Working with the Darker Side of Human Nature

Recently, a friend of mine asked me if I would like to visit the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The penitentiary was in operation for 142 years, and closed in the 1970s. While it was in operation, thousands of inmates inhabited its cell blocks for crimes as minor as petty larceny and as major as multiple murders. After it closed in the 1970s, it lay abandoned for years. While actively in operation, it was designated as an official historical site and, because of that, it retained a protected status. In the 1980s, the penitentiary was reopened for tours. Over the past few decades, restoration of the site has been underway. Many people claim that it is haunted by the souls of those who were imprisoned there. Because I was curious about the energies that I would pick up on there, as well as the spirits of those who had the misfortune of being incarcerated at this historic institution, I agreed to take a day trip and open myself up to a unique way of learning about people of the past.

Why Explore the Darker Side?
Given that I would be connecting in spirit with some of the country’s most nefarious criminals, some people may question why I would voluntarily expose myself to the inevitable scenes of violence, negative feelings, troubled personalities, and more that the men and women of the past would send me. My answer to this is simple: I believe in learning from every experience in life. Both positive and negative experiences have a lot to teach us. As a spirit medium, I am exposed to many cathartic experiences that I do not necessarily want to see, feel, or hear; however, it is only through research and experiences with beings from all walks of life that I can learn about, and strive to understand, the depth of human nature.

Exploring the Past through Mediumship
Walking into the castle-like fortress, I opened up to spirit in order to reach back into the past to see what it was like for prisoners who were incarcerated there. I mentally sent the intention to my spirit guides to focus on the earliest days of the penitentiary. Immediately, I picked up on the energies of the people who were initially housed in the cells. Extreme loneliness, depression, and even madness pervaded the souls while in residence. Each one was confined to an individual cell with no contact with human beings, other than limited communication with the guards and the chaplain. Due to the lack of human contact, they often spoke out loud to themselves and suffered from hallucinations. Solitary confinement did not reform them; it depleted them of their humanness and their ability to relate to others. Reality became a blur. They no longer knew what was real or what was a figment of their imagination. Paranoia and desperation clawed at their souls. It did not matter whether they committed petty crimes or the more serious crime of murder…each one of them was kept in solitary confinement for years at a time. Some of them adjusted, but most of them suffered from delusions and depression.

Reform through Solitary Penitence – A Revolutionary Idea
When the facility opened in the 1800s, the founders thought that the best way to reform convicted felons was penitence in solitude. The idea was that this would give the person time to think about their crimes and search for forgiveness from God. This revolutionary idea was conceived as an answer to the problems that had emerged from keeping prisoners in one holding cell together. In the past, prisoners who congregated together usually emerged from prison with quite an education in crime. However, before the construction of the final cellblocks from the original design was completed, the architecture was altered to include a second story. The number of people incarcerated had greatly increased, and it was not long before solitary confinement was no longer possible...

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About Spirit Medium Karen T. Hluchan

Karen T. Hluchan is a spirit medium, motivational speaker, Reiki master, and author of How Have You Loved? Through her mediumship practice, Healing Spirit with Love, she devotes her time to the healing of spirit on earth through her connection with heaven. Her passion for her calling is shared through the spirit readings, demonstrations, and workshops she provides, as well as through her writing and Reiki. All of her work is inspired by the divine light that is within us all. She has a great love of nature, people, and the planet, and she enjoys her connection in spirit, both here and in heaven.

To learn more about Karen, who is based in Horsham, Pennsylvania, and her book, How Have You Loved?, visit her website at www.HealingSpiritWithLove.com.