Secrets Exposed: How Do Mediums Really Work?
Growing up, I was always fascinated by the paranormal, especially during Halloween when stories of ghosts, haunted houses, and eerie movies filled the air. I remember watching Derren Brown and other mentalists like him on TV — modern-day magicians who seemed to blur the line between real and staged.
But the question remained: how do mediums actually communicate with the dead? At Psychic Oracel Chat, where I trained as a psychic, I discovered that real mediumship goes far beyond party tricks or clever sleight of hand.
There's a mix of intuition, personal energy, and emotional sensitivity involved. Some psychics even claim to feel the touch or hear the whispers of loved ones who've passed on. While some are sceptical, especially those in the group of performers like Harry Houdini who aimed to expose fake mediums, there's still a strong belief in the afterlife and the desire to speak to those on the other side.
What I learned through real training was eye-opening. Our expert guides would train students using guided demonstrations to sharpen their abilities. We were taught to move forward from heartbreak, to offer comforting readings that might bring closure to grieving parents or family members. We studied how to avoid manipulation or psychological tricks, and focused on authentic communicating methods.
Using tools like the Ouija board or reading the psychological patterns of an audience is part of the learning, but true mediums rely on something deeper—an inner knowing that can't be faked. In sessions, the atmosphere can feel scary or even intense, but it's often a captivating experience that bridges imagination with what many believe is real.
Whether one sees mediums as genuine or performers like magicians, one thing is certain—there's always a chance that a message from beyond could reach those who need it most.
What is a medium?
The first time I met a medium, I was curious but uncertain. Could someone really communicate with spirits who had passed on from the physical plane? What I learned surprised me. Mediums work by connecting with non-physical entities, often called etheric-world intelligences.
Through practice, they tune in to these energies and bring forward information from realms we cannot see. This isn't about superstition — it's about subtle perception and emotional clarity.
Interestingly, you might be psychic and still not be a medium. A psychic might be able to intuit or receive details about a person, place, or situation, but that doesn't mean they can connect with those who've passed on.
Becoming a medium takes dedicated training and sensitivity to finer energies. But the overlap is real — many mediums are also highly psychic, using both their natural and learned abilities to navigate this non-physical realm.
How does a medium work?
Senior Mediumship Tutor Anthony Kesner often says that a medium works much like a radio—you have to be tuned to the right frequency to hear anything meaningful. Otherwise, it's just white noise. When we do dial in properly, we can receive communications from spirit with clarity.
This process relies on different components, each supporting the medium's abilities to connect and translate. It starts with tuning the mind and soul to the subtle spiritual signals that are always around us.
Whether someone is born with a sixth sense or develops it through a psychic development course, psychic abilities play a vital role. These include extra-sensory perception, which allows a medium to perceive and interpret information beyond the physical senses.
Through consistent work, mediums grow their clairvoyance, clairsentience, claircognisance, and clairaudience. That's why most of us begin with enhancing our psychic awareness through beginner courses—these senses are the foundation of effective mediumship.
Every medium is supported by spirit guides or sometimes even a whole team of helpers. These intermediaries assist in the exchange between the spirit world and the physical. They pass on information, offer guidance, and share valuable insights to help the medium work with intention and for the highest good of all involved.
In practice, etheric-world entities often speak in symbolic messages or images. This is where symbolism and interpretation come into play. The sitter relies on the skilled medium to translate these symbols into something meaningful. As mediums improve in this area, they get better at delivering messages that truly resonate with those seeking connection.
Some mediums even work in trance states—a deeper level of receptivity to spiritual communication. These states are intense and should only be approached with the help of an experienced practitioner. Mediums must learn how to protect their energy and maintain their well-being, as trance work can be both physically and emotionally demanding.
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When Spirit Communication Entered the Public Eye
If you dive into history, you'll find that people have long believed in connecting with spirits and ancestors. This idea became more mainstream in the 19th century, especially with the rise of spiritualism. A well-known case is the hoax involving the Fox sisters—Kate Maggie Fox, Margaret, and Catherine Fox—who in 1848 claimed they could communicate with a murdered man in their house.
Their method? Listening for knocks and taps, which they said were answers to their questions from the dead. These weren't just Yes/No answers, either—they even spelled out words and messages using a coded system of knocks.
