Posted on 07 October 2024, 8:27

Maurice Barbanell (1902 – 1981) was a London journalist and a trance medium, most remembered as the medium for the entity known as Silver Birch, an apparently advanced spirit who assumed the persona of an American Indian guide. Over a period of some five decades, Silver Birch offered several volumes of profound teachings on every conceivable subject related to life, death, and the afterlife through Barbanell (below) at a home circle.

As an example, when Silver Birch was asked whether a soul loses its individuality after it passes through the various spheres and eventually merges with the “Great Spirit,” his usual term for God, he responded: “I know of none which as yet reached a stage so perfect that he can be merged into perfection. The more you perfect yourself, the more you find still to be perfected, for you are allowing more of your consciousness to be revealed. Because your consciousness is part of the Great Spirit it is infinite, always stretching out to reach infinity. We know nothing of ultimate perfection.”

On the subject of death and grief, Silver Birch said: “Death is not a tragedy to those who die; it is only a tragedy to those who are left behind. To go from darkness to light is not something over which you should grieve. If you grieve, you are in reality grieving over your loss and not one who has in truth become enfranchised. He is better off. He will no longer suffer all the ills of the human body. He will not be subjected to the ravages of wasting disease. He will unfold all the gifts with which he has been endowed, and will express them free from any thwartings and will be able to give a larger service to those who require it.”

When asked about Jesus, Silver Birch replied: “The Nazarene is one of the hierarchy behind all the directives we receive when we leave your world occasionally to fortify ourselves to cope with our mission and to glean more of what it is we have to achieve. I have a great reverence for Jesus, the Nazarene, a wondrous example of what the power of the spirit could achieve when divinity assumed human form and gives to those available simple but profound teaching that love is a power that solves all problems when people allow themselves to be animated by it.”

Barbanell was born to Jewish parents, his mother devoutly religious but his father an atheist. Barbanell recalled many disagreements his parents had on the subject of religion. “The years of dissension had the effect of making me first of an atheist and later, in my teens, an agnostic,” he wrote. “My outlook was unashamedly materialistic. My ambition was to carve out a successful commercial career and make a fortune. Fate, however, had other plans.”

In 1931, while serving as secretary of a literary debating society, Barbanell listened to a speaker give a talk on Spiritualism. Very skeptical as to what the speaker had to say, Barbanell decided to investigate by attending some séances. At his second séance, he “fell asleep” and when he awoke he was informed that he had been in a mediumistic trance and that an Indian spirit guide has spoken through him.

Big Secret

It is unclear as to how the mediumship of Barbanell unfolded, but he soon formed a circle that met regularly to hear from Silver Birch.  At some point, Hannen Swaffer, a Fleet Street journalist, began hosting the circles.  Barbanell’s identity as the medium for Silver Birch was kept a secret for many years as he feared it would compromise his standing as a journalist.  He founded Psychic News in 1932 and frequently published the teachings of Silver Birch as they were recorded in the circle.  It was not until many years later that Barbanell was identified as the medium of Silver Birch.

“Silver Birch, as we call him, is not a Red Indian,” Swaffer explained.  “Who he is, we do not know.  We assume that he uses the name of the spirit through whose astral body he expresses himself, it being impossible for the high vibration of the spiritual realm to which he belongs to manifest except through some other instrument.”
 
At one sitting, Silver Birch responded to a question about his identity by saying he was not a Red Indian.  “I am using the astral body of a Red Indian because this particular one had many psychic gifts on earth and therefore became available for me when I was asked to return and engage on this mission,” he explained.  “My life on earth goes back as an individual much further than the Red Indian I use to speak to you.”

The communicating entity further explained that Silver Birch was his medium on that side, just as Barbanell was the medium in the world of those in attendance. “I had to have what in your world would be a transformer, someone through whom the vibrations can be stepped up or slowed down so that I can achieve communication on your level.”

The entity stressed that who he was in the earth life made no difference and no one would be able to prove it one way or the other. He asked to be judged solely on what he had to say.  He added that his knowledge comes from the infinite source and streams through countless beings, “each charged with particular tasks to ensure that as much of its purity and pristine beauty should be preserved.  There is a great host of beings, ranging from what you might call the masters.  They are beyond such descriptions.”
 
