There are more and more tong-ling-ren(通靈人) in current Taiwan. Tong-ling-ren refers to religious people who possess the ability to communication with deities. These tong-ling-rens may be found within private shrines, in the corner of local temples, in apartments in the city, or within certain religious groups. They offer all sorts of religious services for believers, for friends, or for anyone who approach them. Generally speaking, these tong-ling-rens have almost replaced the traditional role played by the Chi-tong (traditional shaman). Some tong-ling-rens deal only with curing diseases while others offer various kinds of advice, guidance, and answers for those who need help. There exists some kind of continuity between the traditional tong-gi and the current tong-ling-ren, but there is surely a big difference between them. An important characteristic of the tong-gi or ling-chi which became popular after ''the movement of gathering in spiritual mountains"(會靈山運動) is possession by deities and the trance experienced in the state of possession. For the tong-ling-ren, such a characteristic is lacking. In this paper, I argue that the tong-ling-ren is currently replacing the traditional tong-gi, and I take this as paradigm shift in the method of communication with deities, that is to say, from possession to direct communication. I also attempt to clarify why tong-ling-rens have gradually appeared on the stage of Taiwanese folk religion. I have interviewed more than fifty tong-ling-rens who have experienced teaching from deities. Through these field cases, it would be easier to observe whether the method of communication with deities is dramatically changed, what such change might mean, and how it may influence the development of folk religion in Taiwan.