To be frank, personally I think it is all a load of rubbish ...
I do have friends however who rule their lives by such means - it is their lives!

There was this piece in a magazine I read a few years ago but it hasn't really convinced me

I do think there are a lot of frauds that prey on the grief of people, but sometimes I wonder if there are some that are more attuned to the metaphysical than the average person.

I think that there are a few genuine people who can communicate with people who have passed, but the majority are not genuine IMO.  Especially if they ask for money.  IMO, genuine people wouldn't ask for money.

I often why is it that only a few have 'the gift'  if our loved ones wanted to make contact with us all, surely they would/could  

I don't believe in mediums, but my mother and her sister had an experience in Swizzerland in the late 20 (last century). My mum had tuberculosis and had to go to a sanatorium in Swizzerland to take the air and all that. She was accompanied by her sister. They had a huge room (I've seen photos), which could be seperated from the beds by a curtain. One night, after being there for some weeks, my mother woke up after hearing a noise, she sat up and watched the curtain seperate and her mother in law (living in Cologne) walked in, hugged her and left. Her sister started screaming, having seen the same thing. When they got up for breakfast, she got a telegram from my father to tell her that his mother had died in the night.

This woman yesterday, said that sometimes she gets a taste in her mouth and knows that there is a presence nearby.  I thought that was intriguing.

There is just so much of the human mind that hasn't been explored, and I find the whole concept of Ouija boards and seances fascinating.

See Cologne, why don't things like this happen to all of us. Why can't my mam or dad visit me? Mind you I'd prolly shit myself if they did but. 

Pamula that made me laugh, then feel a little bit sad

thats what i think beanasprout..........Don't know how to quote sorry   I thought i did but i tried and it didnt work!

My neighbor goes to 'one' and she allows her to record it. My neighbor believes very much but having listened to the tapes and knowing my neighbors inability to keep straight faced, I can safely say its bullshite. I is an expert. :nods:

Oh - and to answer the question - no, I don't think the dead can communicate ... sadly

It depends in what context you mean, but I must have subconciously (sp) somewhere along my road I guess

Sparkles, there's only certain browsers (at the moment) that allow you to quote allthough they are working on it I know. I and a lot of others use Google Chrome for this forum only 

Have you ever started to do something and then changed your mind and because you changed your mind it turned out better?

But how do you know it would have been worse if you had gone with your original thought?

I saw my Dad a few times shortly after he had died that was over 30 yrs ago....When my Grandson was born 14 yrs ago my Mum and  I were in my kitchen, I walked into the living room where my Grandson was sleeping and saw my Dad looking over him, I rushed to tell my Mum and she just said "yes I know" as calm as you like!!!.....She died 9 yrs ago, I am still waiting for her to come and see me.....

I think that huge majority of incidents/sightings and whatevers that go along with ghouls and spooks and ufos and aliens and suchlike are fake, but I wouldnt say that it's impossible for these things to occur.  I have experienced a few things in my life that i can't explain.

LAL, that is an interesting story   thanks for sharing it, and beanasprout, thanks for the info. 

I love Colin Fry! 

he makes me want to give him a cuddle!

Sparkles, call me Sprout or Sprouty if it's easier for you   and then again even that evolved from something else, it was my Christmas name on here 

I was adopted and my second parents and my 'real' mum all died before I was 24. I heard the stories from my adoptive mum and I thought I would not like to see them after they died. but as I get older, I probably wouldn't mind anymore, I used to be really skittish without a light in the bedroom, I don't mind now.

See, all that's never bothered me Cologne   When I was younger my mam and dad used to go visit my auntie in Watford for a few days in the Summer holidays leaving me alone in the house. I used to like the break as much as them)   and allthough the first night used to be a bit 'hairy' I  soon settled down. It only annoys me now, coz I'm on my own and can't do some things for myself   (I like to be independent if I can).

But, but, but Pam, how old where you and had your mum told you about the devil rattling your bed at night if you weren't virginal and doing God's work. Oh yah, I'm one up here, me thinks.

Thanks Sprouty

I went to see one and she told me a few true things first off. But to this day, i still have no connection to Wales, i still have no friends called Dave in Birmingham, I have not developed close links to family in the USA, Ive no plans to move to Australian, where i will live out my days  and never look much different apart from having a bob. Lastly I still haven't met that drowned boys mum to tell him he is okay yes, no joke she did tell me to pass that message on when i say hes okay, i presume she meant apart from being drowned etc

I have got all this on tape though to remind me how off the mark she was

I don't know what to think,tbh.  I have never gone for a reading and probably never will.  I hear stories and think WOW - that's amazing!

Some of them will go for 'obvious' things.  'Do you know someone or have you ever known someone called Dave or Paul?'  Almost everyone knows someone called Dave or Paul...or has done some time in their life  'Have you recently visited a big city?'  (If she knows you live 20 miles from Brum, Wolvo or London,or Manchester)  'Did you have any issues in the relationship with either of your parents or siblings?'  (Most people did/do at some point in their lives.)  'Have you felt any signs of depression or feeling low this past few years?'  Most folk have..  'Have you been poorly at all this past few years?'  Most folk have. 

What they do is play on the blindingly obvious and pick things that are almost certain to have 'yes 'as an answer and they get you hooked from the start.  They're really quite clever and do take people in... Of course, I'm referring to the fake ones.  A few are genuine I think.  But the genuine are few and far between.

My friend booked a medium to do a house call to her flat and see 4/5 people in one go.  She'd ordered her months in advance.  In between booking her and seeing her my mother died.  I decided I was going to show her up as a charlatan    a lot of the things she said that day have come true.  This was the first time I'd ever been to anything like this. 

I've since seen a few more psychics and mediums as my friend thinks they're good birthday presents  and none of the ones I've seen since have ever said anything remotely believable.  I would say it was all bumpkin if it wasn't for the first one I'd ever seen.

I think they go too much on visual clues and verbally leading questions   i.e. red hair must be Irish or Scottish.  Do you know anyone called John or is there someone with a name beginning with J etc.,?  

Ah right, I see. Granted it wasn't that extreme 

Beany pam

My mind is so open it's a bloody sieve!

Having said that........a good few years ago I went to a 'reading' at a friends house. Me and a few others. I was just there to make the numbers up and didn't have anything done. A few of them came out of the room though and said that the medium/psychicsaid ............there's someone here who I need to speak to and for her to make an appointment (because she only had set aside time for the others) . I never did, so I'll never know what it was about  

I have been so indoctrinated into the Catholic faith, butI lost faith when I was about 15 and started to think for myself. Problem is, once a Catholic, always a Catholic. I am on the verge of leaving this live in a year or two and I'm contempating talking to a priest, even though I don't believe a single thing of any faith. Just because my mum and dad told me so.

I think most of the time it's a bucket load of codswallop; all those shysters on the tv are just taking advantage of the bereaved.  Sparkles explained their easy 'routine' very clearly earlier in this thread.
But..... I do not doubt anyone who has had strange/unexplainable experiences themselves.

Simplistic me, I tend to think that a loved one wouldn't bother to contact you via some total stranger.

im going to see sally morgan in feb, im not into this stuff to much (was christmas present from friend) but if she starts saying my grandads names or nannys i will under the chair in front of me ,

Kind of what I think too Cosmo 

My best friend died eight years ago. We often spoke of this ..........she was very open minded and me a complete sceptic. We told each other if there was a way to contact beyond the grave we'd do it. She's never bothered .

TBH ..............I believe when you're dead you're dead END OF.

We do live on in the hearts and minds of those we leave behind ...........and spookily even new borns sometimes have mannerisms and characteristics of those long gone.