JAMES VAN PRAAGH: “In this conversation, medium James Van Praagh candidly shares stories with Bob Olson about his books and TV shows (Ghost Whisperer, Beyond With James Van Praagh, Talking To Heaven, The Dead Will Tell), which have helped him teach the world about spirit communication and the afterlife. Listen to James Van Praagh as he recalls memories with celebrities Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, Eva Longoria, Jennifer Love Hewitt and more. James also appeared on Oprah, Larry King Live, 20/20, 48 Hours, Biography, Entertainment Tonight & The Insider and talks about some of those experiences.” ~ Bob Olson, Afterlife TV
James Van Praagh has been working as a medium and teaching people about life after death for over 30 years. His first book, Talking To Heaven, reached #1 on the The New York Times Bestseller list. Then he went on to write Reaching To Heaven, Healing Grief, Heaven And Earth, Ghosts Among Us, Unfinished Business, Looking Beyond (for teens) and his latest book, Growing Up In Heaven. He has also written a book on meditation.
James Van Praagh had a daytime television talk show, Beyond With James Van Praagh, he produced a successful TV mini-series about his life on CBS entitled Living With The Dead starring Ted Danson (playing the role of James Van Praagh) and Mary Steenburgen, produced The Dead Will Tell on that network starring Anne Heche and Eva Longoria, and was Co-Executive Producer of the CBS primetime series Ghost Whisperer starring Jennifer Love Hewitt.
You can visit James Van Praagh’s website at www.VanPraagh.com where you can sign up for his online courses, purchase autographed books, view his calendar of events, and participate in his online chat rooms.
If you’d like to watch this video, The Insider Story Behind TV’s Ghost Whisperer, visit www.afterlifetv.com/?p=331
Afterlife TV is presented by Afterlife Investigator & Psychic Medium Researcher Bob Olson, who is the author of Answers about the Afterlife: A Private Investigator’s 15-Year Research Unlocks the Mysteries of Life after Death.
Check out Bob Olson’s other sites: BestPsychicDirectory.com (a directory of hundreds of psychics & mediums by location with reviews & Instant Readings) & BestPsychicMediums.com (his personal recommended list of tested psychics and mediums) or visit Bob’s Facebook Page. Bob also has a popular workshop for psychics and mediums at PsychicMediumWorkshop.com.
JOIN BOB’S NEWSLETTER: Don’t miss Bob’s latest content about life lessons and life after death on his newsletter called, Bob Olson Connect.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: Hi everybody. Bob Olson here with Afterlife TV. We’re at www.afterlifetv.com. Today we have a very distinguished guest, a celebrity guest actually, James Van Praagh.
Welcome James, we’re so happy to have you here.
James Van Praagh: Thank you, Bob. Thank you for having me, I appreciate it.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: Well, this is such a great pleasure.
Not that people don’t know who study in this field, but I want to just cover a little bit about your background. It’s amazing to me. I was looking at a biography that you actually have on your website, which is www.vanpraagh.com. There’s a biography here, and it brought me back because I remember all these things and it was amazing.
I think one of your first television introductions was in the 90’s with a show called The Other Side.
James Van Praagh: That’s right. That was my very first television show I did. Uh-hmm.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: You were like a guest. You showed up and you guys talked about paranormal issues and stuff like that.
James Van Praagh: Yes. It was a show way before its time. Yeah, it was a 9 o’clock in the morning show, every single day five days a week, and they discussed paranormal issues of all different types from UFO’s to spirit channeling or communication; all different topics that they had.
Actually, I did the pilot with them. They tested the pilot in Las Vegas and it went over the charts. They had me back on that show. It was a premier show and then I did 12 segments of that show over a years’ period. That show these days would probably do very, very well, but it was definitely before its time.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: Well that’s so cool, and you’re right; like really ahead of their time. You know I remember seeing you on every one of these things. You were on Oprah.
James Van Praagh: I was on Oprah in ’97, ’98 yeah.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: Larry King Live, 20/20, 48 Hours, Biography… And then you came out in 2002 with Beyond with James Van Praagh.
