Where are the Dead?

[Sgt. Pepper]

I think this sounds like it makes sense.But I have read other passages that confuse me.

I've been thinking about what you stated in your post, and it reinforces my conviction that what the Bible teaches about what happens to people after they die is clearly inaccurate and misleading. I've had over 40 years of experience as a psychic medium and have had direct contact with earthbound spirits for about 16 years, so I have no doubt that what the Bible teaches about the afterlife is clearly inaccurate and misleading. To be honest, there is not a single Christian alive who can convince me that their preferred interpretation or their church's preferred interpretation of the Bible about the afterlife is correct.

A lifetime of firsthand experience as a psychic medium, combined with many years of experience as a seasoned paranormal investigator, has undoubtedly proven otherwise to me. Of course, what I'm conveying to you is my own personal belief based on my years of experience as a medium and paranormal investigator, and I understand that you believe differently. I'd like to make it clear that I respect your personal beliefs, even though I disagree with them.

Years ago, as I was growing up and also as a young adult, I used to believe that I was seeing things (a.k.a. human spirits and nonhuman entities) because no one else I knew could see, hear, or feel what I could since I was six years old and saw my first human spirit (read about it here). So, I kept everything I experienced to myself until my mid-twenties, when I eventually told my husband, who was the first person I'd ever told about my mediumship. It took me a few more years after telling him before I finally accepted and embraced my mediumship abilities and used them to assist both the living and the dead.

As a psychic medium, I can see, hear, and speak directly with human spirits, as well as feel the presence of spirits. For almost 16 years now, I have given readings to many people who didn't believe in the paranormal, and none of them remained skeptical of the paranormal after I revealed specific private information that was only known between them and their deceased loved one(s) (such as the names of their living or deceased relatives, exact dates of key events in their lives, family vacations, certain places they visited or traveled to outside of the country, and specific childhood memories that they have).

That includes my first therapist (read about it here), as well as a couple of other therapists and a psychologist. In addition to what I've written in one of my previous posts here, I've also shared how I knew when a friend tragically died (read about it here), when my relatives died (read about it here), and when I've had extraordinary experiences that I couldn't confirm with other present witnesses or document with my ghost-hunting equipment, as I explained in a previous post here. In fact, I've spent over a year posting on this forum about my personal experiences as a psychic medium (such as this post here) and a seasoned paranormal investigator (such as this post here) and commenting in many other threads as well. In the posts I linked, I provided a great deal of specific detail regarding my experiences as a psychic medium and paranormal investigator. I don't just say that I can see spirits and then leave it at that.

 

[Jimmy]

Of the dead, they know nothing. I agree with that 100%. Everyone will come back in the end/beginning though.

 

[Eli G]

John 11:11 After he said these things, he added: “Lazʹa·rus our friend has fallen asleep, but I am traveling there to awaken him.” 12 The disciples then said to him: “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will get well.” 13 Jesus, however, had spoken about his death. But they imagined he was speaking about taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus said to them plainly: “Lazʹa·rus has died, 15 and I rejoice for your sake that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples: “Let us also go, so that we may die with him.”

Evidently, Jesus compared death to sleep. In other places in Scripture the same comparison is used (Acts 7:60).

1 Cor. 15:17 Further, if Christ has not been raised up, your faith is useless; you remain in your sins. 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in death in union with Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are to be pitied more than anyone.
20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep in death. 21 For since death came through a man, resurrection of the dead also comes through a man.

The comparison was used even in Hebrew (1 Kings 1:21; 2:10; 11:21).

According to the Bible, not Bahais or spiritualists, pagans or anything else, dead people are unconscious, they are no more, they are just in suspension, waiting when the resurrection brings them back to life.

If a Bible student believes something diferent, then he/she IS NOT a Biblical teachings' follower any more.

