This document summarizes recent research on mediumship from the late 19th century to present day. It discusses key investigations and findings from organizations like the Society for Psychical Research. Modern research has improved methodology and focuses more on the medium's experience. Studies now examine mental health and cultural contexts of mediumship in addition to verification. Neuroscience is also being used to study psychic and mediumship states. Overall, the field has made progress in rigorously studying mediumship, but questions around communication versus psi abilities remain open.

1. RECENT MEDIUMSHIP
RESEARCH:
NOVEMBER 21ST, 2014
Nancy L. Zingrone, PhD
Parapsychology
Foundation

2. SOME DATES IN THE
HISTORY OF
SPIRITUALISM
1. 1792 – Word first used by Emanuel Swedenborg, but mediumship and
spiritualist traditions date back to antiquity in various forms and
contexts
2. 1848 – The Fox Sisters, starting point for modern American
Spiritualism
3. 1857 – Publication of Kardec’s Book of the Spirits, starting point for
Kardecist Spiritism
4. 1882 – Founding of the Society for Psychical Research, starting point of
formal investigations into a host of phenomena including mediumship
5. Mid-1800s through 1930s – Heyday of scientific investigation into
mediumship phenomena

3. SPIRITUALISM/SPIRITISM A CONTEXT …
MEDIUMSHIP IS OLDER AND MORE BROADLY BASED
From Talking to the Spirits (Hunter & Luke, 2014):
 An Agnostic Social Scientific Perspective on Spirit Medium Experience in Great Britain
• Hannah Gilbert
 Spirit Possession in East Africa • Barbara Stöckigt
 Developing the Dead in Cuba: An Ethnographic Account of the Emergence of Spirits
and Selves in Havana • Diana Espirito Santo
 Psychedelic Possession: The Growing Incorporation of Incorporation into Ayahuasca
Use • David Luke
 Anomalous Mental and Physical Phenomena of Brazilian Mediums: A Review of the
Scientific Literature • Everton Maraldi, Wellington Zangari, Fatima Regina Machado,
Stanley Krippner
 Spirit Mediums in Hong Kong and the United States • Charles Emmons
 Vessels for the Gods: Tang-ki Spirit Mediumship in Singapore and Taiwan • Fabian

4. MEDIUMSHIP RESEARCH TO
1930S
1. Pre-1882: Scientific panels convened to test mediums such as the
Fox Sisters and D. D. Home
2. Post-1882: Society for Psychical Research (SPR) / Institut
Métapsychique International (and others): investigations of
prominent mediums such as physical medium Eusapia Palladino
3. Post-1886: American Society for Psychical Research / SPR and
others: investigations of mental mediums such as Leonora Piper
4. Early 20th century: ASPR / SPR / Rhine’s lab among others
investigations into data from a variety of mediums including, in the
1930s, the mental medium Eileen Garrett
VERIFIABLE RESULTS:
COMMUNICATION? ESP?

5. RESEARCH RESTART IN THE 1990S
…
The Scottish Society for Psychical
Research
A multi-year study of platform mediums,
the object of which was:
 to vary the methodology to increase
control
 to test the “applicability” of the
statements for the intended sitter and
comparing this to applicability ratings
of those for whom the statements were
not intended
Prof. Archie Roy
Tricia Robertson
Gary Schwartz
Veritas Program
University of Arizona
More about his research
In a minute

6. PUBLICATIONS BEGAN APPEARING
IN 2001 …
Robertson, T. J., & Roy, A. E. (2001). A preliminary study of the acceptance
by non- recipients of medium’s statement to recipients. Journal of the
Society for Psychical Research, 65, 91–106.
Roy, A. E., & Robertson, T. J. (2001). A double- blind procedure for assessing
the relevance of a medium’s statements to a recipient. Journal of the Society
for Psychical Research, 65, 161–174.
Schwartz, G. E. R., & Russek, L. G. S. (2001). Evidence of anomalous
information retrieval between two mediums: Telepathy, network memory
resonance, and continuance of consciousness. Journal of the Society for
Psychical Research, 65(4), 257–275.
Schwartz, G. E. R., Russek, L. G. S., Nelson, L. A., & Barentsen, C. (2001).
Accuracy and replicability of anomalous after-death communication across
highly skilled mediums. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research, 65(1),
1–25.