Barbanell became one of Spiritualism’s greatest advocates, lecturing frequently, while continuing to investigate many other mediums and writing about his observations.  “Now, after thirty-seven years, I still regard myself as an investigator,” he wrote in his 1959 book, This is Spiritualism, in which he discusses the mediumship of Gladys Osborne Leonard, Estelle Roberts, Helen Hughes, Helen Duncan, Geraldine Cummins and many others he had had the opportunity to meet, interview, and observe. “I am familiar with all the alternatives offered as explanations of mediumship.  Sometimes I think I could make a better case than the critics.  Again and again, I have tried to find normal explanations for the phenomena I have witnessed.  It has always been my criterion that no supernormal theory should be accepted if a normal one will fit all the facts.”

He mentioned that he had received the same spirit messages through different mediums, and it was clear to him that none of the mediums could have known what had transpired at the other séances.  At the same time, he encountered charlatans.  “I have met fraud, both willful and unconscious,” he wrote.  “I think I can say that I have exposed more charlatans in this field than any other person.  My ability to unmask the trickster has been due to the fact that I have witnessed so many genuine phenomena that I was able to recognize the counterfeit.”

Fraud Exaggerated

Nevertheless, Barbanell concluded that the amount of fraud in mediumship had been greatly exaggerated.  This was due in great part to the fact that newspapers would publicize the tricksters and ignore all the genuine mediums.

“The evidence reveals that man, after death, is a conscious, intelligent, reasoning being, possessing memory, friendship, affection, and love, and with the ability, given the right conditions, to guide loved ones left behind,” he concluded the 1959 book.  “So far as I can see, every type of evidence that would establish human identity has been demonstrated.  It shows that man persists as an individual with the traits, characteristics and idiosyncrasies that make one person different from everybody else.”

Barbanell authored a number of other books, including, The Trumpet Shall Sound (1933) Across the Gulf (1940), and He Walks in Two Worlds (1964), but his greatest contribution is no doubt the wisdom of Silver Birch, which was compiled and set forth in at least 12 books by others.  The words of Silver Birch are considered by many to offer the most comforting, realistic, and inspirational philosophy available anywhere.

“I see so many in your world, frantic, despairing, not knowing where to turn, rushing hither and thither with no time to spare because so many ‘important’ things have to be done, and yet the most important of all is neglected and overlooked,” Silver Birch said at one sitting. “Is not this the lesson of all our teaching?  Is not this the purpose behind the return of every being from our world, so that you should derive from your lives the joy, the satisfaction that should be yours as children of the Great Spirit?”   

Next blog post: October 21

Dear Michael,

Thank you for bring attention to this account.  For those readers interested in reading it in its entirety, the periodical in question has been digitally archived by IAPSOP [http://iapsop.com/] where the article is split across the Jan 10th, 1940 and Jan 25th, 1940 issues as follows:
http://iapsop.com/archive/materials/psychic_observer/psychic_observer_n32_jan_10_1940.pdf [pg.1, cols.1-3; pg.2, col.5; pg.3, cols.3-4];
 http://iapsop.com/archive/materials/psychic_observer/psychic_observer_n33_jan_25_1940.pdf
[pg.3, cols.1-5].

As a general comment, there is likely a trove of scattered, shorter gems in such older periodical literature that is barely known, even for those who know the survival-related literature printed in book and monograph form quite well.  Such is the case for myself and I expect it is the case for many others.  IAPSOP is a superb resource for such material, although by no means the only such.
  Your initial question regarding the reliability and provenance of this account is of course quite proper and necessary, but the actual content of the message is broadly – and even in its detailed account – consistent with many other unrelated ostensibly discarnate communications that we have.  In terms of topics covered, I thought the dismantling of the naive  ‘geographic’ or ‘spatial’ notion of different spiritual ‘levels’, ‘planes’ or ‘spheres’ was particularly of interest.

