Talking To The Dead

Imagine one day, being able to take a small device about the size of an iPod out of your pocket or purse, pressing a button and connecting with your dear aunt Sarah in the “afterlife.”

According to paranormal researcher Rosemary Ellen Guiley who co-authored the book, Talking to the Dead, we may be on the edge of a breakthrough in technological advancements in spirit communication that could yield regular exchanges with the other side.

The book, which debuted late last year by Coast to Coast AM’s George Noory and Guiley describe a spectrum of technological developments in talking to the departed. Those in the field of paranormal research have a working knowledge of some of the more cutting edge spirit communication devices since the advent of EVP or electronic voice phenomena; a process by which inexplicable voices are heard during the playback of a tape recorder, although not heard initially at the time of the recording. But in recent years, a phenomenon called “Real-Time EVP” which as the name implies, allows the experimenter or “operator” to speak to the dead - live - has reached many in the larger community of people interested in making contact, often for their own personal reasons.

Margaret Downey, an LA based spirit communications researcher works with the bereaved to help them have their own communications via real time EVP or as she calls it “simulated real time” – a delayed conversation in which she periodically stops to review the recordings as they go along. Downey also works in collaboration with intuitive channel and film producer Lisa Winther-Huston to conduct sessions for the bereaved. The pair was featured on an episode of the Biography Channel’s My Ghost Story. Like many who actively work in this area of the paranormal, Downey and Winther-Huston claim to have assistance from discarnate entities vis-a-vis the devices they use, to help them perfect the process of communication. Some of these associates even describe themselves as never incarnating in human form. Names such as ethereals have been used to describe entities who exist in higher realms or parallel worlds and have pronounced themselves as helpers to those wishing to hone their skills in using technology for spirit communication.

Consciousness Plays a Major Role

Despite the advancements in technological spirit communication over the last 100 or so years including Thomas Edison’s purported interest in possibly dialing up the dead, there appears to be a consistent theme occurring among practitioners who receive a good measure of success. Natural mediumistic ability appears to be a common denominator in effective spirit communication. When psychic ability is active within the practitioner, the device used becomes a tool or perhaps an amplifier but not the actual source of the connection that’s being made. The consciousness of both the operator and the spirit communicator, along with pure desire and intent become the dominant ingredients for the intersection of energy and the resulting communication to take place.

Mark Macy, a practitioner and researcher of EVP and ITC or instrumental transcommunication, was told during a series of dreams and out of body experiences that “too much emphasis just on the technology would not produce success.” The consciousness of the practitioner is of utmost importance in achieving a connection.

Martha Pierce Copeland of Atlanta is one who used EVP in hopes of easing the burden of losing her daughter, but became so convinced of its efficacy she later went on to found one of the most well known spirit communication support groups for the grief stricken. However, one poignant message which came from her daughter during her early experiments using a computer made her realize the necessity for our own internal mechanism for contact. Awakened in the middle of the night Copeland heard the voice of her daughter in her mind saying, “You do not need to use the computer. You can hear me in your mind.”

Could it be that those in the afterlife, higher dimensions and parallel worlds understand something that we can’t fully assimilate as yet? Whether it be divining practical wisdom about our daily lives or dialoguing with the departed, we are the source of the results we seek; it is consciousness creating the connection.

Spirit Communication and Electromagnetic Energy

Rosemary Ellen Guiley even acknowledges that the devices may be tapping into levels of consciousness and processes we don’t yet understand. That said, apparently EVP does have an important role to play. This raises the question as to whether there is some sort of intersection of energy that occurs when an electromagnetic resonance is achieved between the operator, the device and the discarnate communicator.

Guiley who has been a regular experimenter of several real-time EVP devices including one called the “minibox” did an in-studio demonstration prior to going on-air with George Noory for his popular Coast to Coast AM broadcast. During the demonstration Noory asked why there was a need for a lot of background noise. “In order to talk to us, those in another dimension seem to do best when we give them a background of sounds. They’re not using the vocal cords of the living,” states Guiley. The communicators have said that “they manipulate energy on their side and sound on ours.”

