PSYCHIC BETSY

Psychic Betsy is a Psychic Medium and Intuitive Coach who holds a BA in psychology and has more than a decade of experience in social work. Known as the “How-to Psychic”, Betsy is solution-oriented and delivers honest and uplifting messages with the assistance of Spirit and loved ones who have passed. During a reading Betsy identifies the root cause of an issue and channels practical instructions on how to overcome these issues, thereby leading clients down a positive path by providing a shift in perspective in alignment with Higher Self.

Betsy is a firm believer that we are all born with psychic abilities and that we just need to learn how to listen. Her transformative 6-week workshop Trust Yourself: Intuitive Development Through Awareness is designed to attune students' inner guidance systems through a unique series of exercises, activities, meditations, and discussions. Learn more about readings, coaching, and classes at http://psychicbetsy.com.

JOE NICKELL

He has been called "the modern Sherlock Holmes," the "real-life Scully" (from the X-Files), and other appellations. He is well into his fourth decade as an investigator of historical, paranormal, and forensic mysteries, myths and hoaxes. In contrast to mystery-mongerers on the one hand and so-called debunkers on the other, Joe believes that mysteries should actually be investigated with a view toward solving them.

Apparently, he's the world's only full-time professional paranormal investigator -- the "Investigative Files" writer for Skeptical Inquirer science magazine who travels around the world investigating strange mysteries at the very fringes of science (see Paranormal Investigator). The role utilizes his varied background: former stage magician (Resident Magician at the Houdini Hall of Fame), private investigator (for a world-famous detective agency), and academic (Ph.D in English, focusing on literary investigation and folklore, and author of some two dozen books -- see Books page).

Music Attribution

transcript

(To Captivate)

SOUND: SOUND FX: Quick tone To introduce the show (Same as Ep1)

OPENING SEQUENCE

(To Intrigue)

BETSY

Oh my god, there's something flying in the air. Does anyone know a mic who died? A mic. M I C? Does that resonate with anyone?

MUSIC: "WTS" by Cory gray

D.S. MOSS

Remember when we were kids? And we all swore that none of us were the ones moving the little heart shaped piece on the ouija board? It was me. Sorry, I lied. I was the one moving it. 

But, say, even if it wasn't me manipulating the ouija board - can someone who has died actually send us messages? Be it board games, dreams, or psychic mediums? Do you believe? Do you believe it's actually possible to communicate with someone from the other side?

JOE

...To me honestly, I don't much care whether mystery is paranormal or historical or forensic or whatever. I've investigated homicides for example for a police department. It's all the same to me if it's a good mystery and I think I have possibly a chance to solve it.

D.S. MOSS

That's Joe Nickell, a senior research fellow for the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and the world's most elite paranormal investigator. I've invited him to the show to be the voice of reason. 

Joe doesn't believe...actually belief has nothing to do with it because he's a scientific investigator and deals only in facts, jack. And factually, communicating with the dead has never been scientifically proven to be possible. Proof? What's the fun in proof? It's certainly not going to stop me from trying to have a chat.

BETSY

I wouldn't be doing this if anything negative were going to be happening whatsoever.

D.S. MOSS

And that is Psychic Betsy. I invited her over to my home to conduct a seance.   

BETSY

I hold the light, that's my job. I only get empowering information. You won't have any of your skeletons come out of the closet either, so you can just rest assured that everything's going to be comfortable. It's important to note that the séance is a combination of all of our energies, even the sound guy. Even the pup here, which I'm glad he's up here.

MUSIC:"THe pink's quieter" by Charlie Salas - Humara

D.S. MOSS

The pup is, of course, Cleetus, and Christopher Maus, the sound guy, will be recording everything that is about to happen as we turn the lights off and begin a journey into the spirit world. Please join me on Episode 2 of The Adventures of Memento Mori: Communicating with the Dead.

OPENING BUMPER

MUSIC:  "Memento mori" by Mikey ballou

Female announcer

From The Jones Story Company, this is: THE ADVENTURES OF MEMENTO MORI, Or, A Practical Guide for Remembering to Die - the podcast that explores mortality. Here's your host D.S. Moss.

