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Psychics, Healers, & Mediums: A Journalist, a Road Trip, and Voices from the Other Side
Since the dawn of time, people have been fascinated by those who claim to have extraordinary psychic abilities. The fascination has reached a fever pitch with the rise of modern media.
It is safe to say that many of these folks are either extraordinary frauds or extraordinarily deluded. But could some of them be legitimate? Do some people actually possess psychic gifts that can be used to help and heal?
For 20 years, Emmy Award-winning journalist Jenniffer Weigel has been interviewing and investigating mediums, psychics, and healers. She became particularly interested in this topic after the death of her father in 2001. “I felt that as a journalist, it was my duty to go behind the scenes with these people who claim they can talk to dead people or heal the sick and really pull the curtain back on these so-called ‘gifts.’”
This book provides in-depth interviews with today’s top mediums, psychics, and healers, including Thomas John, Judith Orloff, Concetta Bertoldi, Caroline Myss, Echo Bodine, Rebecca Rosen, Paul Selig, and Michael Bodine. In addition to the interviews, each chapter contains readings for both Weigel and an individual previously unknown to the medium, psychic, or healer. In short, Weigel puts these psychically gifted people to the test—and the results are startling and profound.
This is for fans of the book’s psychic participants and for people fascinated with communication with the dead, the idea of an afterlife, and the possibility of nontraditional healing.
226 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 1, 2017
41 people are currently reading
731 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
June 21, 2020
Jenniffer Weigel is a writer, podcast host, journalist, producer, and so on who is best known for her decades-long obsession with mediums, psychics, medical intuitives and other such folks. She is happy to report she was fired by the Chicago Tribune (they should be hiring a dozen of me instead of firing me, the jerks!!), she worked for Chicago WLS “shock jock” Mancow Muller, which means something here in this city: she’s more of an entertainer than a serious journalist. Which is fine, but in this work she insists she is a journalist. A couple of her other books are entitled I’m Spiritual, Dammit! and Stay Tuned: Conversations with Dad From the Other Side.
I listened to this book because I have a son who would seem to be psychic in some ways, and we are starting to binge watch X-Files (again), so I thought the title seemed intriguing. I listened to it while on a couple runs, but I probably shouldn’t have listened to it. I really disliked it and it kinda ruined my day. Or maybe: I really came to dislike HER in the process of listening to it (she not only wrote it but reads it). She interviews lots of famous mediums and psychics but has zero skepticism about any of it. She has zero credibility as a journalist. She is really all about herself and her encounters with these folks; I don’t really think she cares what we think, though; if we rag on her for anything we are skeptics, we are energy vampires who suck all of the joy out of her life with our negativity!
Jenniffer (that’s not s typo: her Dad wanted her to have this very common name but make it special with the unique spelling so she would stand out! High five, Daddio!) shows that compared to the men and employers that dump her that she is a “spark,” a “fireplug” (one dumper, a psychic assures her, is like Mister Rogers, geez! Who would want to marry him!? You have so much more going for you than guys like that, Jen!). Weigel uses every interview to (through one quick question) 1) discover whether they are frauds (which NONE of them are Surprise!), 2) see when her True Love is going to meet her, and how, and 3) help her continuously connect with her dead Dad (her third book about this!). She gets confirmed by each and every psychic that she is special and a great writer who can make a living based on her writing ability. She is Going Places, you just wait!
When double-ff hears from a psycho that someone is going to offer her a TV show, she says “Works for ME!” When she is told she will meet The Guy soon she says “Suh-WEET!” She intones in O.M.G.-speak constantly, breathlessly about how awesome all the psychics she meets are.
When one psychic asks her (this would be like the test knowledge, something the psychic couldn’t possibly know without psychic powers) if she had a weird experience at lunch, she says yep! She was served the arugula last! And so double-ff makes it clear: “You can’t google THAT!!” So the psychic is obviously not a fraud! She is constantly saying, “You CAN’T make THIS shit UP!!” when the psychic says stuff to her that only she could know.
This actually happened, or you know, maybe none of it did, I was so skeptical by the end!
"You'll meet your true love in March," the psychic said. In April I went back. "I didn't meet anyone," I complained, suddenly filled with skepticism. "Ah, but did I say March of which year?" the psychic laughed. Boy did I feel dumb, realizing how much I'd assumed! Sure enough, 13 years later, I met someone in March!“
Jen seems to be curious about the pushback on psychics from religious folks. So she asks all of them this tough journalist question:”What do you say to the religious folks who feel this goes against the Bible?” I asked. “The bottom line is, do these people pray to Jesus? Then they're talking to the dead, too,” she said.” Bingo, double-ff! Suh-WEET! Use that in your podcast!
