Dr Ann Redding was trained to think as a scientist and taught biology for twenty-seven years at Ventura College in California. After years of studying and teaching biology, she distrusted what could not be proven, and viewed paranormal events – mediumistic activity, out-of-body experiences, visions, past-life regression, telepathy – as amusing occurrences or figments of someone’s active imagination. But then her own otherworldly experiences proved far too startlingly real to dismiss, and prompted took beyond the limits of “explainable” science.

After visitations from two of deceased dogs, she made the decision to honour beloved pets everywhere by compiling a collection of true stories from pet owners who had experienced after death contracts with their animals. Together with the help of Ann Campbell, Dr. Redding wrote “Tails Beyond: True stories of Our Immortals Pets”.

Here is one of the extract of the stories as narrated by the author Karen an artist who paints mostly in watercolour, with animals being her favourite subjects.

“I purchased my first ,   Abyssinian cat from a local breeder, who chose one of the kittens for me. He was not show quality, but I could not have been happier with my new, ruddy companion whom I named Corky. He was three months old  – affectionate, playful, inquisitive, and  gorgeous!

In no time, I grew to feel closer to Corky than any other living creature, and I honestly believe he felt the same way about me. When Corky was three, I purchased another Abyssinian cat, Dandy. Just as I had hoped, the cats quickly became buddies. One of their favourite places to play was a beach close to my house. They would run and chase each other along the sand until they were almost too tired to move. After a brief rest, the feline pals would wade into the bay to hunt for fish. It always brought me joy to see them cavorting together!

Despite his prowess as a hunter, Corky had a loving disposition and an endearing habit that earned him the nickname “Velcro Cat.” Whenever I moved around the house, cleaning, vacuuming, doing the laundry or other chores, Corky would wrap his front legs around  my neck and press his little belly tightly against my chest. As he was holding on, he would rub his head against me. If anyone pulled him off, Corky would cling to that person in exactly the same way. It didn’t matter whom he was stuck to, Corky was truly one serious  Velcro Cat!

Abyssinians are prone to liver disease, and unfortunately, Corky plagued with problem. He was on medication or another throughout most his life.  I know that Corky would never get better, and that he should be euthanized. I chose to have him experience this inevitable transition at home, and I made sure that Corky’s running and fishing companion, Dandy, had a chance to see the body. My grief was almost unbearable. Then, just a year later, I lost Dandy, too.

About two years after Corky passed away, I began to be aware of a recurring dream about him, but I suspect that less intense versions of the same dream had occurred earlier. As time went on, the dream became more vivid, occurring every few weeks over a period of four years. At  first, the dream was a nightmare. It would begin with Corky jumping on my bed and walking toward me. Suddenly I would imagine that Dandy and my  other deceased cats were still alive, but that I had forgotten to feed them. I would be rushing around trying to find food for them just before I woke up. A terrible guilty feeling burdened me until I realized it was just a dream.

Eventually, the dream no longer included the part about not feeding the cats, but Corky’s jumping on bed and walking toward me remained. The dream was short but powerful. One  day I was determined to wake up in time to see and talk to him before he left. The next morning as expected, here came Corky.  As he jumped onto the bed, I felt it shake, and I even heard the sheets move with each step he took toward me.  Just as I had planned, I forced myself to wake up  and sat bolt upright, expecting  to see Corky or at least the indentations in the sheets. Even though I did not see him or  the marks  on the sheets, I felt his presence. I felt so blessed to have this visitation that I quickly thanked him over and over again.

After that, I never had the dream again. I had dreamt it every few weeks for four years, and suddenly it was gone! I believe that when I spoke to Corky and acknowledged his visitation, he knew that I had finally received his message. He had come to soothe my grief and let me know that he still existed. Once I acknowledged him, he said his goodbye for now and “I love you”.  I loved dreaming about him because it comforted me and make me feel as if we were together again. But I understand that there is no need for Corky to keep coming back. He knows that I finally got the  message. Corky has, moved on to “dance the spiral,” in the beautiful place where, I believe, all living thIngs go after they die. Corky and  I are still bound by the deep love we shared for one another, and I believe we will be together again some day.

