Spiritualists in London predict increased popularity

The Times of London predicts a rise in interest in the paranormal. Mediums are the hot act in London.

Despite a hefty ticket price of £75, this seminar sold out months ago. The popularity of such events is also an indication of a wider interest in psychic matters, evident in the bestseller lists (The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, Picador, £7.99), the daytime television schedules (Celebrity Most Haunted, on Living TV) and the internet: type “psychic” into Google for myriad offers of readings by phone or e-mail. There’s even a spoof psychic medium on BBC Three. Shirley Ghostman, played by the comedian Marc Wootton, has a canine spirit guide which helps “her” to contact dead celebs. The audience, who aren’t in on the joke, don’t know what to believe. On a more serious note, the Spiritualist Association of Great Britain, which offers face-to-face readings and services, has seen a marked rise in attendance, particularly among twenty-somethings. Charles Coulson, the general secretary of the Spiritualists National Union, says: “I have noticed an increased interest in spiritualism, and more young people are coming to our churches. The idea that there is a spiritual realm which demands a broadening of outlook beyond orthodox religion is more accepted now than it was 50 years ago.” These days it’s not just the bereaved who visit mediums and psychics. People seek them out for many reasons, from what might be called mystic life-coaching to an insight on life’s big questions.