BY PRIYA ALI
The most exposure many of us have had with a medium is through the movies. Whoopie Goldberg channeling Demi Moore through for Patrick Swayze in Ghost. Haley Joel Osment’s famous line, “I see dead people” in The Sixth Sense.
Have you ever wondered, what is a medium? What do they do? How do they do it? Well, a medium is someone who communicates, in one way or another, with those who have passed away. Sometimes they see images, some hear things and some feel things.
It has been just over ten years since I embraced my mediumship skills. The first person to “come through” for me was my maternal grandmother, who practically raised me from the age of five. I could clearly hear her voice and could see an image of her in my mind’s eye. The second person to come through was the maternal grandmother of my husband at the time who had passed prior to his birth. She clearly showed me the details of her passing through images and feelings in my body. When I relayed this to my then mother-in-law, while in shock from what I told her, she confirmed all the details to be accurate.
Many mediums refer to those who have passed away as spirits and for the remainder of this article, so will I. Some spirits will have the desire and ability to communicate with someone who is still alive. When this occurs, they will begin to send signs to encourage their loved one to seek the guidance of a medium or create an opportunity for them to connect with a medium through chance meeting or a referral. Most of the readings I have completed have been to let those left behind know that they are ok, in a place of peace, forgive them for any perceived wrong doing or to apologize for something they may have done during their life. Much of the time, spirits wish to communicate that they are still present and with the client and to have an opportunity to say I love you.
Unlike much of what you see on television or in the movies, spirits are not flying objects around, physically moving people or trying to scare you. One thing I was surprised to learn is that people retain their personalities upon crossing over. If Uncle Paul was a bit rough with his words in life, he uses the same vocabulary in the after life. If your dad was a humorous joker, he will be the same.
Some of the most rewarding readings I have given are for people who lost their loved ones unexpectedly or tragically. It provides the chance to ask those unanswered questions, express their emotions and say the words they never got to say. It has allowed some of my clients to gain the understanding of why their loved one committed suicide, to know that they didn’t suffer in their final moments of being murdered or a car accident.
In my personal case, it was to hear my miscarried child relay that there was not enough peace in my home and marriage for her to stay with us to birth. Even though this was painful to hear, it gave me the awareness that led me to closure and the ability to move on with life. Although, I had been keeping my mediumship gift under wraps due to the fear of judgement and ridicule, it was this moment that led me to truly see the gift in being able to lead others to healing their grief, moving through their loss and carrying on with life.
Whether you just want to check in with a loved one to ensure they are at peace, or have some unresolved issues with them, be it a small or large issue a medium may just be the perfect fit for you.