James Van Praagh

James Van Praagh is a pioneer of the modern mediumship movement — the man who, more than perhaps anyone, carried spirit communication from darkened parlours into mainstream living rooms. Born in Bayside, Queens, in 1958 and raised in a devout Catholic family, he felt the pull of the sacred early, even spending time in seminary as a teenager before realising his spiritual path would take an unconventional turn. A formative encounter with the celebrated British medium Leslie Flint — who, Van Praagh recounts, brought through his mother — confirmed what he had sensed since childhood: that he could perceive those who had passed. He began giving private readings, and by the late 1990s his book Talking to Heaven had rocketed to #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, igniting a wave of public fascination with life after death. Van Praagh describes himself as a "survival evidence medium" — his signature being highly specific details, delivered to strangers, that he presents as evidence their loved ones continue on. For over three decades his readings have brought comfort to millions, including celebrities from Cher and Goldie Hawn to Ellen DeGeneres, and his influence spread deep into popular culture: he co-created and produced the CBS miniseries Living with the Dead, based on his life and starring Ted Danson, and served as co-executive producer of the long-running hit series Ghost Whisperer with Jennifer Love Hewitt. Recognised annually on Watkins' list of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People, he delivered a TEDx talk on his life's work in 2025. At the heart of everything Van Praagh teaches is one message, repeated with unwavering warmth: love never dies. Through his books — including Healing Grief, Adventures of the Soul, and Wisdom from Your Spirit Guides — his weekly video podcast Both Sides Now and Beyond, touring "Evenings of Spirit," and the JVP School of Mystical Arts, where he trains a new generation in mediumship and spiritual development, he has turned a personal gift into a global classroom. For anyone aching with loss, his invitation is simple and consoling: your loved ones are not gone, they are near — and the bond you shared remains unbroken.