Tag Archive: spirits


When we Can’t Remember Dream Encounters with Spirits

Filed Under: Afterlife, Dreams, Spirit Communication, Spirits by Soul Arcanum — Comments Off on When we Can’t Remember Dream Encounters with Spirits

Copyright Soul Arcanum LLC. All rights reserved. :)
 

Dear Soul Arcanum:

My grandmother died when I was 16, and due to family tensions, I wasn’t able to be with her much before her death. In fact, I didn’t get to attend her funeral. Years later while I was pregnant with my second child, I had a VERY vivid dream where I met my Grandma in some kind of station that looked like a church because of the pews we sat on. I could see her perfectly and I could even smell her perfume and Jergens hand lotion. What has plagued me for years is that I know we had a very long conversation, but I don’t remember for the life of me what it was about. I know this wasn’t ‘just a dream,’ because even thinking of it now brings tears to my eyes. In my ‘dream,’ I knew the conversation was coming to an end. I was very sad and crying and I moved into a kneeling position on the floor, resting my head in my grandmother’s lap. When I looked up, she was gone. I have tried my hardest to remember what was said during that conversation. I believe she had some very important information for me, but I just can’t remember it. Is there any way to recall it?

– Tanya

Dear Tanya:

Your experience is very common, and it’s not just because it can be so hard to clearly remember ordinary “dreams.” I’ve read countless tales of people who have had amazing spiritual experiences via astral projection, a dreamlike/visionary state, or near death experiences, who know that they were given very important information, but they just can’t remember what it was!

Even folks who are very adept at remembering regular dreams may have experiences like this where they had a very profound conversation but they can’t remember what was communicated.

This is basically caused by a big shift in one’s vibration. When we’re having this profound experience, our energetic vibration is soaring relative to where it is when we’re fully awake. Just as when we’re dreaming or out of the body, we have no awareness of physical reality, when we’re fully conscious, we lose awareness of these subtler realms of experience.

One aspect of a high vibration is self-awareness. The more self-aware we are, the more spiritually conscious we tend to be. When we’re in a very high vibration, we’re naturally open to and at peace with just about everything. We can then access information that would freak us out when we’re rooted in a more egoistic state.

When we’re in an ordinary state of consciousness and thus rooted in our “lower selves,” we will tend to suppress any insights or information we’re not ready to face or handle yet. Our conscious minds block that information from our awareness. Thus the more we work on rising above the ego, the more we’ll be able to consciously access this higher perspective.

Another tricky aspect of remembering “conversations” we have in subtle realms is the fact that this sort of communication is not really verbal. It’s a mental transference of ideas and energies; no words are truly spoken. Any words that we remember are words our own minds supplied to interpret the information given.

So remembering a conversation like this is sort of like trying to remember all the thoughts you had while staring out over the ocean. Hours later, can you recapture them all? Or are they sort of mixed up in a vague jumble? Think of a time yesterday when you were alone for at least a half an hour, when you didn’t talk to anyone. What all did you think about? It’s hard to recall such details when nothing is ever put into words.

There is a way to bridge the chasm between these dimensions, and that’s to raise our waking vibration via conscious spiritual development. The higher our waking vibration, the more we’ll be able to remember what happens at higher states of consciousness. Further, the higher our vibration, the more we’ll be able to consciously control or induce certain spiritual experiences.

So the first thing I recommend is a concerted effort at spiritual development via endeavors such as meditation, spiritual study, right action, etc. (I’ve written extensively on this subject in the past.) The more you consciously develop as a spiritual being, the more empowered you will be to not only remember “ordinary” dreams, but to lucid dream, remember out of body experiences, consciously interact with spirit guides and remember their guidance, and even meet with your departed loved ones on other planes.

There are even people who can go visit “the other side” at will, and who can help the newly departed cross over by taking them there. While I’ve had dream encounters with spirits like the one you had, as a medium, I stand on this side of the veil and press my face to the window between the dimensions, where I can see and perceive the hand signals, crude drawings and little notes of spirit communication. By contrast, there are some people who can actually consciously travel to the other side. If they can do it, I’m sure you and I could too, if we applied ourselves. This is not necessary, however, in order to gain conscious access to guides and loved ones in Spirit.

I recommend you begin by meditating for about a half hour every morning. You might try a guided meditation designed to lead you into “conversation” with spirit guides or your grandmother. Next, affirm that you will visit with her again, and you WILL remember every detail of that visit.

