Ghosts Among Us

In honor of Halloween, and because there seems to be a surge in paranormal activity in the world (and in my personal life) right now, I have been reading the book, Ghosts Among Us: Uncovering the Truth About the Other Side, by medium and Ghost Whisperer producer James Van Praagh. This is an informative little book that could well be described as a Ghosts 101 manual. Van Praagh takes us on a journey starting with his own personal story and then goes on to explain some mysteries involving death, the spirit world and hauntings.

In each chapter a “practical” explanation is offered to some of our most burning questions regarding ghosts. His matter of fact and confident writing almost makes the reader feel like they are reading a textbook on the subject. In fact, the text was so straightforward and “normal” I was almost disappointed. I was expecting to be spooked and thrilled- but to Van Praagh, the spirit world is apart of his everyday life so he writes about it as such. He intersperses stories of his own personal experiences with the spirit world (and he has many)- some of them so fantastic you almost can’t help but believe.

Van Praagh is, of course, often met with heavy critics of his work. He writes about brushing aside those naysayers and staying true to his convictions and what he knows to be the truth about ghosts and the other side. In one anecdote, Van Praagh writes about going on the Howard Stern show. Stern, a very vocal critic of Van Praagh's, started the show by saying, “You know, I don’t really believe you can talk to the dead”. Van Praagh promptly replied, “I don’t care what you believe”. Needless to say, the interview went very well from that moment forward. Van Praagh insists that his spirit guides gave him strength to stand up to the shock jock.

Van Praagh also discusses how ghosts try to contact us via moving objects, flickering light bulbs, and showing up as "orbs" or other wispy figures in photographs. Throughout my life I have had personal experiences with all of the above and was thrilled to read other people's stories and know that I am a) not alone in these experiences and b) not crazy.

The most interesting part of the book, however, is when Van Praagh gives detailed descriptions on how to “make contact” with the other side. Here Van Praagh says that intention is the most important thing. One must have a motive behind wanting to contact ghosts, as ghost hunting is very involving and should not be taken lightly. The other components one needs to make contact are: permission, equipment, preparation, and investigation.

So for anyone who has had ghostly experiences in their life or anyone who is interested in making contact with the spirit world, James Van Praagh’s Ghosts Among Us is a great place to start.

Would love to hear about any ghostly encounters you daily connoisseurs have had...

Happy Halloween!

Image of book courtesy of: www.barnesandnoble.com

Ghosts Among Us can be purchased at: www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com