Dr Raymond Moody, in his book Glimpses of Eternity says that “It’s quite common that the people around a dying loved one seem to leave their bodies and accompany the loved on partway to a heavenly realm.”

One great example  which Dr Moody has referred in his book comes from Sussanna Uballe, who wrote in an online journal about sharing the death experience of her husband, who was murdered at a store while, Sussanna slept at home. Here in Sussanna’s own words, is her story:

“I did not have a near-death experience, but I did travel partway up the tunnel with my husband as he left this dimension.

On Memorial Day 1979, I was five months pregnant. My husband and I rode bicycles and ran errands around town, and it was a very hot day for Minneapolis. I lay down after dinner and was so exhausted that I could barely move. As my husband went to the corner store at 8:00 PM to buy something for his lunch the next day, I fell into a very deep sleep.

I dreamt that I was walking with my husband, Herb, up a dark and shady forest path. It was a heavily wooded path, which was enclosed by a thick canopy of trees overhead. The path was slightly inclined, and at the crest of a hill I saw the sky, somewhat like the light at the end of a tunnel. Herb and I had been in deep conversation, about what I could not tell, but I suppose we were reminiscing about our relationship. I felt very close and totally in love

·He began to tell me about what it was like to die; at first he was filled with rage, pain and frustration that the clerk didn’t seem to understand his pleas to call an ambulance. He had been stabbed in the heart and needed help. After a short while, which felt interminable while he was experiencing it, he said he left his body and floated above it and saw the body below him, and felt detached from it, like it was just a body. He was filled with peace and love. And he felt no pain.

After telling me this, he then said that he had to go. His feet started to move very fast, and he began to leave me behind on the path. I told him that I could do that too, and put some effort into ‘powering up’ my feet  to make them go super fast.  I actually started to rev up and move along the path quickly, and felt as if I was traveling up a tunnel of forest toward the sunlight at the top of the hill. As I began to keep pace with him, he said, ‘NO!’ in a very powerful voice, and I woke up in my bed, feeling hurt.

I looked for him, to tell him about my dream. He wasn’t there, and his side of the bed showed that he had not slept in the bed that night. It was dawn. I began to get irritated, thinking  that he must have gone off with some friends, and feeling upset  at how irresponsible he was behaving. I went to where we kept our bicycles to see if his was there and it wasn’t. I was so angry  that I broke the bicycle lock and chain off of my bicycle with my bare hands (he had taken both keys with him), and set off down the street toward the corner store. His bicycle was near the store  and a patrolman was standing next to it. I asked him where my’ husband was, and why his bicycle was sitting there. He asked ” my name and address, and refused to tell me anything more. He [‘ suggested that I go back home, and that someone would explain everything to me later. In about fifteen minutes a police officer and a clergyman came by and told me that Herb had been killed, the night before.

“The dream braced me for this news I and although I was in shock, I felt assured constantly that he was not in his body, and a comforting presence was with me throughout the next few days of viewing the body, the funeral and other unpleasant business.

Two days after the funeral, I was preparing for bed and contemplating suicide to join Herb I so that we could be together on the other side or in our next phase of incarnation or whatever. J consciously thought a question, ‘Should I kill myself to join Herb, or stay here?’

I then went to bed. I was just falling asleep when I felt a presence by my right side, and looked to see Herb, naked and glowing with a soft, beautiful white light. He looked beautiful and I felt filled with love and happiness to see him. He spoke mentally to me, and said, ‘This is our son,’ indicating my womb, ‘Take good care of him.’ I had no question then about my purpose, and have tried to do the best possible job taking care of my son ever since. It did not at all seem strange that he used the word ‘son’, although these were the days before ultrasound and I did not know what I was having. I did give birth to a boy.”

