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Definition:
Appeal to Authority is a red flag that uses or imitates authority figures to manipulate someone into trusting what they say in order to sell their product/service. It creates a sense of security to see someone in a position that has more knowledge on the subject, which is why doctors or scientists are commonly depicted in many health & wellness advertisements.

Connection:
This particular advertisement uses the Appeal to Authority red flag by getting a dentist to state how well the product works. In the advertisement, he states that he "recommends it" because he has seen it work. He also uses very definitive wording when talking about the product, such as "only Colgate..." which gives the viewer the understanding that no other product provides this, when in actuality, the dentist in the video has likely not tried every brand of toothpaste. The dentist shown in the advertisement also claims that the toothpaste reduced plaque by up to 98% and gingivitis by 88%. While these facts may be true, the depiction of a dentist on screen makes a stronger argument than if it was stated by a "regular" person.

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Definition:
The use of Mystical Energy in pseudosciences involves supporting claims by describing that products contain beneficial "energies" that have no scientific foundation. It creates an aura of mystery and magic around what they are trying to sell/advertise/promote to make it more enticing to the viewer.

Connection:
This video demonstrates the Mystical Energy red flag by implying that the mineral stones in the video provide different spiritual and emotional benefits to your everyday life. A lot of the stones in the video are claimed to provide "good energies" or "healing energies". The creator of this video talks about these energies helping you in certain areas of your life and therefore improving your quality of life at home or at work. The critical thinking process should be used when analyzing these types of claims. It is important to ask yourself if there is any credible evidence supporting the claims before believing them to be true. While crystals themselves and believing in their energies may be physically harmless, they are often sold as a gimmick to make money, and many times, this involves people being sold inauthentic and fake products for far more than what they are worth.

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Top 10 Healing Stones - Meanings & Benefits

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Definition:
Ancient Wisdom is a red flag tactic that supports pseudosciences by convincing viewers that using ancient methods, knowledge, or products is better than using current ones. The tactic suggests that if it worked for ancient civilizations, it must be better and safer for us, which is not always scientifically supported.

Connection:
Cupping uses the Ancient Wisdom red flag because it has been around for many centuries to "assist the body with self-healing". The article begins by validating the procedure because it has been used by by many different cultures throughout history, which gives the reader a sense of security in the methods. It leads them to believe that because so many cultures used the method and it has been used for many years, it must work. It is important to show skepticism when learning about this procedure because some methods are more invasive than others. Personally, I would want to research the history of the procedure to see how it was used in the passed and what modifications they have done to ensure patient safety. I would also ensure that I was not relying on history to be the only factor in making a decision. It would be very important to see current research on the method that supports the claims made in this article.

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Cupping therapy is one of the oldest and most effective method of releasing the toxins from body tissue and organs. It is also known as vacuum cupping, hijama cupping, horn treatment etc. It is a practice in which the therapist puts special cups on the skin to create suction. This causes the tissue beneath the cup to be drawn up and swell causing increase in blood flow to affected area. Enhanced blood flow under the cups draws impurities and toxins away from the nearby tissues and organs towards the surface for elimination.

Cupping is a treatment that has been used for a number of ailments for thousands of years. Over the centuries, cupping techniques and styles have often been influenced by their geographical location, as well as by the materials used in that area: animal horns, bamboo, ceramic, glass, metal, and plastic have all been used in this procedure found in Ancient Egyptian, Chinese, Unani, Korean, Tibetan, and Latin American cultures, whose purpose has been to assist the body in self-healing. Eber's papyrus (1550 BCE) is the first documented instance of this therapy in North Africa. A cup refers to the Egyptian glyph for doctor. According to Ge Hong (281-341 CE), animal horns were used to drain body fluids in Asia during the Jin dynasty. Additionally, it was popular during the Greek Bronze era, when bronze cups were used.

As prescribed by Al-Qanun Fi'l-Tibb, Canon of Medicine (1025 CE), cups are often used to treat conditions related to menstruation in Arabic and Islamic countries. It is reported that Prophet Muhammed used it and advocated its use.

According to Galen, the principle of indication for blood lenting is to eliminate residues or divert blood from one part to another.

The Daoist model of holism informs the practice of cupping and other similar therapies in Chinese medicine. The holistic philosophy maintains that systems and their properties can only be understood as a whole and not as parts. According to Daoist philosophy, no individual could exist unless it is connected to nature. This is because it is influenced both by natural phenomena, such as the seasons and climate and by internal states, such as emotional stress. An imbalance in the body is caused by climate, emotions, and/or trauma, according to this concept.

Since Chinese medicinal researchers focus on observable principles of balance examined in living bodies, their traditional medicine practices are considered "alternative" by the dominant medical systems, despite having been practiced for centuries in cultures and countries around the world.

As defined by the Alternative Medicine Association, alternative medicine refers to practices that are unproven, disproven, impossible to prove, or excessively harmful relative to their effects. Unfortunately, medicine has been viewed solely from an epistemological standpoint, particularly Western allopathic medicine. By defining justified beliefs and opinions, this framework establishes a theory of knowledge. As a result, evidence-based medicine has been adopted, predominantly relying on anatomical dissection for diagnostic and/or therapeutic purposes.

Modern Cupping as western based cupping uses the plastic, silicon or glass cups with a vacuum seal to influence the myofascial tissue physiology.

Dry cupping : The air inside a plastic or glass cup is suctioned or vacuumed out by placing the cup on the skin. In most cases, the cups can be used at rest or while moving.

Wet cupping / Hijama / Bleeding : Wet cupping creates a mild suction by leaving a cup in place for about 3 minutes. The therapist then removes the cup and uses a small scalpel to make light, tiny cuts on your skin. Next, they do a second suction to draw out a small quantity of blood

Oil cupping / Sliding cupping : Its a technique where massage oils are applied, cups are attached to the body and then slide across an area.

Flash cupping / Empty cupping : It involves quick repeated application of cups, with minimal retention. It reduces local congestion and stimulate circulation over a broader area.

Manual Suction: use of manual pump of plastic cups to control the suction.

Moxabustion cupping : Moxibustion Cupping is the same as Weak or Medium Cupping, with the addition of moxibustion. Moxibustion is a therapy used in TCM where a moxa made of dried mugwort (or artemisia) is burned directly, or indirectly, on the skin.

Horn cupping / Raktamokashan by shrung

Pulsatile cupping: in which mechanical device generates a pulsatile suction with a pump. 15

Horn / suction cups

Glass / fire glass cups

Plastic / hijama cups

Bamboo / wooden cups

Silicone / facial cups

Cupping therapy is indicated for both healthy patients (anti ageing treatment, rejuvenation purpose) and those suffering from ailments. Localized ailments that benefit from cupping therapy include a headache, lower back pain, neck pain, and knee pain. Systemic illnesses that have seen benefits with cupping therapy include hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus, mental disorders, heart disease, hypertension, infections. It can be used to treat skin diseases, respiratory, musculoskeletal, digestive, reproductive, and allergic conditions,

Excessive dry or cracked skin

Open wound or ulcer

Fractured bone

Dislocated joint

Bleeding disorders

Severe anaemia

Muscle dystrophy

Patients with fear of blood or bleeding, empty stomach, below 7 years of age (for wet cupping)

Below 2 years of age for dry cupping

Abcess

Pacemaker (refer)

1. Cupping helps to reduce pain and inflammation.

2. Improves blood flow.

3. Used for relaxation, well being and deep tissue massage.

4. It is safe, non invasive and inexpensive treatment.

5. Rejuvenation of body organs.

6. Facilitates healing process and strengthens immune system.

7. Used to treat:

Blood disorders such as anemia and hemophilia

Rheumatic diseases such as arthritis and fibromyalgia

Gynecological disorders

Skin problems: eczema and acne

High blood pressure

Migraines, Anxiety and depression

Varicose veins

1. Skin: Improved metabolism in skin tissue, better functioning of sebaceous and sweat glands, improved healing and improved skin resistance.