This is now – how many books did you have out? Because when I first read your first book, which was Talking to Heaven, in 1999, that’s when I first started investigating the afterlife. I was so excited about that book. And one of the reasons was because I felt like, you know, you just seem like the guy next door. You seem so real even in the way you wrote that and I resonated with that so much. Even today it’s still one of my favorite books and one of the first books that I recommend to people when they’re new to this and they want to learn about spirit communication.
James Van Praagh: Let me just interrupt, if I could, by sharing with you and your people here watching this, that Talking to Heaven, my first book, really was an incredible example of how spirit influences our lives and influences things that happen.
I wrote that book, and when I went to try to sell that book in New York to publishers, nobody wanted to buy that book. They thought, “Oh it’s a bit morbid,” and I think this was ’96. “A bit morbid. No one wants to be in this field at all. No one wants to talk about death. No one wants to go near it.”
I said, “Well you’re wrong because everybody, as human beings, have two common experiences. One is birth and one is death. We know a little bit about the birth experience, but we don’t know enough about death, and many people want to know about that. So I disagree, I think it will do very, very well, and I think it will be a #1 New York Times Best Seller.”
Most of them did not want to hear this and a lot of them said, “Well every author thinks that.’ I said, “I’m a psychic, I know that. Hello!”
So what happened was, I had been on The Other Side; the show The Other Side, and at the time, a lady by the name of Wendy Walker called me up and she was Larry King’s producer at the time. She said, “I’d like for you to come on the show.” She said, “You have like a gimmick.” I said, “A gimmick.” “You know, you talk to dead people like celebrities. You can talk to celebrities. Do something different?” I said, “No, I just talk dead people. That’s my gimmick. I talk to dead people, that’s how I do it. I think that’s good enough.” She said, “Okay, maybe another time.” I said, “Okay another time.”
I kept her number, and years later when the book came out; when Talking to Heaven came out, she was the first person I called. I said, “Hi Wendy, this is James Van Praagh. I have your gimmick, it’s the book. I wrote a book called Talking to Heaven.” She could relate to that, but she said, “Oh you know, Larry doesn’t do that anymore.” And immediately, as I’m speaking to her, her grandfather shows up very, very clearly and he said, “You tell my granddaughter that her mother has my glasses in the left side cabinet of the bed, the second drawer. There’s a crack in the lens. You tell her that she’s been taking 10 white pills for her medication. She needs to slow down to two pills a day.” And more and more details that were just coming right through me.
Wendy kind of freaked out and she said, “Let me call my mother, I’ll call you right back.” Twenty minutes later, she called me up and said, “Oh my God, oh my God I don’t believe it! Yes, she has the glasses and yes, they’re exactly where you said they were. And yes, there’s a crack in the lens. And yes, she was taking medication…” And more of the details she validated. Then she said, “What are you doing tonight,” and I said, “Nothing.” She goes, “Do you want to be on the show, on Larry King?” I said, “Sure.”
Now when you think about it Bob, you know most shows schedule way out in advance, at least two weeks to a month or two months. This show had no one available there, they were just open. I went on that show that night, and it was the first time Larry King ever had a medium on his show.
The book had an initial printing of 6,000 copies. That show was on a Friday. The CNN Bureaus did not stop shutting down until Sunday with requests of calls from all over the world, and the book – 6,000 copies to 600,000 copies within three months – became the #1 New York Times Best Seller. They say it was a phenomenon in the book world.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: Unbelievable! Unbelievable!
James Van Praagh: Thank the spirit, yeah.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: Yeah, yeah. And that’s amazing. Now where were you when she asked you to be on. Did you have to fly out to New York or something?
James Van Praagh: No, I was living in Los Angeles at the time.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: Perfect. Well that worked out pretty good.
James Van Praagh: It was about a mile from the studio, so that was pretty good.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: It’s amazing how things like that happen. You knew the book was going to be successful. Did you know it was going to be that quick? I mean amazing…
James Van Praagh: No. I didn’t think it would be that quick. It’s just like with things in life, we have certain times we know certain things are going to happen. We never know how they’re going to happen, and then when we get there we look back, “Wow, I knew that was going to happen, but I wasn’t sure the way it was going to take – the roads I’m going to take to lead me here.”
