When A Ghostly Visitor Comes To Call

         Ghostly visitors can appear in such a variety of forms: dark or light, as sparkles or flashes, as silhouettes or solid-appearing figures. I’ve seen all of these. I think there are many reasons why they appear in so many different ways, with most of the reasons having to do with the visitor itself—its energy, intention, focus. But I think there’s another factor, too.

         I believe that the emotions and attitude of the viewer can strongly affect what he or she sees when there’s a spirit afoot. I remember an incident that happened in the home of my friend, the place where I first encountered the paranormal.

         I wasn’t there myself for this particular event, but my friend told me about the night when an apparition manifested on a poster in her bedroom. Several members of the family witnessed this, and they all agreed that a face appeared on the poster. But they didn’t all see the same thing.

         If I remember correctly, one saw a demonic face, one a more God-like face, and my friend saw someone else completely. That has always intrigued me. My feeling is that each person, through the filter of their own attitude and emotions, saw their own interpretation of the restless spirit that was haunting the house. Maybe, when attitudes are strong and emotions are especially high, the witnesses aren’t going to be able to truly understand what’s manifesting. An encounter with the paranormal, after all, can cause such intense reactions in people—particularly fear. And do those strong reactions make it even harder for us to understand these things that are outside our normal comprehension to begin with? It seems very possible.

         Another interesting thing I’ve discovered is that ghostly visitors are not always the spirits of deceased people; they can actually be the astral bodies of living persons—or phantasms of the living called thought-forms. I know this because I’ve seen them, and recognized some of them as people I knew!

         Either intentionally or inadvertently, the astral body of a living person can become separated from the physical, sometimes traveling a great distance from the body—and sometimes being visible to psychically sensitive people. In my experience, these visitors usually appeared as filmy, insubstantial figures of themselves, fairly recognizable, and mostly luminous white. Sometimes I’ve been startled by them, but rarely frightened. (For more about astral projection, read my blog entry “Traveling Without the Body” at http://annyoungfiction.blogspot.com/2012/06/traveling-without-body.html).

         It’s also possible for a living person—again, sometimes intentionally, sometimes not—to project a thought-form in his or her own image. This can happen when a person merely thinks about being in a certain place, or strongly wants to be there. This kind of visitor has no consciousness of its own, but can appear very distinct and solid.

         I’ve seen some of these over the years—mostly figures of people I didn’t recognize—and they looked substantial enough to really startle me. Since they were pretty static, without movement, and didn’t seem to have a conscious energy, my theory is that they were inadvertently projected thought-forms that I just happened to pick up on. There were some times when they appeared solid but also dark and indistinct, like they were standing in a shadow. That was a little unnerving, I’ll admit! In those cases, I closed my energy to them as best I could.

         The conclusion I draw from these experiences, and many others: when a ghostly visitor comes to call, we aren’t always going to be able to understand exactly what we’re seeing; we might not even be able to tell whether we’re seeing the figure of someone living or dead. Intuition, in my opinion, is the best guide in dealing with a spirit visitor. I never disregard any feeling of fear; it could be just an overreaction, but then again, it might be alerting me to be cautious. And in situations where I don’t feel threatened, I make an effort to remember to put out a prayer or blessing for my visitor. Who knows—that just might be what it needs most …

         What do you think?

Ann Young

Author--Fantasy, Mysticism, Paranormal Fiction ... and Fact

               www.annyoungfiction.com              

Paranormal Witness—"The Real Haunting in Connecticut”

         I recently saw an episode of “Paranormal Witness” that really caught my attention. It was called “The Real Haunting in Connecticut”, and it told the story of a rather dark, malicious haunting experienced by the Snedeker family. Their account—unlike many I’ve seen—seemed credible and solid. And their story got me to wondering exactly why some people experience this kind of malignant haunting.
         The problem began after the Snedekers moved into a colonial house near Hartford, Connecticut—a house that had previously been a funeral home, and still had mortuary equipment in the basement. The family’s eldest son, 13-year old Phillip, had been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and they rented the house to be close to his cancer treatment center. Carmen, the mother of the family, didn’t really want them to stay in this house; but finding a place to live hadn’t been easy, and she and her husband felt like they didn’t have much choice. So Carmen blocked off the embalming room in the basement, and put Phillip’s bedroom down there so that he could be close to a bathroom when he needed it.
         According to the show, Phillip was awakened by someone calling his name on his very first night in the house, and he felt immediately convinced that the house was evil; he didn’t want the family to stay there. But they did.
         He would begin “seeing things” as well as hearing voices; he and his two brothers would also discover, as they explored the area under the counters in the basement, a sticky substance on the walls and floor that looked like blood. Phillip and his middle brother Brad would also see four cloaked apparitions lurking in a corner in the basement—but Carmen would find no intruders when she went searching. All four of the Snedeker children were becoming terrified to be in the house, but Carmen didn’t believe in ghosts, and she scolded Phillip for scaring the others.
         As the family continued to live in the house, Phillip became increasingly sullen, and he complained of hearing voices calling him every night. After the family had been there for about a year, he moved his bedroom into the embalming room—and he began to change even more. He started writing obsessively in a journal, and he became aggressive and angry, often fist-fighting with his brother Brad.
         And then, one day when she was cleaning his room, his older cousin Tammy would chillingly discover what he had been recording in his journal: dark, violent drawings, and notes about killing, murder, and death. Strangely, even though Phillip was dyslexic and had trouble writing, the words were perfectly written—because, he said, “the man had helped him.” Carmen would also discover that her son had been cutting himself on his arms. “Something was telling me to do it,” he said.
         The problems involving Phillip finally reached a peak when his cousin Tammy stepped in between him and Brad to break up yet another fight. Phillip ran into her room and began tearing it up—and then shoved her across the room with a strength that seemed impossible for a boy who had been so ill. After that, the haunting phenomena began for Tammy; unseen hands pulled her covers down during the night, and also tugged at her bra and went up her shirt.
         Carmen, concerned for the safety of all the children in the house, felt that something had to be done. She still didn’t believe that anything paranormal was happening, and she felt that Phillip was somehow responsible for all the mischief. So: she talked to his doctor about the disturbing behavior she’d been seeing. The doctor felt that Phillip could be schizophrenic and should be committed. So Carmen allowed her son to be taken away. At the hospital he delivered a chilling message to his mother: “Now that I’m gone, they’re gonna come after you.”
         And she did become the next target for the haunting. While she was taking a shower, the shower curtain wrapped tightly around her face and body, cutting off her breath; Tammy intervened, tearing a hole in the curtain so that Carmen could breathe. And then things escalated for Tammy as well; again, her bedcovers were tugged, and later, unseen hands groped at her. She described the “growling, coldness, and smell” of the unseen presence as it came for her. And she, along with Carmen, watched in terror as a rosary around Tammy’s neck levitated and then crashed to the floor. Finally Carmen called the church for help, and an exorcism was performed on the house.
         The account on “Paranormal Witness” didn’t indicate whether the exorcism was successful. The family moved out of the house in October 1999, and Carmen had her son released from the hospital. The show didn’t reveal how he fared after he returned home. But, sadly, his cancer returned 24 years after he first became ill. He passed away in January 2012 at the age of 38.
         Phillip did record an interview before his death, admitting that he had been “more fascinated than frightened” of “the things that were in the basement.” And, rather chillingly, he described how evil can “find its way into the little nooks and crannies in your life, and begin to manipulate you …”
         If this story really is true, it raises some interesting questions. It seems there were probably several angry, manipulative presences lingering in the house; so, would there have been problems for anyone who moved in, or was there something about this family that made them especially susceptible? My feeling is that there probably would have been some amount of strange activity for whoever lived there, but—maybe the Snedekers really were particularly vulnerable.
         Their situation was a stressful one; Phillip had cancer, devastating news for any family. They’d had to leave their home in upstate New York for an unwelcoming house in an unfamiliar city—without their father, who stayed behind to continue working. Did all of this make the family more vulnerable to the energies in the house? And was Phillip—in his weakened physical and mental state, and with his admitted fascination for the “things in the basement”—was he the most susceptible of all? It seems very possible.
         I also wonder exactly why these dark, angry presences became trapped in the house. Were they the spirits of deceased people who had been traumatized by seeing their bodies being processed by the funeral home? Had they not realized they were dead, or not wanted to? Or—were these souls somehow traumatized by the way their bodies were handled? Was there some mistreatment? So many possibilities …
         What do you think?

