by Tracy Moore
Being a medium means having the ability to receive messages from spirits from the other side. There are a few different types of medium, the mental medium and the physical medium.
A mental medium is one who is able to communicate with spirits or get messages from the other side while they are conscious through various means such as hearing them, seeing mental images, through strong feelings, or other means.
A physical medium is one who enters a trance state and permits their physical body to be used by a spirit to communicate a message.
Until a person grows in confidence and knowledge, this gift can be overwhelming at times and even a little frightening for someone without support and encouragement.
While having this ability is more accepted than it was even twenty years ago, it still carries a great deal of stigma in some arenas, which can make it very difficult for the young (either in age or ability) medium to understand what is going on with them. Young mediums are often told that they are crazy, or worse, that there is something evil about them.
Since I was a little girl I have been able to sense, hear, and sometimes see spirits. It hasn’t been until the last few years that I have permitted myself to be open to this ability. A big reason why I held back for so long is that I weirded people out. It is important to me to share what I have experienced and learned for many reasons.
One of those reasons is to help other mediums to avoid some of the negative thoughts and emotions which can occur if they are isolated from supportive people or sources of information. Looking back, I can see that there are several signs which can be clear ways to know that you are a medium. I’m including 7 of those reasons here.
1. You get mental images which are later confirmed as having been accurate.
One example of this is if someone is talking to you about a deceased family member and you get a mental flash of what that person looked like without having them described to you.
When I was a teenager, someone was telling me stories about what one of their long departed family members was like. A few years later, I was visiting another person and they brought out an old photo album. Low and behold, I recognized one of the photos and asked who it was.
When I was told that it was the family member who had been discussed a few years before, you can imagine my surprise, as this was my first validation of information of this nature.
2. Sometimes you can smell fragrances which aren’t actually present.
Have you ever walked into a room and gotten a whiff of perfume or perhaps the smell of a cigarette or cigar and no one else seems to notice it?
This has happened to me fairly regularly, and I used to think that maybe I had completely lost my mind. It wasn’t until I was well into my twenties that I realized a relationship between these aromas and spirit.
I was visiting a friend and got the distinct smell of a strong cigar. When I asked her about it, she said that no one in her house smoked. She went on to say that she found it interesting that I smelled cigars, because she had been thinking about and missing her grandfather, who had smoked cigars.
Since then, I have had several confirmations of aromas in places or around people which are familiar to someone that they loved who has crossed over.
3. You feel like the air is suddenly full of energy, and then mentally hear a message.
This is one of those signs which can really make you question your sanity before you learn to understand what is happening.
An example of how this has manifested in my own experience was on an occasion that I was standing at the sink washing dishes with someone. All of a sudden, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up like they do in an electrical storm.
Then I heard this male voice telling me to mention doe eyes. This was the first time in my life that I actually heeded and mentioned it, and I know that the only reason that I did so was that the person standing next to me was someone who I felt safe to do something like that with.
So, I asked her what doe eyes meant to her. She got very still for a moment and told me that an old boyfriend of hers used to call her that. There were other people around, so we decided to take a ride to the store in order to talk more privately.
She asked if she could turn on the radio until she was ready to talk about him, and I agreed. An old song from the 70’s came on and she began to cry. When I asked her what was wrong, she explained that this was “their” song.
This was her cue to explain to me that this man that she had dated long ago, had passed young from cancer. To this day I don’t always relay messages that come to me, frankly because I am still not completely sure if it is always a good idea. For now, I trust that spirit and my guides will compel me to speak up when it is something which needs to happen.
4. Seeing things move out of the corner of your eye is a common occurrence for you.
Many people have experienced seeing something move out of the corner of their eye, only to turn and find that nothing is there. For mediums, this can be a more regular phenomenon than for the average person.
For spirits, showing themselves physically requires a good amount of energy. One of the ways in which they get our attention can be to appear.
When you see something move out of the corner of your eye, try to hone in on shape if you can. I would also recommend that you allow yourself to stop for a moment and get a feel for what else is happening or what you might sense.
5. Walking into some places causes you to feel different.
For a medium, this doesn’t happen just anywhere. There are places into which a medium can walk and feel that the energy or the temperature has changed.
You might feel a heaviness, heat, cold, or other sensations and even emotions. Sometimes you might get a headache. This can be disconcerting, even after you are accustomed to your gift, but especially in the beginning.
Spirits just like everything else in the universe are composed of energy. For someone who is sensitive, these energy shifts can be very palpable.
Pay attention to your feelings and see if you can gather any more information about what is happening there. Listen to your gut too. If you feel threatened or as though you should leave, do not hesitate to heed your intuition.