Visualize what you want to have happen. Both during meditation and before you go to sleep, imagine meeting with her. Recall those smells that were so vivid for you in this striking experience you had before. Remember to pray for what you want: pray for spiritual experiences that lead you to greater clarity and awareness of what you need or want to know. You can even directly ask your spirit guides to facilitate this experience for you.

You might also try exercises that involve putting abstract spiritual guidance into words, like automatic writing or plain old journaling. Anything that involves the transference of subtle ideas or impressions into verbal form will strengthen your ability to translate those energies into clear messages. Also, write down whatever you’ve experienced as soon as you wake up or finish meditating, for such experiences tend to “slip away” very quickly as our vibration shifts back to that of physical reality.

A couple more things to remember: First, our loved ones in Spirit usually just come through to comfort us and express their love for us. You had a lot of unresolved feelings because you couldn’t attend your grandmother’s funeral, and I’m sure in part she was just trying to help you to heal those emotional wounds and make peace in your heart with all that happened. This is huge! It could be that this was the whole point of this experience – there may not be any deeper message than that.

Second, when we can’t remember some insight or idea that we sense is very important, or we are just unaware of it, there is usually a good reason. When the time is right, we will know whatever we need to know. I encourage you to trust in the wisdom of Spirit and your own higher self, and relax with faith that when the time is right, whatever you want to know will be revealed to you.

– Soul Arcanum

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What Happens as We Prepare to Cross Over?

Filed Under: Afterlife, Death and Dying, Spirit Communication, Spirits by Soul Arcanum — Comments Off on What Happens as We Prepare to Cross Over?

Copyright Soul Arcanum LLC. All rights reserved. :)
 

Dear Soul Arcanum:

I’m not sure how to word this, but here goes. I’m currently going through what many people face sooner or later – my father is dying from prostate cancer. As I’m watching this process, I’m wondering: when someone is getting close to passing, is the veil between this life and the next thinner for them? Are they seeing or talking to those who have crossed over when they appear to be incoherent or talking nonsense? When they seem to be staring at “nothing,” are they seeing beings we aren’t aware of in the room? As I watch this dying process, I’m hoping that my father is getting some spiritual comfort. If you can explain what actually happens as someone’s spirit is getting ready to exit their earthly body, I’m sure it would comfort not only me, but also everyone who reads your answer. Thank you!

Rosanne

Dear Rosanne:

It’s my understanding that most of the time, both the process of entering a physical body at birth and exiting it at death are gradual. We are given the opportunity to become acclimated to the new plane we are entering, whether that is this physical dimension or the metaphysical dimension of the afterlife.

I first realized that this is how it happens when I had my second child. As I had awakened psychically with my first pregnancy, I was far more spiritually aware the second time around, and this led to some startling experiences and insights.

For example, before I got pregnant, one day I consciously realized that a spirit had been sort of hovering in the back of my psychic awareness for a couple of months. This presence had “moved in” so quietly and was so often present that I had never really noticed it before.

When I realized that “someone” was there and I mentally asked who it was, I was made to understand that this was the spirit of my future baby. This actually “gave me” the idea of having another child, and I just knew it was time to conceive. When I realized this, my husband and I stopped using birth control, and I immediately got pregnant.

Throughout that pregnancy, I was surprised to note that same spirit’s presence – OUTSIDE of my body. As the pregnancy progressed, however, I noticed that the spirit was “outside” of me less and less. Where she was I didn’t know, however, for I couldn’t feel her spirit’s presence inside of me; I could only sense it when it was on the “outside.”

This was very unexpected. It led me to research and explore the question of when a soul enters a body (and for that matter, leaves it.) One popular spiritual belief is that the soul enters the body of the fetus upon quickening (when the baby first kicks), which happens around the fifth month. However, I could feel my daughter’s spirit outside of me long after quickening, so perhaps that is simply the first time the soul enters the body.

Other research and experiences have led me to believe that our earliest days in the physical (when we’re in the womb, and even when we’re newborns) involve a lot of “out of body” experiences. We frequently move back and forth between the non-physical and the physical as we prepare for life on this plane.

I’ve explained all of this because the reverse happens when we die a natural death (by which I mean a death that is not sudden or “accidental”). As our physical bodies begin to shut down, we begin to spend more and more time in our non-physical bodies, exploring the dimension that will soon be our new “home.”

This is very much like moving into a new house. As we make trips between the old house and the new one, there are times when there seems to be a lot of activity in the new house. That’s when we’re there, getting acclimated. There are also lots of times when the new house is dark and quiet because we’re over at the old house, packing up.

