Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Life Purpose

Most everyone wants to know their purpose in life and usually this is thought of as, "what am I supposed to be doing for a living?"  Here is something I came across that makes perfect sense to me.  So instead of running to your nearest psychic, try out this exercise and see what comes of it.


Put your interests into two categories, one that fills up your time and one that is creative or productive.  Write out all the things that you do or enjoy doing.  See if there is something you actually enjoy doing that is in the productive category and let it simmer.  There is something everyone enjoys doing that falls into this category- that is what you should be doing in life.  It's as simple as that, but now you actually have to figure out how to make enough money with it to live comfortably.  Each day do something related to that interest, for example:  read an article or book related to that career topic, write a paragraph or more for your article or book, send query letters to literary agents, magazines, or publishers, join a networking group, create business cards, research speaking venues, ask for divine help, support, and guidance.  With each step you take, you will stay motivated and start to meet the right people and doors will begin to open.  Shove any fears aside and put yourself out there because if you don't, you're letting fear control you and take away your happiness.  Don't let those enjoyable time fillers take over, for they only create temporary fulfillment and will prevent you from a life filled with abundance in health, wealth, and happiness.


This may sound funny but don't share this dream with anybody until you get the ball rolling.  Everyone dreams of doing what they love for a career, so if you share that with even a family member or your closest friend, they may become jealous and subconsciously sabotage your efforts.  I have so been there and have put off my true dreams for too long.  Now I find myself split into other areas of interest because I was told I wasn't good enough, not by professionals in the field but by family and friends.  Although they may have not directly said the words,"you're not good enough", there were suggestive comments and tone.  Don't let this happen to you.


If you still can't figure out after this exercise what you should pursue as a career or are just at a total loss... shoot me an email or post a comment, we can try an oracle card reading and see what they say.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

The Ouija Board

Who believes the Ouija Board can actually do what it claims?  I recently was watching part of a show by Penn and Teller to debunk the Ouija Board.  Scientists have done studies that show the presence of something rather normal, other than spirit contact when people use a Ouija Board.  Scientists explain the event with the idea of unconsious movements of those controlling the pointer- a psychophysiological phemonenon known as the ideomotor effect.  As in the pain reflex, the body sometimes reacts reflexively to ideas alone without the person deciding to take action.  Included in this ideomotor effect idea is:  automatic writing, dowsing, facilitated communication, and the spirit board. 


As you can see I am not one who really sways easily.  Like many out there a healthy dose of skeptisism is good, or we'd all be gullible messes.  I am very open to new ideas though, which is also very important.  This ideomotor effect can also sound a lot like what many call, intuition.  I suppose those with no spiritual beliefs would like to think that our bodies alone can come up with crazy ideas that could inspire thousands.  How can it be a greater force other than what is physical matter?!


Anyway, my personal beliefs will remain the same- I actually do believe in the Ouija Board with it's ability to open one up to the spiritual world.  I will tell you why- personal experience.  I could easily not believe in something without having some kind of experience with it.  I have had a few experiences, but I will share the most interesting and terrifying one.


I was in high school, about 17 yrs. old.  I was staying the night at a friend's house, where her younger brother also had a friend staying over.  Her and I went up into her room and decided to make our own Ouija Board out of a piece of paper and then a paper football for the pointer.  We taped the written out Ouija paper onto a calendar and laid it onto a pillow.  Her brother's friend wanted to watch but quickly fell asleep on the floor by the foot of the bed (he was only a year or two younger).  We sat on her bed sitting directly across from each other and the pillow resting on our yoga crossed legs.  We opened ourselves up to anything that was willing to talk to us (which is a really bad idea).  Quickly we started getting responses to all of our questions.  The answers started coming with more speed and the pointer moved very quickly, with our fingers only slightly touching it.


After about an hour of what was seemingly not malicious conversation.  I realized that it knew everything, so I asked it, "Who is this?"  At first it tried to lie to us, saying that it was one of her brother's friends that we knew was alive.  After we asked it again, the energy in the room became very heavy.  Time seemed to have slowed down.  I felt an intense, heavy weight come down onto my shoulders.  The pointer moved slowly this time, D.  Then it moved to E.  I knew just then what it was about to do next... it went to the V.  Feeling like I could barely move, I slowly looked up at my friend who sat across from me.  I had this overwhelming wave of hatred come over me, I felt as if I wanted to reach across and grab her throat.  She looked back over to me, and I could see the fear in her eyes.  The Ouija Board flew up at me.  We both jumped off the bed and I yelled, "Why did you throw that at me?"  She replied," I didn't."


