+ What is channeling?

“Channeling” is the nearest word I’ve found yet to describe a process when a person permits other non-physical beings to speak, using a person's body as an instrument to communicate their supernatural perspective on life and reality.

This ability could also be called mediumship. Almost all mediums transmit the message they receive with some interpretation of their own, though. The medium's consciousness and personality is still there, even if they are processing and transmitting information the rest of us don’t access.

When the character in this story, Mari, channels, strange as it is, she is not really there at all. She falls into a deep trance. The beings she channels speak in their own right, with no colouring or distortion by Mari's thoughts, judgements or opinions.

In other cultures this role could lead to a person being called a Shaman, a Clever Man or perhaps an Oracle.

If you'd like to know more about the history and process of channeling, read recommend With the Tongues of Men and Angels by Arthur Hastings. A larger, discursive work is Channeling by John Klimo.

+ What do you mean by deep trance?

A deep trance allows Mari, the channel, to step away while non-physical, 'spirit' beings use her body to communicate with humans. This sounds strange but has been practised by humans of many cultures for millenia.

Mari asks that people are quiet and that they don't stare at her when she is going into trance. She asks that phones and devices are switched off. When she is in trance, Mari's face and posture are different. She can be jolted out of trance by touch.

Mari gets irritated when people talk to her as if she is aware of what is said during channeling. She does not hear it and does not read the transcribed material.

+ Does Mari know what she is saying when she channels? How does this affect her partner and relationships?

No, Mari is unaware of what she says and does not want to talk about the content she has channeled.

A highly-intelligent, forceful and passionate woman, Mari has an opinionated personality and a rich personal history. She doesn't want her personality to colour the channeled material in any way. She feels that if she is aware of, or even conversant with the material, there could be a risk to the purity of the work.

This decision makes her an excellent channel, but it comes at a cost.

It puts a strain on relationships with her partner Nerida, who would like to talk to her about the material she has channeled. Nerida finds the process of Mari's channeling and the material itself life-changing. She is confronted by the idea of a transcendant soul and a reality beyond material existence. Sometimes she is not sure whether it is wise to encourage Mari to continue channeling, but she finds the conversations compelling. Nerida has no one to talk to about it. She eventually shares the story of Mari's ability with friends and family. Some of them stop speaking to her.

When Mari channels, people are excited, keen to talk about what they've discovered after a session. Mari leaves the room.

Mari gives up hours of her conscious life to do this work, and cultivates and accepts separation from those closest to her in doing so. She has no way of knowing the value or otherwise of what she channels, except by observing its effects on others.

She also deals with stigma from those who do not accept or want to begin to understand what she can do.

+ Who or what is Aedgar?

Aedgar is an ancient spirit who was involved with this planet, on and off, since its formation. Indeed, he was involved in the planet's formation.

In his last one or two lives on Earth, he took the name Aedgar.

Aedgar's last lifetime on earth was in Tudor England, when he lived in Bristol. He found true love--for the first time in physical life--with another man, Aiden, in that lifetime.

As a 'spirit' (not a word he likes much) Aedgar was the first English-speaking, co-operative being, first channeled by Mari in 2012. He comes to speak many channeling sessions, and is present at many of the sessions, even if another spirit speaks.

When Mari was learning to control her channeling and Nerida was getting to know the beings she channeled, Aedgar acted as a guide and facilitator for the other beings who came to speak.

+ Who or what is Bartgrinn?

Bartgrinn was a Druid healer who lived in Northern Britain in ancient times.

Bartgrinn uses more direct language and is more earthy and emotional than Aedgar, who has a more refined manner.

+ Do the same beings come to every session?

While visits by new beings are always possible, there is a team of regulars.

The conversations on this website are with Aedgar, M’Hoq Toq and Bartgrinn. Finally, rarely seen but impressive in her feminine style, there is Isis.

The Concious Virus will be the first published novel in the Aedgar Wisdom series, coming soon.

The next book--working title Aedgar Arises--shows how each of these beings (and a few others) came through to meet Nerida as Mari began to control her channeling, and how Nerida felt as she got to know them. It is the foundation story of the series, including how Mari and Nerida met and fell in love, how they went to the desert and what happened there. And how Mari lost her foot.

+ How do you say M’Hoq Toq?

The two syllables are quick and short, the vowels are flat, as Americans say them.

It’s a Native American name, and the channel and the facilitator don’t yet have the alphabet to transcribe it properly.

If you are Native American and/or familiar with Native American languages and would like to offer an alternative spelling, we would be delighted to hear from you.

M’Hoq Toq told Nerida, more than once that “It is the easiest of my names”. He offered this name after Nerida had already got one or two other names hopelessly wrong. It is still not pronounced as he would like, but he tolerates the pronounciation.

Originally Nerida transcribed the name as M’Hoq N’Toq. It was also written as M’Hoq Tauk for a while before the current spelling was accepted.

+ Does Isis have anything to do with the religious extremists?

No. If you read transcripts of the conversation with Isis, it is clear that Isis is as far as possible from terrorism.

+ I get the feeling there is more to this. Are these transcripts excerpts from longer conversations? Is there a book?

