Embracing the Spirits: True Stories of My Encounters With the Other Side by Barbara Parks (best ereader for graphic novels txt) 📗

onto one leg. But the table stayed teetering on its precarious angle, seemingly settled and unwilling to budge. I decided to get out the pendulum.

“Ivy, is that you holding the table up for us?”

“YES.”

“Thanks, that’s great!” I said. “Are you able to tip it right

over?”

“NO.”

“Are there any other spirits here with you?”

“YES.”

“Will you let them help you?”

“NO!”

Lou and I laughed, as this was typical of Ivy, very much the

show pony and unwilling for anyone else to come in and steal her thunder.

“Awww come on Nan!” said Lou. “You’ve done so well, but

maybe now you just need that little bit of extra energy. Why

don’t you just let somebody help you?”

Just then I noticed a flash on the lounge, in the seat where

my spirit friend, Matt likes to sit.

Lover Girl 49

I asked Ivy if Matt was there, and if she would allow him

to help her move the table. After a minute or so hesitation, the answer came back as a small, reluctant “YES.”

I decided to act quickly before Ivy had the chance to

change her mind.

“Right,” I said. “Come on you two, let’s see what you can

do!”

Almost immediately, the pedestal table began to forcefully

shake. It was as though someone had grabbed its by its middle

and was waggling it back and forth. Within a minute, the table was knocked over and laying on its side.

Lou and I cheered, thanking Lover girl and Matt for their impressive display. We said a prayer of thanks, closed down

the session and went to sit on the lounge. Our spirit friends

were quick to follow, with Matt assuming his customary posi-

tion on the two-seater sofa.

I suggested to Lou that we should offer Matt and Ivy one

further opportunity to show themselves, by inviting them to

appear in a photo. Lou agreed and went to stand in the cor-

ner of the family room, a position I have found to be consis-

tently charged with spirit energy. Lou invited her grandmother to come in close, telling her she would be delighted if she would show herself in the photo.

We weren’t disappointed, as there above Lou’s right shoul-

der, a large and brilliant orb dominated the photograph.

Despite only passing away the week before, Ivy had no prob-

lem manifesting her spirit energy. She had surpassed my

expectations and I was more than impressed!

Now it was Matt’s turn. I sat on the lounge beside him, put-

ting my arm around where I sensed his shoulders would be.

50Lover Girl

“Come on Matt,” I said. “How about you and I have a

photo together?”

With one quick snap he was there, shining a radiant, beau-

tiful light right from his middle. Although I didn’t need fur-

ther proof of his presence, I was delighted that he appeared in what is now a much-treasured photograph.

I did briefly wonder why Matt was suddenly visiting me,

as I hadn’t seen him in weeks. Once I’d facilitated contact

between him and his family, his presence had receded. So why was he suddenly back?

It didn’t take me long to work out what was going on, and

speaking to Matt via the pendulum confirmed my suspicions.

Matt’s beloved sister-in-law, Slim, was due to commence chemo-

therapy the next day and Matt wanted her to know he would be

by her side. Since Matt had travelled the same journey himself, he empathised with what she was going through. He wanted to

offer comfort and the reassurance that all would be OK.

Feeling Matt’s spirit beside me, I put my arm around his shoulders.

It was lovely to see the small, bright orb confirming his presence beside me on the lounge!

Lover Girl 51

I promised Matt that I would contact Slim that night, to

remind her that she wasn’t alone in her journey. Not only did

she have a throng of friends and family alongside her, the spirit world was providing loving support as well. I had no doubt that Matt’s photo was intended to add to her armoury, to ensure a

positive outcome in her journey towards good health.

As I emailed Slim the photograph later that night, I was

instilled with the unwavering conviction that everything

would fine. And every time I look at that photo, I believe it all the more.

chapter seven

R o b e r t

The more I initiated spirit contact, the more spontaneous spirit interactions I seemed to attract. I also found that my clairvoyant abilities were becoming significantly enhanced. Not only

was I seeing more spirits each day, but I was beginning to experience physical phenomena to complement my visions.

As a result of my frightening experiences as a teenager, I

still find it difficult to sleep in complete darkness, and feel vulnerable if my head is exposed. I am the classic ghost-fearing chicken, and rare is the night the sheets aren’t covering my

head as a barrier between myself and the figures lurking in the darkness.

When I’m brave enough to expose myself to the dark (usu-

ally only if my husband is tucked up in bed beside me) I’m

usually overwhelmed by the images which spring up before

me. At the very least I see what looks like energy flooding

through the room. It’s difficult to put into words, but I sup-

pose the best way to describe it is that it looks as though it 53

54Robert

is raining indoors. The energy appears white and fuzzy, and

peculiarly, the “rain” seems to be falling in all directions at once. I also see bright flashing lights within this energy field, and if I’m brave enough to keep looking, the lights sometimes

transform into figures.

I am well aware that in order to develop my abilities it’s

vital that I shake these residual fears, and that I need to drop my barriers (and indeed the ever-present sheet!) to indicate to the spirits that I am open and receptive.

It was with this thought in mind that I lay in bed one eve-

ning, head exposed and concentrating on my breathing, as I

tried to make contact with a spirit I could feel in my bedroom.

I suspected that the spirit of a young man had followed

me home from my clinic, as his mother had been in