Jay Shetty PodcastWhat Psychic Medium John Edward Needs You to Know About Life After Death…
CHAPTERS
- 0:27 – 2:11
Why people seek mediums: connection over “closure”
Jay opens by asking what clients are really looking for, and John reframes the common desire for “closure” as a desire for ongoing connection. He emphasizes that a medium can’t fix grief, but a reading can begin a longer path of discovery and meaning-making.
- •Clients often expect to be “healed” by a reading, but grief isn’t something a medium removes
- •Readings start at an emotional “deficit” because people want their loved ones physically present
- •Expectation management: you can’t force a specific person to come through or say specific things
- •Goal: recognize survival of consciousness and that love/connection continue
- 2:11 – 3:13
Need, absence, and projection: ‘They’re okay, we’re not’
John explains the emotional drivers behind wanting contact with someone who has died. He describes how grief can project our distress onto the deceased, and how the purpose of contact is often reassurance and support for the living.
- •People primarily want to know their loved one is okay
- •Death creates feelings of emptiness, vulnerability, and abandonment for those left behind
- •Grievers often project their “not okay” onto the deceased
- •Messages aim to reassure: ‘I’m okay—now let’s work on you’
- 3:13 – 7:49
Skepticism vs. cynicism, and John’s own origin story as a debunker
John welcomes skepticism and distinguishes it from cynicism, explaining that he used to try to debunk psychics himself. He recounts the pivotal reading he received as a teenager that sent him on a decades-long exploration of psychic phenomena.
- •Skepticism: ‘I’m not sure—show me’; cynicism: ‘I’m sure—nothing will convince me’
- •John began as an analytical skeptic who tried to expose cold-reading and vague claims
- •A reading at 15 felt impossible to explain through normal means and changed his path
- •Early deep-dive: extensive library research and active development of abilities
- 7:49 – 12:02
Testing mediumship: university research, controls, and why evidence still gets rejected
John details participating in scientific studies connected to an HBO documentary and Dr. Gary Schwartz’s research. He describes methods designed to rule out cueing and body language, and reflects on how even published evidence didn’t settle public debate.
- •HBO ‘Life After Life’ and research with EEG/EKG and controlled protocols
- •‘Silent sitter’ experiments designed to reduce feedback and cueing
- •Findings compiled in ‘The Afterlife Experiments’ to address common critiques
- •Public response: attacks shifted from mediumship to discrediting the scientist
- •Advice: be objectively skeptical to avoid being taken advantage of
- 12:02 – 16:00
How information comes through: clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience
Prompted by a producer story, John explains how he receives information as layered thoughts rather than an audible voice. He shares practical changes to his technique (including focusing on blank surfaces) and how research protocols shaped his approach.
- •Three modes: clear seeing, hearing, and feeling—experienced as ‘downloads’
- •Not an external voice; more like simultaneous thoughts while conversing
- •Training for ‘silent sitter’ made him realize he already worked with minimal client input
- •He focuses visually on blank walls/space to ‘see’ impressions in the mind’s eye
- •Zoom works because the connection is energetic rather than physical proximity
- 16:00 – 20:36
What a medium is (and isn’t): specialties, intuition, and ‘energetic glasses’
John argues that many practitioners are intuitive but not necessarily mediums, likening metaphysical work to medical specialties. His broader aim is empowerment—helping people trust intuition and make decisions less driven by fear.
- •Not everyone claiming ‘psychic medium’ is actually a medium; different modalities fit different people
- •Mediumship as a ‘specialty’ within psychic/intuitive work
- •Encourages people to strengthen intuition and self-trust rather than depend on mediums
- •Core lens: interpret life energetically; notice when people/choices feel ‘not good’
- •Humans often talk themselves out of intuitive signals due to habit, loyalty, or fear
- 20:36 – 24:31
Red flags and consumer protection in readings
John outlines common scams and manipulation tactics that exploit grief and vulnerability. He also explains what credible readings should emphasize: evidence and validation rather than ornate philosophy or fishing questions.
- •Major red flags: curses, paid ‘removals,’ candle rituals for money, fear-based upsells
- •A medium should not blame the deceased (‘not evolved enough’) for a failed connection
- •Beware vague, universal ‘signs’ and low-hanging symbolism used to fit anyone
- •Avoid readers who demand names/dates/causes of death to ‘connect’
- •Good readings prioritize specific validations over flowery platitudes
- 24:31 – 31:16
A reading that changed his life: family background, the first session, and turning grief into work
John recounts growing up around psychics, mocking them, and then being stunned by a reader who provided highly specific information. Later losses—his uncle’s death and his mother’s cancer—shifted his work toward mediumship and reshaped his relationship to grief.
- •Family exposure: psychics at home; John initially ridiculed the process
- •The reader ‘Lydia Clara’ delivered information he couldn’t explain away
- •Early practice (mid-80s): focused on life forecasting, not the deceased
- •Uncle’s death and mother’s illness/passing became major catalysts
- •Doing readings reinforced his belief in continued connection and helped his own grief
- 31:16 – 34:06
Do we ever ‘need’ a reading? Understanding vs. dependency
Jay asks when people truly ‘need’ what John offers, and John insists that no one needs a reading—people need understanding. He describes ongoing connection through dreams, songs, scents, and personal symbols, and argues for integrating loved ones into life rather than outsourcing connection.
