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Stephen's Paranormal Phenomena Blog

By Stephen Wagner, About.com Guide to Paranormal Phenomena since 1998

Reader Question: Contact the Dead?

Saturday July 12, 2008
"Hi, I'm Jessica and I would like to know: Is there any way to get in touch with the dead?"

Many different paranormal investigators will give you many different answers to that question. It's a question that has been asked and wondered about for millennia. The truth is: There is no reliable way to get in touch with the dead, if at all. Researchers have tried numerous methods, including Ouija boards, séances, table tipping, trance mediums, EVP, ghost boxes, and more. And although interesting responses have been received via all these methods that purport to be from "the other side", we don't know for certain what the source of those responses is. Even with such mediums as John Edward and James Van Praagh, who claim to be in touch with the dead and often appear to deliver startlingly pertinent messages, we cannot be certain that their claims are in fact real. There's just no way to know.

Ironically, some of the best evidence we have for contact with the dead comes not when we try to get in touch with them, but when they get in touch with us. And it happens spontaneously: a loved one will appear to a close relative shortly after death to relay a message of comfort, for example. But even in the best cases, we cannot know empirically that these apparitions are what they seem. Hence, the ongoing mystery.

Also read: Ghosts: What Are They? | How To Create a Ghost | Taking Ghost Research to the Next Level

Comments

July 12, 2008 at 1:22 pm
(1) njguy says:

You may want to take a look at, The Afterlife Experiments: Breakthrough Scientific Evidence of Life After Death by Gary E. Schwartz

If there’s actual proof that Mediums do in fact have the ability to speak to the dead, that book is a great place to start.

I understand that you have to hedge your bets in being skeptical, but I can say very easily, there is more than enough evidence to support the existence of a life after death. As a matter of fact, I question anyone who has actually read all of the evidence (Mediums, EVPs, Photo and Video, NDE, Reincarnation Studies, personal experiences, and on and on and on), more evidence than you know what to do with. And something that most people forget, you can dismiss 99% of all of it. In the end, you’re still left with that 1% that can NOT be explained away under any circumstances.

Perhaps it’s easier for me to say this because I myself have had personal experiences.

Either way, if you really want to answer this question on your own, it’s all out there for you to investigate yourself.

July 12, 2008 at 5:53 pm
(2) ben says:

there is one way not to contact spirits with a oujiboard you can talk with a spirit or even calm a spirit

but 96% of the time its dangerous it opens portal letting al kinds of things like poltergeists trough or worse demons

so dont try that one

July 12, 2008 at 11:53 pm
(3) ******* says:

I’ve always wanted to get in touch with the dead. I wish that one day I’ll get to talk to my ancestors as a new technology comes out I guess.

July 14, 2008 at 9:49 am
(4) Wendy Zammit says:

Hi Stephen, As a member of a physical mediumship circle I have to disagree with you. I have now attended 69 sessions with a materialization medium (David Thompson) where we talk intimately with friends from the other side, they touch us and we record their voices. You can listen to audiotapes at http://www.victorzammit.com/spiritvoices/
I have witnessed more than 40 reunions of people with their deceased loved ones including animals like this one…
http://snipurl.com/spiritdog

I suggest that you refer people also to the Zerdin phemonenal http://www.zerdinphenomenal.co.uk/

July 14, 2008 at 5:24 pm
(5) Julius says:

The Bible states that communicating with the spirits of the deceased is a sin. The reason is that communicating with the spirits of the dead are actually evil spirits that have power to transform themselves and act like the deceased person, while the true deceased person is in heaven or in hell. The living is “worshiping” an evil spirit.

July 14, 2008 at 7:42 pm
(6) Bill D. Johnston says:

Communication with the dead is the sheerest fantasy.

July 17, 2008 at 12:38 am
(7) chantebise says:

njguy ~ I would be interested in knowing what your personal experience was. Can you contact me at chantebise at aol. Thanks

October 20, 2008 at 10:16 pm
(8) Dragon says:

Ok well for school i am researching this topic and you might find this a good way to answer this here is the link if you want to read it..

http://cryptosbms.webs.com/necromancism.htm

March 11, 2009 at 2:27 pm
(9) David says:

It’s a very narrow minded and fearful person that believes that only the physical beings exist, and that only there opinion is true.

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