Can we communicate with those who have died?

by Holly Williams
(Petersburg, IN USA)

QUESTION: Is it possible for us to communicate with those who have died and gone before us?

ANSWER: The grace to be able to communicate to those who have gone before us is a privilege granted by the Lord to those whom He choses to. Many have reported loved ones communicating to them, mostly through dreams. In many cases, the nature of these communications is that the loved ones are asking for prayers. With the Lord's blessing, it may be because they are given permission to appeal for prayers from their loved ones who are still on earth, to help alleviate their sentence in purgatory.

However, Catholics are NOT encouraged to proactively seek ways to actively communicate with those who have gone before us. There are some who resort to new age and occult practices, such as spirit of the glass, in an attempt to communicate with spirits. These practices are strictly forbidden by the Church, and are highly dangerous, since in reality, it is the devil who controls and manipulates encounters such as these.

In case you have "unresolved" business that may perhaps lead you to want to communicate with those who have gone before you, the best way to resolve it is through PRAYER directly to the Lord.