Leonard Young – Hypnosis and Mesmerism: It’s Use In Mediumship

There is a growing interest in the subject of trance mediumship. However, it is regrettable that very few who profess to be deep trance mediums can actually reach the required depth experience by many of yesteryear.

We only need to look into the past to see that people such as Andrew Jackson Davis, Emma Hardinge Britten, and many others learned hypnosis and mesmerism. Their purpose was to aid the development of mediumship. There is no doubt that the techniques of mesmerism and hypnotism strengthened mediumship. The evidence for the use of such a technique is well-chronicled. It is perhaps incumbent on us to offer the spirit world a well-trained and disciplined mind for them to use and demonstrate survival.

Mental mediumship today is poor compared to 60 years ago when the mediums could demonstrate excellent mediumship by being capable of giving names, addresses, and telephone numbers.

This talk is designed to give you some insight into the past and recognize that mediums of yesteryear would move heaven and earth to be the best. They would use all the techniques available to them to aid their development.

Leonard Young became involved in Spiritualism at the age of thirteen. He worked within the Spiritualist church until he was nineteen. At that time, he embarked upon a different spiritual path. He entered monastic life to see if this was part of his spiritual journey.  It was not.

After returning home, he began a professional career in catering and returned to Spiritualism. He met and was mentored by the world-renowned Lecturer, Speaker, and Demonstrator (Medium) Ron J. Baker in the 1970s. When Ron passed away, Gordon Higginson took Leonard under his wing and continued to support and help him.

In the early 1980s, he trained at the Proudfoot School of Hypnosis, Hypnotherapy, and Psychotherapy, and now holds several diplomas in various subjects taught at the school.   He studied with Gil Boyne, Ormond McGill, and Wilf Proudfoot, to name but a few.

Leonard is a former Minister of the SNU, with a diploma and Certificate as a speaker and demonstrator. He holds a degree in Theology from the University of Liverpool, and a Master’s degree from Leeds University, in Theology and Pastoral studies. He has held many positions in the Spiritualist movement: Vice-President of the SNU, Chairman of the SNU Publications committee, President of the Manchester District Council, and President of the Manchester Pioneer Centre. He also opened the Journey Within School in 1996 with its Pastor, the Reverend Janet Nohavec.

Leonard has worked and demonstrated with many of the most noteworthy mediums in the field, including Ron Baker, Gordon Higginson, Coral Polge, Albert Best, and Mary Duffy. He worked at the Arthur Findlay College, Stansted Hall, for just over 20 years as a Tutor and Course organizer until he stepped down in 2002. Leonard has traveled the world, lecturing and teaching in Australia, the United States, Canada, and numerous countries in Europe and beyond.