Everyone has the innate intuitive ability to communicate with those on the other side. Although it may seem like the special gift of a select few, we all interact and connect with the spirit realm. For the most part we are unaware when our loved ones on the other side are present. Even when they attempt to get our attention, we do not always recognize their efforts. For instance, many of the thoughts they silently direct to us, we believe to be our own. We often feel the warm and comforting feelings of love they send our way without realizing that they are coming to us from the beyond. We may momentarily be aware that the flashing kitchen light is a message from a loved one and then just as quickly dismiss it as an electrical issue. When we hear a familiar and favorite song on the radio we seldom consider that this is a message from a loved one on the other side. Not only do our loved ones come close to say hello, share a bit of advice, and love us, they also come close to learn from us. Your challenges and your ability to overcome adversity, heal and grow are an inspiration for them.

Developing Medium Abilities
Some people, like myself, have from a young age been able to consciously connect and communicate with the spirit realm. Yet, with a little devotion and practice, everyone can develop their innate intuitive ability to communicate with those on the other side. In my book, Discover Your Psychic Type, I describe the four basic ways that we all naturally intuit. You may absorb energy vibration and information through your thoughts, your emotions, your physical body, or your energy field. An emotional intuitive absorbs others emotions and emotional energy. A mental intuitive intuits thought and mental energy. A spiritual intuitive intuits through the energy field, while a physical intuitive absorbs intuitive energy into the body.

Although you likely intuit through all four of these modalities, there will be one or two that are stronger and to which you are more naturally attuned.

You connect and communicate with those who have passed over into the spirit realm through these same intuitive modalities. I call these four different ways of naturally connecting with the other side your "medium type." In my book, You are a Medium, I encourage you to discover your innate medium type and to further develop it. Although you most likely have one medium type that is the most predominant, you may have experienced the distinctive communication phenomena of each type. Below is a little more about the different medium types.

• Emotional Mediums
  Emotional mediums will often unknowingly absorb the emotional energy of those of the other side. They will be able to feel their love, warmth, and comfort better than the other types. Have you ever felt a wave of deep and loving emotions, but were confused as to the source? Have you ever felt a loved one on the other side, close by, asking you for forgiveness or apologizing for not letting you know how much they loved you or for hurtful actions they committed while they were in the physical world? Are you able to feel the power of a higher love and let go of the past pain, anger, or resentment that you felt for someone who is now on the other side? Have you ever had a vivid and spontaneous memory of a loved one that invoked a strong emotional reaction? You could almost feel their warmth and humor as if they were right beside you. These are some of the common ways that emotional intuitives naturally, but unknowingly, connect with their loved ones who have passed over.
  
  Emotional mediums are compassionate, desire to help others, and are attuned to the higher states of divine love. Natural empaths, an emotional intuitive can feel others emotions so intensely they believe them to be their own. Not only do they intuitively tune into the emotions of those in the physical dimension, they also tune into the emotional energy of the divine celestial realms.
  
  Try this: Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and take a few deep long relaxing breaths. Say the name of a loved one who has passed over a few times, either aloud or silently. Continue to breathe and relax, sending the warm energy of the breath into your heart. Feel your heart open and repeat your loved one's name. Breathe and quietly listen and feel through the heart. Receive the love and warmth of your loved one. Listen and feel any other message that he or she may be sending you. Send a warm embrace of love their way.
• Mental Mediums
  Mental mediums often unknowingly carry on conversations with their loved ones in spirit. This may happen while driving the car or engaged in an activity like running or mowing the lawn. Because receiving the thoughts of others comes so easily to a mental intuitive, they do not always recognize when they are communicating with the other side. Once mental mediums realize that the conversations that they are engaging in are more than simple mind chatter, their medium ability rapidly develops. They then begin to be able to distinguish their thought processes from the thoughts of their visitors from the others side. Some mental mediums can hear the distinctive voice of a loved one through inner or outer hearing. Have you ever heard your name called but no one else was present? This is an example of someone on the other side projecting their voice into our three-dimensional environment.
  