CHAPTER 1: WHO YOU TALKIN' TO?

(To Hold)

MUSIC: "Dream 1" by tonality star

D.S. MOSS

This episode's adventure never actually leaves my house. It all began a few months ago when my neighbor, Ben, came over for a drink.

D.S. MOSS

I don't remember exactly at what point the conversation turned to death, but it did, and we began talking about friends we knew who had died too early. Ben told me a story of his childhood friend who after passing left him a message from the other side.  

D.S. MOSS

The story made me wonder. Is it really possible?.

Here's Ben in his own words. 

MUSIC: "Dream 3" by tonality star

MUSIC: "Dream 5" by tonality star

D.S. MOSS

I told Ben a story that night too. You'll hear a bit later. It's not about communication with the dead...but of an encounter right before someone died. Someone who I swear to this day knew their card had been pulled. And so my reason for participating in a seance was to simply connect to the spirit world and ask him...did really you know you were about to die?

CALL TO ACTION 1

MUSIC: Emergency exit by Dr. frankenstein 

Female announcer:

Ever wonder what Elvis's last words were or the most outrageous method of capital punishment in history? Discover titillating titbits about death by visiting our YouTube channel "Yo! Mori" and be the slightly odd yet endlessly fascinating conversationalist at your next party.

And be sure to stay up to date with the quest for enlightenment on Instagram and Twitter by following @remembertodie.

All of this, and more, can be found on our site remembertodie.com. And now, back to show...

CHAPTER 2: THE SETUP

(To Charm)

MUSIC: "PARK" BY TIME TO PRETEND

My name is Betsy Cohen AKA Psychic Betsy. I'm a psychic medium, intuitive development coach and teacher.

D.S. MOSS

...Before we started, Psychic Betsy asked all of the participants to be as clear minded as possible and not to come in with a preconceived idea of who we wanted to talk to. Of course I ignored these instruction because I knew exactly who I wanted to chat with.

It did find that curious though so I asked her if we could get messages from people we didn't know? And do the spirits pick us or do we pick them? 

BETSY

There are no limits. In fact, James Franco and I did a séance on stage where we summoned Tennessee Williams. It's all about intention. For me, personally, when I hold a reading, whether it's a séance or a one on one, my intention is to connect with people that you've either known or that you can look back into your history, talk to people and get information about them. Those spirits are there to help the living. Any spirit who is not here that is not positive and that is not here specifically to help to help the living, is not welcome in my work.

D.S. MOSS

Ok. Enough with the setup. Let's start the seance. 

CHAPTER 3: PRE SEANCE

(To Allure)

MUSIC: "SLEEP" BY Rest you sleeping giant

BETSY

(SEANCE 1)

What's going to happen is in just a few minutes, we're going to shut off the lights, if we can...We're going to say a prayer of intention and protection and I'm going to lead us through a guided meditation, and after that I'll start to give messages.

D.S. Moss

Because this experience is an extremely personal one, we are keeping the participants' names anonymous. There were ten people present and instead of creating a montage or highlight reel of all of them, which wouldn't be fair to the experience, you're about to hear two readings in their entirety. The first being simply the reading of the evening -

And then, mine. Ok. See you on the other side... 

SOUND: Ding of a yoga bell

CHAPTER 4: SEANCE

(To Entrance)

MUSIC: "Juliette" by Podington bear

BETSY

(SEANCE 1)

All right. What we're going to do is we're just going to close our eyes and take some deep breaths. I know it sounds kind of funny but I invite you to feel into your sitting bones, so that's really your butt... 

...Once you bring feeling there, you're just going to send your breath there through your imagination and intention... 

...Great Spirit, all that is, thank you so much for bringing us here together today. It is with love, joy and gratitude in our hearts, we recognize there is a white light that surrounds us all. It's allowing us to raise our vibrations and it's making communication with our own higher selves and those on the other side clear, useful, accurate and detailed. It's at this time that we visualize our loved ones coming and standing behind us, contributing their loving energy, contributing their messages with accuracy and detail, connecting with our energy, connecting all of our energies together, feeling their presence with our own hearts, allowing them to amplify the energy to give us empowering information.

