Laura Maxwell: My Journey Out of New Age Spiritualism
(Posted with permission from Laura Maxwell)
Laura Maxwell’s Story.
‘What New Age Spiritualism Means To Me Now.’
Supernatural phenomena interested me since childhood. I loved reading children’s books containing ‘ghost stories’, or watching TV programs about ‘ghosts’. If Harry Potter had been written then, I’m sure it would have been one of my favourites.
A few psychic episodes as a child added to the intrigue I felt. My mother’s uncle lead a Spiritualist Church and was also high up in Freemasonry. Mum had also experienced psychic events since her childhood, but didn’t pursue it seriously until later. By the time I began Secondary School, she felt ready to explore further. Once, when walking her dogs in the park, a Medium approached. He saw her potential as a Medium and invited her to a local Spiritualist Church in Glasgow, Scotland.
Very quickly, Mum became totally engrossed by the supernatural. As a new member of the Spiritualist Church, she attended Sunday services, mid week psychic development groups, Yoga classes, etc. She shared everything she learned with me. I also became fascinated. Her heart’s desire was to train in Mediumship. The other Mediums encouraged this, asking her to join an Open Circle and to meditate with them to channel ‘spirits of the deceased’. Mum was keen to develop her abilities of Clairvoyance, Clairaudience and Clairsentience and to learn from other Mediums.
Every time Mum booked a Private Sitting for a Life Reading with a resident or visiting Medium, she’d buy a recording of the session and we’d listen to it later. It amazed me that a half-hour recording could contain so much explicit communication from alleged ‘spirits’. Specific facts were relayed about our lives, in minute detail. Precise names, places and dates were often given. It was obvious the Mediums weren’t charlatans, falling upon names by sheer chance. They accurately described the physical appearance, personalities and even repeated common phrases of our apparent dead relatives, as they conversed with spirit entities.
I also joined the Spiritualist Church in Glasgow. Mum and I devoured mystical books on Yoga, opening the chakras, Crystal Healing, Reincarnation, Alternative Therapies, etc. Attending New Age Centres and Psychic Fairs, we absorbed as much information as we could to help in our ‘spiritual enlightenment’. With our passion for environmental and conservation concerns, social justice and international peace, we gladly participated in attempting to heal people and animals, through either contact or distant psychic healing.
We also read books on positive thinking. A favourite was, ‘The Power of Positive Thinking’, by Norman Vincent Peale, a 33rd degree Free Mason, who also believed in Clairvoyance, claiming to see his dead father at meetings.
Going Deeper
Laura’s season as a goth
Eventually, we attended Transfiguration Sessions. Mum developed in the area of Automatic Writing. Mediums predicted I’d become an author on behalf of Spirit Guides and a Psychic Artist, drawing portraits of ‘dead relatives and Spirit Guides’ for clients. I very briefly experimented with Kirlian Photography; using infra red film I captured images of ectoplasm as it formed.
Over the next 10 – 15 years, we’d often hear of Mediums who could no longer control when spirits spoke to, or through them. Many Mediums had nervous breakdowns. Some attacked people claiming their Spirit Guides had forced them to, or were admitted to psychiatric wards.
We heard reports of ‘poltergeist activity’ in Medium’s homes. At first, we accepted explanations that mischievous or obnoxious spirits could sometimes come through and it was a potential hazard of the job. But when it happened to us, it became intolerable and impossible to function properly.
Our beloved friends, the other Psychics and Mediums, kindly tried, but failed to free our home from spirits. The spirits spoke to Mum constantly, giving her no rest, depriving her of sleep, attacking her physically, chapping loudly from within wardrobes, slamming all the doors, etc.
