Ghosts Make Great TV: Reliving the Past, Episode By Episode

The cameras are rolling, and the psychic medium on the television screen begins to speak. The things she hears, sees, and knows, they can’t possibly be real, right? Surely, it’s all TV magic. A plant in the audience, a little tip ahead of time, right? But the man producing the show knows better. He knows that the medium is the real thing. She’s gifted in ways that defy logic; her magic is larger than what the camera can capture. Today, we speak with Ray Brune, who produced the TV show Life Among the Dead with Lisa Williams, and learn what really happens behind the scenes with a psychic medium.

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About the Guest: Raymond J Brune

Ray Brune is the author of The Art of Being Bullied, which was just released as of this writing. The new book is about using AI art generation as a tool for reframing trauma from childhood bullying. Ray promised us there are a few ghost stories sprinkled throughout his new book. He is the author of several other books, primarily how-to guidebooks and memoirs about the television industry. You can keep up with all of Ray’s publications and news on his website, RightBrainRain.com.

Today’s guest is also a seasoned TV producer. He has worked with several familiar television shows, including Good Morning America, E News Live, and KTLA Morning News. In this episode, he tells stories of his past experiences with famous screen and TV personalities, including Merv Griffin, Jerry Springer, George Clooney, and Charlene (a singer who released the one-hit-wonder I’ve Never Been to Me in 1976). Yet by far the most wildly fascinating show he produced was Life Among the Dead with psychic medium Lisa Williams.

Spooky Coincidences

Ray tells us had a potentially prophetic dream in 1976, based in part on The Reincarnation of Peter Proud. Long story short, when Ray analyzed the dream later, he determined that the dream was a warning not to confront the bully who had been picking on him at school, but to stay far, far away. Years later, his TV career led to a bizarre coincidence: covering his childhood bully’s court case. The bully ended up being convicted of murder and labeled the Cincinnati Hitchhiker Killer!

Pitching Life Among the Dead with Lisa Williams

Pitching a new show can be daunting. It’s very natural to have nerves and doubts before a pitch. It’s even more so when the value of the show hinges on two things which many people don’t even believe in: ghosts and psychics. In 2004, before Ghost Hunters became a household name, Ray brought psychic medium Lisa Williams to New York to pitch the idea of a reality television show where she would talk to ghosts. Ray tells us about how the pitch suddenly got a lot easier when Lisa had a psychic vision, and gave an impromptu reading to one of the TV executives making the decision.

If you happen to be pitching soon, one of the best ways to gain confidence is to have a beautifully designed, clear and well-written pitch deck to accompany your presentation with compelling visuals and useful information. It just so happens that our sister company, The Concept Spot, has put together pitch materials that have helped its clients gain millions of dollars in funding. (The Concept Spot also designed and built this website you’re reading right now!) Check out their website for pitch deck tips, helpful startup advice in brief video format, and assistance with all your marketing design needs at TheConceptSpot.com.

Is the Woolworth Mansion on Long Island Haunted?

Ray also tells us the story of taking Lisa Williams to Frank Woolworth’s secretly haunted mansion. The psychic reading that followed astonished Woolworth’s biographer Monica (also present) with arcane details of his life that nobody else was supposed to know…before she even knew whose ghost she was communicating with.

Mr. Woolworth apparently believed he was the reincarnation of Napoleon, and collected as many Napolean relics as he could. Maybe those were haunted as well, as at some point during the séance, Lisa asked why she was suddenly picking up images of Napoleon. Lisa was also able to find the secret prohibition-era tunnels hidden beneath the mansion. She is still convinced that the man himself is buried in a pyramid somewhere on the mansion’s property.

Where is Psychic Medium Lisa Williams Now?

You can still watch Lisa Williams’ adventures with Life Among the Dead on Plex. She has also written several books on the afterlife and has released a deck of affirmation cards. Originally from Great Britain, Lisa now lives in New York State in the US. She still does psychic readings, but nowadays does them mostly over Zoom. That’s great news, as it means you can have a reading with Lisa no matter where you are located. Just head to her website, LisaWilliams.com. She has certainly proven the amazing extent of her psychic abilities in our minds!

Listen Up, Fluffy

Don’t miss next year’s CatVideoFest, which Diana talks about seeing at Philbrook Museum in this episode. If you adopt a new kitty at the event, send us pics! And if you get haunted, why not submit to tell your story on a future episode of Homespun Haints? Even if it’s just a little ghost story. You wouldn’t believe how many of our guests express doubts that their story isn’t a big enough deal that anyone would care. But if you listen to the show, you’ll soon see that even a minor haunting can lead to a great ghost story…and a majorly spooky day!