Halloween, Haunting & the Paranormal

Ghosts vs. spirits: what we think now

A few years ago we did a live on this very topic. One of us was firm that ghosts are simply spirits, that no one gets stuck, and that a haunting comes down to someone's perception. Our views have opened up since then. We know what we experience in our own work, but we can't know what someone else experiences, so we can't say a haunting won't or can't happen.

We don't necessarily think a spirit is stuck or unable to move on. We think spirits can return in visits, move in and out, or choose to be in a place for a reason. Honestly, we have a lot more questions than answers.

What is physical mediumship?

Physical mediumship is spirit communication that shows up in the physical world, such as taps or knocks, rather than only through a medium's thoughts, feelings and senses. Neither of us is a physical medium.

In the episode we talk about a scene mediums are praising in Sam and Colby's A Week at The Conjuring House. We haven't watched it yet, so we're sharing what other mediums have said: that it includes some of the best physical mediumship they've seen recorded in a paranormal setting. In the scene, Satori Hawes (the daughter of TAPS co-founder Jason Hawes) and her partner, Cody, hold hands and combine their energy to connect with spirit. They ask questions and listen for taps, once for yes and twice for no. To get a name, they go through the alphabet and listen for the tap on each letter. Because the taps have no obvious source, it's a more evidential form of communication.

When a "haunting" is spirit asking for your attention

Erin shares a story about a client who believes her home is haunted. Lights turned on after being switched off, and shoes fell from a shelf. They looked for ordinary explanations first, but it kept happening. Erin's read was that someone was trying to get her client's attention to say something needed fixing. The shoes had fallen near a toolbox, and the repair that was needed turned out to be in the boiler room.

I shared a similar story from the book Droplets of God by Mavis Pittilla, an evidential medium in England. She was called to an outdoor swimming pool where odd things kept happening. She connected with a man in spirit who, as I remember it, had drowned and was breaking light bulbs to get the lifeguards' attention, because some of the young staff weren't watching the children in the pool. He wasn't there to scare anyone. He was there to keep people safe.

The takeaway for both of us: most signs and synchronicities are spirit saying, "Hey, pay attention." It takes a lot of energy for them to come through, so they'll try whatever they can.

How spirit can feel in the body

Even though neither of us is a physical medium, we both feel spirit physically at times. A scratchy throat might have us wondering if the person we're connecting with smoked. During one group reading, one of us felt as if she were underwater and struggling to breathe. Afterward, someone said it was for them, because their loved one had been a diver who held their breath underwater to see how long they could. Readings take energy, so we both space out our sessions to give ourselves a few minutes to reset.

If strange things are happening in your home

• Rule out the ordinary first: lighting, plumbing, wiring, drafts and pets.
• If it still feels like more, ask what might need your attention. In both stories above, that was the message.
• Notice the details around the sign. In Erin's story, where the shoes landed pointed to the fix.

Listen, watch and keep exploring

You can listen to the full episode on the Soul Rising Podcast page. To learn more about the style of mediumship we practise, read What is Evidential Mediumship?.

If you'd like to connect with a loved one in spirit, I offer virtual mediumship readings for clients in the U.S., Canada and worldwide. You can find Erin at emsoulwrk.com.

Amy B. x