Trance mediumship is one of the deepest and most fascinating aspects of spiritual communication. Whether you’re a seasoned practitioner or just curious about the practice, this guide will help you understand what trance mediumship is, the different levels of trance, and how it works.
Keep reading to explore how spirit guides, ascended masters, and spirits communicate with us through mediums and the potential risks and rewards involved.
1. What is Trance Mediumship?
Trance mediumship is a form of spirit communication where the medium enters a deep altered state of consciousness, allowing a spirit to temporarily take control of their mind and body. This state of “stepping aside” enables the spirit communicator to speak through the medium, offering messages of guidance, healing, or wisdom.
While it sounds mystical, trance mediumship is a carefully controlled process that requires trust, skill, and experience. The medium consciously allows the spirit being to communicate, while maintaining a delicate balance to avoid any negative or overwhelming influences.
The Basics of Trance Mediumship
In trance mediumship, the medium allows their conscious mind to be overshadowed by the spirit world. They build a trusting partnership with the spirit world and use their mind, body, and voice to communicate. To achieve this, the medium must learn to step aside and surrender to the spirit world.
2. The Levels of Trance Mediumship
There are two main levels of trance that are usually spoken about, light trance and deep trance. The level and depth of the trance depend on how much control the spirit communicator has over the medium’s body and mind. But both are equally important and have different functions. Let’s go into a little more detail.
What is Light Trance?
Light trance states are mainly used in trance healing where whereas deep trance is mainly entered into for spirit communication. In the light trance, the medium is still aware of their surroundings, but their consciousness is softened. They blend with the spirit world and then bring through healing energy and may also bring through spiritual messages. In the light trance, the medium is inspired but they remember the experience afterward. The medium has connected with the spirit world, but they have not fully surrendered control.
What is Deep Trance?
In deep trance, the medium surrenders completely to the spirit world. With practice and development, they learn to step aside and allow the spirit communicator to use their mind, body, and voice to communicate. The medium’s mind is overshadowed and if they have fully relinquished control, they may have no recollection of the experience afterward. The spiritual communicator fluently speaks through the medium, offering detailed messages, guidance, or spiritual teachings. This is the deepest form of trance and requires significant trust and a strong partnership between the medium and spirit. Deep trance is less common today but it has gained popularity over the last few years.
Note: No two mediums are the same. Each person naturally falls somewhere along the spectrum, depending on their connection to the spirit world and their comfort with surrendering control.
3. How Does Trance Mediumship Work?
Trance mediumship is a deeply spiritual and collaborative process between the medium and spirit. So what do we need to know about this process and how it unfolds?
How to Enter a Trance State
To enter a trance state, a medium quietens the mind, relaxes the body, and attunes to the spirit world. This can be done through breathe-work and meditation. As the medium’s body enters a more relaxed state, its conscious mind steps aside, allowing the spirit communicator to make a connection. When the medium enters a trance state it is normal for their heart rate to slow down, their breathing to deepen, as well as changes in facial expression or posture.
What Happens During Trance Communication?
When the spirit communicator steps in, the medium may exhibit changes such as altered speech patterns, different or varied vocabulary, a change in facial expressions, and even unique hand movements. These physical shifts are a sign that the spirit person is connected with the medium and is sharing their messages. If you get the chance to watch a trance medium, you will perceive these changes in tone, voice, energy, and atmosphere. This is what makes trance mediumship different from other forms of mediumship.
4. Trance Mediumship vs. Other Forms of Mediumship
Trance mediumship often gets confused with other forms of spirit communication, such as channeling or mental mediumship. While these practices share some similarities, they differ in the level of control and depth of the trance.
Channelling vs. Trance Mediumship
Channeling is lighter than trance mediumship, where the spirit communicator only blends with the outer layers of the medium’s energy field. It allows for easier communication without the deeper, more profound blending of energies seen in trance mediumship. Channeling typically doesn’t result in significant physical changes to the medium’s appearance or voice.