The room became very intense, we were loud but her brother's friend wouldn't wake up.  I knew I didn't feel right but I couldn't control my thoughts, my words, but I tried to control my actions so I wouldn't hurt her.  I had come into some kind of possession.  We went down into her basement where her brother was, so she could wake him up.  She didn't want to be alone with me.  She said that I didn't look right.  I didn't feel right either, but I wasn't able to tell her.  It was as if I was watching a movie.  We managed to get through the night, but this went on for at least a week.  I remember this entity having been very pleased with itself.  I couldn't really feel my body, and when I walked it was as if I were floating.  I felt very light and nonphysical.


I tried getting my friend to come over, well- he did.  He finally had convinced her to come over to talk and we went for a walk.  It was just getting to be dusk, and we were walking in the country next to a creek.  He tried convincing her that all was okay, but she could still tell that it wasn't me.  Suddenly I felt his evil thoughts, and there were strange sounds that started to surround us, and the wind began to pick up.  It kind of sounded like cows or grunting.  Totally freaked out, she said that she was leaving.


She wouldn't talk to me or come to visit me.  Finally, she told me that the only way that she would see me again was if I would go and talk to her pastor with her mother.  I laughed and told her that I would do it.  I remember walking into this nondenominational christian church thinking that this was a joke.  I sat with my friend and her mom in the pastor's office.  He spoke with me about the things that were in my house, the ghosts I have seen and how they tormented me.  He got me very emotional that I started crying.  I started to feel solid again.  He took us all into a circle and everyone started praying.  I must say that it really worked.  I felt like me again.  As soon as I stepped out of that church and looked up at the sky, it felt like I was seeing the world for the first time.  My friend said, "Look at me." I turned to her and looked into her in the eyes.  "Now you're back," she said.


That was the end of our adventure with the Ouija Board.  At least this was what I could recall from my perspective.  I had learned my lesson from then on, not to "play" with the Ouija Board.  Have I used one since?  Yes, you must learn how to use it properly and how to maintain protection from lower energy beings.  I don't keep one in my house and I have never bought one.  I really don't have the need for using one anymore.  I prefer using oracle cards of some sort, as there is no history of any negative attachments.  I use various Angel Oracle Cards & the Ascended Masters Oracle Cards by Doreen Virtue, Wisdom of the Hidden Realms Oracle Cards by Colette Baron-Reid, and Shadowscapes tarot cards by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law & Barbara Moore.  All of these decks are beautiful, inspiring, and with a clear mind- very accurate.


For me, the Ouija Board is nothing to take lightly.  It was marketed as a game of imagination and entertainment, but it has become much more.  If you have had an experience with the Ouija Board, I'd love to hear it!

Monday, October 31, 2011

Protection and Clearing

Halloween really isn't supposed to be about scary things that go bump in the night, but it seems that it has migrated in that direction.  It's all in good fun and who doesn't like a good scare.  Today, I thought that it would be fitting to talk about how to keep things that you don't want in your living space- out.  Whatever your reason is for putting protection around your home, it isn't a bad idea all around.


There are many ways to keep spirits at bay, one of my favorite ways is to use a smudge stick.  A smudge stick can be made of a single herb or a combination of different herbs.  White sage is most commonly used in the North American Native tradition, and is the one that I favor.  The herbs are tied together with cotton, linen, or hemp.  These have been used for many years to clear negative energies and are used in Shamanism.  You can pick these up at your local new age shop or find an online spiritual store.


When using a smudge stick to clear the energies in your home, first make your intention clear.  Also, make sure to have your windows open for the smoke and negative energies to exit.  Light the smudge stick and let the flame go out to let it smolder.  This will give off quite a bit of smoke.  Fan the smoke into all the corners of your home and make sure to open all the doors, closets, and let the smoke linger in any nook or cranny that you are drawn to.  You can say either to yourself or out loud that you are clearing any negative energies present, or if you believe there are unwanted visitors- tell them that they must leave now.