So no, I didn’t know it was going to be that quick, but I knew it was going to happen, yeah.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: It’s interesting you talked about her wanting to communicate with celebrities. I have a lot of producers who call or email me and they want a medium who can do that. I try to explain to them, “Well, if they’re giving a reading to one of the family members of a deceased rock star or movie star then yeah, maybe but they’re not going to show up just because the medium wants them there.”
James Van Praagh: Why would they? Do they know the person? No. Then why would you think they would show up, just because you want them to be there. I’ve had many shoots where I’ve told the producers, “We can’t do this, because did you know…”
Actually, a famous story. I was with Barry Manilow once and he said, “I want to speak to Judy Garland.” I said, “Did you know Judy Garland?” And he goes, “No.” I said, “Well why would you think she would show up for you then,” and she didn’t. But something did come through that he was going to be doing a Meet Liza Minnelli very soon, and he kind of got freaked out. He goes, “How do you know that,” and I said, “What do you mean?” He said, “After you leave, there’s going to be a car that pulls up to pick me up. We’re going to be doing an AIDS benefit together this afternoon and. I’ve never met met Liza Mimnelli.”
I go, “After you meet Lizza, maybe we can sit down and talk and then maybe she’ll come through.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: I love it! I love it!
So Beyond came out with James Van Praagh in 2002, the same year right, Talking to Heaven came out where Ted Danson actually played you in the story of your life.
James Van Praagh: Yes. What happened was the book Talking to Heaven was really a hot market for television, and NBC bought the book right away; the rights to the book. They were trying to figure it out and develop it as a movie, as a mini-series; a movie basically. There was a change of people over there. The executives all shifted and a girl at CBS named, Bela Bajaria, she knew the book was in turnaround – they call it turnaround, so she took the book for CBS.
I met with Bela. She was a very sweet girl, and they tried getting that book going. They hired a writer who was a Broadway playwright and also a mini-series movies writer, a TV movies writer, John Pulmyer [sp]. I sat down with John Pulmyer and I met him. He was great guy. He came to my house. We sat down for four days and he worked on that script with me. We went back and forth with ideas and it really turned out to be a mini-series. It was going to be a movie, but it was so well written that CBS decided to make it into a mini-series.
Now the funny thing about that story is I had a phone call from – oh boy, it was the man that was writing the movie when NBC had it. He called me up and he said, “James I want to talk to you about something.” I said, “Yes.” “I know that Talking to Heaven is now with CBS, but when I was on the plane I was writing the first script. A lady sat down next to me and she looked at me and said, “What are you writing,” and I said, “I’m writing Talking to Heaven. It’s based on a book by James Van Praagh.”
This lady said, “Oh I know that book. I’ve given 30 out to my friends. I know that book. Can you get in touch with him for me?” He goes, “I don’t know, I’ll try,” and it was Mary Steenburgen. So somehow I got in touch with Mary Steenburgen months and months and months later. The book had already gone to CBS, and what happened was I went to her house and did a reading for her and for Ted Danson.
Ted was a complete skeptic, a complete skeptic about the whole thing. I can tell you this because he said it publically, so I can tell the story. What happened in this room, a spirit came through and I gave many, many incredible readings and evidential details of things. The best one – oh I love it – when Ted’s father came through and Ted’s father said, “I’m in heaven. You know I’m in heaven because I’m wearing my herringbone jacket and I’m holding my whiskey sitting in front of the fireplace, and he’s giving him the [10:22.4]. Ted fell on the floor, almost sobbing. “You don’t know what you did. You don’t know what you did.” Now this is a skeptic.
Well after the session was over he came up to me and he goes, “You don’t realize, my father died of a heart attack, in front of a fireplace wearing his herringbone jacket and he had a Scotch in front of him.”
