Some Things You May Not Know About a Medium

The subject of Spiritualism is very interesting to me, but being such a complex topic, I know I wouldn’t have completely comprehended it if more comprehensive information had been provided to me on Day One. I can’t absorb information in that way, especially when the subject is very foreign to me as surely it must be with many people. And to be honest, I’m no expert even now, after all this time. I just know that all things Spiritual resonate with me. I believe that Spirituality (not religion) is all about improving the self and this planet; being kind to yourself and others. It is being helpful and loving others even though they may be damaged and/or angry with the world. I believe that many of us are damaged in one way or another whether or not we remember or acknowledge the source of that pain. Understanding, compassion, and empathy are essential qualities to make our way through the adversities we encounter in this life.

At this point, I would like to insert a sidebar, to perhaps clarify the difference between Religion and Spirituality.  “Religion is for people who are afraid of going to hell.  Spirituality is for those who have already been there.”  Vine Deloria, Sioux. And a quote from Iyanla Vanzant: “Religion is the rules, regulations, ceremonies and rituals developed by man to create conformity and uniformity in the approach to God. Spirituality is God’s call in your soul.” These quotes resonate with me so deeply. I recognize and respect others’ beliefs and pray that others will afford me the same respect.

OK, let’s start at the beginning. What is a medium? Very basically, a medium is a person who facilitates communication between the living and the spirits of those who have passed on (not the dead). The body may be dead, but the soul never is. It’s important to keep in mind that we are a soul with a body, not the other way around.

A medium is able to read the energy around you or listen to “The Universe”, “The Divine”, “The Creator”, “The Almighty”, “Heavenly Father”, “God”, or another term that may resonate with you. But the medium also can expand that gift. He or she is essentially able to reach loved ones who have passed, animals, and your Spirit Guides. The goal is to bring provide you with a sense of peace, a calmness, a knowing that you are never alone, your loved one is just on the other side of the “veil” and that you will once again be together with them.

Mental mediumship is the communication of spirits with a medium by telepathy. This medium mentally senses, “hears” (clairaudience), “sees” (clairvoyance), and/or feels (clairsentience) messages from spirits. They may sense or see spirits or symbols. I prefer Mental Mediums over Physical Mediums. Physical Mediums are believed to produce the materialization of spirits, objects, and other effects such as knocking, rapping, bell-ringing, etc. by using “ectoplasm” created from the cells of their bodies and those of séance attendees. Umm…no thanks, I’m just not ready for that.

At times I wonder if I am somewhat clairaudient as I swear, I have heard at the grocery store that (masculine) voice in my head saying, “Don’t go down that candy aisle!” Yes, humorous, but true. Apparently my Spirit Guide, if that’s who this is, knows my weakness. I imagine he heaves a huge sigh at those times I ignore his request.

I prefer Experiential Mediums, meaning he/she describes specifics in the messages given. I’ve had names offered, specific medical and other experiences, personal adversity, etc. During one session, Julie saw a short, elderly woman wearing an apron who I recognized as my grandmother. Then she asked, “Who is Elinor? Tapping her right shoulder, she stated, “She’s standing right here.” Oh, my gosh, that’s my mom!”, I replied, amazed at the specific details she was giving me. Now, that’s exciting! No generalizations, just accurate facts that she had no way of knowing about.

Rebecca Rosen explains the difference between a psychic and a medium and why the distinction between the two is very important.
“Whether one refers to him- or herself as a psychic medium, spiritual medium, intuitive medium or any other similar title, it’s all essentially the same thing – the emphasis being on talking to spirits in the afterlife. While I refer to myself as a “psychic medium”, there is a big difference between a psychic and a medium. A psychic isn’t necessarily a medium, but a medium is a psychic. This is an important distinction and a good place to start, because I meet clients all the time who misunderstand the difference and confuse the two. Psychics tune into the energy of people or objects by feeling or sensing elements of their past, present and future. Simply put, psychics rely on their basic sense of intuition and psychic ability to gather information for the person being read. Mediums take it a step further.
A medium uses his or her psychic or intuitive abilities to see the past, present, and future events of a person by tuning into the spirit energy surrounding that person. This means mediums rely on the presence of non-physical energy outside of themselves for the information relevant to the person being read.” (Rebecca Rosen, https://www.rebeccarosen.com).

I think that’s a great explanation and had to ponder on that for a while.

Medium, psychic or clairvoyant?
“…a medium is someone who is able to communicate with souls on the other side” Kellee White, a licensed psychotherapist and spiritual medium, says. “The distinction between mediums, psychics, and clairvoyants can be confusing. Many believe in error that the terms are interchangeable. Mediums are able to raise their vibration high enough to connect to the other side,” White explains. “Psychics have the ability to give information about the past, the present, or even the future, but not deliver messages from the other side” while “clairs” receive stronger messages overall, i.e., clairvoyants are clear seeing, clairaudients are clear hearing, and clairsentients are clear feeling.” (Kimberly Zapata, Pub.: Sept. 27, 2019).
For more information: https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/a29229839/what-is-a-medium/

I began my trek into the Spiritual arena in 1997, the year of my son Josh’s death. I was deeply entrenched in my pain, self-absorbed, and having a great deal of difficulty reestablishing my normal, and ultimately, discovering my new normal. I saw a medium in Lily Dale, New York, a popular nearby Spiritualist village. My heart was crushed not only because this medium “saw” Josh so accurately, but also because the anguish was so fresh. The reading had been scheduled several months before Josh’s death and coincidentally took place mere weeks after his transition. Several months following this, desperate for some level of relief I saw a local medium, Holly who unbeknownst to me at the time, helped me to begin the prolonged and admittedly strenuous and deeply painful process of healing. Josh, from the Other Side, pleaded for me to write a book. A book about what? “A book about us!” It eventually became known as Taming Josh’s Dragon.

At that time and long afterward, I thought as others did, that these gifted people called “mediums” were all the same. I didn’t realize they received their information in different ways from different “sources”. It has certainly been a learning experience for me. I hope this simplified explanation has served to clarify these terms for you.