The Role of Mediumship: In the Light of Today’s Needs

The role of mediumship has altered significantly with the needs of the age we have entered. It is no longer needful for the majority of mediumship to be focused on the proof of survival of bodily death or the existence of communication between the physical, three dimensional realm and other forms of existence.

That is not to belittle or in any way imply that those who focus on this subject are not needed any more. It will be needed very much for those whose inquiry is of a scientific nature and for those who have not yet come to accept in any way the ideas of survival and communication. Also for those who have need of comfort there is a special kind of confirmation and affirmation that such contacts can provide.

The purpose of mediumship has, from the beginning, been to create a working link between the everyday reality we live and work in and the larger more complete universe within which it exists, for the purpose of insight and benefit.

The role of the medium varies somewhat with what the need of the time is. It is to be observed that we are facing many forms of change and crisis both as separate individuals and as whole societies.

Mediumship has begun to concentrate, therefore, more on the mental, physical and spiritual health of individuals actively seeking guidance and enlightenment. The result of this is a more immediate answering to needs and especially the need to know more about the processes and cycles of life that individuals pass through.

What, then, can we expect from mediumship today that is different from mediumship at the last turn of the century? Well, let’s look first at what seems to be less prevalent.

In the earlier part of this century we were much more likely to encounter physical mediumship such as apports (items that were materialized in a closed room) tables that thumped out messages in Morse code by moving up and down, materializations (appearances of discarnates in a closed room through the aegis of a very rare and special type of trance medium) and the independent direct voice (the voice of a spirit entity which does not use the speaking mechanism of the medium).

Mediums often worked from a deep trance state, like Edgar Cayce, and gave information that went well beyond their conscious knowledge and ability sometimes even contradicting their own inherited beliefs. It was often seen that mediums and healers alike (both are forms of mediumship) were uneducated people who seem to have developed their abilities alone or with minimal contact with other more experienced individuals.

Many had personal visionary experiences which foreshadowed the development of the abilities that would later change their lives and the lives of others. Few of them ever became rich or even well-to-do. Some of them founded associations or movements that live on to this day. Some went on to become mystics in their own way and others were badgered until even they refuted their earlier works.

One common thing can be seen in all those who became very well known. Their work was in some way spectacular. The nature and huge amount of information and experience which they left to us is still being worked through and distilled into insight. By the nature of their spectacular work they broke through the iron clad consciousness of the European, British and American societies with the sheer weight and force of their phenomena. The rise in the literacy rate of all these cultures led to many experiencing these phenomena through books and later through radio and TV.

As the age began to shift toward Aquarius, especially in the 50’s and 60’s, people began to question the status quo politically and spiritually. With the recorded works of many mediums and psychics available for examination many people became convinced of the validity of these phenomena and were hungry to know more.

Add to this, the influx of ideology from other more ancient and mystic cultures which surfaced and were accepted on the basis of the benefits of their practices (for example, Yoga, meditation, Acupuncture, etc.) and you have a mindset which has shifted from the need for cold hard evidence to one that is actively seeking truth and rightness in its own way.

The solving of personal problems and dilemmas becomes inextricably involved with the enlightenment and progression of the individual.

Our focus thus has shifted from a need for proof, proof and more proof to one which is oriented to proof and then some practical guidance. The effect of this change in focus has made the private reading much more of a problem solving device than one that simply forecasts events or provides evidence and comfort.

I should state here at this point that all these needs have been addressed by mediums all along but it is the amount of energy which is spent on the different types of needs and the style of the majority of readings that has varied.

As an example, in the last 12 of my readings only one contained a passing on of information from a friend who had recently passed to spirit and only a portion of that reading was devoted to the encounter. The bulk of the reading was devoted strictly to information of the problem solving type with enough verification for the individuals receiving the reading to feel confident in the nature of the information.

The result of this shift in emphasis is a drawing away from the more physical types of mediumship to those which rely on conscious mental processes. The onus then is on the medium to make sure that the quality of information is good and that the context and meaning are clearly interpreted. It is also up to the medium and those who guide the medium to filter and verify the sources of information.

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