posted on October 9, 2000 06:17:11 PM new
Ok, I know I'm opening up a can of worms here, but I have a SERIOUS question. Throughout history, many intelligent, credible people claim to have seen "ghosts" (spirits, entities, etc.). Why do you think some people see them, and some don't? Do you think that some people are more "in tune" to these spirits, and therefore are able to see them? I personally believe in spirits surrounding us all the time, but I'm curious why I've never seen anything, when other people have. Thoughts?
posted on October 9, 2000 06:26:49 PM new
Age old question. Many people believe that these spirits no matter how benign or no matter that it was a loved one are demons. This is taught in Christianity, but I remember reading in the bible where this old prophet was raised (in spirit) from the dead by a witch because Saul? (I think Saul) had her do it.
posted on October 9, 2000 06:32:09 PM new
The reason I'm asking this is because there are a series of books that you can buy at bookstores in Ohio called "Haunted Ohio" and then "Haunted Ohio II", etc. The author has been a ghost hunter all her life, BUT she is afraid of ghosts! She has written some fascinating stories, and she says her daughter can speak with the dead, kind of like in "The Sixth Sense", but also along the lines of James VanPraagh, and George Anderson (for those of you who are familiar with them). I guess she communicates with our dear departed in remarkable detail. Details that only family members would know. My daughter was reading the books this weekend (I have them all) and then in the newspaper we saw that the author was in Toledo speaking about her newest book. So I thought I'd bring this up.
posted on October 9, 2000 06:38:17 PM new
There are people who are so good at this that police departments all over the country call them to help in murder cases. Bodies, evidence, even makes of cars of the murderers, have been found by these people. http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/[email protected]/
posted on October 9, 2000 06:40:36 PM new
Well, ok Muriel... hmmm...
I believe there are ghosts, and people who can communicate with them. Some people have a really great sense of smell, and some people are especially in tune with animals.
Same kind of thing I guess. Some perception to which we don't all have full access.
I for one am glad that I don't see dead people... I think that there is too much sorrow in the part of the world that I can reach--- Imagine how HARD it must be for a dead person: being able to see their loved ones --but never be heard themselves, or touched, or seen.
I also subscribe to the theory that our inability to let go keeps dead people from moving on to the next plane.
posted on October 9, 2000 07:02:44 PM new
Muriel,
what are the titles of the books? I would love to find copies of them... I love reading that stuff...
posted on October 9, 2000 07:45:05 PM new
My thinking is that they say we only use a very small percentage of our brain power. Who is to say what is in the part we don't use? Maybe the ability to read minds, move objects by our thoughts, communicate with spirits, etc. I think it is possible that some people are born with some of this extra brain power unlocked. Or another possiblity, have you ever seen the movie "Tommyknockers"? I think Stephen King is tapped into something to come up with all this stuff. He's great.
posted on October 9, 2000 09:19:40 PM new
I think people are aware of things but don't realize it. They say to themselves, "I'm just seeing things," or "I'm just hearing things," and dismiss the experiences. It's harder if the apparitions or noises are very strong or persistent, or if someone else sees or hears the same thing.
posted on October 9, 2000 09:31:41 PM new
PeachFuzz. Well, been called worse!
I've always found it interesting that even though most (if not all) religions have some kind of reincarnation aspect, if someone says they have been reincarnated people think they are nuts.
Same with talking to 'God'. Everything's cool until you say God talked back...then they sign ya' up for one of those niffty white jackets with all the buckles.
Muriel: I highly suggest reading the books by Sylvia Browne (yes, there is an 'e' at the end). Very interesting, even if you are looking for the 'other side' of the argument.
posted on October 9, 2000 09:41:20 PM new
The spirits of all who've gone before us are within the blackbirds. The birds that you see lined up on the wires everywhere you go. They stay near the place where they lived as humans, except to follow their own descendants.
Go outside in the morning and look for them. You may see your grandfather, or his, or his before him. It might be any member of your family hiearchy, and often they gather during important events in your life to observe and to comment amongst themselves.
See them even in normal times lined up on a wire outside your front door. See how they are only in your vicinity?
Sometimes all they come for is to have a good laugh. They know your life, having lived it before you, and they know that it is less important than you think.