6. Are you afraid of the dark?
Many mediums have had a fear of the dark at one point or another in their lives. Okay, many children have a fear of the dark. The reasons for this fear however, are different for someone who is a medium.
Many mediums will have experiences during the night as children in which spirits will try to communicate with them. It is scary for a young child who hasn’t had guidance about these things to have people coming into their room at night. It isn’t necessarily that the spirits are trying to scare the child (most of them anyway), it is that they are attracted to those whom they know can see or communicate with them.
I’m not ashamed to admit that I have slept with a light on for most of my life. It wasn’t until I tried an experiment of taking a shower in the dark that I understood my long held fear.
7. Electronics have a tendency to go out or act funny when you are around.
This has been known to happen around mediums. One explanation that I can come up with is the increased amount of energy present when spirits are around. Another possible reason for this is the theory that spirits sometimes gather energy from electrical items in order to have more strength to manifest or communicate.
IN CONCLUSION
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About the Author
Tracy Moore is a woman with a lifelong love of all things creative who wears many hats including artist, poet, and writer. She is also a gifted intuitive who uses many different tools to assist others in healing themselves from the inside out and to tap into their personal power. Even though she has a dark and mysterious side, when things get too heavy she channels her inner pixie and brightens the room by filling the air with glitter and laughter.
You can check out her website pullupatoadstool.com where she posts a little bit of everything; ranging from short articles encouraging people to tap into their personal power, mini-workshops on subjects such as meditation and crystals, poetry, fiction, some of her artwork, and information on getting a reading or intuitive services.
Show Comments (23)
Magical Mystical Mimi
Does this run in families Tracy because my whole family is like this.. Not everyone embraces it but we all know it’s there, if that makes sense.
Fiona Day
This resonates with me
Gilly K Denham
Great Article, and very helpful to those who may not realise they are a medium. I have seen spirit since being a child and used to see them walk through walls in my home, I thought this was what grown ups could do because these spirits walking through walls were grown up but dressed in a bygone age.
I later, in my teenage years realised that these “see through people” as I called them were not grown ups but something else. One of my bugbears with having this ability is the amount of electrical faults that happen around me, my car radio changing channel on its own, every smart phone or computer device I buy crashes and goes faulty, which is difficult when you are doing readings by email. Constantly replacing light bulbs, seeing things out of the corner of my eye or in the rear view mirror of my car, and, finally, at 50 years of age, yes, being scared of the dark!! Excellent article
savannah
I see, hear and smell things.
I need to strengthen my abilities.
Rochelle
All of these resonate with me. Sometimes I get shocks through my body as well!
van
well, i guess i a medium. thanks for this article.
Kristine Cain
I can feel Stress out of nowhere for no reason,
When something feels off, in other words Don’t do a certain something or go a certain some place, I’ve learned to listen to that intuition.
When I dont, listen to the warning, something always goes wrong.
David Schultz
You have described Psychic abilities only. You clearly do not understand Mediumship, yet alone Physical mediumship. I’m sorry to be so blunt, but there are far too many articles now available via social networks etc. that give people the complete wrong impression.
Anna G
So..I guess..my gift started at age 15.. As I grew up..I began to have weirder and weirder dreams most of them terrifying, i am 24 and afraid of the dark and hardly sleep .. Any help would be nice..though talking about god isn’t an option at this point .
