Chapter 17 from Kent’s book, Pathways to Darkness 

We are starting the remaining chapters of this book with this piece on Medium Tyler Henry, because we believe you will find in it most of the issues that cause us alarm regarding occult spiritual activities in our modern world. 

In the April 3, 2022 edition of Marin County’s Independent Journal was an article about Tyler Henry, who “says he talks to the dead.” The title of Kelli Skye Fadroske’s piece in the newspaper is “Medium has a message: Be Skeptical.” Her email address is kfadroski@scng.com. 

In 2016, Tyler began an E! Television series titled, “Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry.” He wanted to advertise his psychic abilities, which he said began when he was ten years old. In the same year he published a “memoir,” Between Two Worlds: Lessons From the Other Side. 

This now twenty-six-year-old has written a book titled, Here & Hereafter. On the front cover is a subtitle which reads, “How wisdom from the departed can transform your life.” Here he presents lessons he learned from thousands of departed persons he has encountered and connected with. He also describes how he regularly practices meditation and trusts in his own “intuition,” which is not described in the newspaper article. However, he admits that “it can be difficult to really get a sense of that kind of inner voice.” 

Tyler relies upon video and audio technology to conduct his readings during the present pandemic, which does not “cause much interference when it comes to communication with those who have crossed over.” 

A medium or a channeler—these titles are very close to the same thing— will enter into a trance kind of state, by means of any number of meditation techniques. This state of consciousness may be referred to as an altered state of consciousness or a shamanistic state of consciousness. And this is what Tyler Henry does. 

We do not deny that he is hearing voices—he is—but the issue is, to whom or what do the voices belong, and what is the substance of these departed or crossed over ones? 15 

Tyler’s techniques have been practiced for many centuries by mediums and channelers, so nothing new here. Contact with loved ones who have died is what Tyler offers, and he is much sought after, and large crowds gather. And it is easy to understand why. The grief process can be devastating, and the chance to speak with a dead loved one is inviting and enticing. Not only comfort is sought for, but the departed can also reveal special knowledge. 

“Is this real?” Is a legitimate question to ask. The medium goes into a trance state, and the best can do so quickly. Suddenly, the voice of the dead friend, brother, sister, child, mother, father, wife, husband, partner, etc., is speaking through the medium’s mouth. The voice sounds just like the voice of the person sought for and can reveal things that only the dead person could possibly know. It is incredibly convincing. And Tyler Henry is very good at it. 

A Challenge 

Reader: you may wonder what is wrong with this scenario or service provided by Tyler and his ilk. Here it is—contact with a loved one, assurance that the departed one is okay, which gives hope that this may be something others can experience as well. The promise of an eternal future existence is right there. 

We challenge you to look at another point of view. 

More than 3,500 years ago, a Jewish leader named Moses wrote the following: 

Deuteronomy 18:9–14 

[9] “When you come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. [10] There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer [11] or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, [12] for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD. And because of these abominations the LORD your God is driving them out before you. [13] You shall be blameless before the LORD your God, [14] for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you to do this. (ESV) ¹ 

1 Also see: Leviticus 19:31, 20:6, 27; 1 Samuel 28:3,7,8,9; 2 Kings 21:6; 23:24; I Chronicles 10:13; 2 Chronicles 33:6; Isaiah 8:19; 19:3; 29:4.

“Necromancer” and “medium” are terms referring to someone who contacts dead people. This is what Tyler Henry does, but he does not realize that he 16 

is being misled. Not that he is a charlatan, a deceiver, a con man, a cheat; none of these things. What he experienced and thought to be contact with the dead was so overwhelming, real, and powerful that he could not help but get on board. And he sincerely believes he is helping grieving people. 

So just what is going on here? Tyler Henry, and all those who practice the occult art that he does, are actually making contact with demonic spirits whose boss is no less than Satan. In some way or another, Tyler Henry became indwelt by a demon, likely more than one, which made it possible to move into a trance state and make contact with what he thought were actually departed loved ones but were in fact evil spirits doing an impersonation. Who would not be fooled? 

Reader, it is totally legitimate to ask, “Well, how do you know this?” Following are four reasons. 

Four Reasons 

One, the Scripture, and just the Deuteronomy passage is enough, but there is more in the Scripture, and these passages are listed in footnote #1. 

Two, there is an incredible story of a person named Simon, and this account is in Acts 8:9-24. He was a magician who amazed people, but something was very wrong. Check out the passage yourself. 

Three, down through the centuries Christians have cast out demons in the name and power of Jesus Christ. This “exorcizing” (Greek “ekballein”) was a major feature of Jesus’ ministry while on earth. 

Four, during the 50 plus years of ministry so far, we have cast hundreds of demons out of hundreds of people. Find three books we have written on the subject wherever you buy books: A Manual of Demonology and the Occult, Deliver Us from Evil: How Jesus Casts Out Demons Today, and Deliverance Handbook: A Guide to Casting Out Demons for Today’s Christian. 

Kent explains how this came to be: 

My college degrees were in psychology, and I intended to be a school psychologist. During my first years at a theological seminary when I would hear the professors speaking about a devil and demons, I thought to myself, “Well, they just do not understand elements of mental illness.” All this changed when, beginning in 1967, I began preaching Jesus to those of the beat-hip generation in San Francisco’s Haight/Ashbury District. Here many were involved in weird religions, some openly practicing occult arts, and even those who were members of Anton LaVey’s Church of Satan. I met LaVey’s teenage daughter, who became a Christian, and on two occasions she took me to meet her father, who was living in an old Victorian house on California Street, painted black. There I came face to face with the presence of evil. No longer could I dismiss the reality I saw in the Bible: Satan and demons were real. 

Then, when Zondervan Publishing House published my master’s thesis, A Manual of Demonology and the Occult in 1973, people came from all over the country and from foreign countries as well, hoping to have demons cast out of them. So many came looking for help that we trained twelve couples to do the deliverance ministry. This ‘work’ still goes on today, but thankfully to a much lesser degree. I think, however, this is about to change. 

The Occult Awakening 

There have been several periods in American history when there was a revival of interest in the occult, with people flocking to seances, fortune tellers, practitioners of various forms of witchcraft, crystal gazers, tarot card readers, mediums, and much more. We are in such a phase again now, but it appears to be far larger than ever before in American history. 

Church attendance is declining sharply, atheism is headed downhill also, but the mediums, channelers, life coaches who use occult approaches (though they say it is all about mindfulness) are on the incline. After all, we are spiritual creatures, and we are attracted to that which is beyond explanation. Directly encountering that which is other-worldly is a powerful magnet. And once a person thinks they are hearing from and communicating with a dead relative, lover, friend, etc., they are likely to be converted through sheer amazement to belief in the veracity of what they have experienced, but it will be an encounter with the worst of all consequences. And what is this? It is dwelling forever and ever in that place where the spirits are, and it is not heaven. 

Unbeknownst to those involved in this practice, that last statement is the whole deal. That old serpent is aggressively prowling about looking to devour as many as possible, and its powers are great, magical, mystical, and ultra-deceiving. Buyer beware! 

Is this real? 

Tyler Henry knows what he is engaged in is real. At this point, however, he does not see that the spirituality he experiences is evil, and by that we mean demonic, powered and directed by Satan. 

A warning must be sounded, and the warning is that mediums like Tyler Henry are involved with demons, which will forever separate them from being with our Creator God, thus bringing more unsuspecting people into the worst possible scenario. 

We are hoping and praying that one day Tyler Henry will be preaching this same message, empowered by the Holy Spirit of God, and will warn people away from the demonic practices of the occult and into the praising and rejoicing of the Lord Jesus Christ.