      Sources: “Paranormal Witness”, Season 2, Episode 208: “The Real Haunting in Connecticut”     http://www.syfy.com/paranormalwitness/episodes/season/2/episode/208/the_real_haunting_in_connecticut

Ann Young

Author—Fantasy, Mysticism, Paranormal Fiction … and Fact

www.annyoungfiction.com

Spirits Dark and Light

         As someone who’s courted the paranormal for decades, I’ve encountered more than a few ghostly visitors over the years. They’ve manifested in a variety of ways: dark and light, as sparkles or flashes, as silhouettes or solid-appearing figures. Their presence hasn’t always been easy to handle, but these visitors have had a profound influence on my life and my view of reality.

         No one has to convince me about life after death, or about the idea that people who have died can make themselves known to us. I don’t need proof of the existence of non-corporeal beings who were never human. And I don’t need convincing that we who are human are a melding of body and spirit, with the spiritual part being able to separate from the physical—at death, and sometimes while the person is very much alive! (More about that in a future entry.)

         I really have seen a few visitors who didn’t appear human at all. They didn’t have five heads or razor-sharp claws; their foreignness was much more subtle, and much less scary, than that! I remember seeing one that manifested as a moving pattern of light and dark over the wall. I knew it was a presence of some kind—its energy seemed very much alive, and its movement seemed to be part of that aliveness—but it didn’t have a body as we do.

         There was also a night, years ago, when I woke up to see a huge figure filling the doorway to my bedroom. I had a sense of a male energy, but he didn’t seem human; his face was indistinct, his body broad and square, and he was clothed in a robe-like garment that was scattered with points of white light. I wasn’t sure what he wanted from me, and I definitely felt uneasy seeing him. My sense was that he really was a different kind of being, from a reality other than our own. I just wasn’t so sure I wanted him visiting me!

         I’ve also seen ghostly visitors who were the spirits of deceased people I knew. Several months after my mother passed away, I was startled to get a quick glimpse of her sitting in an armchair in my living room—looking very solid and distinctly like herself. I had a sense that she wanted to communicate with me, and that she wanted me to recognize her and know she was there. I don’t think it was a coincidence that she appeared so recognizably and clearly.

Just a few weeks ago I had another interesting experience. The spiritual center I attend was having a food auction that was named for one of our members who had died. As I was standing in line, chatting and waiting for my turn at the food counter, I got a quick, peripheral glimpse of someone standing in the doorway to my left. I got a distinct impression of a broad, solid figure there, but I couldn’t distinguish who. When I turned to look directly at the person, no one was there! Then I realized who I had seen; it was our friend, the one the event was named for. The figure did have her shape. And it made perfect sense that she’d be standing there watching everyone enjoying the food, just as she did when she was alive.

         Having had these experiences and many others, I’ve come to the conclusion that our familiar reality is surrounded by a non-material dimension through which various kinds of spirit visitors can manifest to us. And I believe that there are still other dimensions/realities beyond that—a multidimensional Universe—through which we all ultimately travel as our souls evolve on their journey. What do you think?

 

Ann Young

Author—Fantasy, Mysticism, Paranormal Fiction … and Fact

 

Glimpsing the Afterlife

        Have you ever been able to sense what happened to a loved one after death? I have. I wasn’t trying to; in fact, I was surprised when some very distinct impressions came to me after a few of the deaths in my family. I was also surprised at how these loved ones reacted to their own passing—and where their journeys seemed to take them after they crossed over.

            The person who surprised me most was my uncle. While he was alive, he seemed to be a pragmatic, no-nonsense, cynical sort of guy. He never seemed to have much of a spiritual or religious leaning. But shortly after his death, I was startled to pick up a distinct impression of him leaving his body with ease, rising up with a great sense of freedom and joy toward the spiritual realm that was his home—just as he’d always expected to.

I was totally floored by the fact that I even had this impression—and by the fact that it also seemed to indicate an inner spiritual life I never would have expected from this uncle. In the end, I decided that he must have been one of those people who was very private about his spiritual beliefs. I felt happy for him, in that he seemed to clearly understand where he came from and where he was going.

By contrast, there was another male loved one of mine who was intensely devout and religious during his life—and fell into a kind of dark, ominous turmoil after he died. These were some of the strongest impressions I’ve ever had after a family member’s passing. On the two nights before his funeral, I could feel, and almost see him lingering heavily in his house, consumed in a dark turmoil that seemed to have some potent anger at its center.

