Jim Harold, host of The Paranormal Podcast and Jim Harold’s Campfire, is America’s top paranormal podcaster! In my interview with Jim, he shares stories from his journey, and he gives us a glimpse of his latest book,True Ghost Stories: Jim Harold’s Campfire 3.
Record your voice feedback directly from your device on mySpeakPipe page! Call the show at (775) 583-5563 (or 7755-TELL-ME). I would love to include your voice feedback in a future show.
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The Big Séance Podcast can be found right here, oniTunes, and onStitcher. Please subscribe, submit a rating, or share with a fellow paranerd! Do you have any comments or feedback? Please contact me atPatrick@BigSeance.com. Consider recording your voice feedback directly from your device on mySpeakPipe page! You can also call the show and leave feedback at (775) 583-5563 (or 7755-TELL-ME). I would love to include your voice feedback in a future show. The candles are already lit, so come on in and join the séance!
My readers know that I’m a fan of good books written by psychics/mediums. Right now I’m in the middle of The Gift: Understand and Develop Your Psychic Abilitiesby Echo Bodine, which was a book that Chip Coffey suggested to an audience member when I saw him this last fall.
In her book, Echo includes a section called “A Special Note to Teenagers”, where she talks about how teens should probably not be encouraged to develop their psychic abilities or gifts, because of how challenging being a teenager can be already. According to her inner voice, this isn’t a good idea because it would just be too much for them.
Keep in mind that this book was written ten years ago, and that Bodine isn’t suggesting we not be supportive of teens and their psychic abilities or gifts… just that they shouldn’t be encouraged to develop these gifts further… I guess. Even so, I was shocked by what she was suggesting.
So I’ll just put it out there. I disagree completely. As a middle school teacher for twelve years now, I’ve seen students overcome so many obstacles, and prove that they’re wise beyond their years. I’ve also seen that, in general, we have much to learn from most young people. Who are we to decide to hold them back from developing the exceptional gifts that they may have been given?
I’m interested in your thoughts on this. What do you think?
You might also like:
Children who have spirit friends (Big Séance)
Was it a Ghost? A Sliver of a Very Early Memory. (Big Séance)
I realize that probably a very small amount of my readers are from my hometown of Lexington, Missouri, but I would still like to reflect on an amazing new book by the late Roger E. Slusher and the Lexington Historical Association. Images of America: Lexington kept me from going to bed at a decent hour two nights in a row… and it started the second I picked it up off my doorstep. I stared at the pictures. I compared the pictures. I pulled up current locations on Google Maps. And I did a lot of imagining.
Growing up in Lexington, as a child you quickly learn about the Civil War battle that took place there. For me, I was always specifically interested in the history of the buildings, what was where, what used to be, etc. I wonder what my now small and quiet hometown was like when it was the third largest city in the state, hustling and bustling with four colleges at one point, theaters and opera houses, an entire block full of saloons, headquarters for the Pony Express, factories, coal mines… the list goes on. I’ve seen a lot of the local photo collections that people have put together over the years, but I hadn’t seen so many of the photos in this book. Many of the photos are aerial or taken from the City Hall dome, and they are breathtaking. (I only wish they would have chosen one of the beautiful street photos for the cover.) When you think of the historic Main Street and Franklin, you think about the old buildings that still exist being the original structures. Then I find out that many of these beautiful and historical buildings were not the first to be on those lots. And there were blocks and blocks of buildings, neighborhoods, farms, and homes that just aren’t there anymore. If I went back in a time machine to the mid to late 1800s, I’m quite sure I would not be able to find my way around.
Lexingtonians know that there is something special about their town, but this book helps you to realize just how important those remaining gems of buildings and locations are. Lexington has unfortunately lost a few of these gems this year. I suppose these things are just bound to happen with the passing of time, but I wonder if residents felt the same loss when they lost buildings a hundred or more years ago? It also kind of makes you wonder if 100 years from now people will be fighting to save the historic Pizza Hut, the last remaining Sonic Drive-In in the nation, or the beautiful and historic Woodland Creek district. Or like many cities in the early 1900s, will we not recognize the future value of our neighborhoods and just bulldoze them down to build new?
Fascinating book! If you’re in town, you can pick one up at The River Reader today!
Hey folks! I’m on page 218 of the first volume of House of Darkness House of Light, the true story of the events that happened in the movie The Conjuring, written by Andrea Perron, the oldest daughter. I’ve got to be honest. I was initially intimidated by the size of these books (the third and final book is yet to come), but at this point I’m pretty sure that there’s virtually no chance of me not buying into all three volumes. I’ve been sucked into the story all weekend, and I’ve not been able to think of anything else in the last two days. It is such a good book!
