James Van Praagh is an American author and television personality who identifies as a spiritual medium and clairvoyant. He gained significant recognition for his New York Times bestselling book, "Talking to Heaven," which details his alleged communications with deceased individuals. Van Praagh has authored several other books exploring themes of the spirit world and the afterlife, including "Ghosts Among Us" and "Growing Up in Heaven." His work has been featured in various media, including a semi-autobiographical television miniseries, "Living with the Dead," and he served as a co-executive producer for the series "Ghost Whisperer."

Van Praagh's beliefs center on the idea that consciousness persists after death and that spirits can guide the living. He claims to have experienced spiritual phenomena from a young age, influenced by his Catholic upbringing and later by encounters with other mediums. Despite his popularity, Van Praagh's abilities have been questioned by skeptics who suggest his readings rely on techniques like cold and hot reading rather than genuine psychic powers. He has been offered a paranormal challenge to test his abilities, which he has not accepted.

Born in New York, James Van Praagh reported experiencing spiritual phenomena from childhood, including visions he described as peaceful. Raised in the Roman Catholic faith, he served as an altar boy and attended pre-seminary. He states he left the seminary after a spiritual prompting to seek God outside organized religion. Following his graduation from San Francisco State University, where he studied Broadcasting and Communications, Van Praagh moved to Los Angeles with aspirations of screenwriting. Instead, he took an entry-level job at Paramount. His interest in spiritualism grew, particularly after meeting medium Brian Hurst, who predicted Van Praagh would become a medium and impact global consciousness. Van Praagh began conducting readings and studying mediumship, later writing about his experiences with paranormal ectoplasm and inspiration from mediums like Leslie Flint.

Van Praagh's career progressed from private readings to wider audiences through audiotapes and books. He became a resident expert on the NBC paranormal talk show "The Other Side" in the 1990s. A pivotal moment in his career was a 1997 appearance on "Larry King Live" to promote "Talking to Heaven," which resulted in a massive surge in book sales. He has since appeared on numerous prominent talk shows, including "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and "Dr. Phil." Van Praagh also worked with The Compassionate Friends, an organization supporting bereaved families, and is a contributor to The Huffington Post. His core belief is that life continues after death, with spirits existing in different forms and offering guidance. He describes a spiritual realm with various levels, accessible through one's earthly thoughts, words, and deeds.

As an author, Van Praagh has achieved considerable success, with his books translated into multiple languages. His 1999 bestseller "Talking to Heaven" spent weeks atop The New York Times Best Seller List. Subsequent works like "Ghosts Among Us" (2008) delve deeper into the spirit world, while "Growing Up in Heaven" (2011) explores the fate of children's souls after death. He was instrumental in the 2002 CBS miniseries "Living with the Dead," a semi-autobiographical drama based on his life, where he was portrayed by Ted Danson. Additionally, Van Praagh hosted the short-lived paranormal talk show "Beyond with James Van Praagh" in 2002 and served as a co-executive producer for the popular CBS series "Ghost Whisperer" (2005-2010).

Prominent skeptics, including James Randi and Joe Nickell, along with organizations like the Independent Investigations Group, have questioned the authenticity of Van Praagh's mediumistic claims. Critics argue that his readings utilize techniques such as cold reading, where general statements are made to resonate with individuals, and hot reading, involving prior research or information gathering. Accusations suggest that television programs featuring mediums like Van Praagh are edited to present only successful readings, omitting less convincing ones. Figures like Barbara Walters and John Oliver have voiced concerns, with Oliver criticizing media promotion of TV psychics for potentially exploiting grieving individuals and enabling fraudulent practices. The James Randi Educational Foundation extended a challenge to Van Praagh to test his psychic abilities, which he did not accept.