“I remember when I was younger, I was in the basement with my sister and there was no music playing upstairs and it just turned to the loudest volume for no reason. It wasn’t even turned on and it went up. I guess I believe in ghosts and spirits.”
~Catherine
How about you? Do you have any stories to share?
Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My friend
Read an excerpt now
TV Shows and Clips about the Death of Cindy James
“My great uncle Raymond was a real character. He was an old bachelor, and he had a personality that wasn’t exactly pleasant. When I was a child my friends were afraid to accompany me when I visited my grandmother’s house where he lived since he seemed mean and somewhat intimidating. He often walked around mumbling and grumbling, and instead of saying hello he greeted me by saying shut-up. I knew he was kidding in his own strange way, but others didn’t understand this sort of teasing. I took what he said with a grain of salt, and I understood him. I was one of only a few people who really cared for Raymond, and I missed his unique personality when he passed away.
“The only dream I ever had of Raymond seemed very real, and I felt as if the dream was an actual visit from beyond. In the dream I was walking toward a building, and I was surprised to see my uncle Raymond coming through the doorway. Someone was with him in the shadows, but I couldn’t make out who they were.
“I recall being overcome with joy when I recognized him. He was dressed in the same gray work clothes he always wore, and he looked healthy, happy and better than I ever remembered. It was a beautiful sunny day, and we stood outside facing each other. He seemed to communicate without speaking, and although he didn’t say a word, I understood his thoughts. I responded by saying, ‘You’ve missed, me haven’t you?’ And with tears in his eyes he slowly shook his head to say yes.
“I was suddenly whisked back into reality when I awoke to discover I had been dreaming. Although I knew this visit was only a dream, a very strange feeling lingered within. This dream was unlike any other dream I have ever experienced, and it seemed more like an actual visit than a figment of my memory and my imagination.”
~Anonymous
Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My friend
Read an excerpt now
TV Shows and Clips about the Death of Cindy James
When I share my vivid 1990 dream experience about being with Cindy (she died in 1989), many people have told me they feel disappointed and hurt that their deceased loved one has never “appeared” to them in such a vivid manner. In fact some have said they just cannot seem to dream about their beloved…and they desperately want to—they want to feel that closeness again. They want to know s/he is OK. There are so many reasons for wanting…
So what can you do to increase your chances of having a “visitation” that seems so real, or a dream involving your beloved? Well, here’s what one person shared with me:
“Try using a prayer from your heart and asking God, Jesus, Mary, your Higher Power, the universe, your deceased loved one (whomever or whatever you believe in) to have your deceased beloved come to visit you when you are sleeping, or meditating—when you are more relaxed, open and receptive.
“Then patiently await your sleep-state ADC (after death communication experience).
“You can even ask for a sign to be given to you while you are awake so you’ll know your beloved still exists. The most common signs are butterflies and rainbows…but they can be birds, flowers, animals and inanimate objects (such as finding an item you associate with the deceased).
“Remember, nurture yourself when you are grieving and many experiences are possible. It may not seem rational to have visitations, but who can say it isn’t possible? –It isn’t something that can be proved or disproved.”
Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My friend
Read an excerpt now
TV Shows and Clips about the Death of Cindy James
You might be wondering why your deceased loved one is appearing to you—whether in dreams, or through “visitations” that feel so real to you. Maybe you’re wondering if they are actually with you for those brief moments—could it be real, or are you worried that you may be going crazy? Well according to one source:
“A spirit doesn’t only come to resolve issues. They may appear just because the opportunity presents itself like friends that drop in unexpectedly and unannounced. They may be offering comfort, reassurance or hope…perhaps trying to tell you, ‘Go on with your life’ or ‘Continue growing and learning.’ Don’t ever be frightened by their appearance, greet them just as though they were in the flesh.
“Are these visitations actually real? Is your deceased actually making contact with you? Well, there is a lot we still don’t know about dreams and the human mind, but it is true that our experiences often affect the content of our dreams. So when you have a dream or ‘visitation’, take comfort, as there is nothing wrong with having them. Your dreams reinforce the strong relationship you had with your deceased loved one.
“And if you don’t have a visitation or dream about your beloved, and desperately want one, don’t stress – it doesn’t mean your relationship wasn’t a close one. Perhaps there is too much sadness or anger to allow you to dream/visit with your beloved.”
