OR……how do I know if psychic ability is even real?

What is it?  And how can I tell if I have “the gift” myself?  In this short article we are going to take a quick and easy look at what psychic abilities ARE, and answer some common questions about what they are NOT as well!  Curious to know more?  Continue reading as we take a closer look below.

Are psychic abilities REAL, or are they just a bunch of new age nonsense for people who will believe anything?

Great question!  The truth?  As many once skeptical scientists have admitted, there is more REAL evidence that psychic ability is a real, functioning “talent” that lives within almost everyone, that many other scientific “truths” we take for granted.

For example?

Precognition is something that most of us have felt at one point or another, right?

1. You know someone is going to call before the phone rings.
2. You think of a friend you  haven’t heard from in years….and suddenly, you get an email, or a friend request on a social network.
3. You have a dream about something that feels hyper real…and then it happens.

All of that stuff is what scientists call precognition, and there is an absolute AVALANCHE of evidence that it’s as real as the nose on your face.

Did you know, for example, that i 2011, the internationally known social psychologist Darryl Bem published a highly acclaimed paper demonstrating in a LAB setting that average people “know” the future before it happens?  (which was featured and debated in ever major news outlet around the globe)

Or that the highly esteemed Rhine Institute at DUKE University has been studying, and publishing papers PROVING psychic abilities beyond any measure of chance for over 50 years?  (check out the book “Unbelievable” by well known author Stacy Horn for more on some of the amazing experiments that have been conducted over the years, and some of the famous celebrity participants as well)

What about psychic mediums who purport to talk to the dead?  That can’t be true, right?

Good question.  First, mediums aren’t necessarily “psychic”, as I believe it’s a totally different type of skill.

That said, most mediums have access to an informational field that we ALL do, but for whatever reason, that part of their brain is more developed, or they are simply more practiced at accessing that realm.

In MY view, (one that is certainly a controversial one but held by many) is that all of what we consider psychic is actually just information, and ultimately energy that lives in the environment, and universe around us.

A good psychic can simply tune in and see images, or symbols, or just “stuff” that most people block out, or don’t have access to.  The information, and energy is out there though…and each of us can access it with training, practice, concentration and real desire.

Honestly?

We’re all made UP of energy anyway!  When we die….I believe that energy continues, just in a different form, and is able to communicate in a non corporeal way.  (without a body)  A good medium is simply accessing that energy, and interacting with it, and each one of us can learn to do the very same thing with practice.  (or even spontaneously…as is the case with many people who have unexpected paranormal experiences with spirits, psychic dreams, or other stuff the skeptics say is impossible but HAPPENS everyday)

Want to experience all of this for yourself?

Dive in and do it!  There is nothing more exciting or exhilarating that opening yourself up to the magic and the mystery in the world around us, and once you open up that wonderful window, a NEW world will appear, I promise!

Can you get lost during an OBE and never return….or is that super silly and something that could NEVER really happen?

Is there really a silver cord and connects your astral body to the physical?

Check out the link above for a very cool and highly recommended resource on learning how to astral project...including a bunch of free videos that truly are very enlightening regardless of whether you are a true blue beginner….or an experienced astral adventurer as well.  (the free videos are really great, as is some of the other tools, tips and techniques that they share – I’ve not only used these trainings myself, but many of our readers have gotten great results from their free, and paid trainings as well)

Enjoy!

The KEY, in some sense…..to understand what we are, and where we’re going after this life is over, MAY rest in OBE research as well.

Why do I make an experience that some skeptics believe is a total fabrication to be so incredibly important?

Very simple.

Because if consciousness can exist outside of the body, and can actually move around and about without being “localized” in the brain, it opens up a wide and wonderful window into a whole series of other possibilities that are impossible to ignore.

Such as?

That when we die….that same consciousness continues, the very same way as it did during the OBE, without needing the body to keep it alive.

In other words, in the view of many cutting edge scientists who study consciousness, the validity of out of body experiences may be the key to understanding the human “spirit” altogether.

How do you tell if your OBE was real, or not the byproduct of a brain blip, or a lucid dream, or a drug or chemical reaction or even a simple hallucination?

Very simple. And you do this in a few ways.

1 – Document the Details.

