Psychography (or slate writing)

My apologies for not posting anything in recent days but I have been away from home without access to the internet. I hope you enjoy this piece describing a form of mediumship that does not seem to exist any longer. Alongside is an example of Psychography that is in my possession. It is a message signed by the great American Healer Dr. J.R. Newton who visited England in the nineteenth century and gave remarkable healings. The medium for the writing was Pierre Keeler.

The following is what appears on the slate:

Lionel

Dear Friend,

How glad we are to come to you today, as long we have been near you but we love to make our presence felt and it gives us new force and courage. Please try to catch and follow closely the many impressions we flash on your sensitive brain that we may guide you along the path that leads to your own success and helps us to finish our work for and through you. Many years of good work and forever helping others to the light are before you. Be of good cheer, all is well.

Dr J.R. Newton



Slate writing was one of the earliest, and at that time, one of the most evidential forms of mediumship, especially in the hands of such a gifted exponent as Fred Evans. A detailed account of his mediumship can be found in the book “Psychography – through the mediumship of Fred P. Evans” by J.J.Owen, published in 1893.

Fred Evans was born in Liverpool, England but moved to San Francisco in California when in his thirties after leading a seafaring life. He found that he had a gift whereby writing mysteriously appeared on the inside of two slates when they were bound together. He became famous because although one or two tried to accuse him of trickery, the charges never stuck because his mediumship was so open and above-board, to say nothing of the detailed nature of the messages that appeared on his slates.

He always allowed sitters to bring their own slates if they wished, ensured they were securely fastened together and sealed with wax seals and above all, ensured the slates remained in full view of the sitter/audience at all times and that the sittings/public demonstrations took place in bright light.

Before the slates were bound together a small piece of slate crayon was inserted between them. During the writing, people would hear the scratching of the crayon on the slates. The messages appeared in a very few minutes, sometimes less than two. Often as many as eighteen messages appeared on one slate, separated by lines drawn around each one. Many were very short but even those gave the full name of the communicator and usually their relationship to the intended recipient and that person’s name. Sometimes they included addresses where the communicator had lived when on earth, the causes of death and details of information only known to the communicator and the intended recipient.

In tests, two diagonal lines were drawn across each slate before they were bound together and sealed. The messages never failed to appear and they were written over the diagonal lines, proving the messages had not in some way been written on the slate beforehand and somehow hidden.