Psychic vs. Mediumship Energy

People use the words psychic and medium interchangeably. I get why. Both involve intuition. But the energy is different. 

And once you feel that difference in your own body, you stop guessing. You stop trying to “perform.” You start trusting what’s real.

This is one of the core things I teach at Nissa Retreats: how to recognize what you’re connecting to, how to stay grounded while you do it, and how to keep your nervous system steady so you’re not turning sensitivity into anxiety.

Psychic energy: reading what’s alive, present, and in motion

When I’m working psychically, I’m reading the living field.

That field includes you, your emotions, your patterns, your stress, your strengths, what you’re carrying, what you’re avoiding, what you’re ready to face. It can also include your relationships and your “weather system” right now: what’s building, what’s shifting, what’s likely if nothing changes.

Many teachers describe psychic work as tuning into a person’s energy and life path, sometimes including probable outcomes, while mediumship is specifically spirit communication. 

Here’s what psychic energy often feels like:

Closer to the body. Sensations, emotions, imagery, pressure, warmth, buzzing, often immediate.

Present-tense. It tends to speak to what’s happening now and what’s unfolding.

Pattern-based. You can feel themes repeating. You can sense where someone is stuck, where they’re expanding, where their truth is louder than their fear.

Psychic work can be incredibly practical. It can help you name what you already know but haven’t admitted. It can help you see choices more clearly. It can help you trust your own intuition without spiraling into overthinking.

And importantly: psychic development is not “one gift.” It’s a set of intuitive languages, what you see, feel, hear, or simply know.

Mediumship energy: receiving from those who have passed

Mediumship is different because the source is different. In mediumship, I’m not primarily reading your energy.

I’m connecting to a loved one who has passed (or what many people call “spirit”) and receiving communication, impressions, emotions, memories, personality, and messages intended for you.

Many mediums describe it plainly: mediumship is about communicating with those who have died, rather than predicting outcomes or reading the living person’s present energy. 

Here’s what mediumship energy often feels like:

More “external.” Not outside you butmore like you’re receiving a signal rather than scanning a field.

Distinct personality. A mediumship connection can carry humor, habits, voice qualities, and emotional tone that feel specific.

Evidential details. Names, memories, timelines, “this is how they were,” “this is what happened,” “this is what they want you to know.”

That’s why I don’t rush people into mediumship development without grounding. If you’re unregulated, you’ll doubt everything. Or you’ll over-attach to what you want to hear. Or you’ll confuse anxiety with intuition.

So we train your system first.

Why breathwork comes first (and why it changes everything)

Most people don’t need “more sensitivity.” They need stability.

When your nervous system is calmer, your intuitive impressions become cleaner. You get less mental noise. Less performance. Less reaching.

That’s one reason breathwork is foundational inside my retreats, and why we use it as a doorway into both psychic development and mediumship practice. (Yes, you can learn tools. Yes, you can learn structure. But if you’re dysregulated, the signal gets muddy.)

At our North Carolina retreat at The Horseshoe Farm, breathwork is built directly into the flow, early to release stress and deepen receptivity, and later to support deeper mediumship work. 

The progression I teach: from psychic foundations to mediumship connection

We build the foundation in a way that’s grounded, skill-based, and surprisingly fun.

1) We start with psychic partnership work

This is where you learn to read energy responsibly: aura awareness, chakras, intuitive “clairs,” and the difference between imagination, anxiety, and a true hit.

Then we bring in tools like tarot and other practices that help you learn how you receive information without collapsing into doubt. Our North Carolina itinerary explicitly includes exploring psychic abilities and using tools like tarot, pendulums, and water bowl readings.

2) Then we transition into mediumship

Once you can hold your own frequency and recognize your intuitive language, we begin mediumship practice because now you can actually tell what’s yours and what’s not.

The retreat schedule intentionally shifts into “deeper mediumship work,” including dedicated mediumship practice days.

And yes, this is where people begin to receive energy from loved ones who have passed. The emotional texture is different. The presence can feel unmistakable. And it’s often deeply healing, especially for people carrying grief, unanswered questions, or unfinished goodbyes.

Want to experience this in real time?

If you want to feel the difference between psychic energy and mediumship energy, not as an idea, but as a lived experience, come join me in North Carolina this March.

Our 6-day retreat at The Horseshoe Farm (Hendersonville, North Carolina) is designed to help you heal, get grounded, and expand your psychic and mediumship abilities through breathwork, workshops, nature-based practices, and guided development, step by step. 

If you’re curious, the next move is simple: visit the North Carolina retreat page on the Nissa Retreats site and see if it feels like a yes.