From Skeptic To Mystic — My First Encounter With Spirit

In the summer of 1987, nearly a year after losing both my parents (just 23 days apart), I found myself at a mediumship event held in a Spiritualist church in Toronto.

Looking back, I can see how profoundly synchronistic the experience was. It was clearly guided by spirit.

I had never set foot in a Spiritualist church before. That very afternoon, I had lunch with a friend who casually mentioned the evening service. She couldn’t attend — she was heading out of town — but something within me stirred. Despite my skepticism, I felt an unshakable desire to go on my own.

The modest church was tucked away on the second floor of a shopping plaza above a retail store. As I climbed the steep staircase, I felt a mix of curiosity and apprehension.

The room was already crowded by the time I arrived, so I chose a seat close to the door, just in case anything bizarre or uncomfortable happened. Since I had never had a mediumship experience before, I didn’t know what to expect. I wanted an easy exit should things get too weird!

After the guest mediums were introduced, the first one stepped forward and gestured toward a man seated near the back. “May I come to you?” she asked gently. When he nodded, she remained at the front of the room and began channeling messages for him from the spirit realm.

If she had asked me to approach, I might have panicked. I probably would have shouted, “No thank you, ma’am! You stay right where you are!” At the time, I didn’t know that “May I come to you?” is a common expression platform mediums use to address audience members without physically approaching them.

Your passed loved ones are not dead and gone, nor are they removed from the life you’re still living. They are with you every single day, and they aren’t missing out on what’s happening in your life, either ~ Rory Walkom

To my surprise, she “came to me” next. Referring to me as the person in the gold-colored jacket, she added with a touch of dry humor that she had forgotten her glasses and couldn’t quite tell whether I was a man or a woman! Rather than taking offense, I actually found comfort in her confusion — it confirmed that she had no prior knowledge of who I was, which enhanced the authenticity of whatever messages were about to follow.

I was floored when she said my parents were present. She didn’t identify them by name but apologized on their behalf for their sudden departures just days apart. Then, she revealed details that only my parents and I could have known — small, intimate truths that confirmed her connection to the spirit world. In that moment, I knew the messages were genuinely from my parents.

One particularly touching and very funny moment was when she said my father was visibly frustrated. Apparently, he was annoyed that he couldn’t speak to me directly and had to use a medium to communicate. The medium even remarked, laughing, that my father wouldn’t have believed any of “this stuff” when he was alive. It was classic Dad, and it made me laugh through my tears.

As the evening unfolded, four of the five mediums present gave me meaningful messages. Each one brought forward insights and validations that touched my heart and soul. I left the church a different person. I walked in a skeptic, clutching the door handle in case of emergency, and walked out spiritually awakened and forever changed.

Hearing from my parents was incredible, but I never imagined that I would also one day be communicating with spirit as a psychic medium. That night, a seed was awakened within me — a seed that would eventually blossom into my path as a spiritual seeker and mystic.

Everyone is psychic to some degree or another, but not everyone is a medium. A medium is a psychic who has fine-tuned his or her extrasensory perception and can interface with the spirits in other dimensions ~ James Van Praagh

Guidelines For Consulting A Medium

If you’re considering consulting a psychic medium for the first time — or even if you’re a returning sitter — here are some guidelines to help ensure your experience is positive, respectful, and enriching.

Work with a medium, not a psychic. Psychics tune into your individual energy, the living people around you, and your potential future. Mediums relay communications from spirit. Psychic mediums do both. While all three are equally valuable, understanding the difference helps manage your expectations and find the right person to work with.

Find the right medium. Do some research or ask for recommendations. Look for a medium who resonates with you spiritually and adheres to ethical standards. Reviews and personal referrals can be very helpful.

Set clear intentions. Before your session, take a few quiet moments to reflect on your reasons for seeking a reading. Whether you’re looking for closure, guidance, or connection, setting a heartfelt intention invites spirit to work with clarity and purpose.

Center yourself with inner stillness. The most receptive state for a meaningful session is one of inner calm, free from urgency or personal agenda. This openness invites clarity and minimizes interference from expectations or emotional overwhelm.

Be respectful and present. Treat the session as a sacred space. Turn off your phone, be punctual, and approach the experience with humility and gratitude. The more you honor the process, the deeper the connection can be.

Avoid sharing too much upfront. Let the medium do the talking at first. Authentic messages should arise without your prompting. This ensures that the guidance you receive is truly from Spirit and not influenced by your disclosures.

Stay open-minded but discerning. Remain receptive to messages, even if they come in unexpected forms. At the same time, trust your intuition to recognize what feels true and what doesn’t.

Respect the medium’s process, rights and responsibility. The sensitive mental state required for mediumship is not one that can be forced. Allow the process to unfold naturally without pressing for specific outcomes. Ethical mediums resist the pressure to “perform” or produce answers for every question. Respect their right to say “I don’t know” or to pause when spirit is not clearly present.

Prioritize depth over details. While factual evidence like names or dates can be affirming, the most profound validations often come through the essence of the loved one’s personality, memories, and emotional tone. Look for messages that resonate in your heart, not just your mind.

Value messages from spirit as evolutionary. Communication from spirit often includes reflections, apologies, or insights that come from a higher awareness. These are sacred opportunities for mutual healing — not just curiosity or entertainment.

Take notes or record the session. Emotions can run high, and it’s easy to forget what was said. Having a recording or notes allows you to revisit the messages later and gain deeper insight over time.

Honor the sacredness of grief. Mediumship should never be used to bypass grief. A session is not a replacement for emotional healing, but rather a supportive bridge. Avoid seeking constant contact out of dependency or an unwillingness to face the grieving process.

Be wary of exploitation. True spiritual service comes from integrity. Be cautious if a practitioner insists on repeated expensive sessions or uses fear-based language to manipulate you for financial gain.

Avoid idolizing the medium – A medium is a channel, not a priest or guru. Healthy boundaries and clear roles foster clarity and prevent emotional entanglements that can cloud the message or cause confusion.

Integrate the messages with grace. After the reading, take time to reflect. Journaling or meditating on the experience can help you integrate the insights into your life in a meaningful way.

Don’t rely solely on readings. While messages from spirit can be comforting and illuminating, they are not a substitute for personal decision-making or professional advice. Use them for guidance, not as gospel.

Working with a reputable psychic medium can be a deeply moving and empowering experience. When approached with openness, respect, and a grounded heart, the experience can offer healing, validation, and a renewed sense of connection to the unseen threads that weave through our lives.