extraordinary%20encounters

in most cases that all the various elements that
go to make up the act of automatism are owe d
solely to the automatist and his or her experience
in . . . life” (Anderson, 1988). On the
other hand, a skeptical but sympathetic obs
e rve r, Brown Un i versity anthro p o l o g i s t
Michael F. Brown, defends channeling as, at its
best, “a lively arena for the free play of the re l igious
imagination. . . . It is likely to remain a
site of emotional and spiritual re n ewal in a cult
u re that, perhaps more than any in human hist
o ry, promotes the continuous re i n vention of
the self” (Brown, 1997).
See Also: Ascended Masters; Ashtar; Contactees;
Monka
Further Reading
Alcock, James E., 1996. “Channeling.” In Gordon
Stein, ed. The Encyclopedia of the Paranormal,
153–160. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books.
Anderson, Rodger I., 1988. “Channeling.” Parapsy -
chology Review 19, 5 (1988): 6–9.
Brown, Michael F., 1997. The Channeling Zone:
American Spirituality in an Anxious Age. Cambridge,
MA: Harvard University Press.
Klimo, Jon, 1987. Channeling: Investigations on Re -
ceiving Information from Paranormal Sources. Los
Angeles: Jeremy P. Tarcher.
Riordan, Suzanne, 1990. “Channeling.” In J. Gordon
Melton, Jerome Clark, and Aidan A. Kelly,
eds. New Age Encyclopedia, 97–104. Detroit, MI:
Gale Research.
Chief Joseph
In life, Chief Joseph (1840–1894) led a gro u p
of Nez Pe rce Indians and was admired in his
time by his people and whites, alike, for his wisdom
and courage. Ac c o rding to a Reston, Vi rginia,
channeler named John Cali, Joseph has
been communicating from beyond the grave
since 1992. Joseph delivers the familiar message
that Earth is going through physical and spiritual
changes. Each individual must find the
God in him- or herself. T h rough Cali, Jo s e p h
g i ves personal psychic readings to those seeking
guidance in their personal lives or metaphysical
odysseys. Jo s e p h’s current messages are re c o rd e d
in an occasional e-new s l e t t e r, Sentinels of the Sk y.
Further Reading
“Who Are Chief Joseph and John Cali?” http://www.
claimyourpower.com/sentinels/thechief.htm
Chung Fu 61
Christopher
Jackie Altisi, also known as Jackie White Star,
channels messages from a variety of otherworldly
entities, including the spirit of martyred
contactee Gloria Lee, who died in 1962
while fasting under the direction of space people.
A principal communicator is Christopher,
an aide to the King of the Moon and
spokesman for the lunarian station of United
Cosmic Planets. According to Christopher,
the moon is a “complete authority in itself,
but working with an interplanetary confederation.”
These messages are circulated through
the Star Light Fellowship, established in 1962.
See Also: J.W.
Further Reading
Melton, J. Gordon, 1996. Encyclopedia of American
Religions. Fifth edition. Detroit, MI: Gale Research.
Chung Fu
Sometime in the 1960s, Marshall Leve r, then a
student at a Pre s byterian seminary, began ex-
Photograph of Chief Joseph by Edward Curtis (Corbis)