Watch for them now that you know, but don't seem to acknowledge them. You might scare them away.
posted on October 9, 2000 09:41:29 PM newMuriel Communication with the other side is a subject of interest to me. I have recently begun to study it in an effort to better understand why it continually happens to me and seems to be more frequent of late. Perhaps it is because I am no longer afraid of it as I was in the beginning. That is to say I am no longer afraid of the experience itself or bothered by the sometimes negative experience of sharing this "gift" with those who question its validity. My own experience has been much more with guides and angels than with the deceased although I've had experiences with both. In fact, since I'm jumping in up to my neck here - I'll tell you that my spirit guide's is named Trenton and I get messages from him often. I've become so accustomed to his energy that it's very easy now for me to connect with him.
From my personal experience there is a noticeable change in energy when communicating with the other side. I liken it to being "plugged in." Literally a feeling of an electric current begins running through me as I receive the message. I usually don't ask to receive it - something just happens. I wish I could have more clarity myself as to exactly what it is that triggers it. I'm not familiar with the author you mentioned but would just recommend caution - in big red letters.
I believe that the essence of our being when all is said and done is pure God energy. I refer to the higher power as God - but it doesn't really matter what we call that energy - it is the same, imo. Our bodies are only shells that serve a limited purpose in our lives on earth. The ability to use that energy to reach the other side is partly dependent on our awareness of and acceptance of those "natural" abilities.
I don't have any doubt at all that we can communicate with the other side and that they remain a part of our lives after they leave the body experience. I wish everyone else was as sure as I am. I can also tell you that if you will imagine the person on this earth that you love the most - multiply that feeling of love more times than you can count in a lifetime - and you will still not reach the level of love that we experience on the other side. I had only a glimpse and it changed my life.
Seeing birds, black or otherwise, lined up on a wire outside my door, or following me...would be a frightening reminder of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds.
posted on October 10, 2000 06:24:20 AM new
LOL @ Peachys "better to see them".
Muriel Yes, I believe some people are more 'tuned in', Sylvia Browne being a great example. I love listening to her on talk shows.
Mybiddness You shared, "I had only a glimpse and it changed my life". Would you mind sharing the glimpse you experienced with us? If it would make you feel uncomfortable, I understand. Just would love to hear more about it.
The only experience I have personally encountered, and that I believe to have been a 'sign' of some sort, was when my mother was ill and dying. Trying to give the short version here....She had been living with us the last three months of her life. No door problems. Then the week before she died, the door to her room was continually closing on it's own, from being fully open to completely closed and it had never done so before. Once she passed on, it never did so again. I could never understand why that had happened. Now I believe it was some sort of warning that she was ready to pass. Silly? Maybe, maybe not. But an odd happening at least.
posted on October 10, 2000 06:31:58 AM new
My personal opinion is that the human has a lot of abilities that we don't make use of anymore, and therefore we lose touch with.
So, while I don't really believe in the Halloween-type scary stuff, I'm open-minded as to experiences that people claim to have.
My mom, who is 64 and ill, has no fear of death. I discussed this with her recently and she revealed that she had an out-of-body or near-death experience after an accident when she was in her early 30's. She had never before told anyone about this. I was shocked as my mom is a devout Catholic and would never make anything like this up.
I don't know if it's really happening or if the mind is trying to cope with a severely stressful situation, but I do know many people claim this type of experience and the similarity of the stories is amazing.
posted on October 10, 2000 06:39:25 AM new
I see dead people every day. But in my case they are all brain dead. Devoid of any thought that has any meaning. Overall they are self centered and often out to get what they can from someone else, at any expense ! Maybe there is a way to make ghosts out of them, at least they would entertain us verus bother honest people. There are people in some of these chat groups who fit into this category. If you truly do see dead people then I would suggest you try to communicate with them. How wonderful it would be to have a view into the after life. Have a nice day.
posted on October 10, 2000 07:13:46 AM newkrs, that is curious to read from you, as I've only heard that theory two times before.
The first was only by allusion and is in some of Stephen King's books, where he calls crows psychopomps, and believes they are harbingers of significant events.
The second is from my husband's Savannah grandparents, who speak very matter-of-factly about the relatives inhabiting various crows, calling them by name, and feeding them.
As for me, I've never seen spirits, but Pete (my husband) is visited routinely by a spirit each time someone in the family dies. He wakes up in a sweat and relates it to me, and then we wait for the phone call. Been a miss or two, where everyone is fine, but there's never been a death that wasn't heralded by such a visit to him.
posted on October 10, 2000 07:21:19 AM new
busybiddy - Your mothers experience is one I have heard about from two friends of my husbands family. One who shared this happened during surgery. When he awoke, he was able to tell the doctors and nurses exactly what was said in the surgery room, much to their surprise. And they admitted they had thought him dead at that point of the surgery.
Also, I've watched a couple of TV programs where people have shared the same experience as your mother did. Most who share their near-death experiences have said, they too, made a peace with death/the dying process because of that.
