I want to devote my column today to answer the numerous questions and comments sent in by listeners of my radio program over dzMM, which I did not have time to read on the air.

Telepathy is difficult because people’s brains use different kinds of symbols. One must first be attuned to the symbols a person is using.

Although it is true that the right hemisphere of the brain uses symbols and images to communicate ideas, telepathy bypasses verbal symbolism. Instead, it conveys the essence of the ideas directly, regardless of verbal symbols. That’s why one can communicate telepathically with people of different races, although they may not understand the verbal expressions.

Are you a member of the New Age?

I am not a member of any New Age, occult or spiritual group, and never have been. In the first place, I do not know exactly what you mean by New Age. People have different definitions and interpretations of this term.

The Catholic Church, for instance, condemns it as anti- Christian, but the Church always condemns things it does not understand. Authors David Spangler and Marilyn Ferguson tried valiantly to defend New Age thinking as a positive and liberating force. But few people read their works in the Philippines. So the misunderstanding persists.

The Chinese believe July is Ghost Month. If you are not Chinese, does this belief affect you and your life?

There are certain cosmic events that affect people on earth, whether they believe them or not. For example, certain phases of the moon affect the number of vehicular accidents on earth, the menstrual flow of women, and the behavior of mentally disturbed patients, whether they believe this or not. I do not know of any scientific study of the effect of the so-called “ghost month” on the life of people on earth.

However, certain things depend on belief to have any effect on us. For example, if you believe the number 13 is bad luck, you will have bad luck. If not, you won’t. For the Chinese and Japanese, the bad-luck number is 4. So this is all a question of belief with no objective and scientific basis.

Simple language

I bought your new book about ghosts and other books available from National Book store. Your new book is very interesting! Even my 8-year-old daughter is interested. I am learning a lot from them.

Thank you very much for your interest in my works. That new book of mine about everything you wanted to know about ghosts, as well as my other books, are written in very simple language so that they can be understood easily even by young people. The book is less than 150 pages and can be finished in one sitting. A female friend and former student even complained it is too short.

How would you know if your house has ghosts or elementals?

Almost all houses, especially very old ones, have spirits in them. But most of them are harmless and do not appear to the residents.

There are various spirits that visit or inhabit a house. For example, there are spirits of the dead. These are usually called “ghosts.” But there are also those which are not spirits of the dead, for example, elementals or nature spirits, thought forms, astral bodies of living people who travel around, angelic creatures and spirit guides.

Earthbound spirits are restless spirits of dead people who have unfinished business with the living, and do not want to leave the place they used to live or work in until they have finished their business or conveyed a message.

They manifest themselves in many ways, like footsteps, a certain smell of a favorite flower or perfume, shadowy presence, sometimes appearing in the form of butterfly. They may manifest in dreams, or waking visions, etc.

Elementals manifest themselves by a certain earth smell, or sometimes by making personal objects disappear in one place and appear in another place. When spirits are around, you may have goosebumps.

Does the burning of incense ward off bad spirits?

Sometimes it works. At other times it does not. I guess it depends on the kind of spirit staying in a place, and also the psychic ability of the person performing the cleansing.

Blessings by priests also do not work all the time. It depends on whether the priest knows what he is doing, and if he is psychic enough to be sensitive to the spirits present in the place.

Sometimes, blessings by priests can only anger the negative spirits around and may even invite more spirits to come. We have experienced this already. In general, however, blessings by priests have a very good psychological effect on the residents, and therefore I would go for such rituals.

(More questions to be answered next week)

Note: Attend the next Soulmates, Karma & Reincarnation Seminar I will conduct on Aug. 20, 1 p.m.-7 p.m. Call 8107245 or text 0920-9818962 for details. E-mail me at [email protected] Visit www.jimmylicauco.com