Eccl. 9:4 There is hope for whoever is among the living, because a live dog is better off than a dead lion. 5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing at all, nor do they have any more reward, because all memory of them is forgotten. 6 Also, their love and their hate and their jealousy have already perished, and they no longer have any share in what is done under the sun.
7 Go, eat your food with rejoicing, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for already the true God has found pleasure in your works. 8 May your clothing always be white, and do not fail to put oil on your head. 9 Enjoy life with your beloved wife all the days of your futile life, which He has given you under the sun, all the days of your futility, for that is your lot in life and in your hard work at which you toil under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do with all your might, for there is no work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the Grave, where you are going.

Psal. 115:17 The dead do not praise Jah; Nor do any who go down into the silence of death.
... 146:3 Do not put your trust in princes Nor in a son of man, who cannot bring salvation. 4 His spirit goes out, he returns to the ground; On that very day his thoughts perish.

Is. 38:18 For the Grave cannot glorify you, Death cannot praise you. Those who go down into the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness.

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

As I said, I believe that the Baha'i Writings supersede the Bible since they were revealed by a later Messenger of God so that is why I refer to them

When posting to Christians I have to quote the Bible because that is the only scripture that Christians will discuss.
I am not trying to discredit the Bible or Christians.

When I quote the Bible, a Christian or two will accuse me of lacking "spiritual discernment" in order to properly understand it, and ironically, if more than one Christian accuses me of this, these Christians don't agree on what they believe the Bible actually teaches. They fiercely argue and backbite each other about Bible interpretation. They don't seem to care that I was a Christian for 30 years myself and that I extensively studied the Bible and Christian theology when I assisted my nephew in obtaining his Master of Theological Studies (MTS) degree and when I trained to be the leader of an evangelism team.

 

[Trailblazer]

According to the Bible, not Bahais or spiritualists, pagans or anything else, dead people are unconscious, they are no more, they are just in suspension, waiting when the resurrection brings them back to life.

If a Bible student believes something diferent, then he/she IS NOT a Biblical teachings' follower any more.

If you mean a physical resurrection of the physical body from a physical grave, this is not what the Bible says. That erroneous belief came about from Christians' misinterpreting Bible verses. Physical bodies do not come back to life. They are buried and return to dust (Eccl 12:7). Then the spirit (soul) leaves the body and returns to God in the Kingdom of God which is in heaven.

1 Corinthians 15 New Living Translation

40 There are also bodies in the heavens and bodies on the earth. The glory of the heavenly bodies is different from the glory of the earthly bodies.

44 They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.

50 What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever.

51 But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed!

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

If you mean a physical resurrection of the physical body from a physical grave, this is not what the Bible says. That erroneous belief came about from Christians' misinterpreting Bible verses. Physical bodies do not come back to life. They are buried and return to dust (Eccl 12:7). Then the spirit (soul) leaves the body and returns to God in the Kingdom of God which is in heaven.

Typically, when a Christian states, "According to the Bible," they quote a few verses and either forget or purposely omit several other verses that don't align with their preferred beliefs about the afterlife. For example, it appears that the most commonly cited verse by Christians in an attempt to refute the existence of earthbound human spirits is Hebrews 9:27, which states, "Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment," and they will also sometimes include 2 Corinthians 5:8, which states, "We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord." But they don't mention other scriptures that appear to contradict these verses, such as the multiple ones about "soul sleep" (Daniel 12:2, 2 Chronicles 32:33, 2 Chronicles 33:20, 1 Kings 15:8, 1 Kings 16:28, 2 Kings 13:13, 2 Kings 14:29, John 11:11–15, 1 Thessalonians 4:13–17) or Revelation 20:13, which states, "The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done."

The vast majority of Christians claim and believe that the Bible is the inerrant and infallible Word of God, but they cannot agree on what will happen to people in the afterlife. Some Christians believe in "soul sleep," which the Bible describes in several scriptures (Daniel 12:2, 2 Chronicles 32:33, 2 Chronicles 33:20, 1 Kings 15:8, 1 Kings 16:28, 2 Kings 13:13, 2 Kings 14:29, John 11:11–15, 1 Thessalonians 4:13–17). However, 2 Corinthians 5:8 implies that the people who believe in Jesus will be in heaven with him immediately following their death, and Hebrews 9:27 implies that believers and non-believers alike will face judgment immediately following their death. On the other hand, Revelation 20:13 appears to suggest the opposite of these two scriptures because it says that "the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them," and "each individual was judged according to what they had done." If there are human spirits in the sea or in Hades awaiting God's judgment, how does that claim square with the other verses implying that human spirits face God's judgment immediately after death? In my opinion, the Bible contains several contradictory teachings about the afterlife.

