STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

John Edwards the former Senator?

For me, I have to experience it or see it myself to believe.

At this point in my life, thank god, I haven't had a whole lot of experience with death.

So, no one has ever "spoken" to me and/or I've never "felt" anyone with me at anytime.

I think things like this are a comforting tool that people use to avoid dealing with loss... and may OR may not be complete bull. I really don't know.

I think for people who have dealt with a recent death, it can be comforting to know that you can still communicate with the deceased and they are not really "gone" forever.

Maybe I would feel differently if I had a different experience?

 I have never experienced ghosts. But, I have had strange sleeping events, that have had lasting effects on my sleeping patterns from childhood to now. As a child and a teenager, I experienced several "out of body" type disturbances in my childhood home. On countless occasions I was sleeping, and then I was in a state where I "thought I was awake", but could not get ahold of where I was, what I was seeing, and why I was looking down at somebody that was in a bed below me. *Let me note, I do not believe exclusively that I was not in some sort of dream state that twisted reality in my brain- I realise that the brain, while sleeping, can make for some strange experiences. Now, as an adult I do not have these experiences, so I wonder if it had something to do with the developing brain and being an adolescent. Dont know. But, each time this was happening I was at first thinking- "I am awake". I am fine ( not any different than any morning that I wake up from sleep), but then I realise that I am not touching the ground, that the lightness of my body is strange, that I am looking down from a vantage point that is not quite right. At this point I panic, and force myself to wake because I am falling... When I would wake up I would be very scared and had the very distinct feeling of  the heaviness of my body , every part of it, lying across the bed-and that it just did not feel natural to feel anything against my body. This feeling would be accompanied by blood rushing in my ears- it was very loud. I actually stopped sleeping in my bed as a teenager for a very long time because this experiece disturbed me- I would sleep on the floor in a sleeping bag, on the couch in the living room- anywhere but my bed. This really puzzled my parents- but I wasnt about to explain it to them- didnt even know how to begin to anyway. Eventually I returned to my bed and slept soundly. But when I got married and had to sleep with someone else I again had problems sleeping and 75% of the time I am on the couch, my husband has just got used to it. He has even found me in the hallway- no blanket, no pillow... sleeping soundly and comfortably. My first concern when I have to sleep at someone elses house is "where am I going to sleep? Am I going to embarrass myself by ending up in there hallway? Ah well, it is crazy I know, but these experiences that I had when I was young have followed me into adulthood and has been very real to me.

Dizzy wrote:

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Well - nobody yell at me, ok? I think what's going on when someone "reads" another person - even if both sides totally believe there's something metaphysical - is that the psychic is picking up on physical cues and reacting to them. Like when guy is hitting on you, and he says something that makes you sit up a little straighter because you totally agree, and then he just keeps talkign about that because he's figured you out a little bit. But to a greater degree... For example, I've been to a psychic and she said something like "Things are looking good for work..." and I brightened a little bit at that (because I wanted a promotion) and then she went on and on. about work stuff And if I didn't feel as positive about something she said, she dropped that line, and just kept going with the stuff that I agreed with. So basically, what they're really reading is you, not the great beyond. But I guess you never know...

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I totally agree Dizzy.  I think these people generally start off with very vague statements that would apply to most people and then go from there based on the reaction.  I mean the line "Things are looking good for work" applies to almost everyone and even if not, people will still interpret them to mean what they want it to mean.  Plus the people who are getting "read" usually say something of "Yeah, I'm hoping to get a promotion!" and bingo, the "psychic" has hit a home run.

In terms of talking to the dead, I'm not sure about that either.  I'm very skeptical.  I truly believe that if my grandparents were trying to send me a message from beyond, they'd just send me the message, not have some sort of discussion through some random person I've never met. 