JW likes rich best-selling psychics with fabulous homes. She likes the culture of the psychic world, that lingo: she loves spirit meters and energy vampires as an antidote to spiritual damage and the comfort she finds at the intersection between pop psychology, pop spirituality and pop paranormality. She likes Published Authors and Scientists and Academics who are psychics because they are more trustworthy, I guess. She also says “intuition is never wrong.” Well, one psychic says the current Pope has in place an Intergalactic Theological Council to address how to deal with our coming engagements with Extraterrestrials. My intuition makes me doubt this, but stay tuned; my next session with my psychic will reveal the truth (or I can just google about it). But my X-File self says “they’re out there! I want to believe!”
I went into this book as a kind of agnostic about all things paranormal; my whole family (except me, really) seems to have some special psychic thing, so I don’t want to be just the typical logical male about it all, but I ended up never wanting to read about any of it (or at least, hear from her) again. I think this is a bad book and I really have to ask a psychic what my problem is that leads me to finish every bad book I start! Dad! Help me here from The Beyond! Give me a good slap so I can Get Over It! But seriously, if you like this kind of thing I hope you get some humor and comfort from it. If this sounds like I am an arrogant a...hole, forgive me, I am just having fun.
I listened to this book because I have a son who would seem to be psychic in some ways, and we are starting to binge watch X-Files (again), so I thought the title seemed intriguing. I listened to it while on a couple runs, but I probably shouldn’t have listened to it. I really disliked it and it kinda ruined my day. Or maybe: I really came to dislike HER in the process of listening to it (she not only wrote it but reads it). She interviews lots of famous mediums and psychics but has zero skepticism about any of it. She has zero credibility as a journalist. She is really all about herself and her encounters with these folks; I don’t really think she cares what we think, though; if we rag on her for anything we are skeptics, we are energy vampires who suck all of the joy out of her life with our negativity!
Jenniffer (that’s not s typo: her Dad wanted her to have this very common name but make it special with the unique spelling so she would stand out! High five, Daddio!) shows that compared to the men and employers that dump her that she is a “spark,” a “fireplug” (one dumper, a psychic assures her, is like Mister Rogers, geez! Who would want to marry him!? You have so much more going for you than guys like that, Jen!). Weigel uses every interview to (through one quick question) 1) discover whether they are frauds (which NONE of them are Surprise!), 2) see when her True Love is going to meet her, and how, and 3) help her continuously connect with her dead Dad (her third book about this!). She gets confirmed by each and every psychic that she is special and a great writer who can make a living based on her writing ability. She is Going Places, you just wait!
When double-ff hears from a psycho that someone is going to offer her a TV show, she says “Works for ME!” When she is told she will meet The Guy soon she says “Suh-WEET!” She intones in O.M.G.-speak constantly, breathlessly about how awesome all the psychics she meets are.
When one psychic asks her (this would be like the test knowledge, something the psychic couldn’t possibly know without psychic powers) if she had a weird experience at lunch, she says yep! She was served the arugula last! And so double-ff makes it clear: “You can’t google THAT!!” So the psychic is obviously not a fraud! She is constantly saying, “You CAN’T make THIS shit UP!!” when the psychic says stuff to her that only she could know.
This actually happened, or you know, maybe none of it did, I was so skeptical by the end!
"You'll meet your true love in March," the psychic said. In April I went back. "I didn't meet anyone," I complained, suddenly filled with skepticism. "Ah, but did I say March of which year?" the psychic laughed. Boy did I feel dumb, realizing how much I'd assumed! Sure enough, 13 years later, I met someone in March!“
Jen seems to be curious about the pushback on psychics from religious folks. So she asks all of them this tough journalist question:”What do you say to the religious folks who feel this goes against the Bible?” I asked. “The bottom line is, do these people pray to Jesus? Then they're talking to the dead, too,” she said.” Bingo, double-ff! Suh-WEET! Use that in your podcast!
