A Sceptics Introduction to the Afterlife

What happens when we die? Is there an afterlife?

If you are anything like me, you are open minded to the possibility that death isn’t the end. That our soul goes somewhere.

Why then do we find the idea of after death communication such a difficult leap to make in terms of belief?

If you are here reading this, there is a high possibility that you have lost a loved one and you are searching for answers. I know how that feels. I know how lonely the grieving process can be. Will anything ever be the same again, will you ever be the same again?

Grief makes you do things you wouldn’t normally do. You ask questions that no one seems to be able to answer. Have you wished you can turn back time? To do or say something differently? Or just wished you could see that person one more time?

After experiencing such loss myself, a certain desperation kicks in. I didn’t get to say goodbye, do they know how much I loved them? There has to be a way I can find out if they’re ok. I had too many unanswered questions.

But surely I can’t entertain the idea that a Medium can really communicate with the dead.

People will think I’m crazy.

I’ll think I’m crazy.

If it really is a scam, it’s a cruel one. Preying on people when they are at their most vulnerable. It would be heart breaking to discover you’d been conned when you really believed you were communicating with a loved one who had passed.

Surely, I would be able to see through such a con if I remained sceptical? I guess there was only one way to find out.

What are others saying about afterlife communication?

I took to the internet to find out what others are saying about the possibility that Mediums can communicate with the deceased.

There appears to be three very distinct camps:

1. Those that believe it’s a load of nonsense
2. Those that believe it unquestioned
3. Those that are sceptical but open minded

The majority of people, myself included, fall into the third camp. We like to think there is an afterlife. Either we haven’t given it much more thought than that, or, we’re just not quite sure. You hear so many stories of Psychics scamming people and feeding us a load of rubbish. We’d need more solid proof.

We are the type of people that read our horoscopes for a bit of fun. Often resonating with what is said, but ultimately not assigning it any level of importance in our lives. My guilty pleasure is looking into horoscope compatibility. Apparently, I am least compatible with Gemini. This wouldn’t stop me dating a Gemini but I’d be relieved if my date was a star sign that I am more compatible with. It can’t hurt to have astrology on my side, right?

Those that believe it unquestioned are usually people who have had personal experiences with after death communication. There are many people that claim to have seen, heard or smelled their loved ones. Or have just ‘sensed’ their presence. As a sceptic, I can’t help but point out that the mind is a powerful thing. It can play tricks on us, especially when we are grieving and want to believe.

Maybe I am being disingenuous to these experiences, having not experienced anything like this myself, I don’t feel qualified to pass judgement. One thing I have observed with this camp is the level of comfort these individuals take from these experiences.

The non-believers of the internet tend to be found on scientific websites and blogs. This fact alone should be a big sway towards non-belief right? After all, who are we to argue with Science? My problem with this camp of people is the apparent closed mindedness. The unwillingness to consider any evidence to contrary. I came across one article on Medical News Today that linked people who claim to be able to communicate with spirits and mental illness.

Some of the more credible arguments point to the fact that there is no scientific evidence to prove that Mediums are communicating with those that have passed. However, another internet search later, I found that there is in fact ‘evidence’.

Scientific evidence of Afterlife communication

There have been many blind reading studies done with Psychic Mediums but the most thorough study conducted was by the Windbridge Research Centre.

The study was carried out under controlled laboratory conditions overseen by Dr Julie Beischel. Bear with me on this, I’ll attempt to explain, in a less sciencey way, what the study entailed.

The ‘sitter’ is the person being read. The ‘discarnate’ is the sitter’s deceased loved one.

The Medium received a phone call from the Windbridge Research Centre (WRC). They were given the first name of the discarnate and the first name of a discarnate belonging to another sitter (decoy). The Medium gives the information for each discarnate to the WPC including their appearance, personality and how they died.

Both readings are then given to the sitter in a transcript. The sitter then scores both readings for accuracy and picks which reading they believe relates to them.

According to the results, the data demonstrates that the Mediums are reporting accurate and specific information on the target discarnate.

I have simplified the study. It’s worth checking out their website and reading about it in-depth. They even took measures to ensure the Mediums were communicating with spirit and were not mind reading.