Mental Mediumship explained?
Trance mediumship uses the psychic senses for communication and for this reason, it falls under the category of Mental mediumship. In fact, most types of mediums are mental mediums because they receive messages from the spirit world through mental impressions, feelings, and visions. All forms of mental mediumship require the medium to raise their awareness and use their auric field to sense the spirit world and interpret messages through the mind. But whether you are a spiritual medium, evidential medium, or trance medium, you must have an open mind, and an attuned aura and work toward becoming a clear channel for the spirit world.
Physical Mediumship explained?
Physical mediumship is a fascinating and rare form where the medium’s body produces physical phenomena as evidence of spirit activity. This can include things like mysterious rapping sounds, objects moving, or even ectoplasm. Unlike trance mediumship, where the spirit blends with the medium’s mind and body, physical mediumship creates real, physical phenomena that can be seen and felt. It’s typically done in a controlled environment with a group of people. While it’s less common today, physical mediumship still holds a unique place in spiritual practices because of the direct evidence it provides of the spirit world.
5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Trance Mediumship
Q1. Can anyone become a trance medium?
Absolutely! Everyone can develop and refine their psychic abilities with dedication and training. If you are interested in developing this skill, sign up for a specialized development class, to receive guidance and support in your development. If you want to start reading about trance mediumship, check out my list of the ‘best 11 books on mediumship and channeling‘
Q2. trance mediums Vs psychic mediums?
Both trance and psychic mediums use their intuition and mind to communicate with the spirit world. Psychic mediums mainly communicate with people’s loved ones in the afterlife. They do not purposefully go into a deep state of trance. Trance mediums, on the other hand, communicate to other beings, spirit guides, and ascended masters, and connect to heightened states of consciousness to bring through spiritual messages. They go into varied sates of awareness to bring through spirit communication.
Q3. How do I know if a medium is truly in trance?
When you start off on your mediumship development you may not know that you are a trance medium. But others in your development circle may notice physical changes such as a shift in posture, facial expressions, or even changes in their voice. Sometimes the medium may also appear deeply relaxed or lose awareness of their surroundings.
Q4. Can trance mediumship be used for healing?
Yes, trance mediumship is often used for healing, it is called trace healing. When giving trance healing, the medium enters a light state of trance and allows the energy to flow through them. They are in a passive state, a vessel though which divine healing energy can radiate through them. Many trance mediums are trained to facilitate healing sessions as part of their practice.
Q5. Can a spirit remember past lives during trance mediumship?
In some cases, a spirit communicator may share information about past lives or experiences during trance communication. This depends on the spirit’s level of awareness and the specific purpose of the session. Mediums may receive messages that offer insight into past lives, but this is not always the focus of trance mediumship.
Q6 . Is trance mediumship a form of possession?
No, trance mediumship is not spirit possession. In trance mediumship, the medium willingly steps aside and allows the spirit communicator to blend with their energy. It is a collaboration between themselves and the spirit world. The medium relinquishes control and consents for the spirit person to temporarily work through them.
Q7. How can I protect myself while in trance?
Protection while practicing trance mediumship involves setting clear psychic boundaries, using spiritual safeguards (such as visualizing protective light or invoking spiritual guides), and regularly grounding oneself. Mediums also should avoid working when feeling mentally or emotionally unwell. The medium should not be touched by anyone while in a trance state.
Q8. How can you tell if someone is in trance?
When someone is in trance, their behavior and physical appearance can change noticeably. A true trance medium may exhibit altered facial features, such as different expressions or muscle movements, as the spirit communicator blends with their energy. Their voice may change in tone, pitch, or accent, and they may adopt new mannerisms or speech patterns. The medium may also appear physically less aware, with slower movements, reduced reaction to external stimuli like touch or sound, and a deeper, more controlled breathing pattern. Those around the medium can often sense the presence of a spirit communicator through the energetic shifts or changes in the atmosphere.
