"If I Only Had Five More Minutes”

The Psychomanteum

In doing work with patients that had been dealing with the loss of a loved one through death, Dr. Raymond Moody, MD, Ph.D., author of Life After Life, and many other books, noticed the desire by many who want "just five more minutes" with their departed loved one. Whether to speak of their love, to tell them not to worry, or to find out whether they're free from the pain felt in life. Survivors often feel like something is still unsettled and/or unsaid.

How then could this dilemma be solved? In his research of these questions, Dr. Moody discovered that for over a 1000 years, the Greeks had an institution in their culture which virtually allowed a grieving individual "five more minutes" with their departed loved ones. Their method allowed one to communicate with the deceased by use of what research has shown to be the Psychomanteum, an underground most interesting facility.

Sites, by the Greeks, were discovered in modern times through descriptions in the writings of Homer. These healing facilitates allowed pilgrims to heal the scars of grief through direct contact with those who were in spirit. With the measured focus of a scientist, Dr. Moody replicated a psychomanteum in his home/office facility in an old gristmill in Alabama. In addition, he set up a detailed selection criteria for his participants to test this device /procedure.

Participants that met this criteria were contacted, and those who were interested were asked to bring items that were strongly connected with the deceased and that evoked memories of them. Each subject was advised to wear comfortable, dark, loose fitting clothing. Dr. Moody took long walks with his subjects prior to their entering the psychomanteum. He spoke with them of the deceased, strengthening their memories of him/her. Then these inner space astronauts were further prepared by lying on a bed fitted with speakers emanating soft music which helped produce a state of relaxation. Dr. Moody?s initial process took a good part of the day.

The psychomanteum he devised, was a small room with mirror against one wall and a comfortable chair facing it. A person could not see their reflection directly in the mirror however, as it was positioned higher than the direct line of sight. A black velvet curtain surrounded the chair to further ensconce the individual in a black cocoon. The room was lit only by a low watt light placed behind the chair.

Finally, upon entering the psychomanteum, one would sit in a relaxed state gazing into the "clear field" of the mirror for about forty five minutes to an hour. No one was guaranteed a visitation or apparition or any result, though almost all were helped by their experience and there were no negative experiences. From full three dimensional apparitions in vivid colors, to hugs, to the mere feeling of someone present, participant experiences ran the gamut. What seemed most consistent was that all felt more at peace, at closure perhaps with the one who was now deceased.

More recently at facilities around the country, spiritual explorers have chosen to use the psychomanteum without necessarily the purpose of seeking closure with a loved one, but simply to experience this as a process of inner creativity, understanding or accessing wisdom. The psychomanteum has literally opened up many new doorways for exploration.

As with the ground breaking work in LIFE AFTER LIFE, his work with the psychomanteum, and his book, REUNIONS, Dr. Moody has given us greater understanding about life and death. If one can experience the presence of spirit directly, is it possible that one could know directly the wisdom spoken in the many books of knowledge? Perhaps the psychomanteum is another road to understanding great mysteries, a capsule of exploration that leaves the world of illusion for the world of spirit.

A psychomanteum will be available at Spiritual Endeavors beginning sometime in the spring of 1999.

Taken from talks with Dr. Moody in Las Vegas, and with references to his book, Reunions.

Michael Kau’i Ihara, D.C. is a licensed chiropractor (Network Chiropractic) in California and Hawaii, student of Builders of the Adytum, ordained minister, hospice volunteer, and currently producing a video on hospice. He will be volunteering his services at SE to work with those wishing to experience the psychomanteum process.