After you are done smudging your home, I like to imagine a brilliant white light filling every room.  This light is a way to seal what you have just cleared.  I like to do this on a somewhat regular basis, either as the seasons change or if there is negative energy in the air- someone experiencing anger or sadness.


 This has been a proven method of clearing a space or person.  My two year old daughter had once told me that her friends in the closet didn't like the smoke.  They went away and did not come back.  Anyone can use this method for clearing and protection, just make sure you don't set off any smoke alarms!

Monday, October 24, 2011

Innocents We Have Lost

Children and unborn infants who lost their lives.  This is a very difficult topic for anyone who has lost a child.  There are so many unanswered questions that we have, but the biggest question is why?  Why have they been prematurely taken from this world and their families?  There are so many different answers out there.  We want the answers but then again, no answer is acceptable.


In the particular case of those who did not even make it completely into this world, your heart breaks into the many what if's, and the so many memories that will never be shared.  I know first hand what it is like to lose a child that wanted so much to be a part of your life.  This coming Thursday of last year was when we lost Jack.  He was not planned but was foretold.


There were two different individuals that had told us about the coming of our son, even before we were officially a couple.  There was one person, a friend of a friend, who had special gifts of sight.  He had casually told me that I would have a son.  I didn't know him at all personally- just an acquaintance.  Then there was a woman who I had visited every five or so years.  Yes, she was a clairvoyant- and a very good one.  She was completely legitimate; she was a psychotherapist with a long background of counseling others.  When I had hit a brick wall in my life, I sought her out for some direction.


It was a three hour drive to a town I had never been to.  I had lost track of her for some time but found her in a New Age magazine that I had come across.  There she was, doing readings- like I was meant to find this advertisement for this little new age shop.   I had been dating Christian for a little while and dragged him with me.  During my reading she told me how he brought peace into my life and told me that he may be the one.  She also told me that if I choose to have another child, it will be a boy.  Since this meeting, I have lost track of Joanne.  I hope that this day finds her well.


After I had lost Jack, I fell into great despair.  The list of, "what did I do wrong", piled into my head.  Not only was losing him a horrible weight to bare, but so was the depression that Christian had fallen into.  I felt that I had failed them both.  It was not only that we had lost him, but the way we had lost him as well that tormented me.  Unfortunately, he had passed during the early morning and I had to cut his life line to me.  These horrible images I could not get out of my head.  With Christian stuck in his own bubble, I turned to my friend Mary Anne for healing.


Mary Anne is a licensed massage therapist and bodyworker.  Her background is heavily based in energy work and oriental methods.  She and I have a very similar mind set when it comes to spirituality.  She is one of the sweetest people you could ever meet and I trust her completely.  She and I met one day so she could perform an energy work session for me to aid in healing my broken spirit.  I will never forget what she did for me that day.  She asked if I may see my son to know that he was alright, if I consented to it.  She asked this in silence without my knowing.  During the session, I felt myself leave for awhile.  There was so much light and joy.  There were people standing around, but I couldn't clearly make out any faces.  Then before me, there was someone holding a baby.  The baby laughed and wiggled... it was Jack.  I could feel that he didn't want me to be sad.  A wave of relief had come over me and I couldn't let him down with my continued depression, but I still missed him so very much.


At the end of our session.  Mary Anne had also told me that she received a message, "not ready yet."  I'm not sure who wasn't ready yet, although it could have been me as I was such an emotional wreck then entire time I was pregnant.  It could also have been the circumstances of our unstable life situation.  Whatever it was, "yet" still rings in my ears.


Shortly after this event, I had bought a book by Doreen Virtue, PhD, How To Hear Your Angels.  It was in this book I read, children that don't grow to full term births stay by their mother's sides.  These souls then have "first dibs" on the next body that the mother conceives.  So if you have another child, there is a good chance that this is the same soul.  If you do not conceive again, the soul may grow up next to the mother and become a spirit guide or the soul will enter into the physical world through the mother's family in another way, such as adoption, or by becoming a niece or nephew.  She also notes an excerpt from A Course in Miracles, that "no one dies without his own consent."  As I read on to personal accounts in her book, I had hopes that I would see Jack again, in this life.


