In fact, many ethnic groups have considered it cozy to bury the dead right under the living room floor so that they could remain close to the family. Estonians of eastern Europe who follow the old folkways like to throw banquets in their graveyards and eat with the departed. They put a few delicacies on each tombstone to share their food. On certain days when the dead return home for a visit, bathrooms are kept heated and food is laid out in festive array. In this way, bonds are preserved and strengthened between loved ones on both side of life's gate.
Necromancy holds a place of honor among ancient oracular arts.
Shamanic practitioners have always received training in the art of summoning departed spirits. The dead were thought to be skillful at diagnosing illness and prescribing cures. I was fortunate to witness a Nepalese shaman named Jebi make contact with a spirit and channel its communications during a healing ritual. The patient, a Westerner named Jeanine, had experienced a stabbing sensation in her chest from early childhood, but doctors would find no physical reason for it. So she decided to take her problem to the native healer.