Theresa Cheung - The Element Encyclopedia of the Psychic World - The Ultimate A–Z of Spirits, Mysteries and the Paranormal

After reading the 27th chapter of Genesis, I, James L Chaffin, do make my last will and testament, and here it is. I want, after giving my body a decent burial, my little property to be equally divided between my four children, if they are living at my death, both personal and real estate divided equal if not living, give share to their children. And if she is living, you all must take care of your mammy. Now this is my last will and testament. Witness my hand and seal. James L Chaffin, This January 16, 1919.

The will, although unwitnessed, was legally valid under the laws of the state of North Carolina, but by the time the second will was discovered the son who had inherited the farm had died and the property had passed to his widow and son. In December 1925 the three remaining sons brought a suit against them to recover their share of the estate. On the day of the trial, after the selection and swearing in of the jury, the widow and her son were shown the second will for the first time. They immediately admitted that the document was genuine, and withdrew their objections to having it certified by the court as his valid will.

There have been many explanations for this extraordinary case. Some think that James, upset at being excluded, forged a will and concocted a ghost story to back it up, but this does not explain why he waited four years, why so many people believed the second will to be genuine or why he created a ghost story. He could simply have said that he had found the will and this would have been just as plausible.

Other explanations put forward include the suggestion that James did know about the will but forgot about it until the memory was dramatized in dream form and brought back into his consciousness. It is also possible that this is an excellent example of ESPon the part of James. Finally it must be considered that a genuine apparitionof the dead did appear to James and deliver information to him telepathically As none of these explanations can be proved, the case remains inconclusive.

Chakra is Sanskrit for ‘wheel’, and in Hindu and Buddhist yogic literature the chakras are thought to be energy vortices, shaped like petals or spoked wheels, that whirl at various speeds. They penetrate the body and the body’s aura, and it is thought that through them various energies, including the universal life force, are received and distributed throughout the person. You cannot see chakras physically, only psychically.

There are seven major charkas, which are most directly concerned with physical health, and hundreds of minor ones. The universal life force is thought to enter the aura through the chakra at the top of the head and filter down along the spinal column to the other chakras. The higher the position on the spinal column the more complex the chakra.

Each chakra has its own colour and speed of rotation, and each is associated with a major endocrine gland, a major nerve system, a major physiological function and a psychicfunction. The chakras are connected to each other through thousands of channels of energy called nadis. Three of the most important nadis include the sushuma, which processes energy coming in, and the ida and pingala, which are concerned with the outflow of energy.

There isn’t any accepted scientific and medical evidence that chakras exist, but recently they have begun to be acknowledged in the West in alternative medicine. Clairvoyantssay that they can diagnose the health of chakras by energy scans with the hands and that health problems often show up in chakras months or even years before they manifest in the body. When the chakras are balanced and healthy, their colours are clear and their rotation smooth, but in poor health they become cloudy and irregular in rotation. Blocked chakras are thought to cause health problems, and in alternative healing therapies there are various techniques for clearing chakra blockages, including visualization, colour therapy, acupunctureand energy healing.

The seven major chakras

Each chakra involves a different part of the body and also different concerns, so you can focus directly on one specific chakra. The seven chakra centres are the following:

1 The base or root chakra (muladara). The lowest of the seven chakras, the root chakra is located at the base of the spine and is the simplest of the seven. Orange-red in colour, it relates to physical strength as well as the senses of taste and smell. You can summon this chakra when you need courage and physical strength. It is in the base chakra that kundalini energy is stored in a coiled state of readiness.

2 The sacral or belly chakra (svadishana) is red or pink in colour and is located just below the navel. It controls sexual energy and reproduction. It influences the release of adrenaline in your body and can keep it on a high state of alert. You can summon this chakra not only when you need to invoke fertility but also when you need projects and relationships to be successful. In some psychic systems the sacral chakra is overseen by the spleen chakra, which governs digestion.

3 The solar plexus chakra (manipura). Located below the breastbone and above the navel, the solar plexus chakra is where mediums get their psychic information. Green or light red in colour, it controls the adrenal glands, and when it is out of balance it can affect the stomach, liver and pancreas. You can use this chakra when you want to achieve an ambition or when you are planning a career move.

4 The heart chakra (anahata). Located in the centre of the chest and in the middle of your shoulder blades, the heart chakra is golden in colour and relates to emotions such as love and compassion. If it becomes blocked it can affect the lungs, the heart and breathing and immunity in general. You can use this chakra for matters of love and friendship and for understanding others.

5 The throat chakra (visudda). Located at the top of the throat, the throat chakra is silvery blue in colour and relates to creativity and self-expression. It is prominent in musicians, singers and public speakers. When it becomes blocked, your throat, ears, eyes, nose and mouth may be affected. You can use this chakra when truth and principles are at stake.

6 The forehead or third eye chakra (ajna). Located between your eyebrows in the centre of your forehead, the third eye chakra is blue and purple in colour and relates to your pituitary gland. It influences intelligence, intuition and psychic ability. When it becomes blocked it can affect your head, eyes and brain. You can use this chakra for psychic awareness and harmony.

7 The crown chakra (sahasrara). Located at the top of your head, the crown chakra is a glowing purple colour and will not open until all other chakras are balanced. When it is open you experience the highest connection to the universal mind by your mental, physical and spiritual self. You can use this chakra when striving for wisdom and perfection.

The process through which a mediumcommunicates information from spiritsand other non-physical beings, such as angels, deities or guardian spirits, by entering into a tranceor some other altered state of consciousness.

The urge to communicate with the spirit world is as old as humankind itself. In primitive cultures certain individuals - priests, shamansor medicine people -would seek out the wisdom of the spirit world. The ancient Egyptians and Romans, as well as the early Chinese, Babylonians, Tibetans, Assyrians and Celts, all channelled spirits and entities, and holy men and women of Judaism, Christianity and Islam received divine guidance.