With birth, quickening is like when we get those keys to the new house and go over and flip on the lights at the new place. This doesn’t mean that we stay in the house from that point forward. We’re still making trips back and forth between the old place and the new one, bringing the things we’ll need over.

Even after we’re born, however, we won’t always be fully present in the new place. There are times (such as when we’re sleeping or out of the body) when we won’t be “home.” In fact, whenever we’re really “spaced out,” we’re not fully in our bodies. It’s like we’re “out back” in the yard, where we may not hear someone knocking at the door, trying to get our full attention.

I don’t know that the veil is thinner between this world and the next when someone is dying, though that certainly may be the case. I do believe that pregnancy creates sort of a vortex between this world and spiritual planes, so death certainly may do the same thing. Regardless, the behavior you’re describing of “talking nonsense” and staring at “nothing,” is definitely common of the dying, both because they are awakening to a new dimension and because the process of death draws lots of “moving help” from loved ones and guides in Spirit.

Just imagine all those loved ones who have moved from the old neighborhood to a new one when they hear the news that someone dear to them is about to arrive. They’re naturally excited and anxious to reunite with this “dying” person, and so they rally around them to help. The dying person may thus have all sorts of “visits” or encounters with non-physical beings, and when they return to this plane, they may tell us what and who they saw while they were “out.”

We of course can’t visit that new neighborhood with them until we prepare to move there ourselves (by dying) – unless we develop the ability to perceive subtle energies. A psychic or medium, for example, is someone who is fully rooted in the physical dimension but who has developed the ability to perceive that which lies beyond and beneath it. Such a person may be able to sense the spirits who visit the dying person.

Because there is a lot of spiritual activity surrounding transitions, it’s not unusual for someone to discover their own psychic inclinations at such a time. If they’re clairvoyant, they may actually see the astral body or “spirit” of the person depart the physical body at the moment of death, or they may see beings of light or loved ones in Spirit as they come to help that person cross over. If this is the first time this has ever happened for them, it can be a mind-blowing and life changing experience.

At the same time, when a loved one is dying, even gifted mediums may not be able to perceive much that they usually can because their vibration may be unusually low due to grief. So if you’re not seeing anything, it doesn’t necessarily mean you lack the “sight.” To try to tune in to all that is happening on a spiritual level, you just need to raise your vibration, perhaps via prayer, meditation and making peace with the death of your loved one.

Please remember that even in death (actually, especially in death), we create our own realities. Thus it is wise to expect the best, both for your sake and your father’s. I would talk to him about the beautiful reunions awaiting him and the bright new beginning he’s heading for in his “new life.” There are lots of wonderful books about near-death and between life experiences you could read to him as he’s preparing to cross over. You might start by searching amazon.com for Michael Newton, Ph.D., but I recommend you ask Spirit and your own intuition to guide you.

I wish you and yours deep peace, comfort, faith and hope.

– Soul Arcanum

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How Do Mediums Experience Spirit Communication?

Filed Under: Intuitive Development, Psychic Ability, Psychic Readings, Spirit Communication, Spirits by Soul Arcanum — Comments Off on How Do Mediums Experience Spirit Communication?

Copyright Soul Arcanum LLC. All rights reserved. All rights reserved. :)
 

You recently ran an inspirational message in which you wrote that one day you realized that memories you had shared with a departed love were running in the background of your mind, and by this, you knew that he was trying to connect with you. Since you’re a medium, it surprised me that you didn’t just know he was there as soon as he showed up. I guess I have no idea how spirit communication works. I mean, I know they don’t call up on the telephone, but can you explain about how you experience communication like this?
– Beth

 

Dear Beth:

Actually, spirits do sometimes call up on the telephone. (They also affect communication through radios, computers and other electronic equipment). There are even researchers who get voicemails from Spirit! For more information on this fascinating subject, try an Internet search for EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena).

The tremendous majority of spirit communication, however, does not take place through anything the five senses can perceive. It is an inner experience. This only makes sense if you think about it, for spirits are non-physical beings. It takes tremendous energy and interdimensional savvy for spirits to affect things in the physical, or manifest in a “physical” form.

