Fall, 2025

TEXT: BARBARA BANDEL & NIELS BRUMMELMAN

 

ParaVisie interviewed medium Barbara Bandel about twenty years ago.

In the meantime, the Dutch resident became a global phenomenon, attracting clients worldwide.

Recently, her English-language memoirs appeared in book form: My Most Memorable Psychic Readings and Personal Stories.

After reading it, we threw the questions we had come up with into a grab bag and drew them out one by one, just like we used to do for the school newspaper!

It resulted in an interview that, despite the choppy execution, bursts with intriguing information, inspiring insights, and touching stories.

 

Barbara Bandel... medium pur sang!

 

Barbara Bandel is, besides being a psychic and medium, above all a mother of two adult sons.

She describes herself as someone who likes to keep both feet firmly on the ground and prefers to stay in the background.

Before she consciously and professionally started using her paranormal talents, she tried 'normal' jobs.

But somewhere she knew: her calling lay and lies in collaborating with her guides and passing on messages.

Around her 25th, she made the final decision. "I haven't regretted it for a moment," she says about it now.

 

Barbara, you've written your memoirs. Why now and why already?

"I would have loved to know who my grandparents and great-grandparents were.

I know them from stories and photos, but who were they really?

What were their dreams, fears, and victories, for example?

During the pandemic, I decided to write down my stories that I wanted to leave behind for my grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

My initial idea was not to write a book, let alone publish it.

But halfway through the writing process, it started to itch."

 

What do you think are the most important messages the book wants to convey?

"That a soul and every short-lived or long relationship is eternal.

That we often give our brains more credit than our feelings, and how we can reverse that.

How do we all create our own reality?

Besides the beautiful and heart-warming readings, I also wanted to describe the challenging consultations.

So that people get a complete picture of the work of a psychic and medium."

 

You write in your book about your team of spiritual guides and guardian angels. How does that guidance work, and why do they present themselves to you as one under the name Ben?

"Early on, I wanted to create a filter; one source of information that spoke to me instead of all those different guides.

Ben then stepped forward and became my filter.

All information goes through his energy, and I find that very familiar.

For example, if I receive information during a consultation from a deceased person, I want it to go through Ben first.

That way, I know for sure that no noise arises, and it works perfectly.

I also love his humor.

 

'After my mother's death, it took six years before I could talk to her.'

 

 

You write: ‘When we are born, we all start with a blank slate’. Do you not believe in past lives, in karma, etc.?

“Absolutely! This sentence is about the moment when we are born again as a baby.

For many, for the umpteenth time.

We remember – on a conscious level – nothing anymore.

We don't know that we ourselves chose our parents, family, and timeline.

We don't know what our challenges, lessons, talents, and soul missions are in this life.

We don't know who we were, where we lived, and who we were with in past lives.

We don't know what was done to us in past lives and what we did to others.

And I think that's a good thing, because some things we know as a soul are too complex to understand with our brain, which, by the way, isn't made for that.

It is enormously interesting to dive into our souls' past.

To slowly get an image of who we really are as a soul, instead of what we've been told we are.”

 

"From the intensity of Ben's energy, I can infallibly feel whether a situation for a client is urgent or not.”

 

You can make contact with both deceased people and animals. Is there a difference in that contact?

“I really enjoy making contact with deceased animals.

The big difference is that the deceased often indicate what they regret; animals, I never hear about that.

Logical, too, because animals approach life and death completely differently; they have no hidden agenda, unlike some people.

As animals on earth, they are pure, sincere, and understand that 'dying' is not an end but a continuation of life in another form.”

 

Almost no one is quiet in their head anymore these days. Tips?

“Put that phone away more often if you notice you're being overwhelmed.

A quick tip to calm yourself: look outside and follow the clouds with concentration for a minute or two, or look at a tree and take in every detail.

Put on calm (meditation) music. 

Stand up and slowly spin on your axis a few times, arms stretched out to the sides, clockwise (sounds strange, really works!).

Just like we often did as children, remember?”

 

How long after someone's passing can contact be made? Or do time and space play no role?

“I notice that this varies significantly from soul to soul.

A good friend passed away a few years ago, and I had a loud and clear contact with her the same day.

She passed on a message to her husband to reassure him.

After her passing, the dogs had reacted so strangely.

She explained that the dogs could see her soul. Her husband confirmed the dogs' strange behavior right after her transition and was pleasantly surprised with her explanation and the knowledge that she had arrived safely 'on the other side'.

With my mother, on the other hand, it took six years before I felt her and could speak with her.

I think it has to do with what someone has experienced in life and how they approached it.

