A woman says she speaks to the spirits of dead people using a Ouija board and even “had a connection” with Fast and Furious’ star Paul Walker.
Spiritual advisor Ari Lyons, 41, says she’s also heard from a client’s son who hung himself accidentally and another client’s dead ex-husband – who “said he was in hell and apologised for abusing her”.
Ari, from Brooksville, Florida, claims the spirit world has been a part of her life since about the of age five.
“I didn’t really fully comprehend it until I was around 12 when my grandma passed away,” she says.
“I was never close to her, but she had told me when she was sick that she could see things that haven’t happened yet or has dreams that come true,” Ari explains, adding that her grandmother “passed her abilities” on to her.
“I remember speaking to earthbound spirits when I was really young, but angels and demonic entities later on,” she says.
“It was hard keeping this all to myself. I didn’t actually tell my mom until my late twenties. She didn’t believe me.
“She would call me every day for a year and ask me for a physic reading to see if she got anything wrong. I think she was believing me in the third or fourth month. She was shocked I had a gift.”
“I had a connection with Paul Walker about a year after he died, which was weird,” Ari added.
“I heard his voice in my room and I instantly knew who he was.
“He was pretty much following me for an entire week. I don’t remember exactly what he said, but I just remember he kept on talking. I saw him wearing a white shirt and blue jeans.
“He was talking about his movie coming out, the one released after he died.
“He also told me what he likes, like the ocean and being outside. I had to Google this stuff, but everything he said and told me was online.”
Ari says she doesn’t do it for profit because she doesn’t want to abuse her ability and become famous. “I just want to help people. I don’t want to be an entertainer,” she insists.
As someone who’s been ghost hunting since the age of nine, Ari feels the energy surrounding spirits each time she taps into her spiritual practice.
“Ouija boards have worked mostly every time that I’ve used one,” Ari says.
“You have to have some type of relationship with the board in order for it to work.
“You just can’t use it and expect for it to work.
“There’s a lot of respect that goes into it while you’re using the board.”
Respect, according to Ari, is essential for any spiritual tool — whether it’s a Ouija board, tarot cards, or crystals.
“When you get a crystal, you have to have a relationship with the crystal in order for it to charge. These are all tools,” she explains.
“But everybody’s obsessed with the Ouija board because of the experiences that go on while using it.
“People love to be scared. They love to watch these types of things.
“There’s a lot of stuff that you can use to conduct the other side.”
Ari recalls a particularly intense experience with the Ouija board during a gathering with friends in her early twenties.
“It was getting dark, and we all put our hands on the planchette. It started moving really fast — none of us could move it that fast — and it started spelling words,” she says.
“You could feel the energy, like someone else was there holding it down.
“It’s a different type of energy you never felt before.
“I asked how many spirits were in the room, and it said 83. You could feel the room temperature just go down. It was freaking crazy.”
While some might find this terrifying, Ari insists it’s about maintaining control and respect.
“Like I said, it’s all about gaining a connection with the board and really practicing your spirituality.
“You have to distinguish what’s good energy and what’s bad energy, and entities love to manipulate people who are inexperienced.”
Ari points out that spirituality, for her, goes beyond religion.
“To me, spirituality is everything – whether it’s physical or spiritual,” she says.
“I believe this whole place was created in the spiritual part of things… it’s all energy, and we can manipulate energy.”
Ari warns that Ouija boards and other tools aren’t inherently dangerous if handled respectfully.
“Everything’s a portal. A mirror is a portal, you know what I’m saying? So I tell people it’s not bad—it’s a really cool tool. You just have to respect it.”
She remembers a time when a friend was frightened after using the Ouija board.
“Lights started turning on and off, doors were shutting, and they even felt pinned down to their bed,” she recounts.
“People were saying ‘bury it, burn it,’ but I told them you don’t want to burn a board because it has your energy in it.
“All you have to do is cleanse it — whether with holy water or sage.”
Despite the risks, Ari has seen the Ouija board bring comfort to many, including a woman she once gave a reading.
“I said her grandfather told me he was going to do something in her house, and she didn’t believe it,” she shares.
“Then her trash can flew across the kitchen.
“She was freaking out, but I told her, ‘That’s your grandfather saying hi. He told you he was going to do this.’”
Ari’s approach to the spirit world is both practical and deeply connected to helping others.
“I help people get in touch with their spiritual selves, especially those who feel lost, don’t know their purpose, or are grieving.
“I want people to spiritually connect within themselves so they can live a better life.”
For skeptics, Ari has a simple piece of advice: “If you really think it’s not real, experience it yourself.
“You might regret it, or you might just love it. It’s a different world, and some people only believe it when they see it.”