The Conscious Virus contains complete transcripts. Sign up to the email list to get news of pre-launch purchase and give-aways.

The excerpts from the conversations with spirit which feature on this website reveal flashes of the wisdom of the beings. But the material here only hints at the narrative power and complexity of the entire conversations, which build on powerful intereaving themes: the nature of reality and the reality of spiritual existence, the purpose of life, the crying distress of our planet.

The spirits try to help Mari and Nerida stay well and safe.

+ Some of the conversations were first posted years ago, is that right?

Not necessarily. Even though many excerpts here on the website and on the Facebook page are from conversations several years ago, they have may never been posted or published before, as backstory is built up to create a fuller, deeper story.

The excerpts are chosen to represent the beings and their conversations as succinctly as possible without sacrificing comprehensibility. The transcripts of entire conversations have not been made available online, but will be in the novels.

The only sure way to know what and when is updated here, and to hear about the book when it's ready, is to subscribe to email updates here.

+ How long has Mari been doing this? How does it affect her?

Mari talked all night in her sleep in different languages since childhood.

In 2012 she was taught how to negotiate with the beings to be able to control her channeling.

Now Mari is able to choose when the channeling occurs and request that the beings speak English.

Trying to maintain some kind of normal life when Nerida's worldview totally changed led to conflict and tension. Sometimes Mari felt left behind. She wondered whether Nerida liked Aedgar and the others better than her or whether Nerida only stayed with her because of her strange, compelling ability.

+ Can the beings speak other languages?

They could learn to speak in other languages but they do not, they say, because of Nerida's limitations. Nerida is Mari’s amanuensis and facilitator. She only speaks English with sufficient fluency. So they have learned to speak in English.

The non-physical beings won't come to talk if Nerida isn't there to keep Mari safe while she is away from her body.

+ Do you have an email list?

Yes. Send us a note on the Contact page so that we can keep you posted about the conversations, the e-books, conference sessions and more. Join us.

+ What will you do with my email?

You will get updates from us and an occasional announcement. Being on our email list is the best way to know when a new text is uploaded. You can also follow us on Facebook. Your email will not be sold and we will not spam you. We do not do affiliate marketing.

+ Is this real? It reads like a Kurt Vonnegut novel (or a Twilight Zone script or Carlos Castenada).

The upcoming books are fiction. If it helps you to consider this a surrealist experiment, please do so.

+ Can we get recordings or videos of Marie channeling on the website please?

No. Mari is ficticious. But we're working on providing more resources for committed readers. Please join our email list by completing the form on the Contact page so that we can update you.

+ Is there anything Nerida can’t ask Aedgar about?

To Nerida's disappointment, the beings won’t do lottery numbers. Having studied Law of Attraction, she hoped that she and Mari would get rich, once Mari started channeling and that she, Nerida, could stop working as a doctor.

They won't tell a person the colour of their soulmate’s eyes or go hunting between dimensions for missing objects or people.

They are chary about giving a timeframe for their predictions (or likely outcomes), saying, 'We are not good at 'time'. 'Predictions' are based on the potential they see in the moment, so there is always choice involved in how events unfold.

Asking anything else is permitted. Nerida (and the others) are creative interviewers. Regardless of the topic, the conversations are generally warm, friendly and heartfelt.

There is a quality of love in the atmosphere when the beings are permitted to come through which is difficult to convey in words.

+ Who is or was Aiden?

Aiden was the love of Aedgar’s life, in two of his lives, actually.

They were vital, attractive men. Aedgar and Aiden chose to incarnate in Bristol, England for a second lifetime after experiencing true love together there. In their second lifetimes they were contemporaries of Henry VIII.

Nerida finds Aedgar’s stories of Aiden moving, exquisite and sometimes funny.

+ Is this religious? Is it anti-religious?

Good question! The existence of a spirit or soul is usually associated with religion.

Most science separates itself from religion by denying the existence of any kind of eternal soul or spirit in living things. Parapsychology is an exception.

Mari and Nerida were both atheists since youth. Channeling with Mari is not a religious experience and does not follow any religious formats or rituals.

Words such as spirit and soul are used to speak of who and what we are, in channeling. But Aedgar and Bartgrinn are aware of the religious connotations of the words, ‘spirit’ and ‘soul.’ Both witnessed atrocities in the name of religion. M'Hoq Toq must have, too, but has not yet spoken about it.

Those words are used for lack of better ones in English, since Aedgar and the other friends exist and communicate without physical bodies of their own.

The beings are tolerant and fundamentally kind. And will tell, each in their own way, that religions are man-made and often misused.

+ Is this available in other languages? Can I translate the book for you?

Translating this material is challenging. We are working with a professional English to German translator with an excellent knowledge of channeling and metaphysical concepts. A German language section of the website will be ready to launch in 2021.

We appreciate multilingual readers who are keen to see the material distributed as widely as possible. If you would like to translate, please get in touch.

+ I have more questions. What’s the best way to get in touch with you?

Email miti.mitayn@gmail.com or fill out the form on the Contact page. All correspondence is confidential.