- •John: ‘Nobody needs a reading’—a reading supports understanding, not healing on demand
- •Continuing bonds: incorporating the deceased into daily life and conversation
- •Signs and synchronicities can be meaningful, but should be understood in context
- •Grief support is about education and empowerment, not making clients reliant
- •Metaphor: the living are like ‘social media’ for the departed—life continues and is witnessed
- 34:06 – 39:00
What happens in a one-on-one session: structure, psychometry, numerology, and validation
John walks through the practical flow of a private reading, from tuning in (sometimes via an object) to establishing the client’s current life context. He then describes ‘interviewing’ the incoming presence and building trust through layered validations.
- •Client gives minimal info; John reports what he sees/hears/feels
- •Psychometry: holding an object to ‘unlock’ the client’s energy (not the deceased’s)
- •Uses numerology (personal year, life path) as a framework for timing/lessons
- •Describes spatial ‘placement’ of energy: older/younger/contemporary relationships
- •Multiple validations build trust for later details the client may not recognize immediately
- 39:00 – 42:41
When readings are complicated: misfires, delayed validation, and unintended communicators
John discusses interpretation, self-awareness, and what happens when a sitter says ‘no’ to information that later proves true. He shares an example where he appeared to read ‘strangers,’ only to discover he was bringing through the deceased connected to a grief therapist’s clients.
- •Interpretation blends symbolic meaning with felt impressions; self-awareness is crucial
- •Clients may reject accurate details due to denial, bias, or not wanting a certain person
- •Some validations emerge after the session when families confirm hidden facts
- •Case story: grief therapist received messages from her clients’ departed loved ones
- •John maintains persistence (‘dog with a bone’) to deliver what comes through
- 42:41 – 48:59
Reincarnation and ‘where they are’: oversoul, the internet analogy, and past-life recall
Jay and John explore reincarnation and consciousness, with John describing a partial-incarnation/oversoul model that still allows connection. He compares the afterlife to an accessible dimension like the internet and shares an early experience suggestive of past-life recall.
- •John’s model: not all of consciousness incarnates; connection can be to the larger ‘oversoul’
- •Reincarnation concern: wanting to ‘see’ loved ones again even if they return to Earth
- •Afterlife as an accessible dimension (‘Where is the internet?’)
- •Actor analogy: the core consciousness remains while roles/lifetimes change
- •Personal story: strong recognition in Old San Juan and later learning about past-life recall
- 48:59 – 50:43
Choosing fear or love: demystifying mediumship and focusing on growth
John addresses fears shaped by horror-movie stereotypes and religious dogma. He frames the work as energy-based and educational, emphasizing humility, ego-checking, and continuous learning as the foundation of ethical practice.
- •Fear-based narratives (movies/dogma) distort what mediumship feels like in reality
- •Core motivations: fear vs. love; love supports connection without ‘spookiness’
- •John’s stance: energetic/scientific framing over religious debate
- •Ego can halt growth; staying a ‘student of the universe’ keeps practice grounded
- •Goal is to spark practices like meditation/self-inquiry that don’t depend on him
- 50:43 – 55:18
Grief, unfinished conversations, and what people regret not saying
The conversation turns to grief as a human process that often begins before death and extends to many life endings. John urges families to talk openly—especially with terminal illness—so love, apologies, and practical wisdom aren’t left unspoken.
- •Grief can begin at the awareness of an ending, not only after death
- •Avoiding ‘terminal’ conversations can rob everyone of closure and connection
- •Common regret: ‘Did they know I loved them?’—answer depends on whether it was said
- •Example: decades-long guilt relieved by a message of ‘It’s not your fault’
- •Practical tip: use gentle icebreakers (‘in case I get abducted by aliens’) to start hard talks
- 55:18 – 1:22:23
Living with loss: pets, trauma bonds, kintsugi, time, and honoring memories
John and Jay cover how grief evolves, why pet loss can trigger intense emotion, and how complicated relationships surface in readings. They discuss finding new forms of joy, avoiding emotional flattening over time, and practical rituals for remembrance—stories, interviews, food, names, and boundaries around belongings.
- •Pets often unlock the deepest grief because of unconditional love and reciprocity
- •For traumatic relationships, messages often aim to reduce guilt/anger; therapy may be needed
- •Grief as the other side of love; kintsugi metaphor: cracks remain but become part of you
- •Time doesn’t ‘fix’ grief; journaling preserves depth and protects against forgetting
- •Ways to honor: speak their name (especially for child loss), share stories with new generations, record interviews, cook recipes, post tributes
- •Belongings: the deceased value love over objects; use tools like video walkthroughs when letting go is painful
- 1:22:23 – 1:30:00
Avoiding dependency on readings, plus ‘Chasing Evil’ and John’s broader work
Jay raises concerns about reliance on mediumship, and John explains the importance of boundaries and internalizing emotions rather than externalizing them through repeated sessions. The conversation closes with John’s book ‘Chasing Evil’ (work with a skeptical FBI agent), recommendations for learning more, and resources via Evolve Plus.
- •Readings should be an asset, not a crutch; avoid constant reassurance-seeking
- •John sets firm boundaries (spacing sessions, refusing repeats, ‘firing’ clients when needed)
- •Internalize love/grief rather than outsourcing emotional regulation to a practitioner
- •‘Chasing Evil’: 30-year collaboration with a formerly skeptical FBI agent using control items and validations
- •John positions himself as providing information; investigators solve cases with it
- •Further learning: ‘The Infinite Quest’ and Evolve Plus platform with vetted practitioners
