As a psychic medium who helps the deceased Bill Philipps had the kind of childhood that seems too tragic to be true — drug-addicted parents, parental kidnapping, homelessness. At age fourteen, he watched his mother die. Two days later she appeared to him, letting him know she was spiritually alive. It was the first time someone from the other side had communicated with Bill. It wouldn’t be the last. His book Expect the Unexpected: Bringing Peace, Healing, and Hope from the Other Side (New World Library, June 15, 2017), shares Bill’s amazing journey of going from a horrid childhood to becoming one of the most beloved, respected, and renowned psychic mediums in the world. He offers a firsthand account of how spirits communicate with him and how he works with them to convey their messages to their living loved ones. He also offers guidance for how readers can cultivate their own psychic abilities. We hope you’ll enjoy this Q and A with Bill about the book.

What is a psychic medium?

A psychic medium is someone who has the ability to tune into the energy of the living and who can also channel, or “hear from,” those who have died. I like to refer to myself as a channel or medium because it doesn’t carry the negative connotation that many people associate with the word “psychic.” In a nutshell, as a medium, I receive messages from those who have passed, messages that those spirits want me to communicate to their loved ones here on earth.

How did you know you had this gift?

It began when my mother appeared to me two nights after she passed. I was just fourteen years old. Over the next few years I was experiencing unusual energy within and around me, something extraordinary that I couldn’t explain. I eventually discovered this gift at a metaphysical shop in town when I was put to the test by reading for two random people. That’s when I was able to understand that the sensations, feelings, and thoughts I was experiencing were not my own, but of a psychic nature.

What would you say to skeptics who don’t believe in your work?

I believe there is a big difference between a skeptic and a cynic. I actually encourage people to be skeptical when they see someone who claims to be a psychic medium because I feel it’s important to have the evidence, to know that you’re having a genuine experience rather than just being scammed. During a reading with me, most people are convinced within just minutes that their loved ones are present because of the irrefutable validations the spirits provide. For those who are cynical in nature and not open to this gift, I send them light and intention for growth, and then let go of their opinions. Not everybody is going to believe, and that’s fine. I can’t control them. I feel I’ve been blessed in the sense that the people who seek me out truly want a connection to occur.

How does the other side communicate with you?

There is never one exact way that the spirits communicate with me. They give me information through my psychic senses, called clair senses, and I have to be tuned in to those senses in order to receive their signal and download their data. I may receive a visual or a sound in my mind, or I might physically feel or smell something. In many ways it’s similar to playing a game of charades, but with an energy that is bodiless. For that reason, it requires a tremendous amount of concentration on my part which, going back to the previous question, explains why I sometimes need to tune them out and take a break. A reading can be mentally, and even physically, draining for me, especially after a two-hour live show when hundreds of spirits are trying to reach their loved ones in the audience.

Do you ever communicate with dark spirits?

No. It is possible for them to try to communicate with me, but I don’t let them in. I learned early in my development what a dark spirit felt like, and I know how to recognize their energy. It’s a very negative, sick feeling. In the very rare times I have felt it, I stopped what I was doing and elevated my energy and vibration to a higher level through prayer and meditation. Doing that protects my spirit from anything that isn’t of the light. But, as I said, it’s very rare for dark spirits to try to get through. I can’t even remember the last time it happened. I think they know by now that they aren’t going to have any luck with me.

Is this a teachable skill?

I believe I can guide people to tap into their own intuitive abilities, such as to recognize signs around them that are from spirits, but I do not believe I can teach someone how to be a medium. You either are one or you’re not. That’s why I say this is a gift. An example I use in my book is with LeBron James. He is considered by many to be the greatest basketball player in the world. So if I train and work as hard or harder than he does at becoming the best in the world, does that mean I’ll become better than him? No, because he has been given a gift that I don’t have.

Why did you decide to write Expect the Unpexpected?

I wanted to share my story to educate people about the truth of this ability that I and some others have, to teach people how to tap into their own intuitive abilities, and to clear up misconceptions people may have about psychic mediums that have been portrayed in the media. For example, why didn’t I know you were going to ask me each of these questions before you asked them? There is an easy answer to that, but one most people don’t know the answer to because of preconceived notions they have about psychic mediums. I also feel that many readers will be able to relate to the stories in each chapter that people share about losing loved ones, and once readers can relate and see how a reading with me brought peace, healing, and hope to those people, their minds may open to possibilities they never imagined. One more reason I wrote it is that I want to give people hope that no matter who they are, they can achieve their soul’s potential if they put their trust in the Universe/Spirit/God.

Bill Philipps is the author of Expect the Unexpected. As a psychic medium who helps the deceased communicate with their loved ones on earth, he has helped countless individuals deal with their grief by bringing through validations, evidential information and beautiful messages that bring a sense of peace. Visit him online at http://www.billphilipps.com/.