Ask Erik is a spiritual advice column from the eternally twenty-year-old spirit guide Erik Medhus. Through gifted medium and spirit translator Kim Babcock, he directly answers readers’ questions on death, the afterlife, spirituality, the human experience, and more with the insight and wisdom he’s gained since his passing.

I always wonder why those on the other side don’t just materialize, do a television interview about the afterlife, and end all the ghost hunting and speculation. They could do an “in-person” weekly show. I know it’s much more complicated than that, but I think you understand what I’m trying to say.

— Vickie

From Erik: There are countless reasons why we don’t do that. Mostly, it’s because there is value in the unknown. That’s the very playground for personal growth — through curiosity and exploration expressed through free will. As we explore ourselves in the material world, that journey is the bridge to your connection to the afterlife. Growth and personal evolution would stop if you had all the answers. How boring would that be?