One of the Mediums that took part in the study was Laura-Lynne Jackson. In her book, The Light Between Us, Laura-Lynne talks about the study and her specific results.

The sitters rated each individual statement on the transcripts from 0 to 6 depending on their accuracy, 6 being most accurate. To be rated 6, the statement had to be specific as well as accurate. Statements that were more general, would be rated lower and, statements that were incorrect or irrelevant would be rated 0.

The pass score on the transcript for the target discarnate had to be 3.5 or more. The score for the transcript for the decoy discarnate had to be 2 or lower.

Laura-Lynne passed this study but was never told her score. The Windbridge Research Centre didn’t tell the individual Mediums what their scores were so they could control and eliminate any possible precognition, or looking into the future. They really did think of everything.

Laura-Lynne Jackson took part in a further study where she gave a reading directly to two different sitters on the phone. The sitters were not allowed to speak and Laura-Lynne was only given the first name of the discarnate connected to them. The level of detail and specific information Laura-Lynne was able to relay was incredible. She identified the sitters and their occupations. She was able to talk about specific songs that meant something to the sitter and their discarnate as well as other intimate details that in no way could have been guessed with such accuracy.

Laura-Lynne scored 90% for accuracy on one reading and 95% on the other.

My First Visit to a Psychic Medium

It’s safe to say that this subject very much had my attention by now. It was time for me to seek out a Psychic Medium and experience this for myself.

I took to the internet to find local Mediums in my area. The top of my search was Paul Bannister who is based just outside of Norwich. In reading through Paul’s testimonials, the people he had read for really believed that Paul was connecting them to their loved ones, some claiming there was no way he could have known the things he said.

I had a spark of hope ignite inside me and I contacted Paul to make an appointment.

A month later, I was pulling into Paul’s driveway and I was surprisingly nervous.

Paul had my name and phone number but that’s it. The security settings on my social media profiles have always been high. I’m not a big user of social media and anyone who is not a friend will see my profile picture of me and my dog but that’s it.

An internet search would reveal the company I work for but nothing else.

I couldn’t think of any other way Paul could find out who I had lost. If this was con, I was expecting general information so he could use a process of elimination and guess work.

I was about to have my mind blown!

Not only did Paul bring through my loved ones, he knew exactly who they were to me. He even knew a about a conversation I had with my dad the day before about moving home. He told me exactly where I was talking about moving to, and he said my Mum (in spirit) was telling me this move will happen in April 2024.

I will have to wait and see if it does happen. I will be sure to post about it.

The point is, no one else knew about this. It was an initial conversation between my dad and I. Can I really accept that Paul was communicating with my Mum?

I spent an hour with Paul. He bought through a few of my loved ones and the details he gave me about each one of them was incredible.

I had written out a list of questions that was hidden away in my handbag. I didn’t tell Paul about this. I figured that if my loved ones were around me, they’d know and they’d answer. And they did…

Admittedly not every question I wrote down was answered. I had filled three A4 sheets front and back. I was a little ambitious. However, Paul was answering many of my questions as if he knew what I’d asked.

The level of evidence Paul had given me was hard to explain, even for a sceptic.

Related Post: Interview with Psychic Medium – Paul Bannister

The Following Days

I hadn’t told anyone about my visit to Paul. I still wasn’t sure what to make of it all.

I spent the days following my reading analysing everything that was said. Trying to make sense of what this meant.

What do I believe? If it’s possible to communicate with our loved ones who have passed….. That is huge!! What else is possible?

I still couldn’t help my scepticism from coming through. I needed more proof.

If my loved ones were around me and listening to conversations I was having with my dad, did they have nothing better to do?

Where are they?

What does this mean?

My reading with Paul has left me with more questions. Endless questions.

Am I convinced? I am definitely more of a believer that a non-believer. But… Isn’t it healthy to apply a degree of scepticism?

Even as a sceptic, I have been drawn in to the possibilities. Near death experiences, out of body experiences and spirit communication is all backed up with credible evidence. It leads me to question more about the afterlife and what really happens to us and our loved ones.

It’s also extremely comforting knowing our loved ones could be out there somewhere, that they are watching over us and, that they love us unconditionally.