A code of ethics provides a crucial foundation for ethical decision-making within any professional field. As individuals, our personal beliefs and biases inevitably shape our decisions, and what may seem like a reasonable course of action in one profession can differ greatly in another. For the mediumship and trance channeling field, a well-defined code of ethics can offer clear structure and guidance, helping practitioners provide fair, high-quality care and fostering public trust. By adhering to a unified set of principles, medium and trance channeling professionals can help their clients feel secure and supported in using their services.
Role of standards for the medium and trance channeling community
Our novel study, Code of Ethics for Mediums and Trance Channelers published in Explore aims to establish clear standards for mediums—individuals who communicate with the deceased—and trance channelers—those who allow the deceased to communicate through them. The practice of mediumship and trance channeling boasts a rich and diverse history across cultures and time periods. In modern times, this field is rapidly expanding and gaining credibility as a legitimate practice. As the field of medium and trance channeling moves toward professionalization, having a well-defined set of ethical standards will be essential for fostering respect and credibility. In fact, nearly 150 previously surveyed professionals within the mediumship and trance channeling community expressed a strong desire for a unified code to support their professional growth. Furthermore, given the vulnerable nature of those seeking support from medium and trance channeling services, established standards are important for helping to protect individuals from potential psychological and emotional harm that can arise from gaps in professional training or ethics.
Collaborative development of medium/trance channeling standards
One unique aspect of this study is the approach used to establish the core standards for medium and trance channelers. Typically, a unified code of ethics is developed and maintained by an organization, such as the American Medical Association (AMA) with its Code of Medical Ethics. However, in this study, our researchers invited medium and trance channeling professionals to directly contribute to shaping the framework for their community standards. This collaborative approach can help incorporate a diverse range of insights from within the field, enhancing the development of standards that are broadly accepted and relevant.
The study design
A total of 119 medium and trance channelers participated in the study. During the first round of the study, participants were asked a series of questions to gather feedback on existing codes they may follow, and to uncover insights into what was important to them to include or not include in a future code of ethics. Two researchers used these responses to develop areas to logically include in the standard, one manually, qualitatively analyzing the data, while the other used ChatGPT (an artificial intelligence program) to condense and organize the information. The researcher who performed the qualitative analysis then consolidated the results from both approaches into one framework comprising 11 core elements (each with an adherence statement), which both researchers further agreed represented a comprehensive code of ethics.
Participants were instructed to rate each element of the agreed-upon framework on a scale of 1 to 5 (strongly disagree to strongly agree) and to provide feedback on their ratings. The plan was for each element to be reworked and again shared with participants until at least 75% of the participants scored it at least a 4 or 5.
High consensus on a draft of the code of ethics for medium/trance channeling professionals
The final results surpassed the target “approval consensus” of 75% for the draft code of ethics in the first round of review. Not only did all 11 elements receive approval—every single one surpassed the threshold in round one, officially ending the study phase. In fact, 91% of participants rated all elements either a 4 (agree) or 5 (strongly agree).
So what made it into the code of ethics? Of the almost 200 qualitative codes extracted and analyzed from the open-ended responses provided by respondents, the top recurring themes included confidentiality, professional relationships, and boundaries. Each element supports the protection and safety of the patients, the medium/trance channeling professional, or both.
Overall, study outcome indicates strong collective support among medium and trance channeling professionals surveyed for the standards developed during the study.
The future of codified ethics in medium and trance channeling
The code of ethics developed during this study is described by the authors as an “aspirational guide.” In the absence of a governing body requiring adherence to these standards, the intention is that professionals in the medium and trance channeling field may reference it for self-regulation. Furthermore, this document could help support consumer awareness of key professional aspects individuals in the field should aspire to—an important factor in fostering public trust. While limitations exist—including a predominantly North American participant base and the constraints of an English-only, online format—the draft standards can serve as an inital framework of a unified code to be further refined through broader and more collaborative efforts of the medium/trance channeling community.
Read the publication this blog is based on.