2. Muscles: Stimulates blood flow and lymphatic drainage.

3. Joints: Increased blood flow and secretion of synovial fluid.

4. Digestive system: Increased peristalsis and secretion of digestive fluids, better digestion and excretion.

5. Blood: Improved blood circulation, improved functioning of RBC and WBC.

6. Nervous System: Stimulates sensory nerves of skin, Improves ANS.

Cupping is a low-risk therapy. The side effects will typically occur during your treatment or immediately after. Lightheadedness or dizziness, sweating or nausea may be experienced.

After treatment, the skin around the rim of the cup may become irritated and marked in a circular pattern. There may be risk of Infection after undergoing cupping therapy and it can be avoided if practitioner follows the right methods for cleaning skin and controlling infection before and after the session.

Burns from heated cups.

Blisters : second degree 0f burn than can caused by dry cups if stayed for long time.

Fatigue.

Headaches.

Muscle tension or soreness.

Nausea.

Skin infections, bruising, itching or scarring.[24][26]

Must: Haemogram, BT, CT, BSL

Optional: HIV, HBSAG, VDRL, PT INR

Who Can Perform Cupping Therapy?

Cupping is easy, very safe modality to practice. It is completely unregulated, and therefore it can be performed by anyone. If it is practiced within a regulated health practice, it must adhere to the contraindications and legislation indicated within the scope of practice. If the therapist/practitioner don't belong to a college or association, or not sure, the therapy cannot be performed until satisfactory response is found. If therapist/practitioner have not had training in a modality, or are not taking extra training to treat certain conditions, then precaution must be taken.

Procedure / Use Of Cupping In Physiotherapy

A Physiotherapist utilizes a rubber pump to create a vacuum and this causes the skin to rise. The blood vessels will expand and is used to create a massage effect.

The sites are selected according to the treated ailment. The cups are commonly placed on areas with abundant muscles. The back is the most common site of application, followed by the chest, abdomen, buttocks, and legs. Other areas, such as the face, may also be treated by cupping. According to research studies, it is recommended that cups should be on the skin for no more than 5-10 minutes.The residual marks left from cupping disappear in 1-10 days.

Cupping helps to increase the blood flow to sore areas in muscles.

It provides necessary nutrients to the area being treated and promotes healing.

Cupping can provide pain relief and help ease the symptoms of many common disorders of the bones and muscles. It does this by exciting small nerves inside muscles so that they release pain-killing chemicals.

Cupping Therapy can be very relaxing and help to reduce muscular restrictions, scars and adhesions, to decrease swelling, increase range of motion.

Proper counselling should be done to the patient about the procedure and about post treatment marks or scars.

Take consent if required.

Surface should be cleaned or disinfected before cupping.

Use new sterile disposable needle or surgical blade and disposable cups for wet cupping.

Check for cracks, wound and raised local temperature.

Check for sensitive skin.

After the procedure, apply moisturizer or antiseptic cream to prevent any possible infection.

After hijama cupping, dressing must be done.

(Refer the videos below for more information)

It is known through research over years that cupping can improve local blood flow, alleviate muscle pain and reduce muscle stiffness. It has an added proven benefit to cure a disabling, excruciatingly painful condition of ' Nocturnal Leg Cramps'. Combining the methods of cupping therapy can bring about benefits in various conditions. A case has been reported for having a lasting effect of hot water cupping therapycombined with moving cupping therapy in the case of nocturnal leg cramps. More research is required to prove the benefit of such method in exercise associated muscle cramps as an adjuvant to traditional regimen for managing leg cramps.

1. Chirali I Z. Traditional Chinese medicine: cupping therapy. Elsevier Health Sciences.1999.

2. Cupping Therapy for Muscles and Joints: An Easy-to-Understand Guide for Relieving Pain, Reducing Inflammation and Healing Injury

3. Al-Bedah AMN, Elsubai IS, Qureshi NA, et al. The medical perspective of cupping therapy: Effects and mechanisms of action. J Tradit Complement Med. 2018;9(2):90-97. Published 2018 Apr 30. doi:10.1016/j.jtcme.2018.03.003

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Cupping therapy is one of the oldest and most effective method of releasing the toxins from body tissue and organs. It is also known as vacuum cupping, hijama cupping, horn treatment etc. It is a practice in which the therapist puts special cups on the skin to create suction.

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Definition:
The All Natural red flag is a common tactic used to sell products for health and beauty. Companies will use this tactic to claim that their product has all natural ingredients that are safer and healthier for your body than synthetic, while also giving you the same, or better results. This red flag is similar to Ancient Wisdom, where natural ingredients are not always better.

Connection:
This company, and the industry in general, is an example of the All Natural red flag. The makeup/skin care/beauty industry has been promoting the use of "all natural" skin care products, makeup, and soaps as a way to generate more sales. As people are investing more time and money into their health and wellness, this is an opportunity for companies to target their customers with products that are "healthier" and "safer" for your skin, hair, etc. For example, this company linked sells 50 mL bottles of product for $68.

This particular website states "100% PURE™ has pure and cruelty-free all natural skin care and facial products to keep your skin looking and feeling healthier than ever. Conventional products often use toxic ingredients like parabens, phthalates and skin-irritating fragrances that wreak havoc on our delicate skin, oftentimes causing more harm than good. That ends now." Not only are they condemning other companies for the use of the ingredients, they are also using key words to credit their own company more, such as "pure", "all natural", "healthier".

The All Natural red flag should be approached from a critical thinking standpoint. While having better ingredients for the health of your skin is important, you do not want to be spending an excess amount of money on a product that is not worth it. Exercise caution with companies that use the all natural gimmick to sell more product.

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When you visit any website, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. This information might be about you, your preferences or your device and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to. The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can give you a more personalized web experience. Because we respect your right to privacy, you can choose not to allow some types of cookies. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings. However, blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. More information

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.

These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance.

These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.

These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

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All Natural Skin Care & Facial Products | 100% PURE

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When you visit any website, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. This information might be about you, your preferences or your device and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to.

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Definition:
The Emotional Connection reason for belief is often a tactic used by psychics (or others) to manipulate a person into buying or using their product/service. They often find something that is close to your heart that they can use against you as a convincing reason, such as the death of a loved one, a past experience, or something you deeply care for.

Connection:
This video showcases the reason for belief of Emotional Connection. This reason for belief is very commonly seen when people see mediums or psychics. This particular video shows a woman who sees a medium to see if she will connect with her brother who has passed. The medium quickly picks up on sensitive parts of her life and eventually connects with the woman's brother who has passed away, as well as her cat. The medium in the video focuses on the love that she feels from the woman's brother and strives to make that emotional connection with the woman. People can feel a lot of comfort from hearing that their family member/partner/friend who has passed on is still with them, and this is what mediums target in their clients. As soon as that emotional connection is made, clients become vulnerable, and may seek that comfort more often as a result, which, as we discussed in the course content, can lead to people spending thousands of dollars to see mediums and try to connect with their loved ones.

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A reading with a truly gifted medium (see our guide, here) can change your life-and specifically the trajectory of grief. While it will never obviate the pain of losing a loved one, or take away the sadness of not having their physical presence around, a medium, by bringing through highly evidential and specific information that nobody else could possibly know, can re-establish a connection, and offer a certain level of evidence that the soul survives death. This suggests that not only can we continue to communicate with loved ones on the other side, but that we will be met, on the other side of death, with people who can help us transition.

Belief in an afterlife comes much easier to some people than others, and is really the question that is the thesis of this week's entire newsletter: does the brain create consciousness, or are we souls having a physical existence? Laura Lynne Jackson, the author of the NYT bestseller The Light Between Us, and one of the more incredible working mediums of the day, is at the center of many of the stories in this week's issue. For example, she is one of the two mediums encountered by Leslie Kean in her book, Surviving Death (read our Q&A with Kean about everything she learned during her investigation, here ; and she read for Dr. Eben Alexander and gave him information about his NDE that furthered his understanding of the experience (read our Q&A about consciousness and the afterlife with Alexander, here. In short, we had to meet her and experience her gifts first-hand.

We met with Jackson this summer, and as part of our visit, had her do a fully blind reading on tape of our CFO, Erica. Jackson did not know who she would be reading until they sat down in front of the camera and we started rolling. We edited the 30-minute encounter down to a shorter 3-minute video below, but also added the full session to our site, here, as it's interesting to see an unmediated cut of their time together. (Much of the information that didn't fully land at the time ultimately came true in the following weeks.)