And so it is.

(Seance 2)

...Over the course of the next three breaths, you're invited to bring your awareness back into the circle. Whenever you're ready, you can open up your eyes.

CHAPTER 4: STARTING WITH YOU

(To Fascinate)

MUSIC: "undersea Garden" by podington bear

BETSY

(seance 2)

I'd like to start with you and I didn't catch your name.

BETSY

I'm getting a male in spirit for you. I'm feeling as though he's a grandfather. I feel as though he's somebody who worked really hard and gave away a lot of what he made possibly to the family, possibly to other people. He's also bringing to mind something. If she likes this as an identifier.He's bringing something either a lost article of his, a lost treasure. Not in the sense of pirates but something that he owned that's lost. Or possibly, what he's showing me is a ring with a stone missing. I want to know. Does that make any sense? Is there anything that he gave you that was either missing and was found or that was missing in the family?

JORDAN

Not that I'm aware of. I didn't actually know my grandfather...

BETSY

I'm asking him why he's coming through in particular. He's just saying that he's a stronger force. I don't usually give two spirits to people but he said, this is the reason why he's coming through. He's coming through because he says that he's a stronger force to come through than this woman that's coming through. That past in a flash. That really was easy to love. Past in a flash. I would say some people said before her time but also, I feel as though she wasn't very grounded. I feel as though ...

JORDAN

Grandmother?

Betsy

Yeah. I feel as though she was very airy and had trouble keeping her feet on the ground and keeping herself afloat. Especially if she didn't rely on the family. Meaning that if she was taking care of other people, she would be but not if it was just her. Does that make sense?

Jordan

Mm-hmm (Affirmative).

BETSY

I want to know, any issues with her with a stroke or anything like that before she passed?

JORDAN

She committed suicide.

BETSY

She committed suicide, because I was getting in the neck. Did she hang herself?

JORDAN

No. A gun.

BETSY

She didn't? Okay, a gun.

Jordan

To the head.

Betsy

Okay, because I was getting something right up here, so I got the flash, but I didn't get that. It's interesting because I don't know how long ago this was, but I usually get very clearly when someone kills themselves, so what it says to me is that whatever drew her to that, she's done a ton of work on the other side of it already. What she says is she's over it, because I talk to dead people for a living, so I get people who kill themselves, but I don't feel heaviness, I don't feel darkness around her. As far as a message for you is concerned, they're talking about you balancing the way that you care for your family. 

BETSY

What they're saying is that you get to mother your own children. You don't need to mother other people's children and you don't need to mother other people. Sometimes you can give them a good slap on the face is what they're saying, like, "Snap out of it." Sometimes I have to yell at my parents and then they thank me later, but beyond that, you don't need to be their social worker or their mother. I'll leave that with you.

MUSIC: "SERPICO GOES TO shanghai" by Keshco

SOUND: transition cue

(Seance 6)

BETSY

Someone's stomach is talking. I sense someone's stomach is talking. Does that resonate with anyone here? Devin, we're actually going to come to you... 

SOUND: transition cue

CHAPTER 7: CPL KIRKLAND

(To Affect/Touch)

D.S. MOSS

But before we hear from my spirit. Here is the story I told Ben - the catalyst for doing the seance. I can count the number of times I've told it on three fingers, but, I guess, if you decide to do a podcast on death you have to talk about death.

D.S. MOSS_MONO

(Moss Story.wav)

Story. 

MUSIC: "Please don't mind" by rest You sleepy giants

SOUND: Transition cue into the seance

CHAPTER 8: MOSS SEANCE

(To bewitch/delight)

BETSY

...I'm going to give you some identifiers. I feel as though there's a [malin 00:07:44] spirit here. He's showing me fanning the fires, actually showing me bellows but I feel like that is symbolic. I feel as though there's something about pushing it, something about fueling the fire and really just going and going and going. I also feel something going on in my right knee, which I feel like also could be very well symbolic unless you're aware of anyone on either side with knee issues. It feels to me as though there is a knowing ...