In all honesty, the dark, dense quality of his energy scared me away from trying to help. And I wondered why he was caught up in such turbulence. In trying to be pious during his life, had he been suppressing a great deal of anger, an anger that was finally freed when he left his body? And did this very religious man—a good man, who had spent so much of his life in service to other people—did he carry into his death a feeling of not having done enough, of being too sinful or angry? And did he end up experiencing the torment of Hell as an expected punishment?

Over time, I was able to send him some prayers and healing. And a day came when I could sense that he had moved on from his turmoil. But I find myself wondering how many people fall into this kind of torment after death, because of the expectation of being punished, or being sent to a place called Hell—which, I believe, exists only as a state of being created by one’s own fears and expectations. More about that in a future entry.

My father was another person about whom I had some strong impressions after his death. While he was alive, he seemed to have little, if any belief in God; in his opinion, God didn’t help anyone, and our task as humans was to fend for ourselves and deal with whatever life threw at us. His death was quick and sudden, and I don’t think he departed easily; I felt a strange kind of jolt when it happened, like a brief, rough interruption in time. And then, some weeks after his death, my brother and I had a dream about him—the same dream.

We both saw my father sitting in a grey, empty place all alone, and I knew at once that he really hadn’t believed in anything; he had ended up in a kind of grey limbo because he hadn’t expected anyone or anything to be there for him. To me, that was very sad. I don’t recall whether I felt like I could do anything to help, but I remember feeling certain, somehow, that he wouldn’t be in that place forever. As with my other loved one, a time came when I could sense that my father wasn’t stuck anymore. And I felt such a sense of relief.

So—what’s to be made of all this? It seems to me that a person’s expectations, attitude, and spiritual beliefs can play a huge role in where they go after they die. But I don’t believe the story ends there. I agree with the mystics and metaphysicians who suggest that our journey of evolution carries on after physical death: no one stays stuck forever, and we all continue “moving up the spiral” into new experiences in this multidimensional Universe. Do we move toward the fullest realization of ourselves, or perhaps a perfect reunion with our Source? Either one sounds really good to me.

Ann Young

Author—Fantasy, Mysticism, Paranormal Fiction … and Fact 

Strange Stories--"A Haunting in Georgia"

         I recently saw the story of the Wyrick family on the Discovery Channel’s “A Haunting in Georgia”, and the show really caught my attention, for several reasons. For one thing, the people involved in this story seemed strongly credible; I don’t usually feel that way about the people on these shows. But I found myself really wanting to hear what this group to say.

         This was also a story about a haunting that carried on for years, with the family choosing not to move out of the house—that intrigued me. Just as intriguing were the differing opinions the family received when they sought help. According to the show, a scientist, 2 psychics, and a minister were consulted over the years, and they gave 3 different opinions about the source of the disturbances. As I watched this story, I wondered—which opinion was closest to the truth? That can be a tricky thing to determine when the paranormal is involved. And would any of these people really be able to help the family?

         I did a little research on the Wyricks, and I gathered the information about their story from the TV show and a few other sources. The haunting apparently began shortly after the family moved into their home in Georgia in 1988. While playing outside, their 3-year-old daughter Heidi was befriended by a kindly, protective man only she could see—Mr. Gordy, he called himself. At first, Heidi’s mother Lisa assumed Mr. Gordy was just an imaginary friend her daughter had created. But then Heidi saw another apparition, a man who came to the front door with a bandaged hand and blood on his shirt. She also began to see a shadowy, hooded male figure sometimes lurking around the house.

         Lisa would learn the identity of the first two apparitions from a neighbor; years before, a man named James Gordy had actually been a caretaker on the Wyrick property. The other man, Lon, was a neighbor who’d had his hand severed in an accident nearby. Both men had died years before Heidi was born. Now Lisa Wyrick had no doubt that something paranormal was happening in and around her home. And the manifestations would escalate.

         Lisa, and other relatives of hers, began having strange experiences in the house: a chair moving on its own, phantom voices in the bedroom, and more. And then Heidi’s cheek was inexplicably scratched during her sleep, with what appeared to be claw marks; her father Alex would be scratched as well. After the second time Alex awoke with scratches on his body, the family contacted scientist/paranormal investigator Dr. William Roll. With funding from the show “Unsolved Mysteries” (which would air a segment about Mr. Gordy), Dr. Roll interviewed the Wyricks, conducted scientific tests, and did some research.

         His initial theory: positive ions in the house, and magnetic fields caused by seismic activity on the property, were affecting the brains of Heidi and the rest of the family, causing hallucinations. There were, he said, “no demons or devils” or ghosts involved. But: when Heidi was able to correctly pick out James Gordy from a group of photos Dr. Roll showed her, he revised his theory, saying that Heidi, having strong psychic abilities, was picking up on “place memories”—energy left behind by past events and people “recorded” into the environment. He still didn’t feel that any kind of entity was involved. He had no explanation for the incidents of scratching, and Heidi’s father Alex wasn’t entirely satisfied with Dr. Roll’s conclusions. But he and the family did remain in the house.

         As Heidi grew older, she continued to see apparitions, including the dark, ominous male figure with the obscured face. Because of the media attention the family received, Heidi’s unusual abilities became public knowledge, and she was ridiculed by her middle-school classmates, making her life even more challenging. A second daughter, Jordan, was born to the Wyricks, and as she grew up, she, too, began to see presences in the house. Again, mother Lisa and others from her side of the family also had disturbing experiences in the house. Lisa began to believe, as did the minister at the family’s new church, that the presences in her home were demonic.

         The family consulted Dr. Roll for a second time. He confirmed a pattern of strong psychic ability going back for generations in Lisa’s family—explaining why all the women in the Wyrick household, along with Lisa’s relatives, were experiencing the greatest amount of activity. But he still believed there were no entities involved. He did send psychic Amy Allan to the property—and the family also brought in a psychic of their own. But the two would have very different opinions about what was happening to the Wyricks.

         Amy Allan detected a high level of spirit activity inside and outside the house, sensing some presences that were benevolent, and others that were dark and negative—unpleasant and angry, she said, just as they had been in life. But not demonic. The other psychic, who shared Lisa Wyrick’s religious beliefs, was convinced that all the activity was demonic.

         In the end, the Wyricks’ minister, Brother Stephen Shelly, performed an anointing on the family in the presence of the congregation, to shield the Wyricks from the demonic presences that had been disrupting their lives. Lisa and Alex seemed fortified by the support they received, and were better able to cope with their situation after that. And there were fewer manifestations in the house. But they didn’t entirely stop. At the end of the account on “A Haunting”, Heidi admitted—a bit chillingly—to having some continuing experiences that she would probably never reveal to her family.

