About the Book

The World Health Organization tells us that, globally, an average of 56 million people succumb to ‘it’, in one way or another, every year. That works out to 150,000+ each day—more than a hundred every minute. 

The Centers for Disease Control report that 2.5 million people in the United States succumbed to ‘it’ in 2012. 

“It” is death! Apparently there’s a lot of it going around. But as startling as these figures may strike us, in the context of this book there’s another statistic at least equally as staggering—but difficult to quantify with any accuracy. I’m referring to the untold millions of loved ones, family and friends etc., that these deaths leave behind to mourn and grieve over their loss. 

I feel it’s safe to assume that the majority of those who die leave behind extra-special loved ones, those to whom they’d meant the entire world and vice versa. People whom, with that world so brutally shattered, can be left totally devastated, inconsolable and indescribably grief-stricken. Often with a pain of mind so excruciating that they’re rendered incapable of even envisioning themselves getting through it. Which, tragically, some never do—not really. 

Accumulatively then—by any measure—an incalculably colossal amount of emotional pain and misery exists at any one time—throughout the world! For each person afflicted, a deplorably distressing situation, with the added dilemma of discovering that just as nothing in our life had prepared us for what has befallen us, neither do many of us have much of a clue regarding how to go about healing and attaining the level of wholeness we sense our loved one would want for us. 

Unfortunately, only rarely is this process anything other than an intractably formidable, grinding challenge. A challenge that for some, in their severely devitalized condition, can be so daunting that they simply lack the will to try very hard. 

Accordingly, it was with the purpose of helping to somehow mitigate this lamentable situation that I was “encouraged” to share the details of what had worked for me. Hence, The Direct Connect, (a title generously suggested by the world renowned Psychic Intuitive Sonia Coquette) came into being. My role in its inception though was actually quite minimal. 

This calls for an explanation, because interestingly, it cross-links with the book’s core subject mentioned earlier—the wonderful field of psychic mediumship. 

Although mediumship had a hand in the book’s creation, credit for its very first spark of life is rightfully due to a “certain lady in spirit”. This “female figure”—as each of the mediums involved referred to her—came through in four of the first five readings I received from well-known mediums over a four year period following my wife’s passing. 

In each instance, the medium conducting the session virtually opened with words to the effect that “The female figure present is saying that you have to write a book about your experience, because it will help a lot of people.” 

The fact that this was followed in each case by amazingly “spot-on” validations left me with no doubts whatsoever about expertness of the mediums involved and—that I’d clearly been given my marching orders. On my way home after hearing this—pretty much word for word, for the fourth time, I stopped by my local store and stocked up on notepads and ball-points. 

It’s surely no secret by now that the healing measure that constitutes my book’s primary thrust calls for the reader’s unequivocal acknowledgment of the afterlife, often referred to as the hereafter. It’s actually quite rare to meet anyone who doesn’t accept the notion of an afterlife in some form or other—it’s a notion after all that has been openly embraced by belief systems the world over since time immemorial, irrespective of whether it’s called: Paradise, Nirvana, Shangri-la, Heaven, Happy-hunting-ground, Golf-course-in-the-sky—whatever. 

What many people do balk at however is the “nonsensical notion that those wackos who call themselves mediums would have us believe they can talk to dead people.” Such people are just not buying into “that woo-woo stuff”—and the vehemence with which they often express their scepticism can be something to behold. 

It’s for this reason that I spend eight chapters attempting to transform this disdainfully dismissive stance (that one can only assume is borne of abject benightedness) into an unbending faith in mediumship’s veracity. Utilizing as an incentive, the prospect of the mediums’ incredible abilities being the magic key that liberates us grievers from our soul-searing pain. 

There’s so much to be gained here for Heaven’s sake. So I strive to convince the reader that when we’re able to muster the resolve to cross that threshold of doubt and dubiosity with open heart, mind and a measure of positivity, we are rewarded with nothing less than pure magic. Magic in the form of an unquestioning knowing that our loved one—far from being forever lost to us—is actually still with us—albeit of course in non-physical form. As the world renowned medium George Anderson reassuringly puts it: “Obviously we’re not able to have the best—but this is undoubtedly a good second best.” 

A comforting observation to ponder. And surely reason enough in itself to lay aside any fallacious misconceptions we may have societally acquired and invest in some serious open-minded weighing-of-the-facts. There exists by now, a colossal amount of compellingly supportive evidence out there, just waiting for us to avail ourselves of. 

Although making my case for the genuineness of mediumship accounts for six of the first seven chapters, I fully realize that not everyone will be convinced, and that there will always be some who, for one reason or another, are simply not yet ready to commit. While others steadfastly refuse to accept that the mediums’ demonstrations are anything other than some kind of trickery—deftly executed illusions—smoke-and-mirrors. Yes—they have it all worked out. Such cynicism shouldn’t surprise us however, after all that there still exists an organization called The Flat Earth Society—true. Not to mention those inveterate sceptics who adamantly maintain that all those enthralling scenes of American astronauts gleefully bouncing around on the moon were actually filmed on a Hollywood Soundstage. I’ve even met such people around the area where I’ve lived for 42 years—an hours drive from Cape Canaveral! Go figure. 

I’m confident though, that despite the naysayers’ reservations regarding the extraordinary abilities with which mediums have been Divinely gifted, Chapters Eight and Nine will succeed in convincing them that our loved ones in the spirit realm are—unquestionably—actively present in our lives. 

My positive expectation of such an outcome is due to the fact that both these chapters deal with a category of spirit communication that does not require the participation of an intermediary. This type of spirit communication is universally referred to as simply “ signs,” a label applied to a seemingly unlimited range of both physical and non-physical out-of-the-norm phenomena specifically created by spirit to get our attention thereby confirming their presence. Such manifestations are often designed to occur at uncannily propitious moments and in ways they know the intended recipient will identify with. And although they can sometimes represent nothing more than a simple “Hello, I’m here,” for the recipient they can all be potentially transformational to the extent that even ardent non-believers have been known to “turn-on-a-dime.” I describe several of the many amazing signs I myself have been gifted with, along with some shared by friends together with classic examples culled from the many descriptions of them by mediums in their books. 

I have to think that with the chanciness of a “middle-man’s” competence now out of the equation, receiving proof of our loved one’s presence in our life by this method, delivered directly in the form of an unmistakable sign, just has to be a momentously significant step towards the healing of any person ensnared in the “black hole” of grief. 

Chapter Ten comprises a comprehensive compilation of a variety of other supplemental remedial measures, whose effectiveness I can personally vouch for and that anyone can adopt. All therapeutically beneficial in and of themselves, but of course—especially so when practiced adjunctively with an undoubting knowing of our loved one’s presence while doing so. (this guy never gives up does he?)