When you have an OBE, try to be incredibly aware of things happening around you. Make mental notes of things you see, details that you KNOW if later validated will prove the authenticity of the experience. (and prove it was NOT an imaginary event)

As a matter of fact, right now…in 2012, there is a MAJOR study being conducted in hospitals around the world called AWARE. Essentially, emergency room doctors are interviewing patients who were “brought back” after they have cardiac arrest to see if they’ve seen special items placed in the ER ward that are NOT visible on the ground level, and only would be seen if those who report an OBE were in the parts of the room they remember being. (usually the ceiling!)

2 – Don’t use artificial means to induce an OBE

Drugs or even alcohol may stimulate an out of body experience, but it adds a layer of trouble when it comes to validation. Many people disagree with me here, and think that chemically induced OBE’s are a great method for exploration, but personally…..after studying many reports and having several of my own, I think au natural is the way to go if you are serious about studying the astral realms.

3 – Change Your Definition of What is “REAL”

I’m writing this article right now, and I know that it’s real. I’m not dreaming, or imagining it. I’ve had many OBE’s that have been as clear as this moment I’m sharing with you right now, so why would I believe those events are LESS real than this one?

Truthfully?

Most OBE’s are reported as being MORE real than real…and the word “hyper-real” is often used. I agree…..and unless you’ve experienced it yourself, it’s hard to understand until you do!

Curious?

Download FREE OBE MP3′s Here!

Do you believe that life after death is just a man made myth?  Is the idea that our loved ones live on after the death of the body just another piece of wishful thinking and small minded silliness the gullible want to believe because it FEELS good?  And if there really IS life after death….where is the proof?  Where is the evidence?  Does it exist……or is it a new age fairy tale?

In this article we are going to take a quick and insightful look at what I believe is the very BEST type of afterlife evidence that there is, and I’ll share what I believe is the very BEST way to get personal proof yourself.

Curious?  Let’s take a closer look below!

After Death Communications (ADC’s)

This is the broad general term in parapsychology for any apparitional encounter that  is vivid, meaningful and interactive.  About 40% of all people will have one of these types of experiences at least once.  Some of these are VERY, very vivid….and often turn complete skeptics into true blue believers when they occur.  Most people liken these to ghostly experiences, although in my view, the very BEST documented cases (of which there are thousands) are much more evidential than merely meeting a ghost.

Verifiable (and Accurate) Past Life Memories

Remembering a past life is one thing.  Being able to document these memories in vivid detail, and later being able to verify elements of what you remember with facts is another.  Entire volumes of scholarly research has been written about reincarnation and past life recall.  If you believe them, they obviously point to the continuation of the soul, spirit or human personality after physical death.

Death Bed Visions

Did you know that Dr. Elizabeth Kubler Ross, the woman who singlehandedly launched the hospice movement and wrote the seminal book on end of life care for the terminally ill (“On Death and Dying”) spent the last years of her life documenting what she called death bed visions, or the incredible experiences of people who spoke of being visited by loved ones, going into a bright and beautiful light, and having detailed discussions about the afterlife with beings no one else in the room could see …..up to their final breath.

Many of these people were previously comatose, or had dementia or Alzheimer’s disease and were totally unable to communicate, other than these incredibly lucid conversations.  President Ronald Reagan reportedly woke up after his long struggle and had one of these experiences.  According to the eulogy offered by his sister, so too did Steve Jobs.  (she claimed he suddenly woke up….and repeated “Oh Wow” 3 times before he passed away)

These are very common, very well documented and quite often, offer revealing information that no one else in the room previously knew…making the argument that they are hallucinations hard to believe.

Near Death Experiences

Everyone knows about near death experiences today and with the amount of media attention they get, it’s no wonder.  The truth is, while many people argue about what is really happening, there are many, many cases that suggest that something DOES leave the body at death, and that whatever that is (the soul or spirit or pure consciousness) continues on after the body and brain cease.  I believe NDE’s will eventually prove that the human being IS in fact a spiritual being in my lifetime….and many surgeons, scientists and spiritual seekers are doing experiments to test this today.

Psychic Mediums

Quite simply, in my mind, there is NO evidence that it as overwhelming and interesting as that which is offered up by psychic mediums.  The truth is, no matter how much the skeptics want you to believe they are making it up, or guessing, or cold reading or simply just lucky, when someone you’ve never met, or by phone, offers up detailed information about a loved one you have lost, in a way that you KNOW in your bones they couldn’t guess, it changes your life forever.

