Investigation of mediumistic letter: A deceased son supposedly writes to his parents.

Résumé

Mediumship is a well-accepted spiritual practice in Brazil relating to the grief process and beliefs in the afterlife. For this reason, there is considerable interest among Brazilians in trying to determine whether mediums can obtain information beyond what can be obtained through conventional means (Anomalous Information Reception - AIR). However, there is a dearth of in-depth qualitative studies about these issues. This study aimed to investigate reported AIR in a mediumistic trance and the meaning of this information to the family of the deceased. In a controlled observation-based study, following 43 seconds of filmed interaction with the parents, the medium wrote a letter attributed to their deceased son. Information obtained or deducible from the medium-sitter interaction was excluded from the items of information verifiable in the letter. The degree of accuracy and specificity of the remaining items were investigated in three interviews with the parents and through the deceased's documents and objects. An expert carried out a handwriting analysis of the letter's signature. The medium produced 19 items of information, one of which could not be evaluated, one that was unrecognized, two that were deducible, nine that were generic and six specific. Items of information described the deceased's present and past habits, plans, and distinguishing physical characteristics which came across to the parents as unlikely to be obtained through routine interactions or by chance. Comparison of signatures is common in mediumistic practice, and in this case, the signature had some general similarities to that of the deceased, but there were many differences in more subtle aspects. The production of six verifiable items of information that had not previously been communicated to the medium through conventional means illustrates what many Brazilians believe to be AIR phenomena. Qualitative studies of AIR can shed light on the practice of mediumship and its mental health implications, especially with respect to grief and loss in the Brazilian context.