In another Blog post I’ll give you some tips, that were passed on to me, for increasing your chances of having a “visitation” with your deceased beloved.
Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My friend
Read an excerpt now
TV Shows and Clips about the Death of Cindy James
Because of my recent Blog posts regarding ghosts/spirits, here are some interesting thoughts someone shared with me:
“Sleeping allows the other sense that you have, the sixth sense, to take over for a while without much interference. (This is the state of being that psychics and mediums practice for years to achieve, and everyone enters it every time they fall asleep.) So it isn’t surprising to hear dream stories from people of their encounters with, or appearances of, deceased loved ones. It is while you are asleep that you have a chance to be close to “the veil” –the dividing line between the physical state and the spiritual one.
“Sometimes a deceased loved one can become a part of your dreams as one of the actors in the play of coded symbols. In other words, your subconscious uses these loved ones just like every other symbol in its composition of a dream.
“But there are also ‘visitations’ –when the spirit of your loved one appears spontaneously, unexpectedly and as a brighter image as the unmistakable central focus of your dream, leaving you with a feeling of otherworldliness about the encounter when you awake.”
In another Blog post I’ll share some of the reasons why the deceased person may appear to you, and whether or not they are real.
Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My friend
Read an excerpt now
TV Shows and Clips about the Death of Cindy James
“Well, one time I was lying in bed, and woke up quite suddenly and saw two figures standing beside my bed…I blinked and they were gone…freaked me out but it was probably just like a dream, still don’t believe in ghosts/spirits, although I love ghost stories and stuff like that.”
~Porter
Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My friend
Read an excerpt now
TV Shows and Clips about the Death of Cindy James
“I am a Christian and believe that God enables us to sometimes see things. People in the Bible had visions all the time so why not now. I sometimes wake up from a dream not really able to tell if it was really happening to me. I feel the presence of people and pets that have gone, around me. I see things just as I am waking up or asleep and wake up in the night and see the room bathed in different colored lights. A large black spider used to also appear especially if my life was unhappy. I don’t know why I see these things. They don’t scare me and I’ve asked God to not let me see them if they haven’t been sent by him…I still see them.
“I don’t drink alcohol at all and don’t take drugs. I pray a lot and accept that these things could be real.”
~Mark
Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My friend
Read an excerpt now
TV Shows and Clips about the Death of Cindy James
“I was processing film one night at around 12:00am, while my roommate stood in the doorway and watched. He was bi-polar and claimed to have ESP.
“He began behaving in a very strange manner. He said he was picking up something that would affect the road-trip we were planning to make. He kept looking past me and saying strange things like, ‘This is huge. This is really important. It will have a big impact on the future. Your life is about to change.’ He was trembling and obviously distressed. Considering his mental illness, I didn’t put much stock in what he was saying, even though he had never said such things previously.
“I finally went to sleep and was awakened at 4:00am by the phone. It was my uncle calling to tell me that my father had passed away that night…at 12:00; the exact time that my friend had his premonition.”
~Alan
Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My friend
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TV Shows and Clips about the Death of Cindy James
“When my son was eight we were living in an apartment in Penang, Malaysia. My son had never had problems going to bed (quite the opposite).
“One night I put him to bed and said he could read for 10 minutes. Five minutes later he came running out to me, clearly upset. I asked him what was wrong and after coaxing he told me he had seen Granddad in the window. My father had died when he was four and they were really close. I explained that he shouldn’t be scared. That Granddad loved him and would never harm him, that he was just saying hello. I said I wish I could see Granddad and he was a lucky boy. Comforted he went off to bed.”
~Aisyah
Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My friend
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TV Shows and Clips about the Death of Cindy James
“I’ve got a 1st-hand story to tell, and it involves a relative’s death several years ago. My cousin, Kim, was killed in an accident. And as tradition, we had a funeral service for him. A few days into the ceremony, my 3-year-old (then) niece asked us this question while pointing towards the food-offering table, ‘Why is Kim eating alone there?’ The ceremony priest later told us that usually very young children/toddlers can see the deceased. It was creepy!”
~Nicky
Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My friend
Read an excerpt now
TV Shows and Clips about the Death of Cindy James