A Q&A with Laura Lynne Jackson

Q

When you read and channel the other side, what do you experience?

A

Reading is a very different mode than "normal mode," when I'm just like everyone else. When I do a reading, it's almost like I lift my energy up and click it into place on a higher plane-it sounds odd, but it's like when you get an elephant boost when you're little and can see above the crowd.

And then a screen appears in my mind, like a wide-screen TV, or ironically, like an old-school teacher's blackboard. My screen is divided into a left-hand side and a right-hand side. I get my psychic information on the left-hand side. The first time I read someone I'll see a core aura, which is a blueprint of that person's soul in this lifetime. I'll see a globe or sphere with certain colors, which is a whole language to me. It's my way of understanding the gifts this soul came with, and maybe some soul challenges he or she is confronting, and how they're doing with them. I'll see timelines, which look like a a historical timeline. The lines down might not be an event, they might be a moment of decision, or a shift in what I call a soul cycle. Most of us have these different patterns of lessons that we're learning here, so I might see when a soul cycle began for a certain lesson and when it ends. A lot of time the other side will give me information for the future, too.

When I read psychically, I connect with the sitter's spirit guides. We all have spirit guides, though throughout time and history they've been called guardian angels. They are assigned teachers to help us on our path here. They will appear as points of light, and they'll bring the psychic information forward-I might get a lot of information from the person I'm reading's past, present, and future. And we all bring cords or connections to the people who are connected to us in this life-so if you're married, your aura is connected to your spouse's aura, and so I can read their energy off of you.

"When I do a reading, it's almost like I lift my energy up and click it into place on a higher plane."

When I read mediumistically, I see information on my right-hand screen. A point of light will appear, and push in. I've organized that side very clearly so that I can understand who is coming in. Anyone connected to the sitter's mother comes in on the upper-right hand corner of my screen. Anyone connected to the sitter's father comes in on the lower right-hand side. The middle of the screen is reserved for peers and people who are your same age bracket-friends, friends of friends, extended family.

That's an easy way for me to get a quick understanding of who I'm connecting with. Then I ask for specific information. I love when they give me names-they don't always do that, though sometimes I'll either hear a name crystal clear, or parts of it, or they'll start to spell it for me.

Q

How do you understand what they're saying?

A

When I read, I always use the psychic toolbox we all have, the four "clairs." The other side will use that as a language for me. I believe we all have intuitive and psychic abilities, the volume just isn't turned up for most people.

There's clairvoyance, which is clear seeing, and everybody has that, even people who don't realize they're psychic. Like when you're asleep at night, your clairvoyance might open up. A lot of people will have visitations from people who have crossed, or they'll have pre-cognitive dreams, or very symbolic dreams that will give them information about their path. For me, I might see them in color, or flashes of images about their life.

Then there's clairaudience, which is clear hearing, and that's when you hear a thought but it's not yours. It's not as scary as it sounds-it might be a name, or a phrase, or a word.

Most us have claircognizance and just don't really honor it. Claircognizance is just clear-knowing, when you know something with every ounce of your being even when there's no logical way you could or should.

Last is clairsentience, which most of us have and aren't using. It's that feeling in your solar plexus area, when you're feeling information, or you get gut pulls. A lot of times when you travel, you get filled up with the energy and experience-that's also clairsentience.

Basically when I'm reading, I'm using all four. It's a very multi-sensory experience for me-I will be feeling things, knowing things, hearing things, seeing things. It's very intense, and very interesting. I'll also lose all track of time. I go into this other place. It's very beautiful, too, because I lose my sense of "me"-I still know I'm Laura, and I still know I'm on earth, but I get to transcend who I am, and tap into this universal love. There's never been a reading I've done where there have been any judgments. I feel so connected to that person after I read, and I feel so much unconditional love for them. In day-to-day life, when you're out on the subway or at the grocery store, it's easy to get annoyed by people, but when I read, it's so liberating, because it's just love -it's so great.

Q

Can you read for yourself, or are you too emotionally invested to hear clearly? Can you read for your close friends when you know so much about them?

A

Reading is hard work because you're translating images constantly. There's a nuance to it-it's almost like Pictionary or psychic charades. What can crowd it up and muddy the waters is your feelings about things. My close friends are at a disadvantage when I read for them because I'll always want to write a happy ending for them. I want to create, or twist, or turn it in a certain way so that it's positive. It's a struggle to stay clear when it comes to people I really care about and really love. But I am able to do it.

You know when you meet someone and you feel an instant connection and you know that someone is part of your soul tribe? Then you might meet other people and it's not that you're judging them, but there's almost an allergic reaction between your energies. They're just not your cup of tea. There are some people who are so easy to read, and so easy to connect with. We are automatically connected to people we've known before-where there is a noticeable energetic match. So in that sense, it facilitates an easy connection or easy read. I just have to be careful to stay clear. My psychic friends and I have learned how to pull back and not write happy endings for ourselves.

There are times I get very clear information for myself. The way that I trust it, is that I don't feel any emotions attached to it. If I get information and I'm excited about it, and think it's great news, then I don't trust it. If I get information and it feels full of doom, then I don't trust it. But when I get information and it's completely neutral, I know it's legitimate.

"We're not fully conscious of it, but we do deliver information for each other. You might have certain friends who always steer you in a reliably great direction or give really good advice. Pay attention to them!"

There are times when I get information for myself. For the most part I go out with my psychic friends, for what we lovingly call a Witches Brew-we'll tune in for each other. We also do a lot of charity work together for Forever Family Foundation or Ronald McDonald House. Our spirit guides work together so often, that they all know each other. There's definitely a beautiful advantage to having friends who are psychic mediums, though we are not exempt from being in the dark, a lot of the time. We are having our own authentic life experiences, and we have our own soul tests and challenges. Yes, we do this out in the world, but we are living our own lives. Do we cheat a little? Maybe. We have the advantage of being able to call each other. It's so helpful and really wonderful.

I don't think that my psychic medium friends and I are alone. I think we all do this for each other. Think about your own circle of friends-you'll call and discuss things that are going on, and they might make a suggestion about a new way to see things. They might not even realize where it's come from, but it might be coming from the other side. We're not fully conscious of it, but we do deliver information for each other. You might have certain friends who always steer you in a reliably great direction or give really good advice. Pay attention to them!

Q

How do you distinguish between common sense and intuitive knowing-how can one tell if they have secret abilities?

A

Once you start honoring and recognizing it, life turns kind of magical. I do these one-day workshops: I jumpstart people's abilities and get them to recognize what they're actually doing-they don't have names for it, and they don't necessarily recognize or honor it in the proper ways. But once they become mindful and open their mind and heart to it, it's like the doors open wide and you can start using it more and more.

Is there some analytical thinking mixed in? Absolutely. But you are still reading energy.

Q

What are some basic tips and tools for opening the mind and intuition?

A

I think the most important thing is to declare it to the other side, to say, "I am all in, I am open, and I am willing to start receiving more-to open my energy, to hear my spirit guides, and to get signs and messages from my loved ones on the other side. I open my arms and heart to it. Let me start feeling and seeing this life around me every day." Declaring it is really important.

I always say that it doesn't matter which psychic ability you start to work on-once you open one, they all open. It will happen no matter which one you're working on. If there's one you're better at, do that.

There are other things that help as well. We all have a mind-body connection, so I think some things are simple, like getting enough sleep. Meditation can shift your energy in profound ways. When we pray we direct our energy to the other side, but when we meditate we listen back. When scientists have done EEG's of my brain when I'm reading, they say that it looks like I'm unconscious, like in a deep, deep meditative state. They told me I went off the chart, they couldn't measure my brain waves anymore.

"I always say that it doesn't matter which psychic ability you start to work on-once you open one, they all open."

For people who don't do this daily, when they go to sleep or they meditate, their brains go offline in a similar way. I have a theory that a lot of children are very psychic and then it stops. When we're little kids, we use all parts of our brains. All of us come here hard-wired, not only to the other side, to this universal love energy, which I call god and the universe, but also to each other-we're linked to each other's energy fields and the other side.