He was not planned but foretold.  A child meant to be.  Jack will always remain in our hearts and I will be awaiting his return.  I love you Jack.





Friday, September 30, 2011

Why do we get "Visitors"?

"The Guardian Angel" by Heilige Schutzengel.  A meaningful picture that hung on my wall as a small child.


Why do we get "visitors"?  There are so many things that come into play here.  First of all, is there somebody that has recently passed away?  If you answered yes, then there is a very good chance they are there to make sure you are okay.  Many times our loved ones need to make sure that we are going to emotionally survive with the event of their passing, or have general concern for your well being.  This requires some resolution or closure before they can completely move on to the next stage of their lives.  


Some visitors you may not even know.  It's very possible that the location itself is the reason you have lingering visitors.  Whether it is the building, or land the spirit is attached to.  If that is the case- there are at least two possibilities to these types of "disturbances".  One is residual energy.  Some emotionally charged event had taken place there and keeps repeating itself over and over.  Most times it is a negative event- unfortunately those feelings are hard to release.  Another is an actual intelligent being.  You know this is the case when you try to interact with it and you get some sort of response.  If they are on your property, by all means tell them they are not welcome and sometimes that is enough for them to leave.


Anyone remember "The Secret"?  No matter how cheesy that film was, what I recall of it rings true.  Also in my personal experiences.. negative energies attract negative energies.. or entities in this case.  A person can also be a catalyst for paranormal experiences.  Someone that is haunted is breeding negative energy for other negative energy to feed off of.  Sometimes teens going through tough "teen times" triggers it, or just a really angry, negative individual.  Basically you need to keep that negative attitude in check and kick the leech that's steeling your energy.  It can even make matters worse in the way of bringing about more negative behaviors into your life.  So if you know someone who is in a fast downward spiral, there is a possibility they are being influenced by an otherworldly, not so nice friend.


We can also have very positive visitors.  At the time we see or hear them, we may not recognize them at all.  If they have positive, caring energy, they may just be a spirit guide.  Many children see spirit guides, angles and passed relatives.  If you reach out to connect with these guides of love and light, you need to make sure that is exactly what they are.  You first need to make your intention clear that you only want to connect with those helpers on the other side with the highest intentions for your greatest good- those beings of light and love.  Spirit guides can be many different people that have once lead lives on this plane of existence.  It could be a passed friend, relative, or maybe an experienced healer or saint.  You can also call upon higher beings from the angelic realm for daily assistance.  I urge you to call upon them for protection under any circumstances when you're feeling afraid.


Some of this may be hard to chew and even harder to swallow, I know because I have been there too.  Sometimes I doubt, when I know I shouldn't; but when it's staring at you in the face- it's hard to deny.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Shadow Creatures

A shadow creature is similar to a shadow person but not a human form.  But what is it?  That is a good question.  A shadow person in my opinion is a negative human energy.  Some have ideas that they are also demons.  I have yet to come across a true "demon"... although I have had experiences of an entity to claim to be the Devil.  I think there are some bad people out there and this continues in the afterlife if for whatever reason they do not move on.  Without a human physical form, energy- good or bad, can take many forms.  I believe that negative energies are people that are stuck that want to bully others as they did when they were living.


I have also seen other types of shadow creatures, that I don't believe are human at all.  They actually appear to be animals.  I had an experience with a creature, I want to call a shadow dog.  Now, when I was a kid 12+ years old,  I had a black cocker spaniel.  Many times in my home I thought that my dog was darting across the floor but she was not there.  This would happen a lot while sitting in the living room at night with all the lights off, while watching TV.  This thing was fast moving, no consistency in pattern and sporadic.  Come to find out, my sister and father had also seen this in the house.  They all thought that it was our dog at first, but she was either not in the room or was lying on the couch with us.  This thing was not scary, just surprising.


Another account was when I was living in an apartment.  It was actually my daughter that had the experience.  My daughter was about 4yrs. old at the time.  She told me that there was a dog that guarded the bathroom at night, it was all black.  It would walk back and forth in the hallway in front of the door.  She was scared, but would wait until the dog was furthest away from the door and quickly run into the bathroom.  She still remembers it to this day.


