Ghosts Among Us - James Van Praagh [24]
“Guys, I have to take a break,” I called out. I sat under a shade tree with a bottle of water to cool off. The crew kept hunting. I just closed my eyes and wondered how much longer it would take to find the graves—if we ever found them.
Suddenly I felt a tugging at my pant leg. I opened my eyes and saw a little boy dressed in knickers, a vest, a jacket, and a hat. He opened his mouth and spoke with a whistling sound. I’m Zimmy…Zimmy McKevit. My body is over there. He pointed to the second row of graves on my right. I stood up in shock and turned in the direction of the grave site, and then back again. In that split second, the little boy had disappeared. I walked over to the row of graves, and sure enough, there it was. Next to Jimmy’s headstone was the headstone of William Arling, born 1857, died 1935. I felt excitement run through me like a boy opening gifts on Christmas morning.
I called out to the crew, “Hey, guys, I think I found something.”
No longer bound to the earth, the two ghosts were free to move on, but I am sure that they still hang around the familiar surroundings, not to haunt but perhaps to protect.
I knew that Mary Ann and I were kindred spirits. We had done this work before in other lives, and we were together again in this life to help people understand the world of ghosts. Mary Ann was someone special, and I wanted to share her gift with the rest of the world. Eventually, The Ghost Whisperer became a TV show based on her life’s work.
A GHOST’S OBSESSION
One doesn’t automatically change his or her mental and emotional mind-set after death. If one is obsessed with money, for instance, the worship of money is still there even after death. As the saying goes, “you can’t take it with you”—but some try to. Ghosts obsessed with the money they left behind will try to control the purse strings from the other side by influencing their heirs with thoughts. This can be a tough lesson for people who just can’t let go.
Annette Baker was a person who couldn’t let go. She was once one of the most successful entertainment executives and producers in television. She fit the stereotype of an executive clawing her way to the top and stepping over the bodies along the way. When she was alive, she was a tyrant, barking orders and belittling others, to make sure everyone knew that she was in charge. Power was her “god.”
During a meeting with the writers of The Ghost Whisperer, ghostly Annette appeared. She entered the office and immediately began looking over everyone’s shoulder to see what was being written.
Then she spewed out a tirade of criticism. What do they know? I produced some of the best shows on TV.
Annette fussed around, saying how great she was and how no one had ever appreciated her. It was a blessing that none of the writers were aware of what was happening. After she finished praising herself, she made a hasty retreat into the hall, no doubt headed for the president of the studio to tell him a thing or two on how to run the place.
It is quite amazing how incredibly tied we are to our mental and emotional states. Guilt, anger, and resentment keep souls in self-imposed prisons even after they die. To move on, we must learn to forgive others as well as ourselves.
FRANKLY, MISS SCARLET…
Some ghosts have a difficult time letting go of their earthly lives because of fond memories of good times, unrequited loves, unrealized goals, and so forth. These earthbounds get so wrapped up in memories that they cannot let go of their past lives.
I sat in the lobby of the old David O. Selznick Studios in Culver City with my development executive, Danielle Butler, waiting for a three o’clock meeting with television producers to discuss possible shows for the next television season. David O. Selznick made some of the most extravagant and popular movies of the twentieth century. The offices were actually housed in the authentic plantation set seen in Gone with the Wind. The building had not been changed since. Suddenly