Review Time: The Truth about Medium

by Brittany Geragotelis

Review Time: The Truth About Medium by Gary E. Schwartz

The Story: Every Monday night millions of Americans tuned into Medium, NBC's hit drama featuring Allison DuBois, an ordinary woman who helps police solve baffling crimes through her ability to communicate with the dead. What most don't know is that this fictional character is based on a true-life medium named Allison DuBois, who is a consultant to the show. For four years, DuBois was the subject of rigorous scientific experiments conducted at the University of Arizona by Harvard-trained psychologist Gary Schwartz. The Truth about Medium chronicles many of those experiments as well as the real-life cases Allison has worked on and reveals hard laboratory evidence that psychic ability and mediumship are real.

The REAL Allison Dubois with Patricia Arquette, who played her in the show, "Medium"

Why It's a Must-Read: It's no surprise to those who know me that I'm a bit obsessed with psychics and matters of the spiritual realm. Sometimes I think my dreams are prophetic and I absolutely believe that there are people out there who have the gift to speak to the dead as well as know what will happen in the future. I think some of us are just more intuitive than others. Allison Dubois appears to be one of those people. I was a huge fan of the show when it was on and have read all of the (real life) Allison Dubois' books. I think the cool thing about Gary's books is that they're all rooted in factual evidence. Now, I'm already open to the possibility that people have these gifts, so I don't need to be convinced. But I know lots of people who are less-inclined to think this way (my boyfriend for instance). So, I really liked this book, because Gary talks about the actual scientific evidence that mediumship exists. The ways that he and his staff conduct these tests and the results that they find are all very interesting and worth reading about.

Author and experimenter, Gary E. Schwartz

What a Character: Now, because this is non-fiction, the characters in the book are real people, but no less fascinating. It's worth mentioning that Gary is first and foremost a scientist. In fact, I would venture to say he's a bit of a skeptic about things like psychic abilities and mediumship...until the facts reveal themselves. I think this actually makes for much more honest experiments. He's simply out for the truth and has dedicated his life to finding it--whatever that may be. 

And of course, the book is full of information on highly accredited psychics/mediums such as Allison Dubois, Laurie Campbell, Janet Mayer, Debbie Martin, John Edward, Suzanne Northrop, Sally Owen and Mary Occhino. Gary touches on some more than others, but it's all really intriguing to see who has scientifically been proven to be able to do the things they claim to be able to do.

Famous medium Allison Dubois

A Little Something Extra: This isn't really about the book, but if you're looking for a little bit of drama to go along with this fantastic read, be sure to check out this insanely wicked episode of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" where Camille Grammar invites Allison Dubois to a dinner party she's having. Let's just say, spirits were running a bit high through the dinner and everyone got more than they bargained for!

5x5,
B.

Review of We Are Their Heaven

by Brittany Geragotelis

photo credit: Paramount/Medium

If you've read my blog before, you know that I'm a fan of the TV show "Medium" (so sad that they've decided to cancel it halfway through this season!). The show is about a psychic who helps the district attorney and local law enforcement solve crimes through her ability to see the dead and foresee the future. What you might not know is that the show is based on a real person. A person whose name is also Allison Dubois, who works for the district attorney, has a husband named Joe and three young daughters who all have their own psychic abilities.

Pretty cool, huh?

Because I'm pretty open to ideas of people having special gifts, I love reading up on psychic phenomenon, intuition and ghosts. So, of course, given her credibility and track record, I feel drawn to Allison Dubois' (the real woman) books. Her first book, Don't Kiss Them Goodbye, was sort of an overview of her abilities--what it was like for her growing up, what she can do and how she helps others today. The book was incredibly interesting and opened my mind up to many different ideas and perspectives on the dead and trusting our intuition. Her second novel, We Are Their Heaven, was just as powerful.

photo credit: Touchstone

We Are Their Heaven focused mostly on those who have passed and what the afterlife is like. Allison touches on how she does readings for people who have lost loved ones and how she helps them to heal. She also talked about what it's like for those who've passed. That they are happy, they like being around those they loved and revel in the times when we are having fun or just enjoying life. Allison also brings up the subject of those who have died due to murder or suicide and put at ease those they've left behind. Something I found particularly interesting was that Allison says ghosts try to reach us through electronics...so, if you get a phone call with no one on the other end, or a text from someone who's already passed, it may just be your loved one trying to reach out.

Though I've been lucky enough not to lose anyone close to me in the past few years, as I read Allison's book, I couldn't help but feel relief and peace to hear her talk about what the existence is like for those who have passed. Though my beliefs don't fall under any one religion, I do like to think that after we die, we go to a better place. And through reading We Are Their Heaven, that belief was reinforced.

If you're mourning the loss of a loved one, or just interested in life after death, you should definitely pick up We Are Their Heaven.

5x5,
B.

Things the psychic told me.

by Brittany Geragotelis

I'm now home sweet home (except for the fact that I found out that my air conditioning unit is leaking water into the apartment below me and until I can get an air conditioning repair guy in here to fix it and possibly install a new one, I'm stuck without cool air in this muggy heat), and back from my trip to NOLA (which stands for New Orleans if you're a little slow on the uptake like me). And as I mentioned in an earlier blog, while I was in NOLA, I had the opportunity to meet with a psychic.

