After Cindy died I had wondered if she left unfinished business behind because her death had been sudden (at least to family members, but perhaps not to Cindy if she had committed suicide with assistance) and mysterious.

Nine months after her death (before the inquest, and before I went to Africa) I had an experience with the swag lamp I inherited from Cindy—it flickered as I asked questions while listening to the music of Zamfir (Cindy’s favorite music) and I had wondered if the lamp was a conduit for Cindy’s spirit (a concept I found hard to accept…maybe it was just a short in the electrical wiring). But, in an attempt to understand what was happening, I wrote about the experience in my journal (unaware it would eventually be incorporated into my book):

“If the dead entity of Cindy chose to relive the pain etc. for her sake of putting the past to rest, then that’s fine. Because there is this barrier of life/death between Cindy and me, we cannot influence each other’s present experiences. It is hard to believe she could be aware of my life and me. I know Cindy would want me to be happy. In things I do, she will be in my thoughts. When I go to Africa she will be in my heart. Maybe that is the only ‘Cindy’ there is left.”

I had wondered if some ghosts are unaware that they are dead, and wondered if a ghost can have unfinished business because they were murdered or experienced a traumatic event or an accident or committed suicide, and have messages they wish to convey to family members before they move on (messages concerning the circumstances surrounding their deaths). Could a spirit refuse to pass on because of these events? –Until they felt their message had been understood?

Was that swag lamp flickering the way it was because Cindy was lingering because of emotions that tied her to the earth? –Because she didn’t want to move on? –Or couldn’t?

What do you think?

Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My friend
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