But the weird thing is again, you’re a spirit coming through and manipulating things. The next day I received a call from a production company who was handling the mini-series, Talking to Heaven, or The Dead Will Tell, they called it. What happened was they said, “Listen CBS called us and they’re having trouble casting the part. They’re having trouble casting you, James.” I said, “They are?” “Yes. Nobody wants to play a medium. They tried Gary Sinise, they tried all these other people, but no one wanted to play it. So if they can’t find a person, they’re going to scrap it.” Oh it was terrible. It was typical Hollywood.
They said, there was one more person they’re going to try for. I said, “Who is that?” They said, “Ted Danson.” I said, “Okay, well that’s pretty weird because I was doing a reading for him last night at his house.”
Ted knew nothing about this, that they were going to go after him. I did call Ted the next day and I said, “Ted, CBS is going to come to you and ask you to do this role. I would like to ask, based upon your experience with me, to look at that very clearly and see if you would that role. It might help millions and millions of people, so do that.” He accepted.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: Amazing.
James Van Praagh: It was a mini-series. They changed the name several times. Now it’s called Talking to Heaven. It was the number one mini-series in CBS history, except for Jesus, which was two years earlier. [12:06.2] my relationship with CBS.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: Well it’s amazing, and it’s a great example of serendipity in our live or divine coincidence. Because, I don’t know. We don’t know what his process was in making that decision. But for you to have given him a reading the night before, and then for all of this to take place. And I thought he did a fantastic job.
James Van Praagh: And he looks just like me, Bob.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: He does. Yeah you guys have a lot of similarities.
James Van Praagh: I always say, coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous. I always say that.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: I like that.
James Van Praagh: I think definitely that spirit, God; the Universal Force is always in our lives, every single day. If we just take time to listen and to connect with that energy, that force, your lives will be correct. You’ll make the right choices in your life.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: Yeah, and I love when you hear stories like that, that really just keep reminding me over and over and over that this is in our lives.
Now interesting, a couple years later, there was the movie The Dead Will Tell, with Anne Heche and Eva Longoria. Wow!
James Van Praagh: Yeah, that came about because the mini-series Talking to the Dead or Talking to Heaven; whatever it was the called it, Talking to Heaven was so successful that Nina Tessler, the President of CBS, she said to me, “Can we do another one based upon one of your books,” and I said, “Yes.”
So we took a story from one of my books, from one of the sessions. And again, we had a new writer this time because the other writer was busy, very busy with other things. I sat with that other writer, and again, we came across this story based upon a ring. I had many, many readings where spirits will talk about jewelry, or a ring, or there is something special about a ring, and that’s really what we based the next – The Dead Will Tell story on, with Eva Longoria and with Anne Heche.
The funny thing about that, just as a little side note, an antidote. When we were in production in New Orleans, Eva Longoria; sweet little thing, adorable, cute – she came running up to me and she said, “James Van Praagh. Hi, I’m Eva Longoria.” I said, “Hi Eva,” and this is so funny. She said, “Listen I just finished a pilot. I’m wondering, can you tell me if it’s going to do well?” I said, “It’s going to change your life.” And she goes, “Good. Thank you.
It’s called Desperate Housewives. Thank you. So it was called Desparate Housewives.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: Oh my God.
James Van Praagh: Then years and years later; seven or eight years later, about two to three years ago when I was filming Ghost Whisperer at Universal, I was in the dining room and I look over and there’s Eva coming straight up the aisle, and our eyes connected. It was like “Ahhhh…” I ran over to her and I said, “Well, was I right. Did it change your life?” She started laughing and laughing and she goes, “Yes, it certainly has.” So that’s the story with The Dead Will Tell.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: Yeah, I love it. It’s pretty incredible. And I love that they remember these things too later. Because I’m sure when that TV show took off, Desperate Housewives, she was thinking of you – there’s no question, as each new success happened after that.
