On April 7 1997, I attended a demonstration of the SEG in the darkened garage at the home of medium Brian Hurst in California. Hurst was a mentor to world-famous medium, James Van Praagh, bestselling author of Talking to Heaven and Reaching to Heaven. My interest in attending the Scole group's demonstration had its origin in researching the application of mediumship as an intervention for people suffering from bereavement resulting from loss. It stands to reason that proof of life after death may minimise the duration and intensity of the bereavement process.

In the darkened garage, twenty participants were treated to a series of extraordinary physical phenomena. A table at the centre of the room appeared to lift and stand on its side while crystals and various objects on the table mysteriously stayed in place, seeming to defy gravity. People began to report that invisible hands materialised and reached out and caressed their hands.

Suddenly, the room began to be filled with spirit lights that can be best described in size and appearance as resembling fireflies with constant illumination. At times, these bluish-white lights would hover in front of spectators, and at other times, they would travel across the floor and appear to climb up the table in the centre of the room and fly up through the rafters of the garage.

It occurred to me that if the light phenomenon was being facilitated by an invisible team of spirit scientists, as the group's Robin Foy alleged, then perhaps I could communicate with one of these scientists directly and silently with my thoughts. In this way, I could test the authenticity of the Scole phenomena without the awareness of the Scole group and the twenty participants. I held out both of my hands in the dark and thought silently, Touch my right hand. Send a light to my right hand if you can indeed hear me just now.

With that, a light flew from above the spectators' heads and across from the Scole team and touched the index finger of my right hand. I was incredulous. I could feel the light physically touch me and could plainly see that it was not a fibre-optic cord or light projection, but rather a self-contained sphere of bluish-white light of indeterminate source. I called this event to the attention of the group at the time and this is: documented on tapes belonging both to Hurst and the Scole group.

Shortly after this event, Mrs. Bradshaw asked if she could relay information from a male spirit endeavouring to speak to me. I asked her to proceed and the resulting astounding exchange was another evidential contact with the spirit of my friend, Michael Keller. Mrs. Bradshaw relayed detailed information unknown to Brian Hurst or any other participant and I was left with no doubt as to the authenticity of the exchange.

Suffice it to say, my interaction with the Scole group transformed a life's worth of limited perceptions overnight. It isn't often that one's point of view can change in such a short time; the more observed fact is that change occurs gradually.