The Bible consistently forbids using or consulting mediums and treats it as a serious sin. Mediums are grouped with other occult practices like sorcery, divination, and consulting the dead, all of which are described as detestable to God.

Key Old Testament passages

• Leviticus commands Israel not to turn to mediums or spiritists because doing so would defile them, and it prescribes severe penalties for people who practice or seek them out.

• Deuteronomy 18 lists mediums, spiritists, and those who call up the dead among practices the surrounding nations use, and says anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord.

Examples and warnings

• King Saul initially expelled mediums from the land but later went to the medium at Endor for guidance; this act is mentioned among the reasons for his judgment and death.

• Kings like Manasseh are condemned for consulting mediums and spiritists as part of broader idolatry and rebellion against God.

God’s desired alternative

• Prophets such as Isaiah ask why people would seek the dead on behalf of the living instead of seeking their God, stressing that guidance should come from God and his word rather than from mediums.

• This theme continues into the New Testament, which warns believers to test spirits, avoid deceptive spiritual influences, and includes occult practitioners among those facing God’s final judgment.