Do human spirits rise upward from the earth, as Ecclesiastes 3:21 suggests, or do some rise from the sea and Hades and then face judgment, as it is written in Revelation 20:13? Or, after death, do all human spirits immediately face God's judgment (Hebrews 9:27), and the followers of Jesus are instantly in his presence (2 Corinthians 5:8)? Or do all human spirits (both believers and nonbelievers) fall asleep in the grave to be resurrected and judged later in the alleged end times (1 Thessalonians 4:13–17, Revelation 20:11–15)? And finally, if the dead know nothing, as Ecclesiastes 9:5 suggests, then how would they know if they are in heaven or hell? For instance, in the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), the rich man knew that he was in torment in Hades. Why would there be a parable of a dead man being aware that he was in hell if the dead know nothing, as the Bible states in Ecclesiastes 9:5? Also, Ecclesiastes 9:5 suggests that there is no final reward for the dead and that even their names are forgotten, which is in contrast to several other verses in the Bible that imply there are final rewards bestowed in heaven (like these verses here) and that people's names have been written in a "Book of Life" that God is said to have on hand (see the verses here), as well as their names being recorded in heaven (Luke 10:20). So, what is the answer to these questions? Well, it appears that the answers to the Bible's claims about the afterlife depend on which Christian you ask and their preferred interpretation of the Bible.

 

[Rachel Rugelach]

Well, @Trailblazer, @Sgt. Pepper and @nPeace, I've stayed overnight in a lot of supposedly haunted places, and I've yet to see a ghost. This was my latest, and I posted about it:

Does your town have it's on haunted house?

Does your town have it's on haunted house?With it's own human ghost?As far as I can tell.Mine doesn't.:)

www.religiousforums.com

Nevertheless, I love ghost stories. If you're interested in a new movie on Netflix that has both humor and heart (with a touch of horror), I highly recommend We Have a Ghost. Here's the trailer:

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

I've stayed overnight in a lot of supposedly haunted places, and I've yet to see a ghost.

I've traveled across the country to investigate several notoriously haunted locations and didn't get a single response to document with my ghost-hunting equipment. On the other hand, I've been to locations that aren't known to be haunted and have been bombarded with poltergeist activity and personal interactions with spirits. The cause of this occurrence is that human spirits are unpredictable and don't always appear to the living or respond to inquiries.

I've started threads about the paranormal investigations I've done in different haunted places across the country, like the Old North Church in Boston, MA; the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN; an old plantation house and property turned into a hotel resort in South Boston, VA; and the old historic Crescent Spa & Hotel in Eureka Springs, AR, which is reputed to be the most haunted hotel in the country. I have, however, had a few dud investigations despite having had many successful ones over the years. I've had unsuccessful investigations because the spirits are erratic and don't always respond and answer inquiries from the living. Furthermore, I realize that the spirits (human or nonhuman entities) don't owe me anything, and I'm on their home turf.

The truth is, human spirits don't normally perform on command. They are known to respond if they're treated with respect and asked politely for their cooperation, or they'll respond with vengeance if they're provoked to anger. I've never demanded a spirit communicate with me because I know better than to disrespect the dead. Despite the fact that I've never demanded an answer from a spirit or made a stern request for them to manifest themselves, and I've never provoked a spirit either, I don't always visually see or audibly hear spirits, despite feeling the presence of spirits all around me. Even though I'm a psychic medium and can visually see and audibly hear human spirits, there are times when they prefer not to interact with me or anyone else living.