Many people fail to understand how subtle spirit communication tends to be, and thus they fail to recognize much of the spirit contact that is taking place in their own lives at a subconscious level all the time. For example, they may have a “feeling” of the presence of a loved one in Spirit as they are remembering them with affection, but dismiss it as wishful thinking and hold out for a more tangible encounter. While stories abound of loved ones appearing in a ghostly mist at the foot of a bed at the time of their departure from this plane, the tremendous bulk of spirit communication takes place at a mental level. Even when a medium on a platform is looking over an audience member’s head, saying, “I see a gentleman in a tuxedo and top hat standing behind you,” she most likely is “seeing” that in her mind, not in the physical space near that person.

I have also found that the people we are closest to in life are often the hardest to distinguish as “voices” or energies outside of ourselves. People who can connect with friends, coworkers and strangers in spirit are often hurt and confused when they can’t do the same with the love of their lives. I often find that instead of being absent, those most beloved in Spirit are SO CLOSE that we can’t distinguish them as energies distinct from and outside of us. They were “in our hearts” before they crossed over, and they remain in them after.

So just as it can be hard to discern between our own intuition and the guidance of spirit guides, it can be especially hard to discern between our own minds/imaginations and the messages or impressions of dear loved ones in Spirit. If your Aunt Betty came through to me for you in a reading, I would know this is an energy that is “foreign” to me, like a stranger. When my own grandmother comes through however, as she has been for many years now, it’s comfortable and familiar, and I may at first not notice she’s there. (She’s always around, so there is no big shift occurring). Imagine the energetic difference between having your spouse of 25 years slip into bed beside you while you’re reading the paper. You might keep reading without realizing they’d come to bed. Now imagine that a stranger has slipped into bed with you. Pretty hard to ignore!

Further, loved ones we were very close to tend to be around more and come through to us of their own volition, where we have to purposefully reach out to other spirits. While both can and will come through to me when I center myself and try to consciously connect, my own loved ones and guides will reach out while I’m doing various mundane tasks (just as yours will try to do with you). So I may be focused on something else entirely, and then suddenly “notice” that there is a quiet “knocking” at the back of my mind. Often, this takes the form of memories we shared. The most common such “knock” for me is visual images and memories of places we spent a lot of time in together when they were living.

I now know that when I notice certain images are running in the back of my mind, certain spirits are trying to get my attention. If you’re not visual like me, this is sort of like realizing that a certain song is running through your mind if you’re auditory, or a certain feeling is present in some area your being if you’re kinesthetic. When I begin to see images/ memories of my beloved grandmother’s house coming to the surface of my awareness, then I know that she is trying to get my attention. I may be writing this column, taking a shower, doing the dishes, etc. Similarly, when I see images of the high school parking lot and football stadium where I met my first love every day after school, I know he is trying to get my attention. (Why else would a parking lot keep pushing up into my conscious awareness?)

We are all in communication with non-physical entities all the time, but most people are not conscious of it. Imagine that you’ve grown up in a rustic village on a remote tropical island, and due to the limited gene pool, 90% of the population has sorely compromised eyesight. They think this is “normal” of course, and that those who can see tiny things they cannot are either “gifted” or “crazy.” Some “seers” on this island would probably learn to keep quiet about the things they can see when very young. I imagine a child pointing at something and everyone around her saying, “There’s nothing there! You’re crazy!”

Now imagine that a doctor visits the island and makes you a pair of magnifying glasses. Suddenly, your whole world expands. Behind, beneath and between everything you’ve always seen you discover so much more. Those things were there all the while, and a few of the others were perceiving them too, but you were all too shy or scared to talk about it. You are now capable of things you could never do before as well. Of course, the glasses are only good for seeing small things up close; to see the “old way,” you have to take them off.

Becoming conscious of the spirit communication that is ever taking place is much like this. When we “notice” signs “knocking” at the back of our minds and then we turn our conscious attention to it, we put on our “psychic glasses” (attune our vibration to that subtle energy). Then conscious communication can take place. This vibration is not where we want to be when we’re cutting vegetables, driving a car, or even editing papers, however, so spirit communication naturally involves a shift from one state of awareness to another.

“Knocks” from loved ones in Spirit such as the memories/images I describe here are like calling cards from the other side. They announce the arrival of a visitor, and alert us to prepare ourselves for a visit by consciously shifting our awareness.