JW likes rich best-selling psychics with fabulous homes. She likes the culture of the psychic world, that lingo: she loves spirit meters and energy vampires as an antidote to spiritual damage and the comfort she finds at the intersection between pop psychology, pop spirituality and pop paranormality. She likes Published Authors and Scientists and Academics who are psychics because they are more trustworthy, I guess. She also says “intuition is never wrong.” Well, one psychic says the current Pope has in place an Intergalactic Theological Council to address how to deal with our coming engagements with Extraterrestrials. My intuition makes me doubt this, but stay tuned; my next session with my psychic will reveal the truth (or I can just google about it). But my X-File self says “they’re out there! I want to believe!”
I went into this book as a kind of agnostic about all things paranormal; my whole family (except me, really) seems to have some special psychic thing, so I don’t want to be just the typical logical male about it all, but I ended up never wanting to read about any of it (or at least, hear from her) again. I think this is a bad book and I really have to ask a psychic what my problem is that leads me to finish every bad book I start! Dad! Help me here from The Beyond! Give me a good slap so I can Get Over It! But seriously, if you like this kind of thing I hope you get some humor and comfort from it. If this sounds like I am an arrogant a...hole, forgive me, I am just having fun.
March 4, 2021
This was entertaining, but not as thoughtful or skeptical as I had hoped for. It felt like brunch with one of my Woo woo white aunties who keeps insisting she was some kind of Egyptian princes in a past life. Meh
July 23, 2017
Full disclosure: While I am naturally skeptical about the actual abilities of the individuals that the author interviewed in her book, that's not the reason why I gave this book one star. In reading the back cover, I think I was expecting more of a balanced, critical look into this subject, i.e. the psychics/mediums/healers would vary in abilities so that the reader could draw their own conclusions as to whether these people were the real deal or not. Instead, I was met with phenom after phenom (all NYT best-selling authors no less) that couldn't possibly be fake in any way. Several times throughout the book, the author would interject the comments of her interview subjects with statements like "Snap!" and "You can't google that!", effectively erasing any facade of unbiased reporting that was still miraculously clinging on. I just felt like I wasn't presented with anything more than one-side of the argument and really wished that she would have included an example of someone who supposedly wasn't as psychically "gifted."
It also didn't help that I wasn't sensing any skepticism on the author's part whatsoever. It's extremely hard to examine anything with a critical lens when your son is a medium and when you share a similar belief system with the people you're interviewing. It's not really hard-hitting journalism when you just talk to people who agree with you and I feel like skeptics were not given equal time in this book. That is likely a huge portion of the population so why not try to create some sort of Mulder/Scully dynamic to create some balance? And, to add insult to injury, why would you use Dr. Judith Orloff's testimonial blurb on the back cover when she's interviewed in the book?
Ultimately, for those of you who are curious about topics like this but are still skeptical, I would look elsewhere. This book is like the worst example of an echo chamber that only a good piece of well-researched non-fiction can cure.
It also didn't help that I wasn't sensing any skepticism on the author's part whatsoever. It's extremely hard to examine anything with a critical lens when your son is a medium and when you share a similar belief system with the people you're interviewing. It's not really hard-hitting journalism when you just talk to people who agree with you and I feel like skeptics were not given equal time in this book. That is likely a huge portion of the population so why not try to create some sort of Mulder/Scully dynamic to create some balance? And, to add insult to injury, why would you use Dr. Judith Orloff's testimonial blurb on the back cover when she's interviewed in the book?
Ultimately, for those of you who are curious about topics like this but are still skeptical, I would look elsewhere. This book is like the worst example of an echo chamber that only a good piece of well-researched non-fiction can cure.
April 19, 2022
I should have read some reviews before reading this book. The blurb sets up the book to be an investigative journalist's exploration of those who claim extraordinary psychic abilities. It's not. Not even close.
Mind you, I did expect the author to have been converted/convinced - I feel like the "Voices from the Other Side" part of the title set that up. Well, true, she is definitely convinced. No doubt about that. But when she claims - and she does, repeatedly - to have approached what these people say with a critical and/or investigative mindset, yeah, that's an outright lie. Saying that one is critical, again and again, doesn't make it so. Saying that one is skeptical, again and again, doesn't make it so.
I mean, the bare minimum from a journalistic point of view, would have been to question the blatant contradictions she (inadvertently) shares with us. Most often, the psychics, mediums, and healers contradict each other. I still think a journalist should pick up on this, but fine. However, sometimes the contradictions are mere pages apart. At that point we're talking professional misconduct.
