What God tells us in the Bible about trying 
to communicate with the dead, 
ghosts, with other spirits, Reincarnation and Psychics

Home | Audio | Buy | Contact | Downloads | FAQ | Links | Search | TOC | Videos

ghosts spirits paranormal psychics channeling mediums angels reincarnation reincarnated past lives necromancing necromancer necromancy spirits guides signs wonders communicating with the dead talking James Van Praagh Beyond TV show Crossing Over John Edward Shirley McClain Sylvia Browne police  solve crimes aliens Course in Miracles Helen Schucman Neale Donald Walsch Conversations with God Bible warnings occult trances  Marian apparitions virgin Mary praying to saints impossible spirits forbidden by God deceased relatives secret knowledge Satan demons deceptions experiences miracles last days end times Wright-Patterson air force base

There shall not be found among you [any one] that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, [or] that useth divination [or] an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things [are] an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.  Deuteronomy 18:10

 

Introduction
Why spirits make contact with people
Why God allows these contacts to occur
Why these deceptions work
Satan (and other demons) can appear as an "angel of light"
Why demons mislead people with counterfeit spiritual experiences
Many are unaware of the Bible's warnings about spirit contacts
A spirit reacts to being tested
Secret knowledge is not proof of authenticity
Options for dealing with the problem
Counterfeit Reincarnation experiences
Bible based resources for dealing with grief
Links to other resources

- Spirit Contacts
- Reincarnation
- Suicide
- Near death experiences

 

Introduction   (Top)

For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any [thing] that is done under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 (KJV)

Commentary #1 on these verses
Commentary #2 on these verses

God has given us strong warnings in the Bible on the topic of whether or not we should attempt to contact the dead or other spirits (i.e. angels, saints, deceased family members or friends, etc). He also addresses the issue of reincarnation.  His commands to us on these issues are unambiguous.  Reincarnation is a fairy tale, and we should make no attempts whatsoever to seek contact with spirits (except God himself).  That includes deceased relatives, friends or anyone else including "saints" and the Virgin Mary. God clearly tells us that it is not possible for us to contact our deceased loved ones, and that there are great spiritual dangers lurking for those who attempt to do so.

In the past few decades, there has been an explosion of interest in communicating with the dead, and with other spirits. Two recent examples of this in America are the television shows Beyond, which is hosted by James Van Praagh, and Crossing Over which is hosted by John Edward. Another example where millions of people are being deceived by very convincing spiritual apparitions, and real miracles, are the alleged Marian apparitions that are occurring all over the world.  Those who are involved in these kinds of practices don't understand (or are intentionally ignoring) the great spiritual risks they are taking. 

I have personally known many people who have and in some cases still are communicating with what they believed were deceased relatives, or spirit guides.  In almost all of these cases, they were (or still are) being deceived by spirits they do not properly understand.  In a few instances, they knew they were interacting with demons but continued to do so anyway. I have also had some personal experiences that convinced me of the truth of the Biblical warnings about contacting spirits, and engaging in other occult activities.

Thanks in large part to the dogmatic teaching of atheistic evolutionism in the public schools, many young people today may never learn the truth about how spiritually dangerous these practices are.  The connection between evolutionism and these counterfeit spiritual experiences will be explained in more detail in the paragraphs that follow.  If you are involved in these activities, or know someone who is, please take the time to look at the information presented on this page and the other links for a different, but important perspective on these issues.

 


Why spirits make contact with people   (Top)

Who spirits contact can vary.  Based on my experiences and the reading I've done on this topic, most of the time it seems to be adults who have intentionally or unintentionally invited the contacts.  However, they have also been known to manifest themselves to small children and even animals. There are a variety of reasons why these contacts can be initiated.  Here are a few of them (not a complete list):

 


Why God allows these contacts to occur   (Top)

I want to be very careful here not to leave the wrong impression that I know God's will or intentions with respect to any particular situation where contact between spirits and living humans have occurred.  However, it is possible to draw some general conclusions based on what scriptures have to say about the issue.

While it may seem frightening to those who are experiencing these contacts, there may be a silver lining for them.  It is possible that in some cases, God has allowed them to occur as a wake up call.  For those who are not Christians, it may be one way God is trying to let show them that they need him. Those who become Christians and receive his help with eliminating the problem benefit not only from having the problem solved, but also gain eternal life in the next life.  Backslidden or lukewarm Christians may be getting a reminder from God to reengage and get back on track.   When they do get back on track, they receive the blessings that come from doing so.