 

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How to Get Signs from Spirit

Filed Under: Divine Guidance, Psychic Ability, Spirit Communication, Spirits by Soul Arcanum — Comments Off on How to Get Signs from Spirit

Copyright Soul Arcanum LLC. All rights reserved. :)
 

Dear Soul Arcanum:

You sometimes write about getting signs from Spirit. For example, you wrote a few weeks ago about three crows that showed up outside your window, and how they brought you a meaningful message. How can I get signs from Spirit like this?
– Becky

Dear Becky:

You don’t have to be officially “psychic” or undertake any elaborate training to start receiving signs – you just need to ask for and then look for them. In fact, Spirit is sending every one of us signs all the time. Every time we ask a question in our hearts, Spirit answers. It may seem like an impossible amount of work for Spirit to handle, but I believe it’s a natural or automatic process. If we drop a rubber ball, Spirit does not have to “work” to make it bounce, and I believe that asking for and receiving signs is natural like this. Unfortunately, not many people actually expect personal answers from Spirit, much less know where and how to look for them.

Sometimes we sense that something is a sign, but we’re not sure. We generally label these experiences “coincidences.” At one end of the spectrum, some people believe there is no higher meaning behind “coincidences,” while folks at the other end believe there is no such thing as a true coincidence at all, because every experience we have carries some purpose or meaning. I believe that not everything in life is purposeful, but the more we cultivate a conscious approach to creating what we desire, the more purpose and meaning we’ll weave into our experiences.

To sort random “coincidences” from meaningful synchronicities, we must employ both logic and intuition. Sometimes, a very striking combination of details can be random, and at other times, seemingly mundane experiences can be ripe with deeper meaning. The only way to really “know” is by checking how the experience feels deep within us.

For example, a book we’ll call “The Best Spiritual Book Ever” may come up in conversation. Three days later, I may be browsing in a metaphysical bookstore, carefully scanning the titles on the shelf, and see that same book there. Is this coincidence, or a sign? If I feel pretty indifferent about it, it’s probably just coincidence. If, however, my eyes lock onto that title and something in my gut sort of revs up, then I’m supposed to pay attention, for it’s probably a book I’m meant to read.

Learning how to accurately determine signs and their meanings takes some practice. Fortunately, the more we work with this, the clearer and easier it gets. This is not only because we become more adept at reading our intuition, but also because the more we ask for signs and then honor the signs we receive, the more signs come to us! It’s like exercising a muscle; as we practice, our skill and our conscious connection to Spirit grows stronger.

Looking for signs in nature is a practice as old as humankind. Native peoples around the world have long believed that animals, for example, often bear spiritual messages. You mentioned the “crow story,” and this is a classic example. For those of you who missed it, this is what happened: I was working at my desk when I heard some loud cawing, which drew my attention to the window. There, I saw three crows squabbling in the street. I then felt something grip me, so I got up and went to the window. The three crows then promptly flew into my own yard and landed right in front of me. There, they proceeded to act out a conflict: one crow was cawing very loudly as it chased another around, trying to get whatever was in this other one’s mouth. The third crow just followed the other two rather nervously, as though it was fretting about an escalation of the conflict. I was mesmerized. Finally, the first crow gave up whatever was in its mouth to the one harassing it, and then the three birds promptly flew off.

A few hours later, I was involved in a conflict where someone wanted something that my husband had, and he was not about to just give it up. I remained in the background, fretting about the situation and trying to “tune in” and determine what to do. Remembering the crows, I asked my husband if it was really worth the hassle, and he decided it wasn’t and gave in, which promptly ended the squabble.

Sometimes, signs just come to us like this out of the blue. At other times, however, they are a response to our conscious request for them. If something is weighing heavily on your mind, you might ask Spirit for clarity and insight, and then just go for a walk. One of my favorite spiritual teachers (Sig Lonegren) taught me this method of looking for “day signs.” It involves just walking through nature and noticing whatever grabs your attention. If a hawk lands on a branch ahead of you, for example, you can either interpret this in light of your personal associations with hawks, or you can look up possible meanings on the internet or in a book. One such internet resource can be found at earthwonders.com, but there are many more out there. Ted Andrews has written a couple of very useful books: Animal-Speak: The Spiritual & Magical Powers of Creatures Great & Small and Animal-Wise: The Spirit Language and Signs of Nature, both of which are available at amazon.com.

Please note that day signs do not have to come through animals or nature. If you’re trying to decide if you should end a relationship, and you find yourself at a “dead end” on your trail, this could be your answer. Or you might be driving and thinking about the situation when a song comes on the radio about moving on with your life.

If you’re looking for confirmation or validation, you can also determine what you want the sign to be, and then watch for that. Many people, for example, ask for a loved one who has passed into Spirit to give them a sign that they are okay via a butterfly or a certain bird. You can ask for your sign to take any form you desire: rainbows, butterflies, cupcakes, tennis balls, guys named George: the possibilities are endless. It’s an amazing experience to select a very unusual sign and then have it show up like crazy in your life!

