At the end of our incredible mediumship demonstrations, we are often asked: 'How does a medium work?' Well, The College of Psychic Studies is a good place to ask! Our expert tutors train our students to be the very best psychics, mediums and intuitives they can be. And part of that training is, of course, learning the steps of how mediumship works. But before we explore that, let's first get clear on an all-important question...
What is a medium?
A medium is someone who is able to communicate with the spirit of those who have passed on from the physical plane, as well as other non-physical entities. Let's call them etheric-world intelligences. Mediums are able to tune in with etheric-world intelligences to bring forward information. You can be psychic - that is, you are able to intuit or receive information about a person, place or situation - but that does not necessarily mean you are a medium (yet! You can certainly train to become a medium). Mediums, however, are very likely to be psychic.
How does a medium work?
Senior Mediumship Tutor Anthony Kesner likens the way that a medium works to tuning a radio. He says that we need to dial into the exact right frequency, otherwise all we'll hear is white noise. A medium is able to tune into that right frequency, and is therefore able to receive communications from those in spirit. There are a few components that support the ways a medium works. These include:
Psychic abilities: Whether born with a heightened sixth sense, or have trained in a psychic development course, mediums rely on strong psychic abilities. This extra-sensory perception enables the medium to perceive and interpret information beyond what is available through the five physical senses. They work steadily to develop and strengthen their 'clair' senses: clairvoyance, clairsentience, claircognisance, clairaudience. Their psychic ability supports their mediumship. For this reason, we advise aspiring mediums to begin by developing their psychic awareness, which you will do in our beginner courses.
Spirit guides: Every medium has a spirit guide or even a team of spirit guides and helpers. These spirit guides assist them by acting as intermediaries between the medium and the spirit world. Furthermore, they provide helpful information, guidance and insights to help the medium work in the best way for the highest and best good of all.
Symbolism and interpretation: An important aspect of how a medium works is the art of interpretation. Etheric-world entities often communicate through symbolic messages and images. The medium must know how to interpret these in order to convey the message to the sitter. The more skilled a medium is at interpreting these symbols, the more adept they are at delivering meaningful messages from Spirit.
Trance states: Some mediums enter a trance state in which they become more receptive to spiritual communication. It is important to note that trance states should only be attempted under the guidance of an experienced practitioner. Mediums who work with trance states should also take care to protect their own energy and well-being, as these practices can be physically and emotionally demanding.
How does someone become a medium?
There is a technology to mediumship that must be learned in order to develop as a strong and competent medium. Even those who have been born with a gift of mediumship must master the mechanics of mediumship in order to progress and develop their art. The medium must learn how to alter their frequency, like tuning in that radio we mentioned above. They must also master the art of aligning or blending with the energy and language of Spirit. Through steady mediumship training, the medium deepens their connection with Spirit and is able to communicate with the spirit world with greater confidence, clarity and consistency.
With steady practice, mediums learn to develop and expand their 'clair' senses. They also learn how to distinguish between psychic and mediumistic information. The aspiring medium must work consistently on establishing stronger links with single or multiple spirit communicators. They must also work on developing their relationship and bond with their spirit guides and helpers. And of course, while they might have access to a wealth of information from Spirit, then comes the challenge of being able to interpret the information that they receive. The developing medium must learn to decipher messages and symbols from Spirit.
While there is a learned technology to mediumship, the process can be highly individualised and can vary depending on the specific techniques and methods that each medium discovers to support their art. For example, if you have ever witnessed the mediumship of Hollywood Medium Tyler Henry, you'll notice he sketches with a pen on paper to 'open up' or activate his mediumship gifts. You will find your own way as you progress on your path of mediumship development.
Different kinds of medium
Every medium is unique in the way that they work. Once they have learned the ropes in a mediumship course, their skills and gifts are developed and cultivated through practice and commitment to mastering the technology of mediumship. Despite the broad way in which each medium works, there are generally two categories of medium:
Mental mediumship: A mental medium is someone who connects with etheric-world intelligences that cooperate with them medium by presenting information. When you book a one-to-one mediumship reading, it is very likely to be mental mediumship. In mental mediumship, Spirit uses its own energy, and the medium perceives information that Spirit reveals. This is in contrast to physical mediumship, in which Spirit uses the medium's energy.
Physical mediumship: A physical medium relies on etheric world intelligences to perform physical psychic feats. Again, the physical medium works cooperatively with Spirit to perform these feats, and everyone can witness these feats. In this form of mediumship, spirit uses the energy of the medium. Examples of physical mediumship include automatism, trance voices and the appearance of ectoplasm.
Discover how mediums work in our online mediumship courses.
This article consults The Donning International Encyclopedic Psychic Dictionary by June G Bletzer PhD, 1986, a copy of which is in the College library.
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