| Abstract/Results: | ABSTRACT:
Introduction
Mediumship involves the purported mediation of communication between the spirits of the deceased and living individuals, serving as a bridge between these realms. Practitioners, commonly known as “mediums”, “spirit mediums”, or “psychic mediums”, engage in a complex array of cultural practices (Luke & Hunter, 2014). Mediumship is deeply intertwined with various religious and cultural belief systems, such as Shamanism, Spiritism, and New Age movements. In contemporary Britain, however, the predominant cultural framework through which most people encounter mediumship services is Spiritualism. Contrary to the belief that Spiritualism as a religion declined after World War II, Bartolini, MacKian, and Pile (2018) argue that it has not only endured but has evolved into a vibrant and innovative religious tradition, reflecting broader changes in spirituality and the development of post-secular society. While mediumship has been a topic of interest in the social sciences, most notably within parapsychology in attempting to provide evidence for the authenticity of spirit communication (Beischel & Zingrone, 2015), relatively little attention has been devoted to understanding the motivations of clients who seek mediumship experiences and the profound personal impacts these encounters can have. Despite often being dismissed as “trivial” by researchers, messages received from mediums can significantly influence recipients, challenging their preconceived notions about life after death and their spiritual beliefs. Such experiences can lead to transformative changes in various aspects of their lives, including personal identity, coping mechanisms, and existential understanding. The primary objective of this research has been to explore the motivations and experiences of individuals who actively seek mediumship services. Previous ethnographic research by Walliss (2001) and Walter (2006, 2008), as well as survey research by Beischel (2014), has highlighted that many participants are initially drawn to mediumship following the loss of a loved one, and that these experiences can play a meaningful role in the grieving process. Additionally, studies by Evenden, Cooper, and Mitchell (2013) have revealed the potential positive effects of mediumship on the well-being of mourners. More recent work by Wortman (2022) and Burke (2022) has further contextualised mediumship experiences within the broader framework of mourning. However, the current understanding of client motivations remains limited. Research by Roe, Cooper, Hitchman, and Maclean (2023) underscores the need for a comprehensive exploration of the diverse needs, expectations, and impacts of mediumship on clients’ lives.
Methods
A comprehensive set of research questions was developed to provide a holistic overview of current mediumship interactions within contemporary Britain:
• What is the prevalence and pattern of mediumship service use among the UK population?
• How do clients evaluate the validity and reliability of mediumship communication?
• What are the motivations and goals of clients when they seek mediumship services?
This research utilised an explanatory sequential design, beginning with quantitative methods followed by qualitative approaches to deepen the understanding of the data collected.
Phase One: Quantitative Survey
The first phase involved conducting a national survey to ascertain the prevalence of mediumship use in modern Britain. This was facilitated through the polling organization YouGov, with a representative sample of N = 2,072 UK adults (aged 18+), conducted between 3rd and 4th November. The survey explored the extent of public engagement with mediumship, demographic patterns, and general attitudes towards these practices.
Phase Two: Focused Ethnography
Following the survey, a focused ethnographic approach was employed to gain an emic perspective on mediumship practices and the client experiences. This phase was conducted within the Leicester Progressive Spiritualist Church (LPSC), allowing for close observation of cultural and social dynamics inherent to Spiritualist practices. Ethnographic fieldnotes, informal conversations, and participation in Spiritualist services provided rich contextual data, shedding light on the lived experiences of both mediums and clients.
Phase Three: In-Depth Interviews
Building upon insights from both the survey and ethnographic observations, semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten participants who had sought mediumship services. The interview schedule was designed to explore participants’ motivations, expectations, and the personal significance of their mediumship experiences. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, enabling the identification of key themes and patterns related to the impact of mediumship on clients’ lives.
Discussion
The findings from this research offer a nuanced understanding of the motivations, experiences, and impacts associated with seeking mediumship services, an area that has remained under-researched within both the wider social sciences and parapsychological literature. The comprehensive survey data reveals that mediumship, rather than being a fringe activity, involves a significant number of individuals interacting with mediums throughout their lives. To put this into context, the survey data indicates that one in five members of the British public has consulted a medium at least once in their life. The survey also examined client evaluations of mediumship experiences. A significant proportion of participants who received personal messages rated them as accurate (92%), specific (93%), meaningful (91%), and helpful (86%). These findings suggest that mediumship plays a meaningful role in contemporary British society, offering emotional support and contributing to individuals’ coping mechanisms during grief and other crises within their lives.
The focused ethnography provided the cultural context and insider knowledge that proved invaluable in the final stage of the research, where a series of interviews were conducted with both committed believers in the veridical nature of mediumship communication and those who remained uncertain after their experiences. These interviews were reflexively thematically analyzed, and key themes were explored.
The thematic analysis of participants’ experiences with mediumship reveals a multifaceted journey shaped by personal motivations, social influences, emotional resonance, and transformative growth. Participants engage with mediumship for diverse reasons, including seeking emotional connection and closure with deceased loved ones, desiring guidance during life transitions, and exploring spiritual curiosity. These motivations reflect deep emotional and existential needs, with mediumship serving as a conduit for reassurance, healing, and understanding. Social and cultural contexts significantly shape these experiences. While Spiritualist communities provide a sense of belonging and validation, tensions often arise from traditional religious backgrounds and societal scepticism. Participants navigated these dynamics by negotiating their beliefs within the frameworks of their cultural and familial environments, sometimes facing stigma or conflict yet finding personal meaning in their practices. A critical theme, of relevance to parapsychology, is how participants validate and rationalise their mediumship experiences. They interpret specific, personal details from mediums, physical sensations, and emotional responses as evidence of genuine spirit communication. Despite encountering doubts and ambiguities, participants employ strategies to reconcile scepticism, balancing belief with critical reflection. Emotionally, mediumship, in the context of most of the interviews, offered comfort, fostering a continuing bond with the deceased and facilitating existential reflections on life, death, and the afterlife. This emotional resonance often leads to personal transformation and spiritual development. Participants describe shifts in worldview, increased self-understanding, and empowerment through their mediumship experiences.
The purpose of these findings is to contribute to the normalization of mediumship experiences, which are frequently stigmatized in modern society. By highlighting the reflective and discerning ways in which individuals engage with mediumship, this research challenges reductive narratives and underscores the complexity and legitimacy of these experiences within contemporary cultural contexts. Ultimately, this study advocates for a more inclusive and empathetic understanding of spiritual practices, recognising the meaningful roles they play in people’s lives and the diverse ways individuals seek connection, healing, and meaning in the face of loss and uncertainty.
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