On one of the occasions when they forced her into a trance against her will, she was frying food. When she came out of trance, the kitchen was consumed by fire. I arrived home after the Fire Brigade had extinguished it, just before it spread to other rooms. We all realized Mum, our dogs and cats could have been killed. One afternoon, Mum’s elderly Aunt who had also visited Spiritualist Churches, felt invisible hands grab her and throw her down our stairs. Her wrist was broken. Another day, while approaching shops, I watched in horror as Mum was lifted from the ground and catapulted from the pavement, landing on the bonnet of a passing car. This particular incident happened more than once.
Hellish Encounters
Naturally, we decided to withdraw from Spiritualism and kindly asked our ‘Spirit Guides’ to leave. To our shock, they laughed and insulted us. They began to physically attack us. This was deeply perplexing, as they’d provided guidance and kindness for many years! It became obvious they’d clearly deceived us, pretending to be benevolent, when in reality they were wicked all along.
It dismayed us that all the Spiritualist Mediums and Psychics we knew and dearly loved, had clearly been deceived too. After all, it was they who had introduced us to those spirits. They’d also assumed such ‘Spirit Guides’ and ‘friends’ were genuine.
However, the biggest shock came when even our supposed ‘dead relatives’ turned against us too! They also mocked and hit us. The spirits warned we couldn’t leave the occult, as we had unknowingly granted them control from the first day we invited them into our lives! It became clear to Mum and I there was something dangerous and deceptive in Spiritualism and forms of spirit communication, if even the Mediums who had brought our fake ‘spirit friends’ to us had not discerned their true spiritual identity.
A Christian Encounter
‘You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free’, John 8:32
Susan, a Christian I’d met in a Psychology Tutorial, at university, invited me to her Pentecostal Church. She explained other Psychics who had experienced similar tragedies were set free from spiritual attacks when they accepted the Biblical Jesus Christ as their Saviour, (not the New Age false Christ).
I did feel an atmosphere and presence in her church I’d never known and I hungered for it. When they prayed for healing and spoke in tongues, I senses instantly they had a supernatural power, but I wasn’t sure what it was! To me, Jesus was just a Healer and Medium.
That night when I returned home, the spirits were furious that I’d visited the Pentecostal Church. I was sure they’d try to kill me. (To learn more of those few days, please watch my TV interviews!)
I cried out to God in sheer desperation. I asked if He was real, to please speak to me through a bible I found. I had a divine revelation the bible was totally true, so renouncing Spiritualism, I came to Jesus Christ of Nazareth. I received Him as my Saviour and asked Him to cleanse me from all sin. Finally, I had saw the light. I had found truth. I had found Love Himself! Much to my own surprise, I had become a Christian, something I thought I’d never do! Never say never folks!
The very next morning, a Romany Gypsy appeared at my door. I’d been thinking about her for hours and now there she stood! She said she had got born again and that Jesus had sent her to tell me I was now on the right path! I began attending the church I’d just visited.
A Darker Tragedy Strikes
Just a few months later, during my 2nd year at university, Mum’s health deteriorated & her ‘Spirit Guides’ became more violent and even threatened to control her and use her to kill people. Mum’s doctor couldn’t accept poltergeist activity and was sadly diagnosed as Schizophrenic. Mum was detained in a Psychiatric Hospital, much to the utter shock of my Mum and myself.
Although my Mum gave her heart to Jesus a few months later, the Pentecostal Church I’d joined had no experience at that point, of helping people like Mum. At that time, they didn’t have the Deliverance Ministry. As a baby Christian myself, I didn’t yet know there were Christians who could’ve cast those demons out of my Mum in Jesus Name. After months of heavy sedation, the psychiatrists discharged her, but when she returned home, she endured further harassment from spirits. Sadly, the church I belonged to didn’t yet have experience of casting demons out of homes or people.
My pastor was young and inexperienced. He assumed mum and I were just over imaginative or mentally ill. So, we received no help. To my utter shock and dismay, my mother committed suicide.