Sometimes a soul first has a lot of trauma to process and understand the 'why' of it, and how this is often intertwined with past lives.”

 

You write in your book: ‘The soul remembers everything. But we don’t. Why does it work that way?

“Because we have to enter a new life without prior knowledge.

Imagine if we remembered everything we did in past lives, or everything that was done to us.

All the traumas we've experienced.

It would be even worse if you then encountered someone in this life who, for example, had murdered you back then. Help!”

 

'What you think you become, ’ that's one of your mottos. Can you give an example of how you apply this wisdom in your daily life?

“It really works that way.

I visualize what I want.

Some things take weeks, sometimes a few days, sometimes à la minute, like when I ask for a parking spot in the middle of the city.

And it's essential to be clear about what you want and why.

The 'how' you have to let go, the universe will determine that.

And sometimes you need patience.

Because if you ask for a new home, for example, it takes longer than getting a parking spot the same day you request.

When I go to sleep, I say what I want the next day and why.

That works really well.

Through the books of trance medium Jane Roberts – The Seth Material – my life has been transformed.

I recommend everyone read her books.

Seth repeated endlessly: ‘We create our own reality.

Also, the less pleasant things.

That's why it's essential to be positive most of the day, so you attract positive things into your life.

Because the opposite works the same; a negative mindset attracts things into your life that you don't want.”

 

Is it ethically responsible to, for example, confirm to a client upon request that their partner is cheating, as happens in your book?

“Often, people sense things infallibly themselves, but their mind causes them to doubt their intuition.

It's then very nice if they get confirmation that their feeling is right.

Then they can take further steps to address the situation.

We are here to learn, and lessons come in many forms.

More often than you think, independent entrepreneurs call me because they have a strange, strong gut feeling about a specific employee.

If I can explain why they feel this, because I see the employee is stealing money or diverting clients to their own business, then the entrepreneur can take action, gather evidence, and fire that person.

It's very important to remove rotten apples or dead wood from your business. Here too, the gut feeling is confirmed.”

 

What happens after we die? Can you briefly outline that process?

“Death is not an end, but a transition to another state of consciousness.

Here is an overview of how my guides explain this:

Continuation of consciousness: They emphasize that consciousness is eternal and does not cease with physical death.

After death, the soul leaves the physical body and enters a realm beyond the physical.

This is a natural, liberating transition in which you remain aware of yourself as an individual.

Reorientation and reflection: after death, you enter a phase of evaluating and integrating your life.

This is not a judgment by an external authority, but a self-reflection where you view your experiences, choices, and lessons from a broader perspective.

You gain insight into the impact of your actions and the meaning of your life.

Freedom of choice: They say that after death, you have a lot of freedom to choose your next steps.

Depending on your beliefs, desires, and spiritual development, you can choose different paths:

Reincarnation: You can choose to return to a physical life to learn further lessons or gain experiences.

Other realities: you can focus your consciousness on non-physical realities or other dimensions, where you continue to create and learn in different ways.

Rest or transition: some souls choose a period of rest or recovery, especially after an intense life.

Influence of belief systems: if you believe in heaven or hell, for example, you may temporarily experience a reality that matches that belief, until you become aware of your own creative power and transcend it.

Connection with others: After death, you can remain in contact with the souls of your loved ones or with other entities.

These interactions unfold in a shared consciousness, where communication is more direct and telepathic.

Creative freedom: in the non-physical state, you are free to create realities with your thoughts and intentions, similar to how you unconsciously do in physical life.

This makes the afterlife a dynamic, creative experience rather than a static state.

In short, death is a natural evolution of consciousness where you never cease to exist, learn, or grow.”

 

In what ways have you benefited from your high sensitivity in your life, and do you have tips for people who struggle with it?

“High sensitivity often – not always – goes hand in hand with emotional intelligence.

As a result, you make better, well-considered choices in life and are aware of the consequences of your behavior.

I call high sensitivity a superpower.

That you can easily see through the mask, no matter how hard the other person tries to come across differently.

That makes your life easier.

After all, you know who to surround yourself with and who not.

Highly sensitive people also often like to be alone.

To absorb information and be nourished through books or videos.

They are frequently engaged in self-development and hungry for knowledge.

Sometimes the outside world looks at this strangely, especially people who have trouble being alone.

If you are your own best friend, then in my eyes, you've taken a massive step as a human and soul.

So: accept who you are and shape your life in a way that feels good to you.

Not how others think you should live.

And absolutely don't care if people say that you're so sensitive.

Answer with: 'Yes, I am, and that's my superpower!'"