Channeling Spirits and Communicating with Animals

Dear Friends at Catholic Exchange:

Thanks,

Charleen Luther

Dear Mrs. Luther,

Peace in Christ! I hope this response will adequately address your question.

Your question brings up three key issues: channeling, hope after death, and the nature of the soul of animals.

In the case of “Crossing Over with John Edwards,” there are two possible issues: channeling and the desire to communicate with the dead.

Channeling is a practice in which one relinquishes his free will so that a deceased person or angelic spirit may communicate through him to himself and others. Channeling is wrong not only because it violates one’s free will (Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 1738-40), but because it is a form of divination:

All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to 'unveil' the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect and loving fear that we owe to God alone (Catechism, no. 2116, emphasis original; cf. no. 2115).

All practices of magic, or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one’s service and have a supernatural power over others—even if this were for the sake of restoring their health—are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. These practices are even

more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of powers or the exploitation of another’s credulity” (Ibid., no. 2117; original emphasis).

Since on the show Mr. Edwards seems to communicate with the dead, not channel their spirits, we must also address the reasons for wanting this communication. The intention displayed on the show is most often not a desire to know the future, but rather a desire to reconnect with a loved one who has passed away. While this desire is understandable, recourse to such a method is an offense against hope. After someone dies, they are in the hands of God, so we have hope both for them and for ourselves. “We can therefore hope in the glory of heaven promised by God to those who love Him and do His will” (Catechism, no 1821). To try to contact someone who has passed away is to deny the hope that we have in Christ that they are with God. That, of course, does not mean that we forget the ones we have lost or cease to pray for them, but our faith gives us hope of everlasting life in union with God.

“The Pet Psychic” also brings up questions about the nature of the soul of animals. A soul, on its most basic level, is the “life principle” or “animating principle” of a body. In other words, all living bodies have a soul; if they did not have souls, they would not be alive. Living plants, bacteria, fungi, animals, and humans: all of these have souls. When their souls are separated from their bodies, they die. Rocks are bodies, but they never live; they have no souls. A spirit, on the other hand, has the power to know, to will, and to love. A spirit is conscious, free or self-determining, incommunicable, and immortal. A soul is only the animating principle of a body; it is not necessarily self-determining, immortal, and so forth.

By claiming to be able to communicate psychically, the “pet psychic” is claiming that animals have a spirit, i.e. the power to know, to will, and to love. Although animals (and even plants) can learn or be trained by humans to do many remarkable things, they do not really have the power of

self-determination, or the ability to transcend their instincts. A human does have this spiritual power: he can choose something contrary to his instincts, or even his conscience, for better or worse. Plants and animals, however, are determined by their instincts and must obey them.

Watching shows such as these poses the danger of drawing the viewer into these errors. We cannot remain unaffected by what we watch, hear, or encounter. By watching, we are fostering our interest in such things and can be more easily drawn away from the truth of the Gospel and our faith.

Attempting to explain the problems with watching these shows could, however, put your friend on the defensive. A more productive approach might be to displace these shows that seem to meet some need or interests with other pursuits that might leave a more positive impact on her spiritual life. Perhaps, encourage her to find a spiritual advisor.

I hope this answers your question. If you have further questions on this or would like more information about Catholics United for the Faith, please contact us at 1-800-MY-FAITH (693-2484). Please keep us in your prayers as we endeavor to “support, defend, and advance the efforts of the teaching Church.”

United in the Faith,

Amy Barragree

Information Specialist

Catholics United for the Faith

827 North Fourth Street

Steubenville, OH 43952

800-MY-FAITH (800-693-2484)