Drawn to the Occult

After two marriages and eight children Nostradamus set aside medicine and turned towards the occult.  His first published almanac was in 1550 and it was so well received that he went on to produce at least one annually.  All together his almanacs are believed to contain almost six and a half thousand prophesies.  However the prophesies for which he is famous today come from the thousand or so four line quatrains he wrote.  These were not incredibly well received; he was accused of being in league with the devil, or worse a fake.

The elite section of society generally regarded his information as having been delivered to him by spirit, and soon he was giving audiences to nobles from all over the land.  They came to Nostradamus for their horoscopes and life advice.  By 1566 Nostradamus was counsellor and physician in ordinary to the King.  Whilst he has been credited with entering into a trance like state to gain his information, it would appear, through reading his own words about clearing his mind and gaining mental calm and clarity that it was meditation that was his avenue of communication rather than trance.

His Work

The Prophecies were published in three volumes in 1555, 1557 and 1558, but his works that have proved to be the most popular with centuries of readers have been the almanacs.  Nostradamus’s Almanacs were published annually from 1550 up until his death, occasionally there would be two or even three editions each year.  Though he was well known for his many predictions Nostradamus was also widely regarded as a healer, and is credited with writing a number of medical books.

Modern Sceptics

It is said that many of his prophesies are only accurate because they are proven so in retrospect, that those who want to believe find a way of making his words fit events from history.  This retroactive clairvoyance is evident because no one has ever interpreted one of his quatrains before an event has occurred.  None the less Nostradamus is still regarded as both prophet and healer and his quatrains are still studied by scholars around the world, in the hope that the natural disasters and manmade events that he prophesises do not come to pass.  Nostradamus has of course been misquoted and hoaxes have been constructed to seemingly predict events, but even so the ancient works still stand as evident of his influence on the world.

Natural Talent

James delivers his messages from spirits as though he was deep in conversation with an old friend, so easy going and laid back is his style of mediumship, it can’t help but put you at ease.  He has described himself as a ‘survival evidence’ medium which means that the messages that he communicates provide such a level of information that the information cannot have come from anywhere other than the deceased, therefore evidencing that there is a form of life after death after all.  James communicates with spirits via clairsentience and clairvoyance which means that he feels and senses the emotions of those in spirit as well as being able to see images in his mind’s eye.  He can also relay the personality and character of a spirit as well as details about their death as evidence in his readings.

In the Media

James van Praagh first gained popularity by appearing on ‘The Other Side’ a talk show on NBC which focussed on paranormal issues, he soon became known as their resident expert on paranormal matters and a favourite with the viewing public.  Over the years he has appeared on shows with Oprah, Dr Phil and Larry King as well as other successful television projects.  James van Praagh is also a bestselling author and conducts teaching programs, meditation programs and seminars to capacity audiences wherever he goes.

A Health Dose of Scepticism

As with many other well known psychics there are those who are sceptical about his abilities, but this is something welcomed by James, after all it makes it all the more necessary to deliver that certain message that opens the mind of a non believer.  He also believes that all mediums are psychics but to class all psychics as mediums is incorrect, explaining that whilst a psychic can sense spiritual energy a medium can interact with it and work across the different vibrations.  James does make a point of stating that he does not predict the future or even receive insights as to what could be to come, his work offers proof that the spirit survives the transition of the death of the physical body, showing that there is more to life than just our physical existence.  He claims that the love we feel for one another is the binding force that allows communication across the realms to take place.