Mediumship: It Ain’t What It Used To Be?

Walk into any Spiritualist Church, strike up a conversation with any committee member or long-time church-goer and more than likely you’ll hear the phrase: “Mediumship just isn’t what it used to be.” The evidence isn’t as good, the churches are nearly empty, it’s become more about the entertainment/the money etc. There’s a real sense of nostalgia as they wistfully remember all the Mediums of days gone by. And they are correct. Mediumship isn’t the same as it was thirty, forty or more years ago. Like everything in the world, it’s changed.

Evidence: Just The Cold Hard Facts?

One of the principles of Spiritualism is “The Continuous Existence of the Human Soul”, meaning that our Souls and consciousness continue to exist long after our physical bodies have ceased. In a Service or a demonstration of Mediumship, a Medium should be able to provide evidence of people in Spirit, evidence their loved ones will recognise and know that is their loved one providing communication. So what classes as Evidence? Anything. Anything that we hear and go, “Yes! That’s my Dad/neighbour/Mum/Nan” counts as evidence. Obviously it should be fairly unique to them, so objects, memories, their work, where they lived, favourite food, favourite music, bad habits, anything that makes up how we remember them.

This brings me onto the argument of “good evidence.” I’ve been to an Open Circle and been criticised for not giving a physical description of a person in Spirit. When I work, I like to get to know who I’m communicating with, I try to understand them so I can represent them the way want to be represented. Whilst a physical description is obviously highly recognisable, is it really the “best” piece of evidence? I try to see it from other perspectives…as a recipient, do I really just want to hear a general description of what my Dad looked like, a few names that I could link to him? Or do I really want to hear about him as the funny, quirky individual I remember?

I’d also like to say that if I were in the Spirit World and the Medium I was working with demanded to know what I looked like and then proceeded to describe me as anything other than a super slim, gorgeous supermodel-lookalike, I’d kick them so hard in the Root Chakra no amount of Reiki would ever get them back in alignment! And I’m well aware of the snobbery I encounter when I tell people I’m a waitress. But hey, maybe that’s just me being sensitive.

The world is changing. In recent years, the awareness of mental health has risen drastically, we’re more aware that the words we use can be just as hurtful as a physical attack, and cause just as much damage. Obviously words like “woke” and “snowflakes” get thrown around a lot, but we are now moving into a time where more and more of us are recognising that we are all sensitive, unique individuals who are so much more than how we look, what we wear, what our job is and the other labels that society places upon us. Shouldn’t Mediumship reflect that?

I’d like to emphasise that there’s absolutely a place for evidence such as jobs, or appearances, it’s something that comes in a lot from a communicator in Spirit. Work is a big part of a lot of people’s lives, and if somebody has something very stand out in their appearance or how they dressed, a Medium will usually notice this and comment on it! But instead of chastising a Medium who can’t give you your loved ones full name and address, maybe we should stay open to all the other wonderful evidence they could be bringing in?

Standing on The Shoulders of Giants

There have been many notable Mediums in the history of Spiritualism, who have shaped Mediumship into what it is today. The likes of Albert Best and Gordon Higginson gave outstanding evidence, that would seemingly be unable to be argued with. Yet they still had times when they were accused of being fraudulent, of not being as good as their predecessors. There will always be a sense of nostalgia in the world. We’ll always look back through rose-tinted glasses and only remember the best bits.

In this day and age, where we can Facebook and Google to our hearts’ content, would the Mediumship of yesteryear hold the same wonder today as it did back then? If they stood up on the platform today, would some of their evidence and their presentation feel outdated? These are the questions we need to look at when we accuse Mediums today of not being “as good.” We will never be exactly the same as the wonderful Mediums that came before us, but we can carry on with their values, their dedication and their love for the World of Spirit, and share that love with others. And this is where we see Mediumship for what it is: It’s meant to inspire!

Mediumship in The Future

And what inspires people will change as the World changes. Emma Hardinge Britten laid down the ground work, the Mediums who followed her have continued to build, and the Mediums working here and now will continue to build on these foundations. Will it stay strong? I honestly hope that Mediumship can stay true to it’s roots, and not be seen as a form of entertainment, as it is in danger of becoming now. I hope egos can be put aside so that the need of the Spirit World might be heeded.

Who knows what Mediumship will look like in the future? How would we define the quality of Mediumship fifty or a hundred years from now? Nature has taught us that what does not evolve will eventually become extinct.

I’ve asked a lot of questions in this blog today…these are questions I have been asking myself a lot recently, which is why I wanted to write this. I love the Spirit World, I love Evidential Mediumship, and so for me it will always be my priority to try and represent Spirit in as authentic a way as I possibly can.