There is nothing as special as a personal experience with the spiritual world. From my own experience, I know that these kinds of events happen very spontaneously and not necessarily when it is convenient. It is often these events that convince us of life after death, or that there is something between heaven and earth. I therefore view it as a faith experience, not a belief! Many people have spontaneous experiences with deceased loved ones, but often these attempts at contact fall on deaf ears. Precisely because of the nature that it often cannot be explained, it goes against the life or religious conviction of the recipient.
Faith experiences offer comfort
It is a shame that many experiences are not shared because of this. It became clear once again recently on Facebook that my post received very nice responses from various people asking if they had ever experienced a 'ghost story'. Such experiences, however diverse they may be, should be celebrated as a special sign from our loved ones. This does not mean that every feather on the ground is a message, but rather those experiences that you really cannot explain. Like the following story that was shared:
“I went to my uncle’s grave and didn’t know in which grave the urn had been placed. I thought I’d just walk around hoping to find the grave. Suddenly, there was a little rabbit there, which I just followed. Suddenly, the rabbit was gone, and I was standing practically next to the grave.”
Reason and conviction do not follow a rabbit; it is rather a feeling, a chance, a possibility that there is something more between heaven and earth that makes you follow the little rabbit. In this way, an experience of faith arises that might very well convince you to look at life just a little differently. To be more open to those small magical moments that are inexplicable, but offer so much comfort.
3 characteristics of a 'ghost story'
It is precisely belief systems that deserve to be examined critically. And 'the joke' is that these kinds of spontaneous experiences are quickly attacked by skeptics who are convinced of their own rightness. A belief is a belief! Anything that deviates even slightly from it is labeled as nonsense. The point, however, is that it does not detract from the experience. And once again, not every feather on the ground is a sign from above. When you delve somewhat into 'ghost stories', you typically see three characteristics;
- It is inexplicable
- It happens at an unexpected moment.
- it is intelligent
And it is always loving, although some experiences can startle you due to their unexpected nature.
A special experience is not yet hard proof.
Skeptics and scientists certainly have a point when they claim that it cannot be proven. In that sense, spiritual experiences and science may never meet. Science wants reproduction; the spiritual world wants spontaneity. The dilemma is precisely that a religious experience is inexplicable and unexpected, for it is not a trick but an expression of love. But perhaps even more importantly, it is personal! The experience where, for example, a loved one stands by your bed in the middle of the night is personal; the deceased couldn't care less whether a scientist believes it or not. Or hearing a voice—this, too, is quickly dismissed as a medical condition rather than a spiritual experience. Yet, it is often the context in which it occurs that gives it value; in other words, the intelligence behind it. When something like this happens, you will become convinced that reason cannot understand everything, and you will generally become more open to such experiences that make you believe in, for example, an afterlife.
A spiritual helper introduces himself
There is also no point in repeating a spontaneous experience. I will never forget one of my first conscious experiences when I was visiting a friend. She is a trance medium and had received some signals about who her guide might be. She associated it with a location in England, but it later turned out to be his surname. She told me that she was going into a trance, to ask the guide to come closer, and that I should really grill this guide; who it was and all the hows and whys.
I was fairly new to the 'spiritual' landscape of mediumship, so I actually had no clue what she meant by it all. But she closed her eyes and sure enough; at a certain point, I saw a man appear. I saw the man right with my eyes open, and it was as if he emerged from behind her. To my great surprise, I asked him in my mind, among other things, his name, year of birth, and a few other details. I don't know why I thought this would work, but it did, and he answered politely.
We had a name; George. It might be lame, but for the sake of privacy, I cannot give a surname. We immediately went online to search and typed in his first and last name, but found nothing. Suddenly, I heard another word whispered in my ear: “sophisticated.” But I didn't trust my own ears and let it go. Attempt failed!
The spiritual world knows Google
Or maybe not… the next day at work it kept running through my head, so I opened the browser and searched for his first and last name, and this time also the word 'sophisticated'. I spontaneously clicked on Google Images and got the shock of my life. I looked straight into the face of the man I had seen the day before. The image led to a family tree, and the man I had seen was the father of the guide in question. ALL the information matched what he had told me the day before.
If only you could scientifically capture such an event. It will probably never happen! But for me, it was an experience I will never forget, and many different experiences have followed since. I truly believe that if we are open to it, the spiritual world will let us know that they are there. That is not a belief, but trust in the power of the experience itself.