Channeling has been given many different definitions by observers as well as practitioners. I prefer to describe it as a method of allowing communication from very wise and loving beings that are not physical, and who want to help people move beyond the obstacles they encounter in their lives.

William Kautz and Melanie Branon, authors of Channeling - The Intuitive Connection, suggest this practical definition: "Channeling is a mental process in which an individual (the channel) partially or totally sets aside waking consciousness. Knowledge that lies beyond conscious awareness can then flow freely into the mind and be conveyed through speaking or writing to others."

People who attend channeling sessions often describe a pleasant and intimate feeling of being known. This is often because the information received has been uniquely tailored (by the channeled beings) for the psyche of the individual. Psychotherapist and channeler Steven Weber offers this perspective in his Masters thesis, The Invisible Other - Channeling as an Ally in Psychotherapy: "The relationship between a human partner and an unseen ally has purpose and, regardless how the union manifests, can function as an alliance of mutual benefit... the perennial aim of channeling is not only to convey purposeful information but to infuse that knowledge with the energy to heal."

Some in our society would prefer to dismiss channeling as a New Age fad. John Klimo, in his excellent book Channeling - Investigations on Receiving Information from Paranormal Sources, offers this response: "Channeling, like mysticism, is a phenomenon that has been part of human experience as far back as human records go. It appears to be an essential element in the origins of virtually all of the great spiritual paths. It is not just a curiosity of current interest based on a resurgence of inner voices, visions, trance seances, and automatic writing. Rather, the phenomenon is an important aspect of human consciousness, a crucial experience for all human beings in all cultures and times, even though we do not yet understand its origins or mechanisms."

In my personal experience, trance channeling involves closing my eyes, relaxing, mentally setting the environment to a safe and sacred vibration, and then inviting the being known as Baratta to come and speak. Then I let my awareness recede into a deeply altered state, similar to a dream state. When I am in this state of consciousness, Baratta sends his energy into my body, and through it he expresses his perspectives via thoughts, emotions, and movement. From my perspective, my conscious participation in this is limited to the initial process of getting my own thoughts and feelings as far "out of the way" as possible, and then not "returning" until the session with Baratta is complete.

During the session, Baratta presents his own personality and ideas, both of which are very different from mine. In this process, I believe that Baratta is using my subconscious mind as a translation device, so that his "thought energy" is expressed in a form that is understandable in terms of language, recognizable movements, and facial expressions. My belief about this has been confirmed in many ways. For example, recently, as I have learned more of the Spanish languange, Baratta has begun to use it in sessions with Spanish-speaking people. It is most interesting to me that Baratta is somehow able to put the new language into use more quickly and more effectively than I can.

The most significant part of the channeling experience for me is when I return to full consciousness after the session: There is a distinctly different feeling in the room, both as a "vibration" and in the expressions and comments of the participants. There is a noticeable sense of peace, and a warm feeling of safety, where all who are present appear to have moved into a deeper state of openness and vulnerability.

I usually do not remember many details of the channeling sessions, or if I do, they fade very quickly, as if I had just awakened from a dream. There are times, though, that someone asks me a specific question about a concept that was spoken of during their session, and sometimes I am able to talk about the concept because the information is available to me, perhaps via my subconscious mind, and my awareness of it has been triggered by the question.

When someone comes to me who is new to channeling, I urge them to view the information they receive purely in terms of its own value to them. The beings that speak through channelers are not special because they are "entities". They can be wonderful friends, though, because of the clarity of their love and their unfailing commitment to helping people heal and grow. Nevertheless, I encourage people to continually ask themselves, "Does this perspective work for me?" If it does not, I wholeheartedly recommend that they discard it.

There are many channelers in the world, and they work in many different ways. It is important to remember that channelers are human, and they are subject to human frailties and weaknesses just like everyone else. Therefore, I encourage people to listen to their own senses when they experience a channeling session. If they feel like they are being talked down to or manipulated, they probably are, and I encourage them to move on. When this happens it is most likely that the channeler is "filtering" the information with his or her own personality or agendas. The unavoidable result is that the client ends up feeling diminished and used. I feel that this is a spiritual violation of a human being.

In its most positive expression, channeling can be a wondrous and beautiful experience, where people come away with a new and lasting sense of hope for their future, and a new depth of love in their lives.