It was comforting to me to hear that they saw loving family and friends waiting for them, past the light.
posted on October 10, 2000 07:46:20 AM newLinda_K Thanks for asking. These experiences are as difficult to share as they are difficult not to share. No one likes to be considered "different" in such a way. I try to accept that everything happens for a reason though, so I try not to question so much "why me."
My most life changing experience was during a visit that literally took me to the other side. A cousin of mine passed away in an accident when we were both 12 years old. Twenty-five years later his father was on his death bed. I hadn't thought of my cousin in many years but suddenly he was in my "dream." He looked to be a young man of about 25 or so and was healthy and whole - although more spirit than body. Our communication was instant and telepathic in that neither of us spoke - but our thoughts were as if we had spoken them out loud. He explained to me that the body I saw was for my benefit - in other words, he didn't need it, but I did in order to feel more comfortable with our visit. I told him that I hated to see his father dying but that at last he would have the companionship of one of his family members. I thought he had been lonely without his brothers or mom & dad. He explained to me that in fact, nothing had changed. That it would be as it had always been - that he had always been with them - and they with him. I saw something that I can only describe as white clouds rolling through my uncle's body. They were swirling and rushing through as if somehow cleansing him. I asked my cousin if he was being cleansed of "sin." He said that it was not sin as I thought of sin, but rather that he was being cleansed of the darkness of the world - that darkness that causes us to cling to the needs of the flesh and lose sight of our spirit - our true selves. In other words, the "weights" that we embrace here were being lifted and released.
The visit continued and I saw beings of light at what I interpreted as "levels." I asked why the spirits were at different levels - was it a punishment? You can see that I was raised with hellfire and brimstone Baptist in my belief system. He explained that when we die our spirit knows where we need to be. It is an automatic knowing given by God - not something that we have to ask about. It is not a punishment to be on a different level - but, rather simply where we are in our spiritual growth. Although we are on different levels whether it is in "heaven" or earth - we are all connected through spirit. He said that we can not hurt another without knowing the pain ourselves. I believe that that spiritual connection to each other is one reason that we always feel better ourselves when we reach out to help someone else.
That particular visit was rather long although in reality it was only a tiny glimpse of a much bigger existence than I'm capable of imagining. One piece of a ten million piece puzzle. It changed my life in that I no longer fear death - I believe that we take this form because it is the only way to grasp the concepts of love and faith. And when we "die" we release the concerns of the earth. In the words of an old cliche, we clearly see that all that matters in life is love.
In my life here I have been very fortunate to have known many loving relationships. But, I have never felt the immense purity of love here that I felt there. Completely unencumbered by worldly thoughts... I think selfless & whole are the words I'm looking for.
I don't know why these things happened to me. Sometimes I wish that they hadn't - I know that seems odd, but as much as I try to accept the winks and nods (she must be nuts) the fact is that somewhere deep inside that still hurts and is something I am only learning to deal with. In real life people know me to be honest and level headed. It is much easier to share with people who really know me. I always love to hear further confirmation through stories other people share. Although I don't doubt my own experiences, it really lifts my spirits to know other people "know" what I'm talking about.
posted on October 10, 2000 07:46:47 AM new
Yes, Linda_K, it IS comforting. I would like nothing better than to know that I would be able to be with my family and loved ones forever.
But that deep desire is a strong human need that may cloud reality. What I mean is that maybe we want it SO bad that we imagine things, or read something into nothing, to satisfy that intense desire.
I'm trying to look at both sides. Again, I'd like to believe it, but I also see the more "logical" or side that says I am just justifying what I want so badly.
I believe what happened to my mom is real, and did happen, but what was it? A glimpse into another existence or a mind creating a scene to alleviate intense stress?
posted on October 10, 2000 07:53:26 AM newmybiddness
My post to Linda_K came right after your post. I was directing my comments to her and not you.
I am interested to hear of your experiences. I am really quite curious as to what this all means. And why some people have these experiences and others don't.
posted on October 10, 2000 08:03:29 AM newmybiddness
Thank you for sharing your story in such detail, it is a wonderful vision.
An aspect of it that I find intriguing is the way that the particular symbolism you describe both transcends and yet embraces various beliefs about life after life. For instance, someone who believes in reincarnation might interpret your levels as multiple lives, while a traditional Catholic might find in them the doctrine of Purgatory. Even your brimstone Baptist could interpret the lower levels as hell, I suppose.
Regardless of the theology, it must be comforting to have an experience that creates within you an absolute faith in life after life of any kind.
