Trance Medium
A trance medium is a person who claims to communicate messages while in a trance state.
Overview
Trance mediums report entering altered states during which they deliver messages attributed to spirits or other sources. The practice is associated with spiritualist traditions.
Key Insight
Trance mediumship combines claims about altered states and communication with non-physical entities.
Scientific Status
Psychology typically interprets trance mediumship as dissociation or role enactment; there is no scientific evidence for spirit communication.
How Researchers Study It
Psychological studies of dissociation, suggestion, and narrative; historical and ethnographic research.
Quick Facts
- Field
- psychology, religious studies
- Related Concepts
- mediumship, trance, channeling
- Typical Context
- spiritualist practice
Related Terms
FAQ
Do trance mediums really contact spirits?
Science has not verified spirit communication; psychological explanations are typically offered.