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Mediumship

Mediumship — the ability to mediate communication with the dead — is a central tenet of Spiritualism. Many forms of the practice exist, including physical, mental, and trance mediumship. During a typical spirit channeling session (also known as a séance), a medium acts as an intermediary between the living and the dead, allowing spirits to interact with the other attendees using their voice and/or body. They may require the help of an invisible entity called a control or guide to make contact and facilitate temporary possession, but this is not always the case.

Gender and Mediumship

Mediumship offered women of the 19th and 20th centuries an opportunity for financial independence. Women’s equality was a major element of Spiritualism; many Spiritualists were also women’s rights advocates. At the same time, stereotyping of female mediums has displayed sexist attitudes, and theories about the psychic abilities of women draw from gendered beliefs. For example, women were theorized as having greater psychic abilities due to the “innate” characteristics associated with femininity.

A negative photograph of a woman, Mrs. Fielding, sitting with her head resting back in trance.

The Eileen J. Garrett Parapsychology Foundation Collection features items pertaining to a number of prolific mediums from the early to mid-20th century. Materials include photographs, audio recordings, séance transcripts, personal scrapbooks, and more.

For information on a few of these mediums, click on the icons below.

  • Thumbnail for the post titled: Eileen J. Garrett

    Eileen J. Garrett

    Sometimes considered one of the greatest mediums of the 20th century, Eileen Jeanette Vancho Lyttle Garrett was born in Ireland on March 17, 1893. From a young age, she could [...]

  • Thumbnail for the post titled: J. J. Morse

    J. J. Morse

    “No living man […] has so completely, and for so long a period, given his whole mind and heart and soul to the advance of the cause; no man, probably, […]

  • Older woman with short, curly hair and a hand holding her forehead.

    Rosemary Brown

    Rosemary Brown (1916-2001) was a spiritualist, medium, and pianist who claimed to channel dead composers to write music. All who visited Brown were famed classical European composers, such as Beethoven, […]

  • photograph of medium Margery Crandon

    Margery Crandon

    Mina “Margery” Crandon (1888-1941) was a medium who claimed to channel her late brother, Walter Stinson. She was the subject of public controversy and skepticism, especially from magician Harry Houdini […]

  • Thumbnail for the post titled: L. A. Meurig Morris

    L. A. Meurig Morris

    Louisa Ann Meurig Morris (1899-1991) was a trance medium whose control was called “Power.” The most publicized instance of her mediumship took place on January 26, 1931. A séance was […]

  • Cassette tape with handwritten label at the top.

    Dorothy Sherry

    The above audio is a portion of a séance from 1978 in which Elvis Presley’s deceased spirit was channeled. The spirit medium, Dorothy Sherry, was not a famous one – […]