I think between the ages of one and five we really swim around in that. That's why so many young children will have past-life recall, they'll know things, they'll recognize relatives in photos they've never met before-"Oh, I know this man, I've seen him in my dreams," or, "I've seen him at the foot of my bed." That is normal to them. But at around age five to seven, all of this stops.

Here's what I find interesting: When I've had EEG's of my brain when I'm trying to block psychic stuff and just go about having a normal day, the front of my brain, the frontal lobe, is lit up. That's where all of us spend most of our living hours-it's in charge of language, math, analytical thinking, etc. All the stuff we learn once we start kindergarten and get mentally organized. Once we start really functioning in our frontal lobe, I believe that we never go back and re-access the other parts of our brain.

As mentioned, when scientists study my brain when I'm reading, they find that I shut off my frontal lobe, and that's why it looks like I'm not conscious. When I'm reading, it seems like I use the middle and back part of my brain, which most people don't. We just have to learn how to turn our brains off and on. Our formal training has numbed us to our abilities.

Q

What other exercises can people do to tune back in?

A

In my workshops, I do various things to try to tune people back in, and encourage them to really focus on developing one of their "clairs."

There is a fun exercise, where you can try to affect the outcome of dice using only the power of your thoughts. People need to understand that our thoughts are more powerful than you can imagine. Another important thing I've learned from the other side is that our free will trumps everything. It really can change the course of your path-we have the power to direct energy.

So I'll give everyone one die and I'll ask them to pick a number between 1 and 6, and I'll have them roll 12 times. If you roll your number more than 3 times, that is statistically very significant. And a lot of people will find that they'll roll their number 4, 5, or 6 times. That's really powerful proof that what they're projecting is affecting the future. And I'll also find that some people will roll the die and get a different number that's not theirs four, five, or six times only to find that it's their neighbor's number. Those people need to understand that they're receivers, and they need to learn how to honor their energy and block the energy of other people.

We also practice remote viewing. Once you do that, and you're "looking" without your physical eyes, that's clairvoyance to such a significant degree that it can blow it wide open. I love doing it because everyone grumbles that they can't do it, and this is ridiculous, and impossible, how can they draw a picture that I've hidden that they've never seen? But then they do it!

"They'll get totally freaked out, because it's one thing to come to a workshop and look at me, and think, 'Okay, she does this, let me investigate this, could it be real?' But when you have your own experience, it becomes undeniable."

I also love doing psychometry, as every object holds energy. We're all energy, and things hold energy, too. I ask people to bring an object that belonged to somebody, living or dead, and we pair them up, and they swap items, and read off the objects. Fascinating things will happen-quite often people will bring things from someone they've lost, and the person who is reading it will go straight from psychic to mediumistic and they'll start bringing messages through from the other side. And they'll get totally freaked out, because it's one thing to come to a workshop and look at me, and think, "Okay, she does this, let me investigate this, could it be real?" But when you have your own experience, it becomes undeniable. I'll also hear stories after the fact, how incredible things begin to happen-synchronicities and signs. Everything opens up.

A big responsibility comes with doing this work. I had to work and practice a lot to refine my abilities-I couldn't get it to go away, so I felt like I needed to fully develop it, so that I was certain I was interpreting the information correctly. I would go to the grocery store and I'd be in line in front of someone. I would read their energy. I would never do that now-it's way too invasive. Reading someone's energy without permission is like going through their underwear drawer! But back then, when I wasn't sure of my abilities, I would do it. I would ask myself: Are they married? Do they have kids? Am I getting any names? I would then strike up a conversation with them and test myself to see if I was right. (If you have friends who are also interested, do a little get together and see what you're picking up and if any messages are coming through.)

I'm also going to tell you a secret formula that all mediums know about, that really gets information flowing. We know, because we have to be careful about it, because you literally can't shut the information off. It's the two-drink rule. Two alcoholic drinks within a 90-minute period, and the information begins to flow very intensely. It just doesn't stop. I have to be careful, otherwise I'm reading the waitress, I'm reading the bartender, I'm freaking people out!

Q

How should one read and interpret signs?

A

Developing a relationship with your spirit guides can really help you develop all of your intuitive abilities-connect with them constantly and ask them for signs.

If you're not specific, they'll use the default signs. The default signs are typically:

1. Coins, as anything metallic is really easy for them to manipulate-like pennies, dimes, nickels. My dad, who crossed in October, loves to send me dimes. They'll come at amazing times, often when I'm having a really difficult day. For example, I was in Japan, doing this TV show, which was an incredible experience though very stressful because of the language barrier. It went really well, and I got in a cab to go home from the taping-there was an American dime on the floor of the Japanese cab.

2. They will also send birds, butterflies, bees, deer, or even bats (though they typically don't send bats, as they're too scary), because these creatures all use electromagnetism to navigate and so they are easy to redirect.

3. Electrical signals: lights, appliances, empty texts, phone calls from unknown numbers where nobody is on the line, etc.

4. Songs on the radio, playing in stores, etc. They send messages through meaningful songs/lyrics quite often, and music shifts energy and is energy, so that is a bonus.

5. License plates: Look for phrases or number sequences that are important. Keep your eyes peeled!

6. Numbers in general, like on receipts, etc. 11, 444, etc. are all little hugs and kisses from the other side.

So that you know that it is intentional, ask for something specific, and ask your spirit guides to send you something different than your loved ones. For example, I ask my spirit guides to send me oranges. The first time I did a big event was for William Morris Endeavor, where I'm represented. They brought me to their retreat to give a talk about the other side in front of six hundred and fifty agents. Needless to say, it was a very intense crowd. I got off the stage, and I asked my spirit guides for an orange if I had honored their message. There was another speaker, and then we broke for lunch. We walked into the restaurant and what's on display? Two thousand oranges. That's how supported all of us are. There is a team of light on the other side between your spirit guides, your loved ones, and this god energy-they love you and want to get you on your highest path. It makes you realize you're very loved.

Q

What do you think our purpose here on earth is?

A

To find and honor the unique gifts-talents, abilities-we each came here with and share them with others. To honor our own light and truths, and in doing that, help others find and honor their gifts and truths, and embrace their highest paths, too. When we do that, we become light workers who are on our highest paths.

Our soul purpose is to love and be loved. It's as simple as that: finding any opportunity to give our love to others and to be open to receiving the love of others. That is what we are here to learn and embrace: love. Love for all things and all people. The path to that is kindness, tolerance, non-judgement. To focus on energy and the interior world, not the materialistic world. Always choose people's feelings, generosity, and kindness over things; it is the recipe for success. Ultimately, gratitude, kindness, compassion, and love are the most powerful tools we can use to navigate our soul experience here.

True success is not having power over others, but helping build others up. We belong to each other-and ultimately we all rise together. No one is separate from anyone else's experiences-that is an illusion. We are all part of each other. Different leaves on different branches of the same tree.

We are also here to experience beauty, so be open to art in all forms and learn to recognize and see and experience all things.

Q

Things in the world seem to be shifting-do you believe consciousness is about to crack open?

A

Yes: We are collectively like a plant pushing up from the ground! Even though it seems like a time of turmoil in the world, we are all growing together in the same direction. We are collectively taking a hard look at our beliefs and connections with one another, and we are being challenged to let go of fear, which comes in the form of hate and judgement, and evolve into a more loving consciousness. So many things are at work making this happen, it is actually a really exciting time.

The other side has told me to pay attention to what's being channeled out of Hollywood: Movies and shows are catalysts for helping us embrace and experience our spiritual energy. In addition, we are entering a much more spiritual time, where energy and what is unseen is becoming more and more recognized. Our thoughts matter more than we know.

Also, science is going to help show us how energy is real and how our energy affects one another. The other side has always shown me that quantum physics will help solve the puzzle. Ultimately, we are consciousness-and when we leave our physical bodies, our consciousness is still very much "alive" and intact...and then, what separates you from someone else's experiences? Not a physical body! Once we cross, we can instantaneously connect with others' experiences and consciousness, making it all make sense how truly what we do to others we are really doing to ourselves. We are all in this together.

