Each of us has a different reason for wanting to communicate with loved ones who have passed to the higher side. Many of us have unresolved issues and concerns. Maybe you didn’t get to say “good-bye” or “I love you” before your loved one passed. Perhaps the relationship was difficult. Maybe you just feel a need to maintain a connection. Or maybe you want to establish evidence of the continuity of life.

This book provides a foundation for you to explore your interest in spirit communication. Whether you’ve already experienced spirit contact (yourself or through a medium) or are just intrigued by the idea, you’ve come to the right place.

Co-author Rita Berkowitz is an ordained Spiritualist minister, certified medium, and commissioned healer. Throughout this book, we use stories and examples from her experiences. To protect the privacy of others, we’ve changed the names—but the stories are real.

Rita is also a talented artist. What she experiences as a medium, she can draw or paint for her clients. Although the veracity of the information she conveys during a reading is compelling enough by itself, seeing the image of a loved one arise from Rita’s pencil and paper is irrefutable evidence of the continuity of life beyond physical boundaries.

Rita’s spirit drawings appear throughout the book, along with photographs of the person from physical life. The names and stories of these people are real, and we thank them for being willing to share them with us—and with you.

There are six parts to this book:

Part 1, “The Spirit World,” looks at different perspectives on life, physical death, and the continuation of the spirit’s existence. The four chapters in this section explore burial customs, the connection with the divine, the Spiritualist religion, and the answers we look to spirit communication to provide.

Part 2, “What’s on the Other Side?” explores the differences between the earth plane and the spirit world. The four chapters in this section examine the various ways spirit contact happens and many reasons we welcome and seek it, look at why spirits choose to come through in communication, and why some spirits find it difficult to leave the earth plane.

Part 3, “Invoking the Spirits,” investigates the validation and symbolism of spirit communication. The five chapters in this section provide information about, and exercises to develop, the psychic and psychical skills that facilitate spirit contact.

Part 4, “Activating Your Spirit Senses,” looks at some of the more advanced skills that help mediums make spirit connections. The four chapters in this section include exercises to help you develop these skills.

Part 5, “Being: The Essence of Spirit,” explores the healing aspects of spirit energy. The four chapters in this section look at the different ways spirit energy connects you to your past, your present, your future, and your environment.

Part 6, “Karmic Cycles and Soul Lessons,” examines the ways you can use spirit energy in your life. These final three chapters give you ways to apply the lessons you learn to your individual life and to use spirit healing to influence the world community.

You’ll also find two helpful appendixes. The glossary collects all the terms that we’ve defined throughout the book and adds a few more to provide a basic dictionary of words you need to know when reading and talking about the many aspects of spirit communication. The additional resources appendix lists other books that provide in-depth information about specific topics or that are just good sources for learning more about spirit communication. This appendix also includes contact information for websites, mediumship schools, and relevant organizations.

Each chapter contains boxes with interesting and useful information.

It takes many people to turn a good idea into a good book, and we deeply appreciate the efforts of all those who worked to bring this book into existence. We give thanks to (and for) the wonderful team at Alpha Books, including publisher Marie Butler-Knight and our editors Randy Ladenheim-Gil, Lynn Northrup, Anja Mutic, and Christy Wagner. Special thanks go to Lee Ann Chearney of Amaranth, for her extraordinary vision, acceptance, guidance, and support.

Debbie thanks these people: Mike, Chris, and Cass for their love and patience. Dianne (“Dicycle”), for her observations and insights. Ava, for having the courage to speak the truth. Giuseppe, for the generosity of his amazing invitation. And Rita, for her insight, good humor, flexibility, and enthusiasm as we’ve shared the journey of writing this book.

Rita thanks these people: my husband David and daughters Deborah and Erica for all your love and support and not thinking it too strange that I spend so much time with “dead people.” I want to thank Stephen O’Leary, Career Counseling Professor, for saying the right words, “Use your gifts.” Thanks to Bob Miller, founder of the Silver Birch Healing Sanctuary, dear friend, and mentor for always teaching me that all spirit communication is for healing. And thanks especially to Bob Olson, who walked into church one morning and asked for a spirit drawing and changed both of our lives. Bob took on the awesome task of creating the online spiritual magazine, OfSpirit.com, that has helped to connect the people in the spiritual/holistic community around the globe. I can’t begin to express the great appreciation I, as well as so many others, feel about his work. Thank you, Bob, for all that you do.

And last, we thank the many people who have been willing to share their stories, experiences, and spirit drawings with us to include in this book. These people and events are real, and they validate the continuity of life as nothing else can.

All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be or are suspected of being trademarks or service marks have been appropriately capitalized. Alpha Books and Penguin Group (USA) Inc. cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark.