FG writes: “I have friends who recently lost a child and have been communicating with him through a medium for months now. They claim it has given them so much comfort and closure. What’s so wrong about that?”

Necromancy is a lot more complicated than just talking to alleged loved ones via a medium. This is an occult practice that is quite dangerous both for the medium and for the client.

For those who are not familiar with it, necromancy is a special mode of divination through the evocation of the dead. Derived from the old form of the name, nigromancy (niger meaning black) suggests it to be a form of “black” magic in which the workings of evil spirits are present.

The fact that demons are behind the practice of necromancy is hard to dispute. Remember, the dead, otherwise known as disembodied souls, no longer have a body or the "equipment" necessary to contact the physical world, and they can only do so with the help of a preternatural (angel or demon) or supernatural (God) being. And because the deceased can only appear to the living with the express permission of God - and He blatantly forbids necromancy in numerous places in Scripture - He is not likely to contradict Himself and allow an angel to facilitate the appearance of a deceased person who is being called upon through some kind of medium (which He also condemns in Scripture). This leaves only one other preternatural spirit available to do the job - a demon.

That's what's so dangerous about these popular psychics who claim to be able to contact the dead - such as the late Sylvia Browne, the discredited James Van Praagh, and John Edward of Crossing Over fame - all of whom claim to receive messages from the dead relatives of clients or members of their audiences. They encourage the vulnerable to seek consolation in a practice that will ultimately result in even more loss.

However, the Church is not alone in its warnings. Some of spiritualism’s most celebrated mediums have been known to give the same advice. For instance, in The Church and Spiritualism, a book by Father Herbert Thurston, an internationally known authority on spiritualism, he tells the story of a Mrs. Travers Smith who was one of London’s most respected mediums. Smith didn't hesitate to warn anyone who would listen against the practice of contacting the dead. Once plagued by a spirit of suicide who repeatedly tried to possess her, she warns people to never attempt spirit communication, especially not lightly or for fun. “You will draw to yourself earth-bound and still evil spirits . . . mischievous messages will follow and oft-times actual mental damage to yourself.”

Fr. Thurston also noted that it was rare for these spirits to speak the truth anyway. After compiling years of study on the subject, he concluded that the overwhelming majority of spirits who speak to the living are “freakish or impersonating spirits,” or what he calls “silly spirits” who deliberately mislead people.

Apparently, there are vast minions of these spiritual clowns, he says, who for “pure sportive fun frequent circles, counterfeit manifestations, assume names and give erroneous and misleading information. . . . And yet, it is through channels such as these that spiritualists bid us seek the solution of the most profound mysteries of man’s existence and destiny.”

These spirits are very good at what they do, he says, and can be extremely deceptive, going so far as to mimic the exact sound of the voice of a deceased loved one, as well as recall many personal details that could only be known to an intimate. (Remember, the devil is an angelic being possessed of enormous preternatural powers that are beyond our comprehension. In other words, for a demon, mimicking a dead loved one is a cakewalk.)

Aside from being horribly misled, dabbling with evil spirits disguised as deceased loved ones, comes with much more dire consequences. Father Francesco Bamonte, an exorcist based in Rome and the author of The Damages of Spiritualism, has seen manifestations of all kinds of physical and mental problems in people who have dabbled in necromancy. These physical manifestations include strong stomach pains, pains in the forehead and bones, vomiting, epileptic fits, pins and needles in the legs, sudden attacks of heat or cold, increasing sense of anxiety, depressions, constant nervous tics, and being unable to eat.

He goes on to cite: “(The) inability to sleep night or day, inability to study or work. To be agitated, to have nightmares, to be afraid of the dark, to have sensations of being grabbed by the arms, or the sensation of someone sitting on our lap. One also feels invisible slaps and bites, as well as blows to the body."

Addictions, anti-social behavior, suicidal ideation, also manifest in people who have become involved in contacting who they think are the dead.

But one of the best proofs that these spirits are evil comes from what they supposedly tell us - or, better put - what they neglect to tell us.

"Note that the messages from the ‘dead’, from the spirits, and from channeled entities never encourage people to believe the Bible, never urge people to trust Christ for salvation, and often openly contradict God’s word or even speak derisively of Christ as Savior,” says New Age and occult expert Marcia Montenegro in "Spirit Contact: Who is on the Other Side?"

Sadly, the practice of mediumship is booming in the United States. The psychic services industry is currently worth a record $2.3 billion and is expected to increase by 0.7% in 2024.

As IBSWorld reports, “Traditional skepticism about consulting psychics has waned, with more consumers embracing these services, especially in times of uncertainty. The pandemic significantly boosted demand for services as many turned to spiritual guidance to navigate their anxieties about health, finances and the loss of loved ones. This uptick reflects a broader trend towards personalized and spiritual approaches to life's challenges, making psychic services a more mainstream part of many people's lives.”

When God is tossed aside, people try to fill that void with other spiritual practices, most of which are accompanied by serious physical and spiritual dangers. One can only wonder why anyone would throw away such a loving and benevolent God for powers whose only aim is to destroy.

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