An introspection but also putting that aside, just kind of like we were talking about, ignoring your intuition. An introspection but putting it aside and just going with the intellect instead of the intuition. I'm also feeling weight, carrying a lot of weight on the back so this could be either doing it for the family or taking care of the family or taking care of someone. Also, while doing this work, being cut off from the family. So not being around the family, being away from the family while carrying this burden. I wonder,does this resonate with anyone in spirit with you? 

D.S. MOSS_MONO

No.

BETSY

Okay. I'm going to get some more identifiers. It feels to me as though ... Oh this is very interesting. I feel as though this is somebody in your family tree. I feel as though there's also a showing of the military because I know told me you were in the military. Is there a who is also in the military who was separated from the family for a time?

D.S. MOSS_MONO

Yeah.

BETSY

Okay. I'm feeling with this gentleman, I'm feeling a duality with him. I'm feeling gentleman and he's telling me this, I would never call him this monster. I feel as though there's something possibly with alcohol with the monster. I wouldn't necessarily say alcoholic because I would get that but sort of like can switch into ... Not necessarily beating people up or anything like that but can switch into a real dark side. Gentleman and dark side, mostly gentleman. I'm feeling issues with the spine or the back and also with the root chakra but it just feels like the root chakra is just from being away from the family. Are you aware of this guy having any issues with the spine or back before he passed?

D.S. MOSS_MONO

Yes. Yeah. Just through [sores 00:10:28] of the family tree, it sounds like someone that is in ... A generation before I would have ever had a chance to meet them.

BETSY

Any issues with wearing a backpack in the military or being like a paratrooper or anything like that? Because I just feel a lot of literal weight on the back.

D.S. MOSS_MONO

Not that I'm aware of.

BETSY

Okay. That could ... I said literal but it could be symbolic. It just feels as though really ...It's almost as if what he's saying is he would've done really well in this day and age where roles are appropriated to what you're good at because he ... The society and he forced himself into doing everything that he was supposed to do. He was not ... It's not something that he would have discussed with people but it was not something that he preferred doing. The reason why he's saying that, he wore it, nobody knew this. This is what he did, that's what everyone did back then, right? What he's saying about you is he's saying that with your role of just whatever your roles are in life that you're doing a good job of creating the roles and doing the roles that suit you well but he says that there's something and it's so funny because I have no idea about your romantic life whatsoever, but he's saying that there will be an improvement in that area, again not that it's in shambles, I have no idea. But there'll be an improvement in the area if you step up to some of the stuff that you're not naturally good at but that you are better at than the partners that you're trying to attract. It's almost as he's saying that you're too modern because you're just like, "I need to find someone who exactly matches what I'm not good at," which you will in some sense but there's an area of growth. It's like ... If we were to just really say it in a couple of words, he's saying you need to man up a little bit. That's totally not my opinion because I'll be honest, I think you're just fine the way you are but obviously this is not what's coming from me. He's just saying you just need to ... Because he's also saying that ...

...He's just kind of bringing it up as a joke because I feel like he had a humorous side to him. He's like it's almost like if you put on that man spray and all of a sudden people come up. Whatever that is, whatever that is. It's just like ... You spray it and then everyone's like, "Oh!" Whoever it is that you want to attract. Someone's over there.

D.S. MOSS_MONO

Yeah.

BETSY

He's picking a fight with [inaudible 00:14:08]. Exactly. Yeah. He's not saying it's terrible, he's just saying it's a subtle tweak. He says you already know, he says you could stop talking Betsy, you've gone past your time. He's telling me I talk too much. I'll leave you with that.

D.S. MOSS_MONO

Thank you.

