Objects you are sure you put in one place appear in another. Strange things happen often enough to cause you to wonder if you are losing your mind, or if there is an unseen presence that wants your attention. Something is seen when nothing is there. You hear a voice calling your name but no one is present.

Stories of spirits interacting with the living can be found across our history, throughout our ancient myths and scriptures and in every major religion. And it remains an interesting topic in these modern times as well, with people from all walks of life regularly sharing their encounters on television, books and social media.

Even so, the stories often come with an air of skepticism, as many of them are told as tales of fear or fantasy.  But to those of us who have had these encounters, they are as real as you and me.

You don’t have to be a clairvoyant or a medium to experience contact with the Deceased. There are many approaches those in spirit use to make themselves known to the living, none of which require any special skills or inner vision to experience.

So, how do you know if what you experienced is real or a figment of your imagination?  Here are 13 signs to detect if a spirit is trying to communicate with you:

13 Signs of a Spirit Communication

Scent – You are sitting alone in your home at night and suddenly you smell cigar smoke, just like the kind your grandfather used to use. Or, out of nowhere, you smell the perfume of your deceased aunt and you cannot find the source. Spirit is aware that aromas are triggers for memories and they often use scent as a way to let you know they are near you.

Sounds – Hearing your name called, knocking sounds, whispering or faint conversational hums and scratching sounds that seem to come from no where are all examples of the way spirit uses noise to communicate with you.  If you hear these sounds, especially when you cannot find a source for them, it might just be a departed person making them to get your attention.

Temperature – Fluctuating temperature, especially bursts or spots of cooler air, are often reported when spirits are nearby. Although the reasons for this are unknown, it may be due to the differing frequencies and light density of one who is in spirit. Whatever the case, a large change in temperature rarely goes unnoticed, even by the most unaware among us.

Physical Sensations – The list that falls under this category is long, as there are countless ways our physical bodies pick-up on the presence of spirit. Chills, phantom pains, the feeling of being touched or walking through cobwebs, pinches, butterflies in the stomach, feeling of dread, fear, or love and warmth, tingles, static charges, and even the cliché’ of hair standing on end are all examples. If your physical sensations are repetitive, seemingly have no source, and are accompanied by at least one or more of the other items on this list, then it may be that a spirit is vying for your attention.

Flashes, Sparkles and Orbs – Spirit knows to appeal to all of our senses to get our attention. Flashes, sparkles of light and orbs are common visual anomalies the deceased use to present themselves to us. Especially common in this day of high-def photography are orbs. Although you may see these with the naked eye, they tend to show-up better in photography.

Imprints – Superimposing an image over reality, such as the features of one’s face over another, or a snapshot of the past over an area in the present, is a common way spirit makes its presence known. For example, you may look at your spouse’s face and, for a split second, they take on the appearance of your deceased relative. Also, areas where major tragedies once occurred are sometimes imprinted with images from that time, reappearing to a select few who have the confusing experience of witnessing the past superimposed over the present.

Figures of Shadows or Light  – The dark shadowy or ghostly white figures often depicted in horror movies, roaming from room to room to frighten the living, are not merely works of fiction. It seems that although people in spirit no longer have a physical body, some of them retain the shape of their former selves to continue to walk among the living. Although it is only a theory, the brightness of the apparition may betray the intentions and nature of the soul, whereas the lighter figures are more benevolent than their dark counterparts.

Animals – In some cases, the deceased enlist the help of the animal kingdom to communicate with the living. Many have reported the extraordinary behavior of animals that seem to go out of their way to carry a message of eternal life to the living. For example, a cardinal lands on the lawn chair you are sitting on in your yard and stares at you. This is unusual behavior for a cardinal. Knowing that a cardinal was your deceased mother’s favorite bird, you take this as a sign from her that she is with you.

Object Misplacement – The car keys that you just placed on your desk go missing, only to turn-up on your nightstand later. Family portraits seem to jump off of the wall. A cabinet of curios rearranges itself overnight, although no one touched them.  Or, you continually find coins in the most unusual places and at a rate that falls beyond chance. All of these are examples of the way spirit can manipulate physical objects to get your attention.

Phone Calls or Voice Recordings –  EVPs, or electronic voice phenomenon, is one common way that spirits use to communicate with the deceased. It seems that recording devices, such as video cameras and voice recorders, are able to pick-up more than our human ears can detect. Although rare, there are tales of people receiving actual phone calls from a deceased person.

Electronic Malfunctions –  Spirit has a way of affecting electronic equipment that causes all sorts of odd malfunctions. Lights flickering, televisions turning off by themselves, batteries draining from phones, flashlights, etc., computers going haywire, and light bulbs popping more frequently than they should are just a few examples.

Dreams – Dreams are a common way the departed reconnects with us. People often report having entire conversations with a departed loved one while they are asleep. You can tell if you have experienced this type of Spirit Communication if the dream you had was very vivid in detail, you recall most of it, and you awoke with the distinct knowing that you were really visiting with your loved one.

(See my post on Spirit Communication Dreams for more detail)

Photos – Photographs of the deceased are perhaps the most elusive, yet to some the most conclusive, proof of life after death. There are countless examples in the world of ghostly human figures showing up in photos. While some of them are likely hoaxes, there are many more that cannot be debunked.

Was it Real?

Although our physical bodies have a shelf life, there is no proof that some part of us, our consciousness perhaps, also dies with the body. And if so, it seems logical to think that just because a person has died it doesn’t mean that they don’t still want some form of attention from the living.

While the topic of ghosts and spirits garner more attention than any other in the psychic and spiritual communities,  there remain more skeptics in the world than believers. This is understandable and acceptable. But if you are among those of us who believe otherwise, it can also be an area of ridicule if you share your experiences with the wrong crowd.

As with many of our personal opinions these days, it’s important to remind yourself to know your audience before you discuss certain topics. If you have had these experiences, know that you are not alone. Also, seek a support group or friends who understand you.

Likewise if you are a skeptic, please reserve your judgment while remembering that these experiences are very real to the rest of us. While it may seem logical that the only determinate of whether or not these experiences are real is an individual choice, there are endless cases of skeptics becoming believers after a supernatural experience happens to them.

What if it Happens to You?

If you believe you are being contacted by a spirit, don’t panic. In most cases the deceased around you are departed loved ones who simply want you to know that they are with you, that they love you and that life does not end with the body.

However, if you believe yourself to be plagued by something that feels harmful or evil, do not hesitate to enlist the help of a medium, shaman, or religious clergy member who can help you banish the presence from your life safely and effectively.

No one among the living really knows what happens to us after we die. What we do know is that reality doesn’t always follow a logical pattern. There are endless mysteries and occurrences in life that have no explanation.

If you are one the many people who have experienced spirit communication, the choice is yours to either dismiss it as chance, or embrace it as a sign of eternal life. Either way, know that you are not alone, perhaps even when you think you are!

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