Geraldine Cummins: An Appreciation

GERALDINE CUMMINS was Ireland’s most celebrated psychic. Her particular mediumship manifested as 'automatic writing' where, controlled by discarnate beings the medium is able to write with authority on matters normally outside his or her own knowledge.

Cummins was never found to be anything less than genuine and at times she was highly sceptical of the material she received; she nevertheless produced impressive evidence that our consciousness survives physical death; evidence, furthermore, that was considered bona fide by the majority of the recipients despite her own scepticism.

Charles Fryer was a schoolmaster and college lecturer who was ordained in 1963 at the age of forty-nine, but, apart from a three-years curacy in Coventry, he remained in full-time education as a lecturer in History until his retirement. He later became priest-in-charge to two small Episcopal congregations in the Scottish Highlands, and a part-time tutor in Liturgical Studies for the Geneva Theological College.

Fryer became interested in parapsychology in 1968 after reading an article in the Christian journal, Modern Churchman by John Pearce-Higgins. The article was on the subject of psychical research and its relevance to the Christian doctrine of immortality.  Three years later he discovered he also had the gift of automatic writing , which prompted him to investigate Geraldine in detail.  

This biography is an in depth portrayal of a fascinating subject and will be of great interest to psychical researchers. One important aspect covered in the book is the use of psychometry. Cummins’ brother, was a Medical doctor, and covertly  used Cummins’ psychometry in the diagnosis and treatment of some of his more difficult psychiatric cases, seemingly with great success. Also included and published for the first time are two fascinating scripts: one claiming to be from George Mallory, the mountaineer who died attempting to climb Everest, and the other from T. E. Lawrence aka Lawrence of Arabia'.