         What do I make of all this? I think that Dr. Roll and Amy Allan each had a piece of the truth. Dr. Roll accurately assessed the strong tendency toward psychic ability on Lisa’s side of the family—and he seemed correct in suggesting that Lisa, Heidi and Jordan would continue having psychic experiences because of those abilities. But I disagree with his idea that there isn’t any kind of entity involved. The girls have interacted, sometimes extensively, with some of the presences they’ve seen—I don’t think a “place memory” could do that. And I think Amy Allan had the most balanced and accurate view of the kind of entity involved.

         She identified some of the presences as benevolent, others as dark and angry, but not demonic. She pointed out that a negative presence can manipulate how it appears to people, feeding off their fear; I’ve heard this idea before, and have seen it demonstrated in some of my own paranormal experiences. Believing a presence is demonic only creates more fear for it to feed upon—and helps give it a form to take. Negative presences can be disruptive and terrifying, no doubt—but I believe they are often mistakenly labeled as demons.

         I also agree with Amy Allan’s idea that Heidi, Jordan, and Lisa have mediumistic abilities. The deceased, she says, are strongly drawn to mediums, whose energy, to them, is like a “beacon of light in a dark room.” For that reason she, too, felt that the Wyrick women will continue having psychic experiences throughout their lives.

         All in all, a fascinating story, with a lot of food for thought. For anyone interested in learning more about Heidi: Lisa Wyrick’s sisters, Joyce Cathey and Rebecca Harrington, have written a book entitled The Veil—Heidi Wyrick’s Story. Could be a very interesting read. The book’s Introduction, written by Dr. Roll and posted on The Veil website, also happens to contain a fascinating additional theory about how Heidi acquired her psychic ability. A movie has also been made about Heidi and the Wyricks, although I couldn’t find information about a release date.

         I do find myself wondering how Heidi and her family are doing now. At this point, she’s a young woman in her 20’s, and she’s already had an intense and unusual life. I hope she’s found a way to be at peace with her situation. And I truly wish the family well.

Sources: The Discovery Channel’s “A Haunting in Georgia”: Wikipedia: www.theveilbook.net  http://georgiamysteries.blogspot.com

Ann Young

Author—Fantasy, Mysticism, Paranormal Fiction … and Fact

www.annyoungfiction.com

Beyond the Senses: Forms of ESP

         Psychic ability can take on many forms—I’ve experienced some of them myself. And I believe that all of us humans have the potential to perceive what’s beyond the senses. Ironically, it’s the physical senses themselves that are sometimes the vehicle for that kind of perception.
         There’s a form of ESP called clairalience—the ability to acquire psychic information through the physical sense of smell, usually by picking up the scent of something that isn’t physically present. Sounds very arcane, but I’ve experienced it myself. I have a pretty keen sense of smell, and for me a “psychic scent” is unmistakable, because it appears so suddenly and stands out sharply from any of the other smells around me.
         When an unseen presence is around, I’ll sometimes see blue sparkles and white flashes of light in the air. On a few occasions, I’ve picked up a sudden, unfamiliar whiff of cologne along with the visual cues, and I knew the fragrance was associated with my visitor. Another time, on a night when I was having an especially hard time staying asleep, I felt like there might be a disruptive presence around. And then I picked up a whiff of a strong, sulfurous smell that was totally unlike anything in my house—really creepy. But the strangest episode occurred when I was home alone one evening while the man I was dating was out with his friends.
         I was hanging out in the living room, feeling a little spooked—in those days, my life was pretty strange, with a lot of psychic occurrences, and I felt uneasy often. Suddenly I noticed a strong, distinct smell of brewing coffee—which struck me as odd, since I wasn’t brewing any, and I wasn’t even sure we had any coffee in the house. The room was closed up, too, so the smell didn’t seem to be coming from outside. Now I felt even more uneasy, and I wondered if the scent might be a psychic signal of some kind.
         A little later I found out that my boyfriend and his two friends crashed their car right around the time I noticed the coffee scent. To this day, I’m not sure why the warning smell turned out to be coffee, but I feel it really was a warning. And, according to what I’ve read about clairalience, this form of ESP does sometimes occur as a signal that a loved one is in danger. Fascinating.
         As for my seeing sparkles and flashes when an unseen visitor is around—there’s a name for that, too: clairvoyance, the ability to see what’s usually hidden from physical sight. I’ve also sometimes seen, with my peripheral vision, glowing spheres of light or dark, solid-looking human figures that quickly disappear: also clairvoyance. And if, like me, you’ve ever had a hunch or a feeling about something you couldn’t possibly know, and it turned out to be right—that just might be clairsentience. And there are still other forms of ESP, some related to the physical senses, some not.
         To me, all of this proves once again just how amazing we humans are. I really do believe that we’re all born with the capacity for extrasensory perception, and that it does serve a purpose: it’s part of our birthright as humans, just one more tool for acquiring information we might want or need to know. What do you think?

Ann Young
Author—Fantasy, Mysticism, Paranormal Fiction … and Fact

www.annyoungfiction.com

Writing Paranormal: The Universe Responds

         I love how things turn out sometimes! When I started writing my blog and Fact of the Week, my main objectives were to share information, and to build my reputation as a writer on the topics I love most: the paranormal, the mystical, and the unseen. People really have begun to read what I write, and that’s exciting. But I’ve also been reaping some wonderful rewards that I didn’t foresee, and I’m thrilled about that, too. I think it really is true that when you do what you love, the Universe responds, opening the way for the fulfillment of your goals and so much more.
         One of those benefits I didn’t expect: that doing research for my blog and weekly facts would fire up my enthusiasm in such a huge way. There are so many exciting topics to explore! There’s so much in this Universe that’s unexplained—and we humans are so marvelous and complex, capable of a whole range of psychic abilities and unusual experiences. I’m learning even more than I knew before. And opportunities for new adventures are emerging.
         One event in October is already on my calendar: The Julian Teachings Organization’s 15th Gathering of Light in Michigan. This group is dedicated to carrying on the work of trance medium June Burke and the Seraph Julian who spoke through her. I had the privilege of attending one of June’s sessions years ago, and I discovered the organization last year when I was researching her for my blog. (See my blog entry for July 8, 2011, entitled “Extraordinary People”.) This year’s Gathering will include topics such as tarot, astrology, and Julian healing techniques. I’m really looking forward to writing about my experiences there.
         Speaking of writing about experiences—reporting on my own psychic history in my blog, which I’ve been doing since 2011, has brought me another of those unexpected rewards; it has sharply clarified my beliefs about reality, and has helped me see who I am. What I believe is so much clearer to me now. And I realize that even when I’m spinning out a fantasy or paranormal fiction novel, I’m writing about what I truly believe: that we’re all deeply connected beneath the level of ordinary reality, and that we experience many lives; that we have vast potential, and are capable of amazing psychic abilities; that there is life after death, and that those who have crossed over can communicate with us. I wasn’t thinking about those beliefs when I wrote my stories. But now I realize just how deeply those stories reflect who I am.
         I don’t think it’s an accident that I’m reaping any of these benefits. Along with everything else I believe about the nature of things, I’m also convinced that we live in a cause-and-effect Universe that responds to the quality of our thought. When we do what we love, we’re putting out some potently affirmative thought-energy—to which the Universe responds in kind, in even greater measure than we sent out. So I’ll just keep on doing what I love: delving into paranormal fact, and whipping up some tasty fiction stories for my readers to enjoy. And I’ll let the Universe do the rest.