The truth?  My own personal experience with a medium rocked my world and shook the very foundation of everything I believed…..in under 45 minutes of actual “talk” time.  She told me things about a family member which were not only amazingly accurate…..she actually told me things I didn’t know to be true, but went home and documented immediately thereafter to my stunned surprise.  These weren’t random guesses either……but things she told me my family member wanted me to look for, and low and behold, important documents I thought were lost, were recovered within hours of the reading.

Quite simply, whenever I hear people argue that “all” psychic mediums are guessing or cold reading or just pretending and the whole topic is silly…..I think back first to that amazing reading that changed my life, and then to the years of fun I’ve had exploring and embracing the magic, the mystery and the GIFT of life ever since!

Do you find the idea that our loved ones can continue to communicate with us really reassuring?  Or do you find the idea that spirits exist at ALL super silly instead?

And if there is some sort of afterlife……..would speaking to the “dead” be possible……or is it just a bunch of wishful thinking from those of us who crave contact with our loved ones who are no longer here?

In this article we are going to take a quick and easy look at psychic mediumship, explore some possible alternatives to the “spirit hypothesis” and finally, I’ll share my own opinion about famous TV mediums like Theresa Caputo and others as well.  Curious?  Let’s dive in and dissect

I want to being with some common explanations offered for what mediums are doing during a reading, and see if any seem to make good sense to describe what we’re seeing when we watch a well known one work:

Genuine Spirit Conversation and Communication.  

This is the “things are what they appear” explanation, and that mediums, including Theresa Caputo o the TV show, really IS communicating with spirit.

It’s All Guessing, Fishing and Cold Reading:  

This is what the skeptics, cynics and debunkers believe.  They argue that mediumship is closer to a guessing game and a fishing expedition, rather than real psychic skill.  Most DON’T believe in a spirit world and think that anything, no matter how impressive it appears, MUST be deceptive, and is more akin to smoke and mirrors than spirits.

Super Psychic Ability (often called “Super Psi by proponents of this argument)

This is an interesting middle ground….as many parapsychologists believe that information “lives” in the environment, or the universe and can be accessed with a well trained brain.  In this world view, memories and information “live on” after physical death, so details about our loved ones who have crossed on can be accessed by a psychic in this vast information field, WITHOUT an afterlife needing to be true.

In other words, the medium isn’t REALLY talking to the dead, she is instead…tapping into this collective data base that is stored in the environment and giving accurate information that is very impressive……but is mistakenly thought to be coming from spirits.  Of course this WOULD prove psychic abilities, but doesn’t necessarily support belief in a spiritual dimension that we return to after death.

The ESP or Telepathy Argument

This basically theorizes that a psychic is reading the mind of the caller or client, and is simply repeating back what they see.  Again, this would support the idea of psychic abilities being real, but doesn’t need a spirit world to be true to work.

Here is the thing……

In my own many years of experience with psychic readings and research overall, there is some pretty good evidence for each of these being true.

For example?

It would be a lie to say there aren’t many mediums who make a living doing cold reading.  (and aren’t psychic at all)

There also seems to be lots of support that information is stored in the universe and can be decoded by people who have a special gift.

As an illustration……work with remote viewing, out of body experiences and even quantum physics seem to support that this does happen in the universe at large.

Telepathy and ESP are considered on the fringe of science…..but again, being a professional publisher in this space, I’ve seen tons and tons of great evidence, and have had plenty of personal experience that PROVES to me, it’s a stone cold fact.

Lastly…..spirit communication, or the idea that we continue on after physical death and can communicate, is something I truly believe has been demonstrated by many gifted mediums, and when looked at fairly, I think that is often the MOST likely explanation of what is happening.

Thoughts on What I See on The Long Island Medium?

I find her readings persuasive!  (many of them, anyway)

For example?

There have been many readings that she has offered where the information she shared was NOT known by the person (or people) that were being read.  This eliminates the ESP, mind reading or telepathy argument completely.

If someone doesn’t know something, or is being provided new information they need to check to verify, obviously they are not having their minds read!

