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Medium
The medium is, in the spiritist tradition and in contemporary popular culture, a person who claims to be able to communicate with non-physical entities: spirits of the dead, guides, angels. The word derives from Latin "medium", "intermediary". The phenomenon is the object of parapsychological study and of scientific scepticism.
History of spiritism
Modern spiritism is born in the United States in 1848 with the Fox sisters and spreads rapidly in Europe during the second half of the nineteenth century. In France, Allan Kardec (1804-1869) becomes its systematiser with The Book of Spirits (1857). Anglo-Saxon spiritualism and Brazilian Kardecism are its main heirs.
State of research
Scientific investigations of mediums working in public (Houdini, Randi, and others) have shown in several cases techniques of "cold reading" and "hot reading" (gathering preventive information). Mediumistic ability has not been confirmed in double-blind conditions. Some mediums honestly describe their practice as "intuitive" rather than spiritistic.
FAQ
Do mediums really speak with the dead?
There is no scientific proof of communication with the dead. The experiences reported may have personal consoling value, not probative value.
Is it dangerous to consult them?
From a psychological viewpoint, entrusting important decisions to a medium can be problematic. For bereaved people, the risk of prolonging pain rather than processing it has also been signalled.
Do "authentic" mediums exist?
It is a matter of faith. Scientific verifications have not demonstrated mediumistic phenomena. The value perceived by those who consult is an individual matter.