Although not rare for someone to do … over the past couple of decades I’ve heard of many around the world, affected by the New Age or Occult have been in psychiatric wards or killed themselves. Therefore, I feel it emphasizes the crucial importance for Christians to embrace the Deliverance Ministry, more commonly known as Exorcism, and become God’s instruments to release freedom to such tortured people in Jesus Name.
(Over the years as a Christian, I have been honoured and delighted that the Holy Spirit has used me to see people & homes be set free from demonic harassment/poltergeist type activity, etc). “Greater is He (Jesus), that is in you; than he (satan) that is in the world.”
My chains are gone!
Soon after, I found another Pentecostal Church. It was experienced in Deliverance prayer – casting out demons. The co-Pastor, visited my mum’s home, successfully cleansing it the first time they prayed. At the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, all the spirits left and never returned. Praise God! Later, I sold Mum’s home without worrying the new tenants would be harassed.
The Pentecostal Church I attend, doesn’t serve up dead religious traditions or control. Instead it’s lively, loving and joyful. Members are trained by the Holy Spirit to prophesy of the future. Minds and bodies are healed and other miracles, signs and wonders occur. Actually, in a couple of years I saw more people healed in Pentecostal Churches than I ever saw in over ten years at Spiritualist meetings.
Deception Exposed
When I became a Christian, even before I had read the Biblical warnings of the Occult in Deuteronomy chapter 18, I suddenly saw the truth. I instinctively realized what had happened. The missing piece of the jigsaw slipped into place. When our ‘dead relatives and Spirit Guides’ began to attack us, it indicated those lying evil spirits had deceived us, merely impersonating our loved ones. It made complete sense when Christians explained from the bible, it’s impossible for dead souls to return to talk with us, as they remain in heaven or hell for eternity.
Also, the bible describes spirits are evil ‘fallen angels,’ or demons. They’ve existed since before creation. They possess vast psychic knowledge of our families & historical figures down the generations. Like ‘shape shifters’ from movies, they can easily disguise their evil form to pose as our ‘deceased family,’ to mimic ‘Spirit Guides,’ or any famous celebrity that ever lived. With their supernatural powers they can perform many false miracles. Through hypnosis etc, they can even produce false visions of your ‘former lives’.
They are masters of disguise. The Bible says that entities who work through Witches, Mediums, Ghost Hunters, etc, are called ‘familiar spirits’. They are psychic and very familiar with how all your ancestors looked and spoke, as they were on the earth at the same time. Thus, these entities can impersonate them perfectly. The Hebrew word for familiar spirits actually translates as ‘demon,’ evil spirit.
This is emphasised in passages such as 2 Corinthians 11 to 14 : “And no wonder! For Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.” The evil spirits working through Spiritualism, Ghost Hunting, etc, are evil demons. They serve Satan to deceive precious Mediums and others, appearing as dead relatives, Spirit Guides, ascended masters, goddesses, Reiki healing guides, aliens, fairies and so on. (Please see my article on how to ‘Test The Spirits’, or watch my TV programs on this crucial topic.)
The counterfeit nature of spirits makes sense, because many top Mediums even claim that Lucifer is god and the source of all psychic powers! (Benjamine Creme, David Spangler, Madam Helena Blavatsky, etc). They believe Lucifer is still an angel of light; god; the Saviour, and that he did not fall and become Satan, as the Bible states. Thus, Luciferianism is one of the roots of the New Age and Spiritualism. Madam Helena Blavatsky, a self proclaimed Luciferian Medium, was called the ‘mother of the New Age movement’. (Please see my article or watch my TV programs on this topic.)
Before I left the Occult, I was unaware the Bible lovingly advises in 1 John 4 verse 1 to 3 : “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God … every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus has come in the flesh is not of God … And this is the spirit of the Antichrist …”
Please see my note with directions on how to Test The Spirits, in the menu bar at the top. I’ve known countless numbers who have challenged Guides and other spirits, to show their true identity, in Jesus Christ’s name. Often they scream as they reveal their true evil form.