Q9. the difference between trance and meditation?
Trance and meditation both involve altered states of consciousness, but they serve different purposes and have distinct experiences. Meditation is typically a practice of relaxation and self-awareness, where you clear your mind, focus on your breath, or engage in mindfulness. The goal is often personal clarity and emotional balance. In contrast, trance involves a deeper, more specific blending of the medium’s energy with a spirit communicator’s presence. During trance, the medium steps aside from their conscious mind, allowing a spirit to take control of their body, voice, and thoughts to convey messages to others. Meditation remains within the practitioner’s control, whereas trance requires surrender to the spirit.
Q10. What happens to the brain during trance?
During trance, significant changes occur in the brain. The medium’s brain activity slows down, with alpha or theta brainwaves becoming more prominent. These brainwave states are often associated with deep relaxation, meditation, and heightened intuition. The body’s autonomic responses, like heart rate and breathing, may also slow down as the medium enters a state of profound stillness. The conscious mind temporarily “shuts down,” allowing the subconscious or spirit communicator to take the forefront. This shift enables a clearer channel for spirit communication and deeper insights, often without the filter of the medium’s personal thoughts or biases.
Q11: How do I induce a trance state?
To induce a trance state, a medium typically begins with grounding and centering practices, such as deep breathing, meditation, or visualization. This helps quiet the mind and prepare the body. The medium may then use a form of relaxation or focused concentration to enter a deeply relaxed state. In this state, the medium surrenders conscious control and allows the spirit communicator to merge with their energy. It’s important for the medium to remain calm and patient throughout the process, as trance states can take time to develop. Many trance mediums also work with spirit guides or mentors to learn how to safely and effectively enter trance.
Q12: How can I develop trance mediumship?
Developing trance mediumship requires dedication, patience, and ongoing practice. Start by strengthening your overall mediumship abilities, including mental mediumship and psychic awareness. Meditation and mindfulness practices can help you develop greater control over your energy and deepen your ability to enter altered states. It’s essential to work with an experienced teacher or mentor who can guide you through the process of trance mediumship. Building a strong connection with your spirit guides and learning to trust the process is key. Over time, with practice and trust, you’ll gradually learn how to enter deeper states of trance and allow spirit communicators to take control in a safe and controlled manner. Want to get started? Check out my ‘trance speaking course.’
Q13. How to Know If You Are a Trance Medium
Recognizing whether you are a trance medium involves paying close attention to your own spiritual experiences. If you often find yourself entering deep states of altered consciousness, where you lose track of time, feel a strong sense of connection to spirit communicators, or experience physical changes like changes in your voice or posture, you may be a trance medium. Additionally, if you feel a sudden, unexplainable surge of energy during certain moments, or sense spirit beings trying to communicate with you, these are signs that you might have the ability to develop trance mediumship further. Trust your intuition and observe how you react to energy around you—this is often a good indicator that you may possess trance mediumship abilities.
Q14. Signs You Are a Trance Medium
If you’re a trance medium, you might notice physical signs like slower breathing, a steadier heartbeat, or feeling detached from your body during spirit communication. Your voice could also change in tone, pitch, or even accent as spirits speak through you. Emotionally, you may feel deeply calm or connected to something higher. In deeper states, you might feel disconnected from your body but still aware that the messages are coming from a higher source. If these signs resonate with you, it could mean you’re on the path to trance mediumship.
Final thoughts
Trance mediumship is a powerful and unique spiritual practice that allows individuals to connect deeply with the spirit world. Whether you’re just beginning to explore the signs of trance or already noticing subtle changes in your physical and emotional state, there’s a fascinating journey ahead.
Have you ever experienced a deep connection with spirit communicators, or felt a sudden shift in your energy during meditation?
Do you feel like you might have the ability to develop trance mediumship further? Share your experiences and thoughts and insights.
