Vywamus,
How do I find a spiritual teacher for channeling and mediumship that will be right for me? How can I really tell if they are authentic and selfless in their intentions in this world? I feel I need a mentor that will aide the Spirits’ teachings.
Thank You,
Jenn
Dear Jenn,
Your purpose in seeking a teacher is key here. If you are seeking to learn a skill such as channeling, you need only find someone who has the skill and is good at teaching it. Of course, it brings you more joy to have a more evolved teacher, but for this purpose it is not crucial. You will likely find someone offering courses in channeling or mediumship by searching on line, or through ads in publications, or through word of mouth. If you are not in a very populated area, you may find channeling courses on line, or books that teach channeling or mediumship.
My advice to you is to listen to or read some of the content a teacher channels so that you have a chance to see if you resonate with the material they are bringing through. If you feel good about what you hear, find out about the structure of the classes. Does the teacher have a step by step method for assisting you to open your own channel? Is there opportunity for hands on practice and getting feedback? Is attention paid to helping class members deal with issues about channeling, e.g., proper grounding, doubts and fears, self-judging, etc.? If it is an actual class, is there an atmosphere of trust and cooperation rather than of competitiveness? If all this is true, you might find the class quite effective for you regardless of the teacher’s level of evolution.
Now, seeking a teacher to be your mentor and guide on the spiritual path is another thing entirely. Today many are looking for reliable guidance on their spiritual path, and most of you are in a phase where you still need it. Eventually of course you will go beyond needing our help and will be your own spiritual teacher, but in the meantime, you will probably be searching though books, web sites, advertisements, or the recommendations of others, and then taking the first steps of getting to know various teachers through reading or listening to them. How do you know which of them may best be of help to you?
First I would emphasize that this quest for a teacher may be about him or her, but it is also about you. The very quest for a teacher is an occasion for your own growth and learning. So, ironically, my first recommendation is that you begin this quest by studying yourself. 1) Using meditation or whatever other practice works for you, go into the deepest level of yourself – what I call the I AM or soul or core level – and immerse yourself in the energy there. Feel it and know it. Then, listen to, read the words of, or put yourself in the presence of, a particular teacher that you are considering. Go again to your I AM level and ask yourself, “Is this energy of mine at the I AM level enhanced or stirred up when I am with this teacher?” Often you will know right away. If the answer is yes, that teacher probably has something to offer you.
2) Also spend some time just observing yourself and noticing your tendencies to get caught up in your own ego issues , e.g., “I am not enough,” “I am better than/less than this or that person,” “I must be perfect so I can have everyone like me (be a success in life, progress on my spiritual path, etc.)” And so on.
Now bring these self observations of ego issues into the presence of the teacher, whether that is in person or in written words, etc. When you are with the teacher, do you notice any of your own ego issues coming up or intensifying in the teacher’s presence? Own these issues as yours, and observe what triggers them.
3) Also observe the teacher. Does the teacher seem to be caught up in any of the following ego issues? A) “My way is the only, the best, the right way.” B) Making comparisons : better than/less than; flattering or inflating of the teacher’s ego or the student’s ego; C) Domineering or arrogant presence; D) Lack of true kindness and compassion, which should be present even when speaking bluntly and honestly to students. E) Excessive attachment to rules and rituals: “You must follow all these particular steps to get to self realization;” F) Any inclination to demand unquestioning obedience, unreasonable amounts of money, and even sexual favors from students. All these are red flags that you need to observe carefully.
Even if the teacher has a valid connection with spirit that you can feel , and that enhances your own spiritual energies, if he/she still has such ego issues going on, these may seriously get in the way of your being able to benefit from the relationship. If there are only a few or minor ego issues in evidence, it may be less of a problem.