A Crucial Observation
Since I left Spiritualism and became a Christian, I have never been contacted by any spirit claiming to be a ‘dead relative’ or ‘Spirit Guide’! All such supernatural activity stopped, when I found the truth, that they were demons impersonating family or spiritual beings! You’d think, if they were truly real, they’d still try to ‘contact’ me!
Sharing With Others
When a Spiritualist, I’d regarded Jesus as just a cosmic force; part of the universal consciousness, a reincarnation of another god or great Healing Medium. Since my conversion in 1994, I’ve met, spoken to & read of many Ex Psychics, Ex Gypsies, Ex Mediums, Ex Witches, Ex Luciferians, and even Ex Satanists. They all discovered the entities of their ‘Spirit Guides’, ‘dead relatives’ or ‘goddesses’, were not who they claimed to be. These people were also set free from demonic attack after receiving Christ into their lives & receiving His overwhelming love and deliverance into spiritual freedom, (Exorcism).
Two successful Glasgow Mediums, Sadie Bryce and Geordie Aitken also became Christians. Sadie went to the same Spiritualist Church I did. She spoke of her occult past in BBC programs and an audio recording. Paul Watson wrote a book detailing Geordie’s experience. As Christians, Sadie and I wrote to each other and I met Geordie several times, discovering we all had been misled by deceiving spirits in the same ways. Geordie himself lost friends to demonically induced suicide. He spoke on my behalf at my mum’s funeral.
Jesus Christ healed me of a phobia of heights and physical conditions including Fibromyalgia and migraine headaches. He has given me joy and peace I simply never knew existed. His very tangible Presence of pure love is more real than any powerful encounter I experienced within Spiritualism, New Age or Mystical practises. I am forever grateful to Him for transforming my life and I give Him all the glory.
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The Supernatural with Laura Maxwell, on Eternal Radio.
The Supernatural with Laura Maxwell, on Eternal Radio available on tunein.com
I now host a weekly show on Eternal Radio, called ‘The Supernatural with Laura Maxwell,’
On it, I interview international guests, who share their dramatic true conversion stories. My guests include former Mediums, Psychics, Witches, Pagans, Satanists and so on.
Some of them are authors or have shared their stories on TV and radio.
Since 2008, I’ve shared my life story, on satellite TV, radio, in conferences and churches. I also write for magazines. I don’t receive payment for this. I’m delighted and blessed to hear from people worldwide. They share they’ve also been saved out of the New Age and Occult – by the transforming, mighty power of our loving Saviour and Friend, the Lord Jesus Christ. Some say it was my testimony that helped lead them to Jesus. Hallelujah!
A Final Word
I continuously hear from more people who are turning away from Spiritualist Meetings, Tarot Card Parties, Yoga, Meditation, Reiki and all other spirit empowered practises.
Laura in a studio during a radio show in Scotland.
A live show, Revival Radio studio, Scotland.
A few years ago, I completed a testimony-based novel, containing some detail of events Mum, our friends and I experienced within the occult.
It also contains some wonderful encounters with Jesus and angels, very different from what we experienced in Spiritualism.
As it’s self published, it’s only available directly from me, but should be on Amazon, by mid 2017!
If you’d like to order a copy of my book A Spiritual Quest, please email my Personal Assistant on [email protected]
If you feel led to pray for Laura’s ministry, or for the audiences who hear her speak, it would be so very appreciated.
Thank you very much! God bless you. Laura.
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To find out more, please see Laura’s blog https://ourspiritualquest.com/
'You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free'
‘You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free’, John 8:32
Psalm 96:3 ‘… That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all Thy wondrous works.’
Disclaimer : Laura Maxwell does not necessarily agree with all the information and conclusions presented by friends, or guest articles on her blog!
Are your friends tormented by spirits? If you care, please share. Your silence is consent. Expose demonic lies. Spread the truth to liberate those trapped in darkness, “… you will know the truth and The Truth shall set you free.”