answered question

answers (14)

lobo7922
0
Votes
BEST ANSWER  decided by votes   |  lobo7922  |  August 07, 2009 04:34 PM
It's impossible, and those that say they talk to the dead are making a profit of the people in pain for the loss of a beloved.

For example people like John Edward are using techniques calles "cold reading" and "Hot reading" search for information about those terms, and you will learn a lot.

From the Wikipedia about John Edward:

" Critics of Edward assert he performs the mentalist technique of cold reading. Choosing the first reading from a two hour tape of edited shows as a sample, magician and debunker James Randi found that just three of twenty three statements made by Edward were confirmed as correct by the audience member being read, and the three statements that were correct were also trivial and nondescript.

A 2001 Time article suggested that Edward used hot reading on Crossing Over.21 In another incident, Edward was said to have used foreknowledge to hot read in an interview on the television show Dateline. James Underdown of the Skeptical Inquirer attended a Crossing Over show in November 2002 and said "there were no indications of anyone I saw collecting information... none of his readings contained the kind of specific information that would raise an eyebrow of suspicion. ... John Edward was a bad cold reader. He, too, struggled to get hits, and in one attempt shot off nearly forty guesses before finding any significant targets."

Another criticism has been that Edward's accuracy on television is inflated by the editing process. After watching the broadcast version of the show he had attended and recorded, Underdown attributed a great deal of Edward's accuracy on television to editing and wrote, "Edward's editor fine-tuned many of the dead-ends out of a reading riddled with misses." In 2002, Edward said, "People are in the studio for eight hours, and we have to edit the show for time, not content. We don't try to hide the 'misses'."

Edward has denied ever using foreknowledge, cold or hot reading. "

About Cold reading in the wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_reading

About Hot reading in the wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_reading

Would you say that David Copperfield truly does fly like Superman? No? then how can you believe in the tricks of any other magician? John Edward and all the others that claims to be able to talk to the dead arejust that magicians that are trying to cheat on you.

Don't allow them you are smarter than that.

Good luck :)

Comment
colonial b...
colonial butros  |  August 10, 2009 12:41 AM
I've heard James Randi say on numerous occasions that he sent a letter to John Edward and got the response "Mr. Edward doesn't respond to criticism." What is that crap. What does he have to hide?
mithrandir
5
Votes
mithrandir  |  August 07, 2009 10:25 AM
I'm sorry to disappoint you, but no-one (not even Char!) has ever been able to establish that. The dead cannot talk back, that's the essence of being deceased, and probably the biggest benefit of having passed on.

Even though there are many 'mediums' that claim to be able to talk to the dead, every single one of them has been proven to be frauds, so don't spend any money on that either.

If you feel you have unfinished business with a dead person, I would suggest visiting his/her final resting place and talk to his/her gravestone. It will definitely make you feel better, and if you believe in afterlife, this is your best chance of getting the message across.

I don't expect the M$5 to be awarded for this, as I have not provided you with a method to communicate with the dead, but I hope you accept this honest answer, and can continue with your life.
Comment
mithrandir
mithrandir  |  August 07, 2009 11:25 AM
Darn, time ran out for editing.

Just for shows, Here is a video in Dutch (sorry) showing how fake Char is...
http://www.webscene.nl/video.aspx?sr=1&vid=YT4SEMKNoUmdw2nj22l_QQ
asw44
asw44  |  August 07, 2009 06:51 PM
The funny thing is, I am Dutch ^^
mithrandir
mithrandir  |  August 07, 2009 06:53 PM
This is the moment I am supposed to say: "Yes, I knew that"... :)
davo
0
Votes
davo  |  August 07, 2009 10:56 AM
Loudly.