      For more information about the Julian Teachings, go to www.julianteachings.com. To read excerpts from my novels, or browse through my Fact of the Week Archive, visit www.annyoungfiction.com

Ann Young
Author—Fantasy, Mysticism, Paranormal Fiction … and Fact

Hybrid Spirituality--And I'm Not Talkin' About the Car!

        Like many of us in the US, I was raised as a member of organized religion. But, by the time I was 17, I knew the faith I grew up in wasn’t for me. For the next 27 years, I did a lot of spiritual searching, and felt intensely uncomfortable in any kind of church. I did eventually find my way—into a brand of spirituality that really works for me. I’ve come to call it hybrid spirituality: one that incorporates beliefs from more than one faith tradition, and is open to including even more.

         My purpose here isn’t to slam anyone who’s found a comfortable place in conventional religion; everyone has to follow their own path. What I am saying is that, for some of us, a spirituality that incorporates more than one tradition is a beautifully fulfilling thing. And if that kind of spirituality turns out to be the path that nourishes our spirit and opens us up into a relationship with the Divine, I have a feeling God wouldn’t mind. In fact, I think God would be rejoicing with us.

         So many of us in so many faiths have been taught that there’s only one “right way” to believe, only one chosen people or right way to worship. I contend that the only “right way” is the one that works for each individual as a path to a more fulfilled life and a deeper walk with the Divine. There’s nothing wrong with picking and choosing what does work—even if it involves making a different choice than the one you grew up with. Even if it combines elements of more than one spiritual tradition.

         For me, my combination of traditions fulfills just about everything I need from a spiritual system. My traditions are beautifully inclusive: people of every age, race, creed, and sexual preference are truly welcome. My traditions also acknowledge both the male and female aspect of God; they reverence the earth and nature; and they conceive of God as being within us, without, and in all things. They have a moral compass about how to treat other people. They also recognize the tremendous power of thought, and encourage self-responsibility for the thoughts and actions we produce. And, very importantly for me, my traditions recognize the vast potential in us humans, and acknowledge the deeper mysteries underlying our familiar reality.

         Where did I find all this? Primarily in the Science of Mind tradition (also known as Religious Science), in combination with Wicca and a few elements of the conventional church I grew up in. As I continue to learn and explore, I realize I also have some beliefs in common with Spiritualism and Theosophy. And I’m open to incorporating even more.

         So—are you a person with hybrid spirituality? What’s the combination that works for you? I’d love to hear from you.

Traveling Without the Body

         Human consciousness, I’ve come to realize, is such a fluid thing. I never would have believed it was possible for the consciousness of a living person to separate from the body, sometimes traveling to places in other realities and our own—astral projection. But it is possible. I know this because I’ve tried it myself—and because I had an amazing friend who could travel astrally and bring back proof of what she had seen.
         Some occultists believe that we all project naturally during sleep. I’ve also heard of cases where people separated from their bodies during surgery, and were actually able to see and hear the surgery being performed on them. (I’m so glad that never happened to me!) It’s also possible to project from a waking state, but for me, that wasn’t so easy to do. Practicing the same method my friend used, I had many failures and “partial lift-offs”—times when I would feel a part of me rocking up and out of my body. A very distinctive sensation. Then I would get so excited that I’d drop right back in!
         There was one night, however, when I finally stayed relaxed enough to rise up out of my body. Next thing I knew, I was looking up at the ceiling from a vantage point just a few inches below it. And then I saw a powerful, luminous-white energy that seemed to be drawing me upward. I rose up and merged into it, and that’s the last thing I can recall. I ended up feeling like the best part of my experience was probably the part I couldn’t remember—and I still wonder exactly where I went after I merged into that beneficent glow. But I did feel really pleased that I’d finally made it out of my body.
        This incident was enough to prove to me that separating the consciousness from the body really is possible. But it was my friend’s experiences that convinced me of the traveling part. Amazingly, she was able to consciously project to other locations in our reality—sometimes far away—and bring back information about what she saw. Which would turn out to be correct. On one occasion, she made a sketch of a building she had seen during one of her projections, in a place she had never visited during her waking life. We were later able to verify that there really was a building of that description there. Another time, she projected to a gathering at a nightclub, and later gave me a detailed list of who had been there—which again proved correct. The person who corroborated my friend’s account didn’t even know her, so the two of them couldn’t have conspired to pull off a hoax. Fascinating.
         The other thing that amazed me was that my friend seemed to be able to travel to other levels of reality as well, sometimes bringing back conscious memories of it. She described sights and sounds that were totally outside familiar reality; she talked about hearing unearthly cosmic sounds as she "traveled". And one of the “places” she visited was a vast, luminous expanse of white energy. While she was there, she was able to interact with, even merge with, other people, getting a glimmer of the deep connections that existed between herself and them from other lives they had shared. There’s really no objective way to validate these experiences. But in my mind, since my friend was able to successfully project to places we could verify, maybe these other experiences had validity, too—suggesting some interesting possibilities about the nature of reality and the interconnectedness of us all.
         Maybe ordinary reality isn’t the only one—and maybe all of us truly are connected in deep and mysterious ways: through interactions we’ve shared in other places and times, maybe even beyond time. So many unusual experiences in my own life have seemed to point to this. And my friend’s glimpse into a deeper reality seems to be just one more indication.
          Have you ever stepped out into another reality, and brought back an insight you wouldn’t have had otherwise? I’d love to hear your story, and I invite you to share it with me. Leave a comment for me here on Blogger, or contact me at info@annyoungfiction.com.

