Medium (spirituality)

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In spirituality, a medium or spirit medium (plural mediums) is an individual who possesses the ability to receive messages from spirits (discorporate entities), or claims that he or she can channel such entities — that is, write or speak in the voice of these entities rather than in the medium's own voice.

People who are believed to be mediums include: Jane Roberts, Derek Acorah, Tony Stockwell, Colin Fry, Lisa Williams, Allison DuBois, Esther Hicks, Sylvia Browne, John Edward, Betty Shine, Ailene Light, Joseph Kony, James Van Praagh, and JZ Knight.


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[edit] Mediumistic automatism

Mediumistic automatism is the automatism associated with a medium receiving supernatural messages from ghosts, spirits or the like, the expression of such messages (in speech, writing or drawings) lacking conscious control or intervention by the medium.

[edit] Skeptical perspective

Skeptics dispute the existence of genuine mediums, arguing that individuals who claim to possess this ability are either self-deluded or charlatans who engage in cold or hot reading. Despite this, there are many popular mediums who have large numbers of followers who believe strongly in their abilities. In some cases, individuals have produced personal information (allegedly told to them by a spirit) to their clients well above guessing rates. [1]

Harry Houdini was a famous magician who became a debunker of mediums later in life and, indeed, even in death, because he left a ten-word passphrase with his wife that a medium should say in order to prove they were channelling him. Although many people did claim to channel Houdini, no-one was able to reproduce the passphrase.

Mediums are eligible for the JREF Paranormal Challenge, which offers a million dollars for a demonstration of a paranormal ability. [2] To date, no medium has passed the challenge.

[edit] Mediums in fiction

Medium is an American television series about a woman (played by Patricia Arquette) who acts as a research medium for the Phoenix, Arizona district attorney's office. The series is based on the life of Allison DuBois, who uses her psychic ability allowing her to contact the dead to help the local law enforcement agency.

In the 2004 video game Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, the player meets The Sorrow, a mysterious dead medium who battles and also assists the player.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Journal of the Society for Psychical Research January, 2001 - Vol. 65.1, Num. 862
  2. ^ "The JREF Paranormal Challenge", http://www.randi.org/research/

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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