During a mediumship session, various spirits are embodied by mediums causing changes of identity and temporarily displacing their agency. For the duration of the episode, a spirit can potentially provide access to divine powers and knowledge in order to counsel and to heal.

In China the use of mediumship appears since the Shang dynasty (1600-1046 B.C.E.) and despite modernization, rationalization, and the severe persecutions of the Cultural Revolution (1966-76), mediumship has remained prevalent.

Zai yu is a Buddhist nun, who currently practices spirit-mediumship in Dalian, on the north-east coast of China. I became interested in her mediumship practice as a form of meta-communication and representation because this practice raises some interesting parallels and differences with the medium of photography. Inspired by both contemporary and ancient ideologies, Zai yu’s practice provides a link between the past, present and future, the material and the spiritual, the living and the dead - concepts that can be explored in relation to photography theory.

Over more than one year, I observed and participated in Zai yu’s daily life, including numerous spirit-mediumship ceremonies. About her practice, Zai yu says:

“China has changed very quickly and so has the consciousness of the people. Nowadays, the spirits are as uncomfortable as the people…so they come to me for help.

The form of Buddhism I practice is multifaceted too. Sometimes people’s suffering can be relieved by the language of Buddhism alone, but sometimes this is not enough to completely heal them, and they need more direct communication with ancestors.

In Chinese Buddhism, it’s said there are three worlds. I’m in the middle human level now. I know the divine [upper] and ghost [lower] worlds. The upper and lower levels can be communicated through me. My role is to get the three worlds into balance. Psychological balance.“ Translated by Hsin

After spending time with Zaiyu and her family, I realized that as well as maintaining an equilibrium between these cosmic worlds, she must also negotiate her roles as a Buddhist nun, a medium, and a mother –a challenging task.

These are a selection of photographs that formed part of my PhD research. The work explored the relationship between the medium of photography and spirit-mediumship, as well as the role of photography to facilitate dialogue during fieldwork.