I myself have never received any "messages" from beyond or anything like that, but I do have moments every now and then where I'm doing something and I think that my grandparents would be proud.  I like to think that wherever they are they can at least see what's going on in my life, but I don't really think that they can be actively involved.  Hope this makes sense.

i don't really believe that he can do that.  i have a lot of issues with relligion and heaven and hell, but one of the things that stuck with me from my upbringing was that if someone dies and goes on to heaven they are at peace and don't need to linger and try to contact us.  they know what lies ahead for all of us.  i don't really believe in ghosts, or spirits with unfinished business hanging out and haunting us.  i think i remember somewhere in the bible that the only spirits that linger and haunt are evil spirits that are meant to tempt us.  i could be way off though.  i don't believe in and in-between.  either you are a good person and you go to heaven or you are an evil person and you go to hell.  and i don't think that god judges people based on what religion you believe in.  god knows if you are a good person deep down or not.

cortney, i did see that south park episode and i laughed so hard.  it totaly goes along with what dizzy said as well about using generalizations and going off of what people give you. 

Dizzy wrote:

Well - nobody yell at me, ok?

This made me chuckle Dizzy. Just wanted to say that your opinion is valued by me. Dont ever be quiet.

I agree with what you have previously posted, the mind is very suggestive- and I think that a majority of the psychic readers have no true insight into the beyond.  They are simply making a living off their ability to respond to the minute reactions they see of the persons that come to them. They are fullfilling a demand by a portion of the population that seek this type of advice. Some are so distraught by a loved one passing that they dont want to let go, did not leave this person on good terms, and need to somehow make it right. For the experiences I have had- I can see how my mind could of had suggestive input. At a very young age I became very spiritually motivated { going to church at around 5- when no one else in my family did, or cared to}  It was a  positive and supportive experience, these people became like an extended family to me because my home life was so bad. I also may have had images on television, thru reading- in several ways that contributed to the resulting phenomonon. I am sure a Psychologist or Sleep Behavoirist could come up with a complete diagnosis from beginning to end. But I still pause... still wonder if this is the case-my spiritual self does not want to discount the possibility my soul was present. No matter how much it disturbed me. But, I keep my mind open always, because I should.

my granny she used to talk to my pawpaw after he died so yes i believe.

When I was 8 years old, My grandmother and sister passed away within 3 months of each other.  It was pretty traumatic for me.  In fact, I still get very upset over it every once in a while where I get into a depressed state for several days.  At one point I had convinced myself it was my fault that my sister passed away.  However, my mom has always told me that they are both my guardian angels and to this day I still believe it.  Whenever I pray, I always ask that a "hello" gets passed along to them. 

I do believe in reincarnation and I do believe that the passed can reach out to you in this life.  There are too many cases where this has happened.  Yes, it may be ourselves letting us believe it in order to make ourselves grieve a little easier.  but considering what I have gone through in this life- i have to believe that to make myself comprehend why they were taken...

sorry- this post is making me not think straight and not really want to say more.  but, in short- i do believe.  whether or not i believe in someone over publicized like john edwards- i dont know...  but on personal reflection of things that have happened to me- yes, i believe

I DO believe, though I can't really explain why.  I've had this discussion w/ my hubby before, and he thinks it's all a bunch of crap.  But it's very comforting for me to at least *think* that someone on the other side is watching over me and hopefully keeping me and my family safe. 

I'll tell you a true story that really did seal it for me:  My grandmother developed Alzheimers shortly after my grandfather passed away.  We think she may have had a small stroke, setting off the disease in some way.  Of course she knew he had passed, but there were some days her nurse said she was talking to him or that she wanted to know why he wasn't visiting her anymore.  Anyway, my brother died 13 years after my grandfather.  No one ever told my grandmother because no one ever figured she'd remember him anyway.  One day my aunt (her daughter) went to visit her.  My grandmother told her that the night before my grandfather and my brother had come to visit her.  My grandfather was playing the accordion (which he did) and my brother was playing the harmonica.  It was just very comforting to all of us that, for some reason, their spirits had come to visit my grandmother - even though she really had no idea that either of them had passed at that point.

That's my only tale of afterlife, but I have felt that I'm being watched after and have been protected from potentially bad situations.  Call that what you will, though.