samiam
I can remember seeing the dead for as long as I can remember I can tell you I’m not a big fan of this talent electronics do go crazy around me I have never thought it was anything though. My husbands mother passed away 2 years ago and she has visited me 4 times first time was 2 hours before she passed away I could see her transform from sick to young and gave me a hug it made me feel good. Last night my husband’s brother who drowned 3 years ago came to me it was the first time and he wanted talk to my husband but I don’t know what he said after that he just kept moving his hands and his mother was there also but she couldn’t tell me anything I’m so worried something is wrong I tell everyone these are dreams cause I’m afraid they think I’m crazy when I would see spirits I thought I was crazy but now that I see people I know are dead are feel not so crazy I have had o.b.e before which I thought was scary and amazing I wish I had known what it was when it was happening cause I totally freaked out but when it was over I was like damn that was so cool
Cindy Haase
I am a 71 year old Grandmother. I remember having vivid dreams (remembrances) of the Virgin Mary when I was a very young girl. I would even draw pictures of her in school and either the teacher (or my mother would end up admonishing me and then tearing them up). I wanted to be a Nun when I grew up. From then on I cannot recall any other incidents or experiences until I was in my teens. I had some type of extremely traumatic experience which sent me to a psychiatrist. To this day I cannot recall what it was and am now so tired of this ‘incident’ plaguing me that I have opted to seek counseling and regression therapy. I was always the kid in school (I moved around a lot) who never fit in. I was the one they’d point a finger at and laugh. I was miserable. I felt isolated, alone and never felt I could really fit in anywhere. I still don’t yet have come to accept my abilities and that, “I am different.” I didn’t trust anyone and today I can count the friends I have on one hand. We, too, have something in common as we have a sense of ‘knowing’ and can interact with the spirit realm. They have experienced abuse in their lives and have gone through some pretty rough emotional trials. I was extremely introverted (still am) and fearful always trying to figure out what life was all about and petrified of meeting other people. I’ve lived in a ‘haunted’ house and yes, they do exist. It was at this time I came face to face with what you would call a demon. My father and my two other siblings felt its presence as well. I cannot go into detail as to what happened to me in that house but looking back on it now, I’d say there was a possession of some sort going on. I think that this is part of the trauma I’m trying to address. I can tell, just by shaking someone’s hand (it doesn’t happen all the time but I had one experience that literally shook me to my core) and immediately was struck by this person’s background and that he might be hiding something he didn’t want others to know. I have dealt with pos/neg energy (everything is energy) my entire life and finally, after dealing with the affects of the turmoil, the embarrassment, ignorance and humiliation regarding this, fell to my knees pleading with G-d for help. (When the Pupil is ready the Teacher will appear). This was about 6 years ago so you see it’s not uncommon to go through most of your life NOT KNOWING. I am an Empath. I deal with and sense energies. I can sense and see demons and actually smell them. If one were to ask me what they smell like all I can say is the odor is so repugnant that it must be the odor of someone who has died. Just a few days ago I was doing some meditation when an entity appeared right after the meditation and I felt that it was on a mission of some sort and what mission that was I didn’t find out but it was in a big hurry. A few weeks after my father died (2005) I had a conversation with him in my kitchen while I was doing dishes. He just ‘showed’ up. I felt he was there to say a personal goodbye (as I was unable to attend his funeral). Two days ago I was overcome with the most wonderful feeling of joy (everything’s alright with the world) love, peace, contentment and immediately knew I was in the present of spirit. Turned out it was my father again and he shared something with me that I felt had been bugging him for a long time. I told him, ‘that’s okay Dad.” The warmth from this meeting with my Dad actually lit up my eyes to such an extent that they were ‘glowing’ as I examined my face in the bathroom mirror. I believe that many of my experiences with emotional trauma, freezing up, facial twitches, and inability to interact with others is the result of my not knowing what my gift (it can be a curse also and for many years it was) was in addition to not knowing what I was experiencing or how to handle it. This is a beautiful planet, a beautiful world with beautiful people. I have come to realize that I love human beings exp. small children, babies, and older people (along with animals and trees) in fact I can interact with animals and communicate with them. My Great White Pyrenees died last year. I miss her so. Yet, I ‘saw’ her laying on the ground in some grass (but just for an instant) watching me as I walked out into my pasture checking on my animals. We never die, we just move on to a higher realm of existence. If I could get just one thing across to all, we are all connected. When I walk outside I feel ‘one’ with my surroundings. The grass I walk on, the trees that line my walkway, the flowers, the birds, the bees. Until Humanity is awakened and that, I believe, is not too far off, we will continue to grovel in ignorance. No matter what your problem(s), please trust a Higher Source that, in the End, Everything will be for the better. And, yes, you will have your questions answered. In Love and Peace,
Mark
I agree with some of what written.
But I do find that people over complicate this subject, or become way to general.
My advice to anyone who thinks they maybe is this.
Have you ever seen a spirit?
(I have seen two, one when I was a child)
I had no way of knowing this was an ability.
If you haven’t it does not mean you are not a medium.
But please google Clairaudience?
Clairaudience is the ability to hear spirit. I was experiencing it just over 20 years ago and thought I was psychic from what I was being told.
In 2012 it started again and continued until I woke up that I was being spoken to telepathically.
If you are not experiencing Clairaudience, there is no point even considering you are a medium (my view)
Stephanie Mannell
So I don’t know if i’m a medium or not but all of this is familiar to me. I’ve never seen a spirit because to be honest I tell them not to show themselves because the scares me. I’ve said this a million times throughout my life. As a little girl I slept (when I did) with a little 9in black and white tv. I still sleep with a tv on, I cannot sleep without some sort of light or noise. I constantly get chills and feelings i’m not alone. Sometimes I make my husband sit in the bathroom with me while i’m taking a shower because I don’t feel alone. I’ve been on several ghost tours and everyone i’ve been the one to have an experience. Went to Stanley hotel and was first one picked in the group because the tour guide sensed my abilities. Other ones only my photos had orbs and streaks of light. My mom also is sensitive and says she has seen relatives who have passed. I’ve always been interested in the paranormal since childhood. Id always play by myself and would cover up my stuffed animals so they would t get cold. I don’t know if this means i’m a medium or not but it’s enough to know that people around me don’t usually experience these Things which to me seem normal. Oh and i’m the only one whose computer messes up at work too. Been through a few already with no known explanation.