Early on in their story, not long after moving in, the Perrons experienced supernatural and never-ending amounts of flies that seemed to come from nowhere. This was in the middle of a very cold and snowy winter. No amount of swatting or extermination could solve their problem. It was making them crazy, and along with other bone-chilling events, it was gradually tearing a family apart.
Most likely, when you think of flies and hauntings, you think of the famous scene from the movie The Amityville Horror from 1979. Usually when I hear someone describe flies as being a sign of a haunting, I get the instant urge to roll my eyes. You won’t find many “experts” in the paranormal who are willing to validate flies as being harbingers of things to come in a haunted location, though Lorraine Warren supposedly told Mrs. Perron that this was the case. Referring to their nasty fly situation, Warren is quoted in the book as saying “You can’t really kill what’s already dead.” In The Conjuring, James Wan apparently chose to nod to Alfred Hitchcock and use birds as a harbinger, rather than flies. It could be that birds play a role in the book as well, but I haven’t gotten there yet. I’ll admit I’m conflicted. It just seems so Hollywood to me… and like talk of “demons” (which I’m sure I’ll be discussing soon), it seems to require a certain kind of religious belief that I don’t usually buy into. But I’ve done lots of researching into this story and the Perrons recently, and unlike the questionable history of the Amityville haunting, and though I don’t know the family personally (though I’ve enjoyed recently being connected with Andrea on Facebook), I really believe their story. So here it is. I feel like I have to tell you that all of this is really making me re-think my position on evil harbinger flies.
I’m not exactly sure why I find books by mediums so fascinating. Actually, that’s not true. I admire mediums… and as someone who is obsessed with learning about spirit communication and the afterlife, I’m envious of their ability to reach out to the Other Side, often helping souls, both living and deceased, at the same time. Sometimes when I read a string of books that are so serious or about paranormal research or something heavy, I just end up needing to put whatever I’m reading down. I end up breaking my rule, which is to never start a new book when there’s one that still needs to be finished. And it’s like a breath of fresh air. Messenger Between Worlds: True Stories from a Psychic Medium by Kristy Robinettwas my most recent breath of fresh air.
About five months ago I discussed Kristy Robinett here on the blog after hearing her interview on a podcast. I found that just listening to her was a comforting experience. She is so very genuine, she has a beautiful personality, and she has some fascinating stories. Her book was teased in the interview at that time, but I had to wait months since it was released only a few weeks ago. It was well worth the wait.
From the back of the book:
At the age of three, Kristy Robinett predicted her grandmother’s death. When she was eight, the spirit of her deceased grandfather helped her escape from a would-be kidnapper. This captivating, powerful memoir is filled with unforgettable scenes: spot-on predictions, countless spirit visits at home and school, menacing paranormal activity, and Kristy’s first meeting with two spirit guides who became her constant allies. Born into a strict religious family, Kristy believed she was cursed and hid her psychic abilities for many years. Over time, she learned to use her talent to do good in the world, and now she has decided to share her incredible story. Follow Kristy’s emotional journey through a difficult childhood, stormy marriages, conflict with faith, job loss, and illness—and the hard-won lessons that opened her heart to true love and acceptance of her unique gift.
My emotions took a few turns while following Kristy’s journey, and I think most readers can relate to many of the struggles. Throughout the first half of the book, I found myself frustrated that not only was she often not treated kindly, but not accepted for who she was and the reluctant gift that she was given. I think that’s why for a long time she couldn’t find herself. But it’s easy to cheer her on. Haven’t we all had those “what am I SUPPOSED TO BE when I grow up” moments? I’m 35 and I’m still having them. I think we all want to land on the right track. Some of us don’t know we’re on the wrong track, and some of us know but we’re not entirely sure what train to hop and where it’s going… and how to pay for the ticket… and what will be waiting for us when we get to that mysterious destination, anyway? Well I found myself smiling and truly happy for her as she took a giant risk and bravely jumped onto the right track for the rest of her journey… and because she’s so young, there’s a lot of track left, with plenty of stories yet to tell. Okay, enough trains. But seriously, I look forward to reading about the next part of the journey.
Yes, the book is about the medium author herself, but if you’re wanting the stories of spirit communication in her readings, of helping to solve cold cases, of the conversations with spirit guides, don’t worry. If you’re looking for validation from the various messages she gets, it’s here. Those beautiful moments, the heartfelt stories, the changed lives… those gems can be found throughout as well.
I truly loved it! Thanks for being brave enough to share you life with us, Kristy!
If you haven’t heard or seen Kristy Robinett, I wanted to give you the chance to see and hear her below. The first is video of a recent radio show appearance that I enjoyed. Below that is Kristy’s appearance from this last October on the Ricki Lake Show. Kristy has several other videos online. For more info, visit KristyRobinett.com.
