The Difference Between Prophecy and “Channeling”



The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, listed four guidelines for the discernment of the manifestations of these gifts:

“a) Agreement with the Church's faith in Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Cor 12:3). A gift of the Holy Spirit cannot be contrary to the faith which the same Spirit inspires in the whole Church. 'This is how,' St. John writes, 'you can know the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh belongs to God, and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus does not belong to God (1 Jn 4:2).

“b) The presence of the 'fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace' (Gal 5:22). Every gift of the Spirit fosters growth in love, both in the person himself and in the community, and thus it produces joy and peace. If a charism causes trouble and confusion, this means either that it is not genuine or that it has not been used in the right way. As St. Paul says: 'He is not the God of disorder but of peace' (1 Cor 14:33). Without love, even the most extraordinary charisms are not at all useful (cf. 1 Cor 13:1-3; cf. also Mt 7:22-23).

“c) Conformity with the Church's authority and acceptance of its directives. After laying down very strict rules for using charisms in the Church of Corinth, St. Paul says: 'If anyone thinks that he is a prophet or a spiritual person, he should recognize that what I am writing to you is a commandment of the Lord' (1 Cor 14:37). The authentic charismatic is recognized by his sincere docility to the pastors of the Church. A charism cannot cause rebellion or a rupture of unity.

“d) The use of charisms in the community is subject to a simple rule: 'Everything should be done for building up' (1 Cor 14:26). That is, charisms are accepted to the extent that they make a constructive contribution to the life of the community, a life of union with God and of fraternal communion. St. Paul insists firmly on this rule (1 Cor 14:4-5, 12, 18-19, 26-32)” (“Charisms have role in Church’s life,” General audience of Wednesday, 24 June, L’Osservatore Romano, July 1, 1992).

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Dear Catholic Exchange:

What is the difference between “prophesy,” the charismatic gift of the Holy Spirit, and “channeling” spirits?

How do we know whether a messege we believe we are being sent for someone is from God or an evil spirit attempting to mislead us?

Grace and peace,

Nicole

Dear Nicole,

Peace in Christ! First, there is a distinction to be made between prophesy and channeling.

Channeling is a practice in which one relinquishes his free will so that a deceased person or angelic spirit may communicate through him to himself and others. A recent document from the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, Jesus Christ, the Bearer of the Water of Life: a Christian Reflection on the New Age (2003), discusses the phenomenon of channeling:

One of the most common elements in New Age “spirituality” is a fascination with extraordinary manifestations, and in particular with paranormal entities. People recognized as “mediums” claim that their personality is taken over by another entity during trances in a New Age phenomenon known as “channeling,” during which the medium may lose control over his or her body and faculties. Some people who have witnessed these events would willingly acknowledge that the manifestations are indeed spiritual, but are not from God, despite the language of love and light which is almost always used…. It is probably more correct to refer to this as a contemporary form of spiritualism, rather than spirituality in a strict sense. Other friends and counselors from the spirit world are angels (which have become the centre of a new industry of books and paintings). Those who refer to angels in the New Age do so in an unsystematic way; in fact, distinctions in this area are sometimes described as unhelpful if they are too precise, since “there are many levels of guides, entities, energies, and beings in every octave of the universe…. They are all there to pick and choose from in relation to your own attraction/repulsion mechanisms.” These spiritual entities are often invoked “non-religiously” to help in relaxation aimed at better decision-making and control of one's life and career (2.2.1, citations omitted)

Channeling is wrong not only because it violates one’s free will (Catechism of the Catholic Church nos. 1738-40), but because it is a form of divination (cf. Catechism, 2116-17).

For more information on the New Age Movement, please see our FAITH FACT Let the Son Shine: The Truth about the New Age Movement.

The “charismatic” gift of prophesy is not the same thing as channeling. When people receive a word of prophesy, they are still in full control of their free will. They receive the message in the same way the prophets of the Old Testament received messages from God. As with the Old Testament prophecies, the majority of prophetic words are exhortations, corrections, encouragements, or directions. They can refer to future events, but a prophecy is not the same thing as a prediction. Whether it involves future events or not, a prophecy is a word of God spoken to His People. If authentic, these prophecies would fall under the category of “private revelation,” words which do not “improve or complete Christ’s definitive Revelation” but rather to help Catholics “live more fully by it in a certain period of history” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 67).

While the gift of prophecy is not the same as channeling, the question remains of how one knows if the message is from God. Though the Church has affirmed the legitimacy of the charismatic gifts, not all manifestations are authentic. While it is important to be open to the Spirit, it is also important to discern the true origin of these experiences. The Apostle John warns us, “do no believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are of God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 Jn 4:1). We must test these gifts to discern whether they are from the person, the devil, or God. The discernment of spirits is often listed as a charismatic gift because the Spirit helps us to recognize something as from God or from another source.

Discerning between authentic and inauthentic manifestations can be difficult, especially for someone not acquainted with the manifestations of charismatic gifts. Several keys can aid in the discernment of spirits. Matthew 12:33 tells us “a tree is known by its fruit.” Looking at the fruit of the message and at the fruit of the gift in the life of the person can be telling. The personal sanctity of the person is not an absolute measure. Just as God used Balaam to bless the Israelites and proclaim them as the Chosen People (Nm 22), sinners and unbelievers can receive charismatic gifts. On the other hand, a holy person may mistake his or her own zealousness and emotional responses for authentic gifts. However, those involved with authentic gifts should be drawn into the heart of the Church. Disunity or disobedience to the Church in the name of the Spirit is a contradiction; such a message is not authentic. The Holy Spirit does not lead people into sin, but rather to the Light.

John told his listeners that they would “know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error” (1 Jn 4:6) by whether the spirit confessed or denied the truths of the faith. The claims made in the name of prophecy or words can help discern the authenticity of the gift. Some claims simply prove to be false. Others are not as simple. One important criterion is fidelity to the faith. Statements contrary to the faith or claiming to be new revelation are not from the Holy Spirit.

The desire of the person seeking these gifts should also be consistent with the teachings of the Church. The gifts should not be sought so much as the Giver. Authentic gifts are not forms of divination or fortune-telling, and should not be sought as such. Neither should the person be so interested in the emotional “high” which can result that he is willing to compromise the faith or leave the Church to find a charismatic community that satisfies his emotional need.

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