Gripped by power

"Now Samuel had died, and all the Israelites had mourned for him and had buried him in his own city of Ramah. Saul had forced all the fortune tellers and mediums to leave Israel. The Philistine troops assembled and camped near the town of Shunem; Saul gathered the Israelites and camped at Mount Gilboa. When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was terrified, and so he asked the LORD what to do. But the LORD did not answer him at all, either by dreams or by the use of Urim and Thummim or by prophets. Then Saul ordered his officials, “Find me a woman who is a medium, and I will go and consult her.” ...

“Whom shall I call up for you?” the woman asked. “Samuel,” he answered. ... “I see a spirit coming up from the earth,” she answered. “What does it look like?” he asked. “It's an old man coming up,” she answered. “He is wearing a cloak.” Then Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed to the ground in respect.

Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me? Why did you make me come back?”"

~ 1 Samuel 28 GNB

So, a medium who can call back the dead is actually recorded in the Bible. And not just any dead person, but she called back the prophet Samuel.

Whatever Saul expected to hear, he did not get it. Samuel's message was the same when he was alive and when he was dead.

"Samuel said, “Why do you call me when the LORD has abandoned you and become your enemy? The LORD has done to you what he told you through me: he has taken the kingdom away from you and given it to David instead. You disobeyed the LORD's command and did not completely destroy the Amalekites and all they had. That is why the LORD is doing this to you now."

Saul could have transferred the kingship to David peacefully and live out his old age in comfort. (David would risk his life to protect Saul.) But Saul could not see (or did not want to see) the big picture.