Here are some of the many forms signs from Spirit can take:

  • Real “signs” such as billboards, road signs, advertisements, etc.
  • Songs that come on the radio at meaningful moments, or songs that you can’t get out of your mind
  • The words of others, both in conversations overheard, and words spoken directly to you
  • Written words, either those that seem to leap out at you in books, magazines, etc., or those you find by opening books like the Bible at random (A great book for this is The Book of Secrets by Osho, but any spiritual teaching should work)
  •  Information, words or ideas that leap out at you from television shows or movies
  •  Unexplainable or unlikely developments, such as your car not starting or losing your keys when you’re about to take some unwise action, or your internet connection going down when you’re about to send a potentially regrettable email
  • Unlikely patterns that catch your attention, such as hearing of five different people in one week who are trying a certain diet, or who have decided to go into business for themselves, etc., especially if this pattern relates to a decision you’re weighing yourself.

There are actually endless ways we can request and receive signs from Spirit. So often when we’re lost and confused, we forget to simply ask Spirit for answers. We don’t have to wait until we’re desperate; we can ask at any time. Begin today to “dialogue” with Spirit in this way, and not only will you receive helpful guidance for improving your life, but your everyday reality will begin to grow more magical and more meaningful in delightful and inspiring ways.

– Soul Arcanum

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Effects of Alcohol on Spirit Communication

Filed Under: Energy/Vibration, Psychic Ability, Psychic Protection, Psychic Readings, Spirit Communication by Soul Arcanum — Comments Off on Effects of Alcohol on Spirit Communication

Copyright Soul Arcanum LLC. All rights reserved. :)
 

Dear Soul Arcanum:

I find, embarrassingly enough, that I feel closer to the spirits of dead loved ones after having a drink or two! I feel bad about this, but wonder if I should. In your opinion, can moderate use of alcohol increase psychic abilities or enhance spirit communication?

W.

Dear W.:

You are not the first person to experience this, and you should not feel bad about it any more than you should feel bad about getting rid of a headache by taking pain reliever or breaking out in hives when you have an allergic reaction to something. It’s actually a natural side effect of mild intoxication, and your embarrassment and puzzlement is probably more a reflection of your socialization than spiritual truth. A long time ago, Christians got it into their heads that “spirit” was good and “physical” was bad, and we’ve viewed the two as disjointed in the West ever since. In truth, the physical reflects and affects the spiritual, and vice versa. So what you ingest will naturally affect you spiritually, mentally, emotionally, etc.

While there are valid positive reasons to abstain from drugs and alcohol, we would all be wise to examine the beliefs we’ve developed about mind altering substances. In the West, most people have negative associations with drugs and alcohol (though that doesn’t stop us from using them). In other cultures, this is not the case. Throughout history around the world, many cultures have traditionally ingested something in order to commune with gods or the divine. From the wine and bread of communion to the trance-inducing peyote of South American shamans, this is an honored tradition seemingly as old as mankind. In fact, in shamanistic cultures, trance-inducing plants (drugs) are not considered destructive, but are honored and revered as gifts from the gods, left here to help us connect with higher planes. Drugs like peyote and ayahuasca are said to induce spirit communication, clairvoyance and healing abilities. So please remember that there is no one “right” answer to this question. If you asked a shaman, he may push your wine glass aside and offer you ‘shrooms instead.

Drugs and alcohol facilitate spirit communication because when you have a drink or two, you begin to relax. If you’re a very logical person who is always “in control,” then the only time you may experience freedom from your strict inner censor is when you’re sleeping, dreaming or under the influence of some mind altering chemical. Someone who has a lot of natural psychic or mediumship ability but who was raised in a family or culture that demonized or invalidated it would actually be predisposed to the sort of experience you’re having. Similarly, most people are very left-brained, and spirit communication and other psychic abilities are right brain functions. Various drugs and alcohol impair the left brain first and/or enhance right brain activity, so we are more likely to have mystical or psychic experiences while under the influence.

Despite all of this, I have never used any hallucinogenic drugs of any kind. I have studied with some of the best teachers of mediumship in the world, however, and since they’ve been right about everything else, I am happy to pass their advice on to you. The general consensus among these experts is that there are better ways to approach spirit communication.