I also eliminate the skeptic argument of cold reading….guessing, lying, cheating and all of those very negative arguments, simply because I don’t think they apply when I see a GENUINE medium do what they do.  In many cases these arguments are certainly very valid and most likely to be true, but in cases where an ELITE level psychic or medium is working, it’s easy to see they aren’t being general, guessing, or playing tricks on the audience.

Is it possible that ALL information is being picked up in the environment and is not coming from the “dead”, like the super PSI believers like to argue?

It could be……but I doubt it.  In the end, if mediums that I know and respect and have had personal interactions with are telling me that they are SEEING and speaking to my loved ones, and that’s where the information they are sharing with me in real time is emanating from, my instinct is to trust that they know what they are seeing, getting and experiencing.

I’m not going to lie……

It’s also the most comforting, inspirational and hopeful argument of the ones above, and I want to believe it’s true, too.

The good news……

Famous psychic mediums like Theresa Caputo, John Edward, George Anderson and others shine a bright and beautiful light on what may await us all when this life ends, and remind us that our loved ones are ALWAYS close, and are willing and waiting to talk to us when we’re ready to listen!

There are some wild, wacky and WEIRD people out there!  (and lots of wonderful life lessons you can learn from some pretty unusual sources)

Often, my mainstream friends and family have a hard time wrapping their minds around some of the more exotic and esoteric ideas I routinely review….simply because they feel too “out there” to be taken seriously.

Past lives, and the idea that all of us live MANY lifetimes, and our spiritual beings at “heart”, is certainly one of those ideas that many in the mainstream discount.

The truth is, there is MORE good evidence for past lives than much of the “scientific” stuff we commonly accept to be true, especially in Western culture.  (Ironically…….in most of the world, past lives, karma and the concept of reincarnation is considered normal and is deeply embedded in their belief system)

The facts?

There are tens of thousands of carefully documented cases of past life recall that have passed scientific scrutiny and are VERY suggestive of the reality of reincarnation.  (including a book written about the past life memories of small children SO convincing that it was featured in the New England Journal or Medicine, and was called by world famous scientist and skeptic Carl Sagan, the most compelling paranormal evidence he had ever seen)

Many people have had past life regressions and experienced radical transformations.….often overcoming all sorts of traumas that conventional science, medications and years of therapy could NOT fix.  (Internationally acclaimed psychiatrist Dr Brian Weiss is well known for his work in this area….and his books have sold MILLIONS of copies around the world)

Many ordinary people like you and I have regularly experienced deja vu, or the feeling of knowing someone “forever” that you’ve only met for an instant, or even have skills and abilities or “intuitive” interests that seem to defy explanation.  (for example – picking up a hobby on a whim, and finding that not only are you EXCEPTIONALLY gifted at it…..there is a deep “connection” to it that you feel in your bones)

Remembering you’ve lived before, that you’ll live again and that you are an eternal timeless spiritual being who is here to learn, love, grow and evolve is the GREATEST gift you can give yourself.

But don’t take MY word for it.

Here are 4 very short, very simple ways you can test this for yourself, for free (or a minimal cost) and get first hand evidence that all of this is TRUE.  (and will change your life forever)

1 – Soul Group Work – This is probably the “weirdest” method of the group I’ve listed here, but it can be incredibly healing for extended relationships, and helps to establish a “karmic connection” between lovers, families and even really good friends who have complex dynamics in the relationship.  A small group of open minded people, working with a certified spiritual therapist who focused on past lives can bring people closer together in a way that you have to witness, or experience to believe!  (and usually, in way that permanently changes the relationships for the better, forever)

2 – Hypnosis/Past Life Regression Therapy (the most common type of process featured in the media – this can be VERY powerful, but needs to be facilitated by a true therapist or hypnosis professional, and not someone who thinks they know what they’re doing, but is just playing around!)

3 – Self Directed Past Life Recall  (usually done with binaural beat technology, or recorded visualization exercises that are designed to facilitate deep states of relaxation)

4 – Psychic Insight and Intervention

A good psychic intervention for past life recall truly changed MY life many years ago…and opened me up to my own authentic purpose.  (and the path I needed to pursue to realize it, which is what I do today through writing, researching and exploring topics like this one)

The benefits of past life psychic readings over the above, are only that they are simple, affordable, cost effective and convenient.  (you can do it from home around your own schedule)

Of course, if you think all of this is nuts…..you probably don’t believe past lives are even possible, right?  I challenge you to give one of the above techniques a try with an open mind, and let me know what openings, insights and revelations are revealed when you do.  (because if you’re anything like I was…..they WILL rock your world!)