It is possible that these are animals or pets that have passed on.  Why they look like shadows, I do not know.  Maybe it's possible that it's we that only perceive them as shadows and not what they truly looked like in real life.  Could be due to our lack of ability in clear perception to these energies.  Or the energies are not strong enough to be clear to us on the physical plane.  Whatever the reasons that hold these people and creatures to this plane of existence, it seems they are stuck until they find whatever they are searching for.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Is Sleep Paralysis a Paranormal Experience?


The Nightmare, by Henry Fuseli (1781) is thought to be one of the classic depictions of sleep paralysis perceived as Demonic visitation.


According to Wikipedia, sleep paralysis occurs when a person is falling asleep or waking from sleep.  It is physiologically related to what occurs naturally during REM sleep.  During sleep paralysis one can experience terrifying hallucinations and panic.  They may even think that they were having a vivid dream.  Those that do encounter this state find that it occurs while sleeping on their backs.

Many countries share similar folklore about sleep paralysis.  In Swedish folklore, it is said that it's caused by a supernatural creature similar to a werewolf, called a Mare.  In Turkey, they believe the classic story of a demon visiting during sleep.  A demon, most commonly known as Djinn, holds you down and will begin to strangle you.  Some also say they hear the voice of Djinn.  In Chinese culture, sleep paralysis is known as pinyin, which literally translates to "ghost pressing on body".  "The Old Hag", is a British and North American lore.  She sits on her victim's chest at night making breathing difficult.  The stories are very similar, all pointing to something paranormal.  There really aren't any reasonable or scientific explanations for sleep paralysis at this time.  Sleep paralysis is still being researched.

When I was around 14 yrs. old I had a terrifying experience with sleep paralysis.  As I had mentioned in earlier posts, I had something to be scared of at night.  Imagine the fear of falling asleep when you feel like you're being watched.  When your back faces your bedroom door and you sense a presence behind you.  I never slept with my back facing my bedroom door, and when this did happen I was lying on my back just as the research states.  I had woken up in the middle of the night, but it was as if I couldn't completely wake up.  I could not speak, I could not focus at first; it was as if I was drugged.  My mind became clear and I wanted to wake up.  I tried to sit up but I couldn't.  I started to kick and flay my arms, but it was as if I was being held down.  I felt the pressure on my body.  After only seconds of struggling which seemed like an eternity, I hit my elbow against the wall on my right.  A loud hollow bang seemed to echo in my ears which broke the force that was holding me down.  I finally sprung up in my bed as I dripped in sweat.  Was it a negative energy attacking me in my sleep?  It sure felt real to me.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

What is Paranormal?

So what makes a paranormal experience "paranormal"?  Dictionary.com defines paranormal as pertaining to the claimed occurrence of an event or perception without scientific explanation, as psychokinesis, extrasensory perception, or other purportedly supernatural phenomena.  Paranormal goes beyond just ghosts and scary things.  This includes everything we consider unknown, even miracles.  Angel experiences, spirit guides, past life experiences, universal energy, and energy healing are all going to be included in this blog as well as the more frightening ghostly experiences.  I was considering making another blog dedicated to the more positive "paranormal" dealings but after careful consideration, I thought those that are drawn to the idea of supernatural experiences really need to see the overall picture here.  Just talking about ghosts but not why they are here or how to help them move on for example, would just be half the story.  If you are truly seeking knowledge about the universe in which we live as I am, then exploring all of these subjects is essential to bring the entire picture into light.  Do you think we are really smarter than the universe?  Just because we can't explain it yet, doesn't make it any less real.  Welcome to our true reality.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

My Mother's First Encounter

I had been seeing the shadow person for a couple years before anyone else had noticed or admitted to seeing anything.  My mother, even after she did have an experience, refrained from telling my sister or me until a couple years later.  I have to admit, she has had just as powerful experiences with the supernatural as I have.  I think she finds it difficult to share her experiences because she, like many others, is afraid of the unknown.  Here is one of her stories that she has shared with my sister and me.

It was during the middle of the day, I had just taken a hot bath.  I was in the bathroom drying my hair with a blow dryer.  I could faintly hear my mom yelling at me, figuring that it was because I had used up all the hot water.  For me, that was the end of this pretty typical event.. but not for mom.  Little did I know, as she looked down the dark hallway from her bedroom, she saw me exit the bathroom.  She then started to yell at me, having had used up all the hot water and followed me down the hallway until I turned around the corner and into my bedroom.  But when she got to the closed bathroom door, she stopped and heard the blow dryer.  She knocked on the door and asked, "Kim, you in there?"  I answered her, "Yeah". 