First, initiating spirit communication while even mildly intoxicated is like driving under the influence. Both activities can be dangerous, so you need to have your wits about you and remain in control. As strange as this may at first sound, we don’t leave our addictions behind when we pass on. Many people who are of low spiritual vibration also have physical addictions, and when they depart this life, they end up in the lower astral, where they remain until they develop themselves beyond this level. When you open up to spirit communication and you have been drinking, it’s like throwing open the saloon door and yelling to a crowd of thirsty alcoholics, “Bar’s open and drinks are on (in) me!” Lower astral entities will race to experience alcohol vicariously through you. (I believe this is why alcohol is also called “spirits.”) As it is easier for spirits to influence you when you’re intoxicated, and these spirits tend to be “low lifes,” this is very unwise indeed. If an alcoholic in the astral attaches itself to you, you can also quickly become an “alcoholic” yourself. You’d then feel like you just couldn’t stop yourself, and you’d be right: someone else would be controlling you.

When it comes to reading for others, it’s even more important to be in the proper frame of mind. First, to give a good (accurate) reading, you need excellent integration of the right and left brain functions, so being intoxicated, which cripples the left brain, is not going to help! Interestingly enough, one of the the best ways to integrate right and left brain functions is by practicing meditation. (Sound familiar?)

In addition to skill, we must consider responsibility. I will never read if I’ve been drinking or even if I’m not feeling my best for the same reasons I don’t drink and drive. If I did, not only would I put myself in a compromised position, but someone else may get hurt. I know that I have tremendous influence over whoever I’m reading for. Most clients will hang on my every word as gospel, and emotionally invest so much in the messages I bring through both from loved ones in Spirit and higher intelligences that their long-term well-being could very well hinge on what I say. For some people, I am their last hope: they have tried everything else they could think of, and still not found the peace and healing their souls are starving for. It takes a tremendous extension of trust for someone to confide their deepest feelings and worries in me; the least I can do is honor that trust by being as responsible as I can be.

I am also very mindful of what I do, think, say and ingest even when I’m not “working,” for this is part of “the job.” Just as a professional athlete must train even when he’s not playing in a game, a spiritual counselor must remain in “peak spiritual condition.” As everyone is psychic and capable of spirit communication to various degrees, a key reason people actually pay me for my services instead of tuning in themselves is because they do not want to make all the sacrifices and undertake all the disciplines that would be required for them to develop their own skills to the same degree. To achieve spirit communication, one must maintain a very high vibration, which for most people means eating a healthy diet; regular physical conditioning (exercise), meditation and spiritual study; extraordinary dedication to personal growth and emotional mastery, which includes abstaining from negative thoughts and emotions and immoral or harmful acts; and abstaining from substances that can lower our vibration such as drugs, alcohol, junk food, cigarettes, etc.

Fortunately, you don’t really need the alcohol to achieve spirit communication. Your experience reflects the truth that in order to connect with Spirit, you just need to relax and shift your consciousness so that your left brain doesn’t filter out all that is real and yet often unperceived. While you’re free to choose the path of the shaman and the use of mind altering substances, I strongly advise you against doing so unless you have a very experienced and trustworthy mentor. Personally, I recommend the Spiritualist path of sound personal spiritual development including meditation and good old-fashioned clean living, for as is true of so much in life, when we try to take short-cuts, we often end up lost and wish we’d taken the safe, sure path in the first place.

– Soul Arcanum

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When Dream Visits from Spirits Suddenly Stop

Filed Under: Dreams, Spirit Communication, Spirits by Soul Arcanum — Comments Off on When Dream Visits from Spirits Suddenly Stop

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Dear Soul Arcanum: For a while, I was having very vivid, involved dreams of my recently departed boyfriend every night. (He died about a month ago.) Now I haven’t had a dream about him for a week straight. What could cause dream meetings with loved ones in Spirit to stop? The signs of him that I had been receiving are also starting to fade, and this is really distressing me.
B.

Dear B:

You’ve been very blessed to have so many signs and dreams as well as conscious memory of your continued dream experiences with him. While many people have contact with recently departed loved ones via their dreams, it is pretty unusual to have vivid dream visits from them every night.

I believe that these dream visits ended because it’s time for everyone to begin to move on. I know that you don’t want to and you don’t feel ready to, but if you continue to spend all of your dream time and most of your waking time trying to connect with your departed boyfriend, you won’t really be living, my friend.

