This documentary on Waverly Hills Sanatorium was produced and hosted by a dear friend of mine, Chris McGill. The ParanormalTVNetwork has picked it up for OnDemand viewing, but you can watch it in full right here! Chris and I will be working together in the coming months on new documentary projects…so check back for updates on these upcoming projects!

You can also visit Chris online at DimensionsRadio (especially if you want to buy a DVD copy of this documentary).

How I Became a Psychic-Medium

What is a medium? A person thought to have the power to communicate with the spirits of the dead or with agents of another world or dimension; an individual held to be a channel of communication between the earthly world and the world of spirits.

Before December of 2006 I have never even seen a medium in action, when all of a sudden I found myself becoming one! I was able to connect with the spirit world and pass on messages as if it was second nature.

Astrologically, I was ready for a big shift. As an astrologer I knew I was entering a major transitional phase of my life called Uranus Opposition that happens to all of us around ages 38 to 42. The planet Uranus rules the sign Aquarius and will definitely shake us out of a rut, especially if we’re stuck, and it isn’t always pretty – Uranus does rule electricity and lightning! But I felt prepared and was just itching for change as I felt the intensity rising in my life.

Recently I had met a famous Irish sculptor, Linda Brunker and her boyfriend, Adam Higgs, a well-known English psychic (pictured above, with me in the middle). They had just moved to Southern California from the UK and Adam was talking about starting up an English Traditional Teaching and Healing Circle at his home for friends only. I kept pushing and pushing for him to start it up and so he did in December of 2006. Our group ranged in size from three to eight returning members and we met weekly at the same place and time for the next six months.

We began our Circle by saging (which entailed holding a burning sage leaf and whisking it around our body) and then sitting in a circle as Adam led us through a guided meditation that always put us in a relaxed and heightened state of awareness. Meditation was something I had been doing since 1991 when I had attended a weekly meditation group in Ottawa, Ontario led by Om, a student of Sri Chinmoy so this part was very familiar to me.

After our meditation Adam paired us up so that we could practice psychic readings on each other. We sat facing our partner with closed eyes as we held their hands and recounted everything that we saw, felt or heard. After about fifteen minutes we would switch positions so that they could read us. Adam explained that this was the most difficult thing we could do as psychics, so of course that’s why we were starting off with this, since everything we did afterward would seem easy!

After doing several readings we joined again in circle and Adam lit a candle and then explained to us what a medium did. We were to stand up one at a time (if we chose to participate) in the center of the circle, close our eyes and wait for the departed to connect with us. This could happen through clairvoyance (French for ‘clear seeing’), clairaudience (clear hearing), clairsentience (clear feeling), or clairgustience (clear tasting), and we were to relay everything that happened to the group. Our circle was not allowed to ‘lead’ us in any way other than by asking us questions if something needed clarification or by answering ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to any observations made. For example, we weren’t allowed to say to the medium, “Oh yes, that’s my grandfather Elmer, and he just died in April last year!” The medium had to give at least three solid pieces of ‘evidence’ that proved without a doubt that it was the correct person and once the evidence was confirmed by a member of our circle then we were to ask the deceased for a message for that person. Messages such as, “Oh you were so loved” did not fly with Adam – we were to pass on substantial, fact laden messages that expressed more than just sentiment.

Adam was always very tough on us, and in fact called our group “Boot Camp for Psychics” and we believed him because he was no lightweight himself, but in fact was a massive bodybuilder who worked out regularly and whose favorite word was ‘discipline.’ He was a completely no-nonsense kind of guy who rarely if ever gave out compliments, so we worked very hard with no fooling around. After circle Adam and Linda always prepared a wonderful, healthy meal for all of us and we sat around chatting, playing with their pet wolf, Samson and talking about circle.

I really enjoyed the psychic reading part of our circle, but it was the mediumship that just blew me away. It was my first experience seeing the departed and they appeared as if through a veil, like in a dream, but I also felt as though I could bring them closer if needed so that I could see them and their previous life more clearly. Often the same deceased person would return session after session until I felt as though I knew them quite well. Some folks in our group rarely or never tried mediumship, but one other woman who had just started the group was also quite talented, so it is possible right from the get-go! Adam explained that sometimes it can take years of weekly practice to make a connection, but “practice makes perfect’ was one of his favorite sayings and he explained that even the most naturally gifted mediums can stagnate if they don’t continually use their talents and improve upon them.

