In the tranquil countryside of Stansted, England, lies a place where the boundaries between the physical and spiritual realms blur, and the mysteries of the afterlife are unveiled. At the heart of this mystical abode stands Colin Bates, a seasoned Minister, a respected tutor at the Arthur Findlay college for over 25 years. – a renowned center for spiritual development and mediumship studies. Mediumship, the extraordinary ability to communicate with the spirits of the departed, has captivated human imagination for centuries. While skeptics may question its validity, those who have experienced its profound impact know that it opens a doorway to a realm beyond our understanding. Colin Bates, a guiding light at the college, has dedicated his life to nurturing aspiring mediums, helping them tap into their innate psychic gifts, and bridging the gap between the seen and the unseen. In this riveting Mystic Mag‘s article, we embark on a transformative journey into the world of mediumship, accompanied by the wisdom and expertise of Colin Bates.
Can you share a defining moment in your journey as a spiritualist healer that shaped your understanding and approach to mediumship?
Since a very early age, I have always been fascinated by healing. When my mediumship journey began in the 1980s, I found myself drawn to the healing field. Healing is deeply connected to the power of life, operating on a soul level. It serves as a reminder to the soul of its wellness. Often, when we experience illness and symptoms, they are the end result of an underlying root cause. Healing works energetically, addressing physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects, making it effective in dealing with both symptoms and root causes.
Our physical body and the different subtle bodies of the etheric system and the Auric field can show signs of disease in an etheric form before manifesting as pain. Healing encourages people to embrace it as complementary support alongside medical science. Though we cannot guarantee a cure, we can offer help. Stress levels and brain hormones are significantly impacted during illness, but meditation and healing can reduce these hormone levels, offering therapeutic benefits. Healing operates on a soul and spiritual level, empowering individuals to aid in their own healing.
Having worked in the nursing field and interacted with people throughout my life, I’ve realized that kindness is a form of compassion, which in turn is a form of healing. Within the healing process, we attune ourselves to the healing force of life, where love holds immense power. Love and compassion enable us to understand others’ needs and create a healing energy, drawing from the power of creation and the God force. This energy can uplift and strengthen individuals, offering a fresh perspective on their conditions.
Healing has been practiced since ancient times, as seen in the Egyptian healing temples, where people would go to sleep and dream the cure. It serves as a recognition of the divine force and the power of the universe. Modern medical science is also embracing the holistic approach, recognizing that we are mind, body, and spirit. The healing journey is an energetic and transformative process that connects us to the source of all life, empowering us to heal on multiple levels.
All these different aspects come together, and when you look at the stress levels in the world at the moment, it’s an ideal situation because it involves an energetic and transformational process. No matter what stage of life someone is in, even if they are transitioning to the spirit world, healing helps the soul progress to the next stage of its evolution. In the 1980s, I became very interested in this field and spent over 10 years solely working in healing. I also got accredited within the Spiritualist National Union, where I currently serve as a Minister and teacher. I have been associated with the Findlay College, nurturing the future of the arts.
Healing, as the natural force of all life, is deeply focused on the creative influence of life. It’s essential to wish wellness upon others and allow the healing energy to work with the patient energetically. Rather than being controlled by my mind, I am a part of this great process, which is an intelligent power that knows, understands, and loves everything, and can create its healing process accordingly. It operates on various levels and dimensions.
Around the 1990s, I started becoming more aware of the spirit world. Although I had this ability and awareness as a child, it resurfaced again in my late teens and early twenties. After my experiences in the healing field, I began training to enhance my awareness of the spirit world. All these aspects are interconnected, reflecting the same power. When we focus on the power of creation, it is the power of love and compassion that enables healing. As we raise our consciousness to a higher state, we become energetically aware of the spirit world. Now, while I still work in the healing field, I have also embraced my role as a medium and teacher. For me, each part is a vital component of the whole journey.
Often, when people are in times of need, they become aware of their relatives. People moving towards their time of transition often talk about seeing those who have passed away as if they are preparing them for the next phase. I remember my grandmother, whom I used to see every day to give her healing before she passed. One afternoon, I sat with her to provide support and healing. She mentioned that Uncle Frank, her younger brother who passed away early in life, was with her. They were preparing her for her transition to the next world, assuring her that she would be embraced in the next realm.
For me, mediumship and healing are intertwined processes. Often, the messages we receive from the spirit world revolve around expressions of love and apologies for not saying goodbye. We are dealing with life, emotions, and healing in this interconnected web. In the ’90s, my journey led me to study at the Arthur Findlay College, and since then, I have been teaching there.
The foundation of all things related to the creative force is the healing element. Healing, in its purest form, is the embodiment of God’s love and the recognition of the universal power that is the living energy, knowing, understanding, and loving everything. Healing reminds us of this boundless love and compassion that exists everywhere.
During the healing process with patients, I first engage in communication and help them attain a state of calmness and meditation. This allows them to become more aware of the healing power and the process. Often, during challenging medical conditions, meditation can calm both the physical and mental aspects, allowing acceptance of the healing process.
Healing bridges the communication between two worlds and serves as a reminder to the soul that it is loved and an integral part of the greater process of life. It restores balance between the mind, body, and spirit. Emotional and mental issues may not always be easily treated medically, but healing has the ability to touch the root cause of the problem, even if it’s emotional in nature. This therapeutic value of healing is gaining recognition.