As for the book itself, it's essentially just a selection of interviews with psychic superstars. For each interview, the author left what little journalistic integrity she had at the door and proceeded to lap up everything the psychic said. Hanging on every word like it was manna from heaven (admittedly, she clearly believed this, so I guess that makes sense). Repeating "profound" utterances (that mostly felt like they belonged in a fortune cookie) and pointing out that "you can't google that." That was the extent of journalism in the book.
In short, it's a crap book, don't buy it.
A note on what I believe...
Well, I don't really. But I also think there are plenty of things in this world that I can't control or even understand. I also know that there are things we as a species don't understand (even if I believe that these things generally are understandable). I think the biggest difference between myself and the author is that she needs to fix her lack of understanding, whereas I would love to fix mine - but I do not need to. Like so many humans before her, she solves her lack of understanding by having faith...
... and on that note, a parting thought...
It's funny how so many things depend on people believing - having faith - in them for them to work (as most people in this book argue).
Mind you, I did expect the author to have been converted/convinced - I feel like the "Voices from the Other Side" part of the title set that up. Well, true, she is definitely convinced. No doubt about that. But when she claims - and she does, repeatedly - to have approached what these people say with a critical and/or investigative mindset, yeah, that's an outright lie. Saying that one is critical, again and again, doesn't make it so. Saying that one is skeptical, again and again, doesn't make it so.
I mean, the bare minimum from a journalistic point of view, would have been to question the blatant contradictions she (inadvertently) shares with us. Most often, the psychics, mediums, and healers contradict each other. I still think a journalist should pick up on this, but fine. However, sometimes the contradictions are mere pages apart. At that point we're talking professional misconduct.
As for the book itself, it's essentially just a selection of interviews with psychic superstars. For each interview, the author left what little journalistic integrity she had at the door and proceeded to lap up everything the psychic said. Hanging on every word like it was manna from heaven (admittedly, she clearly believed this, so I guess that makes sense). Repeating "profound" utterances (that mostly felt like they belonged in a fortune cookie) and pointing out that "you can't google that." That was the extent of journalism in the book.
In short, it's a crap book, don't buy it.
A note on what I believe...
Well, I don't really. But I also think there are plenty of things in this world that I can't control or even understand. I also know that there are things we as a species don't understand (even if I believe that these things generally are understandable). I think the biggest difference between myself and the author is that she needs to fix her lack of understanding, whereas I would love to fix mine - but I do not need to. Like so many humans before her, she solves her lack of understanding by having faith...
... and on that note, a parting thought...
It's funny how so many things depend on people believing - having faith - in them for them to work (as most people in this book argue).
August 20, 2019
Before I start, let me say that the author seems like a very nice and genuine person. She cares a lot about the psychic movement and is trying to help others with this book. However, while her intentions seem authentic, I don't think what she's doing is a good thing. This book is NOT researched in any way but rather comprised entirely of first-hand accounts and testimonials (also it's not a road trip! It's only interviews she's done throughout the years). It is very much biased toward believing in her interviewees. Her often repeated phrase is - you can't google that! - whenever a psychic brings up a hard-to-argue point. The only thing is, a lot of those things you CAN google. There's too much Correlation = Causation. Most of her amazed asides just come down to cold reading and statistics. One of her biggest A-hah! moments was from a mother with a dead son and the psychic asking if that tattoo she had was for him. She marked this as irrefutable proof, but the number one reason why people get tattoos in that woman's age group (if she had no other tattoos) is for memorials. It's smart guessing, not proven psychic abilities.
Other Highlights Include:
+ A man saying that it's amazing that humans are the only species that will kill their own children. (Not true!)
+ Her saying things like BOOYAH and O.M.G. and HOT DIGGITY between sentences.
+ A psychic's eyes can change color right in front of you
+ You are the reason you are in a bad place. If you say you want to date anybody but an alcoholic, then the universe will make you date alcoholics
+ A psychic telling the author's friend about how her kid was SUPPOSED to die young because his purpose was to help others kids who die young to the other side. Don't worry. He is super fulfilled and has a great GF in heaven (luckily her friend was skeptical about this)
+ Children should only get medicine as a last resort. What you first need to do is make sure no energy vampires are sucking out their happiness.
+ You can gain back the power of walking by forgiving some Nazis who tortured you
+ Your intuition is always right, no matter what. If you think you have cancer, you probably do!
Other Highlights Include:
+ A man saying that it's amazing that humans are the only species that will kill their own children. (Not true!)