James Van Praagh: And we’ve met several times after and she’s always held so much respect for me, and I have for her because I know her talent and I see her light. I used to see the dailies of that show with the movie we were doing. I’d say to a friend of mine, “Look at the light around her. Can you see that light around her?” My friend would say, “She’s very gifted. She’s special. She’s going to go on to things.” I said, “I think she is.” That was so funny. Now look at her.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: Exactly. After that, you know it’s funny, because I do remember – well the timing actually – okay, if you want to stay chronologically in 2005, and this last for five years; you were co-executive producer of Ghost Whisperer. You know, it’s interesting because I always love how we can – you know there’s writers and stuff who will teach about the afterlife by using fiction. You know so many of us, we’re always thinking non-fiction, and people love the non-fiction story, but fiction in this case, The Ghost Whisperer, was probably based on true stories but it’s a fictional TV show. And at the same time, it’s able to teach people about spirit communication, spirits, and the spirit world.
I love how that works because people learn without even realizing they’re learning. They’re just being entertained, they thing, right.
James Van Praagh: That’s right. And when I did that series again, this girl, Bela Bajaria, who worked at CBS and really was the spearhead for the two movies ahead of that, and also the series. Of course, now that the movie did really well, the mini-series did really well, CBS was looking for a series in this field. I talked to Bela and I was thinking, I’ll find some way, somehow to get this information; my work, what I do out there to the public.
At the time of the show, The Beyond Show that you were mentioning, my series that I used to have on every day. During that show, I met a lady by the name of Mary Ann Winkowski, and she was ghost buster. What she does is she really deals with earthbound spirits. And she’s not someone who goes around with those gyrocoptors and electronic meters – I think that’s a bunch of something else. She’s very much a person who is like me, except she deals with earthbound spirits.
I investigated her, because I’m very, very skeptical about people who make claims about things, and I went out to Oklahoma with her to go to a house, which I knew was haunted. I actually knew who was haunting it, and sure enough, she came up with names, details, the cemetery where they were buried, how they died; something you couldn’t just find anywhere. You couldn’t find it anywhere. And she was pretty incredibly genuine.
So I thought his would make a great television show. So brought her to CBS and I introduced her to CBS. They loved her. They said, “Let’s do a show with her,” and I went out and found a production company that could do it. I met with the production company. I met the head writer. CBS wanted me to approve of this writer, because they wanted to make sure that he had the sensitivity to bring it through.
I met with this man, and he did. He had a sensitivity, and we created a pilot. From that pilot, again, it was tested and it did extremely well.
A fun story with that is, I was meeting Jennifer Love Hewitt. The day it was picked up, I met Jennifer Love Hewitt and she said to me, “Might I have breakfast with you tomorrow,” and I said, “Okay.”
The whole meeting she would not look at me. So I’m thinking is something wrong, is something odd here? She said, “Can I have a meeting with you at breakfast?” I said, “Sure.” So we had our meeting the next day and I said, “I don’t know if you know who I am,” and she goes, “Oh yes I do. I’m a big, big fan of your work. I’m such a fan of your work. I’ve read all of your books and I’m really so excited about this piece. I’m just so excited. I want to do this role, can you help me?”
So I began to help me with that role in how she would [19:05.1] with a spirit, how she would communicate with a spirit, how a spirit would appear to her. So I was in the behind helping her out and that was one of my major jobs on that show.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: See and I love that. If you watch the show, and if you know anything about psychic mediums, you recognize that she knows what she’s doing. There’s a lot of things that are going on there, that are really accurate. There’s not many shows that deal with this subject matter, that take the time to do that, to take the time to get somebody to come in and consult with them.
James Van Praagh: I agree totally. I could definitely tell upon watching the show if they have a person that knows what they’re talking about, who they’ve dealt with to have produce the show, or if it’s just some producer that they go, “Oh I can do this,” and they don’t know what the heck they’re talking about.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: That’s right.
James Van Praagh: I mean with Jennifer, I used to go to her dressing room and sit there with her between scenes and discuss about when the ghost would come through, or how her reaction would be, and how would she feel in her body. She was really into it, which I must say she was very, very good and that was shown. It was depicted when she performed. So yes, I could definitely tell on those shows. And now, of course, they’re everywhere. Everybody has an electronic meter.
