# Communicating with the dead **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 4, 2005, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/communicating-with-the-dead/288295 "2005-02-04T01:43:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rippingtons\_fan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rippingtons_fan/32/11767_2.png) [@rippingtons\_fan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rippingtons_fan)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/communicating-with-the-dead/288295/1 "2005-02-04T01:43:38Z")
Are there any Straight Dopers out there who are in active communication with the dead? If so, what is your method–Electronic Voice???–Seance??–Ouija Board??–Entrails from chickens?? What’s the Straight Dope from the folks on the other side of the veil?? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/communicating-with-the-dead/288295/2 "2005-02-04T01:57:26Z")
I read books, some of which are written by people now deceased. That seems to meet the standard definition of “communication.” ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/communicating-with-the-dead/288295/3 "2005-02-04T02:07:37Z")
I used to use LPs, but now their recordings are available on CDs. Aoxamoxoa is my favorite. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/communicating-with-the-dead/288295/4 "2005-02-04T02:21:31Z")
> [@DanBlather](#): > > I used to use LPs, but now their recordings are available on CDs. Aoxamoxoa is my favorite. No, no. Workingman’s Dead or American Beauty. ---
**Author:** ![WeRSauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f19dbf/32.png) [@WeRSauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WeRSauron)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/communicating-with-the-dead/288295/5 "2005-02-04T05:00:15Z")
My communication with the dead is exclusively one-sided: I talk to them. They listen. If they’re trying to talk back, I can’t hear them, which may be a good thing. WRS ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/communicating-with-the-dead/288295/6 "2005-02-04T05:23:45Z")
i don’t see much in the way of debate, here, (and it does not actually look like witnessing–more like a poll). Off to **IMHO**. [/Moderator Mode] ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/communicating-with-the-dead/288295/7 "2005-02-04T05:52:20Z")
In re: speaking to dead musical artists (not necessarily The Dead–I have no idea if they’re breathing or not) by CD: They’re decomposing composers. There’s less of them every year. You can say what you like to Debussy, but there’s little of him left to hear. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/communicating-with-the-dead/288295/8 "2005-02-04T14:37:06Z")
I never speak to the dead. I use a combination of interpretive dance and tin whistle. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/communicating-with-the-dead/288295/9 "2005-02-04T14:58:57Z")
In case you haven’t figured it out **Rippington** the vast majority of the people here think the strainght dope on ‘talking to the dead’ is that it is all hogwash. ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/communicating-with-the-dead/288295/10 "2005-02-04T15:56:03Z")
> [@rippingtons\_fan](#): > > Are there any Straight Dopers out there who are in active communication with the dead? I used to be, but then I got digital cable. Now I can’t get static on any of my channels. I’ll have to try that chicken entrails thing. Thanks for the tip. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/communicating-with-the-dead/288295/11 "2005-02-04T16:30:07Z")
> [@rippingtons\_fan](#): > > Are there any Straight Dopers out there who are in active communication with the dead? If so, what is your method–Electronic Voice???–Seance??–Ouija Board??–Entrails from chickens?? > What’s the Straight Dope from the folks on the other side of the veil?? We communicate via vlf radio. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/communicating-with-the-dead/288295/12 "2005-02-04T17:48:50Z")
> [@rippingtons\_fan](#): > > Are there any Straight Dopers out there who are in active communication with the dead? IMHO, you cannot communicate with the dead. Communication requires exchange. Dead organic matter cannot do this. ---
**Author:** ![jester21](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ed655f/32.png) [@jester21](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jester21)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/communicating-with-the-dead/288295/13 "2005-02-04T19:19:58Z")
What would John Lennon say if he were alive right now? _tap_ _tap_ _tap_ (muffled) Help! Help! Get me out of here! It’s jest a joke people. I won’t hurt you. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@Mycroft\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_H)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/communicating-with-the-dead/288295/14 "2005-02-04T19:46:04Z")
Harry Houdini had a strong interest in communication with the dead, partly from a desire to communicate with his mother with whom he was very close. This was at a time when mediums and spirit communication was very popular and supposedly prevalent. He apparently went into the subject with a very open mind but found only fraud, no communication that could positively be verified. When he died, he had arranged a code word or phrase (I can’t remember which) with his wife. They figured that if anyone could escape from “beyond the veil”, the master escape artist could - a sentiment I would agree with. He never conclusively did. (There were a lot of mediums who claimed to have messages from Houdini, but none had the proper phrase, at least not until after it had been made public of course. :rolleyes: ) Arthur Conan Doyle was a very strong proponent of Spiritualism and believed absolutely that it was possible to communicate with the dead. He did this through mediums and spirit writing. After he died his family believed (or at least claimed to believe) that Doyle communicated with them. (Through seances/mediums and not boards or entrails.) I do know people who feel they were “guided” under certain circumstances by people who died. Nothing so blatant as voices, writings, etc., but definitely a belief that it did or can happen. I believe that this sort of “guiding” communication can happen, but I would not push this belief on any others nor do I wish to be convinced that I’m wrong by anyone else. So, in response to your OP, while **I** have never communicated with anyone who has died, I don’t think active communication is possible but think that less direct communication is possible. How’s that for a serious, non-snarky answer? I know it’s not quite what you were looking for, but it may be the fullest answer you get. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/communicating-with-the-dead/288295/15 "2005-02-04T19:48:09Z")
“HELLO POLLY! WAKEY WAKEY!! THIS IS YOUR NINE 'O CLOCK ALARM CALL!!” _whap_ _whap_ ---
**Author:** ![WeRSauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f19dbf/32.png) [@WeRSauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WeRSauron)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/communicating-with-the-dead/288295/16 "2005-02-04T20:56:28Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > “HELLO POLLY! WAKEY WAKEY!! THIS IS YOUR NINE 'O CLOCK ALARM CALL!!” _whap_ _whap_ They’re just resting. WRS ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/communicating-with-the-dead/288295/17 "2005-02-04T21:50:52Z")
> [@rippingtons\_fan](#): > > Are there any Straight Dopers out there who are in active communication with the dead? I hear Corey Feldman’s looking for a pen pal. ---
**Author:** ![rippingtons\_fan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rippingtons_fan/32/11767_2.png) [@rippingtons\_fan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rippingtons_fan)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/communicating-with-the-dead/288295/18 "2005-02-04T21:55:03Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > In case you haven’t figured it out **Rippington** the vast majority of the people here think the strainght dope on ‘talking to the dead’ is that it is all hogwash. Well, at least now we’ll have clean hogs!!! ---
**Author:** ![Mint\_Julep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc79bd/32.png) [@Mint\_Julep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mint_Julep)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2005, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/communicating-with-the-dead/288295/19 "2005-02-04T22:43:28Z")
I used to have a Ouja Board. I just could not get past the Parker BrothersTM logo to even half way believe in it. I kept picturing the mass production and thus, doubted that mine got enough VooDoo power to do much? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2005, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/communicating-with-the-dead/288295/20 "2005-02-05T01:13:44Z")
We use ULF EMR 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/communicating-with-the-dead/288295.md?page=2)