I haven't.

I am lucky to have only lost one loved one in my life so far: my Nana, my grandma on my father's side. She babysat me when I was a toddler and young child, and died of Alzheimer's disease when I was about thirteen, after a long stay in a nursing home.

My oldest memory, and all of my most vivid childhood memories, took place at her house. It feels like a large chunk of my brain is devoted to the sights and smells of her house and three-acre property; I'm sure that she was a very strong influence of who I am. She was an atheist and a skeptic, as well as very intelligent, and very loving. She showed me the joy that is to be found in what's actually real.

My Nana has never contacted me since her death. I've never expected her to. I'm sure I could have interpreted the howling of the wind, weird shadows, the random occasional swings of cupboard doors, or dreams to her, but that would be crazy - dead people don't come back to life, nor do they come back to influence the world as ghosts. Ghosts are not real.

Rather than pay fraudulent self-appointed 'psychic' frauds to help me speak with her (no matter how much I want to, I know it's just not possible), I have frequent dialogues with my memories in my head instead.

It's unfortunate that people believe in ghosts. It opens doors for people like 'psychics' to take their money for doing no help. You can't move on after the death of a loved one by thinking you're continuing to talk to them; it only painfully draws out the process. It is wrong of 'psychic' frauds (all psychics are frauds) to take advantage of people's pain and denial for personal gain. It's selfish and heartless.

I mentioned above that all psychics are frauds. Here's why I'm sure: James Randi, an ex-magician and professional debunker, has offered up a $1 million prize to anyone able to reliably demonstrate psychic ability. This "One Million Dollar Challenge" has gone unclaimed for a decade or two. Psychics, of course, claim their abilities to be untestable, or that the methods of testing hinder their skills - of course it does. Psychics only appear reliable when able to hide their sleight of hand.

Just as it isn't an impressive trick to pull a rabbit out of a transparent hat, it isn't true 'psychic skill' that allows greedy men and women to take advantage of our poor critical thinking habits, and mourning desperation, just to fill their own pockets.

My Nana is not in the bumps in the night - she's in the bumps of my brain, and the salvaged nicknack's in my cupboard.

Learn more about this author, Currie Jean.
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