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A Medium Channels a Loved One-and Explains Our Purpose Here and How We All Can Connect | Goop

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A reading with a truly gifted medium (see our guide, here) can change your life-and specifically the trajectory of grief. While it will never obviate the pain of losing a loved one, or take away the sadness of not having their physical presence around, a medium, by bringing through highly evidential and specific information that nobody else could possibly know, can re-establish a connection, and offer a certain level of evidence that the soul survives death.

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Definition:
Suppression by Authorities is often used as a manipulation tactic for you to believe in something. It is the act of pitting you against an authority figure (e.g. government, scientists, law enforcement) and giving incorrect and/or limited information about a subject to make you lose your trust in said authority figure.

Connection:
This article demonstrates the use of Suppression by Authorities in scientific research done regarding COVID-19. The writer clearly states in the first paragraph of the article that the Chinese Communist Party has not been transparent about research done on the virus, and are "trying to control the narrative around the origins of the coronavirus." This language easily influences readers into thinking that the Chinese government is hiding information from the public, thus trying to turn the reader against the political party. While some of this information may hold some truth to it (I do not personally know), it is crucial for the reader to do their own research before jumping to conclusions. Search for information on both sides of the issue and use critical thinking to come to your own conclusion. It is important to not take these claims at face value so that we are not misinformed about current world events and government authorities.

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An investigation by the Associated Press reveals what everyone has suspected since the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus) pandemic: The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been keeping a tight rein on the publication or distribution of any scientific research on the coronavirus conducted within the country.

AP recently found out just how extensive the muzzling of scientific findings has been. Its report also confirms that the orders came from the top:

The AP investigation was based on dozens of interviews with Chinese and foreign scientists and officials, along with public notices, leaked emails, internal data and the documents from China's cabinet and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. It reveals a pattern of government secrecy and top-down control that has been evident throughout the pandemic.
Dake Kang, Maria Cheng and Sam McNeil, "China clamps down in hidden hunt for coronavirus origins" at Associated Press

These findings show the extent to which the CCP is trying to control the narrative around the origins of the coronavirus.

The Chinese government has come under scrutiny, both domestically and internationally, for withholding vital information on the COVID-19 outbreak. An independent panel commissioned by the World Health Organization found that China and other countries could have done more to curb the coronavirus outbreak. Also, the WHO could have declared the outbreak a public health emergency earlier. The organization declared it a public health emergency at the end of January but did not declare it a pandemic until March 11.

An AP investigation in June 2020 found that China knowingly withheld urgent public health information from the WHO, going against international rules as a member. However, the WHO itself has also been criticized for censoring vital data about the coronavirus in Italy for political reasons. The Times of India gives one possible reason for this: Italy had been using many thousands of Chinese workers from Wuhan in order to continue to claim that high-priced fashion items were Made in Italy. Many of these people may have been victims of the pandemic and their fate may help account for high COVID-19 figures in Italy.

How science can be suppressed

The most recent AP investigation shows that the CCP has given hundreds of thousands of dollars of grant money to researchers, including those affiliated with the military, to investigate the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic within China. All the while, the CCP continues to espouse alternative theories that place the origins of the pandemic outside of China.

According to secret directives obtained by the AP, any samples taken from bats located in the caves where the original SARS-CoV virus was found have been confiscated by authorities. Associated Press journalists tried to go to these caves in the Yunnan province but were hindered by a strategically placed broken-down truck. Additional directives say any scientific publications must be vetted by the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology and the National Health Commission prior to publications. Chinese researchers are not permitted to collaborate or share data with foreigners:

[The CCP authorities] only select people they can trust, those that they can control," said a public health expert who works regularly with the China CDC, declining to be identified out of fear of retribution. "Military teams and others are working hard on this, but whether [the scientific data] gets published all depends on the outcome. "The pandemic has crippled Beijing's reputation on the global stage, and China's leaders are wary of any findings that could suggest they were negligent in its spread."
Dake Kang, Maria Cheng and Sam McNeil, "China clamps down in hidden hunt for coronavirus origins" at Associated Press

Throughout the pandemic, the CCP has suppressed information that runs counter to the official narrative. Bitter Winter and the Associated Press provide timelines of information suppression during the early days of the pandemic. The AP begins its timeline in December when multiple patients were showing symptoms of a pneumonia-like disease. Bitter Winter begins its timeline in November when the first case of the coronavirus was detected in Wuhan.

In October, prior to these timelines, there were indications that something may have happened at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The Institute is a Biosafety Level 4 laboratory. That means it deals with contagious pathogens that do not have a cure. The Institute was one of two laboratories in Wuhan that conduct research on SARS-like coronavirus from bats. While the "lab leak" hypothesis has been fodder for some fringe theories, the possibility of that origin can't be ruled out completely. Author Nicholson Baker writing in New York Magazine and CNET's science editor Jackson Ryan both take a temperate, evidence-based look at why a lab leak should not be ruled out as one possible origin of SARS-CoV-2. Both articles look at the best arguments for and against the lab-leak theory. Baker has written on the dangers of researching infectious diseases and points out that accidents have happened before.

Whether one agrees with the lab-leak hypothesis or not, as Baker points out, the key point is there should have been an investigation a year ago:

It has been a full year, 80 million people have been infected, and, surprisingly, no public investigation has taken place. We still know very little about the origins of this disease ...

If one of the first thoughts that goes through the head of a lab director at the Wuhan Institute of Virology is that the new coronavirus could have come from her lab, then we are obliged to entertain the scientific possibility that it could indeed have come from her lab. Right then, there should have been a comprehensive, pockets-inside-out, fully public investigation of the Virology Institute, along with the other important virus labs in Wuhan, including the one close by the seafood market, headquarters of the Wuhan CDC...It didn't happen. The Wuhan Institute of Virology closed down its databases of viral genomes, and the Chinese Ministry of Education sent out a directive: Any paper that traces the origin of the virus must be strictly and tightly managed.
Nicholson Baker, "The Lab-Leak Hypothesis For decades, scientists have been hot-wiring viruses in hopes of preventing a pandemic, not causing one. But what if ...?" at New York Magazine

Another instance of the suppression of scientific information was the online publication of the coronavirus genome, which would provide vital information on making a vaccine, as well as the likely animal species the virus came from. On January 3, 2020, the China CDC received a full genetic sequence of the virus, but did not release it publicly. Professor Zhang Youngzhen of Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, who had provided the China CDC with one of the genomic sequences of SARS-CoV-2, published the sequence online on January 11.

There is some question as to whether Zhang's lab was shut down by authorities for circumventing official channels. In an interview with TIME Magazine in August, Zhang says they were not shut down, and he points out that he had uploaded the virus genome to the NIH repository prior to publishing it online. The genome strongly suggests that the virus came from a bat. It has a 96% similarity to a SARS-like coronavirus discovered in 2012 when miners were cleaning a bat-infested cave several hundred miles away from Wuhan.

Prior to the release of the genetic sequence, according to Bitter Winter, "The Hubei Health Commission ordered all genomics companies that had been contacted on December 26 to stop their tests and destroy the materials they received (which would have proved that data about the virus were already available from late December)." It was around this time that eight doctors in Wuhan alerted people online about the SARS-like disease they were seeing in patients. The doctors were reprimanded for "spreading rumors."

Among those was Dr. Li Wenliang who himself died of COVID-19 in February 2020. A gag order was instituted and censors blocked anything said online that was related to the virus.

By January 20, 2020 Dr. Zhang Nanshan, a top Chinese medical expert, announced that the virus is spread by human-to-human contact. But sources indicate officials in China knew this long before the announcement. Unfortunately, prior to the official announcement-but after it had become evident that the virus was contagious-the Wuhan local government allowed several large gatherings for Lunar New Year, including a "10,000 Families Banquet ", which was an attempt by the city to set a Guinness world record for greatest number of dishes served at an event.

Then, in February 2020, a paper published by scientists Botao Xiao and Lei Xiao said the SARS-CoV-2 virus (called the 2019 nCoV coronavirus at the time) likely came from one of the two laboratories in Wuhan that were conducting research in bat coronaviruses. The paper was taken down from China's internet, but can be viewed in the Internet Archive.

According to the Associated Press investigation, internal documents show the publication of this paper initiated tighter regulations from the CCP:

"The notice, obtained by the AP and marked "not to be made public," was far more sweeping in scope than the earlier CDC notices, applying to all universities, companies and medical and research institutions.