There was no one else in the house at this time and she never spoke of this to anyone.  This was her first encounter with the shadow person.  Now there really isn't any light source that shines into the hallway, so it was relatively dark unless you actually turned on the hall light.  But I have to hand it to her for yelling at a shadow person and not knowing it.  I can laugh at it now, but I'm sure for her it wasn't funny at the time.

Friday, September 2, 2011

Living with a Shadow Person

Oh the famous shadow people of the netherworld. Really, I'm not exactly sure what a shadow person is or why they are around but one can only guess. I will share my theories with you at a later time. I think I started seeing the shadow person around 11 or 12 years old. Like I had said previously, a shadow person looks like just that- a shadow, but more dense and three dimensional. The shadow person in my house did almost the exact same thing every time. It would walk down the hallway, with arms swinging at his sides. It was probably around 6 feet tall. Every time I would see it, I just became frozen with fear. My eyes wide in disbelief. I was even afraid to move. Terrified that if I did, it might notice me. It walked with purpose, down the hallway, through the family room, into the kitchen and disappeared. I saw it both at night and throughout the day. I felt the energy it gave off was negative, but it never seemed to take notice of me. I just prayed that it never did. This shadow person stayed for many years. Eventually, my family started to take notice...

Shadow People you say?

Thursday, September 1, 2011

My First Ghost

To tell you the truth, I'm really not sure which one came first.  I think I'm going to go with the ghost I called "Pillow Face".  I wasn't even in kindergarten yet when I started seeing Pillow Face.  It probably started when I got my very own room to sleep in.  When I went to bed at night, my mom would leave my bedroom door open.  Through the door I could see into the family room and part of the kitchen.  Around the corner of my door was a hallway leading to a bathroom and my parents' room at the end, and straight across from my door was my sister's room.  But it was the hallway... everything came from the hallway.


The dark... I was afraid of the dark.  Well, not the dark itself, but what was in the dark.  I really don't ever remember sleeping at night without some kind of nightlight on.  And to be honest... I still need some small source of light, even if it is coming from outside.  If I can't see what is around me, they can hide.  Imaging hearing something and not being able to see what it is... that's when they really screw with you.  Well, back to Pillow Face... even though I had my small source of light, I saw it.  Every single night, Pillow Face would poke its head around the corner from the hallway and peek into my room, just staring.  When Pillow Face would appear, I could feel my eyes widen, my heart beat faster, and I would start to sweat.  I tried not to fall asleep because I was afraid it would come into my bedroom when I did.  Of course, I could only stay awake so long.  This was my cozy, good nights sleep, every night.


Thinking about Pillow Face now... it looked more like someone with a white bag over their head.  But back then, I didn't know any better- if I did, it probably would have been that much scarier.  When I finally was in grade school- maybe around 10yrs old, I started shutting my door at night.  So, I stopped seeing Pillow Face.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Debut

Welcome to my first post! For me, this is super nerve racking as it is the subject of my life that I had always kept so secret. So, I'm calling this my debut of coming out of the "paranormal closet". We see a ton of paranormal shows on TV now and it has become a popular subject of movies. It is amazing to see the curious responses toward these newer shows and it has made me wonder... am I not really alone... do other people have these things happening to them too? I also watch these shows as it helps me in some way make these experiences more real to me. So that I know, this is real. Some of my fav shows are: Ghost Adventures (yay!), Paranormal State and Psychic Kids.

I know there are a lot of skeptics out there and I would definitely be one of them if I hadn't had a childhood filled with unexplained events. These things terrified me as a child of maybe 3 or 4 years old... at least that is as far back as I can remember. I even lived in a house that was new, so that wasn't even an excuse for these things to happen. I only told my very closest friends. My parents didn't believe me and I never talked to my sister about it. So, I had to seal up my fears inside and just deal with it. But that didn't mean I wasn't scared practically to death on a nightly basis. There are so many stories that I have to share so check back again soon... I can't wait to hear all of your stories too!