We often read how famous and infamous past leaders have consulted with mediums for advice or guidance in formulating major decisions, but how often have we read about the psychic abilities of leaders themselves?
Winston Spencer Churchill was such a man, and although during WW2 he consulted with mediums for strategic war information, you may not be aware of the fact that Churchill also possessed a psychic intuitiveness which guided him through tough and difficult times during his long life.
Recalling the events of the Boer War when he had been captured, had escaped and seeking sanctuary he explained in his autobiography how he was "guided by some form of mental planchette (a Spiritualist tool) to the only house in a 30 mile radius that was sympathetic to the British cause". Had he knocked on the back door of any other house he would have been arrested and returned to the Boer commanders to be shot as an escaping prisoner of war.
In later years when as Prime Minister of Britain during WW2, there were two notable occasions when Churchill`s psychic prowess saved his life.
Once, during an air raid whilst entertaining three government ministers at 10, Downing Street, London, Churchill broke contact from his guests and went to the kitchen where he ordered the cook to put the evening dinner on the hot plate in the dining room. Afterwards he ordered all kitchen staff to evacuate immediately to the air raid shelter and then calmly returned to his guests at dinner.
Within a few minutes the kitchen area was destroyed by an enemy bomb, but left Churchill and the diners unscathed. Had the kitchen staff not heeded Churchill`s warnings, undoubtedly there would have been many casualties.
On another occasion Churchill went to get into a ministerial limousine when for reasons not known, he instead of getting into the door opened for him, went to the other side of the car where he remained seated.
During the journey a bomb exploded on the side of the car where he would ordinarily have been sat. The force lifted the vehicle off two wheels, but again Churchill and the driver were uninjured.
Churchill made light play of the incident and joked that he switched sides to keep the weight of the vehicle down, but he later confessed to his wife that as he was about to get in, a voice in his head commanded him to stop. Heeding his inner voice as always, he went to the other side of the vehicle instead and probably saved his own life.
On another occasion Churchill was travelling to the House of Commons in a government limousine when he ordered the driver to take a different route.
Unbeknown to the security services, some I.R.A (Irish Republican Army) hitmen were waiting for him in Regent`s Park where they had prepared to attack his vehicle with guns as he drove through.
Undoubtedly Churchill`s belief in the paranormal played a big part in the Helen Duncan case
in 1944 and the later repeal of the Witchcraft Act of 1735.
Duncan, a medium, had during a private Portsmouth seance, claimed that a dead sailor had told her that a British warship HMS Barham had been sunk during enemy action.
Among the guests was a Lieutenant R. Worth of the Royal Navy who discovered shortly afterwards that HMS Barham was indeed sunk, and that the news had only just come through.
Suspecting that Duncan was a German agent, and with D-Day not too far away, she was arrested with the other guests for `vagrancy`, which was later ammended to `conspiracy` before finally appearing in court charged under the Witchcraft Act.
Churchill was furious when he heard of this trial, and wrote a ministerial message to the Home Secretary Herbert Morrison; "Give me a report of the 1735 Witchcraft Act . What was the cost of a trial to the State in which the Recorder ( junior magistrate) was kept busy with all this obsolete tomfoolery to the detriment of the necessary work in the courts?"
The case however proceeded, and predictably Duncan was jailed for 9 months, although due to pressure from Churchill, Duncan was released early from prison in September 1944 - some three months after D-Day.
The Witchcraft Act was repealed some years later during his second term of office in 1951, although since the Duncan case there had been no further prosecutions.
Churchill admitted that his life was guided for him, and at times seemed fearless of any consequence for his actions. However, despite his own psychic ability, Churchill used other mediums for advice and guidance. Quite what was affected by his psychic intuitiveness during this period is not known, but unlike Hitler who also relied on psychics, Churchill survived the war dying of natural causes on 24th January 1965.
Winston Spencer Churchill was such a man, and although during WW2 he consulted with mediums for strategic war information, you may not be aware of the fact that Churchill also possessed a psychic intuitiveness which guided him through tough and difficult times during his long life.
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| Sir Winston Churchill |
Recalling the events of the Boer War when he had been captured, had escaped and seeking sanctuary he explained in his autobiography how he was "guided by some form of mental planchette (a Spiritualist tool) to the only house in a 30 mile radius that was sympathetic to the British cause". Had he knocked on the back door of any other house he would have been arrested and returned to the Boer commanders to be shot as an escaping prisoner of war.
In later years when as Prime Minister of Britain during WW2, there were two notable occasions when Churchill`s psychic prowess saved his life.
Once, during an air raid whilst entertaining three government ministers at 10, Downing Street, London, Churchill broke contact from his guests and went to the kitchen where he ordered the cook to put the evening dinner on the hot plate in the dining room. Afterwards he ordered all kitchen staff to evacuate immediately to the air raid shelter and then calmly returned to his guests at dinner.
Within a few minutes the kitchen area was destroyed by an enemy bomb, but left Churchill and the diners unscathed. Had the kitchen staff not heeded Churchill`s warnings, undoubtedly there would have been many casualties.
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| Churchill during WW2 |
On another occasion Churchill went to get into a ministerial limousine when for reasons not known, he instead of getting into the door opened for him, went to the other side of the car where he remained seated.
During the journey a bomb exploded on the side of the car where he would ordinarily have been sat. The force lifted the vehicle off two wheels, but again Churchill and the driver were uninjured.
Churchill made light play of the incident and joked that he switched sides to keep the weight of the vehicle down, but he later confessed to his wife that as he was about to get in, a voice in his head commanded him to stop. Heeding his inner voice as always, he went to the other side of the vehicle instead and probably saved his own life.
On another occasion Churchill was travelling to the House of Commons in a government limousine when he ordered the driver to take a different route.
Unbeknown to the security services, some I.R.A (Irish Republican Army) hitmen were waiting for him in Regent`s Park where they had prepared to attack his vehicle with guns as he drove through.
Undoubtedly Churchill`s belief in the paranormal played a big part in the Helen Duncan case
in 1944 and the later repeal of the Witchcraft Act of 1735.
 |
| Helen Duncan |
Duncan, a medium, had during a private Portsmouth seance, claimed that a dead sailor had told her that a British warship HMS Barham had been sunk during enemy action.
Among the guests was a Lieutenant R. Worth of the Royal Navy who discovered shortly afterwards that HMS Barham was indeed sunk, and that the news had only just come through.
Suspecting that Duncan was a German agent, and with D-Day not too far away, she was arrested with the other guests for `vagrancy`, which was later ammended to `conspiracy` before finally appearing in court charged under the Witchcraft Act.
Churchill was furious when he heard of this trial, and wrote a ministerial message to the Home Secretary Herbert Morrison; "Give me a report of the 1735 Witchcraft Act . What was the cost of a trial to the State in which the Recorder ( junior magistrate) was kept busy with all this obsolete tomfoolery to the detriment of the necessary work in the courts?"
 |
| The original message to the Home Secretary |
The case however proceeded, and predictably Duncan was jailed for 9 months, although due to pressure from Churchill, Duncan was released early from prison in September 1944 - some three months after D-Day.
The Witchcraft Act was repealed some years later during his second term of office in 1951, although since the Duncan case there had been no further prosecutions.
Churchill admitted that his life was guided for him, and at times seemed fearless of any consequence for his actions. However, despite his own psychic ability, Churchill used other mediums for advice and guidance. Quite what was affected by his psychic intuitiveness during this period is not known, but unlike Hitler who also relied on psychics, Churchill survived the war dying of natural causes on 24th January 1965.