Of course, many students still choose to follow a teacher with deep ego issues, and in doing so they learn a great deal. But if, as you mention, you are looking for someone who is authentic and selfless in intention, then you will need to look further, using the yardsticks I have given you: 1) Does the teacher have a valid connection with spirit that you can feel and that enhances your own? and 2) What do you learn when you observe your own spiritual energies in the teacher’s presence? Your own and the teacher’s ego issues?
Now, it is true that on the planet at this time there are a number of teachers who are fully “awake” and fully evolved, fully realized, who are no longer caught up in issues of ego. You may be fortunate enough to find one of them. Such teachers are humble and unassuming and may not be very well known. Much more often, however, you are likely to encounter a teacher who has much to offer you, and yet who has not fully worked through all his or her own ego issues. In fact, almost every spiritual teacher you can find in the world today will still have some areas they are working on. This does not mean you should pass up what they have to give – just that you need to develop some discernment about what you are receiving from them.
It is helpful for you to keep in mind that most teachers are on a path of learning themselves, and I may add that one of the greatest challenges for many spiritual teachers is to accept and love the pure stream of spiritual energy that comes through them in their work, without getting caught up in taking personal credit for this power, or in the ego inflation that could result from receiving praise, devotion and adulation from students and followers.
A teacher who is still evolving may frequently have a strong connection with the spiritual energies and be able to generate an energy field that calls out to your own spiritual energies to resonate with it, so that you feel uplifted, peaceful, inspired, even ecstatic, in their company. All but the most evolved teachers , however, will occasionally or often fall back into some personality issues when they are not actually working with you at the soul level. It is important for you to be aware of this, and observe it when it happens.
The more advanced of the teachers in this “still learning” category can simply watch and accept their ego issues as they come up, and then move on, as the Buddhists recommend. The less advanced may have blind spots in certain areas, or may even fall into the ego trap of believing all the praise they receive, and considering themselves infallible or above all the rules in all they say and do. This might be confusing to you, but only if you are expecting them to be perfect. Like you, they may have a very deep connection to spirit which they can share – but also may still have personal issues to resolve.
It is good to be aware that there is a whole spectrum of teachers that could be helpful to you, and it’s good for you to learn to recognize where a particular teacher fits on the spectrum. You can certainly learn from teachers at any of these levels, and you will probably be drawn to whatever level of learning you need, depending on where you are on your path right now. And, I would add, have compassion for any “imperfect” teacher you meet. They are facing certain challenges on their own path, and they are learning as you are.
Now, as you look for a teacher, or if you have found one, what kind of relationship is best for you to have with him or her? In the old tradition, it was considered right to surrender your own will to the teacher and be unquestioningly led on a spiritual path by him or her. This worked well as long as the surrender was to the spiritual energies, or some would say the Divine, as embodied by the teacher, and to that extent it still works today. It is always all right and best to surrender and hand yourself over to the higher spiritual energies and be guided by them in all your doings. You are not, however expected to surrender to the personal power of any teacher, only to the higher Power that comes through him or her. So, do surrender to, enjoy, and “be” with the pure spiritual energy you may find in the teacher’s presence, and at the same time, observe his or her human failings and have compassion for them, without getting entangled in them.
As to the question of responsibility, something new is happening today. Humanity is passing into a new stage of evolution, where you are expected to become a partner in designing your spiritual path, and not leave it all up to the teacher. You are not supposed to abandon your own awareness and discernment and hand over everything to the teacher. Tempting as it may sometimes be to be able to let go of all that responsibility, it is no longer your path as a human of today to let any teacher take over responsibility for your life and your choices. (Of course, if you do do that, be assured that you will still learn a great deal!)
Rather, your evolutionary task now is to find and be present to the spiritual energies within yourself, and eventually to become your own spiritual teacher. Of course, this is something new. Something very new. It is taking you beyond where you were before, to a whole new level, and putting much more responsibility on your own shoulders. You may make some errors along the way, as part of your learning. But we at our level, and your own Higher Selves, feel that you, and humanity in general, are ready for this next step. And you have our support all the way.
Our blessings to you,
Vywamus