Satanism and Wicca: the Same?

         Years ago, when I first started exploring the paranormal, I promised myself I’d never have anything to do with negative magic; I believe very firmly that those of us who know how to use the power of the mind have a responsibility to use it in a positive way, never for harming or manipulating anyone. So I never wanted to know about, hear about, or read about any philosophy that favored negative magic.

         But a funny thing happened to me recently; I found myself wanting to learn more about Satanism. Not because I wanted to do what Satanists do—but because I wanted to help clear up a common misconception: the idea that Satanism and Wicca are the same. The only thing I knew about Satanism was the negative magic part—and I realized that, to do a good job of comparing, I needed to know more. So I did a little research.

         I discovered, first of all, that Satanism isn’t populated only by psychopaths and angry teenagers; there are some intelligent, serious adults who are Satanists. It's a philosophy that embraces stern justice and "an-eye-for-an-eye", also emphasizing self-responsibility, knowledge, and self-reliance—for some, an appealing combination.

         Satanism also appears to have a moral compass regarding the treatment of children and animals; the tales of ritual murder don’t seem to be true. And Satanism does have at least a few things in common with Wicca. Both are alternative religions, outside the mainstream; both involve the use of magic; and neither have a single, central authority to establish doctrine or “make the rules”. There are different “denominations”, so to speak, in both Wicca and Satanism, and many lone practitioners as well—meaning that beliefs and practices in each philosophy can vary. Still, when I looked at the most basic characteristics of each, I discovered that, in most ways, Satanism and Wicca really are virtually opposite philosophies.

         Satanism seems to have evolved as a rebellion against what was perceived as the dogma, hypocrisy, and false values of Christianity; Satanism’s focus, readily admitted to, is on personal gain, ego, and the pursuit of lust and other “sinful” pleasures. Wicca, on the other hand, is a recreation of ancient ways of aligning with deity and the rhythms of nature; the Wiccan focus is on alignment, balance, and reverence for nature. One system seems to have originated as an opposition to something, the other as a return to something nature-centered and metaphysical. Very different.

         Another difference: Satanism’s concept of deity ranges from atheism to a belief in a dark force, or a dark lord such as Christianity’s Satan, the Egyptian God Set, or others. Wiccans believe in a God and Goddess that are part of a larger Power that unites all things, and also resides within us. As for the use of magic: Satanists use it to help themselves and their friends, but also to harm their enemies—something I still disagree with entirely. Wiccans use magic for problem-solving and healing, and their magical work is carefully crafted to bring about change that harms or manipulates no one. To me, that’s one of the truly beautiful things about Wicca.

         What we have here, quite obviously, is one religion that focuses primarily on the dark, and one that embraces the opposite. I believe that Satanists, and everyone else, have the right to worship as they choose—as long as they don’t try to impose their beliefs on me, and their practices don’t bring me any harm. But Wicca is still the philosophy I really resonate with. To me, our world has such a need for healers, and for people who are working on alignment and balance, which benefits us all. This isn’t to deny the darker side of our nature or the dark side of our world—it’s about choosing to focus our energy on the positive, for our individual good and for the good of all. That’s the thing I want to be working on and striving for.

         Thanks to http://www.spiralnature.com/, http://www.religioustolerance.org/, www.detoxorcist.com, and www.angelfire.com/alt2/darkmatter/ for the information about Satanism.

"Fact or Faked" Takes On The Ice Man

         “Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files” is a TV show I really enjoy; I’m always interested to see how the team goes about testing the authenticity of various paranormal claims. In the recent season premiere entitled “The Grim Sleeper/The Real Mr. Freeze”, the team went to extraordinary lengths to test the claims surrounding Wim Hof, the “Ice Man”. And their tests did seem to substantiate his amazing abilities.

         Wim Hof earned his nickname by performing such incredible feats as running a half-marathon in the snow (in shorts and bare feet!), and holding the world record for longest ice bath—challenges that would prove fatal for most people. The “Fact or Faked” team first tried a couple of preliminary experiments, to see if Hof’s accomplishments could be faked or duplicated; then they tried the ultimate test.
         A member of their team, along with Hof, were each immersed in an ice bath, while their heart rate and body temperature were monitored to see how long each man could last without serious harm. After about 20 minutes, the team member was showing dangerous signs of hypothermia—while Wim Hof’s heart rate was normal and unchanged, and his body temperature was still holding at 98.6!

         This man has certainly accomplished something remarkable: direct, focused command over the functions of his body, to the extent that he is able to survive in situations where most of us wouldn’t. This, to me, points out once again the incredible power of the human mind—a power which, I believe, lies in all of us. We are capable of so much more than most of us realize; the key, I think, is in recognizing our power and being motivated to use it. Wim Hof certainly seems to have those qualities.
         When interviewed, Hof revealed that, for him, normal was boring—so he set out to train himself to do something different! He didn't seem to question his power to rise above the ordinary, and he had the motivation and persistence to reach his goal. Talk about utilizing potential ...
         What would happen if more of us began to claim at least a small piece of our own potential? Our world could change in such exciting ways. And that’s something I’d love to see.   

           

A Haunting at The Lake Club

Enjoy the Paranormal Day Party!

May 3, 2016

http://www.hauntjaunts.net/paranormal-day-party-invite/        

         One of my guilty pleasures, I’ll admit, is watching “Ghost TV”. I’m always on the hunt for credible accounts of hauntings and other phenomena, and I occasionally find a story that really grabs my attention. The tale of The Lake Club is one of them.

         The first time I ever heard about The Lake Club was in an episode of “A Haunting” that aired recently on Planet Green. Several of the people involved in the story were interviewed during the show; it was their credible, coherent manner, along with the incredible details of the story, that captured my interest. So I did a bit of research.

         The Lake Club, in Springfield, Illinois first opened as a nightclub in 1940, gaining a reputation for big-name entertainment—and an illegal gambling operation as well. The club was raided in 1958, and the gambling was shut down, bringing a decline in business. The club finally closed in the 60’s. But: during the 1970s, with Bill Carmean and Tom Blasko at the helm, The Lake Club experienced a revival as a popular nightspot. The paranormal events that occurred during that time would also earn the club a reputation as one of the most haunted sites in the state. So: what exactly did happen at The Lake Club?