There will be those who stubbornly refuse to believe they are dealing with demons who will not turn to God for help.  It is possible that he may allow the problem to continue to the point where they eventually  will seek help.  

Then there are the real die-hards who strongly suspect or even know they're dealing with demons but who still want involvement with them.  Again, God may choose in those cases to allow the demons to pour gasoline on the fire to drive those who have such hardened hearts into an even deeper delusion.  (see Romans 9:14-23).   

In some cases the victims are already real Christians who have done nothing to invite the problem (the book of Job contains a good example of this).  God may allow it as a test or as an opportunity for them to strengthen their faith.  I can tell you from personal experiences that another thing it does is to make the pages of the Bible come alive.  Although I know several people who have had demonic contacts, I did not seek out contacts or engage in occult practices prior to any of my personal experiences.  I didn't go looking for the problem, it found me.  It is one thing to read about the Bible's warnings about demons and quite another to experience harassment from them and the subsequent protection from God.  Whatever small doubts I may have had about the veracity of the Bible completely disappeared after those experiences.


Why these deceptions work   (Top)

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away [their] ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
2 Timothy 4:3-4

Demons who deceive humans with counterfeit spiritual experiences often are successful because: 

Their victims usually have no idea about the warnings God gave us in the Bible about these counterfeit experiences.  To a very great extent, the dogmatic, forced teaching of the atheistic religion of evolutionism in the public schools is responsible for greatly exacerbating this problem.  A recent poll showed that only 26% of young people attend church today.  Many young people today won't learn about God's warnings in the Bible about these spiritual manifestations because they wrongly believe that evolutionism has proven the Bible to be unreliable.  

The problem is made worse by the fact that many churches have been rendered ineffective in dealing with the problem of evolutionism because they have compromised with it instead of vigorously refuting it. This in spite of the fact that God gave us very clear warnings in the Bible about evolution. This poisoning of the church has happened in large part due to the efforts of heretics like Dr. Hugh Ross. While some pastors are making heroic efforts to deal with the problem, most either ignore it or treat it as a back burner issue.  As a result of this lack of vigilance by our church leaders, many churches and seminaries have been poisoned by evolutionism and other modern day compromises. Many (not all) are now too lukewarm and watered down to be of any real use to these victims of demonic deceptions or anyone else.

Their victims sometimes want to have these experiences in the naive belief that they are somehow being enlightened, or gaining access to secret knowledge about the future, the universe, the spirit world or healing powers.

Some victims are desperate to believe the experiences are real because they deeply miss a deceased loved one they believe they are really communicating with.  Their emotional reaction to the experiences can overwhelm their ability to see the truth about what's really happening, especially if they hear something from their allegedly deceased loved one that was secret information that they wrongly believe nobody else could have known.  

In some cases, the victims may be in a state of denial.  They may suspect they're dealing with demons but choose instead to assume that the spirits are harmless.  This is especially true when the demons are pretending to be deceased loved ones.  They would rather believe it's their loved one than confront the frightening possibility that they and/or their loved ones are being harassed (or even possessed) by demons they mistakenly believe they can't drive away.

 

Satan (and other demons) can appear as an "angel of light"   (Top)

For such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.  
2 Corinthians 11:13-14 (KJV)

Satan and other demons can appear as "angels of light" to deceive us.  Some experiences my cousin had several years ago help to illustrate this point.  About 20 years ago, one of my cousins who I'll call Mary (not her real name), told me about some strange events that had been occurring in her life.  She said that a beautiful woman in a long flowing white gown had been appearing to her.  It was happening while she was awake and she was actually seeing and talking to her.  She had come to believe that she was a "good" spirit because of her friendly demeanor, and because of "good" things that had happened that seemed somehow connected with this spirit.  She shared this story with me as an example.

Mary was spending the night at a friend's house.  Suddenly, in the middle of the night at about 3:00 AM, both she and her friend woke up from a vivid dream.  They looked at each other and somehow knew they had probably had the same dream.  Mary told her friend not to say anything, but to write down what she had just dreamed, then they would compare notes.  It turned out that they in fact had had the same dream.  Both of them dreamed that a woman driving a station wagon had crashed her car into either a tree or telephone pole (I can't remember which she said it was) and that she was seriously injured and dying.  Her friend recognized the location as a remote one about 3-blocks away.  They got dressed and ran to the location. Sure enough, they found a woman unconscious in a crashed station wagon seriously injured.  They called the police and the woman got medical help because of their intervention.

