to intentionally hurt you. Some people seem to make a habit of it causing discord wherever they go. It is not unusual for such people to critically identify others by their colour, race or perhaps some physical characteristic that is less than perfect. In so doing they reveal more about themselves than those they seek to find fault with.

Do spells work?

Spells usually use a system of correspondences to link-in with the invisible realms and harness the potencies that reside there. Depending on the skill and knowledge of the operator an outcome may or may not be achieved. At an innocent level they can be seen as no more than a series of innocent affirmations to psychologically improve a set of circumstances. Others are of the belief , however, that they can be much more than this!

Most spells are about bringing about positive results. Some, the minority, have more harmful intentions. A critic will feel justified in claiming that this is all hogwash and this opinion is somewhat understandable in our modern world. I would prefer the reader to also take a cautious view since there are those within this field that make extravagant claims regarding these methods.