A reading with a psychic medium is extremely sacred, allowing you to connect with deceased loved ones and find closure. But what exactly are mediums, and how do they receive messages from the dead? What are the common misconceptions about psychic mediums and how do you know that the medium is an authentic channel to Spirit? This article serves as a guide to Spirit communication: what it is, how it works, and what to expect when receiving a mediumship reading.
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How Does Spirit Communication Work for a Medium?
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How Do Mediums Work?
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What is the Difference Between a Psychic and a Medium?
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Types of Mediums
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How It Feels To Be A Medium
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The Benefits of a Medium Reading
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How to Prepare for a Medium Reading
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How to Know if a Medium is Fake
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What Happens if My Loved One Doesn’t Come Through?
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Opening a Door to Spirit Communication
How Does Spirit Communication Work for a Medium?
When our loved ones are no longer with us, they undergo transition from a physical being to a spiritual being. Beings in the Spirit world are simply existing in an energy that’s continually moving at a very high vibrational level. Even though we can’t always see it with our natural eyes, it doesn’t mean that the energy isn’t there. Spirits are always around us. They never really left; they simply changed forms.
When dealing with Spirits, it’s important to remember that we are dealing with energy. At a very basic level, everything around us is composed of energy, and when we leave the physical body, the same energy remains. Spirit communication works if we are able to raise our energy, or vibration as Spirits lower theirs.
Think about putting a kettle of water on the stove and heating it up; when it reaches a certain and specific temperature, it begins to boil. Ultimately, it will evaporate and seemingly disappear. A simple science lesson from third grade will remind us that the water didn’t really disappear but rather changed form. It took on a form that we could no longer see with our natural eyes, because the molecules were moving at a very high rate of speed. The same is true of Spirit.
All psychics tune into energy. A psychic medium’s abilities are finely tuned to the energies of those who have passed. Opening the door to spirit communication can be overwhelming for many psychics, who prefer to work with the energy around living people and situations. A psychic medium has learned to invite connection with the deceased, and how to work with these energies safely and for the highest good.
Receiving a reading from a medium can bring us great comfort knowing what our loved ones are feeling and thinking. But just knowing that Spirits exist, and Spirit communication is possible can also bring us to terms with life and death.
“In the ‘dark hour’ of grief and loss, it’s the very hope, and perhaps the proof, that life goes on. ” –Psychic Rheda
It is important to remember, we don’t really die. We live on! Our physical life is only a part of our existence, not our whole existence. There is life before our physical birth and life after our physical death. You are eternal! Know that!
How Do Mediums Work?
A medium is a person who can communicate with deceased loved ones, pets, angels, and spirit guides. In order to open this portal of communication, a medium prepares him or herself as a clear channel, through meditation and grounding. This is important because the psychic medium needs to be able to hold space safely, for both spirit and client. It’s important to realize that the Spirit of the one who has passed is in control of the messages. The medium is the mediator—the departed souls pick and choose what they’ll communicate.
We’ve all watched movies or read books in which a medium is “taken over” by a spirit, often an angry or dark soul. It makes for dramatic plot lines, but most often the connection is made with loving energy on the part of the medium and the spirit. A trained psychic medium can detect the vibration of the spirit and set some guardrails around the experience, ensuring the psychological and emotional safety of all involved. When communicating with spirit, years of experience and training are critical to ensuring that the communication is always directed towards the highest good.
Mediums provide you with love, closure, and healing by receiving messages from your departed loved ones. For example, mediums can share the loving messages of a departed mother, confirming to her daughter that she saw her wear the mother’s pearls on her wedding day—the same pearls the daughter’s father gave to her mother for their 20th wedding anniversary. And perhaps the mother will say that she heard the first cry of her granddaughter, who bears her name. A reading with a medium may reveal a father confirming to his son that he sees him following in his footsteps or that he approves of his new bride.
These life-shifting messages are miracles that mediums tap into daily. Those who’ve passed over appear to know and tell all; right down to what you ate for breakfast, what their favorite color was, or a name, place or event that is relevant only to the person receiving the message.
What is the Difference Between a Psychic and a Medium
While a medium can also have psychic or clairvoyant abilities, being a medium is not the same as being a psychic or a clairvoyant. Mediums communicate with Spirits on the other side by raising their vibration. While psychics are able to sense information about the past, present, and future, they may not also possess mediumship abilities to obtain information from the Spirit world. Or if they do, they may hesitate to use the ability because they don’t have the training to ensure that the experience is safe and enjoyable for all, or that they’re consistently able to establish a connection.
“The difference between a psychic and a medium can be subtle, since they both work on the same level, but there are fundamental differences between their abilities and gifts,” explains Psychic Arthur. “A medium reads the messages from the spirits from the afterlife and transmits those messages or signals to the client. The messages are usually clear and need little translation, since the information includes abundant validation letting the client know that the medium is legitimate.