Their act sparked a craze for trying to talk to the other side, going global as they demonstrated to paying crowds. But in 1888, Margaret admitted to the New York World that it had all been fake—the sounds were made by cracking knuckles. Despite that, the belief didn't fade. Ectoplasm, strange rituals, and the allure of connecting beyond the grave all survived the scandal.
Why did this idea persist? During the Victorian period, society was facing industrialisation, overcrowding, accidents, and rampant disease. The mortality rate was high, and death was a visible part of life.
People clung to mementoes like locks of hair or photos of deceased children dressed to look alive. The fear of death and the hope for an afterlife made any sign of communication with loved ones feel like a blessing. Anything that offered comfort—even the illusion of contact—was welcome.
Can Mediumship Be Proven?
The question of whether mediumship can be proven has intrigued individuals and organizations for decades. Many have committed themselves to serious research, collecting evidence that supports the idea that this may be a real phenomenon. One key example is the Windbridge Research Center in Tucson, Arizona, where they rigorously study mediums and their abilities under laboratory conditions.
Their work doesn't stop at observation—they certify mediums and publish their findings in peer-reviewed studies. Leading the way is Julie Beischel, Ph.D., a scientist with a doctorate in Pharmacology and Toxicology, and a background in Microbiology and Immunology. She serves as the co-founder and director of research, ensuring the work meets high scientific standards.
Equally committed to understanding the afterlife is the Afterlife Research and Education Institute (AREI). This non-profit organization focuses on the survival of consciousness beyond death, offering support to researchers and educators while raising awareness of the compelling data surrounding life after death.
One of the most significant voices from AREI is R Craig Hogan, who serves as President. In his book, Evidence Beyond a Reasonable Doubt You Will Never Die, Hogan presents the results of five years of dedicated investigation into the mysteries of the physical realm and what may lie beyond.
For those who want to explore further, Gordon Smith, a bestselling author and renowned medium, invites readers to investigate the history of mediumship in his book Beyond Reasonable Doubt. With these thought-provoking contributions, you can immerse yourself in the fascinating landscape of the afterlife and draw your own conclusions about the reality behind spirit communication.
How does someone become a medium?
Learning to become a medium isn't just about having a natural gift—there's a technology behind mediumship that needs to be learned and understood deeply. A truly competent and strong medium must master the mechanics of this sacred art, which means going beyond intuition and actually knowing how to alter their frequency, like tuning a radio, to align with the energy and language of Spirit.
Through steady training, they develop their connection with the spirit world, building confidence, clarity, and consistency in how they communicate.
As they practice, aspiring mediums start sharpening their clair senses and learn to distinguish between psychic and mediumistic information. This journey involves consistently working to establish deeper links with single or multiple spirit communicators, as well as forming a strong relationship and bond with their spirit guides and helpers.
Even with access to a wealth of spiritual insights, the challenge remains: how to interpret and decipher the messages and symbols received from Spirit.
What makes this path so fascinating is how individualised it can be. Each person uncovers unique techniques, methods, and tools to support their version of mediumship. Take the Hollywood Medium, Tyler Henry, for example—he uses pen and paper to sketch, a method that helps him activate his gifts. As you progress along your own path, your version of development will unfold in its own way.
Different Kinds of Mediums
Each medium is unique in how they work. After they have learned the necessary skills in a mediumship course, they develop and cultivate their gifts through practice and a strong commitment to mastering the technology of mediumship. While there is a broad spectrum of methods in which mediums can operate, we can generally categorize their work into two types:
Mental mediumship involves a medium connecting with etheric-world intelligences that cooperate with them to present information. If you've ever booked a one-to-one mediumship reading, it's very likely you've experienced mental mediumship.
In this type, Spirit uses its own energy, and the medium perceives the information that is revealed. This contrasts with physical mediumship, where Spirit taps into the medium's energy to communicate.
On the other hand, physical mediumship requires the medium to rely on etheric-world intelligences to perform physical psychic feats that everyone can witness. These include automatism, trance voices, and even the appearance of ectoplasm. In this form, the medium works cooperatively with Spirit, and the energy used comes from the medium themselves.