It has been quite a journey, spanning a lifetime. Science is gradually realizing the significance of our mind, body, and spirit connection. Healing, with its therapeutic value, can even be performed at a distance, as we understand that time and space are man-made concepts in the non-local reality we live in.
As a public demonstrator of mediumship, what techniques do you employ to establish a strong connection with the spirit world and deliver accurate messages to recipients?
The power of mind and thought is vast. We are multidimensional beings, so I can direct my love, thoughts, and healing energy to someone in Australia. These thoughts and healing reach them energetically the moment I send them. So you see, we can connect with people not just physically but also through distant healing. All that’s required is a destination; prayer serves as that destination. It reminds us that we are part of a grand, unified whole, uplifting and strengthening us.
However, cooperation is crucial within the healing process of the patient. If one doesn’t believe they’ll get well, it can hinder the healing progress. Therefore, supporting the person through their healing journey and actively listening to them are vital aspects of the healing process. Interestingly, people often share more with strangers than with those they know, making the speaking process a potent element of healing.
In my teachings around the world, I use a healing book. We collect the names of those who need healing and collectively send our thoughts and prayers to each one. This healing energy touches every name within that moment, and there’s no limit to this powerful, limitless spirit. Medical science is now recognizing and even recommending spiritual healing, making it an integral part of the natural therapeutic process.
My journey began with healing and has persisted throughout the years. Now, as part of a Ministry of the Spirit, I also engage in talking and speaking to people, assisting them in finding their own harmony and balance in life.
What type of services do you offer?
I was ordained as a minister of the Spiritualist National Union, a recognized world religion with state recognition. As a minister and medium, I serve the people. I used to be a prison chaplain until recently, conducting services and ministering to the inmates as a Spiritualist minister. This role involves various aspects of life, such as officiating marriages, conducting funerals, blessings, and naming services where people take on a spiritual name.
Being a minister means bringing love and support to the community, and this also involves interacting with people of various faiths, as we all share a belief in the Ministry of the Spirit. This ministry extends into the spirit world as well, where spirits also play a role in ministering to humanity, supporting and watching over mankind throughout history.
My parish is not confined to a physical church; it extends wherever I go. Services include prayer, inspirational philosophy, healing, and communication, where words of encouragement and the continuity of life are shared with those seeking communion with the spirit. The minister’s role is about life and not death because there is no death; it is a continuous journey of life and evolution.
The ministry is all about supporting people in various aspects of life. Sometimes, we all need reminders of our worth, our connection to the great process of life, and the fact that our loved ones are not lost; they continue to be a part of us and this eternal journey as souls.
When we pass from this world, we don’t become angels with wings and harps, though that would be lovely. In reality, we remain the same. When our souls awaken to their purpose, they start to experience life as a big journey. The soul is the eternal part of each individual, and I strongly believe that we have lived before and will live again. This physical existence is just one part of a greater journey we are on. People are at different stages of their own evolution, as it is an individual process. Some may not have awakened to their true existence within the journey of the soul, while others have.
Regardless of the stage of evolution, we are all part of the same collective as we originate from the same source. Having worked with people for most of my life, I believe it’s about showing compassion, offering support, and letting them know they are loved and cared for. I’m here to listen and talk to people because we are products of our past, and sometimes, speaking about unspoken issues from the past can be a healing process.
In my work with the spirit world, I’ve found that they come back to communicate because there’s a need within them to build that bridge of communication. Love doesn’t stop with physical death; it continues beyond. As a medium, I get to connect with the family and friends of those I meet, and the spirits communicate with me because they wish to be present and share their messages.
It’s a profound and essential part of life’s journey, and I consider it a great privilege to be able to facilitate these connections and listen to the voices from the spirit world. They are there because they choose to be, and their communication brings comfort and healing to those who receive their messages.
In your opinion, what is the most rewarding aspect of being a spiritualist healer, medium, and teacher?
What I find most rewarding as a medium, healer, and teacher is the privilege and opportunity to live my passion, which is connecting with people. I cherish the time spent together, sharing thoughts and ideas, and being there for them in times of need. The gift of the spirit lies in understanding that we are all interconnected and originate from the same source, the power of all life. I find it heartening that the younger generations are being born with greater spiritual awareness and are seeking their place of belonging in this world, moving beyond the restrictions of history and family beliefs. They are embracing their own sense of knowledge and finding the right path in life.
In my work with healing and mediumship, I witness the limitless potential of the soul, not bound by time or space, capable of experiencing life in countless ways. One of the most touching aspects of my work is not only being a part of others’ lives but also igniting the passion within them and witnessing them soar in their own light and truth. Healing, being such a personal aspect of life, brings people into moments of their own love and joy.
During mediumship, we are reminded that we are loved, and bridging the gap between two worlds allows us to perceive eternal love without hesitation. Healing is all about reminding the soul that it is loved and created within the light of creation, and in turn, healing the mind, body, and spirit. All these aspects come together in everything I do, but my greatest joy is seeing people break free from limitations and experiencing the boundless opportunities life offers within the power of all life.
In summary, my work as a medium, healer, and teacher brings fulfillment as I witness people embracing their true selves, experiencing joy and love, and realizing their limitless potential within the vast journey of life. It is truly a wonderful gift that we all possess.
