The terms “psychic” and “medium” are often used in tandem, but it is important to remember that you can be one without being the other. Someone who has psychic abilities is not necessarily a medium.Recognizing the difference between these identities can help individuals appropriately seek out the right professional or correctly identify their own abilities.

What is a Psychic?

In general, a psychic will receive messages through intuition or a higher power, as well as energy of individuals, the past, or the future. Psychics may utilize items such as crystals, runes, or tarot cards in order to attune their abilities and receive clearer messages. They hone in on their sitters to receive and relay relevant information, typically relating to the individual’s life, current circumstances, and future developments. What a psychic provides can be considered guidance, advice, or perspective, depending on the reading and the sitter.

What is a Medium?

All mediums are psychic, but to be considered a medium, one must be able to communicate with the dead. Mediums connect with spirits, and when conducting a reading, they are able to communicate with spirits that are related to or that surround the sitter. In doing so, they receive more specific messages to provide comfort or closure. By connecting living sitters to deceased family members, friends, or guardians, mediums are able to temper the fear of death and aid in the grieving process.

What Does It Mean to Be a Psychic Medium?

For most mediums, the process of connecting with the dead utilizes psychic abilities, making these mediums inherently psychic, as well. The role of a psychic medium becomes twofold. Offering life advice and guidance as well as information from the deceased can provide great comfort, relief, and meaning to sitters. A psychic medium aims to help sitters find their path in life and heal from grief or other metaphysical wounds.

Individuals looking to receive information about their future or current experiences will more commonly seek out a psychic unless they believe a spirit of a deceased loved one would be an appropriate resource. It is important to remember that, when receiving a reading from a medium, the medium may connect with an unexpected spirit, so it is advised to have minimal expectations before attending the reading.