spirit contact
The Spiritual Implications Of The Lazarus Syndrome
Recently, while watching the 2008 film The Lazarus Project, I was reminded of the paranormal phenomenon of near-death experiences (NDEs) and became intrigued by the possibility of someone coming back to life after death.
The plot of the movie is about a man who is given a second chance at life after being executed for a crime. Despite being lethally injected, he somehow wakes up in a psychiatric hospital and must overcome a series of mysterious and mystical challenges to be reunited with his family.
The title, of course, refers to the story in John 11 of a man named Lazarus who was raised from the dead by Jesus after four days. While the plot of the movie does not directly parallel the biblical story, it does draw on the themes of resurrection and second chances.
My newfound curiosity soon led me to discover a documented medical phenomenon known as “Lazarus Syndrome.” Also known as the “Lazarus phenomenon” or “autoresuscitation,” it is a rare medical condition in which a person spontaneously comes back to life after all attempts at resuscitation have failed and the person has been pronounced dead.
The phenomenon was first noted in medical literature in 1982 by Finnish anesthesiologist Dr. Kalevi Linko, who described it as the spontaneous return of circulation after resuscitation efforts have ceased. The term “Lazarus phenomenon” was later popularized by Dr. John Francis Bray in 1993, who used the biblical reference to describe these rare cases of patients who spontaneously return to life.
Honor Your Pagan Heritage This Halloween
Samhain holds special significance for those who practiced paganism in a past life, especially those who were involved in magical practices as seers, soothsayers, druids, and witches.
For us, this time of year evokes a deep sense of nostalgia, spiritual reorientation, and a return to ancient wisdom as the veil between worlds thins and we reconnect with our ancestors and the spirit realms.
Samhain is an ancient Celtic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, traditionally celebrated from October 31 to November 1. It is one of the four great Gaelic seasonal festivals, along with Imbolc (February 1), Beltane (May 1), and Lughnasadh (August 1).
In Celtic tradition, Samhain (pronounced “sow-in”) is a liminal time when the boundary between the physical and spiritual worlds is thinner, allowing the spirits of our deceased loved ones, ancestors, and other spirits to cross over more easily.
In ancient times people would light fires and wear costumes to ward off harmful spirits, while also honoring their ancestors with offerings of food and drink.
Samhain is considered the origin of modern Halloween traditions, although Halloween has evolved and incorporated elements from other cultures to become a mostly secular and commercial holiday. For Neopagans and Wiccans, Samhain remains an important festival for honoring the dead, celebrating the cycle of life, death, and rebirth, and connecting more deeply with the spirit realm.
Why You Should Be Dream Journaling
When my grandfather was alive, we had many deep conversations about spirituality and the afterlife. During a few of those conversations, he also promised me that if there was a way for him to contact me from the other side after he passed away, he would do so.
True to his word, he kept his promise. Our connection has remained strong ever since, and he continues to guide me from the other side.
It’s been well over two decades since his death, but I still have visitation dreams and mediumistic experiences in which he communicates with me. I feel incredibly blessed for these encounters, and they have confirmed much of what I’ve always believed about the afterlife and the spirit realm.
Grandpa was one of the few people with whom I could openly discuss my psychic abilities, mediumship, and paranormal experiences growing up. He was incredibly open-minded and spiritually aware for a man of his generation and background.
Not only was he a firm believer in the existence of the soul beyond this life, but he was curious about all things mystical and supernatural. I vividly remember him telling me about an out-of-body experience he had, describing how he had seen his own body from above as he “floated”.
One of the most valuable lessons my grandfather taught me was the spiritual significance of our dreams. He grew up at a time when dreams were losing their mystical significance in society as scientists began to increasingly view the dream state purely through a psychological, biological, and neurological lens.
The Ouija Board Is More Than Just A Game
A psychic client recently asked me for my opinion on the Ouija board after she discovered that her teenage son had been playing the “game” at a friend’s house.
To be honest, I have a hard time just writing about this subject, which already tells you my true thoughts and feelings on the matter.
The Ouija board may seem like an innocent board game or even a fun psychic tool for spiritual exploration. However, there are significant reasons to approach this so-called “game” with great caution, if at all.