Sounds odd, right?

They may sound odd, or exotic or even downright WEIRD if you don’t believe that spirit communication is possible. But the good news is, you can test, try and apply each of these for yourself, and get first hand validation that they work.

First…..understand this: Regardless of whether you think that spirit communication is silly or not, many millions of people around the globe have “ethereal” experiences each and every day. Some studies suggest that over 75% of parents who lose a child will have a DIRECT experience with the “spirit” of their lost child, and the same studies suggest that 50% of spouses who lose their partner will experience the same.

Are they ALL delusional, crazy or seeing things they want so desperately to believe in that they abandon common sense? Or, is it possible that the human spirit survives physical death…and is much more magical, mystical and mysterious than we know?

My answer is simple! (and gleaned from direct experience that has changed my life to it’s very core) But…..even if you are a true blue believer…..there ARE obstacles to be addressed as well. Think that communicating with ghosts, or spirits is simply a matter of closing your eyes and thinking good thoughts about your loved ones who have crossed over?

Sometimes I WISH it was that easy!

The truth is, no matter how controversial it may be, spirit communication is NOT always as easy as many psychics and mediums describe it to be. After all…..if you don’t have a natural gift, it can be downright difficult! With that said, I don’t consider myself particularly naturally psychic, and yet, I’ve had incredible, eye opening and amazing experiences where I’m 100% sure I’ve been in direct communication with those that I love who have crossed over. (both through using a medium, and on my own as well…although certainly it’s been more difficult to do using my own natural talents, I have gotten better) The best way to make contact with the other side?

1 – Speak with a genuine psychic medium. This is the fastest path, and often the easiest for those that feel urgency, and an immediate need to communicate something important. (or often…simply get validation that your loved ones live on)

2 – Using meditation, ouija and spirit boards, or even prayer can be an amazingly effective way to break through the barriers that hold most of us back from communicating with the other side. I’ve had some crazy cool experiences with ouija for example…and even though many people are dead set against it (no pun intended..:-) it’s been really helpful and an invaluable tool for me.

3 – Using dream centered techniques can be great as well. Lucid dreaming or training yourself to control your thoughts while dreaming is a very controversial area….but one that is rich and ripe for great experiences with the ethereal realms as well.

4 – Mirror gazing or using a psychomanteum is a very exotic, yet very exciting way of making contact with your loved ones on the other side that just about ANYONE can try on their own. (And it has the added benefit of being a technique that has been used for thousands of years as well)

As a matter of fact…….Dr. Raymond Moody, the famous author of “Life After Life” wrote extensively about his use of mirror gazing in his best selling book “Reunions” and described how meditation, in conjunction with using a psychomanteum, (a small dark room outfitted with mirrors) could facilitate the appearance of spirits in over 75% of the people who attempted the technique.

While this was certainly a controversial finding….believe it or not, it’s been REPLICATED by several prestigious scientific centers, including the Institute for Transpersonal Psychology in California, who also used mirror gazing techniques to bring about incredible spirit communication episodes in 80% PLUS of research participants.

Are the shows scripted in advance…..or are the readings really as impressive as they appear on the show?  And what about the most POPULAR medium on TV today - The “Long Island Medium” with Theresa Caputo, is she the real deal……or simply just another person pretending to communicate with spirits for money, fame and celebrity prestige?  In this short blog post, I’ll share some quick thoughts about Long Island Medium TV show, and I’ll share my personal opinion on whether I believe she is doing something truly extraordinary, or simply makes for good TV instead.

Curious to know more?  Continue reading as we take a closer look below!

But FIRST…….  My Personal Psychic Experiences

First, of course ALL of this is just my own personal opinion, and based on many years of research, publishing and adventures in the psychic realm.  (as I’ve written well over 1000 published articles on psychic phenomena and maintain a whole slew of blogs, websites and social communities in the psychic field)

With that said, I’ve had hundreds of readings myself, and feel like I’m a pretty good judge at who is the real deal….and who is just enjoying a good ride up the totem pole of success!

When I first started watching the show…….

