Table Of ContentTable of Contents
Title Page
Dedication
Copyright Page
Foreword
Introduction
Part 1 - The Spirit World
Chapter 1 - I See Dead People
Chapter 2 - Divine Purpose
Chapter 3 - Spiritualism: Continuity of the Spirit
Chapter 4 - Why Make Contact?
Part 2 - What’s on the Other Side?
Chapter 5 - Spirit Geography: Planes of Existence
Chapter 6 - Birth, Death, and Passing Over
Chapter 7 - Spirit Guides
Chapter 8 - Earthbound Spirits
Part 3 - Invoking the Spirits
Chapter 9 - Incoming Messages
Chapter 10 - A Little Help from the Pros
Chapter 11 - Tipping Tables and Blowing Horns: It Must Be a Séance!
Chapter 12 - Uncovering the Medium Within
Chapter 13 - Understanding the Message
Part 4 - Activating Your Spirit Senses
Chapter 14 - Mediumistic Sight, Hearing, and Knowledge
Chapter 15 - Telepathic Bridges
Chapter 16 - Psychometry: The Power of Places and Objects
Chapter 17 - Dream Weaver
Part 5 - Being: The Essence of Spirit
Chapter 18 - The Healing Power of Spirit Energy
Chapter 19 - Everything Is Spirit, Spirit Is Everywhere
Chapter 20 - Near-Death Experiences
Chapter 21 - Time, Space, and the Soul’s Life
Part 6 - Karmic Cycles and Soul Lessons
Chapter 22 - Mastering Your Spirit Gifts
Chapter 23 - Soul Patterns and Life Lessons
Chapter 24 - Using Spirit Energy to Heal the World
Appendix A - Glossary
Appendix B - Additional Resources
Index
For Jess: Life is Life
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Foreword
I admit I entered into my first reading with a genuine psychic medium on
January 15, 1999, a bit skeptically. Though open-minded enough to try a
medium, I really didn’t believe that people could see, hear, and talk with spirits.
In my late 30s at the time, I had never witnessed anything that led me to believe
in such “nonsense.” I went to see the medium because my brother-in-law, Derek,
told me she gave him a reading full of details—including names, dates, and
information a stranger could never know about him. Despite my skepticism,
Derek’s story intrigued me enough to risk the money it cost for the reading.
I ended up with much more than I expected that day. Rather than the normal one-
hour reading, I had a three-hour reading that left me sobbing like a lost child for
at least half of that time. I lost my psychic virginity and my manhood all in the
same day! The names, dates, and secret details of my life came through exactly
as Derek said his had. By the end of my reading, the medium had given me so
much evidence, my skepticism shattered.
This single event altered the course of my life. I had recently had a book
published about depression and bipolar disorder, and I had no idea what I would
write about next. But after these three hours of spirit communication through a
psychic medium with my deceased father and grandmother, I knew immediately
that my next book had to be about spirit communication. So I began my research
for Medium Rare.
The funny result, though, of being a skeptic for more than 30 years is that it
doesn’t prepare you for writing a book about spirit communication!
So I spent the next three years reading every book, magazine article, and website
I could find on the subject. Because the reading material never satisfied my
craving for a well-rounded education on spirit communication, I also immersed
myself in three years of frequent readings with extraordinarily gifted mediums
from around the world. Additionally, I interviewed these spirit messengers about
their life, their gift, and the wisdom they had gained from their communication
with spirits. And finally, I interviewed masses of people who had readings from
psychic mediums.
A short time after I wrote Medium Rare, I learned about the impending
publication of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Communicating with Spirits: the
one book that could have saved me years of reading, interviews, and
investigation. Well, thank you very much Idiot’s Guide people! You couldn’t
have thought of this book a little sooner? I forgive the publishers, of course,
because the author they chose to write this book, Rita Berkowitz, is both a dear
friend and an incredible medium who helped me along my journey. In fact, the
publisher discovered Rita by reading an article I had written about her on my
holistic online magazine, OfSpirit.com.
In my spirit explorations, I kept hearing about this incredible psychic medium
who could also draw the spirits she sees. The day I met Rita, my mind exploded
into pieces when I saw her portfolio of spirit drawings. Each spirit drawing had a
photo next to it of that person when he or she was still here on the earth plane. I
found myself dumbfounded at Rita’s ability to capture each spirit’s distinct
features: the eyes, the nose, the mouth, the ears, the hair—even the style of
clothing or jewelry he or she normally wore. I knew immediately I had to have a
reading from Rita and one of these stupefying spirit drawings.
Now a pro at getting psychic readings (or so I thought), I no longer got
emotional during my readings. But when Rita drew my grandmother, seeing
such a tangible display of evidence that Gram had survived death and was still
around me caused some tears to leak out and run down my cheek. (I faked a
yawn and wiped them off very quickly ….)
Elated with my spirit drawing and reading, I wrote about Rita on OfSpirit.com.
Since that article became public, people from around the world have thanked me
for introducing them to Rita Berkowitz. Rita is much more than a gifted medium
and spirit artist; she is also a gifted teacher. This truth was never more obvious to
me than when I received an advance copy of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to
Communicating with Spirits. Even with all I learned from my own research and
experiences writing Medium Rare, Rita’s book taught me insights about spirit
communication, spiritualism, and activating my own spirit senses of which I was
unaware.
Anyone interested in understanding the how and why of spirit communication or
desiring to communicate with spirits on their own will gain a depth of insight
from Rita’s wonderful book that is invaluable for spiritual growth. If there is one
thing I have learned in my three years of studying some of the most gifted
mediums in the world, it is that we all have a unique potential for
communicating with spirits—and we don’t need a psychic medium to do it for
us. I highly recommend you use the wisdom within this book to discover your
own potential for spirit communication and enhance the wonder and amazement
of your own, very personal, spiritual adventure.
Warmly,
Bob Olson
Bob Olson, editor of OfSpirit.com Magazine, is the author of Medium Rare: A
Skeptic’s Journey into the World of Spirit Communication and the Afterlife and
Win the Battle: The Three-Step Lifesaving Formula to Conquer Depression and
Bipolar Disorder. Bob writes and lectures on the subjects of spirit
communication, life after death, and the spiritual principles of success and
overcoming life’s obstacles. Contact Bob through the OfSpirit.com website at
www.ofspirit.com.
Introduction
Each of us has a different reason for wanting to communicate with loved ones
who have passed to the higher side. Many of us have unresolved issues and
concerns. Maybe you didn’t get to say “good-bye” or “I love you” before your
loved one passed. Perhaps the relationship was difficult. Maybe you just feel a
need to maintain a connection. Or maybe you want to establish evidence of the
continuity of life.
This book provides a foundation for you to explore your interest in spirit
communication. Whether you’ve already experienced spirit contact (yourself or
through a medium) or are just intrigued by the idea, you’ve come to the right
place.
Co-author Rita Berkowitz is an ordained Spiritualist minister, certified medium,
and commissioned healer. Throughout this book, we use stories and examples
from her experiences. To protect the privacy of others, we’ve changed the names
—but the stories are real.
Rita is also a talented artist. What she experiences as a medium, she can draw or
paint for her clients. Although the veracity of the information she conveys
during a reading is compelling enough by itself, seeing the image of a loved one
arise from Rita’s pencil and paper is irrefutable evidence of the continuity of life
beyond physical boundaries.
Rita’s spirit drawings appear throughout the book, along with photographs of the
person from physical life. The names and stories of these people are real, and we
thank them for being willing to share them with us—and with you.
