Mediums in Taiwan

          Tsai Yi-jia’s article “The Writing of History: The Religious Practices of the Medium’s Association in Taiwan” explores a Medium Association and their place in contemporary Taiwan society and modern professionalism. Mediums can be healers, exorcists, fortune tellers and performers in religious festivals in Taiwanese society (Tsai 2004: 44). Mediums are generally seen as holding low prestige in contemporary Taiwanese society, despite their religious medical and political characteristics (Tsai 2004: 44). Mediums thus hold expansive and differing roles among people in Taiwan due to varying respect that people have for them. The founding of the Medium’s Association was inspired by a “divine revelation” that came during a mediums’ meeting in 1988 (Tsai 2004: 47). After the creation of the Medium’s Association made the members “religious professionals” who would attend meeting monthly (Tsai 2004: 48). The meetings are held on the twentieth day of every month and had the goal of calming and overcoming the resentments of the departed souls  (Tsai 2004: 62). The meetings of the Medium Association were the most interesting part os Tsai’s article for me, as I found that this section left me with many questions about the authenticity of mediums.  
          First, the meetings seemed to be only attended by member mediums, according to Tsai’s description (2004: 62). If the meetings are only attended by member mediums, how is anyone to know if the mediums truly did experience physical and psychological indispositions and if they were indeed occupied by spirits? How could anyone know if what the medium expresses as the spirit is true if they are not in attendance at the meeting? If this relies on the word of other members of the Association, this is extremely problematic. The Association members would defend their own as they would not want to belittle the reputation, if low, the Association does hold as they are also a part of it. Also, can the mediums just turn on the medium capabilities on the twentieth day of every month? Does that make it just a rehearsal for others mediums to show off their medium prowess? This seemed very suspicious to me and left me wondering if these occurrences were common on other days of the month. 
          In addition, the idea of mediums as actors performing without a script seems problematic. Who are these actors performing for? Other mediums? If so, this would make the performance more of a rehearsal because they would then be without a true audience as they are among fellow actors. If they are “performing” for someone in particular, as part of a healing ritual or a fortune telling session, whose interests are they “performing” for? Do the mediums know their clients’ background or that of the supposed spirit? Although it seems as though the spirit should come through unbiased, the intentions of the medium, to calm and overcome the resentments of the departed souls, seem hazy. 

  I do not mean to diminish the role of mediums as religious professionals or to paint them as frauds, it just seems that this particular section of the article left me with more questions instead of a thorough understanding of the meetings and practices of mediums. 

Tsai, Yi-jia. 2004. “The Writing of History: The Religious Practices of the Medium’s Association in Taiwan.” Taiwan   Journal of Anthropology 2 (2): 43-80.