Mediumship is a fascinating and often misunderstood practice that involves communication with spirits or energies from the afterlife. This unique modality, widely utilized in holistic wellness, centers on the belief that life continues after physical death, and those who have passed on can still connect with the living. Mediumship can serve as a powerful tool for spiritual exploration, personal healing, and gaining a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of the physical and spiritual realms.

What is Mediumship?

In essence, mediumship is the process of a medium – a person with the ability to perceive and communicate with spirits – acting as an intermediary between the world of the living and the world of the departed. Through their heightened sensitivity, mediums can receive messages, insights, and guidance from loved ones who have crossed over, as well as other spiritual entities. While the concept of mediumship might seem mysterious or even paranormal to some, its roots lie in ancient spiritual traditions and the enduring human desire to connect with something beyond the physical world.

How Can Mediumship Help You?

Mediumship offers a range of potential benefits, making it an intriguing element of holistic wellness alongside practices like yoga or a macrobiotic diet. Some of the primary ways mediumship can be helpful include:

• Providing Closure: One of the most common reasons people seek mediumship readings is to gain a sense of closure after losing a loved one. Connecting with the spirit of a departed friend or family member can bring solace, comfort, and help heal the wounds of grief.
• Offering Guidance: Spirits are often believed to have a broader perspective than those in the physical world. A medium may channel messages or insights from spirits that offer guidance, direction, or support during challenging times.
• Facilitating Personal Growth: Mediumship experiences can prompt introspection, self-awareness, and a deeper understanding of one’s place in the universe. The connection with the spiritual realm can lead to personal growth and transformation.

What is Mediumship Good for?

Mediumship finds applications in various areas of life, promoting holistic wellness much like a macrobiotic diet promotes physical health. Here’s what mediumship can be good for:

• Grief Counseling: Mediumship can be a valuable complement to traditional grief counseling. It provides a unique way to process the loss of a loved one and continue the bond beyond the physical plane. During a mediumship session, the medium may connect with the spirit of the deceased and relay messages of love, support, or unfinished business. This can help the grieving individual understand that their loved one is at peace and offer a sense of closure. Mediumship can also validate the griever’s emotions and experiences, letting them know it’s normal to feel sadness, anger, or confusion.
• Spiritual Exploration: For those seeking to expand their spiritual understanding, mediumship offers a direct avenue to explore the nature of consciousness and the possibility of life after death. A mediumship session can provide insights into the workings of the spirit world, different spiritual planes of existence, and the energetic connection between all living things. This exploration can lead to a deeper sense of connection to something larger than oneself and a more meaningful understanding of one’s place in the universe.
• Self-discovery: The insights and messages conveyed through mediumship can lead to greater self-awareness, helping individuals uncover hidden truths about themselves and their life path. Mediums may receive information from spirits about the sitter’s past lives, unresolved karmic issues, or soul contracts. This information can be instrumental in helping individuals understand their core values, motivations, and life purpose. Mediumship sessions can also be a catalyst for personal growth, prompting individuals to confront limiting beliefs, release emotional baggage, and embrace their full potential.

Benefits of Mediumship

Those who experience mediumship may enjoy the following benefits:

• Reduced Grief and Anxiety: The sense of connection with departed loved ones can bring peace, alleviate grief-related anxiety, and offer reassurance that their loved ones continue to exist in spirit.
• Increased Hope and Optimism: Mediumship can reaffirm the belief in a continued existence after death, instilling a sense of hope and optimism about the broader meaning of life.
• Enhanced Spirituality: Mediumship experiences often deepen one’s spiritual connection, regardless of specific religious beliefs, promoting a greater sense of purpose and interconnectedness with the universe.

What to Expect from Mediumship with a Practitioner

While mediumship sessions can vary depending on the individual medium and their methods, there are some common elements you might expect:

• Intention Setting: The session may begin with setting an intention or focus, such as connecting with a specific loved one.
• Meditation or Relaxation: The medium may guide you into a relaxed state to facilitate receptivity to spiritual energies.
• Message Delivery: The medium will share any messages, images, or impressions they receive from the spirit world. These messages may be clear or symbolic and require interpretation.
• Validation and Interpretation: The medium will work with you to understand and validate the messages relayed by spirits. An ethical medium will not make guarantees or force specific outcomes.

Similar Modalities to Mediumship

Mediumship shares similarities with other practices that focus on connecting with the unseen or spiritual realms, offering a holistic wellness approach  like the macrobiotic diet does for nutrition. These similar modalities include:

• Channeling: Channeling involves a practitioner entering an altered state of consciousness to receive messages or guidance from higher beings, guides, or ascended masters.
• Psychic Readings: Psychic readings offer insights into a person’s life, using tools like tarot cards, astrology, or intuitive abilities to access information on past, present, or future circumstances.
• Trance Mediumship: Trance mediums enter a deep trance state, allowing spirits to temporarily take control of their body and communicate directly through speech or writing.

Final Thoughts

Mediumship is a practice steeped in history and tradition, offering a unique means for connection, healing, and exploration. If you’re curious about mediumship, it’s important to find a reputable, experienced, and ethical medium. Approach the experience with an open mind while maintaining a degree of healthy skepticism and trust your intuition.

Scientific References

While the scientific community remains divided on mediumship, several studies suggest potential evidence for its legitimacy. Here are a few references with DOI links:

• Beischel, J., & Rock, A. J. (2015). Addressing the survival vs. super-psi dilemma in parapsychology. Journal of Parapsychology, 79(1), 25-42. [[invalid URL removed]] (Discusses the difficulty of scientifically validating claims of survival of consciousness after death, but acknowledges potential evidence).
• Rock, A. J., Storm, L., & Radin, D. (2021). Windbridge Research Center Mediumship Studies: An Overview and Recent Findings. Explore, 17(1), 62-67.(Summarizes a series of controlled studies on mediumship, suggesting that some mediums may possess anomalous information reception abilities).
• Beischel, J., Boccuzzi, M., Biuso, M., & Rock, A. J. (2015). Anomalous information reception by research mediums under blinded conditions II: Replication and extension. Explore, 11(2), 136-142. (Examines whether mediums can gain specific and accurate information about deceased individuals under controlled, blinded conditions).

Recommended Reading

To delve deeper into mediumship, consider these books:

• Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian Weiss (explores past lives and regression, touching on themes of life after death).
• The Afterlife of Billy Fingers: How My Bad-Boy Brother Proved to Me There’s Life After Death by Annie Kagan (a heartfelt and accessible account of a sister’s mediumship experiences).
• Messages: Evidence for the Afterlife by Bonnie McEevy (offers practical exercises to develop mediumistic abilities and connect with spirits).