“Basically, a medium serves as a channel between the world of the living and the afterlife, which is beyond the abilities of a psychic.” –Psychic Arthur
On the other hand, the word “psychic” comes from the Greek word, “psyche,” which means “breath of life,” as well as, “breath of soul or spirit.” A psychic connects with a person’s soul through the client’s aura energy field (which is really an extension of the body), and reads information about the person’s past, present, and possible future. As the psychic processes the insight they receive concerning relationships, careers, money, or love, they translate what they pick-up into real-life everyday language and meaning.
The bottom line: When psychics give “readings,” they are reading you and your aura. When mediums give “readings,” they are relaying messages from the other side.
Types of Mediums
There are different types of mediums just like there are different types of musicians, artists or athletes. The two basic categories of mediums are mental and physical. Most mediums are mental mediums while some are a combination of both.
Mental mediums have excellent clairaudient skills, or they hear spirit clearly. Typically, the hearing is in their mind and not external voices. They will hear things like “I had brunette hair and green eyes and I was married for 35 years.” Their conversation with spirit is more of a mental one. Most skilled mediums rely on more than one Clair or dominant skill while blending with a spirit.
Physical mediums rely more on their skill of feeling which is called Clairsentience as a dominant skill.
“As a physical medium I will feel in my body how someone passed. I will feel taller or shorter, I will feel my hands are suddenly very tiny or large, you get the idea. I blend into the spirit in a more physical way. I invite them to blend with me to allow healing for their loved ones and often healing for the spirit person as well. I also rely on strong Clairvoyance skills (clear seeing) and remote viewing to help facilitate that process.” –Psychic Kimberle
Both mental and physical mediums have conversations with the spirit person during a reading; it’s the form of communication that varies. These conversations happen in lighting time compared to a conversation we have as a human. A spirit person can give a tremendous amount of information in seconds.
How It Feels To Be a Medium
Because the experience of communicating with spirit can be so intense, mediums are ever mindful of their energy, mental and physical stamina, and setting proper boundaries around the experience. It’s not so much a question of turning the gift on or off, as it is about making deliberate choices about when and how to initiate this form of communication. A medium rigorously checks in regularly with their own inner guidance before, during and after a mediumship reading. He or she will shut down the channel if it becomes overly draining to their psyche. But just as often, if not more so, as these readings are intense and even exhausting, they can be exhilarating and healing.
Psychic Kimberle explains it like this: “I am often asked what it feels like to be a medium or how it feels when I am blending with a spirit, communicating with them. If I had to choose one word to describe the feeling the word would be humbling. Similar to staring into the night sky and realizing the totality of the universe. Humbling.“
Here’s an example from Psychic Kimberle’s experience: “I will start to notice I have terrible pain in the back of my head, and I will simultaneously have a vision of a dark street and see a gun. The moment I validate this to the loved on this side the pain goes away for me. The sensations will change throughout the reading depending on the topic of conversation. What comes through in every reading is love. I have the humbling opportunity of feeling the love that is given from the spirit person toward the client.”
“I most often will struggle with the tears I hold back at the time because it is so powerful, raw and unconditional. Keep in mind that often this is the first opportunity that a spirit person has to communicate with their loved ones. They get so excited to be able to share memories and tell their loved ones about their experience on the other side or just to share that they were at the birthday party that was held last month too.” –Psychic Kimberle
The Benefits of a Medium Reading
Making contact with those who have passed on is profoundly perspective shifting, pushing us into a visceral understanding that our human experience is but a fraction of a much larger universal intelligence. A mediumship reading is at once intensely personal, and at the same time, much larger than life as we know it. The messages that are communicated in this moment have tremendous healing power, precisely because they appear to us as a blessing from this other dimension.
“The other day I spoke with a woman who lost her mother when she was very young. When the mother came, she was extremely sad, because she had been trying for years to reach her daughter. She asked her if she remembered the green and pink puppet theatre (which the daughter told me she had made just before she died), and then went on to give the daughter one of the most heartfelt messages I have ever heard. ” –Psychic Selene
When people think about spirit communication, they often think of the primary benefit being closure for the living. While this kind of healing is an amazing gift to the living, there can also be a powerful healing for the person who has crossed over. Psychic Kimberle recounts this experience giving a reading to a woman who called in to connect with her son, who had committed suicide, and had not yet had any communication with family members since his passing.
“When I started the reading, her son was seemingly curled up in a fetal position. Please realize that time on the other side is much different than time here but to help you have a view of this, he had passed almost a year prior to her call to me. Due to his belief system he had resolved to spiritually self-isolate. I also want you to realize that his guides were with him and respected his right to self-punishment. There is no one that punishes us on the other side. As I started to communicate with him and allow him to get his messages to his mom, he started to become more and more animated and have greater understanding of the bigger situation. This reunion allowed him to apologize to his mother and greater family and start his healing process on the other side. He started off as a gray feeling and left the reading full of vibrancy and ready to move through to the next part of his journey on the other side. Humble is the only word I have to be able to facilitate healing on both sides in such a profound way.” –Psychic Kimberle
How to Prepare for a Medium Reading
According to Psychic Rheda, it’s very important to remain respectful and peaceful during a medium reading, as fear, anxiety and other distractions can affect the reading. When allowed to feel safe and respected, with free reign to communicate, spirits know exactly what will bring the most conclusive peace to their loved ones.