  Claircognizance is the psychic skill of clear knowing. It is the instantaneous knowing of information and knowledge without knowing how you know it. Mental intuitives often communicate with those on the other side in this way. They may know the thoughts and opinions of their loved ones about certain topics or subjects and other little known facts about them without a clear awareness of how they came to this information.
  
  Try this: Think of a question or an area in your life where you would like to receive input or the opinion of a family member or friend who is on the other side. Write down your question or concern and then write down all of the possibilities and solutions that come to mind. This will clear your mind and enable you to receive the thought energy of the other side.
  
  When you have written down all of your thoughts, close your eyes and take a few deep relaxing breaths. Repeat the name of the loved one that you would like to contact. Breathe and relax. Bring to mind your question. Repeat the name of your loved one and then the question. You may want to repeat this a couple of times. Now, pay attention to your thoughts. Breathe and continue to relax and listen. Write down the thoughts that surface and pay attention to anything you hear. These thoughts are likely coming from the person you wish to contact and they may be different than what you expected.
• Spiritual Medium
  A spiritual medium may visually see their loved ones on the other side or communicate with them in their dreams or day dreams. They receive intuitive impulses in a more elusive way than the other types, so their connections may feel imaginary and dreamy. A spiritual medium is likely to have had encounters with ghosts, spirit guides, and divine beings. Having a depth of spiritual wisdom, spiritual mediums are often able to intuit their life lessons and spiritual purpose. They often can also intuit the spiritual purpose and life lessons of others.
  
  Clairvoyance is clear inner sight. It is the ability to see energy information, symbolically and figuratively or more realistically. Spiritual mediums tend to be especially adept at clairvoyance. They can often see loved ones on the other side, either with inner sight or as translucent or three-dimensional figures in the physical realm.
  
  Try This: Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and take a few deep, long, relaxing breaths. Continue to breathe and imagine that as you exhale a white light orb of energy completely surrounds you. As you continue to breathe cleansing breaths, this orb expands and fills with radiant energy. Imagine that you can invite a loved one on the other side into this orb. Speak the name of the loved one that you would like to enter this orb with you. Continue to breathe and repeat his or her name. You may feel a tingle of energy, a warm presence beside you, or you may hear or feel a message or see an image of him or her or see a streak of color or sparkle of light.
• Physical Medium
  A physical medium often experiences interactions with their loved ones through gut feelings or physical sensations. Have you ever had the hairs on your arms stand up while thinking of a loved one on the other side? Maybe you have had the gut feeling that a loved one who has passed over is present. You might be able to sense their presence standing next to you or feel the sensation of their hand on your shoulder. These are common ways that physical mediums connect with those on the other side.
  
  Physical mediums also intuit the presence of their loved ones through tangible interactions. Those on the other side like to do things like blink lights and sound alarm clocks, drop coins on our path, or influence a bird to tap on our window. Although all of the medium types experience these kinds of messages from the beyond, physical mediums often experience more of this kind of physical phenomena.
  
  Psychometry is the ability to hold an object or look at a photo of another and intuit energy information from it. Because physical mediums are more connected to the denser physical vibrations they tend to be more adept at this psychic skill than others. The information that they intuit in this way may come to them as a gut knowing, a sense of their loved one's presence, or through inner sight or hearing.
  
  Try This: Hold a photo or the personal object of a loved one who is on the other side. Close your eyes and breathe a few relaxing breaths. You may want to say the name of the loved one or gently open your eyes and look at their photo. Continue to breathe and relax. Pay attention to any sensations you may feel and experience. You may sense the presence of your loved one close by, feel their touch, or experience a rush of energy move by you. You may also hear a message or catch a glimpse of your loved one as a sparkle of light or color or through an inner vision.

You may have experienced a few or many of these kind of interactions with those on the other side. As you become more aware of how you are already naturally connecting, you will be able to develop medium abilities more quickly and easily. Just as you enjoy being able to better communicate and learn from those on the other side, so do they enjoy and look forward to communicating and learning from you.