I think it is often a source of scam artist to sucker people into believe that some how they can speak to the dead. The thing is that I don't think there is any special skill or ability needed. All methods are based on faith. Faith in someone's ability or your own. The bigger question is what baring would anything the dead have to say have on your life? Sure there is that big, what's after death question but beyond that what can we learn that will effect your life? Any unresolved issues you have with this person are never going to be resolved or changed. Things are done and over and the only thing the living can really do is move forward and into the future. One lesson that can be learned is if you have some pressing question, ask the person before they are dead.
Comment
asw44
asw44  |  August 07, 2009 06:54 PM
That was a kind of impossible :P
mery
-1
Votes
mery  |  August 07, 2009 02:56 PM
hello

we can not speak to dead people in real life because there are not with us i think the only way is our dreams but i think that if we do somthing good for them like feeding poor people ... they will receive it like a beautiful gift from us.

voted unhelpful: drmatt

Comment
coltech88
0
Votes
coltech88  |  August 07, 2009 03:08 PM
I do not discourage you in you desire to pursue this path. This type of communication is out of the realm of the ordinary person's experience and it is actively discouraged within our Judeo-Christian culture, so it is to be expected that you would receive negative responses.

If you are intent on this path, I offer you the following information:

1.) a definition of necromancy,
2.) some background information on it as available on a link in Wikipedia,
3.) a book that is recommended in this area,
4.) an excerpt from a text file that I have on necromancy and a medium
from that organization, and
5.) two other recommended mediums from a web site
6.) advice from a thoughtful member of a spiritualist church

Necromancy - calling forth spirits of the dead

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necromancy

Raymond Buckland's book, Doors to Other Worlds: A Practical
Guide to Communicating with Spirits (Llewellyn, 1993).

From a text file OnNecromancy.txt:

Necromancy is not about bones or blood or putrid corpses. It is about
reaching across from one state of being to the next. The necromancer
is not some grave-robbing black magician but a shamanic initiate who
harnesses the between-state for the power of destruction and recreation
that it brings. If we are to explore this fascinating and liberating
magickal art, we have to explode our preconceptions of what it is,
and to do that, we have to abandon the ghost-stories told to us by
Agrippa and other contemporary writers. Rather than looking at the
texts which are clearly an outgrowth of the witchcraze era, we should
look within, where life and death meet inside ourselves, to truly
understand where to begin.

The following mediums are given, but with no guarantee:

Mediums: jackie@kheperu,
from: http://www.mediumchannel.com/
Chuck Bergman
Denise Lescano

Spiritualism

It is best to wait for the pain of your grief to settle before you have a one to one consultation with a medium. We suggest that as a first step you seek solace at a Spiritualist Church. This will not only give you insight into how mediumship works but will also surround you with people who have trodden the same path and had personal proof that death is not the end. You will find hope, comfort and friendly non-intrusive support. You will smile again but it will take time before the healing process is completed.
www.psychics.co.uk/spiritualism/
source(s):
see the sources within the text
Voted as best: jeansquared
Comment
silverhamm...
silverhammer  |  August 07, 2009 03:46 PM
If communication with the dead were possible I'd say this is the best answer posted so far on the subject, but the most you'd get out of an experience with a medium is communication with the medium - not the deceased.

This is one of the most popular subjects for scam artists as well as being attempted by the MOST well meaning individuals. The only problem is - it never works accurately.

People can learn to communicate with apes and no matter who is interpreting the words, you get the same responses logged. But you get one dead person and 1000 mediums and you get 1000 different messages because they are making up what things mean and where the information is coming from.

Some might even attribute the phenomenon as though the dead had their own language that even mediums don't fully understand, that's why each interpretation of the information is different. But I just made that up.

I can also make up 10 other ways to have the experience of communicating with the dead, some of them would be so convincing that you might actually have an experience that you'd label as successful. But I'd be misleading you.

Is it more important for you to believe you have succeeded? Or to learn the truth?

One of the hardest things that people face when a loved one dies is the realization that they're gone. Actually gone and not just on an extended vacation with no cell phone.

