If we seek out a definition of channeling, we find that channeling is generally accepted as a means by which a spirit entity delivers information through a medium – a go-between. These days, even in The Urantia Book community, there are those who practice this means of communicating with the spirit world in an attempt to possibly enlarge upon, or even further add to the Urantia Book itself. It is a controversial subject. But the process of this kind of channeling bears no resemblance to the process by which The Urantia Book was transmitted.
Those who practice channeling of any kind are aware of what they are doing – or attempting to do. They place themselves into a receptive, trance-like state for the express purpose of hearing and transmitting so-called messages from the spirit world. These messages are generally fairly short and speak to a particular point or topic.
But in the case of the origin story of The Urantia Book, the person through whose voice the material was delivered – a person known as the sleeping subject or contact personality – was completely unaware of the activities that produced the materials. He was asleep through it all, and had no recollection afterwards of what was happening to him. His wife was aware, however, and it was her concern for him that brought this phenomenon to the attention of Dr Sadler, a psychiatrist. And these sessions continued for twenty years, with no clear explanation of how it was being accomplished.
110:5.7 The Adjuster of the human being through whom this communication is being made enjoys such a wide scope of activity chiefly because of this human’s almost complete indifference to any outward manifestations of the Adjuster’s inner presence; it is indeed fortunate that he remains consciously quite unconcerned about the entire procedure. He holds one of the highly experienced Adjusters of his day and generation, and yet his passive reaction to, and inactive concern toward, the phenomena associated with the presence in his mind of this versatile Adjuster is pronounced by the guardian of destiny to be a rare and fortuitous reaction. And all this constitutes a favorable co-ordination of influences, favorable both to the Adjuster in the higher sphere of action and to the human partner from the standpoints of health, efficiency, and tranquillity.
HERE is a piece written by Dr Sadler as an appendix to his book: The Mind at Mischief (1929), in which he discusses this case.
And HERE is an article that you might find interesting about The Urantia Revelatory Process, by Denver Pearson. I find this article particularly fascinating.
Finally, as to how one might trust The Urantia Book’s information: that is now, as always, determined by the receptivity of the reader. Some people recognize it almost instantly as being of celestial, revelatory, and spiritual origin; others do not.
Thanks so much for your question.
