How do the deceased reach out to us?

Decoding messages from beyond

Have you ever seen something - or someone - from the corner of your eye?  Did you ever have a vivid dream of a deceased friend or relative? 

Apparently, the spirits of the dead are often around us, trying to communicate, but we're simply too busy and distracted to notice.  When we do notice, we quickly attribute it to our imagination (isn't that often the most reassuring route)?

A special greeting from Grandad

When my husband's maternal grandfather passed away in Australia, he was devastated.  They shared a unique bond: one bound by similar interests, personalities and memories. 

Roughly 3 years after Grandad's passing, my husband had a vivid dream.  He was in his Grandad's shack somewhere in the Australian Outback (coincidentally his Grandad's favorite place).  There, sat his Grandad in the corner of the room.  He looked much healthier - and younger - than when he passed away. 

 
The sentimental conversation that ensued was as meaningful as the encounter itself.  His Grandad validated every NEW aspect of my husband's life (since his passing), "Don't feel guilty about leaving Australia... I left England for Australia when I was younger than you. Canada is a beautiful country. Explore it!"  He also revealed that he knew we had plans to marry and that he couldn't think of anyone better for my husband than me (naturally, I had to insert that comment).  Their dreamtime talk was reminiscent of when Grandad was alive. 

PROOF: This Was More Than a Dream

Grandad suddenly told my husband, "I have to go now, and you also have to wake up very soon."  When my husband woke up from his amazing encounter, it was one minute before his alarm clock was set to go off!

We've all had dreams of loved ones... So many people have told me about their visions or sightings of loved ones while they sleep.  I've been blessed with a few dreams of my grandfather.  Some that I plan to share with you in future blog posts. 

Why do the deceased choose dreams to send messages? 
Are we more attuned or receptive to their otherwordly forms? 
Are we easier to access when not bombarded by the overstimulation that plagues our waking lives? 
Do we travel to visit them?  Of do they always come to us? 

These experiences often leave us with more questions than answers... 

When was the last time YOU were visited by a deceased loved one?

I wish it never happened...

I'm back!  I humbly apologize for my protracted silence.  My beloved laptop has been at the 'laptop hospital' for weeks.

Now, let's venture back into the obscure and clandestine world of dreams. 

INTERESTING FACT: Did you know that it takes longer to wake up than it does to fall asleep? 

Perhaps this is indicative of a greater importance to sleep - and its ensuing dreams - than meets the eye.  Remember my description of "Psychic Dreams" in my last blog commentary?  Well, I promised that I'd share some real and personal accounts. 

Kate's infamous precognitive dream:

Towards the tail end of my world travels, I was preparing to leave Australia in order to work and live in England for a few months before finally returning home to Canada. 

One night, I had a very vivid, and quite frankly, terrifying dream.  I was in a room with two military men in uniform.  Based on the sheer volume of medals on their uniforms, I assumed that they were high-ranking men. 

We were viewing a map of the world, almost as if we were watching life unfold on a large 3D TV screen, and suddenly, I saw meteors or firebombs hitting the northeastern coast of the U.S. 

The men looked at me, and sternly declared, "A lot of people are going to die. A lot of people are going to die." 

They were flooding me with facts and information, such as when it's going to hit, from what angle, and how many people will perish.  

I woke up in a startle, sat up on the bed screaming, "I just had an oracle, I just had an oracle!!"

My boyfriend was abruptly roused from his sleep (and yes, he STILL married me) only to unsuccessfully calm me down.  I told him that something terrible was going to happen... and soon. 

It was the most disturbing dream I'd ever experienced.

I wish it never happened

One week later, I flew out of Australia and landed in the United Arab Emirates for a short stopover en route to London.  The televisions at the airport were all tuned in to one tragic, unfolding event: the 9/11 attacks on New York City and the Pentagon.

Our world would never be the same. 

I had a very clear premonition about the 9/11 tragedy - as did thousands of people all over the world.  My dream still haunts me to this day. 

Why did I (and so many others) see this coming? 
Why would we be cursed with such a precognitive dream unless we could actually do something to stop these awful events? 

In my heart, I believe that most psychic dreams serve to help or warn us.  Perhaps others are simply to prepare us for the emotional turmoil that will ensue.

Pay close attention: your dreams may hold the answers

Cracking the code behind our dreams

Dreams are full of mystery.  They often consist of hapharzard events, faces and emotions that we must carefully piece together... sometimes without much success.  However, not ALL dreams are mysterious.  Many actually serve an important function: they help us release our fears and inhibitions, and sometimes, even hold the answers to critical problems in our lives.

Experts have distinguished several dreams categories.  Here are three main types:

1) Release dreams:
These help us resolve internal conflicts or issues that our subconscious is trying to work out.  Pay attention to those recurring - and often disturbing - dreams as they may stem from a deep-rooted conflict. Some claim that these dreams are vital in helping us stay 'sane'.

2) Wish dreams:
Ever dream of winning the lotto?  Or that you have just scored the winning goal in an international hockey game?  (I'm sure most Canadians can boast this one).

These dreams are simply reflections of what our subconscious (or conscious) minds truly desire.  Now, you must learn to read between the lines given dreams of winning big may be uncovering the need to feel important or valued, for example.

