Confession: I am of sound mind — and — I have had a reading with a psychic medium, two in fact. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like, I invite you to read on.
Yes, I've chatted with the great beyond.
My first reading was done over the phone with a young man, “Jim,” who resided in another state. After opening pleasantries Jim informed me that a small coterie of my late relatives had gathered. Well that’s neat, I thought, though I didn’t want to get too far out over my skis too soon.
To that end I decided to throw out a few names to test him. To my surprise, with each one he deftly and correctly discerned child from adult, family from friend. “T” was my six-year-old nephew on the West Coast, and when I said his name Jim noted that T was a child of unusual height (true). He identified his place in the family and said, “He had a twin who was lost before birth,” a fact that was confirmed later by his mother. Regarding this same boy Jim offered, “His grandparents say they will be dancing at his party tomorrow.” Though my parents had been great dancers, I inwardly scoffed until I realized that T’s birthday was indeed the next day. It went on like this for an hour, with personalities and physiognomies authentic, familial relationships aligned, life details and proclivities spot-on, humor from my peeps and intimations of what may come next for those of us still inhabiting this Earth.
My second and final experience was shared with a group of eight women unknown to me, in the basement conference room of an upscale city bar. We had not registered on-site that day, there were no badges or other identifiers. I was feeling a bit embarrassed at having come. The friend to whom I had gifted the session had had cold feet at the last moment, and I hadn’t wanted to waste the ticket. Then “Eric” entered the room, sat down, and turned to me. “Your friend is thanking you for establishing the scholarship in her memory,” he said. It was true. Some years earlier I had created, anonymously, a high school scholarship in honor of my classmate, a preternaturally gifted artist who had died far too young. There followed some levity (specific and meaningful only to me) provided by one of my “spirit” relatives that caused the room to erupt in laughter. And then I watched with growing respect as he moved on to address the other women in turn. At the end of the hour we left with buoyant steps. He remained in his chair, depleted.
Skeptics insist that mediums are charlatans who comb the internet for information beforehand. Surely some are, and surely some do. But I don’t think this was the case with me. None of my information would have come up in a Google search. And, while both these men were well-known in their field, they were ordinary people. There was no Madame Olga vibe, no fishing for information or searching with letters (e.g., Someone is here with a “J” name, is that for you?), no mere declarations of love.
Why did I do it? I was curious. By the time I thought to explore life’s greatest mystery, a critical mass of relatives and friends had passed. I missed them. My religious upbringing had predisposed me to a belief in the survival of spirit, and so I was comfortable with the concept. While I don’t feel the need to do it again, it was a joyful experience. To hear from my parents, especially, was a gift.
Was it real? I think so. Who knows? But at the very least it did no harm. I’ll tell you one thing: whenever I hear the phrase Rest in Peace now, I laugh. If what I’ve learned is true, there is no “rest” involved in any of it. In other words, get that nap in now and get ready to go to work!
Jim had recorded our session and sent me the tape. I shared it with the men in my orbit who, not surprisingly, received it with exaggerated XY harrumphs. But they didn’t fool me. I know they took it all in, and that was all I had wanted for them.
I will on occasion share bits of my experience with others, but only if I think it can help. I wonder, have the stories related here helped you?
Susan BennetI'm so happy to have joined the gracious Retro family. The basics:
I have a background in marketing and museums.
I come alive when the leaves turn red.
I regret every tech mistake I have made or will ever make on this site.
I want a dog.
Susan, thank you for sharing this story, it is so interesting to me. I have always been skeptical about consulting a psychic or medium. However, reading about your experiences, and how you “tested” them, and they told you things you knew to be accurate, made me give it a second thought. What I wonder though, is whether these events helped you. You don’t give us any indication of that in your descriptions, other than to say that you “left with buoyant steps.” I think it would help me more if I knew how it helped you.
I gave this some thought before replying here, Suzy. I think I can describe it best by saying that the equanimity I feel as a result of the readings (along with the personal experiences others have related to me along the way) has been freeing and strengthening. Grief, though profound, is not permanent. I walk a bit more lightly through life, knowing that the bonds of love and friendship that once buoyed me, endure. But the how? and the why? These remain a mystery, and that’s OK. I am someone for whom contemplating an infinite universe, which we are told is reality, results in a brain-ache.! So I hope this is an adequate answer, and I’m the better for your question. If you’d like to chat more, I’d be happy to.
Those are wonderful stories, Susan. A friend treated me to a reading once, many years ago now. It wasn’t nearly as precise as yours, much vaguer and open to interpretation. I wanted to believe and was left to ponder what she’d said. My friend took notes, but now, all these years later, I can’t remember what was said. It certainly didn’t connect me with relatives as yours had. Good for you!
Thanks for offering your experience, Betsy. I think it’s not impossible that some have greater abilities than others, and/or that one’s stage in life may have something to do with the information given. Another mystery. I think that tapes are more the standard practice now, rather than note-taking. I remember how, in college, I often would be confounded by my class notes when I took them out to review them the night before a final exam. I think the best strategy is always to approach it with a light heart and open mind.