 

[Colt]

Are the dead alive somewhere?
Can the dead interact with the living... or dead?
Is there any hope for the dead... can the dead live again?

Some scriptures I found answers these questions...

Spoiler: Scriptures

Genesis 3:19) In the sweat of your face you will eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For dust you are and to dust you will return.”

(Psalm 104:29) When you hide your face, they are disturbed. If you take away their spirit, they die and return to the dust.
(Psalm 146:3, 4) 3 Do not put your trust in princes Nor in a son of man, who cannot bring salvation. 4 His spirit goes out, he returns to the ground; On that very day his thoughts perish.
(Ecclesiastes 3:20) All are going to the same place. They all come from the dust, and they all are returning to the dust.

(Ecclesiastes 9:4-10) 4 There is hope for whoever is among the living, because a live dog is better off than a dead lion. 5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing at all, nor do they have any more reward, because all memory of them is forgotten. 6 Also, their love and their hate and their jealousy have already perished, and they no longer have any share in what is done under the sun. ... 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do with all your might, for there is no work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the Grave, where you are going.

(Ecclesiastes 12:7) Then the dust returns to the earth, just as it was, and the spirit returns to the true God who gave it.

(Isaiah 26:19) “Your dead will live. My corpses will rise up. Awake and shout joyfully, You residents in the dust! For your dew is as the dew of the morning, And the earth will let those powerless in death come to life.

(Hosea 13:14) From the power of the Grave I will redeem them; From death I will recover them. Where are your stings, O Death? Where is your destructiveness, O Grave? Compassion will be concealed from my eyes.

(Mark 12:26) But concerning the dead being raised up, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account about the thornbush, that God said to him: ‘I am the God of Abraham and God of Isaac and God of Jacob’?

(John 5:28, 29) 28 Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, and those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment.

(John 11:24, 25) 24 Martha said to him: “I know he will rise in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who exercises faith in me, even though he dies, will come to life;

(Acts 24:15) And I have hope toward God, which hope these men also look forward to, that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.

(1 Corinthians 15:21) For since death came through a man, resurrection of the dead also comes through a man.

Basically, those scriptures tell us

• the dead are not alive anywhere... except in God's memory. Luke 20:38
• the dead cannot communicate with either the living, or the dead. They cannot do anything. They are inactive - in the powerful grip of death.
• the dead can... will live again, by means of a resurrection, which God promises, and is both willing and able to carry out.

On examining these scriptures, do you agree this is what we find?

The dead sleep awaiting judgment. Those who survive will be resurrected in a new form like Jesus had. Those who reject salvation will experience inhalation.

 

[Hockeycowboy]

I had to look back to make sure I hadn't written some foolishness?
I said exactly what you did Hockey.

The spirit is the CPU that allows the computer - the body, - to work. The software, is the soul.
You can destroy the computer, but the software can be retrieved, and put in another computer.
However, the software is useless without the computer.

Hope your eyes aren't failing you my brother.

Wow, I did get that wrong, in misquoting your post! I apologize!

 

[Subduction Zone]

The Dead will rise tomorrow!

Dead & Company Tour 2024 - The Sphere Schedule & Tickets

Catch Dead & Company live in 2024 - Tickets for the Las Vegas Residency are on sale here - See the Dead & Company Tour 2024 schedule and get tickets here!

www.deadandcompanytour2022.com

 

[Subduction Zone]

Wow!! I was almost too late with that news. I just noticed the upper case D in the title of the thread. And when one talks of "the Dead" there can only be one group of people that one is talking about.

Who would have ever guess that @nPeace is a Dead Head.

 

[Hockeycowboy]

Anybody who relies on that wouldn't know about the original word that is it usually translated to. It is misleading.

Yes, you are right! The Greek word there in 1 Corinthians 15:51 is “sleep” (koimēthēsometha), not the Greek word for “death” (thanatos).

