Ghosts Among Us - James Van Praagh [49]
I never really discussed in detail my line of work because Aunt Anne was a true Catholic believer, and talking to the dead didn’t fit into her belief system. I respected her and didn’t want to disturb her beliefs. Only after Freddie, her husband of fifty-two years, had passed over did we even bring the subject up. She seemed more than a little curious about what happens when we go to heaven.
Several years back, I called my ninety-year-old Aunt Anne, and we spoke for a while. It was the last phone conversation I had with her. She told me about a dream she’d had the night before.
“I was a young girl sitting on the porch of the house where we all grew up. All of my brothers and sisters were walking down the sidewalk, and some were far off in the distance. Suddenly I looked up and saw my mother reaching out her hand to me. ‘Come on, Anne,’ she said, ‘you’re always lagging behind.’”
My aunt didn’t understand what the dream meant, but I knew that her mother was coming to get her. A few months later, Anne died peacefully in her sleep.
A CRUISE TO TAHITI
I am so fortunate to be able to do the work I do. I help people to liberate their minds and let go of the fear of death. There is no greater personal reward for me than to truly make a positive difference in someone’s life.
For many years I have taught classes all over the world, but I have found that one of the best ways to teach and see the world (and unpack only once) is on a cruise. In the early 1990s, I became friends with Ron Oyer, who was trying to increase his travel business. He came up with the idea of my doing a spiritual cruise, and thus the “Voyage of Enlightenment” began. Since our initial sailing, we must have done at least twelve cruises, and now other speakers and companies are taking advantage of Ron’s incredible professionalism. He has become the go-to guy for these types of adventures.
One of our adventures took us to the enchanted land of Tahiti, located in French Polynesia. I tell people all the time that Tahiti is the closest thing to heaven that I can imagine. The blue-green colors, the hospitable locals, and the magical energy of the island make it a perfect place to do spiritual retreats.
At our orientation breakfast, I discussed with the group the process of talking to ghosts. I explained that in order to have the best possible results, they had to let go of any expectations they might have brought with them.
Expectations often block any chance for communication. I liken expectations to a garden hose that has been twisted over and over again. Water cannot pass through it because the flow has been stopped. To remain open while expecting something to happen can be a daunting task. Everyone wants immediate gratification, especially if they are paying for it. I remind people, however, that ghosts manifest in many subtle ways. They might come through me, or a message might come from another person in the room. Ghosts might even manifest through someone totally unrelated to the workshop itself.
Such was the case with Joyce Randall. Joyce had taken our trip to Tahiti after the devastating death of her daughter Marie. Marie was a vibrant, young premed student. As Joyce told me, “Marie had always wanted to be a doctor since she was a little girl.” Unfortunately, Marie’s life was cut short by a rare bone disease.
Joyce was shy and unassuming, and she really was at a loss when her daughter died. She had been in an emotional tailspin and was anxious to make contact with her daughter. After getting to know Joyce, it became apparent that this mother-daughter relationship was atypical. It was obvious that Joyce had been the child and Marie had been the parent who took care of her mother emotionally and psychologically. With her daughter gone, Joyce’s life was also taken away. She didn’t know how to handle her grief. Then one day a friend of hers gave her my book Healing Grief, and she went