You know when I did that show, as you said, it was a means to teach, and everything I do is teaching. I’m a teacher first and foremost. I’ll always say that I’m a teacher first and foremost. And with this show, the media of television is such an incredible medium because you can reach millions and millions of people. And used in the right way, it can really elevate the consciousness. It can elevate peoples’ minds, open them up, open up their hearts and help them to realize that we are all connected, that we are all one.
Through these shows, the television shows that I’m behind, it’s a teaching method. You have to play the Hollywood thing where it’s all spooky and scary, but that’s kind of like to get them in tents and then they can drink the Kool-Aid.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: No, no it’s true.
James Van Praagh: Then they can see. And when I did that show, I wanted to make sure it was done, and CBS let me thank God, was I wanted to make sure that even though we had the spooky scary stuff, and the low cleavage with Jennifer Love Hewitt, which I wasn’t crazy about. But I know that world, and TV world says we have to attract male viewers. And they were correct, they were completely correct. I said, I don’t like the way they went about it, but they got the male viewership.
What happened was, I said at the end of the show, I always want to leave the show in a positive teaching note. Because I do believe that what you put out there creatively, it’s in the ethers. It’s in the ethers and it’s going to affect the minds of people. So at the end of every single show of Ghost Whisperer, at the end of every single episode, it ends in a very positive healing light. The people go into the light, there’s resolution. It’s about forgiveness, compassion, love on every single show. And I’m so happy that, that’s how it ends on every show.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: Isn’t it? And it’s amazing that some of the producers, with a lot of influence, didn’t change that along the way. They didn’t influence it in a such a way to try to make it more sensational or whatever it may be. I love that, that show was able to stay along that path. It makes a big difference.
James Van Praagh: And again, formulaic, it was a formula and they knew that, that formula sold. They knew that formula was received by people and if you try to screw up a formula like that, you’re going to lose viewership. So they knew what the people wanted. They knew that they wanted people to cry every single episode, which is great because, as you know with mediumship, people cry all the time when they receive a message from the spirit. Many people will just cry. It’s cleansing, and so they really did hit the mark with that.
Again, another way of teaching and reaching millions and millions of people, and now it’s seen around the world in over 150 countries.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: That’s amazing.
After that, the only other thing I’ll talk about is I know you did some stuff with Entertainment Tonight and the Insider.
James Van Praagh: Oh yeah.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: Now here’s like a completely different audience. But did you enjoy doing those kinds of things. I mean obviously, they’re very tabloid, magazine kind of – but yet, you’re still getting to reach people. And you’re talking about wanting to be a teacher. There’s a new audience out there everywhere. What were those shows like for you?
James Van Praagh: Well it’s funny because a lot of people would write e-mails and all these wonderful texts and tweets and all that. They say, “Wow, I saw you on Entertainment Tonight, I’ve seen you on Chelsea Lately, I’ve seen this. This is great. It’s a whole different side of you James, and it makes you very human. I really can believe in you even more because of the genuineness that comes through.”
You know, I’m a pretty funny guy. Bob, you might know this.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: Yeah, you are.
James Van Praagh: I’m a pretty funny guy and you can’t take life too seriously. When I do my shows, when I go on stage, the first thing I do is crack up the audience, and they’re like, “Oh my gosh, this guy is funny. He should be a standup comedian here.” So I say, “I’m a standup comedium.” You don’t have to laugh Bob, it’s okay.
But it’s true. You want to show another aspect of yourself. You want people to be able to relate to you. I never want to be someone thought of as this thing or this thing wearing these robes, sacred, and untouchable. That’s not who I am. I’m just the opposite of that. I’ve never liked pedestals. It’s a very natural thing that I do and the spirit is, it’s very natural. Spirit communication is really pretty natural.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: You’re talking about the humor. You had said to me if you weren’t doing this, if you didn’t take this path, what was something that you wanted to do?
James Van Praagh: Well I originally moved out to Los Angeles to be a sitcom writer.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: See, that’s amazing. Yeah I love that.
