They are prone to stress, anxiety and confusion, say some
By Shuli Sudderuddin 20 September 2009
Mr. Loi Nai Long said that at the age of 16, he was ‘possessed’ by spirits while helping out at a temple.
He said he was ‘cured’ by temple workers and agreed to train as a medium after some time.
Now aged 24, the property agent still practises as a part-time medium.
As for 22-year-old accounts executive Jenny (not her real name), she said the doctor she saw when she was 14 could not cure her of her fever and vomiting spells.
Relatives then consulted temple elders. They were told she was meant to become a medium. She still volunteers at the temple.
From several interviews, The Sunday Times found that it is not uncommon for teens and young adults to become Chinese mediums - or tang ki - in Singapore.
Retiree Ronni Pinsler, 60, has been researching Chinese-based religions and the practice of mediums for about 30 years.
A former gemstone trader, he got to know some temple mediums.
‘Young mediums nowadays start at, say, 17 or 18 years old. In the 1970s and 1980s, they were younger, but now they hold off being one as it interferes with schooling,’ he said.
Young mediums were in the news recently after the deaths of two 16-year-olds last year were ruled as suicide by the coroner this month.
One, a self-styled medium, had believed that jumping from a building would resurrect him as a demon slayer, while the other youth was said to have been influenced by him.
But mediums and experts said that the case was unusual.
Young mediums would not behave bizarrely if they had the right teachings and training and were properly supervised, such as when going into a trance.
Dr Margaret Chan, a professor of theatrical anthropology at Singapore Management University, said: ‘We have had tang ki for hundreds of years since the Chinese first came to the region. Their religion is not particularly marked for suicidal acts.’
One belief associated with the tang ki is that deities may ‘catch’ ordinary people so as to make use of them.
In this role, the mediums dispense advice, act as healers and moral guides, and purport to be a conduit for communication between believers and the deities.
National University of Singapore sociologist Daniel Goh said: ‘Many in their late teens or early 20s inherit it from family members.’
Practising mediums feel that because young mediums may get stressed at such a tender age, strong support and careful mentoring are vital.
Mr. Tony Lim, 45, was ‘caught’ when he was 15. He now supervises about 20 other mediums in Tien Sen Tua Temple, where he works.
‘I am very careful with the training of younger mediums. I supervise them and I even provide a list of rules and regulations so that they don’t abuse the practice,’ he said.
One female medium in her 40s, who declined to be named, agreed that problems may arise if a young medium was not properly guided.
She recalled having a female apprentice who was 13.
‘Her parents were keen for her to start early. But she developed some psychological issues, so I think it’s not good for mediums to start too young,’ she said.
Dr Ken Ung, consultant psychiatrist at Adam Road Medical Centre, said six young mediums, some in primary and secondary schools, were among his patients.
They had seen him for unrelated issues such as depression or psychosis.
‘Younger mediums might be less able to grasp the subtleties of spiritual matters and might become confused or anxious. They should always be supervised and parents should look out for bizarre beliefs or practices,’ he said.
Mr. Lim, the temple medium, said that when a teenager is ‘discovered’ to be a medium, he would ‘ask’ the deities to defer the youth’s training so he can finish school.
‘They should also be given more time to study properly and understand the religion and follow all the right procedures,’ he said.
Some youngsters may also want to become mediums out of curiosity, an attitude that is strongly discouraged.
Mr. Chuang Kwang Tong, a 25-year-old priest at the Taoist Federation Youth Group (Singapore), said: ‘There are some young people who want to become mediums because they are curious or want to show off their abilities, which is not the right attitude.’
He added that five to 10 youths approached his organisation in 2007, seeking to become mediums. They were told it does not conduct such courses.
Mr. Ivan Lim, a 25-year-old IT technician with a telco who has been a medium since he was 21, said: ‘Good teaching and training are very important to ensure that young mediums don’t stray from their path.’
