Mediums and Psychics - Part 1
Over the past few years I’ve come across a phrase in books and training classes, a phrase that is untrue, yet is has been copied by many sources and picked up as a mantra by those who have heard it or read it in one source or another. Sunday night I was witness to one such utterance, and I attempted to correct the individual. Let’s just say that it was not accepted well.
I cannot be sure that all she said was aimed at me; the “radio host’s” on-air commentary as it went from my off-air disagreement with her statement to amateur psychics, moving to mediums that she feels are not real, and then to her knowledge based on 20 years of experience
What was interesting was the audience response to all of this, the mistake on her initial statement and her rant. She was encouraged, cheered on, and accepted as the expert based on her stated experience.
What, you may ask was the statement that caused this fuss? It was, “All mediums are psychic, but not all psychics are mediums.”
To the casual observer, the statement may appear to be true, but it is not, the two groups, psychics and mediums, are not mutually inclusive, as anyone knowledgeable about the two groups should know and understand. This irks me, not just that false information was being passed off as fact by someone who has put herself up as an authority, but for a second reason I will discuss in a future essay.
Let me explain why the statement is false.
First, a simple definition of terms:
Psychic: Dealing with the mind and mental abilities, and a person with such mental abilities. The abilities/talents/skills (whatever one wishes to call them) are from within the person. They are not the result of an external force, object, rite, entity, they are internal and from the individual’s mind and or mental efforts.
Medium: Term used to describe one who purports to communicate with the spirits
These are simplified definitions, but are the generally accepted common definitions, and were back in the 1970’s when I started my formal studies and work
So a psychic who is a medium contacts spirits by an internal mental process.
But this is not the case for all (or arguably most) mediums.
Most every religion, culture, and mystic tradition from the beginning of time to current has its “contacting the spirits.” These are for the most part, externally generated phenomena. By this I mean they are not generated by the “psychic/mental abilities” of one person, but are the result of something from outside the individual, be it a force or superior being, the result of a ceremony, rite, ritual… Even though many of these are lead by, or accomplished by, or the phenomena is exhibited by an individual, the ability to accomplish it stems from outside that person or group.
An example would be some Spiritualist Mediums. Albeit some Spiritualists call themselves psychics, but some do not, depending on the denomination of the Church. For the Christian denominations, the gift to speak with spirits is a divine gift, a gift from God, from outside the individual. It is not a gift of the mind, but a gift of spirit. This type of gift is not unique to Spiritualists, many other religions have “clergy” with the same gift, all may not use the term “medium” to describe these people, but they fit the definition of the word and perform a mediumistic function.
A mystic/magician/shaman reading a prayer, spell, conducting a ritual to contact the spirit world, calling on forces greater than him/her, to pierce the veil and contact the spirit world is anything but an internal process. The process is being asked of and being provided by an external force. As above, some may be referred to as “mediums” but all serve the function.
Cultural and traditions methods of speaking with the spirits abound. Many involve asking a question, performing an action, and then looking up the result of the action for an answer (for example, asking a question and tossing sticks, then looking up the result in a book to see what it means). There a many, many forms of this, going from family, local, regional, or even societal traditions, to parlor games. Does this make the person with the book, the codex, the oracle, or even the Magic 8-Ball psychic?
What of scientific investigation, and mechanical/electronic methods of contact? There have been many devices patented with the purpose of contacting spirits. There are radio devices, spirit phones, cameras… These have been used by people calling themselves “mediums” for private and group connections/contacts with the spirit world. What would constitute the “psychic” act here, turning the device on or off? What of EVP work? Is a person at home contacting the spirit world by running an audio recorder while asking questions, then listening for unexplained voices or sounds in the recording for answers, is this person psychic? Or is the recording device the psychic? They are contacting the spirits…
In all actuality, of those serving the function of “medium” very few actually fall under the category of “psychic” (at least in the method they use for contacting the spirits). Classifying them as such either indicates a lack of understanding of what “psychic” means, what “medium” constitutes; parroting words and terms that one heard or read without understanding what is being said; not seeing, recognizing, and or acknowledging areas outside one’s own; or some other internal motive. Either they don’t know better or don’t care. Neither is acceptable. Opinion is just that and should not be passed off as fact; it creates misinformation, especially when coming from a source accepted as "expert" on the topic.