Well, two to be exact, but the first one was a guy who managed to convince Tammy and I to stop with a two-for-one reading. He was big and sweaty and kept saying, "See, I said it before you did. I said it," as he tried to say certain words at the same time as us. The Psychic-Lite did guess that I was a writer and said I needed to check out Ballentine books in regards to publishers. Of course, these things were certainly interesting, but he got too many things wrong for me to believe that he was seeing/feeling a little more of the universe than the rest of us.

But the second psychic...I can't help but feel like he was more of the real deal. His name was Phillip and he was a reader at Marie Laveau's House of VooDoo. As soon as I sat down across from the super-fem Moby look-alike and he took my hand, I felt this crazy connection with him. Like an energy was flowing between the two of us, or a low current of electricity coursing through my hand.

Phillip started by just holding my hand and telling me things about myself: I wear glasses (I do, but I wasn't at the time), I need to drink more water (which I do), I don't like change (Duh), etc. But the first real thing he asked me was, "How is the creative writing coming?" Uh, weird. I told him I was in a standstill, trying to find another agent and sell my books. He then said that in regards to occupations, I was either a journalist or a teacher. I admitted that I work for a magazine.

He told me that I was "going to be in this industry for a while, but in the next couple of years you're going to start writing for an online site that has something to do with travel, which is weird, because you don't really like to travel, do you? It might not actually require you to travel, but you will be writing about it." Double weird. I do hate to travel. It makes me anxious.

Then he asked me what I'd decided about children. I told him that I hadn't really decided, but was leaning more on the side of no. He told me that if I chose to have a kid, it would be a boy, but if I didn't do it in the next four years, it would be too late. And if I decided not to have kids, I would be fine with that decision.

He said that I own real estate and that I won't be giving it up anytime soon. This was a bit of a bummer, since I've been feeling very much lately that I'd like to move out of the city. He said some other things about my personal life, but I think I'd like to keep them to myself to see if they come to fruition without the help/influence of saying it out loud (or on this blog).

Then he asked me if I had any questions. A lot of women would ask "when am I going to get married?", "when will I meet the one?", "is my lover being faithful?"...but me, I asked about my writing. It's the thing in my life that I love but am also most unsure of. As in, it's my passion, but I've been trying to get published now for 8 years and I feel like it's going nowhere. After every rejection, I ask myself "do I give up or do I keep going?" So, of course, this was what came out of my mouth that day with Phillip.

Without hesitation he said, "Yes. You will be published. It will happen within the next 2 years. You've been working hard on various projects over the last 4 years and it will pay off. Don't worry about it, it's going to happen."

So, there you go. This is what the psychic told me. Do I fully believe everything he said to me during that session is true? Maybe not. But if anything, I choose to believe in the things I hope will happen. I'll experience success. I'll be happy in love. I won't have regrets. I will be published. After all, what bad does it do to put those positive vibes out there in the universe? In the meantime, I've written down all of Phillips' predictions/readings and I intend to see if they end up panning out.

Has anyone else had an experience with a psychic, good or bad? Do you think psychics have special powers that the rest of us don't or that they're just phony future fakers? Leave your comments above!

5x5,
B.

10 things I learned from a famous psychic

by Brittany Geragotelis

photo credit: Touchstone

I just finished reading the book Don't Kiss Them Good-Bye by Allison DuBois. And not the TV version who helps the cops catch killers on the wildly popular show, "Medium." I'm talking about the real Allison DuBois—the one that the show is actually based on.

Yep, "Medium" is based on a real woman named Allison DuBois, who is a medium and psychic, lives and grew up in Arizona and is a jury consultant for the district attorney's office. She also has a husband named Joe who's a rocket scientist and three daughters who all have shown psychic abilities.

In Don't Kiss Them Good-Bye, Allison lets readers in on her daily life: what it's like to be a psychic, what we should know about the dead, how parents can help their kids develop their own special abilities. Now, I'm totally open to psychics and believe that there are people out there who are more intuitive than others. I can't presume to know everything that exists in the universe, so I choose to keep my mind open to all possibilities, and the idea that there are those who can see the future, talk to those who have passed...well, just the thought intrigues me. So, what did I learn from the real Mrs. Allison DuBois? Take a look:

photo credit: Allison DuBois

1. There's a reason you attract the wrong people. "I felt as if I sometimes attracted people who had bad energy. Dark entities are naturally attracted to light and will try to manipulate it. A dark entity can see a light entity from a mile away."

2. You can't stop death. "I knew that my dad was going to pass and I knew the cause. Trust me, I did everything to prevent it, but found out it had not been in my hands; it never had been. When someone's number is up, it's up."