Camerin
I think I am. I’m not sure. My dad said when he opens himself up and he touches someone he can see what they did in the past or feel what they’re feeling. He can see and hear things at certain times. I saw things when I was little. And now I can hear people talk to me directly at times. I’ve heard non bodied people talk to me 3 times recently. And I’ve seen figures, but when I was little. I also remember this cookout after a wedding, and I explained it to my parents and they said I wasn’t born yet and that only my eldest brother was, and he was around 3. And second brother wasn’t born yet. I had a dream about 2 girls that died where my shower is and the next morning my brother said he had a dream with a little girl and he described her as one of the girls in my dream. I also had a dream or something when I was little and I remember what the bed looked like or the frame anyways, and my mom and told me goodnight and turned the lights off and I looked into the dark and screamed and ever since then I’ve slept with a nightlight. I’m 15 and I sleep with a nightlight because I’m too scared of the dark. I also get very creepy vibes around my house all the time. My parents think I’m crazy because they don’t get that sense of vibe. But I do all the time, everyday. In every part of the house, I get this very creepy vibe. I always feel like something is watching me all the time too, the feeling never goes away unless I’m around people. I’m not sure what any of this means, but I’d like to know.
Brenda
My big thing is that I foresee death. Usually I see a hearse. Faceless pallbearers and the deceased is faceless. But, usually within a month, a family member dies. Last Fall (2015) I saw 2 hearses at the same time, a week later an Aunt died and 1 month later, an Uncle died.
I’ve never been afraid of the dark. I actually prefer it over light (light hurts my eyes).
I see animal spirits on a daily basis too. And when a certain one shows up, I know that one of my living animals is either sick or will be dying soon.
I don’t always see human spirits. I usually hear them and sense, sometimes smell, their presence.
carlos stinson
that is its own gift
bontle
Yes I also hear voices sometimes see a person when I try to look straight that person is not there I know about long dead relatives who died before I was born I can’t sense energy even footsteps in the house when I am alone in our tradition I should become a traditional healer but I really don’t know what to do because when I grow up the traditional healers used to tell me that no one can help me the spirit will guide me I am having problems in my life like stagnation,financial problem I can’t even find a job at night I hands cramps once I touch someone who is sick that person will be healed but my family and church think that I have evil powers and I am suffering I wish I know what to do exactly with this gift
David Schultz
I find it interesting that the comment I made months ago still remains in limbo and not published. Censorship form the beyond I imagine?
carlos stinson
5 out of 7
carlos stinson
does that mean im a medium
Margeaux
Ive always known I was a medium but lately something new is happening that I, from research, cannot find any other happenings to others. When I use the Ouija board water or a gel like substance appears where I am positioned but under no one else involved in the séance. Also I am so drained after the seance is completed, that I have to go to sleep. Does this happen to anyone else, or similar happenings?
Gregory
I need help ,I’ve seen things in my dreams like how people died and where it happened, I even new the tween towers attached , sounds crazy right ,I as a child new when my Foster family wood die , o even told my grandmother that my grandfather wood live for here to see him for a while,am I crazy or what, I saw two people die and told my adopted family how they die and where it happened, it was my dad and my mom s grand dad,it’s like I wood see it and then I wood teal that person and they get mad at me, called me a witch said I had a demon in me, well I don’t and I don’t tell anyone this stuff or they wood try to put me away some where lol,and yes I to am a fread of the dark have sencts I was a child I was talking to dead ppl , my mom wood ask oh woo you talking to sweety oh , and ramble some name out ,lol here eyes get big and she turn white as a goust. Do you get this way when your depressed ,if soon then I understand what was wrong with me I had post dermadic stress right, I all soon fell from a 20 stores tree house when I was16 or17 had to take it ezzy saw dead ppl had bad black outs for a longest time ,I could right a book on this subject but I whont please help me someone ,I need help .
Debbie
I was told by a physic medium today that I have the gift that I’m a physic and have lots of spirits or dead people around me how can I know it’s not bullshit I do some times feel I can read people personality and feel people out but how can I know or believe that I got the gift to know and how to use it