If one wanted to use the phrase correctly, a word would have to be added: “All “psychic mediums” are psychic, but not all psychics are “psychic mediums”.”
In my opinion, a rather silly thing to say in the first place.
I cannot be sure that all she said was aimed at me; the “radio host’s” on-air commentary as it went from my off-air disagreement with her statement to amateur psychics, moving to mediums that she feels are not real, and then to her knowledge based on 20 years of experience
What was interesting was the audience response to all of this, the mistake on her initial statement and her rant. She was encouraged, cheered on, and accepted as the expert based on her stated experience.
What, you may ask was the statement that caused this fuss? It was, “All mediums are psychic, but not all psychics are mediums.”
To the casual observer, the statement may appear to be true, but it is not, the two groups, psychics and mediums, are not mutually inclusive, as anyone knowledgeable about the two groups should know and understand. This irks me, not just that false information was being passed off as fact by someone who has put herself up as an authority, but for a second reason I will discuss in a future essay.
Let me explain why the statement is false.
First, a simple definition of terms:
Psychic: Dealing with the mind and mental abilities, and a person with such mental abilities. The abilities/talents/skills (whatever one wishes to call them) are from within the person. They are not the result of an external force, object, rite, entity, they are internal and from the individual’s mind and or mental efforts.
Medium: Term used to describe one who purports to communicate with the spirits
These are simplified definitions, but are the generally accepted common definitions, and were back in the 1970’s when I started my formal studies and work
So a psychic who is a medium contacts spirits by an internal mental process.
But this is not the case for all (or arguably most) mediums.
Most every religion, culture, and mystic tradition from the beginning of time to current has its “contacting the spirits.” These are for the most part, externally generated phenomena. By this I mean they are not generated by the “psychic/mental abilities” of one person, but are the result of something from outside the individual, be it a force or superior being, the result of a ceremony, rite, ritual… Even though many of these are lead by, or accomplished by, or the phenomena is exhibited by an individual, the ability to accomplish it stems from outside that person or group.
An example would be some Spiritualist Mediums. Albeit some Spiritualists call themselves psychics, but some do not, depending on the denomination of the Church. For the Christian denominations, the gift to speak with spirits is a divine gift, a gift from God, from outside the individual. It is not a gift of the mind, but a gift of spirit. This type of gift is not unique to Spiritualists, many other religions have “clergy” with the same gift, all may not use the term “medium” to describe these people, but they fit the definition of the word and perform a mediumistic function.
A mystic/magician/shaman reading a prayer, spell, conducting a ritual to contact the spirit world, calling on forces greater than him/her, to pierce the veil and contact the spirit world is anything but an internal process. The process is being asked of and being provided by an external force. As above, some may be referred to as “mediums” but all serve the function.
Cultural and traditions methods of speaking with the spirits abound. Many involve asking a question, performing an action, and then looking up the result of the action for an answer (for example, asking a question and tossing sticks, then looking up the result in a book to see what it means). There a many, many forms of this, going from family, local, regional, or even societal traditions, to parlor games. Does this make the person with the book, the codex, the oracle, or even the Magic 8-Ball psychic?
What of scientific investigation, and mechanical/electronic methods of contact? There have been many devices patented with the purpose of contacting spirits. There are radio devices, spirit phones, cameras… These have been used by people calling themselves “mediums” for private and group connections/contacts with the spirit world. What would constitute the “psychic” act here, turning the device on or off? What of EVP work? Is a person at home contacting the spirit world by running an audio recorder while asking questions, then listening for unexplained voices or sounds in the recording for answers, is this person psychic? Or is the recording device the psychic? They are contacting the spirits…
In all actuality, of those serving the function of “medium” very few actually fall under the category of “psychic” (at least in the method they use for contacting the spirits). Classifying them as such either indicates a lack of understanding of what “psychic” means, what “medium” constitutes; parroting words and terms that one heard or read without understanding what is being said; not seeing, recognizing, and or acknowledging areas outside one’s own; or some other internal motive. Either they don’t know better or don’t care. Neither is acceptable. Opinion is just that and should not be passed off as fact; it creates misinformation, especially when coming from a source accepted as "expert" on the topic.
If one wanted to use the phrase correctly, a word would have to be added: “All “psychic mediums” are psychic, but not all psychics are “psychic mediums”.”
In my opinion, a rather silly thing to say in the first place.
posted by Tony Eye at 9:43 AM
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