As is well known, everything in our known universe including our selves operates within an electromagnetic spectrum. Ultrasonic sound frequencies occur well above 20 KHz, typically outside the range the human ear can pick up. However with the aid of certain background sounds, such as radio static coupled with the frequencies of the human electromagnetic energy field, the device may build a bridge where the EM frequencies can begin a resonance with each other and communication then ensues.

In fact, it has been recently discovered that the human heart actually emits much more energy both electrically and magnetically than that of the brain, making it a powerful conduit for connecting with energy sources well outside of our typical sensory system. This information would support the idea that an emotional connection, pure intent and love play a vital role in making a successful connection with loved ones in spirit.

Clearly, Talking to the Dead is a book whose focus is squarely on the history and advancements in technological spirit communication, however its consistent intimations of the vital role that psychic ability, consciousness and even alchemy play as necessary elements in bridging dimensional realms does not go unnoticed.

The book achieves balance by nicely weaving in correlations with experiments throughout the history of spirit communication, including the common theme that the discarnate communicators often play a support role in helping humans to develop such feats of technological expertise.

Rounding out its offering, the book also covers such elusive aspects as spirit forensics, the dark side in the lower astral realms and even sex in the afterlife.

Talking to the Dead gives readers a breadth and scope of resources for further investigation and also offers suggestions in its appendix for experimenting on your own with EVP.

One question that emerged both at the book’s beginning and end: what will be the societal implications once irrefutable proof of an afterlife is revealed, perhaps through the advancement of technology? Certainly our beliefs will be challenged; perhaps our entire worldview will need to be re-examined. We appear to be on the threshold of a paradigm shift for the entire planet, the information this book offers couldn’t be timelier!

As stated in its final pages: “Proof of the afterlife and communication with the Other Side will give us new knowledge of the process of dying and the transition to a new state of being. Redefining death will lead to a redefining of life. We will alter choices we make about how we live life.”

Give Talking to the Dead a read and contemplate the possibilities of life and beyond.

Learn more about "talking to the dead," and the phenomenon of "after-death communication" in Alexis' new revealing and  best-selling book, Conscious Musings - Contemplations to Transform Life and Realize Potential!

Whitney’s Home-Going, Cissy’s Signal and the Omniscience of Spirit

“Death is not the end, it is simply walking out of the physical form and into the spirit realm, which is our true home. It’s going back home.” – Stephen Christopher

The sudden passing of Whitney Houston left an indelible mark on millions of people who adored and cherished her vocal prowess, gleaming good looks and super iconic image. The timing could not have been more poignant – on the eve of music’s biggest night – The Grammy Awards. The news soared through the airwaves - seemingly faster than the speed of light. One of those moments where many will never forget where they were when they heard of the tragedy. As for me, I happened to be on a plane en route to Los Angeles to celebrate the 75th birthday of my own Grammy award winning cousin, jazz legend Nancy Wilson. My husband and I were so looking forward to spending a couple days in L.A. and then a drive to my family's 2,000 acre ranch near Palm Springs and a relaxing few days celebrating Nancy’s birthday. Nonetheless the news which conveniently carried on the TV screens of our jet heading west quickly eclipsed any chance of settling in comfortably for a long flight across the country. We virtually spent the entire 6 hour flight watching as the news unfolded with all its layers of so called “information” about what happened to Whitney.

Just one week later however what I, and many others at this point, have now read – a moving and frankly stunning letter to Whitney from her Mom which splashed the back page of her memorial program, amazed me even more – Cissy Houston’s revelation that she had been told by the Holy Spirit at Whitney’s birth that her daughter would not be with her long. Further Cissy recounted in the letter how she had been depressed, sad and crying for the last two months although she did not understand why this was so. In what was perhaps the most stunning of the confessions, she tells of the day Whitney would die, although not aware of it at the time, how the doorbell of her residence kept ringing, but when she went to answer it – no one was there. In hindsight Cissy believed this to be the spirit of her daughter coming to see her.

These are absolutely amazing scenarios that Cissy felt she needed to share with Whitney and ultimately, the world. Amazing at first glance, but the themes articulated in this poignant letter are not unfamiliar to many - both personally and in the field of “psi” and “survival of consciousness” research.

