Many of us have experienced a sign, a message, from a deceased loved one. It could be that you felt their presence so strongly it was as if they were physically there with you. Or that a robin landed on your windowsill - the namesake of your recently deceased friend. There is something deeply mystical about these encounters. They leave us feeling supported and strengthened, despite the grief or loss. They stand out as a special event, making us sit up and pay attention. Could it be that the spirit of the dead is communicating with us? That we are receiving a message from beyond to let us know they are OK?
And then, as quickly as the wonder arises, it can be snuffed out as mere coincidence or a figment of the imagination. We have been deeply conditioned by rational social conventions to dismiss such ineffable moments of deep connection. We're taught to trust the physically seen and felt rather than our invisible inklings and gut feelings. We are taught that there's no such thing as spirit communication… but then, wasn't there a deep knowing that it WAS a sign from our deceased loved one?
At The College of Psychic Studies, we encourage you to examine these powerful and moving moments of synchronicity as rather special encounters with spirit. Those of us who are fortunate enough to notice these communications with the deceased loved ones, to witness these precious encounters, to sense something greater than the reality we can see, hear, smell, touch and taste, have a gift that should be nurtured.
How the dead communicate with us
What should we be looking out for in these communications from spirit? How does a deceased loved one send us a sign? The list of ways spirit chooses to speak to us is endless – for each of us, it is different depending on our unique 'clair' as well as our relationship with the deceased in spirit or our own cultural references. However, there are a few common signs that a loved one in spirit is sending us a sign.
A whisper of a name
Some hear their name whispered as they are falling asleep. Others wake up from deep sleep to see their passed loved one at the end of the bed or standing next to them. Or we may simply feel the comforting presence of our loved one in spirit nearby as we are drifting off or when we wake up in the middle of the night. In the moments between sleep and wakefulness, we are in the receptive alpha brainwave state. The grip of rational social conditioning is looser, and consequently we are able to access more deeply the subtle nuances of our reality. We are better able to perceive signs from the dead when we are in the alpha state.
Dream visitations
It's not only as we drop off or wake up that we are better able to receive communications from the dead. A loved one in spirit may also come to us in a dream. These dreams can be very comforting as we are reassured that our beloved is safe and well. The dreams can also be an opportunity to process our grief, as Tree Carr teaches you in this livestream workshop. These dreams can be deeply healing, and the powerful emotion that they carry can stay with us for years to come.
Seeing signs from the dead
A cardinal lands on our windowsill at the moment that our grandfather (who loved these birds!) has passed from this realm and we know it's him coming to say goodbye; or we are reminiscing about our deceased loved one when we look up into the night sky and see a shooting star; or our significant other sang Sonny & Cher's 'I Got You, Babe' on repeat, and it starts playing on Spotify. These are beautiful, affirming, uplifting moments of connection. Take it a step further and ask your loved one in spirit to show you a specific sign – for example a blue butterfly - and witness the magic of spirit communication in action!
Messages through a medium
Professional mediums have worked hard to cultivate their connection with the spirit realms. At The College of Psychic Studies, we train our mediumship students to connect with spirit, decode their messages from beyond, and deliver messages and affirmations from those in spirit. Many of these mediumship students develop into professional mediums, offering psychic mediumship readings with the College. These messages can be deeply moving as the medium brings details about a deceased loved one, such as a childhood nickname or memory, that have deep significance for us.
Electrical phenomena
We're familiar with Hollywood's take on poltergeist activity, with flickering ceiling lights and misbehaving TVs! Electricity – being a force of energy rather than a dense physical object - is a tool that spirit often uses to communicate with us. We might notice the lights flickering at certain moments or the radio turning on by itself to play a favourite or meaningful song. Indeed, the staff at The College of Psychic Studies have had a few experiences of electrical phenomena as a means of messages from the College's resident ghosts.
The scent of a loved one
Clairolfaction is the psychic ability to notice the scents familiar to those in spirit. Perhaps your grandfather smoked a pipe, and the scent of tobacco lets you know that he is near. Or a loved one used to wear rose perfume, and occasionally you'll receive a strong fragrance of roses despite there being none of the blooms nearby.
Animals as messengers of the deceased
Birds and animals can bring messages of our deceased loved one's continued presence and love. Your beloved aunt may have loved starlings, and at significant moments in your life, a murmuration will sweep across the skies to remind you that she is always with you. Sometimes an animal or bird will show up for us at the moment in which a loved one has passed, and we feel a deep sense that this was their farewell. Never dismiss your inklings – trust that this is a meaningful message from your deceased loved one. Receive it as a powerful gift.
These 'common' communications from loved ones in spirit illustrate the deeply personal and varied ways we experience and interpret these signs. Whether through dreams, sensory experiences, or a reading with a medium, many of us can find comfort and connection through these encounters with the deceased. Learn more about how spirit communicates with us, and explore your own experiences, in a beginner's course:
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