3) Prophetic dreams:

These are my favorite. And this is where I'll focus on for the next few blog posts. 

Prophetic dreams are also known as pre-cognitive or psychic dreams.  And no, you don't have to be psychic to experience them.  We've ALL have them. 

We just need to train ourselves to remember, decode and recognize these dream reels. 

When do we know if we've had a psychic dream?  Well, a simple rule of thumb is to determine whether the events or messages were presented in a chronological order. Prophetic dreams are almost like mini-movies. 

These carry messages - or warnings - that the dreamer must listen to.  Some psychic dreams may involve a messenger (i.e. a deceased loved one) or another important or recognizable figure in the dreamer's life. 


I've had many, many such dreams.  Some of which I've already discussed in previous blog posts.  Some of which I will share in the coming weeks. 

Now, I'm turning to each of YOU to share some of your dreams.

What was the most significant message that you've received in a dream?  What did you do about it?  Do you see these as a blessing or as a curse?

What lurked behind the sheer curtains?

Moving away from the world of prophetic dreams to unwelcome ghosts, this tale is another true story (as ALL my accounts) which touches on something quite different... other worldy in fact.

It seemed like a typical Saturday evening back in 1989 until a sleepover at a very good friend's house lead to a mystery encounter that still haunts me and "Tina" to this day.  As we exited the recluse of her room in order to fetch some blankets for the night, we opened the bedroom door to a long hallway that spanned the entire length of the house. There, in the dark quiet night, something very unusual instantly caught our attention.

What on Earth is that?

From the corner of our eyes, Tina and I were beckoned by the most vibrant ensemble of red lights beaming into the house from the back bedroom window. 

Tina cautiously whispered, "Kate, do you see what I see?"  

"Yeah, what the hell is that?!"

The transparent, sheer curtains only revealed the outer perimeter of this group of lights: an oblong and oval-shaped object.  We reluctantly crept along the hallway, inching towards these lights.  The mystery object generating these lights was silent, uttering not even the faintest hum or hiss.  It remained suspended, completely motionless, against the dark backdrop of the sky. 

Tina's house backed onto a somewhat secluded, wooded ravine.  The backyard descended onto a downward slope, therefore these crimson lights were far from ground level and haunted us from three storeys off the ground!

As Tina and I reached the window in question, we simultaneously pulled back the sheer curtains to better inspect the mosaic of lights that stared at us.  Before we knew it, the lights were gone. GONE.

They disappeared faster than we could blink an eye.  The lights didn't even have time to turn off, nor move up or down.  Just gone in a nanosecond.  Tina and I stood there perplexed, our hands soaked in cold sweat. 

Disappeared without a trace

After a very restless night's sleep, we arose to inspect the backyard.  Our morning hunt yielded no tracks, debree, damage, or evidence of any kind.  Wouldn't a ground-bound vehicle have left tracks?  Then again, what vehicle spanning three storeys would venture into a surburban backyard just after midnight?  And how many vehicles or planes can hover motionless and silently?

Tina, who was always rational, logical and an adamant non-believer in anything intangible, was at a loss.  All rational explanations just evaded us. 

Our only viable conclusion that night, and well over 20 years later, is that we saw a UFO. 

Does anyone have a different theory about this?  Any other UFO sighters out there?

Phantom Bather

They say that England is full of ghosts.  I didn't believe it until I settled in Brighton, England, during the fall of 2001. 

My then boyfriend (now husband) and I were boarding in an old semi-detached house on the outskirts of the seaside town of Brighton.  It resembled a flagship tudor-style British home and seemed charming enough from the outside, but masked an ugly secret. 

The inside was undoubtedly dull, grey and cold. Quite cold at times. Our bedroom was no exception.  I often felt an odd presence... as if though someone was always watching us. Of course, we had no proof - and no reason to worry - until one eery night in October. 

This house had only one bath in a small, dingy upstairs washroom.  Every night, we took turns soaking in the tub before retiring to bed. 

One night, my husband's bath was abruptly cut short. 

I was surprised to see him rush back into our room with only a towel around his waist.  He wore a very pale and fearful expression on his face as he confessed, "I'm absolutely freaked out!"

He insisted, "I was washing my hair and face when I suddenly felt something scratch my side.  I thought that maybe a hair brush fell into the tub and knicked me... until it happened again.  The second time, I felt another scratch on my lower back". 

When he rinsed the soap off his face, he was perturbed to realize that there was no brush - or anything bristly - in the tub with him. 

I frantically inspected his back and ribs to find very fresh scratch marks.  There were five, clear finger-width red marks in two distinct locations.  It reminded me of the bloody hand scratches often depicted in 1980s horror flicks. Obviously someone or something wanted him out of 'their' bath.

We were reluctant to tell the young couple that we were boarding with about our experience. Nonetheless, it later came out that when they purchased the house from their relative, they were warned that it was indeed haunted. Now, we all had proof. 

Who was this mystery bather? 
Why did they scratch my husband? 
Was it a warning or a greeting? 

If anyone has any insight or experience with this type of event please speak up!  It's a 10 year old mystery that has yet to be solved.