Spiritual Medium

In spirituality, a medium or spirit medium (plural mediums) is an individual who claims to have 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.

While sceptics believe such individuals are either self-deluded or simply charlatans who engage in cold reading, popular mediums often have many followers who believe strongly in their purported abilities. In some cases, mediums have produced personal information (allegedly told to them by a spirit) to their clients well above guessing rates.

Examples of popular modern-day (mental) mediums include Derek Acorah, Alison Dubois, Esther Hicks, Sylvia Browne, John Edward, Betty Shine, and James Van Praagh.