The following link should help @Trailblazer to recognize that; it’s easy to find out…

1 Corinthians 15:51 - Where, O Death, is Your Victory?

Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed--

biblehub.com

The Bible is full of texts likening death to sleep:
Acts 7:60, regarding Stephen…
John 11:11-14, regarding Lazarus…
Paul’s words @ 2 Thess. 4 & 1 Cor. 15…

We have to accept the Greek words used in those texts, and interpret them in a way that’s in harmony with the entire context.
And then change our views to fit it, not change it to fit whatever preconceived ideas we may have.

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

The dead might want to interact with the living in order to tell the living something they neglected to tell them before they died, for closure, or they might want to convey to the living what it is like in the spiritual world.

In my experience as a medium, many people die with regret and unfinished business, and they can't or won't cross over until they've alleviated their regret and made peace with their surviving loved ones. On the other hand, some spirits just want to reassure their living loved ones that they aren't afraid and are at peace with their death before crossing over. In either case, spirits will often attempt to communicate with their living loved ones by using signs (such as knocking on walls, moving objects, or manipulating electronics), appearing to their loved ones in dreams, even manifesting as an apparition if they have enough energy to do so, or using a medium such as myself to convey a message to their living loved ones. It's very important to me to help these spirits.

Based on my knowledge and experience as a psychic medium, I believe that the following factors contribute to why there are earthbound human spirits: (1) There are spirits who don’t realize that they are dead because they died unexpectedly and are now confused and don't understand what is happening to them; (2) They are upset and scared about dying unexpectedly and are in denial; (3) They have some unfinished business, such as wanting to let their loved ones know that they are okay or feeling obligated to watch over their loved ones; (4) They are angry and are seeking justice or retribution against the person or persons who took their life; and (5) They prefer to be around living people because they miss being alive or because they thrive and "feed on" the positive or negative emotions of the living. I believe that some spirits can choose to cross over or remain earthbound, whereas others become trapped in the physical world and require the assistance of a psychic medium to cross over into the spirit world. They need help to resolve their issues.

Over the years, I've persuaded many earthbound spirits to cross over (read here about one such spirit). I'm convinced that if a human spirit is unaware of their death and is confused or refuses to cross over, the spirit can become trapped in the physical world and will need the assistance of a psychic medium to cross over into the spirit world. And, finally, I believe that a human spirit's experience in the afterlife can depend on how they respond to death and the kind of person they were while they were alive. For example, if a person was kind and emphatic in life, they will continue to be so in their afterlife. And if a person was hateful while alive, they will remain so after death. I've been interacting with these spirits for the last fifteen years, and these experiences have convinced me that a person's personal character in this life can carry over into the afterlife and determine what their experience will be in the spirit world.

I believe that for the most part the dead, meaning those souls who have died physically and entered the spiritual world, don't have much interest in the material world anymore, although I also believe that holy souls have a great effect on the material world.

In my experience as a psychic medium, there are spirit guides who assist human spirits in communicating with the living and crossing over into the spirit world. I've encountered and conversed with spirit guides that I would describe as angelic, as well as with human spirits that I perceived to have attained a higher plane of existence on the other side. I've often worked with both of these spirit guides when I've had difficulty understanding a spirit's message or convincing a lost and confused spirit to cross over. As a medium, I feel as though I have a spiritual connection with these spirit guides whenever I am with them and conversing with them. I feel as if I know them. It's similar to the feeling I get when I personally know a good friend. I trust my guides to help me.

I don't think that only the dead know if they can interact with the living. I think some living people also know, if they have been contacted by the dead (spirits who have crossed over).

You are correct, and as I illustrated in my previous post here, believing in spirits (ghosts, the paranormal) has become more commonly accepted in recent years, and the negative stigma connected with it has substantially lessened. I, for one, am relieved that believing in the paranormal has become a more commonly accepted belief. It certainly makes my life, as well as the lives of my children and other mediums, much more pleasant and much less stressful.

Normally any actual communication is facilitated by psychic mediums but the dead can also show signs to the living.

