Talking to Heaven

November 3, 1997
Communicating through a medium with lost loved ones can, according to Van Praagh, himself a medium, be a way for people stuck in the grieving process to work out their unresolved emotions. In his first book, the author sees heaven as a multidimensional world, permeated by "pure love," where spirits reside once they have left their physical bodies and before they take up new ones. Precise explanations of psychic phenomena are coupled with compelling stories of individual sessions of mental mediumship, which make up a good portion of the book: an elderly man celebrates his 50th anniversary with a deceased wife; a son dead from AIDS assures his parents of his well-being. Van Praagh claims that humans are all blessed with benevolent guides, and offers introductory meditation and psychic exercises to help the reader experience their presence. His suggestion that flickering light bulbs, scrambled TV pictures and telephone hang-ups are contacts from these guides may not, however, convince many readers. On the other hand, belief in the paranormal is not necessary to enjoy this book, or to appreciate the author's apparent commitment to rendering compassionate service to individuals in despair over unresolved emotional issues with deceased family members.