2 comments:
Young temple mediums vulnerable
They are prone to stress, anxiety and confusion, say some
By Shuli Sudderuddin
20 September 2009
Mr. Loi Nai Long said that at the age of 16, he was ‘possessed’ by spirits while helping out at a temple.
He said he was ‘cured’ by temple workers and agreed to train as a medium after some time.
Now aged 24, the property agent still practises as a part-time medium.
As for 22-year-old accounts executive Jenny (not her real name), she said the doctor she saw when she was 14 could not cure her of her fever and vomiting spells.
Relatives then consulted temple elders. They were told she was meant to become a medium. She still volunteers at the temple.
From several interviews, The Sunday Times found that it is not uncommon for teens and young adults to become Chinese mediums - or tang ki - in Singapore.
Retiree Ronni Pinsler, 60, has been researching Chinese-based religions and the practice of mediums for about 30 years.
A former gemstone trader, he got to know some temple mediums.
‘Young mediums nowadays start at, say, 17 or 18 years old. In the 1970s and 1980s, they were younger, but now they hold off being one as it interferes with schooling,’ he said.
Young mediums were in the news recently after the deaths of two 16-year-olds last year were ruled as suicide by the coroner this month.
One, a self-styled medium, had believed that jumping from a building would resurrect him as a demon slayer, while the other youth was said to have been influenced by him.
But mediums and experts said that the case was unusual.
Young mediums would not behave bizarrely if they had the right teachings and training and were properly supervised, such as when going into a trance.
Dr Margaret Chan, a professor of theatrical anthropology at Singapore Management University, said: ‘We have had tang ki for hundreds of years since the Chinese first came to the region. Their religion is not particularly marked for suicidal acts.’
One belief associated with the tang ki is that deities may ‘catch’ ordinary people so as to make use of them.
In this role, the mediums dispense advice, act as healers and moral guides, and purport to be a conduit for communication between believers and the deities.
National University of Singapore sociologist Daniel Goh said: ‘Many in their late teens or early 20s inherit it from family members.’
Practising mediums feel that because young mediums may get stressed at such a tender age, strong support and careful mentoring are vital.
Mr. Tony Lim, 45, was ‘caught’ when he was 15. He now supervises about 20 other mediums in Tien Sen Tua Temple, where he works.
‘I am very careful with the training of younger mediums. I supervise them and I even provide a list of rules and regulations so that they don’t abuse the practice,’ he said.
One female medium in her 40s, who declined to be named, agreed that problems may arise if a young medium was not properly guided.
She recalled having a female apprentice who was 13.
‘Her parents were keen for her to start early. But she developed some psychological issues, so I think it’s not good for mediums to start too young,’ she said.
Dr Ken Ung, consultant psychiatrist at Adam Road Medical Centre, said six young mediums, some in primary and secondary schools, were among his patients.
They had seen him for unrelated issues such as depression or psychosis.
‘Younger mediums might be less able to grasp the subtleties of spiritual matters and might become confused or anxious. They should always be supervised and parents should look out for bizarre beliefs or practices,’ he said.
Mr. Lim, the temple medium, said that when a teenager is ‘discovered’ to be a medium, he would ‘ask’ the deities to defer the youth’s training so he can finish school.
‘They should also be given more time to study properly and understand the religion and follow all the right procedures,’ he said.
Some youngsters may also want to become mediums out of curiosity, an attitude that is strongly discouraged.
Mr. Chuang Kwang Tong, a 25-year-old priest at the Taoist Federation Youth Group (Singapore), said: ‘There are some young people who want to become mediums because they are curious or want to show off their abilities, which is not the right attitude.’
He added that five to 10 youths approached his organisation in 2007, seeking to become mediums. They were told it does not conduct such courses.
Mr. Ivan Lim, a 25-year-old IT technician with a telco who has been a medium since he was 21, said: ‘Good teaching and training are very important to ensure that young mediums don’t stray from their path.’
Post a Comment