Some people claim that they can contact spirits

You can believe what you want to believe!

I am an Hindu Astrologer: only the theory of reincarnation and karma sanely answers the questions that one reads in a horoscope: otherwise why is one born rich, poor, sickly, intelligent, unintelligent, giving,...

selfish, etc. Do you have an answer to it?
But I can tell you that I lost my mother as a baby, and I have felt her presence often...if that is a ghost or a spirit?

I lost a close friend on the 10th of July 2007 in India: I had a spent a few days in Mysore in January 2004 with him, and we were to go on a holiday in 2007 together in the Nilgiris when I visit India in that period...the guy was healthier than I am, suddenly the guy fell ill and he died in a short time of Pancreas cancer...

Actually the guy did not tell me that he was stricken with illness...I had no idea that he was ill...on the10th of July 2007 night I was suddenly woken up as if there was a jolt...and in my half sleep: a voice said loudly and clearly, Larry, I am dead...I did not know who it was...I did phone calls the next morning and sent out Emails to all the guys who know me as Larry...

On the 11th evening I get an Email from my friends niece that he passed away on the 10th of July...

Was it a ghost...is there an after life?

What I am telling you is no bullshit...

I believe there is an afterlife. I can feel a presence of entities. I do not call them ghosts but rather, spirits or entities. Things far worse than that or spookier than that have happened to me that has caused me to believe in such things.

Sure, I believe there's an afterlife and that there is some kind of link between that one and this life. But I also believe, as a Christian, that it's not something to probe too deeply - we believe that 'spirits' may not always be the dead loved ones, and even if they are, they are to be left in peace, not contacted by those still alive. There will be plenty of time for reunions in Heaven!

*** why is one born rich, poor, sickly, intelligent, unintelligent, giving, selfish, etc. Do you have an answer to it?

Sure. The answer is that the question is not valid since it presupposes a divine 'why' maker.

In my opinion as well as experiences I believe there is a after life. I believe there are spirits which come in contact with us. There are places and people who attract them more than others. I wouldn't say to go looking or disturbing them lol if they come to use we accept this and carry on, this is something I've known since young, esp being a child of people from a foregin country, where contact with the dead isn't as odd.