The data about such phenomena as premonitions or “presentiment,” a term used by psi researcher Dean Radin of which he defines as “a vague, non cognitive sense that something good or bad will occur,” suggests that our central nervous system has the capacity to respond to events and activities that have not yet played out in linear time. Cissy’s sense of foreboding, expressed by an insistent depression and sadness some two months prior to her daughter’s passing seems to indicate some aspect of presentiment taking place.

We’ve no doubt heard these sorts of accounts before. The literature is replete with instances, in particular of a loving parent receiving a nudge – a dream, a sense of something serious that is about to or has already happened to their child. This was no exception.

In Dr. Larry Dossey’s book The Power of Premonitions, he discusses research that was produced by the Institute of HeartMath, out of Boulder Creek, California, in which there is evidence showing “that the heart may register future events before the brain does,” thereby suggesting that the heart is a stronger conduit for events that may happen outside of our space-time continuum, and moreover that it is our link to receiving this information into conscious awareness. Given the emotional bond that can exist between a parent and child, incidents of premonition or presentiment occurring with the parent lend due credence to this theory, and that the heart’s emotional resonance may act as a doorway to be able to see, hear and moreover feel “future” events.

But what about the incident where Cissy laments about how the doorbell continuously rang, but no one was at the door? She even goes farther to say that she checked with her building’s concierge to find out whether they had seen anyone enter the building and go toward Cissy’s residence. They saw no one!

It is ironic that this month at Higher Journeys we are covering such issues as life after death and the evidence for such a phenomenon. After Death Communication or ADC’s of which I covered at some length in my review of the book Hello from Heaven discusses the myriad ways a person can be contacted by their deceased loved one. Although you could roughly put the “doorbell” experience in one of several categories, including: auditory ADC’s (which is typically hearing a voice), ADC’s of physical phenomena or material ADC’s seem to be quite a common occurrence among experiencers. Material ADC’s cover a range of physical phenomena that can occur either at or just after the death of someone, often a loved one. Accounts of lights turning on and off, doors opening and closing and even objects moving and levitating have been reported. I personally have experienced such phenomena of which I would put in this category. On the day my father-in-law passed away, we had just left the hospital and returned to the family home in New Jersey. After a short while, we began to witness one of the living room lamps turn on and off at least three times by itself. The lamp did not have a short and never displayed such behavior prior to. On another occasion, another family member recounted an incident on the day of his mother’s funeral. Mourners had gathered at the home of the loved one for a reception. While sitting at the dining room table, several witnessed a glass inexplicably lift slightly and sweep across to the other end of the table. This family member is convinced that it was the spirit of his deceased mother.

These phenomena are thousands, perhaps millions in number and have occurred throughout human history. Cissy Houston apparently witnessed first-hand the miracle of her daughter’s spirit coming to signal her transition. Although the data alone could make a plausible case for life after death, I think what will carry as absolute validation of such a phenomenon is the anecdotes that persist in our own experience both individually and universally. For as Albert Einstein once said, “The only source of knowledge is experience.”

On another sad and ironic note, on the day of Whitney’s service, my husband and I - still out in California amid the quiet mountains of the high desert, received a call that our cat Paws, who had been ill, was dying. Invariably, while we both sat on the phone with the doctor in tears, Paws took his last breath lying in the arms of a loving caretaker at the hospital. The night before he passed, I dreamt that we were at home and I kept hearing his meowing, loud and distinct but I could not find him. Fate it is said is not without a sense of irony – My love for this angelic animal triggered what I will call a presentiment that I shall never forget.

Rest in peace, Whitney and Paws. Much love and eternal life to you both!

Footnote: The author has decided to not quote directly from the “letter” described herein due to the nebulous nature of whether its dissemination was intended by the family of Whitney Houston. If you are interested in seeing the program and the letter, you will find many copies of it available online, although I urge you to use constraint in its further dissemination out of respect for the family and the fact that legally, this may not be public domain.

Further Reading:
The Power of Premonitions – How Knowing the Future Can Shape Our Lives, Larry Dossey, M.D.
(Click on the book image below to purchase from Amazon)

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Investigating Life Beyond Death

The prospect of the afterlife has both eluded and intrigued mankind since the beginning. The “survival of consciousness” theory has been studied, scrubbed, and hypothesized from virtually every conceivable angle and still, no one knows for sure just what, if, or how it exists. I covered the “survival” issue in two of my previously published articles: Hello from Heaven as well as my interview with psychic medium John Edward in an effort to glean some insight as to what this is all about. Still, I can only wonder and no doubt continue to be amazed!