"The order said communication and publication of research had to be orchestrated like "a game of chess" under instructions from Xi, and propaganda and public opinion teams were to "guide publication." It went on to warn that those who publish without permission, "causing serious adverse social impact, shall be held accountable."
Dake Kang, Maria Cheng and Sam McNeil, "China clamps down in hidden hunt for coronavirus origins" at Associated Press

What Can We Learn Going Forward?

The World Health Organization's international team recently arrived in Wuhan to conduct an investigation but it's still unknown how much access they will have to the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the Huanan Market, or data from Chinese scientists. One thing the team will be looking at is hospital records before December. Both the U.S. and Italy retested flu test samples taken last fall for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The U.S. confirmed cases from February, indicating the virus was likely circulating in January. This would be an easy test for China to do and would determine when the coronavirus started circulating in Wuhan. However, the CCP has not been forthcoming with this information.

What we do know, based on serological samples, is that the number of cases in Wuhan is likely ten times greater than official numbers indicate. Reports from citizen journalists indicate the death rate is likely higher too. Additionally, an article in PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases indicates that the coronavirus was still circulating in Wuhan in May after the government lifted the lockdown in Wuhan in April and claimed the disease defeated.

There have been examples of scientific successes during the pandemic, both in China, with the rapid sequencing of the virus genome and sharing early clinical knowledge, and around the world with the development of mRNA vaccines and the implementation of life-saving clinical practices. All this has led to a decrease in the overall mortality rate of COVID-19. But these successes came from collaboration and sharing vital information not suppression and secrecy.

Further reading: Lawyer turned citizen journalist in China turns up in jail She has been sentenced to four years in prison for "picking quarrels and stirring up trouble," a crime in China. (Heather Zeiger)

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How China Has Tried To Suppress Coronavirus Science

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An investigation by the Associated Press reveals what everyone has suspected since the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus) pandemic: The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been keeping a tight rein on the publication or distribution of any scientific research on the coronavirus conducted within the country.

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Definition:
Oftentimes, when it comes to having a belief or faith in something one cannot see, it is because it is unexplained. The Unexplained reason for belief comes from creating an explanation for something that we cannot prove/disprove or do not seek out the evidence to do so. This is often used by illusionists as a tactic to "woo" people into their magic tricks.

Connection:
This video demonstrates the Unexplained reason for belief. The video documents sightings of mysterious flashing lights and objects in the sky that cannot be explained by the people looking into them. They have looked towards aircraft as a possible explanation, but have found no evidence that this theory is correct, as there were no documented aircraft with that flight path. Those looking into the phenomenon don't know if it is naturally occurring (by way of magnetic fields from minerals reacting with sulfur in the area) or man made, and some believe that it could be signs of extraterrestrial activity. At the time of this video, there is no concrete evidence for why this phenomenon happens, leading to people believing in other theories on the basis that it cannot be explained by traditional methods.

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UFO SPOTTED IN NORWAY *Real Footage* | The Proof Is Out There

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Definition:
The reason for belief of Agenticity comes from creating a meaning for otherwise invisible or non-existent objects or beings. It is often linked with the reason for belief "Patternicity", where the mind creates patterns in places that you would not suspect any to be. Agenticity involves giving meanings to these patterns, where there is no underlying meaning.

Connection:
This video demonstrates the reason for belief of Agenticity. The owner of the bar in this video, along with patrons and the electrician who worked there at the time, all believe that it is being haunted by a ghost - the ghost of the founding owner. Their reason for believing this stems from experiencing instances at the bar where objects move on their own, doors swing, and umbrellas open. The electrician claimed that this happened to him one day while working, and the only other person in the building was nowhere near where the incident occurred. Looking back on security camera footage, there are also instances caught on tape of moving objects with seemingly nobody around. The lack of an explanation for these instances leads them to believe that it can only be caused by something that is not physical in this world. They are associating these instances with a spirit who does not have aggressive intent, but wants to make it's presence known, hence, they think it is the former owner who might not be so happy with changes around the bar. This goes hand in hand with patternicity, as they notice that these are not one-off instances and occur frequently and only ever seek to cause wonder, not harm.

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CCTV 'proof' ghosts exist | Nine News Australia

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I chose this interview with medium Laura Lynn Jackson who meets with a client to connect with her brother who has passed on.

Define Problem:
Can mediums connect and speak with the dead?

Gather Information:
This article and video were published on goop, which is a website, newsletter, and online shop created by Gwenyth Paltrow. The interview is a Q&A with Jackson, where she describes her experience with readings and how she communicates beyond the living.

Evaluate Evidence:
The website itself is not a reliable source for information if looking into the legitimacy of the claim. The article only analyzes the medium's experience with her readings and focuses on what she claims to experience. There is no referral to her successful readings, or proof that the methods she uses are real, it is purely based on her word.

Recognize Assumptions, Emotions, Biases:
Jackson talks about readings as being very spiritual and tuning into your intuitive and psychic abilities. She believes that everyone has these abilities to some extent and those who can communicate with the dead have stronger abilities. Laura also feels a lot of love toward this subject matter, which influences the way that she sees it. She states she is filled with love when she reads people, which provides her with many good feelings. She has an emotional connection to being a medium.

Synthesize Evidence, Identify Alternatives:
The evidence for the legitimacy of the claim is solely coming from Laura's personal experience, and does not analyze any of the results from her readings in the past, it only explores the reading done in the video. She does not talk about her "misses" and only focuses on the "hits". There is no scientific evidence of the legitimacy of mediums an whether or not they can speak with the dead. An explanation for how she is able to "read" her clients would be the law of large numbers. The probability that she would get a few things correct in her readings by listening to her client and analyzing her responses and emotions is high.

Select Best Alternative:
I would say that the best alternative to psychic powers is that some people are very good at reading others' emotions and connecting with how they are feeling. They are able to use this skill to make connections while talking to their clients and form predictions or guesses about the person's life and experiences. They can also use very general language and gradually get more specific, to the point that the client is giving them the answers without realizing it.

For example, someone's facial expressions may slightly change when the psychic states that they sense someone who might have passed recently, which can give them an indication that they have a "hit". They can then further explore with "a family member or a close friend", which is common for almost all deaths as we are most affected by the passing of family members and close friends. At this point, the client being read might say "yes, my father passed away 2 years ago" to which the psychic can assume that you had a close relationship with them, as many people do, and therefore give the message that they send their love, etc. Understanding the human experience, emotion, and how to read people's indicators can give anyone the tools to be a psychic medium.

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A reading with a truly gifted medium (see our guide, here) can change your life-and specifically the trajectory of grief. While it will never obviate the pain of losing a loved one, or take away the sadness of not having their physical presence around, a medium, by bringing through highly evidential and specific information that nobody else could possibly know, can re-establish a connection, and offer a certain level of evidence that the soul survives death. This suggests that not only can we continue to communicate with loved ones on the other side, but that we will be met, on the other side of death, with people who can help us transition.

Belief in an afterlife comes much easier to some people than others, and is really the question that is the thesis of this week's entire newsletter: does the brain create consciousness, or are we souls having a physical existence? Laura Lynne Jackson, the author of the NYT bestseller The Light Between Us, and one of the more incredible working mediums of the day, is at the center of many of the stories in this week's issue. For example, she is one of the two mediums encountered by Leslie Kean in her book, Surviving Death (read our Q&A with Kean about everything she learned during her investigation, here ; and she read for Dr. Eben Alexander and gave him information about his NDE that furthered his understanding of the experience (read our Q&A about consciousness and the afterlife with Alexander, here. In short, we had to meet her and experience her gifts first-hand.

We met with Jackson this summer, and as part of our visit, had her do a fully blind reading on tape of our CFO, Erica. Jackson did not know who she would be reading until they sat down in front of the camera and we started rolling. We edited the 30-minute encounter down to a shorter 3-minute video below, but also added the full session to our site, here, as it's interesting to see an unmediated cut of their time together. (Much of the information that didn't fully land at the time ultimately came true in the following weeks.)

A Q&A with Laura Lynne Jackson

Q

When you read and channel the other side, what do you experience?