James Van Praagh: I have a broadcasting degree; I was going to be a sitcom writer. I’m also a singer, so I’m a singer. I have a very legit voice and I’m actually working on a one-man show right now. It’s going to be with music to it based upon my work with the spirit and based on my whole life, with music, which I will be singing.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: Oh that will be cool. Honestly, I think that’s a great combination, and I love the one man show. I had a friend who worked at the Public Theater in New York and I got to see – the one man shows were some of my favorite ones. I don’t know, it was just something about that.
James Van Praagh: I think creativity is spirit. That’s an energy, that’s a universal force. Creativity is close to God, and I think that we have to express ourselves in many, many, many different ways. And I think from my 30 years of doing this work, I’ve learned that I don’t want to leave this Earth and have any should of’s, would of’s, or could of’s. I want to express myself in every way that I can think of, that I want to do and I think everybody should live that way.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: Yeah, I agree.
You talked a little bit about seeing yourself as a teacher. I’m just going to ask this question. To sort of end this portion of the interview, I want to ask you what do you see your purpose in this work as? Obviously, like I said, you move out to Los Angeles for a different reason and the next thing you know, you’re doing this. Obviously, you’ve been doing this for 30 years now, which is amazing to me.
James Van Praagh: I know.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: It’s a calling. But when you wake up in the morning, what is it that gets you out of bed. What would you feel is your sense of purpose in this work?
James Van Praagh: Oh it’s to really open up the hearts and minds of people. To change peoples’ ways of thinking, to open the up to a newer way, to have a relationship with themselves, that they realize that they are first and foremost spirits having a physical experience. And if I could say why I wake up every morning, if I could change a life for the better, if I help people for the better then I know I’ve done my job.
And you know when you do this work and you’re constantly doing it, you’re giving messages and you’re running around doing this and you get in that work mode. Every once in a while, a spirit will stop you and they’ll say, “Wait. Pay attention. Look what’s happening.”
It’s happened several times where I’ll be at a book signing, let’s say, and a lady or man will say to me, “I want to thank you very much. I was going to commit suicide, but I read your book and I didn’t do it and now I have a full life.”
That stops you in your tracks and you’re like, “Now I know what I’m doing this work for.” That’s what I’m doing the work for, to help each other. We’re all here on this Earth to help one another. We’re all one being and it’s really helping each other.
I came back from the service, as did you. I came back from the service, service of human kind. And it doesn’t get to me if people believe it or they don’t believe it, it doesn’t matter. It really doesn’t. It’s just I present what I can do, what the spirit has given to me. If it resonates in people, if it resonates truth in people then great. If it doesn’t resonate truth within people, great then they don’t have to take that.
I’m an instrument. I’m here to be used, and I have been.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: Yes. Yes you have, haven’t you?
Okay, because I enjoyed so much talking to you about some of the things that got you where you are today, I’m going to end this interview here.
James Van Praagh: We’re ending already?
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: Yes, already. I’m going to make you stay, if you don’t mind.
James Van Praagh: Okay.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: I’m going to chain you to your chair, but I’m going to end this interview here and then I want to talk to you about your process, and we’ll create that as a whole new interview.
James Van Praagh: Great.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: So James, thank you very much for sharing this incredible information. I think that your journey is inspirational. It’s inspirational to me, and I know it will be to many mediums as well as just many people who are on a spiritual path. So thank you for that, I really appreciate that candidness that you gave us.
James Van Praagh: Thank you, Bob. Thank you.
Bob Olson, Afterlife TV: People are going to get to see you on another video, so I’ll end this here. Thank you so much, James.
James Van Praagh: Thanks Bob. See ya.
Afterlife TV is presented by Afterlife Investigator & Psychic Medium Researcher Bob Olson, who is the author of Answers about the Afterlife: A Private Investigator’s 15-Year Research Unlocks the Mysteries of Life after Death.
Check out Bob Olson’s other sites: BestPsychicDirectory.com (a directory of hundreds of psychics & mediums by location with reviews & Instant Readings) & BestPsychicMediums.com (his personal recommended list of tested psychics and mediums) or visit Bob’s Facebook Page. Bob also has a popular workshop for psychics and mediums at PsychicMediumWorkshop.com.
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