Gordon Smith Biography

Folklore tells us that the seventh son of a seventh son wields occult powers, so it seems rather auspicious that well-known psychic Gordon Smith does, in fact, hold this familial distinction himself. Born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1962, Smith speaks with an authoritative, strong Scottish brogue.

As a very young child, Smith demonstrated a great deal of psychic ability, although he has said that his teenage years were not very psychically productive. Although he started off his career as a barber, he discovered his psychic talent at the age of 24. However, his past as a barber has not entirely escaped him, as he is often referred to as The Psychic Barber in the media. During some of his psychic tours around the world, he has even cut hair on the side.

It was when Smith first went to a psychic with a friend that he discovered his extraordinary gift. They had gone to see popular medium Mary Duffy, who became an integral part of Smith's journey as a psychic. In fact, it was Duffy who pointed out that Smith was a medium—and that he could actually see the spirit they were trying to contact. This trip to the psychic, which Smith attended just to support his friend, became the spark for what eventually developed into his life's work.

After Smith had toiled in somewhat obscurity for awhile, honing his skills within his spiritualist church, it was a BBC Scotland documentary called The Psychic Barber that brought Smith to the attention of the general population in the UK. Surprisingly, the documentary appealed to a demographic that is not well-known for watching TV shows about psychics—men. While women have historically exhibit more interest in mediumship, many men have become curious about the process because of Gordon Smith's excellent reputation.

Smith believes that his propensity for including scientific facts and presenting certain tidbits of very accurate information is what has intrigued some men to learn more about his work. Indeed, he has put himself out there a lot when it comes to television appearances. However, it is not necessarily the “mediumship demonstrations” that Smith enjoys most; it is the teaching aspect of the job that actually fulfills him.

Since so much of Smith's work centers around helping the bereaved, he possesses some strong opinions about the how and why one should work in this field. By communicating with the dead, he often helps to heal those people that they have left behind, often while resolving any lingering issues. Although Smith's gift has dominated much of his life for the past few years, he is able to compartmentalize and participate in the world as a normal person. Perhaps part of what constitutes his charm is his extremely relatable, gregarious nature.

During “The Psychic Barber”, Gordon Smith's life as a medium was profiled, and an extraordinary amount of information that he imparted to his audiences was verified. Although Smith's stage presence is undeniably powerful, it's the specificity of the information he's giving out that truly strikes each audience's core. Whereas most mediums dole out sparse details that seem as though they could apply to many different people, Smith's readings are different. He is able to reveal full names, addresses, sports team affiliations and other information that would be impossible to glean otherwise.

In one scene from the documentary, a science professor friend of Smith's even admits that he believes Smith possesses an extraordinary gift. It seems as though Smith's talent for connecting to the other side transcends normal limitations. The evidence is overwhelmingly stacked in his favor, and each powerful reading is a reminder of the powerful talents that Smith wields.

Other scenes from “The Psychic Barber” include snippets from Smith's past, such as an interview with his brother. Although the Smith boys' grandmother has passed away before Gordon was born, his brother spoke of Smith's propensity for talking about the way she appeared—almost as if she were there in real life. Smith also discusses the type of psychic events he experienced as a child, including the fact that he was able to see lights and auras around certain people.

One of the most telling scenes revolves around Smith running into a friend of his parents as a child. The man appeared as he always did, and Smith didn't think anything was abnormal about the encounter. His mother, however, had a different take on the situation when he told her about it; she was shocked. After all, the man had been dead for weeks. She had even gone to his funeral.

After Smith's fateful trip to see Mary Duffy, his gift began to open up with the help of his spiritualist church. This church encouraged communion with those on the spirit world, bringing peace to people in the congregation. Of course, it wasn't long before Smith's talents attracted a great deal of notice. However, he did not choose to exploit his gift for monetary reasons, electing instead to offer up his sessions free of charge.

Although Smith does a lot of TV appearances, however, he has also turned down a great deal of these appearances in the interest of preserving his integrity. If he doesn't feel that a project serves the greater interest or help people, he will not take part in it.

Smith's philosophy is interesting and different from many psychics, to say the very least. While he believes that human beings are capable of influencing and changing many events in their lives, he has also espoused the belief that certain issues play out repeatedly in some lifetimes so that a person is forced to learn an important lesson. One of his catchphrases, used to urge his readers and viewers into effecting positive change, is “wake up and smell the karma”.

Indeed, Smith even speaks of his ardent love for philosophy and how it affects his psychic work on a daily basis. He has stated that one of the reasons why people get stuck is that they don't clearly see themselves or their situation; this is where he is able to guide them, presenting them with a clear, untarnished picture of how they've arrived at where they are today. Smith believes that this kind of clear portrait will help people to stop making the same mistakes. He has stated that he believes that many people are waiting for miraculous, spiritual forces to help them when they are quite capable of taking care of themselves and showing responsibility for their own lives.

Another quality that makes Smith more believable to skeptics is the fact that he is not afraid of investigation. In fact, he is even participating in a long-term study about his work, in the hopes that it will contribute valuable information to the scientific community. These controlled experiments separate Smith from his subjects, making him unable to rely on clues he may receive from a person's appearance.

Smith even teaches classes on mediumship, counseling other mediums on how to take advantage of their gift and provide healing for others. Since Smith's gifts are so finely honed, he is actually able to help other psychics learn how to connect with spirits and audiences. Through his work as a teacher, he is making his reach even more extended, helping people to come to grips with the mortality of their family and friends—and themselves.

Gordon Smith is unique in that he is a psychic who doesn't believe in strong-arming people into adopting the same beliefs as him. His approach is open and practical, and this is a big part of the reason why audiences feel safe having him contact their loved ones who have crossed over to the other side. Smith describes his gift as a vibration. His process is to ask the spirit if they are comfortable with the contact, and if they are, then he continues, often asking them about the manner of their death. This allows Smith to help people in the audience identify which spirits are surrounding them.

Aside from being a psychic, Smith is also a bit of a historian when it comes to the medium world. He has read a great deal about the mediums that have preceded him, and this guides his work on a daily basis. Obviously, Smith's waiting list for readings is extremely long, as there are so many people who are in need of help.

In our modern world, sometimes it comes as a huge shock when someone dies unexpectedly, causing a great deal of grief. Gordon Smith's work can transform the lives of those who need his services most, alleviating some of these heavy feelings. Smith's unique work provides a sense of calm and peace for the people who will benefit from his extraordinary gift, allowing his sessions to influence the world for the better.