“It’s like a recording on a wonky tape”: understanding mediumship experiences using interpretative phenomenological analysis

Recent investigations of mediums have tended to focus on a proof-oriented approach intended to demonstrate whether or not an explanation of mediumship in terms of discarnate survival is tenable (e.g., Beischel & Schwartz, 2007; O'Keeffe & Wiseman, 2005) rather than exploring the subjective meanings attributed by mediums for their claimed abilities by adopting a process-oriented approach. While there have been attempts in the US to interview mental mediums to explore how their claimed abilities to communicate with spirits may have developed and how mediumship may function (e.g., Emmons & Emmons, 2003; Rock, Beischel, & Schwartz, 2008), relatively little is known about the phenomenology of modern-day spiritualist mental mediums in the UK. Therefore, the main aim of this research was to map mediums' own understanding of their experiences regardless of the actual ontology of mediumship. For example, how do mediums perceive their abilities to have originated and developed? How do they explain and experience communication with spirits? What is the nature and role of spirit guides? In order to answer these questions a qualitative methodology was employed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis(IPA; Smith, 1996). In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten spiritualist mediums who had gained either certificate (CSNU) or diploma (DSNU) awards from the SNU for demonstrating mental mediumship at spiritualist churches. In keeping with IPA tradition the analysis consisted of close textual readings of participants' transcripts and a critical understanding based on interpretative activity. Six super-ordinate (primary) themes were identified that illuminate key aspects of the mediumship phenomenon: ―A search for meaning: Normalisation of mediumship, ―Progression of mediumship, ―Relationship with spirit, ―Spirit guides as transcendental, ―Explanatory systems of mediumship, and ―Mediumship as counselling. These themes are discussed consecutively and illustrated by interview extracts to identify ways in which the themes are ground in the data.