SOUND: coming out of seance almost like a yoga session

CALL TO ACTION 2

(TO CHARM)

MUSIC: "O Cerebro do Morto" by Dr. Frankenstein 

FEMALE ANNOUNCER

The Adventures of Memento Mori is an independent podcast and we could use your support. Shop with us. Go to remembertodie.com/shop and buy some merchandise. Get your entire family a "This could be my last cup of coffee" mug this holiday season or be the first one on your block to sport a Mori "Death! Yo." baby tee.   

CHAPTER 9: CRITICAL THINKING

(to enliven)

MUSIC: WTS by Cory gray

D.S. MOSS

So? Ok. Before I tell you what I think of what you just heard - let's do some critical thinking and check back in with paranormal investigator Joe Nickell. 

JOE

People do want very much to believe. The paranormal by and large promises something pretty profound.

D.S. MOSS

For the record, Joe was not at the seance nor has he listened to it and as a true scientist he does not make comments on things he hasn't seen. His comments in this story are based on decades of paranormal investigation.

JOE

...These are all emotions. People have hopes and fears and appeals to their hopes and fears can bypass their critical thinking ability. You can have people who are quite intelligent, quite able to use critical skills and analytical ability and so forth but if you give them an apparent message or a possible message from their dead father, they don't use the organ above the neck. They're feeling it in their heart or their gut reaction or they're responding to it with emotive power and all the talk of someone like me will have little effect because we're not talking on the same level.

D.S. MOSS

And then I asked him, but what if you can't prove that a medium is not communicating with spirit on the other side? 

JOE

(near 25:00) This is a classic what's called in logic an argument from ignorance, argumentum ad ignorantiam.

37:10 - 37:16 "I can't prove. You can't prove. Try it. You can't prove there are no leprechauns.

D.S. MOSS

Exactly.

JOE

I don't mean to trivialize the importance of this... I've listened to many, many of these experiences. They're very moving. They're very profound to the person they've happened to but we need to understand what they are and they're a type of wish fulfillment. They're not evidenced for a supernatural realm.

D.S. MOSS

So, I actually agree with Joe. The right and left sides of my brain are always at odds with each other and this time the left side won. It's not evidence for a supernatural realm.

What I just said is a part of the original ending to this episode...it was followed by how I want to believe and how in actuality we only can comprehend a sliver of what is happening around us so maybe in some form we can, but in terms of ouija boards, waking dreams and seances I don't believe. 

MUSIC: "DIVIDER" BY CHRIS ZABRISKIE

D.S. MOSS

However, something very interesting happened. For some reason I went through the transcripts one more time and noticed things I hadn't before...

BETSY

(Seance_6)

07:44 He's showing me fanning the fires...

D.S. MOSS

Kirkland, and the other Marines and sailors died in a helicopter crash - there were flames and the blades of the helicopter were fanning the fire.

BETSY

08:00 It feels to me as though there is a knowing ...An introspection but also putting that aside

D.S. MOSS

The whole point of the seance was to see if he knew. An introspection that he but aside because he had to do his job.

BETSY

10:00 I'm feeling issues with the spine or the back...

D.S. MOSS

Kirkland had actually suffered a significant back injury when falling from doing an Ozzie repel.

Now, am I just connecting random dots? probably.

Did she also say things that didn't jive. Of course.

Do I need to spray on some metaphorical axe and man up? God, I hope not. But, it makes you wonder. 

And I'll leave you with that.

MUSIC: "Dudes on a Roof" by Cory gray

MOSS

Thanks for joining me on another episode of The Adventures of Memento Mori. A special thanks to Psychic Betsy for her time and good energy, to Joe Nikells for his rational mind, to the other participants of the seance. And to Ben. Thanks, dude. Please visit our website remembertodie.com to find out more about the work these folks do. I'm D.S. Moss. Back in two weeks for the next episode with more Adventures of Memento Mori. 

CLOSING BUMPER

MUSIC: End with our theme music

FEMALE ANNOUNCER

The episode was produced by Josh Heilbronner and D.S. Moss with production help Alexandra Mulligan. Theme music composed by Mikey Ballou. This has been a production of The Jones Story Company. Until the next time... remember to die.