I think it may be widely assumed that all mediums communicate with and interact with the dead in the same way, but we do not, and our mediumship abilities may differ as well. I've learned over the years that mediums' methods of contacting and communicating with spirits differ. I have specific methods that are comfortable for me, and other mediums have methods that are comfortable for them. As a medium, I can see, hear, and feel the presence of human spirits, but I also have the gift of mental mediumship, which means that instead of seeing and hearing a clear audible message from a spirit, some spirits will give me words, thoughts, images, and feelings that I must decipher and then piece together like a puzzle in order to properly convey their message. It's similar to how photos were traditionally processed. In a dark room, the film is developed, and when an image forms, you get a sense of what it will be. That's what I see from time to time when I receive a mental vision from a spirit. I'm looking at blurry images and attempting to figure out what they are. It's as if I'm looking through a thick glass door, and while the silhouette of a person isn't obvious, I know someone is standing on the other side.

Most of the time, however, I can sense the presence of a spirit before I see it. Sometimes I will see a spirit in a clear form, just as I see living people, but the spirit will be translucent, and it will be either a partial or full-body apparition. Other times I will see a spirit in a solid form, and the spirit will manifest and look like a living person, then vanish before my eyes or turn around and walk through a wall or a door. I've seen spirits like these over the years, and they have been in homes from the Civil War era, in Civil War museums, and on Civil War battlefields, which doesn't surprise me given the vast amounts of electromagnetic energy that these places possess. They are dressed in period clothing and have often been mistaken for historical reenactment actors or local residents who are into the history of the location. And while I've seen some of these spirits, most of the earthbound spirits I've seen are translucent.

My late husband has made sure I know he is still alive in the spiritual world by causing paranormal things to happen in my house, although he should know that I already know that since we have the same religious beliefs. There is no normal explanation for these paranormal things that have happened. I am going to contact him using a psychic medium in due time. Meanwhile, I know he could pop back in at any time. I don't know how that works, how he can come from the spiritual world to the material world, and then go back to the spiritual world, but my friend @Sgt. Pepper is the expert on these psychic things.

I live with poltergeist activity in my house, and I'm used to seeing it in other places as well. In fact, I have resident spirits in my house.

 

[YoursTrue]

In my experience as a medium, many people die with regret and unfinished business, and they can't or won't cross over until they've alleviated their regret and made peace with their surviving loved ones. On the other hand, some spirits just want to reassure their living loved ones that they aren't afraid and are at peace with their death before crossing over. In either case, spirits will often attempt to communicate with their living loved ones by using signs (such as knocking on walls, moving objects, or manipulating electronics), appearing to their loved ones in dreams, even manifesting as an apparition if they have enough energy to do so, or using a medium such as myself to convey a message to their living loved ones. It's very important to me to help these spirits.

Based on my knowledge and experience as a psychic medium, I believe that the following factors contribute to why there are earthbound human spirits: (1) There are spirits who don’t realize that they are dead because they died unexpectedly and are now confused and don't understand what is happening to them; (2) They are upset and scared about dying unexpectedly and are in denial; (3) They have some unfinished business, such as wanting to let their loved ones know that they are okay or feeling obligated to watch over their loved ones; (4) They are angry and are seeking justice or retribution against the person or persons who took their life; and (5) They prefer to be around living people because they miss being alive or because they thrive and "feed on" the positive or negative emotions of the living. I believe that some spirits can choose to cross over or remain earthbound, whereas others become trapped in the physical world and require the assistance of a psychic medium to cross over into the spirit world. They need help to resolve their issues.

Over the years, I've persuaded many earthbound spirits to cross over (read here about one such spirit). I'm convinced that if a human spirit is unaware of their death and is confused or refuses to cross over, the spirit can become trapped in the physical world and will need the assistance of a psychic medium to cross over into the spirit world. And, finally, I believe that a human spirit's experience in the afterlife can depend on how they respond to death and the kind of person they were while they were alive. For example, if a person was kind and emphatic in life, they will continue to be so in their afterlife. And if a person was hateful while alive, they will remain so after death. I've been interacting with these spirits for the last fifteen years, and these experiences have convinced me that a person's personal character in this life can carry over into the afterlife and determine what their experience will be in the spirit world.



