memories
How To Truly Honor Our Departed Loved Ones
I attended a service recently at the local spiritualist centre that I found particularly meaningful. One of the spirit messages channeled by a visiting medium was for a recently bereaved man in the congregation. The grieving gentleman had been dealing with many mixed emotions since the passing of his spouse.
At first the medium provided the man with undeniable evidence that it was indeed his late wife who was making contact. She relayed several factual details and personal memories that only the man and his wife could possibly know of. This was especially evident from the amazed expression on his face in reaction to everything the medium was saying.
The deceased wife then admitted to being somewhat of a ‘firecracker’ during their 50-year marriage. She further confessed that towards the end of her life she had become especially difficult to deal with and said many hurtful things to him. She acknowledged that despite her unkind behavior he consistently remained patient with her and thanked him for his kindness and forbearance.
The man then confirmed that his late wife had suffered a series of mini-strokes that altered her mental state. She had also been prescribed medication that further affected her mood and behavior in a negative way. The wife then asked for his forgiveness and encouraged him to stop focusing so much on the negative memories of their final months together.
“She is asking you to please think more often of your special moments together,” said the medium.
It Is Never ‘Just A Dream’
People often say, “It was just a dream, it does not mean anything.” But in my experience our dreams always mean something, and sometimes it is profound.
Dreams serve important mental, emotional, and spiritual functions in our life journey. Our dreams help us to process and learn from our daily experiences, store memories and important information, master new skills, and manage our emotions. Dreams are also key to our inner guidance, spiritual expansion, karmic evolution, and soul growth. And some dreams are the key to healing trauma.
The first nine years of my life my family lived in a small town, until we moved to a much bigger and more bustling city. Soon after we settled in our new location, I began having the same dream repeatedly.
The content of the dream never wavered. I was back in our hometown, and I was standing frighteningly close to the edge of a large, deep lake. Then suddenly I was running away from a threatening bear chasing me. The intensity of this nightmare never changed, and I consistently woke up terrified.
Around the time I turned 14, it suddenly stopped, and I never experienced the dream again.
Years later, I researched the dream’s possible meaning. I then learned that water often represents emotion, while frequently dreaming about being chased is a sign of feeling stressed, anxious, worried, or fearful. In my dream, I was running away from the negative emotion, or trying to avoid it.
The Mystery Of Past Life Memories
Reincarnation and past lives continue to captivate the metaphysical community, while skeptics believe it’s mumbo-jumbo. As a certified hypnotherapist who does past live regression work, I am a strong believer in past lives. Based on my experience, I have no doubt that past life phenomena are real. However, what I am not entirely certain of is its true nature and origins.
For example, if I do a past life regression with a client and she recalls the execution of Joan of Arc in 1431, does that mean she was actually present at that event? If so, who was she at that time? Was she the subject, an observer, or an agent. In other words, was she Joan of Arc herself, one of the crowd, or the executioner, clergy, or the British soldier who gave Joan the impromptu crucifix for her to hold?
There is growing evidence in the science of epigenetic inheritance that our genes may have imprinted ancestral patterns, specifically due to the effects of trauma. Researchers have not only found that events in someone’s lifetime can change the way their DNA is expressed, but this change can potentially be passed on to future generations. Evidence for this has been found linked to traumatic events like famines, wars and genocides.
It is therefore possible that my regression client is not seeing events from her own past life, but instead an imprint from her ancestry. It could be that she did not experience the event herself, but that she is merely consciously recalling an unconscious imprint of a traumatic event one of her ancestors had experienced.
Interestingly, most past life memories tend to be of violent deaths. Young children between two to five years old especially seem to remember such past life deaths. Some also have recurring dreams of the tragic events. There have been many cases reported where further investigation confirmed the historic facts of the child’s unusual memories.
Turn Up The Music Of Your Soul
As have been pondering the miracle of sound and music lately. During these times of uncertainty, I have a collection of songs in my memory bank that I can easily call upon for inspiration. I use many of these songs to jump start my days.
Long after a popular song has been sung, whether it is a familiar hymn, a spiritual mantra, a national anthem, or a Top 40 hit, there is often a residual hum that we hold on to. This constant reminder, time and time again, brings us back to the original song, striking a chord with those emotions that were first charged by the lyrics and the melody.
