Instead of spirits perhaps we should clarify it as spirits of the dead just so its clear the corpse of the dead person isnt present also scientists dont really dispute that mediumship is communication between the living and the dead just that there is communication between the liivng and the dead So with some further refinement Mediumship is defined as the practice of certain peopleknown as mediumsto mediate communication between spirits of the dead and other human beings While no evidence has been accepted by the wider scientific community in support of the view that there has been communication between the living and the dead some parapsychologists say that some of their research suggests that such communication may have taken place  The practice is associated with several religious belief systems such as Spiritualism Spiritism Espiritismo Candombl Voodoo Umbanda and some New Age groups In response to Toms concerns above I think the mainstream standpoint should take precedence so we should introduce it first ahead of the parapsychology view Also I think while we all agree and know what mainstream science is by using the terminology we paint anything outside of the mainstream into the corner as a fringe science and I think that should be left to the article on parapsychology