The Circle changed my life and it hasn’t been the same since. During that time I bravely went out on my own and started giving readings at a new age store called Nirvana, but after they closed their doors I started working online exclusively and have given over a thousand readings since August of 2008. This way just works best for everyone involved and I feel both blessed and thankful for the work I am able to do.

If you would like to read more about my psychic background please click here.

I also offer a “Turning 40″ Mid Life soul reading especially for those undergoing their Uranus Opposition and you can also order it on my website!

By Jack Armstrong

One of the most powerful illusions we confront as spiritual beings who are experiencing a temporary journey in the physical world is the illusion of time.

The concept that time and space are not real is not a new one for most students of spirituality, but the way in which it is explained in the channeled spiritual teachings that follow should help to shed new light on it.

The Illusion of Time

Time, as it is perceived in the human consciousness, is a false concept – another illusion that you have allowed to disrupt the calm of your consciousness.

Time is Irrelevant

Patience is a virtue, it has been said. This is very true. In fact, it is a necessity if you are to maintain yourself in the flow of your good. Impatience, which is a very common trait of human consciousness, is directly tied to the illusion of time, which also becomes so overwhelmingly important to those absorbed by the physical environment.

Time has no importance whatsoever. You are living in eternity. Your being is part of mine, and we have always been and will always be. The scope of eternity is impossible for you to understand, for you try to measure it in time. Time implies a beginning and an end, but these do not exist.

Just as you heard a scientist trying to describe the dimensions of the universe in terms of light years (which, again, is a human point of reference based on time) and found it completely unfathomable, the concept of eternity is the same. The universe and eternity are one and the same. They are without boundaries – without limits.

As you progress in consciousness, these terms will begin to be easier to understand. But at the moment, they are beyond your comprehension. If you can accept my word that the concept of time is meaningless (even if you cannot yet fully comprehend it), then it will be easier for you to understand the folly of the concept of impatience.

Impatience is a Sign that the Human Mind is Trying to Control

Impatience implies that it is important that a certain thing come to pass by a specific time – or before it is too late. “If I don’t get my check by Tuesday, I’ll never be able to get the car fixed. (Even the word “never” in this illustration is a reference to time.) If, however, you can accept time as an irrelevant factor in your existence, you will not allow the quality of impatience to enter your consciousness.

Impatience implies that you know and understand, better than I do what the right “timing” of the arrival of your good should be. Think back to the belief that there is only one power and one presence in the universe – God, the good, omnipotent. If you believe this, can you doubt that your good will come to you at the most appropriate time?

Patience, Peace, and Faith

Patience, then, is faith in action. It rejects the concept of time and the artificial “deadlines” that accompany it. It totally accepts the belief that one’s good is his or her entitlement, and that it will arrive in life at the moment that is most appropriate.

Patience and peace also go hand in hand and reinforce each other. If you draw on the peace that is already within you, patience will be a natural byproduct. The byproducts of impatience are frustration and irritability, but peace will always counteract them.

This is an important lesson for you at this point in your life. Be at peace and be patient. It is my good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Don’t be in a hurry. Do not allow the pressures of the physical world to affect you. Remember that time is a false concept of the physical world and has no bearing whatsoever on your reality. To be rushed or in a hurry means that you are reacting to pressures relating to time, and this is not only unnecessary, but counterproductive, as well.

Disruptions Caused by Impatience

Of course, you are living in the physical world, and your daily routine must be dictated to a certain extent by time constraints. There will be times when you are late and feel a need to rush. While this type of hurry is different from the emotion that I want to discuss with you, even it can be detrimental to you.

You are very familiar with the feelings that can overcome you when you feel rushed to get somewhere or do something by a certain time. The stress and pressure of the situation prevent your body from functioning peacefully, and your emotions are also affected, making it much more difficult to maintain your attunement with me and the feelings of joy and peace and love that are so essential to it.

The emotional turmoil causes a cloud of static to form around you, and your receptivity is decreased. So being in a hurry is disruptive to your daily existence.

Being in a hurry to achieve the goals you have set for yourself is also a disruptive factor. Rest assured that your good is, in fact, assured. Live with the complete certainty that it will come to you in the physical world in the form and in the manner and at the time that is perfect for the fulfillment of the divine design for your life. In your human consciousness, you are not able to understand the many factors that are part of the process.

Yours is a test of faith. Accept your unity with the source of all goodness, and you have accepted the goodness itself. Know that the desire for the particular good came from me and that its fulfillment will, as well. Be not concerned at all with the timing. There is no hurry. There is no rush. My timing is perfect. Be at peace.