         The haunting began in 1974, with Bill Carmean being the first to notice strange happenings—such as a piano playing in another room when he was alone in the club; a door near the office opening, followed by footsteps, even though no one was there; and a glass flying off a table and hitting a wall during a visit by an unfortunate salesman. Over the next couple of years, the disturbances intensified, with employees and musicians reporting unusual occurrences—such as feelings of being “poked and prodded” by invisible hands, a drink lifting off a table and pouring into a customer’s lap, office equipment operating on its own, and more. Bill Carmean’s partner Tom also had some strange experiences, which he initially kept to himself. And then employee Barbara Lard had the most intense encounter of all.

         She saw an apparition—just the head of a man with snow-white hair—and he spoke to her, warning her that one of the club owners was going to die. Accounts differ as to whether or not she shared this warning with Carmean and Blasko—and there’s disagreement over the name of the owner who did die of a heart attack a couple of weeks later. But one of the owners of the property apparently did die. And, with the help of The Lake Club’s longtime caretaker Rusty, the identity of the spirit who gave the warning was determined.

         He was Rudy Cranor, a bartender during The Lake Club’s heyday as a nightclub and illegal gambling spot. Barbara Lard identified him, from an old photo, as the spirit who had spoken to her. It turns out that, in June 1968, after the club had fallen on hard times, Rudy Cranor had committed suicide there, shooting himself with a high-powered rifle in one of the back rooms. Rudy was now assumed to be the source of all of the disturbances at the club.

         After all that, Tom Blasko felt that something had to be done about Rudy, for the safety of everyone working at the club. Ultimately, Gary Dilley, a priest who was an old friend of his, came to The Lake Club with two other priests to bless the site and send Rudy’s spirit on its way. Did the blessing work? Apparently so. The paranormal occurrences stopped. But the club’s business declined as well. Within 6 months, The Lake Club closed. From 1980 to 1988, it was operated under a different name by a new lessee, before finally closing for the last time. And then, in a strange ending to a strange story, the building burned to the ground in August 1992. Investigators believed the fire had been deliberately set.

         What do I think about all this? As I said, the accounts of the people involved did seem very credible. And, from my own experience, I know that the kind of phenomena reported at The Lake Club really can happen. I’ve seen it myself. I also don’t think it’s a coincidence that a site for illicit gambling was later the location of a suicide, a long string of paranormal disturbances, and a destructive fire. Energy, I believe, attracts like energy; dark activities lead to more of the same. So it’s not surprising how The Lake Club’s history turned out. The one good thing is that the spirit causing the disturbances does seem to have been released. A very good thing.

         Thanks to “A Haunting” on Planet Green, and to www.prairieghosts.com/lakeclub.html for their information on The Lake Club.

A Spiritualist Church: Messages from the Dead?

         As an explorer of the paranormal, I’ve done some unusual things—everything from visiting haunted buildings to attending trance mediumship sessions and ritual magic circles. In November 1998, I had the opportunity to attend a service at a Spiritualist church, and the experience did make an impression.

         Spiritualists believe that a part of the human personality survives after death and is able to communicate with the living. Spiritualist churches can differ greatly in their practices, but they are all founded on this belief in spirit communication. I had a friend who was a member of a Spiritualist church, and she invited me to attend a service where she would be speaking. Of course I accepted.

         The service took place in an old, musty church that would have seemed haunted to me even if it hadn’t been Spiritualist. I just had a sense of old energies lingering in the dimness, like faint after-images imposed one on top of the other. It wasn’t the most unnerving place I’d ever been, but I definitely sensed something. The service, to my surprise, ended up containing some familiar elements: Christian hymns, Bible readings, and a belief in Jesus. This, it turns out, was a Christian Spiritualist Church. But the rest of the service was very unlike anything in a Christian church.

         My friend’s talk focused more on the metaphysical aspects of God—such as the idea of God’s presence in all things, everywhere. I enjoyed the talk, and it did give me some food for thought. But the “reading” I received from one of the ministers was the thing that really floored me. Everyone at the service got a reading, a message from the “spirit world”, and mine was so accurate that it really shook me up. Back then I was going through a difficult time, and was just beginning to climb out of some anxiety and loneliness. The minister, who had never met me before, looked me straight in the eye and told me exactly how I was feeling, and what I needed to do to feel better. One might argue that she had probably just observed all that in my demeanor; but she verbalized my feelings so precisely that I don’t think she could have done it just by looking at me. She told me that I felt like I “was dragging an enormous weight uphill,” and that I was having trouble trusting anyone to help me with it. Which was dead-on correct.

         Was this amazingly accurate message really a communication from the other side? It’s certainly possible. I know that spirits can communicate with us, and I believe there really are some who want to help us. And, fact is, I was helped by that reading. It helped motivate me to make some much-needed changes—resulting in a life that is so much fuller and happier now than it was then. So—if this really was a message from the spirit realm—thank you!

Taunting the Unknown

         As someone who’s experienced a haunting first-hand, I shudder when I see ghost hunters on TV taunting the unseen energies they’re trying to document. Even though, in my opinion, most of these shows are fabricated and staged, that doesn’t mean there aren’t invisible forces present. The locations ghost hunters visit are, for the most part, places with a history of strange occurrences. And it seems like such risky business to antagonize the unknown.

          I’ll never forget the time, years ago, when a friend and I were brazen enough to taunt the presence that had been causing disturbances in our other friend’s house. One night in late December, while we were on Christmas break from college, the three of us slept in the bedroom where the disruptions had been occurring: rapping, apparitions, objects moving by themselves, and more. A lot of thumping and banging would come from the closet in that room, and a tall bureau had been wedged in front of the closet door--to help our friend who lived there feel a little safer.
         On the night when the three of us stayed there, we spent a long time just lying in our places on the bed and floor, waiting nervously to see what would happen. Things didn’t get interesting until we finally turned out the lights and tried to go to sleep.

         We began to hear noises around us, as if something was moving around the room, disturbing things. One of the noises was near the vanity where my friend would put on her makeup, and I quipped, “Hey, it sounds like he’s putting on his makeup!” My other friend responded with a gibe about our unseen visitor’s sexual orientation--tasteless and insulting, to be sure. Immediately we heard a loud bang, and we screamed. When we finally had the courage to turn on the lights, we saw that a can had fallen--or been thrown--from the top of the bureau, which was about 6 feet tall. The can had landed a few feet out from the bureau, close to the place where two of us were lying on the floor.

         Just a few minutes later there was another loud bang, and another scream from one of my friends. She was sitting by the wall with her elbow touching it, and something had thumped soundly on the wall, close to her elbow. Needless to say, we ended up spending the rest of the night with the black light on. In retrospect, that seems like a strange choice of lighting--everything looks eerie under black light. But it seemed like a good idea at the time!

