Mediumship is a
commitment for life

The newcomers to Spiritism have a common concern regarding the use of mediumship, which, as known, we are all endowed with. After all, Kardec in The Mediums' Book, Chapter 14, item 159, states that very few people do not have basic principles of mediumship.

Thus, there are people, that when they become aware of their mediumship, they are very much surprised and do not know what to do - if they should embrace the task, or move away from it. There is still a third group. They start working their mediumship and later on just drop it. 

There are several reasons for this withdrawal. There are people who move from home and find no opportunity to pursue the job in the city where they chose to live. Others are restricted for reasons of work or study, particularly when there is incompatibility of schedules. Finally, there are those who simply give up, although there are no real reasons for this to happen. What happens to the medium that behaves like this?  

It is evident that he shall not be punished for it. Mediumship is a valuable resource that enables us to interconnect between the two worlds, and when it is well used, the person who practices it feels accomplished and happy to be useful according to the tools he has. If the person gives up this task, it is giving up its chance of growth, but he is committing no offense. 

Obviously, having an emerging sensitivity that affects the individual more than others, the withdrawing from the task, may cause this person imbalance and emotional distress, but this is not subject to punishment. It is not for the fact that he distanced himself, but the reason why he did it and mainly due to his actions in life.

If the person moves away for valid reasons - work, schedules, important courses he has to accomplish, and so on, and notwithstanding he maintains his good mood, his kindness, and gentleness to deal with people and himself, then this person maintains his inner strength to live life and this, somehow, is a way to ensure his balance. 

If, however, he withdraws for other reasons that may cause emotional distress due to his confused attitudes, which drive him away from God and the practice of good, then it is natural that he suffers the consequences, not because he stopped practicing his mediumship, but because of his attitudes. Since he maintains an emerging mediumship due to his organic predisposition, it will be easier for this person to become unbalanced. 

Divaldo Franco in the book Safety Guidelines (Frater Publisher, 3rd edition, issue 26) clearly explains what happens in these cases. According to him, mediumship shows up in people as a faculty. If this skill is not properly educated and channeled for the intended purpose, the results will not be the desired and the medium who abandons the task will face the effects resulting from the contempt to which his faculty was relegated. Evidently, mediumship does not disappear and the person continues being a medium, but not using this faculty for a noble purpose, he shall be conducted by inferior entities on the path to his imbalance. As long as he keeps on practicing his functions in an appropriate manner, he will be under the protection of responsible entities. When his mind and attitudes incline to other activities, he will not be aligned, and lower entities with which he shall be in psychic contact, may be able to harm him. "Mediumship, according to Divaldo, is a commitment for life and not just for a certain period of time."