 


Why Demons mislead people with counterfeit spiritual experiences   (Top)

When they say to you, "Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter," should not a people consult their God? {Should they} {consult} the dead on behalf of the living? 
Isaiah 8:19 (NAS)

One reason why deceptions like this occur is so that the victims will become trusting and eventually dependent upon these spirits, and in some cases those who channel them.  As long as they're obsessed with these spiritual "experiences", they typically feel little or no need to be dependent upon God the way God tells them they should be in the Bible.  In other words, demons wean people away from a strong, close personal relationship with Jesus Christ, or try to prevent it from happening to begin with by overwhelming their victims with 'experiences' that seem so real, and in some cases very comforting.  

Mediums like James Van Praagh and John Edward can pose a triple danger to their victims.  First, they may introduce their victims to demonic influence during the initial 'contact' during their TV shows.  Second, in some cases, those demons may stick around to continue the deception long after the program is over. Third, while their victims are preoccupied by these counterfeit spiritual contacts, they're typically not seeking comfort where true comfort can come from; God's Holy Word and His Christian ambassadors here in this world. The end result of these ongoing demonic deceptions could be damnation in Hell for all of eternity. This is a very serious matter, and that's why God's warnings to us about trying to contact the dead are so explicit and firm.  

The loss of a loved one should be a reminder to all of us of our own mortality.  It should drive us into God's loving arms for comfort, and for those who haven't yet accepted Jesus Christ's gift of salvation, it can be the catalyst that finally pushes them into making that eternal life-saving decision.  We must remain on guard to make sure Satan and other demons aren't allowed to use these times of grief to lure us away from the love that God wants to pour out on us during these difficult times.

 


Many are unaware of the Bible's warnings about spirit contacts   (Top)

Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God. 
Leviticus 19:31 (NAV)

Incidents like the one described above started happening in Mary's life only after the appearances of the beautiful woman began.  I asked her a few questions about this:

  1. Had she ever read the Bible to see what it had to say about familiar spirits, talking to the dead, or channeling spirits of any kind?  

  2. Was she aware of God's warnings about how to test the spirits to see if they are of God or not?

Her answer to both questions was "no", which is typical of people who have these kinds of experiences.  I told her that based on what the Bible has to say about such matters that I was almost certain she was being deceived by a demon.  She seemed shocked and surprised because the spirit gave no obvious signs she could see of it being evil. The problem Mary had at that time was that she didn't know what signs to look for. I encouraged her to read up on the Bible verses that talk about communicating with the dead and other spirits, then to test this spirit the way the Bible says to the next time it appeared to her.  She did both, then called me later to tell me what happened.

 


The Spirit's reaction to the test   (Top)

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
James 2:19  (KJV)

Back to the story about my cousin. When the woman appeared to her again, she tested it by asking it a few important questions.  Finally, the spirit showed its true colors.  The "skin" on its face melted off into a grotesque figure.  The last thing Mary saw was its skeletal hand disappearing into thin air.  She never saw the spirit again.  She was stunned that she could have been so thoroughly deceived.  I was not surprised at all because just a few weeks prior to Mary telling me these things, I had finished reading a book called Satan is Alive and Well on Planet Earth.  What an eye opener that book was!  It explained in easy to understand terms some of the many ways that Satan and other demons deceive people through various paranormal "experiences". 

Some final comments about Mary's story. Although she never saw the spirit again, her problems with demons did not end at that point.  Instead, the harassment continued in different ways.  One way it occurred was in the form of physical afflictions such as huge tumors in her and her children that the doctors could not explain. There is much more to this story, but in the interest of brevity, I'll say that the reason it continued is because she initially turned to the Mormon church (a cult) for assistance.  Because the Jesus they believe in doesn't possess the same characteristics as the Jesus of the Bible, they worship a false god and were unable to help her.  It wasn't until she left the Mormon church and joined a Baptist church that she finally got the help she needed to put them to an end.


Secret knowledge is not proof of authenticity   (Top)

We explained to her that the reason this spirit knew about this secret information is because her father and her were really not alone when they shared this information with each other while he was still alive.  Their actions and words had been witnessed by one or more demons...

