A premonition of an early death.
Circles that power his psychic abilities.
What are the secrets behind Hollywood Medium?
When it comes to conducting a reading, Tyler Henry's process really encompasses everything
both mental and physical.
Henry told Out that he feels his readings are immersive experiences for him, meaning
that several of his senses are often tapped at once.
As he explained to Out magazine:
“Primarily I'm a clairvoyant, so I receive information visually, but I also pick up on
physical sensations.
... In a reading, I'm picking up on physical sensations as well as mental and visual impressions.”
Henry explained that there is a massive mental element to each of the visions he receives,
and he told the publication that he often sees flashes of a person, place, or thing
that is relevant to the conversation he's having, adding:
“They'll just be quick little flashes of an image, symbol, face or person, but I do
find that there are occasions where I will physically and visually see somebody.”
“These impressions come through physically, they come through emotionally, sometimes they’ll
come through as memories that aren’t mine.”
One of the more interesting things about “Hollywood Medium” is that resident psychic Tyler Henry
truly prefers to know very little about the client ahead of time, this also includes knowing
little about their background.
Considering he works in Hollywood and, like the rest of us, could easily become oversaturated
with celebrity news, this can be tough.
As he explained to Cosmopolitan, the biggest reason this matters is that if he knows a
lot about someone before their reading, it could impact the results, saying:
“I really don't want to know anything about my client [before a reading] because I don't
want to be biased or have preconceived notions.”
Henry adds that a crucial part of his success as a psychic hinges on whether or not he has
to ask a lot of questions about what he sees in a vision.
As he explained to Cosmopolitan, ideally, a good medium doesn't have to inquire too
much and simply gleans information through psychic abilities.
On top of that, when it comes to celebrity clients, it's massively important that he's
able to pull information that is not widely available to the public, adding:
“It's those details that really provide that validation, because regardless of how
much public information about someone, I'm getting details that there's no way anyone
could know unless they are connected to a person on this level.”
As regular viewers of “Hollywood Medium” know, Tyler Henry spends a significant amount
of time doodling on the show.
Henry has been open about the fact that he brings a pen and paper to each session to
“distract” himself as he draws in circles to keep himself focused and open.
As he later told Netflix, Henry said he found out that doodling helped during sessions back
when he was just a teenage medium.
The doodling process, he explained, allows him to turn his gift on and off and explains
that it's not about the doodling as much as the focused, repetitive motion.
He likens them to other objects in theology, telling Netflix:
“You actually see that in a lot of other aspects of theology.
For example, most spiritualities or religions have some aspect of repetition that allows
people to open up or connect.”
In fact, Henry goes on to liken the doodling to the use of rosary beads in Catholicism,
which believers use to count their prayers as they meditate on the practice.
When it comes to psychic readings, there are typically two kinds: cold readings and hot readings.
As explained by The Outline, a cold reading is one in which the medium doesn't know anything
about the person they are reading.
In a cold reading, the medium goes on to make guesses about the client based on what they
see and hear.
A hot reading, however, is when the medium learns about their client ahead of time and
can use that information in the reading.
It seems that despite his insistence that he doesn't know much about the celebrities
he works with, Henry does use a combination of hot and cold readings.
Some have pointed out that when Henry relies on a cold reading, he sometimes uses questions
that appear personalized but are actually pretty general.
Podcast host Carrie Poppy told The Outline that an example of this would be Henry saying
something like, “You almost drowned when you were a kid.”
Poppy explained that this could happen to a lot of people when they're kids.
But if someone believes their own near-drowning was unique, they are more likely to respond
to a medium such as Henry.
While it might be nice if most of the topics on “Hollywood Medium” fell on the lighter
end of the spectrum, the show definitely touches on some intense aspects of life.
Henry told Cosmopolitan he doesn't necessarily feel he is responsible when serious topics come up.
He explained,
“I don't dictate what I deliver — I am just the messenger.
Most people come [into a reading] with certain expectations, and they'll want to focus on
certain things, but I find that really when I connect, I deliver what they are meant to hear.”
On top of that, while Henry strives to approach each session with an appropriate degree of
sensitivity, he ultimately has a responsibility to both his subject and his gift to try to
help as much as possible.