+ Her saying things like BOOYAH and O.M.G. and HOT DIGGITY between sentences.
+ A psychic's eyes can change color right in front of you
+ You are the reason you are in a bad place. If you say you want to date anybody but an alcoholic, then the universe will make you date alcoholics
+ A psychic telling the author's friend about how her kid was SUPPOSED to die young because his purpose was to help others kids who die young to the other side. Don't worry. He is super fulfilled and has a great GF in heaven (luckily her friend was skeptical about this)
+ Children should only get medicine as a last resort. What you first need to do is make sure no energy vampires are sucking out their happiness.
+ You can gain back the power of walking by forgiving some Nazis who tortured you
+ Your intuition is always right, no matter what. If you think you have cancer, you probably do!
December 5, 2022
Fluffy, not particularly investigative or informative beyond just hearing her personal stories. Not what I was looking for or expecting.
September 5, 2021
Lacking in thoughtfulness and the author’s interjected voice “that’s weird” or “hot damn” or “how about a man for me?” was beyond cringe and lacking in professionalism. I loved most the direct teaching from the healers, mediums and seers. Discussion re: crows, school aged spirits, the divine being a cosmos rather than a strict religion, empaths, energy vampires and manifestations were particularly salient. ⭐️ ⭐️
May 14, 2017
I love Jenniffer Weigel's clear, light-hearted, down to earth delivery. She, herself, is a channel to the reader as she illuminates the messages each psychic, medium and healer have to deliver. I am so grateful to have crossed her path since her books and her events have helped me personally. Coincidence? I think not!
April 19, 2021
This book was less interesting than I’d hoped. The author sincerely believes what she’s reporting, and that’s great for her, but I didn’t connect with it and it wasn’t entertaining after about halfway through the book.
January 21, 2022
Listened on audible and enjoyed it. I like stuff about psychics and otherworldly things!
October 7, 2020
When I read books like this I wonder what people mean when they say that the publishing world is hard to break into... The best thing about this book is its premise and that's where its redeeming qualities stop. This is not journalism. It's not a memoir. It contains no critical thought whatsoever. There is very little to no engaging storytelling. The writer uses phrases like "shut the front door" and often sounds like a parody of a valley girl and this wasn't a conscious stylistic choice. It reads like gossip you overhear while you're waiting for a friend at Starbucks and your phone battery is empty so you have no choice but to listen to the people around you and they're basically talking s*** for an hour. There is a reason why no one turns those kinds of conversations into books.
September 12, 2022
It was just okay...I was interested in the material but I found the author's frequent interjections ("hot damn!", etc.) to be distracting and kind of cringe. I listened to the audiobook and it got to the point where I almost didn't finish the book because the narration was so distracting...maybe reading the print copy would've been more tolerable. Also, the book seemed to be more about the author's own experience and less about the psychics, healers, and mediums who were interviewed.
September 24, 2021
Funny after reading Phillip K Dicks book about psychics, I stumbled on this included on Audible non-fiction book on psychics. Worth a listen if you are interested in those who can see and hear more then meets the eye.
October 6, 2020
I was introduced to Jen when she was the top rated WGN Talk Radio host. I was her expert guest talking about what the salon industry was doing to prepare opening after the U.S. Covid Quaratntine of March/April/May of 2020. I must have impressed her because I became her hairdresser! In the short time I got to know Jen, I have watched her fully immerse into the public service of illuminating her audience and followers of the spiritual gifts we all possess. I am now a fan of Jan's podcast The Jen Weigel Show, and thought I should check out one of her books. Not only did I devour 'Psychics, Healers, and Mediums: A Journalist, a Road Trip, and Voices from the Other Side,' I found that all you need to know to live a happy spiritual life is in this book. Through her sessions with certified healers, psychic and mediums, she has compiled wisdom, wise words, advice and common sense gleaned from the happy souls existing outside of our full understanding; as well as her subjects. The stories of the gifted people she's interviewed are fascinating and, surprisingly, relatable. You'll be uplifted by reading this book. You'll be inspired to be the best you that you can be. Whether you're only curious or fearful of where your life is going, interested in expanding your own spiritual or psychic gifts, afraid of death, or just drawn to know more about clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience or clairolfactance, this book is for you!
November 17, 2020
Every now and then I enjoy dipping into something that stretches my paradigm. This book did that. it is an account of a series of interviews between an experienced journalist and various well-known psychics, mediums and healers, in a format that is both entertaining and informative. Because each encounter is presented as a scene with proper character description, setting and plot, the result is very cohesive, keeping the reader's attention throughout.