3. You may not be "just seeing things." "Sometimes I thought I was hallucinating. I could see faded human figures standing next to people. I was overloaded by the other side and I didn't even know it."

photo credit: Paramount/Medium

4. Don't ignore the voice in the back of your mind saying to run. "I know in my heart that if I had stayed put even thirty seconds longer, I would have been pulled through the window of that car and been a victim of a violent crime. I also know that because I listened to that powerful, authoratative voice on that hot afternoon in 1983, I am here to share my life story with my readers. I listened and I survived. Listen to your guides, whether you feel they are angels, family members on the other side, or simply guardians. They try to guide us through life safely and successfully, so pay attention to them. Don't dismiss them. Don't question whether they are really there—they are."

5. There is a reason for the madness. "Sometimes it's not in the grand plan that profilers ever find the murder victim. Sometimes others' lives are supposed to be affected by the discovery of a body—for instance, a hiker may be meant to stumble upon someone's remains."

photo credit: Allison DuBois

6. Work on keeping a childlike mind. "Children are easier for spirits to access than adults are. Adults have issues and emotional walls built up that can make it difficult for a spirit to come through to them. Often a spirit has whispered messages or tried to be seen by a loved one, only to be dismissed. We have to realize as human beings that sometimes something bigger than us can call the shots. Feel loved and connected and try not to get bogged down in the whys, because eventually we all receive the answers to our questions."

7. Go with your gut. "Encourage your kids to trust their first instincts and the original information received. They shouldn't alter the information by mixing in preconceived notions."

photo credit: Allison DuBois

8. Your feelings of overstimulation may not be social anxiety. "My oldest daughter occasionally comes to me and says that she feels crowded. By this I know she means that she is experiencing strong spirit activity and is feeling the people she sometimes can't see. Sensitive people (those who are extremely empathetic or feel other people's energy around them) sometimes feel bombarded by too many energies at once. This type of thing can happen to anyone. Most people have had the experience of standing next to someone and for no apparent reason being repelled, not by the person's appearance, but by a feeling that they get from him or her."

9. It really is about the vibes you get from people. "People are drawn to others who seem to have an approachable energy or an energy similar to theirs. People have their own individual energies and, like personalities, these energies vary. What one person finds attractive, another person might find repellent. The more people are clustered around you, the more variations of energy you take in."

10. Maybe your friend isn't the party girl you think she is. "For me, alcohol would temporarily soften the voices from the other side. If I had a beer in my hand, nobody thought twice when I laughed to myself in a solitary conversation. Of course, it wasn't really a one-way conversation, because I was never truly alone."

5x5,

B.

Medium and psychic stories

by Brittany Geragotelis

I'm at my boyfriend Matt's house in Maryland for Easter weekend, and so far, it's been full of a lot of relaxation (and a ton of writing; up to page 143 in "Painless"!). I've pretty much set up shop on the couch, snuggled up under a blanket (although it's beautiful outside) in front of the TV, mini laptop on my lap.

I woke up at the butt-crack of dawn this morning to have breakfast with Matt's mom. His little cousin (Maya) was performing in a sort of breakfast/theater show for the acting group she's a part of. Maya was a hoot. She's around 7 and is a natural performer. She's so much like Amanda Bynes back when she had "The Amanda Show" on Nickelodeon it's crazy. Give the girl her own show already!

Anyway, then we went to the mall and back here to the house, where I plopped myself down for three hours and just wrote. Today, the story just wasn't flowing. When this happens, I just have to push past it, because I know I can always go back and fix things later. The important thing is to get something down on paper (or computer screen) that advances the story. "Painless" has been such an interesting book for me to write so far--It's SO much darker than the stuff I usually write. I mean, this girl is seriously damaged...but she also kicks ass, which is actually really fun to write.

Now, I'm laying here and watching "Medium" on Netflix. I've always been a fan of the show, but recently I've been on a psychic kick. I just finished re-watching the first season, and it was so neat watching it all from the beginning. And the special features on the DVDs were AWESOME! Seriously, if you like the show and get the chance, watch the special features.

photo credit: Allison DuBois

I'd had no idea that the show was based on a real woman named Allison DuBois (pictured left), who's a psychic and medium who's married to Joe DuBois, works for the district attorney's office as a jury consultant and has kids who are all showing signs of psychic abilities themselves. So if you watch the show yourself, you'll see that basically the show is all about her life. She's even written books about her experiences as a medium. I'm totally psyched to get her first book, Don't Kiss Them Goodbye (Get it? Psyched?).

You know, I have to admit--I do believe in ghosts. I had a few experiences growing up that have stayed with me over the years and I can't presume to think I know EVERYTHING that goes on in this universe. I think our intuition is a form of being "psychic," but most of us (especially adults) let our heads talk us out of those nagging feelings that something's off, wrong, right, dangerous, a good idea, etc. We don't trust the natural intuition we may have. Maybe psychics are just better at listening to their intuition and interpretting it.

Sometimes I have dreams that I think are slightly prophetic. Like, I'll dream about someone I haven't thought about in a long time, give them a call and find out they're going through a tough time and my call was perfect timing. Coincidence? Or is it just my subconscious telling me to pick up the phone?

Either way, I definitely think there are people out there who are more intuitive than others. Who knows, maybe there's a little psychic in all of us...it's just a matter of whether we use our abilities or not.

5x5,
B.