Several years ago, my wife and I met with one of my former co-workers after she (the co-worker) told me her deceased father had been appearing to her.  She was awake during these apparitions and was having conversations with the spirit. She said that her father had died about a year earlier.  When he started appearing to her about a year later, she said she was certain it really was him because he told her things that only the two of them knew about.  We asked her if she was familiar with what the Bible had to say about talking with the dead?  Predictably, she said she was not.

We explained to her that in spite of how much comfort this spirit was bringing her, that unfortunately it was not really her father.  God tells us very clearly that the dead are not able to communicate with us.  We also cannot communicate with them.  However, God does warn us to avoid these kinds of contacts because Satan and other demons can use them to deceive us.  

We explained to her that the reason this spirit knew about this secret information is because her father and her were really not alone when they shared this information with each other while he was still alive.  Their actions and words had been witnessed by one or more demons who were then able to repeat these details to her later during these apparitions.  

The secret [things belong] unto the LORD our God: but those [things which are] revealed [belong] unto us and to our children for ever, that [we] may do all the words of this law.
Deuteronomy 29:29

"Secret knowledge" that God has not revealed to us about the universe, the future, etc. is sometimes given to people by demons. It sometimes contains some accurate information, but also is often wrong and intentionally misleading.  Modern examples of misleading information revealed by demons include the Urantia book, the Marian apparitions, and TV shows about communicating with the dead like Beyond, and Crossing Over.  

 

Options for dealing with the problem (Top)

The first thing to always do is to pray for discernment so that you can properly determine what is happening. Then consider taking these actions:

  1. Try to rule out any natural, non-spiritual causes.  Hallucinations, hearing voices, etc. can be caused by a variety of medical and/or psychological problems that have nothing to do with demons. Seek the advice of your doctor, pediatrician, Christian psychologist or psychiatrist to rule those possibilities out.  I emphasize Christian psychologists or psychiatrists because they are far more likely to give careful consideration to both spiritual and non-spiritual causes.  Many secular health care professionals won't even consider a spiritual cause.  They may try to force a non-spiritual explanation for the problem no matter how strong the evidence may point to demonic activity.  See the Focus on the Family Christian Counselor Referral Service on their web site to find someone in your area, or call them at them at (719) 531-3400 from 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM Mountain Time.

  2. Try to recognize the problem for what it really is if the evidence is pointing strongly in the direction that spirit contacts are actually occurring.  This is especially true of people who are in denial because they are either afraid of what they may discover, or because they don't want to give up the comfort they think they're getting from a spirit who is pretending to be a deceased loved one or friend.  Once you've accepted the fact that you're dealing with something that is very evil, you can move on to the next step with a sense of purpose and urgency.

  3. Calm down if you are hyper about the situation.  If you pursue help from a local pastor who is willing to work with you and stick with you until the problem is solved, you will discover soon enough that it is not you who needs to be afraid, it is the demons.  If you are already a Christian, take some comfort in this Bible verse: 

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
James 2:19 

If you are not a Christian, then turn to God as soon as possible and get serious about asking him to accept you as one of his adopted children in Christ.  See this link for help in how to do that.  Then you will have the spiritual help you need to put an end to the harassment.  If you will have faith and ask for God's help, you will be victorious:

... If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Matthew 17:20

4.  Seek out help from a local pastor.  He may be able to help you with many of the questions you may have.  He may also help you to have confidence that you are truly saved (a Christian), that you have truly repented, and truly do have the support of God in dealing with the problem.  He may also be able to help you realize that you absolutely can eliminate the problem through faith in Jesus Christ and by calling on him for his help.  See the Focus on the Family Christian Counselor Referral Service on their web site to find someone in your area, or call them at them at (719) 531-3400 from 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM Mountain Time.  

You can also start calling local churches in your area.  However, please take this warning very seriously.  Avoid contacting churches that engage in the kind of spiritually dangerous practices like those mentioned above.  Involvement with these kinds of churches could make the problem much worse because it's like asking the fox to guard the hen house. In general, I have found conservative Baptist churches and conservative reformed Presbyterian churches to be among the most reliable and helpful in terms of being the most on track with their doctrines.  However, you can still encounter pastors who don't want to deal with these kinds of problems. Don't be discouraged if you do. Keep looking until you find one who will work with you.

 


Counterfeit Reincarnation experiences   (Top)

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Hebrews 9:27 (KJV)

It's pretty much the same concept for people who have what they believe are reincarnation experiences.  Sometimes when they research their experiences of alleged past lives, they find out they were based on real people and actual events.  In some cases, the events occurred centuries earlier.  This too is no surprise since demons don't die like we do.  They are able to communicate events they witnessed centuries ago to humans who are living today.  In the end, it still comes down to the fact that no matter how real or authentic these experiences appear to be, they're still nothing more than counterfeit experiences that are intended to deceive.

