201 Comments
A few weeks ago we spoke with the enchanting Laura Day (left), an "intuition expert" and author who has earned raves from the likes of Chris Rock, Brad Pitt and a little someone named Oprah.

Laura says you can use your brain to do almost anything -- get somebody to fall in love with you, lose weight or get a raise. We were skeptical -- until we spoke to her. So we asked her to write some stuff for us, and here, she tells us how you can communicate with the dead. For real.

This time of year we all get weird and nostalgic. We want to believe there is more to life and even, well, after life. We seek guidance, and assurance that we are not alone. Here is some strange but very real investigation that you can try by yourself and with friends this holiday season to communicate with the dead.

Skeptical? Me too. Don't ask me how this is possible. I do it and I still don't know. I do know that I get accurate information, but I'm still not convinced that it doesn't just come from somewhere in the collective unconscious we all share. It sounds crazy, but I love doing this. Of course, I keep it to myself, usually, so I don't embarrass my family or get put away "somewhere safe."

You don't have to believe in this for it to work, but if you don't believe in it, do it for someone else because they will tell you how right you are.

There are many ways to see, hear and feel the energy of someone who is dead. You can go on forever about what you really perceive, but the fact is, if you follow my directions, you will get information that verifies that you are picking up on something that really exists and can be confirmed!

The therapy, for you nonbelievers, is on you. Here's how.

Technique one
This one's for the nonbelievers. It's the least shocking way to talk to the dead, so let's start here.

Allow your eyes to go "soft focus" so that you are less aware of the details of what is around you. When you are comfortable with that state, stay there and allow all of you to go soft focus ... all of your senses, your thoughts, your physical awareness of the room and your body.

As you do this notice "what else" you see and sense in the room around you with this soft focus. Don't look for it. As you do this, the details of "other energy" will become sharper as the room and your awareness of yourself becomes softer. Many of you, on your first try, will "see" or "feel" presences in the room. You will notice that some are stronger than others and that as your attention goes to them, you begin to hear and experience dialogue from them. If you are with someone else, repeat this dialog or experience verbally. Names and situations may come to into awareness. You can ask questions, which they may or may not answer. They may show you things, scenes, items, experiences which you don't immediately understand. It often helps to take notes because someone in your family may recognize an energy that you do not.

Technique two
Here is the "beyond weird" way to talk to the dead, for the more open-minded among you.

First, really take a moment to feel what it feels like to be you in this moment in your life. Where are you, what time is it, what are you sensing around you? Orient yourself in time and space so that you know where to return your attention when the experience is over.

Now, allow your attention to go soft focus just like you did in the last experience. As you become aware of other presences in the room, allow yourself to soften even more and allow one of the presences to come into you as if you were merging with a shadow. Allow your attention to stay soft as you notice the shifts in your body, memories, mood, voice, impressions and experiences. Allow the person to speak through you. Even if you are doing this for yourself, you can record the experience and be two people at once. The energy you allowed inside of you and you, where you are in the here and now. This way you are able to have a dialogue.

How to Do This for a Friend
The instructions for this are in "How to Rule the World from Your Couch" under "Mediumship."

You can request that someone's energy come into you. It's helpful to resolve issues with someone who is dead, but, who has an effect on your life right now. This can also be helpful when learning a new skill. Ask a great painter, mathematician, writer, spiritual leader, investment guru, to become one with you and respond to your needs and questions. I have never experienced an energy say no!

This is also interesting to do as a group. The group can all become one person's energy, either someone who is requested or an energy that merely appears (which will usually be related to someone in the room). -- speak as one person but from different perspectives or times in the departed's life, or when a person is requested, one person in the group can "catch them" and become the medium as the others observe or ask questions.

Communicating With Yourself in a Past Life
Those of you who want to get really spiritual with this, you can use this exercise to speak with your angels, spirit guides or other teachers or a "you" you once were!

Use the same techniques in the preceding exercises but have your goal to bring in someone who has a message to help you now, whether it is you in a past life or one of your teachers.

Many books are channeled this way. The medium (that's you, folks) allows the energy of the being to come into them and they talk, write or respond to their own, or a groups questions.

When I wrote "The Circle" I was in big trouble. It was actually the first book that flew from my fingers and I didn't even know what I was writing when I was writing it. I then followed the directions I had written down, I didn't "remember" them and I actually still have to use the book to follow them, and it showed me how to save my hide and still works today. I didn't have any of that wisdom. It came through me.

The secrets to doing this -- and more -- are in my new book , "How to Rule the World From Your Couch."

Laura Day is an author, consultant and speaker who has been published in numerous magazines including Newsweek, New York Magazine and Cosmopolitan, and appeared on numerous shows including CNN, Good Morning America, The View, and The Oprah Winfrey Show. She's acted as a personal adviser to scientists, celebs and business executives. You can follow her on twitter at @lauradayintuit.

More Good Stuff on the Web
 Some seriously WTF wedding photos (SheChive)


The inner monologue of an 8-Year Old Opening Christmas Presents (Holy Taco)


 Dude spends Christmas with blowup girlfriend (TheFrisky)


What your tattoo says about you (Cracked)