The Telepathy Tapes

S2E22: Signs from the Other Side | Talk Tracks

Host: Kai Dickens
Guest: Carla Kaufman Sloan (writer and bereaved mother)
Featured: Lauralyn Jackson (evidential medium)
Date: March 25, 2026

Episode Overview

This emotionally resonant episode explores the phenomenon of “signs from the other side” — mysterious and often deeply personal communications from loved ones who have passed away. Through the personal story of Carla Kaufman Sloan, whose son Calder died suddenly, the episode delves into how such signs can offer comfort, generate new beliefs, and even ignite a sense of purpose and healing in the aftermath of profound grief. Mediumship, skepticism, and concrete experiences of strikingly specific “signs” are discussed with depth and compassion. Lauralyn Jackson, a respected evidential medium, also shares her insights on the nature of signs and the skepticism many feel. The tone is intimate, hopeful, and gentle, with a commitment to respecting diverse beliefs and emotional states.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Carla’s Story: From Tragedy to Transformation

[02:56-07:13]

• Carla shares her background: Moving from New Orleans to New York, pursuing a TV career, meeting her husband, and having two sons, Calder and Caleb.

• The tragic death of Calder, age 7, due to accidental electrocution from a faulty pool light, and the immediate shock and devastation it brought:

  "I just thought I'm lost. I can't get through this."
  — Carla Kaufman Sloan (07:32)

[08:07-09:13]

• Immediate aftermath: Carla focused on her surviving son, Caleb; her husband coped by returning to work.
• Caleb, being very young, didn’t initially grasp the finality of death, believing Calder was simply hiding.

2. The Turning Point: Introducing Mediumship

[09:36-13:55]

• Carla’s husband, Chris, was introduced to a professional medium, A.J. Barrera, through TV connections. He had a private, highly evidential reading that revealed intimate details, including Calder’s cause of death:

  "He's telling me he was electrocuted outside in your swimming pool. Like, it was so accurate, and there was no way he could have known that."
  — Carla Kaufman Sloan (11:32)

• Carla then sought her own, anonymized experience by attending a mediumship conference under a fake name, determined not to be “read” through research or trickery.

3. Firsthand Evidence and Emotional Validation

[14:10-24:19]

• Carla describes being recognized by a medium at the conference and eventually — on the last day — receiving a reading from A.J. Barrera in which her son Calder “pulled on the medium’s pant leg” to get attention:

  "He said my son's Hebrew name, which was nowhere to be found ... And then he started to give me a reading, and I disrupted the whole convention just by sobbing hysterically."
  — Carla Kaufman Sloan (20:49)

• The reading included highly specific evidence, such as the location of Calder’s missing glasses (hidden with him in the casket, which was unknown to all).

  "He told me he wants you to know he has his glasses ... We couldn't find Calder's glasses, and it turned out they were put in the casket with him, but no one knew that, not even us."
  — Carla Kaufman Sloan (22:03)

4. Embracing Signs & the Language of the Other Side

[26:13-29:01]

• Carla reads a manuscript by medium Lauralyn Jackson, sparking her journey to understand and recognize signs.

• Lauralyn Jackson joins to highlight the universal challenges of accepting signs: “doubt and fear.”

  "When we receive our sign ... it's not using the part of our brains that we use most of the time ... So when we have a spiritual experience, that little frontal lobe ... tries to reject that spiritual experience."
  — Lauralyn Jackson (29:11)

5. Memorable Sign Stories

a. The Kiss & Dragonflies

[27:18–29:01]

• Calder would “visit” Carla as she fell asleep, with a vivid sensation of being kissed; repeated occurrences later recognized as his presence.

• Dragonflies appearing in unlikely places became a family-wide symbol of Calder’s presence:

  "He started sending me dragonflies nonstop. ... There are two dragonflies sitting on your head. She's like, I guess Calder's here."
  — Carla Kaufman Sloan (29:01)

b. The Deer in the Keys

[30:41–34:37]

• Lauralyn predicted Calder would send a deer as a sign during a family trip to the Florida Keys. Carla missed a herd of deer while sleeping but later, outside the No Name Pub, a tiny key deer approached her, placed its nose in her hand, and lingered, witnessed and photographed by her husband.

