Ghosts Among Us - James Van Praagh [46]
Why do ghosts want to communicate with us? Ghosts are just like us, and their reasons vary, but it seems that the most common reason a ghost wants to communicate is to help the grieving family. Soon after a person passes over to the other side, he or she feels the pain and suffering of family members in mourning. A ghost wants nothing more than to let the family know that he or she is not dead but very much alive, and so the ghost stays very close by. Most families are in so deep a state of shock, or so caught up in the funeral ritual, that they don’t realize their loved one is right there shouting out to them. It is as if someone is calling on the phone and, instead of answering it, we just let it ring and ring. Ghosts feel great frustration when they can’t get through to their loved ones.
Like most children who lose a parent, my sister Lynn and I were extremely upset, but we knew, of course, that our father was around us. I had seen him several times at the funeral home and received many reassuring messages. However, Lynn had not. The day had come to put my father’s house up for sale, and Lynn and I went inside to say our last good-byes to our childhood memories. We walked through the house one room at a time, and in each room we reminisced about a certain time. We laughed and cried as our memories danced before us.
When we walked into our parents’ bedroom, Lynn and I instantly smelled the distinctive and familiar scent of Old Spice aftershave. It was our dad’s favorite, and we both clutched at one another and yelled out, “Do you smell that?” There was no mistaking that recognizably strong aroma. Even though I did not see his ghostly figure at that particular moment, I knew he was trying to reassure us that he was there. After thirty minutes, we knew it was time to put the old memories to rest. We left the house.
Lynn said to me as we got into the car, “Jamie, I hope we are doing the right thing.” Then she looked up to the sky and petitioned, “Dad, please just give us a sign that it’s all right with you that we sell your house.”
Although I am the medium, Lynn does have a lot of psychic ability, and her intuition is quite powerful. She is very talented in saying something and, whatever it is, having it occur. As we drove away from our house, Lynn insisted, “I bet you he will give us a sign that it’s okay to sell the house.” Ten minutes later, as we turned left onto Northern Boulevard in Queens, Lynn got her sign. She excitedly shrieked, “Oh, my God, there it is! It’s Dad!” Lynn pointed at the car in front of us. The license plate read “AVP–770K.” My father’s first name was Allan. Allan Van Praagh. His initials were AVP, the same as on the license plate.
Like the license plate, signs aren’t always what we expect them to be. It depends on how a ghost is able to get his or her point across. Many times ghostly signs are subtle but recognizable. Often they seem like coincidences. Letting go of rational thinking and tuning in to our intuitive minds is more difficult if we do not make a constant practice of it. However, the more open we become, the more often we will recognize our loved ones’ contact with us.
THE EXTRA
Please remember, ghosts have the same mind-set they had on earth. If they were stubborn here, they’re stubborn still. They won’t give up until they are heard.
During the second season of The Ghost Whisperer, I was on the set observing. I am there primarily to help answer any questions that Jennifer Love Hewitt, the star of the show, might have regarding the way her character would react in a certain ghostly situation. This day’s scene took place in the village square, and there were many extras on the set. As I looked at the crowd, something caught my eye. A blond female extra, about thirty-five years old, crossed the street, and I noticed an older woman with dirty blond hair in a blue sweater mimicking the young woman’s every step. The older woman was a ghost. I was amused by the older woman trying to get the young woman’s attention. The ghost tapped the young woman on the shoulder, she blew into her ear,