 


Bible based resources for dealing with grief   (Top)

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time [are] not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 
 Romans 8:18

One major reason some people try to contact deceased loved ones through mediums and by other means is to help them deal with the grief they feel over the loss of those loved ones.  We have seen from the Bible verses above that it is impossible to contact our deceased loved ones, and that God forbids us from attempting to do so. However, God provides ways for those who are coping with grief to get help through the church.  

One of the best resources we know of for Christian materials and counseling in dealing with grief is Dr. James Dobson's organization Focus on the Family.  They have on-line articles that deal with a wide range of grief situations (i.e. loss of a spouse, child, etc.).  They also sell very reasonably priced  books, audio-tapes and videotapes on the topic.  On-staff counselors are also available.  They can even refer you to Christian psychologists and psychiatrists in your local area.  These professional counselors will integrate God's Word in with their counseling if you request it.  See:

Focus on the Family: Death and Grieving

We also encourage you to get counselling through your local church.  

When my father passed away in 1997, I found comfort in these particular Bible verses.  If you have experienced the recent loss of a loved one, you may find comfort in them as well.  If you have experienced the suicide of a loved-one or acquaintance, you may find our How to grieve a suicide in a spiritually healthy way to be helpful.

 


Links to other resources   (Top)

But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that [would come] from thence.
Luke 16:25-26  (KJV)

In the next few months, we will try to find internet web sites that contain good information about this topic.  Here are a few to get started with.  We'll try to find even better ones as time permits.  I would also recommend that you read the book Satan is Alive and Well on Planet Earth by Hal Lindsey.  I am not comfortable with some of Mr. Lindsey's other books about end-time prophecies, but he seems to have really hit the nail on the head with this particular book.  Here are some other links that contain very useful information about this topic:

 


Spirit contacts

The Occult - What does the Bible say about it?
How to Test the Spirits
Spirit contact: Who is on the other side?
What is the job description for an angel?
Police officers who use psychics risk direct contact with demons


Reincarnation

Reincarnation (4 articles)
Reincarnation: Does the Bible allow for this possibility?
Did Jesus go to India as a child and learn from Hindu Gurus?
Do Job 1:21 and Ecc. 5:15 teach reincarnation?
The Mystery of Reincarnation

 

Suicide

What does the Bible say about suicide?
What should a Christian do if overwhelmed with depression?
Suggestions for how grieve a suicide in a spiritually healthy way

 

Near-death experiences

A different perspective on near-death experiences. What insights can the Bible offer?  New


Founder of the Young Earth Creation Club

[Even him], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
2 Thessalonians 2:9-12  (KJV)

Click here to find out why faith in Jesus is the only way to obtain spiritual salvation

Top   |   Home

Keywords: James Van Praagh, Beyond TV show, Crossing Over, John Edward, Shirley McClain, Sylvia Browne, J Z Knight, Ramptha, Lazaris, Jach Pursel, Jane Roberts, Seth, Seth Speaks, Ruth Montgomery, aliens, Course in Miracles, Helen Schucman, Jesus Christ, Neale Donald Walsch, Conversations with God, Bible, warnings, necromancing, necromancer, necromancy, channeling, reincarnation, reincarnated, past lives, occult, trances, spirit guides, Marian, apparitions, virgin Mary, praying to saints, communicating with the dead, impossible, spirits, forbidden by God, deceased relatives, secret knowledge, Satan, demons, deceptions, paranormal experiences, miracles, last days, end times, signs and wonders, angels, psychics John Klimo Channeling Alan Vaughan Doorways Tor Norretranders The User Illusion Tara Sutphen Automatic Writing Dick Sutphen Automatic Writing Video Hypnosis Barbara Marciniak Bringers of the Dawn Earth Jane Thomas The Seth Books Patricia Rodergast Emanuel Book I, Book II Nancy Strickland You the Medium J.Z. Knight Ramptha Kick Sutphen Hypnogogic Tape, Alpha to Theta Levels W. Kavtz & M. Brannon Channeling the Intuitive Connection H. Puryear the Edgar Cayce Primer, Discovering the Path to Self-Transformation James Van Praagh Talking to Heaven Pat Kubis Conversations Beyond the Light