Talking to the Dead

April 8, 2024

Raymond Moody Jr., MD, and Ph.D. is the author of the seminal book on near-death experiences, Life After Life. Initially published in 1975, it is a groundbreaking study of one hundred people who, after being pronounced “clinically dead”, were revived, and told, in their own words, what they experienced beyond death.

Raymond has been a guest lecturer at ICB intensives and continues to write about life and death. He published another groundbreaking work, Reunions: Visionary Encounters with Departed Loved Ones (1993). This book explains the Ancient Greek practice of communicating with the dead and explains how we can do it today.

Ancient Greece was dotted with sacred temples and holy sites overseen by priests and shamans. At these places, the priests assisted pilgrims in incubating and interpreting their dreams, in healing their ailments, and in other divination practices for healing. They also helped the pilgrims make contact with loved ones who had passed.

One of the ways they facilitated these conversations with departed loved ones was through the practice of scrying. In this procedure, the pilgrim looks into a caldron of oil. With eyes fixed on the oil’s surface, an altered state of consciousness is achieved in which pilgrims report seeing images of their loved ones, hearing their voices, and having conversations with them.

After Raymond’s book Reunions was published, it hit the news; Diane Sawyer and many other journalists came to Anniston, Alabama, Raymond’s home at the time, to interview him about the book. He was on Oprah Winfrey’s program three times, and he and his wife Cheryl hosted many celebrities, including Joan Rivers, who came to his home to receive personal instructions about scrying. Raymond used a large mirror, instead of oil, into which pilgrims gazed.

Scrying may be a long-forgotten ancient practice, but Moody showed us how it can be effective for some. There is no way to scientifically measure the validity of scrying because any measurement would rely on self-reporting. Nevertheless, many who have communicated with loved ones by this method stand by their experiences. But many reported having experienced nothing.

There are other ways to conceptualize scrying: What if it is not an actual communication with the dead loved one but with our internalized experience of their essence? How valid is such internal communication for our healing?

Inquiry: Why would you not want to talk to a loved one who has passed?

Dear God,

I am so grateful for the ways you keep us connected to love!!!

Amen.

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