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  • Writer's pictureCourtney Beck

How Mediumship Works

Updated: Jan 29

by Courtney Beck



Connecting with our loved ones in spirit can be an incredibly healing, uplifting, and illuminating experience. Receiving validation from our loved ones that they are safe, well, and happy can bring great comfort and relief to our grieving hearts.


Not only that, but the realization that they are not far from us, but have only shed their physical form, is a joyous revelation. (There truly is no death, only transformation.)


Realizing that they are still near us, surrounding us with love, and attempting to communicate brings enormous peace.


A session with a trained and experienced medium can facilitate communication with our loved ones in spirit.


In this blog post I'll be sharing a little about what mediumship is, and what to expect during a session with a medium.



What is a Medium?


The NSAC Spiritualist Manual defines a medium a someone "whose organism is sensitive to the vibrations from the spirit world and through whose instrumentality, the people in the spirit world are able to convey messages and produce the phenomena of Spiritualism."


In other words, a medium is someone who is highly sensitive to the vibrational frequencies of the spirit world around them, and who can perceive these vibrations and receive communication from the spirit world.


These communications are perceived by the medium through their own personal gifts.

These gifts come in the form of:


  • clairvoyance (clear seeing)

  • clairaudience (clear hearing)

  • clairsentience (clear feeling)

  • claircognizance (clear knowing)

  • clairalience (clear smelling)

  • clairgustance (clear tasting)


Different mediums possess different "clairs." Some mediums are more clairaudient than clairvoyant, others may be more clairsentient, etc... For most mediums, several of these gifts are present and prevalent.




How Do Mediums and Spirits Communicate?


Communication between human beings on the earth plane and the spirit world is facilitated through the "Law of Vibration."


Everything in the Universe is vibrational, and there are many different vibrational frequencies within the Universe.


Here on the earth plane, we are living in a heavy, dense, lower vibration than those in the spirit realms. To facilitate communication between these dimensions, a vibrational shift must occur within the medium, as well as the spirit.


In order to receive communication from the spirit world, the medium must raise his or her vibration to a much higher frequency. Likewise, as a higher vibrational being, the spirit must lower their vibration to reach the medium. When that successfully takes place, the frequencies inter-lock, and communication begins.


That is why we are called "mediums." Because, in that higher vibrational state, we are a bridge between worlds, communicating in-between dimensions.




What to Expect During Your Session with a Medium.


Coming to your appointment with a medium prepared and with the right mind-set will greatly impact the success of your session.


Here are some tips on how to prepare for your session.


1. Come with an open mind and without an agenda.


This is very important. If you come to your session in a closed off, negative, or distrustful mind-set, you are hindered and blocked before you get started. This kind of mentality pinches off the connection with spirit, and greatly limits the quality, as well as quantity of information and validation you will receive from your loved one.


For example, if you come to your session with specific information you want to receive as proof, (for example: "I want dad to tell me what he ate for breakfast every day") you will limit yourself, the medium, and your loved one.


Not only that, but you are baiting the spirit and testing the medium. This will close down the channels of authentic communication with the spirit world.


Our loved ones have things they want to say to us. They have been waiting for an opening (a medium) through whom they can communicate. Please don't limit your session in the manner. You'll find yourself frustrated and will lose out on valuable insights your loved ones in spirit have to share.



2. Come Excited and Anticipate Only the Best.


Be excited and anticipate only the highest good from your session. Stay open. Keep your energy relaxed. Come with positivity in your heart and mind. Be open to receiving what spirit has to say.


Your session is intended to be uplifting and healing. If you arrive suspicious, distrustful, or in a negative vibration, it won't be very pleasant for you, the medium, or for that matter, the spirit. Your loved one has been waiting for the opportunity to connect with you. Have positive expectations and you won't be disappointed!




3. Validate and Participate. (But Don't Over Share.)


This is key. Any kind of reading, be it psychic or mediumship, is a co-creative process. In a mediumship session, there are always three participants:


  • The sitter (you)

  • The spirit (your loved one)

  • The medium (the conduit or channel)


As the sitter, you will want to participate in the session in a manner that is beneficial and keeps the channels open, without giving away too much detailed information. This is very important, because if you over share personal details, you will then question the validity of the information brought through by the medium.


When you receive a key piece of information from the medium (for example, I see a man wearing a blue baseball cap), validate it by saying "yes, absolutely, my dad always wore blue baseball caps." But don't say "yes, he always wore blue baseball caps on weekends, while watching baseball on tv, and eating ham sandwiches with extra mustard that my mother made for him." Keep it short and sweet.


What if you don't resonate with the information you receive?


Still keep an open mind. Many times later on, after the fact, we realize that the information was correct, it just wasn't what we 'expected' to hear, or there is some detail we have long forgotten.


For example, in a session I had with a medium, she told me she saw me with a fat black cat. I immediately interpreted that to mean she saw me owning a fat black cat in the future and thought, "no, that can't be right, I'm allergic to cats." Two days later I realized that she was seeing my friends fat black cat, who liked to hang out around me when I did yoga at his house. I even had a picture of this cat on my yoga mat, which I sent to her for validation.


So, please keep an open mind.




Have A Few Questions Prepared, and Bring a Journal and Pen for Note Taking


Yes indeed, you may ask questions, but please keep them short and simple. You may want to know what mom thinks of your new boyfriend, or discover the name of your guardian angel. You may want to know if your childhood pet is there with your loved one. No problem!


Just remember to remain open to what spirit has to say. They may have a different slant on things, or more in depth information to share.


Occasionally, but rarely, spirit people may choose not to come through at a particular time for various reasons. After all, they have free will, and have the right of refusal. If this happens, do not worry, you can try again another time.




Communicating with loved ones in spirit, as well as guides, angels, and ascended masters is thrilling and humbling. So remain open minded and flexible. Come with an attitude of joyful discovery!


It's very exciting! Just think, we are opening a portal to another dimension and communicating with those in spirit!


Seriously, How great is that???


Have you had a reading with a medium?


Let me know in the comments.


​© 2020 by Courtney Beck. All Rights Reserved.





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Courtney Beck
Psychic, Evidential Medium,
Intuitive Coach & Light Language Healer

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