Psychics And Mediums: What’s The Difference?

The terms “psychic” and “medium” are often used interchangeably, mostly because people assume they are one and the same. While they do overlap, the truth is they serve different roles.

Understanding what makes them different — and what they have in common — is key if you’re exploring psychic readings, spirituality, and metaphysical practices.

First of all, think of it this way: all mediums are psychics, but not all psychics are mediums.

A psychic is someone who is capable of extrasensory perception (ESP), which means they can perceive information beyond the normal five senses.

The word “psychic” comes from the Greek word psykhikos, which means “of the soul, spirit, or mind.” This, in turn, is derived from psykhē, which means “soul” or “mind.” So, essentially, “psychic” refers to anything related to the mind and soul.

Psychics use their abilities to sense information about a living person’s past, present, and future. They can perceive potential life paths, challenges, or opportunities.

Their gifts may include more than one ability, such as clairvoyance (seeing), clairaudience (hearing), clairsentience (feeling or sensing) and claircognizance (knowing). Using these perceptual abilities, psychics can offer their clients clarity, guidance, and insight into life’s many questions.

Many mediums combine psychic readings in addition to mediumship. However, psychic readings cannot offer mediumistic style readings or bring through loved ones who have passed on ~ Gail Webb

Mediums, on the other hand, are a special type of psychic with a slightly different focus: connecting with the spirit realm. A medium acts as a bridge between this world and the next. The term “medium” itself reflects this role — they’re intermediaries who channel information from the deceased or other non-physical beings, such as spirit guides or angels. Mediumship is therefore a specialized form of psychic ability.

Mediumship is divided into these categories:

Trance mediumship: The medium enters a trance state in order to communicate with spirits or entities from other dimensions or realms. In this altered state of consciousness, the medium may also allow the spirit to take control of their physical body to communicate directly.

Physical mediumship: Manifesting spirit energies in tangible phenomena such as audible voices, moving objects, automatic writing, or spirit apparitions. It takes things to another level, creating observable experiences that bridge the physical and metaphysical.

Rescue mediumship: A specialized form of mediumship in which the medium assists earthbound spirits in their transition to the afterlife. Earthbound spirits are souls that have not fully transitioned and remain stuck in the physical due to unfinished business, transition trauma, or other reasons. Rescue mediums use their mediumship abilities to communicate with these lost souls to help them resolve their issues so that they can transition peacefully to the other side.

Mental (evidential) mediumship: Communicating with spirit through mental impressions. The primary purpose of the work of this type of medium is to deliver messages of comfort, closure, or guidance from the deceased to the living.

The main difference between psychics and mediums is therefore the type of information and energies they focus on. Psychics tap into the energies of the living, picking up on what’s happening in their life now, what happened in the past to lead to what’s happening now, and what’s potentially to come in the future. For example, a psychic reading might help someone make a career decision, navigate a new relationship, or explore past life experiences.

If you are seeking advice on different things or issues going on in your life, then you will want to see a psychic. If you are looking to connect to a deceased relative and communicate with spirits, then you want to look for a medium ~ Britta Grubin

Mediums connect with spirit and tune into the energies of those who have passed on. They deliver messages from deceased loved ones, offer insights from ancestors, spirit guides, and angels, or channel wisdom from higher beings or the universe. A medium has both psychic ability and mediumship, and are therefore also called “psychic mediums.”

Despite their differences, psychics and mediums also have much in common. For example, both rely on heightened psychic senses to perceive beyond the physical. They rely on spiritual practices such as meditation, prayer, or energy work to develop and sharpen their abilities and stay connected to higher consciousness. And they’re both focused on helping people, whether by offering life guidance or delivering healing messages from the other side.

Psychics and mediums are not in competition — they are teammates with complementary skills. Both provide valuable services, and understanding their differences can help you choose the practitioner who best suits your needs.

Ultimately, whether you’re seeking answers to life’s questions or comfort for a lost loved one, both psychics and mediums offer a way to connect, heal, and gain insight into the mysteries of the unseen.