• This deeply personal encounter became “the best sign story” for Kai and a life-affirming moment for Carla:

  "This is the moment that Laura was talking about ... the deer walked right up to me and put its nose in my hand."
  — Carla Kaufman Sloan (33:39)

• They shared the photo with Lauralyn, confirming the prediction.

c. Group Signs and the Pink Elephant

[34:50-37:58]

• Carla’s Miami grief group asked for a "pink elephant" as a collective sign; multiple group members soon encountered pink elephants in distinct, meaningful ways:

  "If you ask for it and everyone sets an intention, you can get any sign."
  — Carla Kaufman Sloan (37:56)

6. Wisdom Gained: Meaning-Making, Joy, and Purpose

[39:48–46:22]

• Carla is writing a book, Everywhere, to help others in grief recognize signs and know that joy and a meaningful life are still possible:

  "I want to put a book out there that lets anyone who's in grief know that their loved ones are with them and they're going to make it through and they're going to have some amazing life still."
  — Carla Kaufman Sloan (39:50)

• She recounts how Calder appeared in a classmate’s dream to reassure him, emphasizing the far-reaching impact of signs.

[42:44–44:22]

• Central wisdom the departed wish to convey: life is about love, purpose, and enjoying simple moments — not achievement or material gain.

  "Enjoy the ride. You don't realize what a gift you've been given ... really, don't forget to have joy in your life and have fun."
  — Carla Kaufman Sloan (43:38)

• Departed loved ones want us to keep living, finding love and joy even after loss.

  "They never want us to stop living ... That's a waste of this gift you've been given to just give up and lay down and die."
  — Carla Kaufman Sloan (44:35)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the medium’s validation:

  "He's telling me about my friend who works for Edison, the electrical company... Oh, he's telling me he was electrocuted outside in your swimming pool."
  — Carla Kaufman Sloan (11:32)

• On the first powerful sign:

  "He said my son's Hebrew name, which was nowhere to be found ... that was the only place we put his Hebrew name."
  — Carla Kaufman Sloan (20:49)

• On grief and purpose:

  "If you can, whatever you find your purpose to be ... my purpose is to help other grieving parents or anyone in grief."
  — Carla Kaufman Sloan (41:46)

• On children’s openness to signs:

  "Caleb goes, 'Oh, a heart from Calder.' And just went on about his business."
  — Carla Kaufman Sloan (35:56)

• Medium’s advice on receiving signs:

  "Ask for the most difficult specific sign you can think of."
  — Carla Kaufman Sloan, paraphrasing Lauralyn Jackson (35:01)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Carla’s Background and Loss: 02:56 – 07:13
• Initial Skepticism and First Mediumship Reading: 09:36 – 13:55
• Evidence and Emotional Impact at Medium Conference: 20:49 – 24:19
• Understanding and Recognizing Signs: 27:12 – 29:01
• The Deer Experience: 30:41 – 34:37
• Collective Signs (Pink Elephant): 34:50 – 37:58
• Meaning-Making, Grief, and Writing the Book: 39:48 – 46:22
• Carla’s Foundation and Caleb’s Project: 46:22 – 47:28
• Reflections on Healing, Love, and Continuing Life: 42:44 – 45:40

Takeaways & Closing Wisdom

• Signs from departed loved ones are often subtle but can be unmistakably specific and life-affirming, especially when intention is clear and the heart is open.
• Grief is transformative; acknowledging signs can foster healing, purpose, and even joy.
• The ultimate message: "The people who come through ... are coming through saying, when you were at my bedside and held my hand right before I crossed, that's what meant the most..." (43:38)
• The wisdom from the other side, as conveyed by Carla and Lauralyn: Live fully. Honor love — with the living and the departed.

For more:

• Carla Kaufman Sloan: Carlasloan.net & Substack
• Foundation: Caleb and Calder Sloan’s Awesome Foundation
• Book forthcoming: Everywhere