In my experience as a psychic medium, there are spirit guides who assist human spirits in communicating with the living and crossing over into the spirit world. I've encountered and conversed with spirit guides that I would describe as angelic, as well as with human spirits that I perceived to have attained a higher plane of existence on the other side. I've often worked with both of these spirit guides when I've had difficulty understanding a spirit's message or convincing a lost and confused spirit to cross over. As a medium, I feel as though I have a spiritual connection with these spirit guides whenever I am with them and conversing with them. I feel as if I know them. It's similar to the feeling I get when I personally know a good friend. I trust my guides to help me.



You are correct, and as I illustrated in my previous post here, believing in spirits (ghosts, the paranormal) has become more commonly accepted in recent years, and the negative stigma connected with it has substantially lessened. I, for one, am relieved that believing in the paranormal has become a more commonly accepted belief. It certainly makes my life, as well as the lives of my children and other mediums, much more pleasant and much less stressful.



I think it may be widely assumed that all mediums communicate with and interact with the dead in the same way, but we do not, and our mediumship abilities may differ as well. I've learned over the years that mediums' methods of contacting and communicating with spirits differ. I have specific methods that are comfortable for me, and other mediums have methods that are comfortable for them. As a medium, I can see, hear, and feel the presence of human spirits, but I also have the gift of mental mediumship, which means that instead of seeing and hearing a clear audible message from a spirit, some spirits will give me words, thoughts, images, and feelings that I must decipher and then piece together like a puzzle in order to properly convey their message. It's similar to how photos were traditionally processed. In a dark room, the film is developed, and when an image forms, you get a sense of what it will be. That's what I see from time to time when I receive a mental vision from a spirit. I'm looking at blurry images and attempting to figure out what they are. It's as if I'm looking through a thick glass door, and while the silhouette of a person isn't obvious, I know someone is standing on the other side.

Most of the time, however, I can sense the presence of a spirit before I see it. Sometimes I will see a spirit in a clear form, just as I see living people, but the spirit will be translucent, and it will be either a partial or full-body apparition. Other times I will see a spirit in a solid form, and the spirit will manifest and look like a living person, then vanish before my eyes or turn around and walk through a wall or a door. I've seen spirits like these over the years, and they have been in homes from the Civil War era, in Civil War museums, and on Civil War battlefields, which doesn't surprise me given the vast amounts of electromagnetic energy that these places possess. They are dressed in period clothing and have often been mistaken for historical reenactment actors or local residents who are into the history of the location. And while I've seen some of these spirits, most of the earthbound spirits I've seen are translucent.



I live with poltergeist activity in my house, and I'm used to seeing it in other places as well. In fact, I have resident spirits in my house.

If they're comfortable with you they will stay there.

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

If the soul lives on after the body dies, as I believe, then that is what is going to happen.
What is greedy or ungrateful about that? It doesn't mean people are not grateful for the life they have on earth.

I know that some spirits feel remorse for how they lived their lives and will often seek forgiveness and reconciliation with their living loved ones. I think that it's truly sad that so many of these human spirits are confused and upset because they aren't asleep in their graves or in heaven as they expected and believed they would be after death. Based on my experience, many Christians are in total shock after they die because they aren't where they expected to be and had been taught to believe. These spirits are lost and confused, and some are even angry and feel betrayed. To be honest, I can't blame them for being so confused and upset. This is why I believe the Bible's teachings on the afterlife are very inaccurate and misleading. I can't emphasize enough how unfortunate I believe it is that the Bible's teachings on the afterlife have resulted in many human spirits being earthbound and stuck in the physical world.

In my opinion, Christians should not rely on the Bible for learning about the afterlife, but I realize that is unlikely. Unfortunately, what they believe about the afterlife as taught in the Bible results in my encounters with lost and confused earthbound human spirits. Over the years, I've encountered and spoken with many of these spirits who were either very confused and scared or very angry because they believed they were betrayed and lied to when they were told they would be asleep in their grave or they would be in heaven. Many of these poor souls were stuck for years until either I or other mediums guided them to cross over, and sadly, some are still stuck because they are too afraid or too angry to cross over into the spirit world. As I've previously mentioned before, many of them have asked me, "Where is God?" or "Where is Jesus?" and "Why am I not in heaven yet?" I have to explain what's happening to them.

