I recently had the opportunity to sit down and visit with Carole J. Obley, well known Pittsburgh based, Spiritual Medium.  Carole has been the bridge between heaven and earth in over 3000 group and individual readings.

It is no surprise that she is fast becoming a sought-after medium, author, workshop leader and speaker given the startling clarity, specificity and accuracy with which she sees, hears and senses people’s loved ones in spirit.  Carole graciously shares her wisdom and insights with the ISYS-Pittsburgh readers.

Laura:  Carole, it is a pleasure to visit with you.  You are, and have been for some time, a Spiritual Medium.  What exactly is a spiritual medium?

Carole: A medium is a person who has the ability to identify and communicate with people’s loved ones and pets in the spirit world.

Laura: There are a number of ways Spirit communicates with Spiritual Mediums.  What are these ways and which modality is your specialty?

Carole: Spirit beings communicate with mediums through the inner senses of clairvoyance (seeing), clairaudience (hearing) and clairsentience (feeling.) After doing many thousands of readings, I’ve developed the ability to use all three when delivering messages during readings.

I specialize in evidential mediumship, which is the presentation of facts about the deceased- such as names, passing conditions and specific detailed information that I would have no way of knowing.

Laura: I assume that it takes a “trained ear” to listen between the veil.  Do you believe this is a gift anyone can do or is there something unique about you or your background that really sets you apart?

Carole: We all have the ability to use our inner senses, but not everyone is going to fine-tune them as a medium does. That is why I teach intuitive development to others. There are those who are born with specific “markers” in their astrological natal chart that pre-dispose them to this type of sensitivity. I believe mediums are born and not made, much as a talented athlete, musician or actor is. If anything sets me apart from other mediums it is that I was unaware of the ability when I was young. I frequently felt different from my peers- more sensitive to people’s feelings, for example. And I was forever asking “why?” regarding anything in life. I just could not accept that everything operated in the world as I had been taught in school and church.  I was an extremely curious, precocious child who yearned to investigate the deeper meaning of life as much as possible.

Laura: When did you know that you had this gift?  What were the circumstances of your life then?

Carole: First of all, I do not ever use the word “gift” to describe my abilities or any other talent, for that matter. It sets one up on an artificial pedestal, just within ego’s clutches- a precarious position, to say the least. Through my work, I’ve discovered that we earn everything we have in life. That is, we either developed the ability in prior incarnations or the present one. In my case, I remained mostly unaware of my abilities until a devastating turn of events forced me to examine what I was doing in life. The first of these was substance abuse in my teens and 20’s; the second was a fire in my mid 30’s which took me out of the business I was operating. Both precipitated a spiritual awakening, leading to the pathway of service I am on now.

Laura: There are many who have claimed the title of Spiritual Medium, including James Van Prague and John Edwards to name some of the more famous ones.  There are also those who may have been a tad deceitful about their gifts.  How does one find a true Spiritual Medium?

Carole: In my opinion, word of mouth remains the best way to find a reputable medium. 85-90 percent of my clients are references from other clients who have seen me and received insight from their readings. The remaining percent find me through reading my books. I do no advertising and believe one doesn’t have to if one is proficient.

Laura: When someone connects through you to the other side, what are some of the emotions that are experienced by your clients?

Carole: They range from joy to grief and include everything in between. Most clients experience noticeable relief from feelings of sadness and grief after a session. I can only judge how valuable a session is based on the feedback I’ve gotten over the years. Most of it has been favorable and validating, even if the information made no sense to them at the time. Since I tape every reading, clients can re-listen to the reading at their convenience.

Laura: On the other side, what are the various realms that a soul can be attracted to and how do they differ?

Carole: In a nutshell, we go to the level of consciousness that is identical to the one we had in the physical realm. There are many levels in the spirit world, each one filled with souls of that particular “vibration.” The closer one gets to earth, the denser the vibration. These lower levels are what some may consider hell, although no soul is ever lost or destroyed. There is always help available when the soul expresses its free will to accept it.

Laura: Have you ever had a “dark” reading…and I mean perhaps a violent transition experienced or caused by the family member of a client.  How does that differ from a traditional reading?

Carole: Yes, there have been those instances. I once did a phone reading for a woman who was wracked with guilt because she administered a lethal dose of painkiller to a terminally ill family member who had begged her to do so. She wanted to know if he was at peace with what she had done. I’ve read for people who have lost loved ones to suicide and murder. In all of these cases, the surviving souls delivered astounding proof of their continued existence in spirit.

Laura: if the other side is as wonderful as has been said via near death experiences, why would we continue to reincarnate?

Carole: We come back to earth for one reason: to continue to evolve spiritually. We learn effectively through the duality (which doesn’t exist in spirit) that the earth offers us.

Laura: Carole, what words of wisdom would you like to leave with us today?

Carole: As I always remind people who attend my message seminars, remember to express your love and appreciation for all relationships- no matter if they’ve been painful or loving. Go inside of yourself to find the eternal connection of Spirit that is undying and unchangeable.

To read more about Carole or to schedule a personal reading with her, please go to www.soulvisions.net.