Leonard, Gladys Osborne (1882-1968)

Celebrated trance medium born May 28, 1882. Hereward Carrington designated her as "the British Mrs. Piper," and she had a reputation during her lifetime as one the greatest trance mediums.

In her autobiographical My Life in Two Worlds (1931) she recalled her life as a child:

"In whatever direction I happened to be looking, the physical view of the wall, door, ceiling, or whatever it was, would disappear, and in its place would gradually come valleys, gentle slopes, lovely trees and banks covered with flowers, of every shape and hue. The scene seemed to extend for many miles, and I was conscious that I could see much farther than was possible with the ordinary physical scenery around me."

Leonard became a professional singer early in her adult life and during this period acquired experimental acquaintance with the phenomena of Spiritualism through table-turning experiences. She sat with two girlfriends in her dressing room. After 26 futile attempts, a communicator appeared who called herself "Feda" and said that in life she had been the wife of one of Leonard's ancestors. According to her account, she was quite young at the time and lived only a brief time after the marriage; she died at the age of thirteen about 1800. Leonard abandoned her singing career and henceforth devoted much of her time to her mediumship.

From her first appearance, "Feda" remained a faithful attendant of Leonard and was always the first to come through when Leonard passed into trance. During her first manifestations, according to reports, through the table communications, her form and that of other spirit friends were quite distinctly seen in the subdued light on the white walls "like clearly-cut shadows, which showed up perfectly against the light background." However, significant physical phenomena such as ectoplasm or materialization did not develop. Leonard sometimes heard voices objectively, slight touches, and little manifestations when alone, being always aware of "suspended" or blank feeling whenever this happened. Her acquaintance with physical phenomena came about only after her sittings with other mediums who performed materializations and other phenomena. The first time she herself heard the voice of "Feda" was in a direct voice sitting in the house of H. Dennis Bradley. It appears that even part of her own power, necessary for the trance control, was contributed by her husband, as "Feda" was very clamorous whenever a separation came about through her husband's professional engagements. "Feda" said that she could not use the power well enough during his absence.

Occasionally, for medical purposes, "Feda" gave way to "North Star," another Indian, who did not speak through Leonard but used her "hands and arms in an extraordinary way, making passes over the patient, and certainly he cured several people of different maladies."

In March 1914, "Feda" gave instructions that Leonard must begin work as a professional medium as soon as possible. At the same time the medium was deluged with messages ending with the words: "Something big and terrible is going to happen to the world. Feda must help many people through you."

During the winter of 1914, Hewat McKenzie, the founder of the British College of Psychic Science, had some satisfactory sittings with Leonard. On his recommendation, Lady and Sir Oliver Lodge came, after their son Raymond was killed in World War I in autumn 1915. Their first evidence of Raymond's survival was obtained through Leonard, and the resulting publicity made Leonard a celebrity.

In 1916 two sitters, Radcliffe Hall and (Una) Lady Troubridge, approached Leonard after the death of their friend "A.V.B." Although the sitters and subject were unknown to her, "Feda" gave remarkably detailed information on the subject and the house where the ladies had lived. The sitters not only approached Leonard anonymously, but also employed a private detective to make sure Leonard had not obtained the information in a mundane way. No deception was discovered.

In 1918, for a period of three months, Leonard was exclusively engaged by the Society for Psychical Research. Out of 73 sittings, all but three were anonymous. The report of Mrs. W. H. Salter stated that the sitters generally agreed that good evidence of surviving personality had been obtained and the complete trustworthiness of the medium could not be questioned.

Rev. C. Drayton Thomas carried on experiments with Leonard for years. Important book and newspaper tests were evolved. Thomas's deceased father acquired the ability to come through without "Feda," who usually acted as interpreter for others, and he spoke directly from Leonard's mouth. Thomas reported several occasions in which he received evidential messages. For example, on one occasion he was told, "In tomorrow's Times, on page 8, column 5, about six inches from the bottom, you will find a name which will recall intimate associations of your youth between the ages of 16-18." The Times appears to have been "invaded" systematically for information by this communicator who also disclosed personal traits in referring to his favorite books, indicating passages on certain pages in answer to questions put by his son.

In her autobiography, Leonard narrated many interesting out-of-the-body travel experiences. She stated that she often met people in the spirit world and brought back memories of such meetings into the waking state. These spiritual excursions often received striking confirmation through other means. Leonard also cooperated with parapsychologist W. W. Carington in tests to establish whether "Feda" was a secondary personality or a genuine communicator. After nearly 50 years of mediumship, Leonard died March 10, 1968.

Sources:

Berger, Arthur S., and Joyce Berger. The Encyclopedia of Parapsychology and Psychical Research. New York: Paragon House, 1991.

"Books and Reports on Leonard Mediumship." Psychic Science 16, no. 4 (January 1938).

Broad, C. D. Lectures on Psychical Research. New York: Humanities Press, 1962.

Carington, W. W. Telepathy. London: 1945.

Hall, Radcliffe, and (Una) Lady Troubridge. "On a series of Sittings with Mrs. Osborne Leonard." Proceedings of the Society for Psychic Research 30.

Heywood, Rosallind. "Mrs. Gladys Osborne Leonard: A Biographical Tribute." Journal of the Society for Psychic Research 45 (1969).

Leonard, Gladys Osborne. My Life In Two Worlds. London: Cassell, 1931.

Lodge, Sir Oliver J. Raymond or Life and Death. London: Metheun; New York: George H. Doran, 1916.

Pleasants, Helene, ed. Biographical Dictionary of Parapsychology. New York: Helix Press, 1964.

Salter, W. H. Trance Mediumship: An Introductory Study of Mrs. Piper and Mrs. Leonard. London: Society for Psychical Research, 1962.

Smith, Susy. The Mediumship of Mrs. Leonard. Reprint, New Hyde Park, N.Y.: University Books, 1964.

Thomas, C. Drayton. Life beyond Death with Evidence. N.p., 1928.

——. Some New Evidence for Human Survival. London: Collins, 1922.

Thomas, John F. Beyond Normal Cognition: An Evaluative and Methodological Study of the Mental Content of Certain Trance Phenomena. Boston: Boston Society for Psychical Research, 1937. Reprint, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University Microfilms, n.d.