Psychic Raquel advises her clients to prepare for a mediumship reading by setting aside an uninterrupted time and space. Be sure to allow ample time for the reading, and give yourself some time before the reading starts to sit in contemplation or meditation. Remember that in the case of a medium reading, there are at least 3 people involved – you, the medium, and spirit. Perhaps one will come through, or it might be more; you need to make time for them!
How to Know if a Medium is Fake
Authentic mediums don't require any information from you prior to receiving their information, because during the reading they will give you personal details such as names, dates, and even how your loved one died. “This process is called evidential mediumship,” according to Psychic Ricky. “ It is done to prove that the medium is truly connecting with your beloved and not simply pretending that there is a connection.“
Here’s example from Psychic Solara’s experience.
“A husband, who had passed from lung cancer, came back to talk with his wife. He told her that he always would love her, and then as I was waiting for him to say more, he started twirling a penny. All I could think of was the movie “Ghost” and I thought, no way. But I’ve learned to pass on what I see, so I told her. She said that they agreed before he passed that he would do that when he came back so she would know it was him! I almost hadn’t said anything, thinking it was my imagination.”
If a medium asks for details, they probably are not an authentic medium. They should be providing you with personal information that you can validate -- not the other way around.
Communicating with Your Loved One During a Medium Reading
During the medium reading, you can just talk to your loved one just the same way you did in life. Here are some of the things which commonly come up in a medium reading and can be worked through in your session.
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Sharing Positive Emotions
By and large, the most common emotion to come up in a Medium reading is love. You're sad, but you may simply want to let your departed loved one know that you care. Take this opportunity to share your good feelings, to say “I love you,” “I miss you,” and “I'll never forget you.” Your departed loved one also wants to communicate with you to provide loving reassurance.
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Dealing with Guilt
Feelings of guilt are natural after the death of a loved one. Unexpected deaths create guilt because you wonder what you could have done to prevent anything bad from happening. During your reading, the Medium can let your loved one know that you feel guilty. More likely than not, you'll receive positive messages in return, absolving you from any guilt. Your loved one's death was not your fault, and knowing the person doesn't hold you accountable will help you heal.
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Venting Anger
Anger is another common emotion after the death of someone you love, especially with an unexpected death. Maybe you're angry because the person who meant so much to you is gone, you didn't get to say goodbye, and you had no way to prepare for it. Don't feel dismayed by your anger; it's one of the natural stages of grief. Your loved one won't hold it against you, so you should feel free to vent.
What Happens if My Loved One Doesn’t Come Through?
Sometimes a medium can’t connect with your loved one. Try not force the reading to go into the direction you want it to. Sometimes, someone else may come through with an important message to give their family, or the friend that you fought with in life may come through to make amends. It's not always who you want to talk with but who you need to talk with that matters.
Psychic Nadia relates this example of an unexpected connection.
“A new caller was on the phone, when I asked her if she had had a boyfriend years ago who had died in a motorcycle accident. She became very quiet and asked me what he looked like, and I described him as well as his motorcycle. Then she told me that she had just started a teaching position, and her student’s boyfriend had died the night before. He came to tell her (the woman’s student) that it wasn’t her fault.”
Opening a Door to Spirit Communication
Mediumship is essentially about communication, so be prepared to communicate. During your reading, you can share personal messages with the person who passed. You can use the opportunity to share news about other family members and friends. Let your loved one know about a daughter's graduation, a son's engagement, or even a new promotion. Share a personal memory, such as the first time you met or your favorite anecdote. This will help you feel closer and connected.
“Our deceased loved ones, perhaps better referred to as our transitioned love ones, see the intricate details of our lives. They know our past, present, and often they can see our future.” –Psychic Rheda
The reading can open the door to ongoing communication, and this can be one of the most lasting benefits to receiving a medium reading. Your loved ones hear your thoughts and feel your emotions, and they know when you're thinking of them. Sometimes you may be so deep in grief that it is hard to feel a connection. But you can always tell when they come around if you dig deeper. Ever feel a change in temperature or swear you saw them just a few feet in front of you? Ever feel like you can't get them out of your head? That is your loved one trying to make contact. Oftentimes we have a tendency to second guess what we see. Instead, trust that your loved ones are near, and you will begin to experience sensing them.
Brother and sister mediums Ricky and Raquel share their story of their mother, also a medium, in I Miss My Mom , a heartwarming article that speaks to the blessing of ongoing communication with loved ones who have made the transition to spirit.
“After a sleepless night, the morning after she died, I looked out the window and thought “This is the first time in my life the sun hasn't risen on both of us.”
It was then I heard her voice with crystal clarity: “Where I am now, the sun never sets.” I can't say that I was surprised to hear from her, but it was profound.” –Psychic Ricky
