# Emails From The Dead?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emails-from-the-dead/180276>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [June 7, 2003, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emails-from-the-dead/180276 "2003-06-07T13:06:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2003, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emails-from-the-dead/180276/1 "2003-06-07T13:06:10Z")

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Several recent threads have discussed the afterlife, and the possibility of the personality surviving death. I have heard of the dead communicating with the living via mediums (Jon Edward, James van Praagh, etc.), and there is also the so-called “automatic” writings. Well, it seems to me that the spirits have a great deal of difficulty interacting with us, because they have so little energy at their disposal…so why aren’t e-mails the preferred method?  
Surely, the energy required to write and send an emial must me measured in microwatts-far less that required to knock on doors, or moveheavy objects (phenomena observed in “hauntings”).  
So, have any of you ever received an email from a dead relative?  
Seriously, a test (like the SETI Project) ought to be tried…have millions of PCs programmed to catch a message from the beyond…and broadcast it around the net!  
Computer guys…how do we set up such a trial?😕

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**Author:** ![that.sound.again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e5b9ba/32.png) [@that.sound.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/that.sound.again)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2003, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emails-from-the-dead/180276/2 "2003-06-07T16:35:20Z")

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Interesting. I’ve been thinking along the same lines. Maybe most deceased persons intereste in communicating don’t know binary/ASCII.

And how would they go about setting up an account?

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**Author:** ![Salem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Salem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Salem)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2003, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emails-from-the-dead/180276/3 "2003-06-07T18:57:36Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by that.sound.again \*  
> \*\*  
> And how would they go about setting up an account? \*\*

I’m sure AOL is already working on it.