To kick off our February Afterlife series, it is my pleasure to welcome New York Times bestselling author, Eldon Taylor as a guest blogger to Higher Journeys. Eldon is an award winning author of over 300 books, and audio and video programs. He is the inventor of the patented InnerTalk technology and the founder and President of Progressive Awareness Research. He has been called a “master of the mind” and has appeared as an expert witness on both hypnosis and subliminal communication.

Eldon does an incredible job of investigating this highly provocative subject, maintaining neutrality throughout and inviting the reader to explore along with him as he presents a well rounded and multifaceted approach to his research. I encourage you to take a listen to the interviews he conducted, which boasts incredible depth and perspective and from a broad range of sources on a subject that continues to gain interest and momentum among the masses – life after death!

Enjoy!

Investigating Life Beyond Death by Eldon Taylor

The idea of life after death is a subject that cynics often debase by using that old Freudian logic, “Religion is a sugar-coated neurotic crutch.” They may continue by drawing on the words of the philosopher, John Wisdom, pointing out that it’s a bit like having Daddy at the end of the hall when you have a nightmare or become afraid.

The Creator by whatever name is of course responsible for providing an after-life. As such, it doesn’t matter if you’re a deist or theist or even an agnostic, proof of the after life does not necessarily imply the living existence of the Creator. After all, as some have insisted, God may have created everything but then he must have died or there would be no evil in the world, and so forth.

Personal Consciousness Surviving the Grave?

Now this article is not intended to investigate the various philosophies behind the notion of a Divine creator, but rather to tackle the idea of personal consciousness surviving the grave. For in the great grand scheme of it all, it is the next step from this earth plane that should be of our utmost interest.

Thirty years ago I gave little thought to the after-life, if any. Few of us actually turn our thoughts to dying when we’re young, vital and exploring the cornucopia of life. Then one day, in what seems as the blink of an eye, we are looking back on fifty, sixty and even more years and our interest in life after death takes on a new role. At least it did for myself and those around me.

My Research

I decided to investigate the matter and see just what evidence I could find. I was aware of the many stories regarding reincarnation but as a skeptic by nature, I was also aware of the frauds. I knew of the famous case of Bridey Murphy, by way of example, and how this story that grabbed the imagination of the world turned out to be easily dismissed as false.
I had seen specials on television and read books on electronic voice phenomena or ghost recordings. I purchased expensive special equipment and failed to capture any of my own. Still, I met a neurosurgeon who had the voice of his best friend on tape and the recording was made months after the friend had passed over. Could this be true?

I spoke with mediums and researched the history of their dialogues, séances and what not, all calling upon the deceased to share information about the other side. I even found a research study that purported to verify the veracity of certain claims made by some mediums. Still, I knew all about the skeptics opinion on matters of this nature and I had seen Professor Ray Hyman dupe an audience into believing he was psychic when in fact he employed only the skills and tools of a good psychologist. I had also read the papers of famous debunkers like Michael Shermer and as a result I knew all about cold readings, warm readings and the like. Indeed, as a former criminalist who specialized in lie detection and interrogation, I knew all about the information our faces and body give away without us ever speaking a word. So could I trust the medium?

I created a reconnoiter and systematically included all of the possible areas from which a good case might be built that would either prove or disprove life after death. My list included everything from near death experiences to animal psychics who allegedly speak with our deceased pets. I read the books, searched out the research papers, investigated both sides of the aisle, interviewed the experts, and when I was done I reached my verdict. To that end I have compiled seventeen interviews with experts from every area of enquiry and I would like your verdict. Did I prepare a case that either proves or disproves life beyond death to a standard of “beyond a reasonable doubt?”

What Do You Think?

Listen to all seventeen interviews absolutely free by going to this link today: Beyond A Reasonable Doubt

Visit Eldon's web site at: www.eldontaylor.com

Learn more about life beyond death and the phenomenon of "after-death communication" in Alexis' new best-selling book, Conscious Musings - Contemplations to Transform Life and Realize Potential!