“It was about six months after my dad passed away, when one evening, I was the last one to leave the office, I was about to turn off the lights, and at the end of the hallway, there stood my dad. I saw him, plain as day. He looked really good, younger, healthy and totally at peace. Without making a sound, he let me know that he was doing well and he thanked me for being a good son, he told me he was proud of me. Then he was gone.”
*****************************************************************************************************************************************************
“It was in the middle of the night when I woke up and sensed a presence in my bedroom. At the foot of the bed was an apparition of Jake, a classmate of mine at (high) school. He stood there looking very peaceful and said to me, without speaking, that he was alright, he thanked me for always being so nice to him. Then he vanished and I drifted back to sleep. When I woke up in the morning, I was convinced the ghostly visit was a just a dream. When I got to my first period classroom, I heard the news that Jake was killed in a car accident about 11pm the night before.”
These are true stories that have been shared with me that are examples of After Death Communication (ADC). A spontaneous encounter with someone who has passed away.
This type of “communication” can take a variety of forms from vivid, life-like dreams, to seeing someone in physical form while awake. But there are also ADCs that are more subtle, such as smelling a particular scent that has a strong association with a person: cologne, roses, a cigar, freshly baked apple pie, with no physical explanation for the aroma, for example while driving alone in your car.
Some ADCs are a sensation that a loved one is present: feeling embraced or sensing a reassuring hand on your shoulder; experiencing a sense of calm or peace. Getting goosebumps or feeling the hair on your legs or arms stand up, while being reminded of a particular person in spirit or having a thought about them pop into your head, are good indicators of an ADC.
These encounters are not reserved for those with a special sixth sense, a highly developed intuition or psychic ability. As some ADCs can involve more of an external component, such as the radio automatically turning on or having your attention spontaneously drawn to a meaningful song playing in the background or the lights flickering. Several times I have heard about a phone number that belonged to the deceased showing up on caller ID, and when calling the number back, it was out of service.
Other examples people have shared with me include a cardinal trapped on the front porch, a butterfly landing on the arm and staying for longer than would be expected, and a hummingbird outside the kitchen window just lingering there until it has gotten the intended recipient’s full attention. These are also considered to be after death communication.
No unique skill or gift is required, except perhaps being fully present in that moment, and the belief that a loved one is able to send messages of their presence through nature or electronics.
Every country, society and culture have records of these forms of encounters occurring. There are hundreds of references to these exact types of examples having taken place.
What does it mean? Experts in the field of ADC, agree that our relationship(s), even those relationships with the dead, continue to evolve over time. Grief practitioners that discuss ADC in their therapy sessions, support this by promoting the paradigm that it is healthy not to detach from a loved one who has passed. We should not put them out of our lives and move on, instead, it is important to stay connected, as these types of reunifications between the living and the dead are as natural as breathing.
Wondering how to maintain that connection? Here are some suggestions:
Continue to talk to your loved ones in spirit through spoken or written word. They are indeed aware of everything that is going on in your life, and they are trying to let you know that they are still a part of it, just not in physical form.
Be open to messages being in the form of signs or symbols, typically they are not what you may have been asking for or expecting. These signs and symbols often repeat themselves. Trust your intuition and go with your gut reaction.
Spirit does not use fear, intimidation or threats, regardless of how they may have been when they were alive, they are always a calming source of support with no judgement or criticism (those were left behind with the physical body). Fear, intimidation or threatening thoughts come from the ego, not spirit. Allow your departed loved one to be that “voice of reason” in your head.
Demanding an ADC or feeling desperate for one, creates a state of mind that will interfere with having the encounter. Often, the people who are more at peace and accepting of the loss, are the people who experience an ADC, due to a calmer state of mind, which makes a person more receptive. You cannot will it to happen. Use relaxation techniques and practice mindfulness to help you get into that state of receptivity.
If you think you have or know for certain that you have experienced an ADC and want to share it, be sure to choose your audience wisely. Not everyone is open to this phenomenon and the skeptics will rationalize the situation, which may deflate your enthusiasm and convince you that it was just your imagination. Share your ADC with people that you know will be open to hearing about it.
Book a reading with a professional medium to help you connect. When I am providing an After Death Communication Reading with a client (which by definition, is not actually an ADC), their thoughts and experiences are validated by what spirit is telling me, questions regarding a previous ADC are answered. Contrary to what some might suspect, I never ask for information up front, I do not want the client to give me any details, that way I can have a clear mind when initiating the reading and communicating with spirit.
Yes, our loved ones in heaven are reaching out to us, by way of any of the various forms of After Death Communication. A calm mind and open heart will help with receiving that special gift of connection.
“Love is eternal, it never ends, it transforms.” -Catherine Yunt