Clinging to our loved ones in Spirit and begging them not to leave us isn’t good for them either. While I do understand how hard it is to let go, it’s important to realize that wanting to keep someone who has left this world with us is a selfish desire. It’s like a mother not wanting her children to grow up and leave home. While we can understand why she might feel that way, that doesn’t make it right. If she’s a truly loving mother, she knows this wouldn’t be the best thing for her child, so she rises above her own desires and encourages them to become independent and go off to explore new experiences.

Spirits may make an appearance via signs or dreams for some days or perhaps even weeks after leaving this world. They may remain close for a while, watching over their surviving loved ones and making sure that everyone is going to be okay and get over their deaths. During this time period, all sorts of wonderful signs and events may occur, including electrical phenomena, apparitions, and vivid dream visits. All of these happen because our loved ones in spirit are making a great effort to let us know that they are okay so that we can go on to have happy lives.

These events are not meant to take the place of life experiences. They are not trying to create an ongoing inter-dimensional relationship to replace the one that has been temporarily lost. They are simply wanting to comfort and reassure us when we’re reeling with grief. Since the ultimate point is to help us to get over their deaths and move on, there comes a point when all these signs, events, dreams, etc., have to end, especially if we’re clinging to them and focusing a great deal of our time and energy on them.

This is different from the case of earthbound spirits or ghosts, who may continue to try to get our attention indefinitely because they are lost and need help crossing over. So if you think about it, it’s natural and normal for these events to stop at some point, and it’s a good sign: it means that the natural process of death and continuation into the afterlife is going along smoothly.

I’m not saying that you can’t continue to meet with him via your dreams, for he can come back and visit you. Instead, I’m suggesting that by letting go, you can reclaim that ability. Right now, it’s not in anyone’s best interests to continue to keep him at the center of your life when you’re awake or asleep. Once you have healed further and opened up to new love and new happiness, you will probably begin to dream of him again.

This will happen both because it won’t be detrimental to you and because your vibration will have risen. As time does heal all wounds, this will eventually happen naturally. However, there are some things you can do to facilitate connection with loved ones in other dimensions.

The name of the game is getting into a very high vibration, for this will lift you toward their vibration and also empower you to manifest whatever you want in your life, including successful spirit communication. Here’s an article that may help: Raising Your Vibration for Spirit Communication.

Anything you do that raises your vibration, expands your spiritual nature or enhances your intuitive abilities will help you to bridge the chasm between dimensions. The more you consciously develop as a spiritual being, the more empowered you will be to not only remember ordinary dreams, but to lucid dream, induce out of body experiences, consciously interact with spirit guides and remember their guidance, and meet with your departed loved ones on other planes. You’ll also gain greater control over everything you encounter or try to manifest in life. For these reasons, I recommend you embrace spiritual development via endeavors such as meditation, spiritual practices and studies, personal growth, etc.

Some people can visit metaphysical worlds at will, and do so whenever they desire. If they can do it, I’m sure that with the right approach and development, you can too. While you’re working on that, you can meditate for a half an hour each day with a focus on finding peace within, healing from this loss, and reaching out to your boyfriend with your heart and mind. Try to think happy thoughts about him, and try to find gratitude for the time that you had with him. The more you can make your heart soar when you think of him, the easier it will be for you to consciously connect and communicate with him.

Also, before you go to sleep at night, try to get into a very high vibration like this and then ask Spirit to bless you with dream visits from him. Affirm that this is what is going to happen to your subconscious mind, and also affirm that you will remember these dreams in detail upon waking.

Visualize what you want to have happen. Both during meditation and before you go to sleep, imagine meeting with him. Remember to pray for what you want: ask your spirit guides to facilitate this experience for you.

You might want to keep a dream journal too, for this will expand your dream life in wonderful ways. We work out a lot of issues in our dreams, so if there are things happening in our lives that are more important than playing with our loved ones in other dimensions, then working out those problems or issues may take precedence. This means that the more together, at peace and empowered you are in general, the greater your freedom will be to dream of whatever you desire.

Finally, it’s important to trust that there is a good reason for all our experiences, including blocks or the lack of some experience you desire. The more you can trust that there must be a good reason these dreams have stopped for now, the higher your vibration will float, which will ironically make it easier for you to create what you want instead of taking whatever you’re given.

If this advice seems a bit contradictory, it’s because there is a tricky spiritual juggling act between being faithful and proactive that is rather magical. When we both own our power to manifest what we desire and at the same time trust that whatever happens is for the best, we step into a harmonious flow with the Universe, and then all sorts of healing and blessings flow into our lives.

– Soul Arcanum

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