BOOK: Ghosts Among Us

Ghosts Among Us: Uncovering the Truth About the Other Side

AUTHOR:       James Van Praagh

PUBLISHED:       2008

MY COMMENTS:

This is a book that introduces the reader to a very different perspective of the “non-physical” side of life. 

How does all this work … ?

When I started learning about the Other Side … and realizing the truth of it … my assumption was that when we die, we see the “Light,” cross over into it, all is good, and then we get ready to jump back into a new life and do it all again.

Got it!  Straightforward … no fuss, no muss.

The psychic mediums whom I visited personally, or those whose books I read … a recent example being “The Light Between Us” … communicated messages from departed loved ones that seemed to validate this relatively straightforward path. 

Then, of course, accounts of near-death experiences … compellingly illustrated most recently in “After,” “Proof of Heaven,” “To Heaven and Back,” “Dying To Be Me,” “My Stroke of Insight” … also offered evidence that seemed to support this concept of being transported quickly to the Light. 

However …

They also revealed that apparently we’re sometimes given a choice as to whether or not to go through the Light … you know, to the Other Side.  And if we choose not to, it seems we’re transported straight back into our body.

Hmm, that was a new wrinkle to my “no muss, no fuss” model … but, okay, it still seemed relatively straightforward.

Are you kidding me … ?

And then I read “Journey of Souls,” and began to understand that after we pass through the Light, it wasn’t just about getting ready to start anew.  No, there appears to be a whole life that exists “in between” lives … WOW!  Well, that was a mind-bender.

Subsequent reading about this … and insights from my dead husband, as noted in my recent post … continued to reinforce this.  So, I updated my mental model to embrace the possibility of a rich, complex existence in Spirit.

And then there’s THIS book …

“Ghosts Among Us” opens up an entirely new facet of the non-physical.  It introduces a world between death and the Light … in other words, an existence before crossing through the Light and into Spirit. 

A world where some departed spirits spend time, until they’re ready to move on.

What … ??  Now, THAT was not in the brochure!

But there’s more.  This book also introduces the idea that the energy from these departed spirits can interact with the physical energy of those of us still here … and, more importantly, that it can have implications for our health and well-being. 

Really??  Well, this definitely complicates the picture!

Hmm, this all sounds a bit sketchy … who is the author, this James Van Praagh guy?

This “guy” is someone who knows of what he speaks …. 

James Van Praagh is a world-renowned, very gifted and highly respected psychic medium.  A pioneer in this field, he has been using his talents to help heal and educate others for over 30 years.

He’s one of the most publicly recognized mediums, having appeared on numerous well-known TV shows, such as Oprah, Larry King Live, Dr. Phil, 20/20, The Today Show, and others. 

He has hosted or produced a variety of TV shows and series on mainstream television:  Beyond with James Van Praagh, Living with the Dead, The Dead Will Tell, and Ghost Whisperer … a favourite series of mine, even before I knew the path of spirit-related discovery that lay ahead of me.  

And he continues to host his own weekly radio show on the Hay House Radio Network, an operating arm of the notable worldwide publishing house.

Van Praagh has written a dozen books on this subject.  “Ghosts Among Us” is one I came across shortly after it was published in 2008.  I opened it with great anticipation and read it cover-to-cover in one day, thoroughly captivated by what it had to say.

Which is … ?

Essentially, “Ghosts Among Us” is a “primer” on the world of spirits, or “ghosts,” as he refers to them in this book (a term that used to be more prevalent … not so much today).  

Van Praagh actually introduces a variety of aspects of this world, not just the “between death and the Light” realm mentioned above. 

For example, he describes what he’s “been told” and has “seen” in his mediumship work of both the near-death and actual-death experience.  Interestingly, but not surprisingly, the descriptions are very similar to what Dr. Bruce Greyson’s research revealed in “After.”

He describes different planes of existence on the Other Side, again from what he’s been told and has seen.  (Just a heads-up on this … while the concept of multiple planes of existence in Spirit is widely reported, I have found the details of their numbers, make-up, purpose, etc., often vary.)

He explains angels and the types of guides we have … again, topics where details often vary across sources. 

He also describes methods spirits use to communicate … interestingly, a topic where details don’t seem to vary much, regardless of who’s describing them.

He discusses tangible methods of detecting the presence of a spirit person … different types of mediumship, use of Ouija Boards, using dreams, even the equipment required if you’re inspired to try “ghost hunting”!

He describes the body’s energy system and includes a handful of exercises for tuning into it, as well as clearing, strengthening and protecting it.  He also touches on the law of attraction and the power of intention.

As you can see, it’s quite a smorgasbord of information!  He doesn’t dive deeply into these topics, but gives a wide-ranging overview which I found useful, serving as a good introduction to ideas and concepts I would encounter in more detail in later study.

Welcome to the world of Spirit

“Ghosts Among Us” includes many fascinating anecdotes, and is a quick, easy, and captivating read.  If you’re already comfortable with the idea that, in fact, there may actually be such a non-physical world, and are interested in an overview of some of its many facets, this is a good one. 

After all, its content is provided by one of the most credible sources of information about the spirit world … described to him by those who are already there!