Channelling or channelling is the communication of information to or through a physically embodied human being (the channel or medium), from a spirit or other supernatural entity outside the mind (or self) of the channel.
Channelling is part of the belief systems and rituals of many religions, such as shamanism, Candomblé, Voodoo, Kardecism, Umbanda, and more.
Channellers claim to have channelled ascended masters like Buddha, Jesus, or St. Germain.; people that have died; angels; higher dimensional beings; and extra-terrestrials of a spiritual or more evolved nature. Channelling is a popular source of revealed teachings in some New Age groups. Well known channellers like Diandra (Salem), Esther Hicks (Abraham), Jane Roberts (Seth), and Lee Carroll (Kryon) have volumes of teachings on angels, chakras, higher dimensions, future predictions, manifestation, meditation, non-judgment, now-moment, past lives, and spirituality.
The channels, depending upon their expertise, tap many tools to ‘channelize’ their psychic energy. They may use tarot cards, crystal balls, gems or dream analysis. They use their psychic abilities of clairvoyance, clairaudience, and clairsentience.
One type of channelling is ‘Conscious voice channelling,’ in which the channeller calms his or her mind and ‘connects to the energy’ of the source being channelled. The source uses the vocabulary of the channeller. Channellers in this state usually have their eyes closed and are conscious of the room and what is being said. They then, allegedly, allow the source to speak through them by staying in this calm state.
A less common form of channelling, ‘Trance channelling,’ occurs through deeper meditation in which the Channeller appears to have their consciousness leave their body and the ‘source’ enters. Observers may notice the channeller’s voice and mannerisms change when the transition is complete. This is not related to multiple personalities. The trance channeller will later reconnect to their physical body and the session will be over. The depth of the trance varies, with some channelers recollecting the entirety of the session while others are conscious of little or none of the transpiring. Deep full-trance channelling is relatively rare. Trance channelling appears to use the same dynamics as astral travel.
The definition of channelling has not yet reached a consensus. Some constrict the definition to a narrow band of behaviour and experience, while others see it as including almost any information processing of an apparently self-transcending nature.