Mediumship is the practice of facilitating communication between the living and the spirits of the deceased. A medium acts as an intermediary, using heightened extrasensory perception to receive messages, impressions, or symbols from the spirit world. Mediumship often involves mental processes such as clairvoyance (clear seeing), clairaudience (clear hearing), or clairsentience (clear feeling), and can also extend to physical manifestations like ectoplasm or trance states. Unlike general psychic abilities, which focus on interpreting energy or intuition, mediumship connects with non-physical entities.

Historically, mediumship has been practiced across cultures, from ancient Greek oracles like the Pythia at Delphi to modern spiritualist movements that gained prominence in the 19th century. It is categorized into two primary forms: mental mediumship, where communication occurs through the mind of the medium, and physical mediumship, which involves tangible phenomena such as voices or materializations. Mediums aim to provide evidence of life after death, offering comfort and closure to those seeking to reconnect with loved ones. The practice remains controversial, with perspectives ranging from spiritual reverence to skepticism rooted in science and religion.