Bottom line is, you can create any ritual you like. Label your experience as talking with the dead and no one can prove you wrong. People's ability to believe in things and subsequently experience something to support their belief is very common. It's rare for someone to believe in something and experience the contrary. Our brains simply filter it out or explain it as something else.
epicurus
0
Votes
epicurus  |  August 07, 2009 03:51 PM
I come from the philippines, we have the largest catholic population in asia, and speaking with the dead is being practice by some sect, by means of praying and a ritual of calling the dead person spirit. I have witness this phenomena , where a relative of a murdered person wanted to know direct from the dead person mouth who had killed him. It is hair rising experience hearing the dead person voice coming out from a tool, a tool is a live person which the spirit can used a medium or a flatform. the tool behave in a trance like state when the spirit entered his/her body. The bad side to this is you will be disturbing a soul thats already RESTING IN PEACE.
source(s):
SPIRITISTA SECT FOUND ALL OVER THE PHILIPPINES
Comment
drmatt
2
Votes
drmatt  |  August 07, 2009 05:16 PM
There are a number of techniques you can use although I've found that you need to practice these techniques so you can become confident.

I've found the best technique is the use of guided imagery (aka hypnosis). Put yourself in a nice, relaxed state and then imagine the person with you, then have a conversation! It's important to let go of any analysis (you can always analyze later).

Free writing might be another solution. Imagine the person and then, perhaps, imagine becoming/merging with them. Then, allow yourself to write down whatever comes to mind. Flow with it and, again, don't analyze.

Short plug: I present a number of theories of how to remember past and future lives that fits well with this subject:

A Practical Guide to Healing by Remembering Your Past and Future Lives: Even If You Don't Believe

voted helpful: spoon, shinju

Comment
asw44
asw44  |  August 07, 2009 06:51 PM
But then it's all just your fantasy
drmatt
drmatt  |  August 07, 2009 07:56 PM
@asw44: Or... is it? It might all be fantasy... but it sure IS entertaining.
albanian
-1
Votes
albanian  |  August 07, 2009 05:19 PM
It is not possible to speak with the dead because the dead are dead and cannot speak. You can, however, spend money by giving it to people who will claim to be speaking for the dead. Personally, I recommend concentrating on speaking with the living.

If you are having trouble getting living people to speak with you, one possibility is buying them a beer. You could buy a dead person a beer, but you would wind up having to drink it yourself.

voted helpful: spoon, stanar

voted unhelpful: asw44, jfs, drmatt

Comment
stanar
stanar  |  August 07, 2009 10:11 PM
maybe if they had seen your earlier questions and comments on Beer, they wouldnt voted your answer unhelpful!!
albanian
albanian  |  August 07, 2009 10:51 PM
I think it's the fact that the dead are dead that they don't like. It's a shame in many ways, of course, but denying reality is foolish. On the other hand, having a beer is almost always sound advice. I believe much beer is consumed at Irish wakes.
awesome222
0
Votes
awesome222  |  August 07, 2009 05:35 PM
I was watching this show the otherday with some "medium" trying to contact peoples familys and she was soooo horrible. She got every single thing wrong and the audience was turned more skeptical after the whole ordeal..
The thing with mediums is they claim to contact family members and people you would relate to using methods such as empathy, cold-readings and this they get from a specific person, not an actual deceased person. Most mediums are very excellent people readers and tell you what you want to hear based on what you are expecting. you see what you want to see. Don't waste your time.

That being said, It is possible to talk to the otherside, but it is VERY dangerous. Contacting spirits is not like dialing a number and getting the person you want, its more like those crisscrossing wires where you get a signal, but you have no idea who you are talking to. And most beings on the other line aren't there to give you life's answers and tell you if so and so likes you. They want to play games and have fun, at your expense. Stay away from things like ouija boards and other "games". The more something proves its existance, the more you should back off.

Even then, you probably wont see a ghost sitting on your couch having a two-way conversation. It doesn't work like that and most ghost-seeings happen in altered perceptions (half-awake, on something, change in brain wave frequencies) which is why it is so hard to prove. The best way to get an answer or whatever is to trust your intuition. ask a question and look for signs via syncronicity. Never say never, but deliberatly contacting a tangible ghost are very dangerous and after the inital excitment will be regret. Be opened to the unexpected and don't live in fear and you may experience some stuff.
source(s):
personal experience
Voted as best: asw44
Comment
shinju
0
Votes
shinju  |  August 07, 2009 08:30 PM
I'm going to put myself on a limb here, and disagree with the majority of posters. My understanding and personal experience has been that bodies die but that spirits don't. When we die, we return to essence. Conversing with the "dead" is nothing more than essence speaking to essence.