In that vein, even when he and a subject are discussing something serious, the subject
can experience personal growth and that can make for a moving segment.
“In every reading that I do, the goal is to provide closure.”
Since so much of Tyler Henry's work is centered on what is going on in his mind, it makes
sense that he can't always get a good reading if his mind isn't clear.
Henry explained to Out in Jersey that whether he is trying to read for others or read for
himself, he has to make sure he can tap into his most authentic, intuitive state.
Henry explained that this is precisely what makes it difficult for him to read himself, saying:
“When it comes to trying to read myself, there are so many emotions and baggage that
come with it, which make it very hard for me to speak clearly on an intuitive level.
It is a lot easier to read a stranger who I really have no emotional investment in versus
reading myself.”
Ultimately, Henry says his emphasis is on reading other people and not himself in the first place.
So while he is interested in his own future just like anyone else would be, that's not his focus.
One way that Tyler Henry ensures he is in the right mental space ahead of a reading
on “Hollywood Medium” is making sure he meditates before the experience.
Henry told Out that he likes to give himself the hour before a reading to settle in and
tune in with what might happen next, and meditation is an invaluable part of that experience.
He also added that this period of reflection is often what helps him connect with his subjects
in the first place, saying:
“Sometimes before I even meet the person I'm going to read, I already know who's on
the other side, what their message is, and specific details about them.”
While it might seem like the work being done on “Hollywood Medium” isn't strenuous,
the mental strain required to pull off readings such as those Tyler Henry provides can have
consequences for the medium's health.
In the docuseries “Life After Death with Tyler Henry,” the psychic opens up about
the very real physical toll his work takes on his body.
As reported by Netflix, Henry admits to suffering from anxiety and even says he had a collapsed
lung before a live show.
As a result, while Henry admitted that he plans to have a long life, he also acknowledged that it might not be possible
due to the draining nature of his work and performances.
“I feel old, though, that's the thing—like on the inside. And readings make me feel older..."
Henry was born three months early and has experienced health issues since.
When he was 18, he had emergency surgery due to a brain cyst, which Henry chalks up to
his experiences as a psychic.
As a psychic to celebrities and people who work in Hollywood, it's fair to assume Tyler
Henry has encountered quite a few fascinating stories while working on “Hollywood Medium.”
As such, people want to know who offered the most interesting reading, and Henry answered
that question in an interview with Out in December 2015.
He explained that Monica Potter's reading was by far the most interesting one he had conducted.
One of the most profound reasons he chose her reading is because the pair were able
to visit Potter's childhood home and engage with the stories from her time there.
As Henry put it,
“I was able to do the reading for her and meet her family.
I brought through a very close family member, and it really resonated.”
On top of that, he claimed Potter's energy was truly special.
"She was beautiful and had the sweetest, most sincere energy of any client I honestly think
I've ever had."
Something that is often not portrayed on “Hollywood Medium” is that the show host and resident
psychic Tyler Henry doesn't drive.
Henry, however, has a good reason for staying away from the wheel — as he told TV Insider,
the brain cyst and ministroke he had at 18 made him hesitant about driving.
Luckily, his mom stepped in and often drives him to the show's set or to the home of the
celebrity he's working with that day.
"My mom gets me.
I get her.
We’re beyond the point of cordiality."
In 2016, Henry told TV Guide he was absolutely okay with the arrangement and explained:
“Trust me, I don't mind being chauffeured through the crazy L.A. traffic.
I plan to milk this for as long as I can.”
When “Hollywood Medium” debuted on TV, it was immediately a major hit.
Tyler Henry told The Hanover Theatre & Conservatory that the first season of the show was wildly successful.
It amassed over 175,000 requests for private readings, so he immediately understood that
the TV show could work as a live event.
But, he explained, the live show differs from what you see on TV.
For starters, Henry spends the first part of his live shows telling the audience more
about himself than they usually get when the show is watched on TV.
The second part is interactive, and audience members have the opportunity to ask questions live.
Henry himself goes into the audience to conduct as many readings as possible in the time period
he has available.
As he put it, this is usually a critical point in the show because it is unpredictable.
He said:
“It's fascinating every time because you never know what's going to happen.”