A

Reading is a very different mode than "normal mode," when I'm just like everyone else. When I do a reading, it's almost like I lift my energy up and click it into place on a higher plane-it sounds odd, but it's like when you get an elephant boost when you're little and can see above the crowd.

And then a screen appears in my mind, like a wide-screen TV, or ironically, like an old-school teacher's blackboard. My screen is divided into a left-hand side and a right-hand side. I get my psychic information on the left-hand side. The first time I read someone I'll see a core aura, which is a blueprint of that person's soul in this lifetime. I'll see a globe or sphere with certain colors, which is a whole language to me. It's my way of understanding the gifts this soul came with, and maybe some soul challenges he or she is confronting, and how they're doing with them. I'll see timelines, which look like a a historical timeline. The lines down might not be an event, they might be a moment of decision, or a shift in what I call a soul cycle. Most of us have these different patterns of lessons that we're learning here, so I might see when a soul cycle began for a certain lesson and when it ends. A lot of time the other side will give me information for the future, too.

When I read psychically, I connect with the sitter's spirit guides. We all have spirit guides, though throughout time and history they've been called guardian angels. They are assigned teachers to help us on our path here. They will appear as points of light, and they'll bring the psychic information forward-I might get a lot of information from the person I'm reading's past, present, and future. And we all bring cords or connections to the people who are connected to us in this life-so if you're married, your aura is connected to your spouse's aura, and so I can read their energy off of you.

"When I do a reading, it's almost like I lift my energy up and click it into place on a higher plane."

When I read mediumistically, I see information on my right-hand screen. A point of light will appear, and push in. I've organized that side very clearly so that I can understand who is coming in. Anyone connected to the sitter's mother comes in on the upper-right hand corner of my screen. Anyone connected to the sitter's father comes in on the lower right-hand side. The middle of the screen is reserved for peers and people who are your same age bracket-friends, friends of friends, extended family.

That's an easy way for me to get a quick understanding of who I'm connecting with. Then I ask for specific information. I love when they give me names-they don't always do that, though sometimes I'll either hear a name crystal clear, or parts of it, or they'll start to spell it for me.

Q

How do you understand what they're saying?

A

When I read, I always use the psychic toolbox we all have, the four "clairs." The other side will use that as a language for me. I believe we all have intuitive and psychic abilities, the volume just isn't turned up for most people.

There's clairvoyance, which is clear seeing, and everybody has that, even people who don't realize they're psychic. Like when you're asleep at night, your clairvoyance might open up. A lot of people will have visitations from people who have crossed, or they'll have pre-cognitive dreams, or very symbolic dreams that will give them information about their path. For me, I might see them in color, or flashes of images about their life.

Then there's clairaudience, which is clear hearing, and that's when you hear a thought but it's not yours. It's not as scary as it sounds-it might be a name, or a phrase, or a word.

Most us have claircognizance and just don't really honor it. Claircognizance is just clear-knowing, when you know something with every ounce of your being even when there's no logical way you could or should.

Last is clairsentience, which most of us have and aren't using. It's that feeling in your solar plexus area, when you're feeling information, or you get gut pulls. A lot of times when you travel, you get filled up with the energy and experience-that's also clairsentience.

Basically when I'm reading, I'm using all four. It's a very multi-sensory experience for me-I will be feeling things, knowing things, hearing things, seeing things. It's very intense, and very interesting. I'll also lose all track of time. I go into this other place. It's very beautiful, too, because I lose my sense of "me"-I still know I'm Laura, and I still know I'm on earth, but I get to transcend who I am, and tap into this universal love. There's never been a reading I've done where there have been any judgments. I feel so connected to that person after I read, and I feel so much unconditional love for them. In day-to-day life, when you're out on the subway or at the grocery store, it's easy to get annoyed by people, but when I read, it's so liberating, because it's just love -it's so great.

Q

Can you read for yourself, or are you too emotionally invested to hear clearly? Can you read for your close friends when you know so much about them?

A

Reading is hard work because you're translating images constantly. There's a nuance to it-it's almost like Pictionary or psychic charades. What can crowd it up and muddy the waters is your feelings about things. My close friends are at a disadvantage when I read for them because I'll always want to write a happy ending for them. I want to create, or twist, or turn it in a certain way so that it's positive. It's a struggle to stay clear when it comes to people I really care about and really love. But I am able to do it.

You know when you meet someone and you feel an instant connection and you know that someone is part of your soul tribe? Then you might meet other people and it's not that you're judging them, but there's almost an allergic reaction between your energies. They're just not your cup of tea. There are some people who are so easy to read, and so easy to connect with. We are automatically connected to people we've known before-where there is a noticeable energetic match. So in that sense, it facilitates an easy connection or easy read. I just have to be careful to stay clear. My psychic friends and I have learned how to pull back and not write happy endings for ourselves.

There are times I get very clear information for myself. The way that I trust it, is that I don't feel any emotions attached to it. If I get information and I'm excited about it, and think it's great news, then I don't trust it. If I get information and it feels full of doom, then I don't trust it. But when I get information and it's completely neutral, I know it's legitimate.

"We're not fully conscious of it, but we do deliver information for each other. You might have certain friends who always steer you in a reliably great direction or give really good advice. Pay attention to them!"

There are times when I get information for myself. For the most part I go out with my psychic friends, for what we lovingly call a Witches Brew-we'll tune in for each other. We also do a lot of charity work together for Forever Family Foundation or Ronald McDonald House. Our spirit guides work together so often, that they all know each other. There's definitely a beautiful advantage to having friends who are psychic mediums, though we are not exempt from being in the dark, a lot of the time. We are having our own authentic life experiences, and we have our own soul tests and challenges. Yes, we do this out in the world, but we are living our own lives. Do we cheat a little? Maybe. We have the advantage of being able to call each other. It's so helpful and really wonderful.

I don't think that my psychic medium friends and I are alone. I think we all do this for each other. Think about your own circle of friends-you'll call and discuss things that are going on, and they might make a suggestion about a new way to see things. They might not even realize where it's come from, but it might be coming from the other side. We're not fully conscious of it, but we do deliver information for each other. You might have certain friends who always steer you in a reliably great direction or give really good advice. Pay attention to them!

Q

How do you distinguish between common sense and intuitive knowing-how can one tell if they have secret abilities?

A

Once you start honoring and recognizing it, life turns kind of magical. I do these one-day workshops: I jumpstart people's abilities and get them to recognize what they're actually doing-they don't have names for it, and they don't necessarily recognize or honor it in the proper ways. But once they become mindful and open their mind and heart to it, it's like the doors open wide and you can start using it more and more.

Is there some analytical thinking mixed in? Absolutely. But you are still reading energy.

Q

What are some basic tips and tools for opening the mind and intuition?

A

I think the most important thing is to declare it to the other side, to say, "I am all in, I am open, and I am willing to start receiving more-to open my energy, to hear my spirit guides, and to get signs and messages from my loved ones on the other side. I open my arms and heart to it. Let me start feeling and seeing this life around me every day." Declaring it is really important.

I always say that it doesn't matter which psychic ability you start to work on-once you open one, they all open. It will happen no matter which one you're working on. If there's one you're better at, do that.

There are other things that help as well. We all have a mind-body connection, so I think some things are simple, like getting enough sleep. Meditation can shift your energy in profound ways. When we pray we direct our energy to the other side, but when we meditate we listen back. When scientists have done EEG's of my brain when I'm reading, they say that it looks like I'm unconscious, like in a deep, deep meditative state. They told me I went off the chart, they couldn't measure my brain waves anymore.

"I always say that it doesn't matter which psychic ability you start to work on-once you open one, they all open."

For people who don't do this daily, when they go to sleep or they meditate, their brains go offline in a similar way. I have a theory that a lot of children are very psychic and then it stops. When we're little kids, we use all parts of our brains. All of us come here hard-wired, not only to the other side, to this universal love energy, which I call god and the universe, but also to each other-we're linked to each other's energy fields and the other side.

I think between the ages of one and five we really swim around in that. That's why so many young children will have past-life recall, they'll know things, they'll recognize relatives in photos they've never met before-"Oh, I know this man, I've seen him in my dreams," or, "I've seen him at the foot of my bed." That is normal to them. But at around age five to seven, all of this stops.

