It’s an ongoing debate whether or not mediums exist.  Of course, people can say that they are mediums, but can certain people really talk to the dead?

Some are firm believers, others not so much.

The TV show on TLC, “Long Island Medium,” follows the life of Theresa Caputo who shares her ability to communicate with the spirit world. Like others who have this power, Theresa claims she can see, hear, and feel people that are not really there. To her, this power is a gift because she uses it to help people connect with deceased loved ones and feel closure. When Theresa senses a spirit, she cannot hold back; she has to tell whomever it may be the information the spirit is relaying to her. Theresa will pick out random people on the street and talk to them if she feels a spiritual presence, but she also does scheduled individual and group readings. At first many of these people are skeptics, but most of the time, her readings convince them that what she does is real.

The non-believers think that people with this “gift” are actually using a technique called “cold reading.” Without prior knowledge of a person, a practiced cold reader can still quickly obtain information about him by analyzing his body language, age, religion, or race, etc. “Shotgunning” is a commonly used cold reading technique.  In this method, the medium fires a series of questions at the person or audience in hope that one will strike a target.

But, one cannot truly judge these special people until he’s experienced a reading.

Traci Matturro had seen signs that lead her to believe a spirit was present, and her senses were confirmed after a reading with a medium. Her husband died two years ago from a heart attack, but she has never felt his presence until recently when she started dating again. Every day when she comes home from work, the pictures from her wedding day that hang on the wall are crooked. One day they were completely knocked off the wall and laying on the floor.

“I think my husband is trying to tell me that he doesn’t want me dating anyone. By knocking down our wedding pictures, it seems he’s upset and angry and wants me to know,” she said.

Belief in this power all depends on experience and faith. If you want to connect with the spiritual world, you probably can, but if you’re completely close-minded about it then you may never know.