Long Island Medium visits Las Vegas

Las Vegas is a city with a lot of skeletons in the closet. In the spirit of Halloween and with the "Long Island Medium" Theresa Caputo's recent visit, Real Estate Millions thought we would talk to her about what to do if you think a spirit is in your house.

We wanted the TLC TV reality star to tour some of our old Las Vegas mansions, but we were unable to coordinate. We caught up with her by phone before her "Theresa Caputo Live! The Experience" show at the Orleans Arena on Oct. 5.

A question about the famous Liberace Mansion brought forth her trademark friendly laugh.

REAL ESTATE MILLIONS: I am writing a story about the Liberace Mansion in Las Vegas. This is a home where the new owner has done extensive construction, and he says that he would not be surprised if a spirit may be there. By the way, the owner extends an open invitation for you to visit, if you ever want to when you are in Las Vegas.

CAPUTO: Oh, that's awesome.

REAL ESTATE MILLIONS: What do you think of the possibility of a spirit in this home? Could Liberace's spirit still be hanging out there?

CAPUTO: Well, I've had it where someone has asked me to do a house cleansing, you know when I come into a home where a lot of times there is reconstruction or they have re-created a space.

REAL ESTATE MILLIONS: That's what he did.

CAPUTO: What I just felt when you said that, is that there are things that they kept within the home. They might have changed everything, but they might have left something. I'll just use this as an example because this is what I saw, something like artwork, a door frame or a doorjamb, or they left certain things out of respect for the person who lived there before. It's always surprising and beautiful when a spirit will come in and say, "Thank you for taking such good care of my home and that I'm glad that there is life in the home."

REAL ESTATE MILLIONS: Some people say that they have a feeling of a spirit near them or in their home. What advice do you have for someone in this situation? Should they be worried or just relax?

CAPUTO: They should just kind of embrace it. I always say that if people sense and feel an energy in their home, thank them for watching over and for their sense of protection. And if you do feel an uncomfortableness, just tell them to go to the light and thank them for watching over. I find that sometimes when people experience things like this, they become afraid and think of the negative because they don't know what it is. A lot of times it is just our loved ones.

REAL ESTATE MILLIONS: Does spirit and the word "ghost" mean the same thing to you? Why or why not?

CAPUTO: I don't like to refer to spirit as a ghost. Do I think there are energies that are a lower energy and might be a little negative? Yes, but I don't channel those souls. I don't experience anything like that, never have and I don't want to. I don't like to be scared, and I am afraid of the dark. So I only speak with my own experiences. When I was first told about this gift, and I know that my gift comes from God, I said that I only want to do good. I don't want to be afraid and I want to use my gift to help people, and here I am 16 years later.

REAL ESTATE MILLIONS: In your opinion, is spirit connected to an individual, a place such as a home, an item, or all three?

CAPUTO: I find, for me in my experience, that it is usually the person and then obviously wherever you go that is where they go. Sometimes people do say that "I know my mom is still in my house" or "I feel my grandfather with me." I would say that spirit is always with us. Whether you are at home or just out and about, at a graduation or at work, it's experiencing it with you.

REAL ESTATE MILLIONS: The next question is are sort of a weird one.

CAPUTO: Well, I speak with dead people so there is really not much that can be weird like that (with a laugh).

REAL ESTATE MILLIONS: I am also writing a story (see accompanying former Binion home story) about the spiritual cleansing of a residence where a high-profile death occurred. In your opinion, how does a spiritual cleansing impact the spirit? Or is it kind of like a good luck thing that people do?

CAPUTO: Some people use it as a good luck thing, and some people use it as an added protection. I would say that the one example that I have is that many years ago I did a group reading and I walked into a house. It was a beautiful home, and what I saw was like blood splattered on the walls. I just had this eerie feeling and didn't know what it was. Then I saw a priest standing in the corner. I thought this was odd, but then throughout the reading I found out that there was a gentleman who murdered his family, his children, in the home. So what I was seeing was that there was this devastation, but now there is peace, and the girl said that she had a priest come in and bless the home. It was like a validation that there was goodness there. Even though a tragedy happened in this home, the souls that were murdered were at peace. And whatever they did with that — the person who murdered everyone — I didn't see him because I don't channel souls unless they walk in God's white light — he wasn't there haunting anyone in the home.

REAL ESTATE MILLIONS: For the people who you help to connect with loved ones during your appearances and on your TV show, it seems like it is a highly personal experience. Why do people reach out to you? Do they have a feeling or a vision that the spirit of a loved one is around, or is it just curiosity?

CAPUTO: That's such a great question because at first I would ask myself that, too. Why would someone want to go to a medium? Sometimes someone just wants to validate that what they are feeling is real, a reassurance. What I have learned is that — and I don't have any of these emotions connected with my loved ones' departure — sometimes people are left with burdens and guilt, should-ofs, could-ofs, would-ofs, only-ifs. These burdens are negative emotions which block us from healing, and we can't heal if we're too busy going over negative things. What I've learned is that when people come to "The Experience," even if they don't get read, is that they are able to release their burdens and guilt, to know that it's OK to embrace being happy and to know that their loved ones are with them.

Caputo's recent demonstration of her abilities at the Orleans Arena was full of emotion. She started it off by sharing how she discovered her ability to converse with the spirit and how some audience members' dearly departed may share messages for her to relay throughout the evening.

Soon after the New Yorker walked into the audience, guided by spirit, asking questions — some very specific like does anyone relate to the phrase "peppermint patty"? — to help pinpoint the message's intended recipient. (Peppermint patty turned out to be the favorite candy of a departed loved one's brother. Perfect.) Throughout "The Experience," she validated attendees' feelings of grief, while making people laugh and sharing messages from deceased parents, children and grandchildren, brothers and sisters, an aunt and friends.

Regardless of your belief in mediums, one thing seemed to be apparent at "The Experience:" Caputo's message of continuing life after death seems valid to many grieving their loss and grappling with questions of their own mortality.

For additional information about the "Long Island Medium" and where "The Experience" is going next, visit www.theresacaputo.com.