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You can find the original post at Melissa’s blog, or read it here. I highly recommend visiting her blog. It’s full of wonderful personal stories and other interesting tidbits on the paranormal topic.

Welcome back once again to A Conversation with Two Mediums….  Jamie from www.reluctantmedium.com has joined me over the last month to talk about her experiences as a psychic medium and our time together has evolved into an interesting conversation.

When last we left off we were discussing the fact that all psychics have multiple gifts and channels that they work with, though 1 or 2 stand strongest.  Jamie’s strongest gift is mediumship and she’s discussing a few others here.  Here we go onto the topic of remote viewing and other abilities….

Jamie: My favorite ability so far, though, is remote viewing. I actually just happened upon this one. I was playing some psi games for fun via internet chat one evening with a friend and my accuracy was blowing him away. So he asked how I was doing it. To be honest, I had never really considered that question before. So the next few rounds I really paid attention to how I was gathering the information that I was. What I quickly realized was that I was actually “watching” him in my head even though he was miles away. That sparked a whole new round of remote viewing tests. We set up several rounds of him being at different and unknown (to me) locations where I was able to describe his surroundings pretty dead on. This was even surprising to me. Who knew?

Melissa Van Rossum: Fascinating. I know what you mean.  It’s interesting how some psychic gifts are so omnipresent and persistent that you can’t get away from them.  Then there are others that never present themselves until you decide to try them.  I remember the first time I tried mediumship, I had no idea what it would be like or if I’d be successful with it.  With all the other psychic abilities I had my husband asked me if I could get in touch with his grandmother who had died several years earlier.

I tuned in to her energy and suddenly there she was in an apron holding a tray of warm cookies.  My husband confirmed that she used to make cookies for him on the afternoons he stayed with her.

I’ve always found my psychic gifts rather like any other gift.  If you’re gifted at playing the piano, you try different styles and pieces like jazz, classical, pop, etc… Some styles you enjoy more than others, some you do better than others.  Sometimes you surprise yourself and realize you can do one style well that you’d never tried before.

I love remote viewing as well.  When I’m in the midst of a reading, seeing other places, describing houses, rooms, etc., it’s all very easy and natural.

And the conversation continues…here’s Part IV (if you need to catch up, here’s Part I, Part II & Part III)

Melissa Van Rossum: How about gifts other than mediumship abilities? Most of us have gifts in all of the 4 ‘clairs’ clairvoyance, clairaudience, claircognizance, and clairsentience, though 1 or 2 tend to stand more prominent.

For example, I have abilities in all areas, but my clairsentience is the strongest with clairvoyance running a strong second.  I know your mediumship abilities are strongest for you.  What other abilities do you enjoy?

Jamie: I also have some insignificant (so far anyway) moments of precognition. For instance, if I’m listening to the radio in my car while driving, I may be able to know the next song being played maybe eight to ten times in a row. It’s a fun little game I play with myself, to keep count of the roll I’m on. To the world at large, this is a useless ability, but a lot of fun for me! I seem to have no control over when this ability shows up. It is pretty few and far between, but I love it when it happens.

Melissa Van Rossum: Those are fun moments, and validating, too.  I often have visions of places where I’ll soon be traveling.  So I’ll see the streets of L.A. or the mountains or wherever and soon enough an invitation opens up or an opportunity presents itself.

Jamie: As far as clairvoyance is concerned, I have had times when I have unexplainable visions of things either past, present or future. When I have had these while sleeping, historically I chalked it up to “just a dream”. However, in the recent past, I have had them while awake. I remember one recently when I was working on the laptop on my couch and just seemed to leave my present surroundings. This was the first time I had ever had this happen while I was awake. It was confusing when I came to. I wasn’t sure if I had dozed off or what exactly happened, but I knew what I experienced was not “just a dream”. Now this particular vision was set several years from now (I could gauge by my children’s ages), so I won’t be able to tell you until then if I am correct or not (I’ll keep you posted though. Ha!)

Melissa Van Rossum: Ah, very cool.  Yes, please, keep us posted.  I have to be careful about drifting into that kind of state when I’m driving.  It happens less so now that I often have chatty kids in the back seat; but whenever I’m in the car alone, I can drift into another place.  It’s a little disconcerting to come to and not quite realize where you are.

Once when I was driving I drifted off to some other place of consciousness and when I came back I couldn’t figure out where I was.  It was quite a jolt of terror when my eyes focused and I wasn’t where I had just been — if that makes any sense.  I had to pull over to the side of the road and call my husband to help me.  He finally got me to a landmark I recognized and everything was okay after that.

