Mediumship, as practiced in the religion of Spiritualism, demonstrates the continuity of life and Natural Law. It is the factor that distinguishes Spiritualism from other religions. Spiritualism teaches that not only is there an afterlife, but that the personality survives the change called death.
A Brief History of Mediumship
While Modern Spiritualism’s beginnings lie with the Fox sisters in Hydesville, N.Y., who communicated with a murdered peddler buried in the cellar of their house, mediumship has been demonstrated throughout the ages. From the ancient Greeks in 1000 B.C. who consulted oracles, to the Romans who used soothsayers to Europe’s kings and queens and their stargazers, history has recorded mediumship’s practice and demonstration.
In the 1600s the church all but outlawed mediumship, burning at the stake women who demonstrated it and calling them witches. Such communication was kept strictly for the priests of the church.
Fortunately, in the late 1800s, mediumship became recognized as a psychic ability and was able to make its comeback into modern times. William Stanton Moses was one of its first pioneers, known for the automatic writing phenomena he produced with Spirit. In the 1900s, more and more mediums became recognized, including Edythe Meader, Jack Kelly, Florence Becker and Mae Graves Ward.
The Difference between Mediumship and Psychic Ability
There is a difference between a medium and a psychic. A psychic taps into the vibrations of the universe. A medium – who is often also psychic – attunes not only to the vibrations of the universe but also to those of Spirit entities. That’s why it’s said that a medium can be psychic, but a psychic is not necessarily a medium.
Different Types of Mediumship
There are two classes of mediumship—mental and physical.
Mental mediumship uses the medium’s mind to interpret the messages they receive. The medium's own character and integrity is very important as it tends to affect the messages they get. This form of mediumship stems from the base of the brain.
Physical mediumship is based on the chemical reaction of the medium’s body with that of spirit entities. It is centered in the solar plexus.
Mediumship’s Effect on Health
No matter what kind of mediumship one practices, good health is very important. Mediumship can be a draining, sometimes exhausting, activity and maintaining good health on all levels—physical, mental and emotional—helps a medium have better stores of energy to draw upon so that they do not become depleted. By eating well, exercising and generally taking care of ourselves, a medium is able to better defend themself against anything that might drain them and affect the quality of their work.
Developing Mediumship Skills
When a medium is seeking to develop and unfold, there are several methods they can follow. One of the best is the home circle, which allows them to unfold and grow in their abilities in their own time. It provides more structure than simply working their own, as well as additional energy and experiences that they can draw upon from the other people in the group. It’s important for a home circle to be made up of a group of people that can work in harmony together without competitiveness or turmoil. This can also work better than a formal, organized group as each person in the circle is able to receive more individual attention and help.
However, no matter what way a person undertakes to develop their abilities, a sincere desire to work with Spirit, learn and study and the discipline to do it on a consistent, regular basis is especially important.
Source: Morris Pratt Institute Educational Course on Modern Spiritualism, Lesson 19
