My Friend, the Trance Channel, Kevin Ryerson
Posted on Mar 29th, 2006
by 
Jeff Mishlove
Jeff Mishlove
In several of my previous blogs, I have referred to the fact that trance channel Kevin Ryerson has been instrumental in working with Walter Semkiw, M.D., to help decipher past incarnations of living individuals. This may seem, to many, to be a rather unorthodox methodology. And, indeed, it is. So, I think that some background information regarding Kevin's work is in order.
First, I should state that I have the highest confidence in the moral and spiritual integrity of both Kevin Ryerson and Walter Semkiw. Both of them have served with me, for years, on the Board of Directors of the Intuition Network. This fact should make it very clear that I value their wisdom and their counsel. Of course, Walter's medical credentials speak for themselves. But, how does one determine the credentials of a trance channel?
There are good reasons to be suspicous of trance channels and mediums, in general. The field is completely unregulated. Anyone can purport to have expertise in this area. And, the history of spiritualism is punctuated by a variety of frauds, con artists and controversies. It is also punctuated by individuals of good character whose works have withstood the test of time. And, I place Kevin Ryerson in this latter category.
Many books have been written describing Kevin's talents. First among these, I would place the works of my colleague and friend, Dr. William Kautz, who studied Kevin's abilities for many years. These include Channeling: The Intuitive Connection and especially Opening the Inner Eye. Bill Kautz worked with Kevin to develop new answers to many puzzling scientific problems including the origin of earthquakes and the causes of sudden infant death syndrome (among many others).
Kevin is probably most well-known, however, for the extensive work he has done with Academy Award winning actress, Shirley MacLaine, who has generously acknowledged his contributions to her work in several books including Out On A Limb, Dancing in the Light and It's All in the Playing. In the ABC television mini-series, Out On A Limb, Kevin actually played himself.
When I was president of the California Society for Psychical Study, Kevin served as my vice-president.
I have had the privilege of traveling with Kevin to Machu Picchu, Peru, to Egypt, and to the sacred American Indian sites at Chaco Canyon in New Mexico.
What I love most about Kevin is his native genius. From my perspective, it does not particularly matter whether or not the spirit guides that he channels are products of his subconscious mind. My interest is in the quality of the information I receive. And, I find that -- whether or not he is in trance -- Kevin is able to give voice to fascinating ideas on almost all subjects.
This is particularly remarkable as he lacks any formal, accredited college education. (His higher education consists of a non-accredited theological degree with a metaphysical orientation.) Yet, I find that we can converse intelligently about architecture, quantum physics, yoga, history, politics, art, mythology, cinematography, business, computer science and psychology. Almost consistently, these conversations are simultaneously deep and light-hearted.
In fact, for many years, Kevin and I have joked about doing a joint radio or television program called "The Theory of Everything." It seems that, when we get together, we have a unique habit of seeing the patterns that unite. I hope some day that we do this.
Access: Public
california society for psychical study
September 2008 
Incidentally, when Kevin goes into trance (which he does readily in a matter of seconds), he does not seem to be conscious of the personalities that are speaking through him. He describes it as being in a dreamlike state. Once is returns from trance, he is generally unaware of what has been discussed.
I met Walter Semkiw, M.D.,, at a party (at my house, actually), and subsequently spent some time looking at his materials.
The problem I have with it is that … well *I’m* John Adams, not that other guy.
Seriously, I think the idea of serial reincarnation … one person reincarnating as someone else … is (except perhaps in the case of great Tibetan leaders) pretty unlikely. I think that something like a “soul stew” is much more likely, whereupon when we die, our individual “soul essence” gets put back into a big soul stew pot and then a ladle-full containing bits and pieces of lots of different folks gets served out into the next body that needs enlivening. (Obiously, my metaphor is weak here in a number of ways, but you get the point.)
Plus, of course, there’s the big problem, oft-repeated, that everyone seems to think they were someone extremely important or well-known. How many people say, “Yeah, I was that slave three hundred years ago and before that a peasant farmer in Europe and before that nobody worth noting at all.”
Also, the idea that through matching physical face attributes we can tell “who was who” reminds me of the Phrenology bust I have sitting on my desk. It just doesn’t feel right or make sense to me.
I think a lot of this originates from the fear of death. We all (or a lot of us all) want to live forever, or would like to believe that we might…
– Jordan
Jordan,
I tend to agree with you regarding the “soul stew” metaphor. One way to think of it is to remember that the ancient Egyptians had about ten different aspects to the “soul” each with its own unique destiny.
But, then, if you look at Semkiw's material carefully, you'll see that he, also, does not subscribe to a strictly linear interpretation of reincarnation. His book has at least one case of a woman (Penney Peirce) who had two simultaneous previous lives. In another one of his cases, of which I was aware, the present individual was born five years prior to the death of the previous incarnation. And, I think Semkiw is also open to the possibility expressed in the movie, The Little Buddha, of one person dying and then simultaneously incarnating as three other people.
Jeff
I did not realize that he did not have a linear, or serial, reincarnation model. I should study it more closely.
Your point about the Egypitans is likewise fascinating. I’ll have to study that too!
Obviusly Not Galileo in a former life,
Jordan
Here is a comment that I am forwarding from Dr. Walter Semkiw, who had the following thoughts after reading my blog about Kevin Ryerson:
————–
Hi Everyone,
Jeff has written a wonderful testimonial regarding Kevin and having worked with Kevin intensively for the last five years, I wholeheartedly agree with Jeff's assessment. As a medium and individual, Kevin is a rare gem. Though he displays wisdom in many fields, in time, I believe he will be recognized as “The Edgar Cayce of Reincarnation.” I have to be fully honest, though, and must warn that he can be sneaky and will tickle a colleague without notice.
Walter