As a psychic medium and a former Christian, it truly saddens me to encounter these spirits because their belief in the Bible misled them. Not only are they scared and confused, but many of them feel as if they were betrayed, and they are angry about that. In my experience, these angry spirits are the hardest to cross over because they think that they were lied to and have a right to feel betrayed. But it's also very difficult to convince a scared and confused spirit to cross over as well, such as the spirit of the young girl that I mentioned several weeks ago in a previous post (read here). I will say that it is truly an honor to assist these earthbound spirits in crossing over into the spirit world, but the experience can be quite sad for me at times. I am sad to say that there are times when I can't convince one of these spirits to cross over. It saddens me to think about how these spirits are lost and are either wandering aimlessly or staying at their grave, where they died, or in a place where they felt welcome and safe. I try to help these spirits, but they don't always want to be helped.

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

Sure, their bodies are dead, but their spirits are not dead. Otherwise you would not see dead spirits wandering around wondering what happened to them.

Yes, you're right. I realize I didn't explain myself clearly in that post.

 

[YoursTrue]

i question your intelligence

Some people like to delude themselves I suppose. I am thankful I no longer am no longer of the mind I used to have. Thank you for the reminder.

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

I don't care, because the soul is the human spirit in the Baha'i Writings, and those Writings supersede the Bible since they were revealed by a later Messenger of God. That is aside from the fact that nobody even knows who wrote the Bible, but we well know who wrote the Baha'i Writings.

“The human spirit which distinguishes man from the animal is the rational soul, and these two names—the human spirit and the rational soul—designate one thing. This spirit, which in the terminology of the philosophers is the rational soul, embraces all beings, and as far as human ability permits discovers the realities of things and becomes cognizant of their peculiarities and effects, and of the qualities and properties of beings.”​

Some Answered Questions, p. 208​

Informative. I have to say that the Baha'i Writings about the afterlife are more accurate than what I've read about it in the Bible. I've learned a lot about it by reading your posts on the subject. We also agree on these: The Afterlife Revealed and Private Dowding. Like you, I believe that we have to navigate our way through the physical world in order to get to the spirit world. I obviously don't believe in God like you do (for specific details, read my previous post here). Therefore, I doubt that God exists. However, I don't discard the possibility that God and other deists could exist because of my personal knowledge of the supernatural and the years of experience I have with the paranormal. While I doubt that God exists and I don't believe in some kind of punishment from God in the afterlife, I do, however, believe that it is essential to be mindful of how we live in this life because our personalities can carry over into the afterlife. The kind of character that a person had in life can and will carry on with them into their afterlife. They will certainly be an abusive jack*** in the afterlife if they were an abusive jack*** in life. It is possible to cause a rude spirit to change by confronting them, but it hasn't happened very often for me.

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

Of course there is no basis in fact, since facts can be proven, and religious beliefs can never be proven. However, that does not mean they are not true.

As I've said before, I'm sure it would make a significant difference for me if I could conclusively document the existence of deities like I can with human spirits and non-human entities as a veteran paranormal researcher and investigator, or if I could sense, see, hear, and directly communicate with any kind of deity like I can with human spirits and non-human entities as a psychic medium. As a medium, I've spent the past 43 and a half years of my life sensing, seeing, and hearing human spirits as well as a few non-human entities. For almost sixteen years, my life has been comprised of having direct interactions with human spirits and a few non-human entities, but I have never had any form of direct encounter (feeling, seeing, hearing, or directly speaking to) with any deity. As a matter of fact, the only supernatural phenomena I have ever witnessed while in a church were the earthbound spirits of confused Christians who had no idea what was happening to them. I'm not convinced that any deities exist, but I'm confident that human spirits and non-human entities exist.