− | '''Mediumship''' is a term used mostly in [[Spiritualism]] to [[denote]] the ability of a person (the '''medium''') to produce [[psychic]] phenomena of a mental or physical nature. The term is usually used to denote a person who is thought to be able to facilitate communication with [[soul|spirit]]s of the deceased, either by going into a trance and allowing a spirit to use their body, or by using [[extrasensory perception]] to relay messages from the spirits. Some mediums (or the spirits working with them) are also said to be able to produce physical [[paranormal]] phenomena such as materilizations of spirits, [[apport]]s of objects, or [[levitation]].<ref name='Skepdic'[http://skepdic.com/medium.html] Skeptic's Dictionary by Robert Todd Carroll, on Mediums Retrieved March 23, 2007 "In spiritualism, a medium is one with whom spirits communicate directly."</ref><ref>[http://parapsych.org/historical_terms.html Parapsychological Association website. ''Glossary of Key Words Frequently Used in Parapsychology'']. "Materialization: A phenomenon of physical mediumship in which living entities or inanimate objects are caused to take form, sometimes from ectoplasm." Retrieved [[January 24]], [[2006]].[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/medium] | + | '''Mediumship''' is a term used mostly in [[Spiritualism]] to [[denote]] the ability of a person (the '''medium''') to produce [[psychic]] phenomena of a mental or physical nature. The term is usually used to denote a person who is thought to be able to facilitate communication with [[soul|spirit]]s of the deceased, either by going into a trance and allowing a spirit to use their body, or by using [[extrasensory perception]] to relay messages from the spirits. Some mediums (or the spirits working with them) are also said to be able to produce physical [[paranormal]] phenomena such as materilizations of spirits, [[apport]]s of objects, or [[levitation]]. 'Skeptic'[http://skepdic.com/medium.html] Skepdic's Dictionary by Robert Todd Carroll, on Mediums Retrieved March 23, 2007 "In spiritualism, a medium is one with whom spirits communicate directly." [http://parapsych.org/historical_terms.html] Parapsychological Association website. ''Glossary of Key Words Frequently Used in Parapsychology'']. "Materialization: A phenomenon of physical mediumship in which living entities or inanimate objects are caused to take form, sometimes from ectoplasm." Retrieved [[January 24]], [[2006]].[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/medium] |
− | Skeptics say the phenomena of mediumship are the result of self-[[delusion]], unconscious influence, or of [[Magic (illusion)| magician's]] techniques such as [[cold reading]], [[hot reading]], and [[conjuring]].<ref name='Skepdic'>[http://skepdic.com/medium.html ''Skeptic's Dictionary'' by Robert Todd Carroll, on Mediums]. Retrieved [[March 23]], [[2007]] "In spiritualism, a medium is one with whom spirits communicate directly." | + | Skeptics say the phenomena of mediumship are the result of self-[[delusion]], unconscious influence, or of [[Magic (illusion)| magician's]] techniques such as [[cold reading]], [[hot reading]], and [[conjuring]].<ref name='Skepdic'[http://skepdic.com/medium.html] ''Skeptic's Dictionary'' by Robert Todd Carroll, on Mediums]. Retrieved [[March 23]], [[2007]] "In spiritualism, a medium is one with whom spirits communicate directly." |