My mother and grandmother have recently told me about their plan to visit a medium. They want to hear from my great-grandmother who passed away several years ago. This surprised me because, in my opinion, they are both fairly religious people. I’m unsure how they think about Heaven and Hell, in regards to how spirits can move through these spaces as well as earthly spaces. Or even how these spaces come together for mediums to see both at the same time? It is interesting to think about someone being in Heaven but if you visit a medium it’s as if they’re right there whispering in the ear of this living person. It makes me wonder if mediums have a better understanding of what happens in the afterlife just because they can communicate with those who have already lived it. I wonder if it is more or less scary than not knowing like the rest of us?

Anyways, my mom and I were talking about their decision to go, and she mentioned to me that this individual they plan to meet with claims to be a psychic medium. Which made me wonder what is the difference? Apparently, it’s one of those things where a medium is always a psychic, but a psychic is not always a medium. A psychic is someone who claims to have supernatural abilities where they’re able to see past, present, and future. They have different means of reading someone. They may use astrology, tarot cards, palm readings, or a crystal ball. However, they cannot communicate with the dead. A medium is always a psychic because their supernatural powers are so strong, they can speak with the deceased.

The difference in credibility between the two professions varies as well. Mediums tend to be more highly respected than psychics because, if you’ve ever watched Long Island Medium on TLC, they can make people cry with their accuracy. They come out with secrets that they could have never possibly figure out through any sort of trickery, things that only the deceased relative or friend would know about. Meanwhile, psychics are more easily able to swindle people out of their money because they do not know the specifics, so the readings are more general by default. I’m by no means saying that psychics have no merit, but there’s certainly more room for sneakiness and deception.

Ouija boards are also something that comes to mind when I think of the supernatural. However, mediums often do not need a platform like the Ouija board to speak to the dead. To some people, Ouija boards seem to be more of a game than a real platform for spiritual conversation. Alternatively, I have heard of instances of unwanted or unpleasant spirits during or after engaging in a Ouija board session. Mediums can only communicate with the spirits who choose to come forward, they do not summon or conjure anything or anyone. The medium functions as a sort of filter between the spirit world and our world. They will not communicate or indulge the unpleasant spirits because it is a threat to their well-being. With a Ouija board we do not have this filter, we are left to whichever spirit wants to talk at that time. I think this only makes us more vulnerable to the bad vibes that could potentially infiltrate our own spirits or energy fields. It is good Ouija board practice to keep your mind clear of unpleasant thoughts and ask the spirits positive questions. The most obvious first question being ‘How did you die?’ However, keep in mind that not everyone dies from illness or natural causes so be careful what and who you ask!