In my work as a spiritual counselor, I have had to help a few clients over the years who have dabbled with the Ouija board and other forms of dubious spirit communication, such as necromancy. While engaging with the spirit realm offers great potential for spiritual healing, growth, and connection, it is not a practice to be taken lightly.
Developing your intuition and spiritual connection is a beautiful, uplifting process. It allows you to become more aware of the unseen and to communicate with your deceased loved ones, ancestors, spirit guides and angels. But this communication and interaction must be approached with respect, reverence and pure intention.
Well-intentioned practices of divination, psychic reading and mediumship are very different from opening yourself up like a sponge, without boundaries and protections, to any and all spiritual entities and energies.
Spirit Signs From The Other Side
As a psychic medium, I am often asked certain questions about the afterlife and the spirit world.
Is there life after this life? Where do souls go when they die? How do we know if our deceased loved ones are near? How can you tell if they are okay on the other side?
The first thing I usually explain is the nature of soul energy, the nature of consciousness and the afterlife.
Everything is energy. We are pure energy, and energy cannot be destroyed; it only changes form. Therefore, death as we know it does not exist.
Our soul energy is the essence of who we are, a form of pure, indestructible energy that transcends the physical body.
When we no longer need our physical body, our energy simply takes on a new form. Some people call this heaven or the afterlife, but it’s basically energy in a different state at a higher level of consciousness.
Our consciousness does not end with physical death, but transcends it, while our soul retains awareness, memory, and connection to other souls. The soul’s journey does not end; it evolves and remains connected to all that it has touched in this life.
Is there a “hell” or “purgatory” or a place of “eternal damnation”? In my experience, no spirit has ever told me that they are now in a “bad” place, or that they are suffering or being punished in any way.
Some Will Only Know Joy In The Afterlife
Shortly after my father’s death in 2005, I began sitting in a monthly mediumship circle with three friends. At our third gathering, my father began the first of many communications from the other side.
This experience was made even more special by the fact that one of the sitters was my father’s hospice nurse.
How fortunate I was during those last six months of my father’s life to not only have the wonderful support of this earth angel, but also to feel so connected to her through our interest in things of a psychic and spiritualist nature.
What a bonus then to have her as an additional link to him in our psychic circle.
At one point, however, my father stopped communicating during our sessions for a period of about three months. When his presence finally returned, I asked him where he had been, and he replied, “Learning about joy!”
This was very surprising to me because my father never really knew or showed much joy when he was in this world. Or maybe he never allowed himself to experience joy. The only times he seemed really happy or joyful was when he had what he called “several sherbets under his belt,” meaning he’d be pretty intoxicated!
I felt both sad and happy. Sad because he had never known joy as I knew it – just rolling around on the floor playing with my pets, sharing a joke with a friend, or being elated when a client came back to say that their life had taken a turn for the better. But I was happy that he was finally allowing himself to learn about and experience some joy.
Guiding Earthbound Souls To The Light
Early one morning I received a message from one of my clients saying that her close friend had been shot and killed before dawn that day. She wanted to know if I could try to communicate with her friend.
I suspected that it was far too early for spirit contact of any kind, but I promised to see what I could do.
Later in the day I tried to make the connection as promised. I immediately sensed that I was dealing with a soul who was stuck in this world, not quite sure where she was or what had happened after such a sudden death.
I informed my client that we needed to help her friend find her way to the other side, to the light. I asked her to assist me remotely in guiding her friend as it would help to have someone familiar present.
Her friend was still earthbound and our guidance and prayers would help her, even if she chose to stay close to her loved ones for the time being and make her presence known until they could find some peace with her sad and sudden passing.
I began our session with a calm, focused meditation, visualizing a warm, radiant light that would guide her friend. As we sent our thoughts and prayers, I felt a subtle shift in the energy around us. It was as if the room had brightened, filled with a calm, comforting presence.
My client shared some of her fondest memories of her friend, speaking with love and gratitude. This act seemed to create a powerful bridge of light, a connection that her friend’s spirit could use to find her way.