Using a reputable medium is a good idea, but can be rather expensive. I had an excellent experience with one who hit on some very obscure personal details. The accuracy of a medium is very subjective, and only the individual can decide the authenticity of a medium's words. If your community has a metaphysical publication, you might start there to get more information about mediums in your area.

I have also had good results with a Ouija board. While it's considerably cheaper than a medium, it requires an open-minded partner. However, there are some people who are able to use the board alone. To the detractors, I say that the Ouija board is nothing more than a tool and, as such, has great potential for abuse. However, it doesn't make sense to stop using hammers because there have been people who have used them to hit other peoples' heads.

Free writing, as Dr. Matt suggests, is another excellent method.

You might also wish to look into the Seth series by Jane Roberts, for some life-changing insight.

You're welcomed to email me privately to get more information about my personal experiences.

Best wishes and keep an open mind.

Respectfully,
Shin
Comment
yaz20100
0
Votes
yaz20100  |  August 07, 2009 09:44 PM
unless you find someone to do it for you for free. it will be a stunt. although i don't think it is possible, but to try and keep an open mind, records of people that no longer exist provide similar expriences to that when they are alive. just like watching an old movie, you can still feel and connect to the actors, long time after they're gone. similar to that, you certainly need a record or at least something connected to this person. well the best thing is to find a video tape you haven't seen before. and the way I see it, that's the only possible experience you can have with a dead person!
Comment
drmatt
drmatt  |  August 07, 2009 10:14 PM
So, whether you can "talk to the dead" or not relies on whether or not money is exchanged?
ipaint
-2
Votes
ipaint  |  August 08, 2009 04:26 AM
The dead cannot talk to the living because at death they cease to exist. The Bible teaches that the dead are conscious of nothing at all - Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10
If that were not true why did Jesus weep when his good friend Lazarus died? Jesus likened it to sleep. He said that his friend was sleeping, and when people did not understand, he plainly said Lazarus has died. Psalms 37:10 & 11 says that mankind’s hope is a resurrection to perfect life in a beautiful restored paradise here on earth.
Who are people communicating with then? The Bible points to wicked angels pretending to be dead loved ones or others. If you doubt these answers, please research this yourself, it’s takes a little effort but anyone can figure it out.
source(s):
The Bible

voted unhelpful: albanian, asw44

Comment
presidents...
-2
Votes
presidentsmirky  |  August 08, 2009 04:30 AM
I can tell you how to talk to the dead, but you can only do it once.

voted unhelpful: drmatt, asw44

Comment
asw44
asw44  |  August 08, 2009 10:49 AM
Yeah, commit suicide -.-
laceymdues...
0
Votes
laceymduesterhoft  |  October 30, 2009 04:32 AM
It is such a frustrating topic. One million people could post on such a topic and there would be one million different thoguhts on it. I personally know many people who have had readings with clarvoyaints where very specific personal things were discussed and not in the manner of "cold reading"
"It's impossible, and those that say they talk to the dead are making a profit of the people in pain for the loss of a beloved"

.... Not everyone makes a profit from it.... and it is not impossible...In the case of someone like John Edward... maybe, but there are people that truly know how to channel the spirit guides and pass messages between the living and the dead....Just because you were not there to see a tree fall in the forrest does not mean that it didn't happen... and just because you may not have experienced someone communicating with the dead for you does not make it impossible...

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.

BIBLE, Romans 6:3-5

Ipaint quotes the bible as well as saying that you cannot talk to the dead because they seize to exist?? Really? Jesus Christ then as you quote doesn't exist either then.. correct???

Anyhow I feel like the best way to communicate with my mother who passed just last year is being alone and meditating in a sense, just saying things I feel. Sometimes I feel like she sends signs letting me know when she is around. And if that's what a person chooses to believe to help them cope with a loss it isn't an act of ignorance, just like the people who choose to believe in the Bible. It is faith, and faith and truth can both be argued, but argument can not shift faith nor truth.
source(s):
BIBLE
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