Spirit Communication

It is a very common question for people to ask me what it's like to investigate ghosts. How do I communicate with the spirits? What happens? Is it scary? I have been asked these questions countless times. It's unfortunate that what we view on TV or in the movies when it comes to spirit communication is really quite exaggerated. I tell people that I don't walk into a room and pots and pans are flying around and blood is dripping from the walls. It simply is not like that. If it was, I would surely stay away. Instead, spirit communication is subtle and for the most part, a very positive and uplifting experience. So many people communicate with those from the other side everyday and don't even know it. Things happen all the time and most people don't think twice about it. They don't open themselves up to the reality of what is happening, and that spirit communication is in fact possible.

Of course the most direct way to communicate or to receive information from lost loved ones is through a medium. It is important to go to someone who is respected in the field and who is legitimate and experienced. However, there are other ways to experience communication on your own, and it really is quite satisfying. There are everyday occurrences that most people don't think twice about. Well, it's about time that you open yourself up and become more aware of what's around you and you might be pleasantly surprised.

Spirits use scents, music, noise, objects and energy as a a means of communicating with us. Here are some examples. You're waiting at a bus stop or a train station when you have the overwhelming scent of your grandmother's sweet jasmine perfume. You look around. There are no flower beds or pots around you. You're surrounded by a handful of men, not women, so it's unlikely that one of the men is wearing your grandmother's sweet perfume. You think it odd that you are smelling this but you shrug it off. How sad it must be for your grandmother who is in spirit. She happens to be alongside you at that moment, and she's trying to make her presence known. However they are able to do so, spirits put forth a recognizable scent so we would know without a doubt that they're around. And what do we do? We disregard it.

The smell of cigarettes, a pipe or a cigar is another "scent" which is often associated with spirit communication. You're driving along a highway alone with your windows rolled up and your air conditioner on when all of a sudden your car stinks of cigarettes. Your dad was a heavy smoker and he died of lung cancer. He decides to take a ride with you in your car. He knows you can't see him, so he'll give you a scent that is recognizable. To him, it seems blatantly obvious. To us, we still somehow believe it is coming from somewhere outside. Well, it's not.

There are all sorts of stories connecting spirit communication with "smells". At one of my lectures a woman came up to me and told me about a strange phenomenon that continually took place in her house. Even when she was not cooking, the house would have the most amazing aroma of garlic and onions and sauce cooking on the stove. Everyone in her family would smell it, and for the life of them they could not figure out where it was coming from. One day a woman showed up at their door stating that she grew up in the house. She had come from a very Italian family and her mother loved to cook and make sauce. Her mother also happened to die a peaceful death in the house. All of a sudden, everything clicked for the present homeowner. She realized that this woman's mother was making her presence known in the house through the smell of sauce cooking.

Music is another powerful means of communication, one in which I have experienced many a time. You're driving along in your car and you're thinking of your mother who died several months before. You're really missing her when all of a sudden her favorite song, or a special song you had between you, comes on. Is it coincidence? Nine times out of ten it is not. It is your mother saying she's there and that she's alright. You're sad, but at peace when you hear the song. It's your mom offering you comfort.

Flickering lights is another sign spirits give us, along with misplaced objects or fallen objects. The more people and animals that I have loved who have passed on, the more experiences I seem to have. I'm aware and open to receive their messages and comfort. They are always with us.

Orbs in photographs, as well as EVP's (Electronic Voice Phenomenon), is also positive reassurance that spirits are with us. When one of my sons graduated from preschool there was a wonderful ceremony which had taken place. My mother-in-law, who just started learning about orbs, was completely shocked at what turned up in the photos she took that day. Hundreds of orbs! They all appeared above the children's heads on stage. My mother-in-law questioned me as to why this was. I simply said that there were a lot of grandparents who died who couldn't be there physically, so instead they came in spirit form. Why would they miss such a fun and joyful celebration?

So look for signs from the spirits in your own life. Talk to them. They can hear you and they will be elated that you're trying to communicate with them. Be open and pay attention. The signs and messages will come, and I hope that they'll bring you comfort and peace.

Kerriann Flanagan Brosky is the author of Ghosts of Long Island; Stories of the Paranormal and Ghosts of Long Island II; More Stories of the Paranormal, both available on Amazon in hardcover and e-format. www.ghostsoflongisland.com.