als and imaginary friends of childhood were more than just a passing phase. The College junior says that her companions were the first sign of an ability to communicate with the spiritual world.

“What I realized later on was that each one had a name and a story, but I never made them up myself,” said Fauss, a neuroscience major. “They were teaching me things, communicating things. I realize now that this was the first way that spirits chose to approach me.”

Fauss, who currently attends a two-year school called Fellowships of the Spirit School of Healing and Prophecy in Lily Dale, NY, is making a bid to share her expertise as an ordained medium with Oberlin. Her radio show, Psychic Circuit Sideshow, features call-ins from listeners who seek a psychic response to their questions. Electronic and industrial music plays between readings. 

“I’ve been doing readings long enough that I’ve received heartfelt thank-yous from people…that’s the reason why I do this,” said Fauss. “I’ve never done a reading that wasn’t healing.”  

As a clairvoyant medium, says Fauss, she is able to see beyond the range of everyday vision. When doing readings, she interprets symbolic images and translates them. These symbols serve as messages for her subjects.  

“Doing mediumistic work is translating; being a channel, letting [the messages] come through you,” Fauss said.

Fauss will receive full ordination as a Spiritualist minister from Fellowships of the Spirit in May of 2007. The school operates under the teachings of the Spiritualist religion.The basis of Spiritualism is the belief not only in life after death but that the dead can communicate with the living.

“What people don’t realize is that Spiritualism was a huge movement in the 19th century…[Abraham] Lincoln was a Spiritualist. He held séances regularly,” she explained.

Fauss, who says that all people are capable of developing intuitive abilities, plans to initiate a Psychic and Spiritual Intuition Development ExCo at Oberlin in the spring. During the hour-long meetings of the Circle, Fauss plans to hold discussions and teach participants exercises to help them tap into their intuitive and psychic abilities. No prior experience will be required to attend.

Fauss has decided to major in neuroscience with a minor in religion and is particularly interested in studying the connection between science and religion through neuroscience.

“In studying the nervous system, I’ve realized that the uniqueness in people is that they are co-creators: creative, expressive beings. What makes us different [from other living things] is the complexity our nervous systems, which are set up for sending and receiving messages,” she said.