Love + Sex

Sunday, December 6, 2009

What Ghosts Teach Us About Love

Mary Ann Winkowski is a paranormal investigator from Cleveland, Ohio. She's best known for having inspired the CBS drama The Ghost Whisperer, starring Jennifer Love Hewitt. Winkowski, 62, works as a consultant for the show, drawing on her lifetime of experience communicating with "earthbound ghosts," those who have yet to cross into the white light (yes, Winkowski says, it exists). She's not to be confused with a medium—a person who can communicate with those who've already "crossed over."

YourTango caught up with her recently via phone to find out what relationship insight she could share, given her unique ability to talk to ghosts. Suspension of disbelief fully in place (as Winkowski says about naysayers, "the world would be awfully dull if we all believed the same thing"), we covered everything from Michael Jackson's whereabouts to why estate-sale diamonds might make for a troubled marriage. 

YT: Ok, just out of curiosity. What do you think about Michael Jackson? Did you see the CNN "ghost" tape?

I heard a producer say that it was ultimately the shadow of someone walking across the room. So that was definitely not a ghost. Now, I was not invited to Michael's funeral, but I have to think he has not crossed over at this point. I doubt if he's going to cross over until he's 100 percent satisfied that his kids are going to be OK because I think he was an ultimate father.

YT: Do you have a sense of where Michael is?

Probably 85 percent of the time, he's watching where his kids are. And then the rest of the time, he's having a grand time running around spying on everyone else's houses, just seeing what they're doing. He's pure energy. He can go wherever he wants just by thinking about it. 

YT: So you attend a lot of funerals to help tie up loose ends. How do you help people get over losing a spouse?

I can bring closure, especially if it's an unexpected death. If it was a long-term illness, they've likely already prepared for this to happen. I get invited to funerals, and sometimes it's just "where's the key to the safety deposit box?" and other times it's "does he want me to sell the house?" or "what school does he want the kids to go to?" It can be something that's just that simple.

YT: How long do earthbound ghosts stay around?

They stay around usually until their business has been resolved. People can be attached to their personal items. You do not EVER want to buy diamonds from an estate sale. I'll almost guarantee you'll bring an earthbound ghost home with you. Women like their diamonds whether they're alive or dead.

YT: Have you dealt with someone who's bought an engagement ring only to find a ghost comes along with it?

Oh yeah. Even had it reset and there's still an issue. And that's never going to be a happy marriage because that ghost is just going to aggravate and aggravate until they end up getting a divorce. The Lure of the Engagement Ring 

Read the rest of the story on YourTango.com to find out if love "crosses over" to the other side.

More From YourTango:
A Young Widow On Loss And New Love I'm A 50-Something Widow. Can I Find Love? Love And Death And The Solar Eclipse Where Divorce Means Risking Death Michael Jackson's Lovelife: A Timeline A Father's Death, A Boyfriend's Proposal
Read more: http://www.yourtango.com/200929274/what-ghosts-can-teach-us-about-love#ixzz0MTzjZ54U
A Young Widow On Loss And New Love I'm A 50-Something Widow. Can I Find Love? Love And Death And The Solar Eclipse Where Divorce Means Risking Death Michael Jackson's Lovelife: A Timeline A Father's Death, A Boyfriend's Proposal
Read more: http://www.yourtango.com/200929274/what-ghosts-can-teach-us-about-love#ixzz0MTzjZ54U
A Young Widow On Loss And New Love I'm A 50-Something Widow. Can I Find Love? Love And Death And The Solar Eclipse Where Divorce Means Risking Death Michael Jackson's Lovelife: A Timeline A Father's Death, A Boyfriend's Proposal
Read more: http://www.yourtango.com/200929274/what-ghosts-can-teach-us-about-love#ixzz0MTzjZ54U
Written by Genevieve Lill for YourTango.com
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Comments 1-3 of 3
  • 's Avatar
    Posted by Mon Jul 27, 2009 3:01pm PDT

    I found a dating site " BillionaireRomance.com " .where you have the opportunity dreaming about dating a millionaire and make it true! u dont have to be a millionaire.but u can meet one. I thought everyone needed to meet some miracle after all the terrible stuff in the news and the economy .

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  • Nose's Avatar
    Posted by Nose Mon Jul 27, 2009 3:19pm PDT

    I knew I shouldn't have peeked at this blog. I'm going to go read a book and regenerate my brain.

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  • Dubs's Avatar
    Posted by Dubs Mon Jul 27, 2009 6:35pm PDT

    Haha Nose, totally.

    I have to say I'm disappointed though. I thought this was about how guys cheat in the afterlife. Undead infidelity is such a huge issue in Cleveland Ohio. I know because I live here. You can't even take a stroll down your local cemetery without noticing the louses hitting on the recently buried. I mean how sick is that. You think they would want a corpse with their own degree of rigamortis but noooooooo. Its all about the fresh wrinkles, formaldehyde and dentures. They expect all the female corpses to keep up with the newly deceased in this grand trend of decay but it doesn't work that way, not everything is as pretty as in that movie "The Frighteners". They're all dogs I tell you....not even thinking about the widows they left behind and off they go sniffing for fresh rot...

    And they're so loud too...can't even get a wink without hearing the casket bangin.

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