Music lodges itself in our memories and can be brought forth at any time without actually hearing the tune itself. Sound or hearing is also said to be the final sense to leave as we depart this life. Kahlil Gibran, the great Lebanese writer and author of The Prophet, wrote “music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret of life bringing peace, abolishing strife.”
Growing up, I loved all types of music. My eclectic taste was universal and reflected artists from a broad spectrum of genres. I was also fortunate that my metropolitan city was host to artists from all over the world. And thanks to my older brother, whose work in entertainment law made him familiar amongst promoters and musicians alike, I was blessed to gain entre to many of these concerts, including backstage passes.
My favorite acts packed up their instruments from crowded cities and remote villages of the Far East and Africa, making many sacrifices to cross the Atlantic, and often shared between sets the perils of their journey. I likened their sound to ethereal gold, so precious that it would stay with me forever.
The Karmic Purpose Of Reincarnation
Do we reincarnate? I know from both personal and professional experience that we do. I also believe we continue to do so, until we have learned all the necessary lessons bestowed upon our soul. We also carry over karmic debt from one life to the next, which we must deal with before we can finally transcend and not return to another lifetime in this world.
Sometimes we experience clear signs and evidence of reincarnation in our daily lives. The most common is meeting a stranger and instantly knowing deep in your soul that you have known them before in another lifetime.
We also witness this in our families and among our friends. I have seen traits and mannerisms of my grandfather, who passed when I was young, in my son who is now an adult. It always makes me smile, as I know where he’s coming from.
I have also come across several people I have known in another life. Sitting in meditation, I have been shown the capacity in which we were connected before. In a past life regression, I have seen how one of my best friends was an archenemy in a past life.
Some people have unusual memories from another time, or a place they have never been, or they often experience déjà vu. Another sign of reincarnation is having recurring dreams about people and places not related to your waking life. Or strongly identifying with a foreign country or culture, or a particular period in history.
How To Remember Your Dreams
Many people assume they cannot remember much of their dreams, while some even believe they never dream at all. The truth is that dreams are a vital part of our spiritual awareness and inner guidance system. Everyone dreams. In fact, we dream every night and we are able to remember more of our dreams. Dreaming is a natural, automatic part of our sleep cycle as spirit beings in human form.
Dreams are a wellspring of spiritual information, support and guidance. If we were truly unable to recall our dreams, then we could never benefit from the divine guidance and spirit messages they convey. But to interpret and understand the deeper meaning of our dreams, we must consciously remember them.
Fortunately, if you seldom remember your dreams, or feel like you never dream at all, it is possible for you to train yourself to start remembering more of your dreams! Below are three strategies you can implement in your lifestyle and daily spiritual to start improving your dream recall. The key to success here is in combining these strategies in a consistent practice.
Dream Routine
Create a bedtime routine that helps to calm you mind, body and soul and increase the quality of your sleep and dream recall. Avoid the blue light from electronic devices, as it disturbs our circadian rhythm and sleep cycle. Do not consume caffeine and other stimulants. Do not eat for at least two hourse before your bedtime. Alos, avoid unnecessary stressors or stimulation, such as reading the news or watching a horror movie.
When Angels Are Passing
When I was nine years old, British troops were deployed to Northern Ireland after violence had erupted in the streets and the local police were no longer able to cope. Johnny, a young man from our neighborhood, was one of those soldiers called up. He was about 20 years old and lived just down the road from us.
Sadly, after just two months in active service, Johnny suffered a fatal bullet wound. His passing shocked our community and understandably devastated his family. My mother and I visited his mom at the time to convey our condolences. I remember her telling my mother that at the very moment of Johnny’s passing, everything in their family home went deathly silent because, as he put it, “the angels were passing.”
Her profound words left a lasting impression on me. At first, I wondered if this meant that angels sometimes also carry bad omens or bring us tidings of misfortune? But my mom soon put my mind at ease and explained that it meant quite the opposite. Angels show up to comfort and carry us through difficult times, such as at funerals and untimely passings. They bring us a sense of peace and support when it is most needed. With sudden passings, the angels make their presence known, like they did with Johnny’s family, at the moment of the person’s passing.
Almost 50 years later, my dear mother was a nursing home and not in the best of health. I was very worried about her. One morning, I drove into town to take my mind off things. I soon noticed the car park and the streets were exceptionally quiet and empty for this the time of the day, and month. I remember briefly thinking to myself it’s as if ‘the angels are passing.’ Later, when I arrived home, my husband informed me that my mother had passed.