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An
Interview with Gordon Smith
(Interviewed by BODY MIND SPIRIT MAGAZINE September
2004)
(Gordon Smith's accuracy
is just absolutely stunning as a medium. Gordon uses non-physical energy to perform
what I would call miracles. Scientists are now examining this non-physical energy
of mediumship, because once irretrievably and empirically harnessed at will, it
will inevitably create a revolution in the way we think, in our values, in our
beliefs. Victor Zammit)
Internationally
acclaimed medium Gordon Smith has been studying the world of spirit for many years.
In this extraordinary book, The Unbelievable Truth, he takes a close look at the
subjects that have fascinated and amazed people for centuries: life after death,
reincarnation, the afterlife, and experiences of heaven and hell. Using the special
inner sight with which he was born, Gordon takes the reader on a journey through
the spirit world and into the cycles of life and death. In his quest to find the
truth and be able to answer the many questions that people ask him at his talks
and seminars, Gordon has conducted interviews with scientists, Tibetan lamas,
healers, and other gifted mediums. He combines this research with his own remarkable
experiences of encounters with the spirit world. The contents of this book will
challenge our view of reality. In his clear and down-to-earth style, Gordon approaches
his subject head-on. He cuts through the illusion and fakery to get to the core
of the truth about the spirit world and the continuing existence of human consciousness.
Q: Is it true that you don't charge a fee for your mediumistic abilities?
A: Quite true-I make no charge whatsoever for private sittings. For demonstrations
of mediumship in churches, there is also no charge. However, when I do a special
event, such as a demonstration in theater or auditorium, there is a fee-but all
the proceeds are given to charity.
I make some money from my newspaper column
and book, and of course from my barber shop in Glasgow .
Q: Has working
as a medium on the international stage changed your life in any way?
A:
Oh, yes-I have so little free time now! Working abroad is really a pleasure, because
it allows me to come into contact with so many interesting people. But it can
also be very taxing. It's often difficult to concentrate when I'm working late
at night and have to rise early the following morning.
I do find, on the other
hand, that reaching a more varied audience allows me to see how others accept
death and deal with what's comes next.
Q: There has been a lot of interest
in supernatural matters of late, in television, radio, magazines, and film. Is
all this media attention to the work you and others like yourself do, a good thing?
A: Well, of course it's like all things-you get good and bad in everything.
Some media attention is great, but on the other hand, there are many cases where
the media portrays the supernatural in a very negative light. The secret to maintaining
a good relationship between the work I do and the media is objectivity. If the
media approach my work with an open mind and don't seek to condemn or subvert
it from the word go, then people will get a much better-and, indeed, more accurate-picture.
Q:
What about people who would oppose you on religious grounds?
A: I'm very
fortunate to live in a country where people are free to practice whatever religion
they choose, and I've been equally fortunate to work in countries where the same
is also true. People are always going to have opposing views on matters of faith-but
then with freedom of speech, that's their prerogative.
I'm certainly not seeking
to "convert" anyone to Spiritualism, nor am I decrying anyone else's
belief system. There's nothing evil about my work, I'm not contacting evil spirits,
and I'm not in league with the Devil. Before people pass judgement, I would ask
that they visit a Spiritualist Church -where we worship the same God as Christians,
Muslims, and Jews-and see for themselves what it's like.
Q: There's wide
speculation that you've given private sittings to various celebrities. Can you
tell us any interesting tales?
A: No! Whenever I do a private sitting
for someone, whether that person is world famous or an average Joe, everything
stays private. I never reveal anything that transpires in a sitting to anyone.
People immediately assume that because a medium or psychic has his or her
name in the paper, they must have done sittings for famous people. That simply
isn't the case. And even if I had done sittings for anyone publicly known, I would
never let on.
Q: You said "medium or psychic" in your last answer-is
there a difference between the two?
A: Yes, there is a difference. Its
like cognac and brandy-all cognacs are brandy's, but not all brandy's are cognacs.
Similarly, all mediums are psychic, however, not all psychics are mediums.
A
medium is someone who can communicate with a person who has physically died and
passed over to the Spirit World. A psychic is someone who can read other's thoughts
and tap in to their emotions, but can't necessarily make contact with the deceased.
Q:
What happens when you can't make contact with the other side for someone?
A:
I would have to tell the person, of course. I can't just make something up-it
wouldn't be fair to the person involved, and it wouldn't be fair to me either.
Sometimes there's simply no contact with the Spirit World, and there isn't anything
I can do about that. I'm a medium, after al-a mouthpiece for the spirits who wish
to speak through me. I can't coerce or force them to speak, and I wouldn't want
to.
It has happened before that I can't get a contact, so I explain that to
the sitter and I advise him or her to perhaps come back at a later date. Sometimes
people aren't ready to receive communication and must wait. Other times people
have more luck with another medium. It's an area that's still little understood.
Q:
What was your motivation for writing your book, Spirit Messenger: The Remarkable
Story of a Seventh Son of a Seventh Son ?
A: Money! I'm just kidding,
of course. In all seriousness, I felt that I should put pen to paper and write
about some of the experiences that I've enjoyed through mediumship, and some of
the less enjoyable ones, too. By doing this I hoped to open up mediumship to an
audience who otherwise would have looked upon it with hostility and ignorance.
By lacing the book with humor and amusing anecdotes, I hoped to show people
that mediumship and Spiritualism aren't what they're often thought to be. I wanted
to dispel the traditional-and, more often than not, false-images of Spiritualism
as old women in darkened rooms, holding hands around card tables.
Hopefully
people will take what they can from my book, and if so, it will have been worth
it.
Q: You've taken part in scientific tests regarding the work you do.
Can you tell us anything about these tests?
A: Yes. The tests I participated
in were for two researchers in Scotland -Professor Archie Roy, who is Emeritus
Professor of Astronomy at the University of Glasgow , and Ms. Tricia Robertson,
a statistician. The tests were conducted most rigorously and kept to very strict
scientific protocols, as supervised by both Professor Roy and Ms. Robertson.
The
tests measured the accuracy of the information given by a medium; that is, how
much of what is said by a medium could be accepted as more than just generalizations.
My score was 98%, which I am told is the highest of any of the mediums they tested.
More important, it shows that not all mediums just make generalizations. It's
another little nugget to be used against people who would deride my work.
Q: Finally, are you able to switch off your ability, or do you hear spirits
all the time? Do your abilities ever intrude on your life?
A: I can "switch
it off," so to speak, but that ability only comes with years of training.
It's all about mental discipline, really. Mediums who are just starting out may
find that they have little or no control over their abilities, but as you progress
and develop the necessary skills to control your abilities, then you're able to
use your talents in a much more focused way.
Without this development, I would
find my own private life intruded upon; therefore, it really is a necessity to
learn to control such abilities. My private life is my private life, and I enjoy
some space away from my work at the end of the day. Otherwise I'd never get a
minute's peace and quiet!
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