Opening Prayer
First: tell a story to the children that has a mediumship theme. We suggest the book's account of Divaldo Franco - The story of a humanist, authored by Jason Campbell, pg. 37 and 38.
Click here for full story.
Second: ask what the theme of the lesson is. Then, ask them to define what mediumship is.
Mediumship: it is sensitivity to the influence of the Spirit World "sixth sense" that puts us in touch with the Spirit World. Just like touch, palate, smell, sight and hearing puts us in touch with the Material World. It is an option that enables the communication between incarnate and disincarnate.
Third: dialogue, encouraging children’s participation.
What is medium? A medium is anyone who feels in any degree the influence of spirits.
What is mediumship for? It enables communication between incarnate and disincarnate in order to console, send guidance, encouragement, assistance to incarnate and disincarnate beings and also to heal the sick, if this person deserves the help.
Are we all mediums? Yes, we all have sensibility to receive spiritual influences; not all, however, are sensitive enough to produce psychic phenomena.
How does this communication happen? The disincarnate approaches the incarnate being that has mediumship and manifests itself by using the incarnate’s physical body. Depending on the maturity and knowledge of the children, the spiritist teacher could talk about perispiritual approximation.
Where should mediumship exchange be conducted? In the Spiritist Center, since this is where there is support from the spiritual benefactors.
Fourth: tell the story
Pills, taken from the book Endereço Certo (Right Address), by Richard Simonetti, Edited by IDE. Explain to the children what a leper colony is and what a leper - leprosy is, if necessary.
Fifth: explain that there are different types of mediums:
Physical Mediums – are more especially fitted for producing physical phenomena, such as the movement of inert bodies, noises. They may be divided into two categories: Voluntary mediums and Natural or Involuntary mediums.
Sensitive or Impressionable Mediums – are able to recognize the presence of spirits by a vague impression, a sort of shuddering sensation, running through their whole body, and for which they cannot account.
Hearing Mediums – hear the voice of spirits.
Speaking Mediums – generally speaks without knowing what he says, and often gives utterance to instructions far above the reach of his own ideas, knowledge, and intelligence.
Seeing Mediums – are endowed with the faculty of seeing spirits.
Writing mediums or Psychographs – writes under the influence of Spirits.
Healing Mediums – gift, possessed by certain persons, of healing by the laying-on of hands, by the look, by a mere gesture, without the help of medication.
Sixth: show them a message received by Chico Xavier, psychographed backwards in English, in two minutes. This was received at the headquarters of the Spiritist Union from Minas Gerais on 4th April 1937, after the concert of a violinist who has been blind since he was seven years old. The message should be read using a mirror, since it was written backwards.
Click here to view the message.
Seventh: check the children’s knowledge of mediumship; ask if they have any questions or whether they want to tell a story about mediumship. The spiritist teacher should include the following questions, as the dialogue progresses:
Who can be a medium? Anyone can be a medium, regardless of religion (this does not belong only of the Spiritist Doctrine), skin color or social class. It’s not a privilege to be a medium but it is an opportunity to work towards goodness and moral evolution.
Do we need to study to be a medium? It’s important that the medium get to know the basic books, to use well the gift of mediumship. We should study hard in order to become a good engineer, a good dentist, etc.
Who are the mediums you know of? Divaldo Franco, Chico Xavier, Raul Teixeira, Moses (10 commandments were received through mediumship). Mary, Jesus’ mom, was a medium; she spoke to the Angel Gabriel. Mediums have always existed, but the phenomenon was only explained by the Spiritist Doctrine.
What to do if I see a spirit? Pray, asking that this brother may be helped in a Spiritist Centre, finding there enlightenment and solace.
Eighth - activity: ask each of them to write the concept of ‘medium’ in a colorful piece of cardboard, which will later be trimmed, making it a bookmark. Find the concept in The Mediums’ Book- ch. XIV, item 159 - it is important that the children find the concept within the book. This will help them get familiarized with the Basic Books.
Concept to be found: Every one who is in any degree influenced by spirits is, by that very fact, a medium. - Chap. XIV, item 159.
Closing prayer
Class suggested being suitable for: 3rd cycle (11 to 12 years old).
Translation: Carolina von Scharten, London, linked to BUSS - The British Union of Spiritist Societies.
