Research Mediums: A Deeper Dive Into the Problem Nobody in Modern Mediumship Wants to Confront
Research Mediums: A deeper dive into the problem nobody in modern mediumship wants to confront by Psychic Medium Kristian von Sponneck
I’ve touched on this topic before, but it’s time to go deeper — properly deeper — because the problem of research mediums is growing, spreading and damaging mediumship more than most people realise. And while many prefer to tiptoe around it, I’m not interested in staying quiet. The craft deserves better than silence.
What Exactly Is a “Research Medium”?
A research medium is someone accused of gathering information about sitters before a reading or live demonstration. Not psychically, not spiritually — but through: social media profiles, public posts, online memorials, old photos, comments sections, hashtags, friends lists, online obituaries, and even event RSVPs and ticket names.
This is not mediumship.
This is data collection dressed up as intuition.
And it doesn’t take much effort. In today’s world, you can learn someone’s entire family history, relationship status, bereavements and pet names just by scrolling their profile for five minutes.
Yet on stage, this manufactured knowledge gets presented as “psychic evidence,” and the public — unaware of the tactics — often fall for it.
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The Tactics Research Mediums Are Accused of Using
Let’s break them down clearly:
Pre-Show Facebook & Instagram Searches
Mediums check the names of people attending shows, look through their profiles and memorise key details.
Scanning Tribute Posts
If someone has posted about a loved one’s passing, the medium suddenly “brings through” the exact details.
Studying Public Comments
People unknowingly hand over evidence in comment threads.
A research medium simply reads, memorises and repeats it back later.
Looking at Who Liked Certain Posts
Friends, relatives, co-workers — all become potential targets.
Using TikTok Lives to Gather Information in Real Time
This is a new trick:
Viewers comment, share details, tell their story — and five minutes later the medium “magically” picks them out with those exact details.
Fishing Questions Disguised as Evidence
A classic technique:
Give a vague statement, wait for the sitter to react, then expand it into something that sounds psychic.
These tactics are clever, calculated and increasingly common — especially on social media platforms where people willingly expose every detail of their lives.
The Problem: It Looks Real — Too Real
This is where the danger lies.
A research medium appears perfect.
Accurate.
Fast.
Instant.
Every message is “spot on.”
Every detail hits.
Every connection looks supernatural.
And that is exactly why this damages mediumship.
When the public sees flawless readings delivered with unnatural speed, they assume: truly gifted mediums should all work like this, if you don’t read like this, you must be less gifted, perfect = genuine, slower, and more natural readings = weak evidence.
In reality, the opposite is often true.
Real mediumship contains pauses, emotions, moments of confusion, communication issues, energy fluctuations and human imperfection. It’s authentic. It’s raw. It’s not a rehearsed script.
Perfection is a red flag — not proof.
The TikTok Battleground: Mediums Publicly Accusing Each Other
This is where things get messy.
TikTok has become a war zone for mediums accusing each other of fakery, hot reading, staged videos and research-based readings. It’s no longer private whispers behind closed doors. It’s full public drama.
One example often brought up by TikTok creators is Psychic Medium Dean, who has been heavily accused online by numerous TikTokers of researching people’s social media before giving readings. Again — and this is crucial — these are accusations, not proven facts. But the sheer volume of videos, critiques and exposés has fuelled enormous controversy.
What happens next?
Mediums begin attacking one another.
Creators jump on the trend for clout.
Audiences become confused and cynical.
The entire field starts to look unstable.
Mediumship becomes entertainment warfare.
TikTok becomes the judge, jury and executioner.
This isn’t spiritual growth — this is chaos.
Why I Avoid TikTok
I try to keep away from TikTok for one very clear reason:
It is not a serious platform for a serious topic like mediumship.
TikTok rewards:, speed, drama, exaggeration, sensationalism, flawless performance, highly emotional reactions, and attention-grabbing “shock” readings.
Mediumship doesn’t belong in 30-second emotional bait clips.
It doesn’t belong in staged reactions.
It doesn’t belong in a platform that encourages “instant evidence” culture.
Spirit communication is profound, delicate, meaningful and sacred.
TikTok is chaotic, performative and built for virality — not authenticity.
Mediumship loses integrity the moment it tries to adapt to an environment built on superficial metrics.
The Real Damage Research Mediums Cause
Here’s the truth:
Research mediums aren’t just deceiving audiences — they are destroying trust in the craft.
Because when these mediums get exposed, the public doesn’t say:
“That medium was fake.”
They say:
“Mediums are fake.”
All of them.
The good ones.
The honest ones.
The evidence-based ones.
The ethical ones.
One person’s deceit becomes the downfall of everyone’s reputation.
And that is why this problem must be addressed openly.
Why I Work the Way I Do
This is where I stand:
I will not research you.
I will not stalk your Facebook.
I will not study your TikTok comments.
I will not memorise your posts.
I will not manufacture evidence.
My readings come from Spirit — not social media.
And if that means I’m not “perfect”?
Good.
Real mediumship isn’t.
Final Thoughts: The Craft Deserves Better Than Research Mediumship
If we want mediumship to survive — genuinely survive — we must be willing to call out what harms it.
Research mediums harm it.
TikTok theatrics harm it.
Manufactured perfection harms it.
Public fighting harms it.
Mediumship is sacred.
Mediumship is real.
Mediumship is meaningful.
But it can only stay that way if we protect it from those who treat it as a shortcut to attention.
The truth is simple:
Spirit communication doesn’t need research.
Only fraud does.
This article reflects my perspective as a working psychic medium and discusses accusations that have circulated online regarding TikTok psychics, including claims aimed at “Psychic Medium Dean.” These accusations come from external sources and commentators; they are not my personal claims of fact. My intention in writing this piece is not to condemn, but to highlight important issues around trust, integrity, and discernment in mediumship—especially in the unregulated world of social media.
Please note: This blog post is NOT written about Psychic Medium Dean James Fox.
You may like my last post, click the following to read Why anybody can come through in a mediumship reading — and why you should always keep an open mind
Research Mediums