Here's what I find interesting: When I've had EEG's of my brain when I'm trying to block psychic stuff and just go about having a normal day, the front of my brain, the frontal lobe, is lit up. That's where all of us spend most of our living hours-it's in charge of language, math, analytical thinking, etc. All the stuff we learn once we start kindergarten and get mentally organized. Once we start really functioning in our frontal lobe, I believe that we never go back and re-access the other parts of our brain.

As mentioned, when scientists study my brain when I'm reading, they find that I shut off my frontal lobe, and that's why it looks like I'm not conscious. When I'm reading, it seems like I use the middle and back part of my brain, which most people don't. We just have to learn how to turn our brains off and on. Our formal training has numbed us to our abilities.

Q

What other exercises can people do to tune back in?

A

In my workshops, I do various things to try to tune people back in, and encourage them to really focus on developing one of their "clairs."

There is a fun exercise, where you can try to affect the outcome of dice using only the power of your thoughts. People need to understand that our thoughts are more powerful than you can imagine. Another important thing I've learned from the other side is that our free will trumps everything. It really can change the course of your path-we have the power to direct energy.

So I'll give everyone one die and I'll ask them to pick a number between 1 and 6, and I'll have them roll 12 times. If you roll your number more than 3 times, that is statistically very significant. And a lot of people will find that they'll roll their number 4, 5, or 6 times. That's really powerful proof that what they're projecting is affecting the future. And I'll also find that some people will roll the die and get a different number that's not theirs four, five, or six times only to find that it's their neighbor's number. Those people need to understand that they're receivers, and they need to learn how to honor their energy and block the energy of other people.

We also practice remote viewing. Once you do that, and you're "looking" without your physical eyes, that's clairvoyance to such a significant degree that it can blow it wide open. I love doing it because everyone grumbles that they can't do it, and this is ridiculous, and impossible, how can they draw a picture that I've hidden that they've never seen? But then they do it!

"They'll get totally freaked out, because it's one thing to come to a workshop and look at me, and think, 'Okay, she does this, let me investigate this, could it be real?' But when you have your own experience, it becomes undeniable."

I also love doing psychometry, as every object holds energy. We're all energy, and things hold energy, too. I ask people to bring an object that belonged to somebody, living or dead, and we pair them up, and they swap items, and read off the objects. Fascinating things will happen-quite often people will bring things from someone they've lost, and the person who is reading it will go straight from psychic to mediumistic and they'll start bringing messages through from the other side. And they'll get totally freaked out, because it's one thing to come to a workshop and look at me, and think, "Okay, she does this, let me investigate this, could it be real?" But when you have your own experience, it becomes undeniable. I'll also hear stories after the fact, how incredible things begin to happen-synchronicities and signs. Everything opens up.

A big responsibility comes with doing this work. I had to work and practice a lot to refine my abilities-I couldn't get it to go away, so I felt like I needed to fully develop it, so that I was certain I was interpreting the information correctly. I would go to the grocery store and I'd be in line in front of someone. I would read their energy. I would never do that now-it's way too invasive. Reading someone's energy without permission is like going through their underwear drawer! But back then, when I wasn't sure of my abilities, I would do it. I would ask myself: Are they married? Do they have kids? Am I getting any names? I would then strike up a conversation with them and test myself to see if I was right. (If you have friends who are also interested, do a little get together and see what you're picking up and if any messages are coming through.)

I'm also going to tell you a secret formula that all mediums know about, that really gets information flowing. We know, because we have to be careful about it, because you literally can't shut the information off. It's the two-drink rule. Two alcoholic drinks within a 90-minute period, and the information begins to flow very intensely. It just doesn't stop. I have to be careful, otherwise I'm reading the waitress, I'm reading the bartender, I'm freaking people out!

Q

How should one read and interpret signs?

A

Developing a relationship with your spirit guides can really help you develop all of your intuitive abilities-connect with them constantly and ask them for signs.

If you're not specific, they'll use the default signs. The default signs are typically:

1. Coins, as anything metallic is really easy for them to manipulate-like pennies, dimes, nickels. My dad, who crossed in October, loves to send me dimes. They'll come at amazing times, often when I'm having a really difficult day. For example, I was in Japan, doing this TV show, which was an incredible experience though very stressful because of the language barrier. It went really well, and I got in a cab to go home from the taping-there was an American dime on the floor of the Japanese cab.

2. They will also send birds, butterflies, bees, deer, or even bats (though they typically don't send bats, as they're too scary), because these creatures all use electromagnetism to navigate and so they are easy to redirect.

3. Electrical signals: lights, appliances, empty texts, phone calls from unknown numbers where nobody is on the line, etc.

4. Songs on the radio, playing in stores, etc. They send messages through meaningful songs/lyrics quite often, and music shifts energy and is energy, so that is a bonus.

5. License plates: Look for phrases or number sequences that are important. Keep your eyes peeled!

6. Numbers in general, like on receipts, etc. 11, 444, etc. are all little hugs and kisses from the other side.

So that you know that it is intentional, ask for something specific, and ask your spirit guides to send you something different than your loved ones. For example, I ask my spirit guides to send me oranges. The first time I did a big event was for William Morris Endeavor, where I'm represented. They brought me to their retreat to give a talk about the other side in front of six hundred and fifty agents. Needless to say, it was a very intense crowd. I got off the stage, and I asked my spirit guides for an orange if I had honored their message. There was another speaker, and then we broke for lunch. We walked into the restaurant and what's on display? Two thousand oranges. That's how supported all of us are. There is a team of light on the other side between your spirit guides, your loved ones, and this god energy-they love you and want to get you on your highest path. It makes you realize you're very loved.

Q

What do you think our purpose here on earth is?

A

To find and honor the unique gifts-talents, abilities-we each came here with and share them with others. To honor our own light and truths, and in doing that, help others find and honor their gifts and truths, and embrace their highest paths, too. When we do that, we become light workers who are on our highest paths.

Our soul purpose is to love and be loved. It's as simple as that: finding any opportunity to give our love to others and to be open to receiving the love of others. That is what we are here to learn and embrace: love. Love for all things and all people. The path to that is kindness, tolerance, non-judgement. To focus on energy and the interior world, not the materialistic world. Always choose people's feelings, generosity, and kindness over things; it is the recipe for success. Ultimately, gratitude, kindness, compassion, and love are the most powerful tools we can use to navigate our soul experience here.

True success is not having power over others, but helping build others up. We belong to each other-and ultimately we all rise together. No one is separate from anyone else's experiences-that is an illusion. We are all part of each other. Different leaves on different branches of the same tree.

We are also here to experience beauty, so be open to art in all forms and learn to recognize and see and experience all things.

Q

Things in the world seem to be shifting-do you believe consciousness is about to crack open?

A

Yes: We are collectively like a plant pushing up from the ground! Even though it seems like a time of turmoil in the world, we are all growing together in the same direction. We are collectively taking a hard look at our beliefs and connections with one another, and we are being challenged to let go of fear, which comes in the form of hate and judgement, and evolve into a more loving consciousness. So many things are at work making this happen, it is actually a really exciting time.

The other side has told me to pay attention to what's being channeled out of Hollywood: Movies and shows are catalysts for helping us embrace and experience our spiritual energy. In addition, we are entering a much more spiritual time, where energy and what is unseen is becoming more and more recognized. Our thoughts matter more than we know.

Also, science is going to help show us how energy is real and how our energy affects one another. The other side has always shown me that quantum physics will help solve the puzzle. Ultimately, we are consciousness-and when we leave our physical bodies, our consciousness is still very much "alive" and intact...and then, what separates you from someone else's experiences? Not a physical body! Once we cross, we can instantaneously connect with others' experiences and consciousness, making it all make sense how truly what we do to others we are really doing to ourselves. We are all in this together.

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A Medium Channels a Loved One-and Explains Our Purpose Here and How We All Can Connect | Goop

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A reading with a truly gifted medium (see our guide, here) can change your life-and specifically the trajectory of grief. While it will never obviate the pain of losing a loved one, or take away the sadness of not having their physical presence around, a medium, by bringing through highly evidential and specific information that nobody else could possibly know, can re-establish a connection, and offer a certain level of evidence that the soul survives death.