I enjoyed the way the author approached the interviews, with a mixture of curiosity and scepticism. This mirrored my own approach, so was easy to follow. The questions she asked were very pertinent to each case. I came away from each chapter feeling that I had really learnt something.
The book doesn't set out to convert the reader, and for this I was grateful. It simply provides a privileged look into the life and work of people who fall outside the mainstream. It gave me lots to ponder in the light of all the scientific material I have been reading lately.
I enjoyed the way the author approached the interviews, with a mixture of curiosity and scepticism. This mirrored my own approach, so was easy to follow. The questions she asked were very pertinent to each case. I came away from each chapter feeling that I had really learnt something.
The book doesn't set out to convert the reader, and for this I was grateful. It simply provides a privileged look into the life and work of people who fall outside the mainstream. It gave me lots to ponder in the light of all the scientific material I have been reading lately.
February 10, 2019
When I first began listening I thought, "Why is the narration so fast?" and a sentence later I heard, "read by the author". I groaned an "Oh nooo." But sometimes once you get used to a quirk or two, the author really is the right choice for narration and that turns out to be the case here. I enjoyed the explanations distinguishing psychics from mediums, although it seems to me a medium is pretty much both because the folks on the other side usually do have a view of what's ahead, but as explained in one or more of these interviews, time and space isn't a thing on the other side, so with the majority of psychics, timing can be way off. They might be referring to something that happened some five years ago as though it's going on now, so one dismisses it as mistaken, or it might be so far in the future that one has no inkling of the references alluded to. Good book. :-)
April 18, 2018
Transcripts of someone's wildly gullible conversations with Christian psychics.
It was awful.
"You'll meet your true love in March," the psychic said. In April I went back. "I didn't meet anyone," I complained, suddenly filled with skepticism. "Ah, but did I say March of which year?" the psychic laughed. Boy did I feel dumb, realizing how much I'd assumed! Sure enough, 13 years later, I met someone in March!
It was awful.
"You'll always have plenty of money, and won't have to worry about finances," the psychic told me. Great, I thought! "But sometimes you'll struggle to pay your bills for a few months in a row, and maybe longer." Darn!
I'm eager to believe anything good. But to believe in this book? Nope.
September 21, 2022
Was this book perfect? No. Did this book discuss various types of psychics, mediums and healers? Yes. Was this book very fun and playful. Absolutely. The author definitely has a clear perspective and she’s just having fun sharing it with the readers (or, well, listeners, if it’s audio). It had good nuggets of wisdom scattered throughout. Don’t take the book too seriously, or you’ll be angry at the author and downright annoyed overall. Let yourself feel the playfulness Weigel brings to the book, and let her own personal delight also delight you. You don’t have to take anything more than what you *want* away from the story. :)
January 1, 2023
QUICK BITS
-Interview style
-Skeptic to believer
-Quick read
REVIEW
I really enjoyed this.
I loved going on this journey with the author as they explored this spiritual aspect of life, regardless of the skepticism in herself and those around her.
There was a bit of a flow issue in the construction, but that didn't take away too much from he purpose and effectiveness of the book.
I had a few aha moments while reading and that's always what I am looking for whether reading fiction or nonfiction.
RATINGS
7 Writing Style
10 Intrigue
8 Logic
7 Enjoyment
2 Impact Bonus
TOTAL= 32+2= 34/8= 4.25
2.00/5.00 Impact Rating
4.25/5.00 Rounded Rating
-Interview style
-Skeptic to believer
-Quick read
REVIEW
I really enjoyed this.
I loved going on this journey with the author as they explored this spiritual aspect of life, regardless of the skepticism in herself and those around her.
There was a bit of a flow issue in the construction, but that didn't take away too much from he purpose and effectiveness of the book.
I had a few aha moments while reading and that's always what I am looking for whether reading fiction or nonfiction.
RATINGS
7 Writing Style
10 Intrigue
8 Logic
7 Enjoyment
2 Impact Bonus
TOTAL= 32+2= 34/8= 4.25
2.00/5.00 Impact Rating
4.25/5.00 Rounded Rating
January 1, 2023
Said. Is. Dead
Please, use an alternative.
[she] exclaimed, [he] replied, [they] cried, [the group] insisted.
A little editing in of these verbs could have easily made this book more engaging.