An interesting item concerning “when dead” and related to my blog of May 14, 2012, but since some current readers may not have commented there, they won’t see it so I’ll put it here

https://www.aol.com/lifestyle/man-pronounced-dead-wakes-operating-130000249.html

Don and Amos,

Interesting comments. As Don points out when a medium (the Other Side like the term instrument) transitions to The Other Side the working relationship changes. The medium arrives and meets their control but the differences in spiritual progression would kick in. The connection is only their old place of work. There are ends of the spectrum such as Arthur Ford and Fletcher (friend from childhood) and in my case a group that are friends.

The trance mediums such as Barbanell arrive intact with personality and progress to the group soul. However in my case those friends are still themselves after 100 years so progression is a long process. Does a medium get a golden ticket for service I hear you ask, (old medium joke). No special treatment but I feel that the debrief about your life in the physical has a special meaning.

There are many stories of how people walked in to Spiritual churches and became trance mediums. Gordon Smith has a good quote in his book Spirit Messenger 2003. He explains how trainees mediums believe that they have just spoken to John the Baptist etc.

“If there is a problem with spirit guides, it is the way people interpret them. Some people get caught up with the idea of having important spirit guides. Sadly this is the image many people have of all mediums and spiritualists. I do wish people would think for a moment before believing such nonsense. A little bit of common sense is all that is required.”

What does this all mean, I hear you ask (usually someone exclaims from the audience I was just thinking that). Some people in spirit would like to send some messages back. Why? Progress.
As Silver Birch said when asked if he was an important person when in the physical, I will not say - if the messages/words advance you then that is important. Same for any friends on the other side.

Friends on this blog also talk sense and help with spiritual progression.

Thanks
Bruce

Amos…

Agreed in general—-but this was BEFORE Barbanell had moved on to his “group soul.” When that appeared to happen at a later point, the communications came to an end.

Don,
Personally, I believe that that is the norm as personalities are merged into the oversoul or “Soul Consciousness. - AOD

Bruce…

A brief follow-up to your last (and most interesting) post about the relationship between the communicating spirit and his “instrument”...

From “The Barbanell Report” referenced below, containing the post-mortem communications from Barbanell through the medium Marie Cherrie…Barbanell reported that once he was well-ensconced on the other side, his regular communicator Silver Birch, who he now refers to simply as “the Old Man,” seems to have taken a somewhat new attitude towards their relationship, treating it, if not with actual aloofness, at least with somewhat less closeness and intimacy than when Barbanell was in physical life. I don’t know if this is the norm in all or most cases or not…

Michael,

Silver Birch gave a wealth of information on the relationships of medium to their friends on the other side. I liked the explanation for the work needed for mental mediums shown below.

“I sometimes get asked for tips for how people can be better mediums and I then try to explain that the work is being done on the Other Side. Sometimes for advancement a medium suffers pain (emotional) and doesn’t think that if their friends on the Other Side were real friends they would have spared them this pain. It takes time to forgive spirit friends much the same as physical friend0.”

Asked, “When a medium passes on, does the guide finds another human instrument through whom to work?” Silver Birch responded:

“It depends on the work that has to be done. In the old days when there were what you describe as physical phenomena, there were in charge guides who had mastered the difficult techniques involved. Some of them, when the instrument passed on, continued to work with other physical mediums.
This is very rarely the case with mental mediums because it involves a much closer co-operation between the guide and the instrument. It is not only a question of blending their auras, but in some cases even helping to become part of their larger selves.

“This is such an intimate relationship that, when the instrument passes, the guide’s work is done. Usually he returns to that sphere where he belongs. Thus, when in time my instrument joins me, I will not communicate, or try to do so, through another one. I have spent too many years training my instrument to wish to start all over again elsewhere.

“In my case the association began from birth. Though the work entailed was of such a character that it had to be done without the instrument’s awareness, it meant that we had to keep on building the necessary spiritual and etheric links to ensure that communication becomes as easy as possible.

“When awareness and realisation dawn, and the instrument begins to start development, there comes the other difficult task of learning how to control the subconscious mind so as to be able to use such organs as are necessary to make all communication easy.”

Page 19 More Philosophy of Silver Birch Compiled by Tony Ortzen 1985

Thanks,
Bruce

Michael,

Silver Birch explains the process of pain on page 220.

