Ballpark Estimate: $20 to $250 for DIY; $100 to $200 for visit with medium
Do you think it’s possible to communicate with the dead? Some people find comfort and solace in “speaking” to loved ones even after they are gone. But for others, this form of communication goes another step, as they use different methods to try to carry on actual conversations with people who have passed, and “listen” for answers and advice from those who are gone. Whether they are actually connecting with the dead, or whether this is wishful thinking at its best, depends on what you believe in the greater scheme of things.
Different Methods of Communication
If you believe you can communicate with people who are gone, or at least want to give it a try, there are several ways you can go about this process. The first approach is to hire a medium, which is someone who is able to serve as a “bridge” to help connect people with the spirits of those who have died.
The other way is to do it yourself through many various tools that some people believe are able to act as a link between the living and the dead. Some of these tools are simple items that you can even pick up at your local toy store.
It is important to note, though, that when you try to connect with the spirit world, you need to beware of people who might try to take advantage of you. There are many scam artists who will be all too happy to prey on someone who is desperate to communicate at all costs with a loved one who is gone, so be sure to proceed with caution when you are planning to spend any money on this goal.
Hiring a Medium
Most people wishing to contact the other side hire a medium to serve as the go between. Some say that this is a safer way to go, since the medium knows how to navigate through the after world. However, while some people who call themselves physics or mediums may genuinely have their senses more attuned and be able to “pick up” on different energy levels than the rest of us can, other mediums just pretend they have special powers to help people connect with the dead, while really, the only power they hold is knowing how to use trickery and special effects to fool you into believing what you want to hear, so you will part with your money.
But in the past, and also today, as well, it is important to note that all mediums are not the same. Depending on the kind of medium you use will determine what sort of experience you will have with your contact of the other side.
Mental mediumships use telepathy to correspond with the dead. They wander around, hearing and seeing the dead through their “third eye,” some sensing vibrations on a different plane of reality. These mediums say they have spirit guides, who communicate the other world to them and will often act as a “medium to the medium,” explaining what the land of the dead is like and who they meet on the other side.
Trance mediumships, on the other hand, are more dramatic than mental meduimships. This type of medium goes into a trance and is then “ridden” by the ghost. They begin to speak and act differently, sometimes even violently. Some of the mediums faint afterwards, as if the power of the spirit drained all of their physical energy.
Finally, in a physical mediumship, the medium goes into a trance, and then the spirit in the room uses the medium’s life energy to create physical manifestations, like rapping on the table, blowing into a trumpet, levitating a table or making a ghostly wailing sound surround you. Even though this kind of séance can be fun and theatric it is also the most likely to be fraudulent. These mediums have been known to use magic tricks, mentalism and special effects in order to achieve a powerful, yet fake, ghostly encounter.
How to Avoid Getting Scammed
If you want to find a medium you can feel you can trust, ask for referrals from others who have had positive experiences with this goal. Also, when you find someone you like, do a search online and see if you can find any positive, or negative, comments about the person’s work. Steer clear of mediums who seem to charge very high fees. To find out what the going rate is in your area, call several mediums (you can find them online or in the phone book) and get an idea of fees so you will know what you can expect it to cost to accomplish what you want. Finally, be aware when you meet with the medium how much personal information you are sharing. The more details you volunteer, the better able the medium will be to fool you with “knowing” things about you and your loved ones. A true medium will be able to give you some specific details that are personal to you without you cueing with them. If you meet with a medium and feel you are being fooled, it is wise to cut the visit short and avoid wasting any further money on a fraud.
What You Can Expect to Spend
When you hire a medium, the costs can run a wide range, since a lot depends on how many visits you plan to have and what you want to do with the medium’s help. That being said, there are some going rates that can at least give you an idea of what is reasonable for this service.
- Cost of hiring a professional medium: $100 to $200 per visit, with some mediums needing multiple appointments to complete the work you want
- You can also find many websites that advertise mediums that will talk with you over the phone. The cost averages between $ $2.50 to $4.50 per minute (Note that some psychic phone lines have a minimum amount of time you must pay for as well.)
Some people don’t want to go through the trouble and the expense of a medium when trying to contact the other side. There are many reasons for this. Some realize that mediums can easily fake contact and want to handle the communication themselves. Others won’t be satisfied with someone else serving as the go between and need the closure of their own personal contact. Finally, others have the desire to test the limits of reality in a controlled, scientific environment.
If you of these reasons, or a host of others, compel you to try communicating with those who are gone, there are many approaches you can take. First, you can try some free ways of contacting the dead. Just invite some friends over warning them ahead what they will be taking a part in. You can try table tipping, automatic writing, dowsing, and pendulum divination. Just realize that not everyone will be in favor of these methods, since some of them go against certain personal or religious beliefs.
Table tipping, dowsing and pendulum divination are simple, and rely on the spirit world answering yes or no questions.
Pendulum divination you can do yourself- just dangle a necklace with a pendant one end, so that is can “swing” back and forth. You hold it loose with your fingers so that it dangles down and then concentrate, saying a yes or no question out loud. If it swings one way it’s a yes, another way is a no, and in a circle it means “maybe”.
This is perhaps, the least impressive way of communicating with the other side.
Dowsing requires a Y shaped branch from a tree (preferably ash or willow). You hold the branch in your hand and ask a question. The dowsing rod should then twitch. Left to right is a yes, up or down is a no.
Table tipping is a little more interesting. You and a group of several friends sit around a table, hands palm down on the top. Everyone concentrates while one person asks a question. The table should begin to tip one way or the other, almost as if it is levitating. If it tips one way the answer is yes, another way the answer is no.
Automatic writing is a bit more interesting. One person sits down with a pen and a pad of paper, closing his or her eyes and concentrating on being open and receptive to spirits. The person should keep the hand relaxed. When he or she feels the impulse to write they should do so, keeping eyes closed and mind open. People should feel free to ask them questions and the spirit will respond through the random scribbles of the person in a trance.
Most of the methods listed above require no purchase, just using objects you probably already have around the house, so you won’t have to invest anything except a little bit of time.
These next two methods require you to go out and buy some specific tools and they do give a more precise series of answers rather than just “yes” or “no.”
The cheapest method is an Ouija Board, which costs about $20 and can be found at most toy stores. Using an Ouija Board is also a group effort, and is similar to table tipping, but gets a more accurate response. The group lays their hands on the planchette and then asks questions. The little triangle should start moving on its own, spelling out answers to questions using letters on the board. Sometimes the answers can be extremely specific and almost eerie. So be prepared if you go this route for the fact that some people may be spooked by this experience.
Getting Scientific
Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP) is one of the most frequently used forms of communication that professional paranormal investigators swear by. You need to buy a nice, high quality digital voice recorder, the higher the quality, the less static interference. Cost $150 to $250.
To experience EVP, go to a room or place you suspect to be haunted and sit down and ask a question. Your digital voice recorder should be recording the whole time. When you are done, listen carefully to the recording. If a spirit is present, you should hear answers to your questions. It’s hard to top EVP when it comes to impressive results when you speak to the dead.