'Said' was the only option used and it became rather dry.
Other than that, I did find the overall topic intriguing. I am not religious, however, as someone who has had personal previous experiences with otherwise unexplainable psychic senses, this book resurfaced year old experiences that I don't talk about and had shelved and not revisited in a long time.
It was for that reason an interesting way of revisiting aspects of my past.
Please, use an alternative.
[she] exclaimed, [he] replied, [they] cried, [the group] insisted.
A little editing in of these verbs could have easily made this book more engaging.
'Said' was the only option used and it became rather dry.
Other than that, I did find the overall topic intriguing. I am not religious, however, as someone who has had personal previous experiences with otherwise unexplainable psychic senses, this book resurfaced year old experiences that I don't talk about and had shelved and not revisited in a long time.
It was for that reason an interesting way of revisiting aspects of my past.
December 23, 2020
This was either free with an Audible subscription or a very good sale. Some of my impulse freebies from Audible are usually a treasure and this one is no exception. I enjoyed the way Weigel (who also voiced the audiobook) made each character vibrant and unique. Each mystic guest was a character in their own right with different specialities and practices. I believe Weigal is the kind of writer that can pull off accurately conveying each person. It was a laugh too. I might actually revisit this very soon.
October 18, 2021
Glad this was free with audible. Still, I only got 1/4 the way through the book and had to stop. Kind of a blog or personal journal, too emotional. However, one unique insight I gained: it's no longer acceptable for someone who leaves a conservative Christian home to say they grew up in a good home but went their own way. Now you've got be over the top in how bad things were: "I was judged" "I was shunned" "my family totally rejected me". After knowing some folks like this, the stories get more embellished over time to get more sympathy.
December 31, 2021
The author of this book was likable. Some of the people she interviewed were not. One in particular was a boomer waxing poetically about how future generations are all narcissists and told that their special. Another medium who called himself a channel was almost nonsensical in his interview. Echo Bodine and Michael Bodine were delightful. Their perspective was interesting. I wish Concetta Bertoldi were a long lost aunt. She sounded incredible. Overall, it was a decent book. It was just over steeped in Christianity.
December 25, 2021
The author Jennifer Weigel provides in-depth interviews with today’s top mediums, healers and Psychics. I had only heard of one, Rebecca Rosen. I was surprised that Theresa Caputo, the famous Long Island Medium was not included. Jennifer did both phone & in person interviews. For the in person interviews, Jennifer brought along someone the medium or psychic could not have researched beforehand. The book was entertaining but it dragged through many of the chapters.
June 23, 2018
Really enjoyed this! I was interested in all things paranormal in my youth but since have been focused on other things so this was a nice re-introduction to the fascinating world of those who can see (feel, hear, sense) what most of us don't, or won't. Plus she writes it in a funny and engaging way. I only wish she had interviewed more gifted people!
August 14, 2018
I have been reading Jenniffer's books for years and this one is one of her best. There will always be skeptics who don't believe in the spiritual forces or intuitives who have 'gift' for healing and helping.
I challenge you to read this book with an open mind. Perhaps it will change your perspective about the world of 'the other side'.
I challenge you to read this book with an open mind. Perhaps it will change your perspective about the world of 'the other side'.
September 27, 2018
Quick, fun, light-hearted read. I'm a skeptic and a believer all at once, like with all things paranormal I took this book with a huge grain of salt. I wouldn't say this book made me believe, but it didn't make me disbelieve either. The pacing of the book flowed well and Weigel has a great sense of humor that comes across in her writing.
September 29, 2020
I am completely a believer in souls of our ancestors living amongst us. This book was a combination of advice for living as well as fascinating stories of people finding their life purpose and the people that guided them. Cracked open my interest in more books like this and to maybe meet a medium for myself one day.
July 6, 2022
I always have been and forever will be interested in the notion of psychics. Once a believer, and now a skeptic, I was intrigued by the concept of this "journalistic investigation." Was this book somewhat entertaining? Yes. Was it a journalistic investigation? No. It was a journalist's experience with multiple people claiming to be psychics. That is all.
April 9, 2023
3.5/5. Really interesting stories and attempt to try and present a number of different types of psychic experiences. It was written as though the author was telling a story to a friend - and I enjoyed the entertainment. I’ve been intrigued by mysticism so found the stories compelling, but skeptics may not enjoy the book as much. The author comes across as somewhat credulous.
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