7. FROM 2001 TO TODAY …
Almost two dozen papers and a few books
published focusing on:
 Methodological improvements in tests of
communication “accuracy”
 Psychosocial investigations of the mental
health of mediums in the UK and in Brazil
 Qualitative studies on the experience of being
a medium
 Neuroscience studies of brain states during
mediumship
Emily Kelly Diane Arcangel Charles Emmons
Elizabeth Roxburgh Chris Roe
Everton MaraldAni jelica & Alexandre
Moreira Almeida

8. WINDBRIDGE RESEARCHERS AND CERTIFIED
MEDIUMS …
Dr. Julie Beischel, Mark Boccuzzi, Dr. Adam Rock & Dr. Chad Mosher
Joanne Gerber, Debra Martin, Doreen
Molloy
http://www.Windbridge.org

9. WINDBRIDGE RESEARCH
Beischel, J. (2007). Contemporary methods used in laboratory-based
mediumship research. Journal of Parapsychology, 71(1), 37–68.
Beischel, J. (2014). Advances in quantitative mediumship research. In
A.J. Rock (Ed.), Survival hypothesis: Essays on mediumship (pp. 177–
195). Jefferson, NC: McFarland.
Beischel, J., & Rock, A. J. (2009). Addressing the survival vs. psi debate
through process-focused mediumship research. Journal of
Parapsychology, 73, 71–90.
Delorme, A., Beischel, J., Michel, L., Boccuzzi, M., Radin, D., & Mills, P. J.
(2013). Electrocortical activity associated with subjective
communication with the deceased. Frontiers in psychology, 4(Article
834), 1–10. DOI: 10.3.389/fpsycg.2013.00834.
Rock, A. J., Beischel, J., & Cott, C. C. (2009). Psi vs. survival: A
qualitative investigation of mediums’ phenomenology comparing
psychic readings and ostensible communication with the deceased.
Transpersonal Psychology Review, 13(2), 76–89.
Rock, A. J., Beischel, J., & Schwartz, G. E. (2008). Thematic analysis of
research mediums’ experiences of discarnate communication. Journal

10. KEY CHANGES. THEN AND NOW …
19th century mediumship
research …
 Emphasis on trance mediums
 Very little respect for the
medium’s own experience
 Scientific demands frequently
appalling
 Interest in methodological
improvements such as “proxy”
sittings
 Detailed analysis of sitting
transcripts
 Emphasis on verification of
21st century medium research …
 Emphasis on waking state
mediums
 More respect for medium’s
own experience / some
researchers obtaining training
 Verification (applicability)
important still
 Mental health, Culture and
Context
 Neuroscience approaches to
distinguish psychic “states”
from “mediumship” states

11. BEING A SUBJECT IN THE KELLY &
ARCANGEL STUDY
 Study 1
 4 mediums given first
names and birth dates
minus year of birth
 12 sitters
 Emily and Diane served as
“proxies”
 Each sitter received 4
readings, of which one
was theirs
 Non-significant findings
 Study 2
 9 mediums given coded photo,
read for different ages, gender
 Read for 40 sitters, with Emily
and Diane serving as proxy in 20
sessions each
 Same analysis
 Each sitter received 6 readings of
which one was wholistic and one
was an “atomistic” applicability
rating
 Significant results overall and for
1 medium, perfect “score”
Emily Kelly
Diane Arcangel

12. THE ISSUE OF “APPLICABILITY”
 Is the statement you are give specific? (Not very specific = too
common)
 How long do you have to search your understanding / memories to
find a family member to whom the statement might fit? (A long
search = too much of a stretch)
 Do the statements apply to the same person? (Too many
“communicators” = too much “noise”)
 Is the statement something you have to verify independently (Not
readily available in memory = then less likely to be ESP instead of
communication)
 Are the facts in Google? (More private / more unknown = more
likely to be something unusual but is it ESP or communication?)
 Is it okay to feel comforted even if objective evidence isn’t there? Of

13. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION
Slides will be up on www.slideshare.net this evening, search for Alvarado
Consulting, or “Recent Mediumship Research, November 21st, 2014”
Look for us on YouTube and Facebook: Parapsychology Online
On www.WizIQ.com search for “Parapsychology” and create a free account to
enroll in the Parapsychology and Anomalistic Psychology: Research and
Education free online course (starts January 5th)
For an invitation to our past conference email: nancy@theazire.org or
carlos@theazire.org