It's great to find a community of open minded people like you have here. I have a question about automatic writing, mediumship, and spirit guides, and maybe one of you could help me.

To summarize, how safe is automatic writing? I am asking because I have reasons for wanting to try automatic writing or some form of mediumship, but on the few occassions I tried I was actually told NOT to continue by the board.

This is the history (sorry it's lengthy)...From around 12-14, I was having reoccuring dreams about a man I had never met before, and began experimenting with automatic writing. I had numerous conversations with the same man, who gave me his full name (and to my regret, I have forgotten his last name, but I will call him Francois). I knew he was much older, though he often appeared young to me, he had blonde hair, was of French origin, and lived quite a while ago in a rural area. He knew he had died. I am unsure if he knew who I was, or if he had mistaken me for someone else.

Here's where it gets uncanny -- my stepmother went to a psychic party, and a psychic there actually approached her and told her at that time that a spirit named Francois who had a relationship with me, and that he was French. In addition, she was told he was an old man (I usually saw him as young, but sometimes he was elderly -- depends on the context of the interaction).

The details matched exactly. Now, I had never said a word of this to my stepmother, since we didn't get along well, so there's no way she could have known all of that. Anyhow, I always felt good around him, and it wasn't an issue, though he made my stepmother uncomfortable, and I know she tried contacting him numerous times.

At 17, I left my father's home on not-so-nice circumstances, and moved home with my mother. My mother, at this point, also began having repeated dreams that I married a blonde farmer. She also knew nothing about Francois.

Just before I started dating my first boyfriend, Francois told me he would not be interacting with me anymore because I had to go have my own life. At the time, I was not happy with this, but he began making interactions unpleasant, and so I gradually withdrew.

Fast forward 13 years! I'm now 30, living a happy life overseas, and all is great. But, I suddenly started thinking about Francois a lot. It's sort of concern, and I want to make sure he is doing alright.

I got the idea of looking his name up on the Social Security death index. I believe he died in NY, although the year is anyone's guess, but I figure it's worth a shot. Maybe if I can track down who he was, I might be able to help him or something, assuming he even wants that. The trouble is, I need his last name. I'm thinking mediumship is the way to get more information from him.

I believe he's somehow "gotten in contact" with me again, since my young daughter (who is uncannily gifted) told me there's a man that follows me, and she sees him if she sleeps in my bed and wakes up in the middle of the night. She was afraid of him in the beginning, but now seems to be fine with him.

I have not figured out how this all works, but I think he was somehow directed to me from somewhere else??? He doesn't seem as informed about my past 10 years or so, and my husband had nightmares for a little while when he started becoming more active, but now it seems fine (no, I haven't told him any of this).

So...okay, enough rambles! Advice on how to proceed? I am reading the mediumship info on this site, so I gather that's where to start, but what about automatic writing, spirit boards, etc? Is there any reason why my guide/s would be so against me using them?

I use tarot, and am quite comfortable with the cards, but they can't give the more detailed information I seek.

I meant to add -- his real name has a very unique spelling, but unfortunately it's not unique enough for me to looking him up on that alone. He has shown me where he is buried in a dream, though, but it's impossible for me to know the location just by site, and I also have no idea what year it was.

I have read the lessons on this board (only the first 2 so far) and will begin working on meditation as suggested.

When I said, "...on the few occassions I tried I was actually told NOT to continue by the board." I was refering to spirit/ouija board. But, whether it's automatic writing or spirit boards, I can't use either anymore, as I immediately get told to stop, and get properly scolded if I persist. :P Bummer, but there must be some reason I'll assume.

If you can't use automatic writing or the board anymore, I suggest you try channeling. this is done without any use of a board or a deck of cards. Simply developing your clairaudience/clairvoyance etc. Since quantum physics states that everything is a vibration. In order to contact Francois, Attune your body into his frequency simply by asking him to make your body attuned to him. And as a precaution, ask help from your guardian angels so that you prevent any negative side effects or experiences whilst contacting Francois through channeling.

You can be conscious or semiconscious whilst channeling, all it takes is that you open your mind to hear his messages and such. My channeling experiences are such that Archangels talk in a different slang/tone. But it might be different for you.

Hope it helps

Thank you, amalimrock. I will definitely try this. Reading a lot of the other posts here has been helpful -- it seems obvious once read, but connecting the dots oneself is the tricky part.

We are all unique and so the experience will be unique.  But it is helpful to have others' opinions on how it works for them in psychic abilities.

Automatic writing was a considered a physical phenomena in the early literature of Spiritualism.  It tells how trance state was necessary as well as ectoplasm to aid the physical process.  All physical mediums have a chemist to aid this whole process of physical manifestation.  

Of course, like all things, there has been an evolution.  And I know many a medium who sits at the computer and can answer questions and go several paragraphs before they realize they have written at all.