10 Questions with a Ghost Whisperer

Lisa Williams talks to dead people. Her on, off and on-again (due to overwhelming fan response) show, Lisa Williams, Life Among the Dead on the Lifetime network has made her a bigger household name among the hereafter set than John Edwards. This is also due, in no small part, to her recently released book, Life Among the Dead. Here, she takes a break from ghost whispering to tell us about the other side…

French Davis: When did you first realize you had the ability to talk with the dead? How did it happen?
Lisa Williams: I was very young, about 3, when I first saw spirits, but I didn’t realize it was unusual. It was only later in life when my grandmother died and she appeared to me on my bed six weeks after her death that I realized I could see dead people.

FD: Who’s the most famous dead person you’ve talked to?
LW: I have spoken to many (famous people). Princess Diana was probably the most famous, and I didn’t realize it was her at the time, until my client showed me a picture of the person I was talking with…I almost fell off my chair!

FD: What’s heaven like?
LW: Well, when I had my experience of crossing over, I found that it was full of love and understanding. No hostility or pain, just unconditional love. As spirits we have “work” to do, which is generally helping others in spiritual lessons.

FD: Have you ever talked to a dead person who was evil? Who? What was that like? If not, why? Are the evil dead unreachable?
LW: I have spoken to someone who did evil things in this life and they came through how they were in life…this was not a nice experience, and he actually attacked my son. But once I had found out why he did those things and came at my son, I realized that he needed to cross over to the other side. I helped him and it was fine. There have been other instances where someone has haunted a place that was very negative, and it wasn’t very nice and I left there not wanting to go back. Generally when we cross over, the evil people who were like that in life have calmed and changed; they understand why they did
those things.

FD: Is Elvis really dead? If so, how’s he doing? How does he feel about Mariah Carey bumping him out of the Number One slot for most chart-topping albums in history?
LW: Ha ha ha…I have no idea! I wish I had the magic telephone to say “Hey Elvis, are you there?!” But they have to want to communicate with us for a reason, and I suppose he has no reason to chat with me! (or, he really IS alive and well, working at a truck stop in Tuscaloosa –Editor)

FD: Is this an ability you’re born with? Or can it
be learned?
LW: Being psychic is an ability that we all have and some people have just developed it further. Being a Medium, speaking to the dead, is something that we have to be born with.

FD: Skeptics charge psychics and mediums with simply being good at reading people and taking advantage of those who enlist their services. How do you respond to those people?
LW: Well…My father is the biggest skeptic. He can’t comprehend that this is an ability that I have. He’s a complete atheist, but he respects what I do and that I help people. He has seen it now firsthand and understands that people need comfort and closure. People choose to come to me, I don’t tell people they have to come to me. There is a world of unexplained possibilities out there that do not have a scientific equation attached and this is one of them. We just have to open our mind and you will be surprised at what you find.

FD: Can you reach James Madison or Thomas Jefferson? Can you ask them what they think about the political climate in America today?
LW: Like I said, if I had the magic telephone I would certainly ask that question, but I haven’t. However if they do decide to stop by, I will let you know.

FD: Are there any people you regularly commune with? Who are they? Why?
LW: Of course my friends and family like to stop by, but generally those I communicate with are trying to get a message to their loved ones and only come by occasionally. I do have a spirit guide called Ben who comes by daily to have a chat.

FD: Can you share an anecdote about your most memorable experience as a psychic?
LW: There are so many. But I loved the one recently when I was performing in front of a large audience and I was giving a lady a reading and suddenly her mother came through and told her to start celebrating her birthday. The lady looked at me with a questioning look and said, “It’s not my birthday!” Her mother fired back, “I know it’s not, but you have to celebrate it when it comes.” Me being me, was not happy with that as I felt it was too general, but I told the lady anyway. I questioned the mother and said, “Well, when is it her birthday?” “21st August,” she said. The lady who I told almost collapsed. That was her birthday. I shocked myself.

Lisa Williams at 8 p.m. June 7, Lincoln Center, Ft. Collins or 7 p.m. June 8, Buell Theatre, Denver. $35+, 303.830.TIXS