Van Praagh's Spiritual Journey Began As Youngster

by Martha Jette
(Hamilton, Ontario)

Most people know the name James Van Praagh as the psychic medium who wrote such books as Talking To Heaven, Heaven and Earth, Looking Beyond and Soul Discoveries. Some may know him for his short-running show, Beyond or as co-executive producer of the television series Ghost Whisperer.
He has now signed a deal to develop projects for CBS Paramount Network Television. Under the one-year contract, which covers scripted, reality series and television movies, Van Praagh will continue to contribute to the entertainment newsmagazines "Entertainment Tonight" and "The Insider."
James is a survival evidence medium, meaning he is able to bridge the gap between two planes of existence - the living and the dead - by providing evidential proof of life after death via detailed messages.
"I'm clairsentient," he explains, "which simply means clear feeling. I feel the emotions and personalities of the deceased. I am also clairvoyant," he adds, clarifying that, "the first is feeling, the second is seeing, very much like Whoopi Goldberg in the movie Ghost."
James first opened the door to the paranormal world when he was just eight years old. One Saturday morning in his Bayside, New York home, he asked God to reveal himself.
"I just asked God to reveal himself. I was lying in bed looking up at the ceiling and a hand comes through - like an open palm. And incredible light - beautiful golden light - came through, and it kind of enveloped me with a feeling of complete peace and understanding."
At the time, James attended an Irish-Catholic church and became an alter boy. At 14, he entered a seminary to become a priest. However, he found the basic theology far too limiting and realized there was much more to this world. At 24, he met a British medium that recognized James' psychic gifts and told him that within two years, he would be using them. And that he did.
Now, he also lectures on life after death and refers to himself as a "survival evidence medium." He offers proof of survival of the soul through spirit communications. James explains that those in the spirit world continue to have basically the same personality that they had while on earth. However, they communicate telepathically. They often come back to give messages of reassurance to loved ones – to let them know that they're not dead in the sense that we know it.
James also notes that those who pass over go through a life review – something I can attest to from my near death experience. And like myself, he believes in reincarnation – that we return again and again to learn our lessons. However, he also says we don't always come here.
"There are other forms of life, there are other planets, other solar systems, there (are) other experiences and other expressions of life. There are many places we can go back to; this is just one place. You have to remember that your soul being is more than just a physical body. So even though you're not aware of the other dimensions, it doesn't mean they don't exist."
Adding another dimension to this, James believes we can exist in more than one place at a time.
"There are many bodies to us. This is the physical -- the densest body we have. Right now, we're existing on several levels, on several different bodies, but we're only aware of the physical body. But there's the spiritual body, mental body, emotional body – there (are) layers, if you will, of bodies. And those bodies are in other dimensions. I'm not sure I can grasp this concept! lol
Of course, he also believes in Karma – that each of us gets back at some point the good or bad that we give out. However, this does not mean you will face the music when you pass over. You will experience that Karma during various lifetimes.
James Van Praagh's Web site is www.vanpraagh.com.

Also, you can click here to buy books by James Van Praagh:
Looking Beyond: A Teens Guide to the Spiritual World
Heaven and Earth: Making the Psychic Connection
Healing Grief: Reclaiming Life After Any Loss
Talking to Heaven: A Medium's Message of Life After Death
Reaching to Heaven: A Spiritual Journey Through Life & Death