I was a bit skeptical, to say the least.  While I’m definitely a true blue believer in the authenticity of MANY psychic mediums, (through personal experience and rigorous research) I’m also very well aware that many, especially on TV, are often much more about entertainment, than genuine ethereal enlightenment.  I’ve been highly critical of Sylvia Browne, (who I believe is a con artist and NOT a clairvoyant) and even Alison Dubois (the real life inspiration behind “Medium”) doesn’t inspire me to believe she is truly doing what people purport she does.

And at first, my biggest problem with THIS show was that many of Theresa’s messages were a bit vague for my tastes and with so much “1 to 1″ contact, cold reading…..or picking up non verbal cues from clients, is a HUGE risk as well and makes for easy de-bunking, too.

(Note:  This is  BIG reason most people who study psychic mediums prefer to test them on the phone….with no direct visual contact with the people they’re reading.  This is often called “blind” readings for that reason)

Over a number of shows, and doing some of my own research by talking to other people in the field, my opinion started to change in her favor.

Watching a few shows this weekend, I was impressed by some of the seemingly spontaneous reactions of people who Theresa “read” in unexpected places, and the super specific information she shared with each of them.  (and of course, their reactions to what she shared which is very hard to script, and seemed to reflect genuine amazement and incredulity at the accuracy of what they were told)

At the end of the day, it’s VERY difficult to gauge how accurate a medium is on TV.  The format makes it very tough to judge…..as it’s TV, and designed to entertain us, and keep us coming back.  Plus, we have no idea how much is “omitted” as well, and this keeps my skeptical guard up, even today.

That said, I’m impressed with “The Long Island Medium” and it’s pretty good TV, too!  As someone who has had personal experiences (and readings) with some of the biggest names in celebrity mediumship (people like John Edward and the like, who I believe is 100% authentic) I’m definitely interested in learning more about Theresa Caputo….and when available, would be very interested in seeing her face to face as well!

The only real downside of investigating famous psychics, mediums and clairvoyants?

Cost.  Most of the better known celebrity psychics charge such a large amount for a reading, that the general public is priced out of the equation.  The good news is, you DON’T have to pay a fortune to a celebrity psychic to get an amazing reading, and often……you can find local or telephone readers who are equally as good, for a fraction, of the fraction of the cost.  As I’ve said many times in the past…..my WORST reading ever cost me over $1000 (with a famous psychic who I had to travel to see) and one my best, cost $18 and literally blew me away.….without having to get off my sofa to boot!

Do they all have the same gifts?  If not….how do they differ?  And what kind of medium should I see if I want to communicate with one of my loved ones on the “other side”?  In this article we are going to take a quick (and controversial!) look at psychic mediumship, and explore a few of the different types of mediums there are…..and the ONLY kind of reading I’ll pay for as well.

Curious to know more?  Continue reading as we take a closer look below  

Filed Under:  Physical Mediums

Probably the most controversial type of mediums are those that purport to be able to demonstrate “live” manifestations of deceased people and spiritual beings on the other side.

As wild and wacky and even crazy as this sounds….there have been many physical mediums that have been studied under close scientific scrutiny, and who have demonstrated things that are so mind bogglingly unbelievable that they are hard to even write!   (many people are familiar with the term “ectoplasm”, which originates from seances where physical mediums would manifest this weird substance out of “thin air” and that would often take physical shape and form, and many believe was how those in “spirit” are able to reappear during these sessions)

The problem with physical mediumship for me? 

I think it’s creepy….and too controversial to really invest too much time, effort or energy into.  Plus, there are very few physical mediums who will allow themselves to be tested by serious scientists….which makes it easier to dismiss as some sort of elaborate hoax or trick.   Other physical mediums have been caught CHEATING red handed…..and while many have remained scandal free, it makes it tougher for me to trust when some of the great scientific minds WERE in fact “tricked” for a long time, until cheaters were eventually caught and outed.  (as in, some of the great scientists of 19th century England, including the Co Founder of the Theory of Evolution, Sir Alfred Wallace, verified that they witnessed physical apparitions that were 100% real – I tend to discount the entire field, even those NEVER caught in a scandal, when later, some of these mediums were caught cheating after “fooling” such great minds)

In addition, many physical mediums work in dimly lit conditions…..which I find suspicious, EVEN though they are able to produce phenomena that is very difficult to explain away as a “light” trick.