         I guess my point is that unseen, unexplained energies do exist--and they are sometimes able to respond to what we say and do. Since we truly don’t understand what we’re dealing with, why not approach with caution--and a degree of respect? At this point in my life, I would never treat any area of the mysterious in a flippant way. The paranormal is not a game. One might argue that I wasn’t really harmed as a result of my brash behavior--but who's to say that I wasn't just lucky? Who really knows the extent of what the invisible can do? And--how do I know that I didn't cause distress to an already disturbed spirit? I'd much prefer, at this point, to approach with respect.
         I’m not saying that we humans shouldn’t remain curious about the unseen, or continue to explore it; I’m just saying we should do it with caution and respect. What do you think?

Paranormal Romance, For Real

         Sometimes truth really is more extraordinary than fiction. In honor of Valentine’s Day, I’m going to share the story of a true-life romance where intuition and psychic connection played a major role. I know the story is true, because I was in it—along with my husband.

         The tale actually begins 6 years before the two of us met—when his name turned up in a journal of mine. As an avid explorer of the paranormal, I kept a record of unusual experiences, dreams, and psychic impressions. One day I jotted down his name, and the words “He’s coming! Yes!” In all honesty, I didn’t think much about it after that. But that entry did turn out to be precognitive. And it was just the first of many uncanny occurrences involving him and me.

         Six years after that journal entry, I was living in the Northeast, single and disenchanted; he was stationed on a military base over 900 miles away. Amazingly, even though each of us almost didn’t make it, we both ended up on Paradise Island, Bahamas at the same time—in the same disco, on the same night. I sat down at a table behind him. And, he says, he got a sudden, overwhelming feeling that he had to turn around and talk to the person behind him; he knew that if it was a man, he would become his best friend—and if it was a woman, she would be the love of his life.

         So he turned around and asked me to dance. I said “yes”, and that’s how it began. As I said in a previous entry, I was amazed at the immediate, potent mental connection we made. He already seemed so familiar on the first night we met. And by the next night, I knew I was falling in love with him.

         In the following months, as we dated mostly by phone and letter, intuition continued to play a huge role between us. Even though we hadn’t known each other for very long, I had a deep sense that he was the right one for me; that was the major factor in my decision to marry him. I’ll never forget the night when we shared the same reincarnational memories of each other, with him describing the same details I was seeing in my mind (See my blog entry “Other Lives”, June 21, 2011). And on the day of our wedding, I had a profound feeling of being in exactly the right place, for the first time in my life.

         Now, nearly 26 years later, my husband and I still have a beautiful romance. We have our challenges, of course. But in the end, we always come through them better off than we were. Intuition and psychic connection have continued to operate in our relationship. And marrying him has turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made.

         Having been a very real part of this amazing story, I’ve come to believe that my husband and I certainly didn’t meet by accident; I also believe that we were connected, on a psychic and spiritual level, long before we met. I think our story also demonstrates the potency of intuition. We humans really are so much more than we appear to be on the surface—and the connections between us run far deeper than we usually know. The Universe truly is an amazing place.

Vast Potential

         

         In my novel Between the Sun and the Moon, I explore some of the “what-ifs” about the power of the mind—for telepathic communication, self-protection, and influencing weather, plant growth and other events. Do I believe we humans are actually capable of all this, and so much more? Absolutely. Why? Because there is, in us, this amazing interface between brain and mind. I believe that these two parts of us are much more powerful than we realize, and that they create in us a vast potential for amazing things.

         Medical science acknowledges that the full power and capability of our brains isn’t fully understood; this less tangible thing called “mind” seems even harder to delineate. But I believe that the power of each is considerable. And, working with and through each other as they do, they give us the capacity to accomplish remarkable things, including the heightened mental powers I described above. The vast majority of us aren’t using our minds in this expanded way because we truly don’t realize it’s possible. But, in American culture, at least, there seems to be another factor, too.

         We Americans seem to have a great deal of skepticism and fear holding us back. Most of us don’t seem to believe that we could have these incredible capabilities—or we’re terrified at the idea that we just might. Over the years, I’ve seen and experienced enough to know that the power of the mind does extend beyond the limits we’ve created for it. I’d love to see more of us recognizing our potential and using it in a constructive way. We could make some truly amazing changes in our world. Wouldn’t that be an awesome thing?

Intuition Speaks

         Have you ever had the unshakable feeling that you were in exactly the right place—or the opposite feeling that you had to get away, fast? I’ve had both, and I always listen to that inner voice. It’s never misled me. I’ve come to believe that this thing called intuition is an aspect of our psychic nature as humans—and that it certainly serves a purpose.

         I’ll always remember the two occasions when my sense of being in exactly the right place was incredibly strong: the day I married my husband, and the first day I ever worked out at a gym. In both instances, I felt a profound sense of rightness about what was happening in that moment—and a distinct sense of being in my perfect place. Powerful feelings, and they didn’t turn out to be false. After nearly 26 years, my husband and I are still together in a strong, loving partnership that has enriched both our lives. And, after 19 years and many ups and downs, I’m still working out at the gym, which continues to be a healing activity for my body and spirit.

         I can also recall two occasions when my intuition warned me that I absolutely needed to get away. One night, during a cross-country car trip, my husband and I stopped at a small motel for the night. As soon as I went into the motel room, I was seized with the feeling that something terrible was going to happen; the sense of danger was so imminent and close. I stridently refused to stay there, and my husband ended up taking me to a hotel. Another instance happened years later, as the two of us were driving on the freeway, headed for a night out. I suddenly had a bad feeling about where we were going, and that we shouldn’t go. When I told my husband this, he said, “You know, I’m getting the same feeling.” Needless to say, our plans immediately changed.

         I never found out whether anything bad actually happened in either of these instances; there was no way I was going to stick around to find out! Because my intuition had been right about so many things. And there was a time when it really did save me. When I was a child, I was approached by a couple of men in a car, who claimed they knew my father and wanted to give me a ride. Looking into their faces, I knew they were lying; I just knew. I refused to go with them, and I didn’t let them get close—a decision that probably saved my life.

         After numerous episodes of intuition over the years, I’ve come to believe that it serves a definite purpose: to provide us with just one more level of feedback about situations in our lives, making us aware of significant things our physical senses aren’t able to discern. Another piece of our amazing psychic nature as humans. How wonderful is that?