“This is part of the polarity, the means by which the soul begins to come into its own. In the vast order of universal activity every facet of being has its ordered part to play. Storm is as essential as sunshine, darkness as light. It is in the crucible of suffering that strength is forged. It is only when extremes are reached that growth begins to be achieved.”

“I am not trying to talk in paradoxes, but this is how the Great Spirit, with infinite wisdom, has fashioned the laws of progress so far as humans are concerned. But it is just as true that whatever is needed is presented when the time is ripe. The difficulties, trials, tests, obstacles, these are all essential precursors to the soul being able to express its latent gifts. They provide the equivalent to the catalyst.”

Thanks,
Bruce

Michael,

Great article. Silver Birch was always a favourite of mine.  Paul Gaunt an historian with the Arthur Findlay Library produced a booklet which had the original name for Silver Birch as Big Jump. https://www.spiritualtruthfoundation.org/latest-news/

They decided a better name would be Silver Birch and Maurice Barbanell received a postcard the following day with a Silver Birch tree on it. The link also has the painting of Silver Birch which appears on many covers of his books.

I mentioned that his writings were supportive of mediums so a favourite of many mediums. In Light from Silver Birch Compiled by Pam Riva – the mediums secretary my copy is the 1995 Psychic Press there is a great chapter Mediumship – the path to knowledge. On page 149

The guide encouraged another medium in these words: “The picture that has been painted of me is somewhat exaggerated insofar as I am not the possessor of all wisdom, truth and power. I am a human being like you are. But I have lived longer than you have and travelled further on the path of spiritual progress.

“As a result, I have been able to assimilate more knowledge which I have found most enlightening in helping to solve many of the problems that perplex people. So I have retraced my footsteps and would like to share whatever I have gained with those who are ready to receive it…..

“You have acquired a knowledge which gives you a better perspective of life, the purpose of incarnating into your world and what it is you have to achieve so that you fit yourself for the much greater and richer life that starts once you have left your physical body behind, never to inhabit it again.”

The start of the chapter says “Without mediums no contact between Earth and the spirit world would be possible. No teachings could be imparted; no proof of survival beyond death could be garnered.”

I would expand mediums to include those with an interest in survival.

I look forward to the new system.

Thanks
Bruce

A great post, Mike. It removes most of the mystery behind each of the three persons involved in these rich communications: the unnamed ultimate source of the communications, Barbanell himself, and the other-side medium and go-between calling himself Silver Birch.  I had always found the “Red Indian” persona somewhat suspect, but not anymore. Now I can enjoy the communications without reservation. Thanks for all the research that went into this blog.

Stafford

Mike,

I have 13 Silver Birch books, all of which are good, although somewhat redundant here and there.  My usual reference is “The Silver Birch Book of Questions and Answers,” compiled by Stan A. Ballard and Roger Green, with “Teachings of Silver Birch” edited by A. W. Austen also frequently referred to.

Mike,

Good one. I didn’t know that
Silver Birch was an assumed name by a communicator from the other side. His explanation makes sense. If you were suggest one single book on Silver birch to read, which one would it be?

Mike S

A marvellous collective consciousness whose words ring of pure truth. The truth is tangible.

Michael…

For those who haven’t read it—I would strongly recommend that they pick up a copy of “The Barbanell Report,” a 1987 book edited by Paul Beard, and with Marie Cherrie, a British medium, listed as “author.” It covers the verbatim comments made by Barbanell and delivered at seances with Cherrie, following his passing in the early ‘80’s, and lasting for several years as he ultimately progressed to the point where communication became no longer possible. Some fascinating stuff (including the comment about Francis being the “last Pope” with which I opened my first book)...

Notice to readers:  Jon Beecher of White Crow Books has informed that a new system will replace the current one in the near future.  In addition to rejecting some comments, the current system no longer will take photos or art. I had hoped photos of Barbanell and art of Silver Birch would accompany this post, but no such luck.  Until the new system is up and working, please continue to send comments to Jon or to me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and we will have them posted here.  Thanks for your patience.