Psychic medium Bill Philipps is the author of Expect the Unexpected. He has appeared on the Dr. Phil show, has a yearlong waiting list for personal readings, and regularly appears in 1,500-seat venues around the country. Visit him online at http://www.billphilipps.com/.
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.
Can you turn off your ability?
No, I don’t believe it’s ever turned off. However, it can be turned down enough for me to be able to ignore it. The word “ignore” may sound harsh – why would I ignore spirits trying to communicate with their loved ones? But everybody needs a break at some point. I can’t allow my life to be ruled 24/7 by spirits. When I explain this to audiences during my live shows, I tell them that it’s similar to choosing to ignore that nagging person in your life who you want to tune out. You still love that person, but sometimes you need some separation. The funny thing is that everybody does it, most without even knowing they are doing it. As I discuss in the book, I believe we all have some psychic ability, but we ignore it, regardless of how strong it may be.
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 it possible to have interpersonal relationships with your ability?
It certainly is, though it has been a challenge in the past in the sense that I know things about people that I wish I didn’t. But I feel very blessed to have countless people in my life who are honest, loving, truly supportive of my gift, and who understand there are simply no limits to what I may be able to pick up on psychically.
Do you think people think you’re crazy?
Ha! It’s depends on your definition of crazy. People who are closed off and cynical may think that, but I think most people are fascinated by this gift. Think about it – two things all human beings have in common, no matter our race, socioeconomic status, choices we make in life, etc., are that we are all going to die, and none of us know for sure what awaits us on the other side. So when someone with my ability offers a glimpse into that unknown, people are naturally curious. They want to know. They want that comfort of having some knowledge of what awaits them. So yes, some people may think I’m crazy because I claim to be able to provide some of that knowledge into the unknown. But when thousands of people who have had readings with me, people of all ages and from all walks of life, say that I’m not crazy, my gift becomes more difficult for people to dispute.
Have you ever used your ability for personal gain, be it personal, financial, etc? (i.e, do you read for yourself)?
I don’t read for myself because I feel I may see what I want to see instead of what is reality. It’s similar to brain surgeons. They can work on others, but not on themselves. I have learned how to trust my gut with personal situations, which has prevented chaos down the road. I also feel I have a responsibility to use this gift in a responsible manner. I believe the reason I have been given this gift is to help others, not for personal gain.
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.
What does the title of your book mean to you?
When I first began giving readings, I was never quite sure how to explain the process because each experience was so unique. A common theme I found was that people had information or people come through from the other side that they never had expected. I can’t recall the last time when someone came in for a reading and left with nothing but exactly what he or she expected. There are always wonderful surprises, many of them life-changing. So, a phrase I found myself saying early in my career to everyone who came in for a reading was “expect the unexpected,” and it’s always stuck.
What should one expect in a reading with you?
My two main intentions in every reading I do are to provide someone with validations from spirits to prove the hereafter exists, and for healing to occur so that person can release the negative stigma associated with death. As I stated earlier, coming into a reading with skepticism is fine, and even encouraged, but understand that you can be skeptical and open-minded at the same time. Keep an open mind and heart during a reading, and watch what happens.
How does your family feel about you writing this book?
Almost all of my family has been very supportive of this entire process, which is something I am truly grateful for. My father and my grandmother (my dad’s mother) did not take the news well, which was no surprise. I love them both and they love me, but readers will understand when they read the book why Dad and Grandma aren’t as excited as other family members are about this. But I have absolutely no regrets. It has been a very liberating experience to share my story and to own my voice.
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Expect the Unexpected by Bill Philipps
October 1, 2015 • Metaphysics • Hardcover/eBook • 232 pages
Price: $22.95 • ISBN 978-1-60868-367-3