Comforting thought that I’m out there on the roads, isn’t it?  Fortunately it doesn’t happen often and my kids keep me pretty grounded. : )

www.theirwayhome.com

Follow both of us on Twitter!

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www.twitter.com/reluctantmedium

And the conversation continues…Part III :

(if you missed the first two installments of this conversation, you can check them out as well. Part I & Part II)

Melissa Van Rossum – Share more with us about your gifts, how you experience them in your everyday life and how you decode your experiences.

Jamie, Reluctant Medium – As far as how I decode my experiences, well, I’m still learning to even recognize them and I know I miss a lot of things! But I’m catching many more than I used to. I finally realized that there is no such thing as a coincidence. Then I started really paying attention to what I was being guided to do and all the interesting ways I was being told. Sometimes I still get frustrated when I can’t quite figure it out…I often wonder when sometimes I hear their voices so clearly, why won’t they just tell me that way instead of making it a riddle! Ugh! Other times, when I do “get it”, I get quite excited with my accomplishment! A lot of the time it takes several “coincidences” and distance before the light bulb clicks on. I also find that if I put too much energy into figuring it out, it somehow hinders the process. Relaxing about it and just being quiet and listening is what it takes. I am certain I am now following the right path as everything is just falling into place as I walk down that path. I often wonder if those in spirit around me helping me along the way are like, “FINALLY! We’ve been trying to tell you for years!” Ha! I’m betting they’re pretty patient though. They’d almost have to be, right?

Melissa Van Rossum – I know what you mean.  When something that I’ve been focusing on for a while finally becomes clear … I actually hear cheering and applause…  I think they’re probably cracking open champagne on the Other Side.

Looking back it’s easy to see the multitude of signs, ‘coincidences’, stories and guidance that were available long before the clarity came.  In All You’ve Ever Known I write about how it takes an extraordinary amount of strength and patience to be a spiritual guide.

The signs they send us, the people that are put in our path who bring us guidance, all of these bits of information and intelligence hang in our aura like ornaments on a tree until we’re ready to reach out and accept them.

It can be frustrating to know that there are guides and others on the Other Side who already know the answers we seek.  But ultimately, I think that the process of figuring it out, decoding our experiences – psychic and otherwise, isn’t a process where the answers are held from us. Rather it’s a process that is set up in such a way that requires growth on our part — so that once we get it, once we receive it, that the wisdom can never be taken from us.

As psychics and sensitives, we need the kind of strength that only authentic wisdom can bring.

Information offered like pablum is easily forgotten and the preciousness of it is rarely valued.  But when we are required to grow and evolve in understanding, and to release our fear in order to get to the answers, the wisdom, and the inner peace, we have an undying respect for what we’ve learned.

Let’s talk next time about how you know it when you’ve successfully ‘decoded’ a psychic experience or the psychic meaning of an experience as well as the other types of gifts that you have.

If you have been following my blog, you know how much I enjoy Melissa Van Rossum’s perspectives and can relate to her experiences. When I received a tweet from her asking me to be a guest blogger, interview style for her blog, I was honored, to say the least. Here’s how the conversation is going so far:

• Part I

• Part II

I’ll be sure to keep you updated with the next installments as they are posted.

Another insightful article by Melissa Van Rossum (with some comments from me!)

About a decade ago I was attending a church that sent out the minister’s upcoming sermons in their newsletter. Over the next month he would be teaching on “The Evils of Psychics, Astrology, Tarot and the Paranormal”

Uh-huh. That marked the last Sunday I attended that church.

A friend suggested I make an appointment with the minister and perhaps do a reading for him. She thought that might open his mind.

I didn’t follow through on that idea partly out of fear of what that minister’s potential reaction might be. He ran (and still runs) one of the largest conservative churches in Atlanta and wields a considerable amount of influence. If he had decided to toss my name out to the congregation that week I might still be getting phone calls. At the time I didn’t see much sense in stepping out in front of what looked to me like an oncoming bus.

But I also declined because the point of my readings and abilities are not to convert or to prove anything to anyone really.

I often wonder what that minister and the church members must think today of the popularity of Medium, Ghost Whisperer, Psychic Kids – Children of the Paranormal, Ghost Hunters, Paranormal State and Ghost Hunters International.

Even though they’re an organization that, in part, teaches a belief in life after death, I doubt they’d be open to any truth other than their strict interpretation of what happens after you die.