Filed Under:  Direct Voice Mediums

These are people who speak in the voices of the deceased…..often communicating in languages, dialects, mannerisms and tones that match those who have died 100%.  (and more often than not, these are people the mediums have never heard of, met or knew in life)  Again, there are hundreds (if not thousands) of cases where this has been demonstrated, and the people in the room who KNEW the deceased in life, come away believing they were speaking with their loved ones, through the body of the medium.

For me?  I still find this a tad creepy….and while it’s hard to explain away, I still always find myself looking for other explanations that make more sense.  (most often, that people are being tricked somehow into believing something they want to believe is true, e.g. – their loved ones are SPEAKING to them, exactly as they once did in life)

Filed Under:  Trance Mediums and Channeled Communication

Sometimes voice mediums ARE trance mediums.  Essentially, this is what it sounds like!  Mediums who go into a deep trance or meditative state during the reading.  They often don’t know what they say….and when they come out, they have no memory of what they told you, what came through, or sometimes…..who you even are, and why you are there!  Edgar Caycee, possibly the most famous and well documented psychic of the 20th century was a trance psychic. 

So too have been other very famous psychics and mediums, who claimed they were “channeling” spirit guides, guardian angels and highly evolved beings.  (Jane Roberts, who is famous for the “Seth” books is an example of channeling, as is “The Course in Miracles”, both of which have sold millions and millions of copies and while neither claimed to be a medium per se, it’s the same basic idea)

Lastly……..

MENTAL Mediumship!  

This is the type of reading I prefer, and have had amazing, exciting and enlightening experiences with personally, for well over a decade in my own life.  A mental medium would be someone like John Edward, or George Anderson, or any of the better known psychic mediums we see on TV.  Mental mediumship is very evidential to me, and can give you PROOF that your loved one’s continue on….in a way that isn’t weird, creepy or hard to wrap your brain around when the session is over.  Some well known mediums SEE spirit clearly….and describe it being no different than looking at another person in the room.

However, most mental mediums claim to see or hear symbols, or to get visual cues from spirit, and they then try to filter back those messages to callers, customer or clients in a way that makes sense, resonates and rings true.

This can be a crazy cool experience, and can literally give you life changing affirmation that life DOES continue on after death, and that our loved ones are watching, waiting and still with us……even when we miss them most!

How effective are past life readings done through hypnosis?  Are they accurate as they look on TV, or is anything you remember while hypnotized more likely to be FICTION or fantasy….rather than fact?

The truth is, even in the incredibly open minded world of psychical research and new age aficionados, the concept of reincarnation is very controversial.  After all….if past lives are true, why don’t we ALL remember them?  And why would we come back, anyway?  What is the purpose…..and for what reason?

Want to know the truth?

No one knows for sure…and while I have 20 years of research and some amazing experiences to share, I don’t claim to have all of the answers, either.  What I do know is this:

Past life memories ARE available to all…..and if you are really interested in remembering own, it may take a little bit of effort, but once they do, you’ll be amazed at what comes flooding back as well!

The best techniques available?

Honestly, while there are lots of “gurus” out there, there are only a few methods for recalling your previous lives I recommend.  Using meditation or guided visualization is very helpful for me.  So too are karma readings, tarot cards and using traditional astrological charts with a genuine professional.  (either by phone….or in person as well)

I don’t recommend past life regression, or any “hypnosis” oriented process anymore, simply because too many people appear to have false memories using this approach, and several of the better known “celebrities” who use this style method, I simply DON’T trust.  (I’ve also read a ton of books by regression therapists, have visited with more than a few myself, and I’ve never quite felt comfortable that the memories are anything more than make believe)

A good past life psychic, however….is MUCH less expensive (a good reading may only cost 20 bucks or less) can be done from home, by telephone, and can be much more evidential and persuasive, as you are AWARE the whole time, not under hypnosis, and you can literally close your eyes and have a very profound experience, without doing anything weird.

Remember, go with your own gut and trust your OWN instincts when it comes to a past life reading, or any type of experience designed to bring you closer to your authentic self.  The best way to validate that the memories are REAL, is to trust that your intuition is trying to share something important, and that you’ve been given the opportunity to learn, grow and take an important step in your spiritual development if you follow your heart!