Not a lot of structure today. I’m just going to blab a bit. Care to listen? Currently I am reading We Don’t Die: A Skeptic’s Discovery of Life After Death by Sandra Champlain, one of the books from my Five Books for Summer 2013. I just finished a section that the author wrote about her journey into remote viewing, and bells went off in my head (not the paranormal kind) telling me that this was a great topic for a blog! According to the International Remote Viewing Association (IRVA) website, Remote Viewing is the “mental faculty that allows a perceiver (a ‘viewer’) to describe or give details about a target that is inaccessible to normal senses due to distance, time, or shielding”. This is a practice that can apparently be learned by anyone and does not require a psychic or medium because it doesn’t involve channeling or the help of a spirit entity of any kind. It is also different from the practice of astral travel or astral projection because a “viewer” apparently “remote views” in a fully aware and awakened, conscious state. Remote viewing doesn’t have to be what a group of people do in a secret room while trying to obtain secret information from other countries, but can also simply be trying to correctly identify what’s in your mailbox before opening it, or even describing the details of the next page in a magazine before flipping it.
In reading both the author’s suggested exercises and the “how to” link from the IRVA site, I was reminded of the exercises in the books Astral Projection by John Magnus and definitely Know Yourself by Patricia Hayes. When I read Astral Projection a few years ago, I remember very clumsily attempting to astrally get out of bed (without the use of my body, of course) to identify objects on my night stand and attempting to read out of the book that was there. I remember even being disturbed by the fact that it was possible for anyone to astral travel into my home. What?! I wasn’t very far into my spiritual shift at that time and so this book seemed really heavy and far out. I do recall having some intense dreams during the time that I read this book, but I just wasn’t ready for astral travel yet. It’s on my list of books to reread at some point.
Know Yourself is out of print and very hard to find (check for used copies on Amazon or eBay), but it’s almost written as if it’s a text for a course on psychic development. Patricia Hayes collaborated and learned from Arthur Ford in the 1960s and 70s and has since founded Delphi University with her husband. Delphi offers courses in Healing, Metaphysics, Psychic Training, Transpersonal Psychology, and Spiritual and Intuitive Development. Boy would I LOVE to get my hands on any of her Delphi texts or materials.
In thinking about remote viewing, I also think back to exercises from the channeling course I took from psychic medium Marilyn Painter. Trying to correctly identify items in a paper bag. Holding a stone or crystal and feeling and describing the energy it has… psychometry stuff.
I can’t say that I’ve been incredibly successful with a lot of things like this that I’ve researched and tried over the last several years, but remote viewing is one that seems so interesting. Of course, in books they make these things sound SO SIMPLE! Even so, I think I’ll find a partner and experiment sometime.
I’ve strayed a bit from astral travel today… I followed my mind where it wanted to go. Want to get right back on topic? Check out the video below. It is a video about remote viewing that can be found on the IRVA website. But before I go… have you experienced or tried remote viewing?
Recently I shared a list of books for summer reading. From that list, Running with the Bulls was the one that I was the most excited to jump into… and as soon as it landed on my doorstep, that is just what I did.
The book did not disappoint, but it wasn’t really what I was expecting it to be either. Two weeks after 9/11, Joseph R. Lani, now a retired NYPD detective sergeant, was assigned to help command the Staten Island landfill where all of the debris from ground zero was taken. Detectives and federal agents sifted through every pile of rubble, searching for human remains, personal items, the black boxes from the planes, and anything relevant to the investigation. It was a giant crime scene. It was also where Mr. Lani suffered a heart attack due to stress, forcing him to retire. According the author, the combination of some powerful post 9/ll experiences and his heart attack resulted in him developing mediumistic abilities.
You’d think that this book would focus on the landfill and the author’s experiences around the time of 9/11, but the great majority of the book is really a memoir of his career leading up to his current experiences as a medium. Honestly, I would normally be the last person to get into a book about the NYPD or crime, etc., but I found myself really interested in his next career move, the move to the next precinct, the promotions, the embarrassing stories, and the amazing (and some terrifying) stories of bravery! It gives you a secret peek into the mind of the heroes that protect us every day, and I developed a renewed appreciation for these men and women.
At 199 pages, Running with the Bulls is an easy read with short chapters (Since I am a fan of breaking up my reading throughout the day, I LOVE short chapters.) and 39 photos throughout the book. And actually, this brings me to the only frustration I had with this book. Several of the photos supposedly contain supernatural elements, and some of them I either just don’t see or am skeptical of what he claims is there… but looking at an actual photo as opposed to a black and white reprint in a book could be a whole different experience, I’m sure. Weird pictures aside, I really loved the book, and I think Joseph R. Lani would be a fun person to hang out with and learn from!
The author can be contacted by visiting his website attheghostcop.com.
Hey folks! I’m on page 218 of the first volume of 