Ahhh, it’s my childhood all over again.

But thankfully, the veil continues to lift and their are more psychics and mediums living out loud who voice their experiences. God bless you all.

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Here’s what I think:

You’ve probably noticed by now, I’m a fan of Melissa’s work. I frequently agree and relate to what she has to say, which is why I choose to share certain articles of hers with you. This particular post struck a cord and hit close to home with me. I recently had someone walk out of my life abruptly after learning of my abilities. I had become close to their family over the past 5+ years. She chose to cut off contact due to her religious beliefs, thereby, me being a “danger” to her children. I was then written a letter outlining all of the biblical proof (and I use that word loosely here) that I was surrounded by nothing but “evil spirits and demons”. I know the intention of that letter was to sway me towards the god she claims exists, but completely achieved the opposite. It is that close-mindedness that I want no part of.

Mostly I am saddened that she is operating on a daily basis out of fear. I’ve lived that life. It is not a fun way to live.

I am also saddened by what her children may think of me. I had a bond with those kids and would never want them to believe I am “evil” or would ever cause them harm.

I would love to live in a world where people think outside the little boxes they cram themselves into.

I would love to live in a world where anything is possible. A world where it could even be possible that our faiths and belief structures may not be exactly right…and accept and embrace that. Be open to the possibilities.

A world where what happens after we die may not be as clear cut as some think.

Another insightful article by Melissa Van Rossum

As an empath and a psychic, I’ve interacted with ghosts all of my life. When I was five, one of them became my favorite playmate and stayed with me for several years. My family called her my “invisible friend”. Ghosts are everywhere – churches, bars, historical sites – and occasionally they plant themselves as uninvited guests in people’s homes. Though not all of them are as friendly as my childhood friend was.

One ghost whom I met a few years ago, was a man who had committed suicide in his home. Blinded by despair and fueled by rage, he shot himself in the head. Years later, the house had been sold to new owners, but the original owner stayed on in what he believed to still be his home.

He took pleasure in haunting the new family whenever he could, and enjoyed a real charge out of their fearful and angry reactions. The mother of the new family was sensitive to the ghost’s presence and she knew whenever he was around. Rather than being bothered by him though, she considered it a novelty to have a ghost in her house. Even though his energy was rageful and depressed, she ignored the impact this had on her homelife and her family.

Finally, at her family’s encouragement, she went to a local metaphysical store to seek out a way to send him home. They sold her an oil called dragon’s blood and a smudge stick, telling her these items would make the ghost would go away. And of course, these things didn’t work.
When I was much younger and trying to get the ghosts to leave my home and property, several other psychics told me that the ghosts were there because of the wartime history of the surrounding land. They recommended I hold a ceremony where I blessed the land and assured me the ghosts would go away. They didn’t. In fact, they stood around and watched me and I conducted my ceremony.

I’ve found that purification and blessing ceremonies, while useful in their own right, usually do more harm than good if you’re trying to get rid of a ghost. Why? Because they don’t work. And that often generates more fear.

Getting rid of a ghost isn’t hard if you know what you’re doing. I know. I’ve guided thousands of them home. But most people are truly very afraid of ghosts and at the very least, they are negatively affected by their unsettling energy. When people feel afraid they can become desperate. And once they become desperate, they open the door for someone to take advantage of them.

Too often, in situations such as these, there is someone willing to sell you something like an oil or a smudge stick or a ceremony, that may very well be effective for other things, but these things won’t remove a ghost from your property.

In my book, Their Way Home, My Adventures as a Ghost Guide, I share the process I use to guide ghosts home. It’s simple, easy to follow and anyone can do it. I enjoy sharing my book and process with people because it puts the power back in their hands, where it belongs.
Melissa Van Rossum is an accomplished psychic, empath and author. It is her life’s work to help people awaken to their dreams by showing them how to tap into their own Divine Guidance. Their Way Home shares stories of her encounters with real life ghosts who searched her out in their quest to find their way home.

Another insightful article by Melissa Van Rossum

Children tend not to doubt what they see and sense as adults often do. When someone is in the room with them they acknowledge that person – whether or not that person has a body.

It’s usually only after repeatedly being told that they’re making things up that children begin to doubt what they see, feel and hear.

If you interact with a child who tells you about something you can’t yet see or sense, flow with it. Validate it for them or give them comfort if that’s what they need. Just don’t discount them.

Let them teach you how to trust yourself again.

www.theirwayhome.com
www.allyouveeverknown.com
www.twitter.com/ghostguide