Here are two stories on After Death Communications from the book “Hello From Heaven!” by Bill Guggenheim & Judy Guggenheim

1. Smelling of Fragrance: Olfactory  After Death Communication

A story  from Lorraine, an optometrist  from New York . Her daughter, Tammy, was 25 years when she demised  in an automobile accident:

“When my daughter, Tammy, went to the Bahamas, she  bought me a bracelet and a necklace. The night that she died, she had the bracelet on and it was destroyed. For over two years since the accident, I had been trying to find a new bracelet to match my necklace. I would have paid anything for it!

It was nightime, and we were coming out of one of the attractions at EPCOT Center at Walt Disney World . My other daughter, her friend, and my husband were with me.

My daughter turned to me and said, “Ma, do you smell that?” I’ said. Oh, yeah!” We were smelling the Gloria, Vanderbilt perfume that Tammy always wore!

But as we looked around, there was nobody near us.  Her girlfriend smelled it too and said. “Why don’t we go in here?”

So we all went into the store, and I began browsing in the front. My daughter called, Ma! Ma! Come back  here!” I went to the back of the store, where they were selling jewellery. And there was  the bracelet – the exact match to my necklace Tammy! It was unbelievable!

Can this be a coincidence?  How about the fragrance which lured them to walk into gift shop?  Was Tammy guiding them to the store to show her mother that she will find the priceless bracelet she wanted?

2. Hearing a Voice – Auditory After Death Communication

Mario, age 87, is a retired sugar  merchant in Florida. His beloved wife, Nina, returned to him after she died of emphysema:

“Nina and I were fifty-seven years married. We met in a very romantic  manner, and two hours later we were irretrievably in love, completely and forever.

One night after she died, I  was sound asleep in our bedroom. Suddenly, I felt my Nina standing next to the bed. Then I heard her voice inside my head say, ” I am now in heaven, whether I deserve it or not. My great love for little children all my life made up for  my other sins. I got  permission to return to tell you that I am waiting patiently for you to join me.

“Time is meaningless here, so don’t be in a hurry. Take as long as you want before you leave the world. I will wait patiently until the day comes when you will join me here. Then we will be united in an eternal embrace.  And with that, she faded from my consciousness.

I felt a liaison, a satisfying confirmation that death would not part us, that Nina and I would be united again”.

Life in this earth is a miracle. It also does not make sense when someone close to you parts you ‘permanently’. Why on earth do we have to suffer after being close to one another?  It also does not make sense. So do the sufferings of missing someone ends once we depart this earth?  Of course those who are sceptical would only believe if they witness themselves on after death communication, while living on this earth.  But then if everything moves on well with one’s  life there is nothing one would witness. But the many books written by prominent authors which are consistent on this phenomena are overwhelming and that could subdue the traumas of the grievers.

Here is a story of fiancee’s experience of after earthly life communication.

SCOTT ( 1959-2003)

I walked in the house one night to find my fiance lying on the  floor in a pool of blood, a shotgun lying near his body. After the shock and horror subsided, it became my quest to find out if Scott was in heaven. I couldn’t stand the thought of him just being in the ground or someplace where he hadn’t found the peace I know he needed.

I never enjoyed hiking, but Scott did, and I would go just to be with him. One afternoon while we were standing in one of his favourite places in the nearby state park, he told me that if he ever died, I would find his spirit soaring like an eagle in this place. Six months after he passed, I was feeling inconsolable so I went to the park to try to find his spirit as an eagle. As soon as I arrived there, I saw an eagle, but I didn’t feel anything special because there were always eagles there.

Next I went to talk with our pastor, who assured me Scott was in heaven, but I left there unconvinced. I needed to know for sure. I prayed and asked Scott to help me with this.

When Scott and I were together, we had a little game we played. If either of us found a penny, we would pick it up and keep it in our wallet for good luck. When we found another penny, we replaced the one in our wallet, and threw the previous penny over a shoulder for someone else to find. Scott would do this and would come home and tell me that he had found a  new good luck penny. It was a kind of fun thing for us.

The night I came home from talking with our pastor, I was cleaning some candle wax off the glass kitchen table) and I noticed something on the floor next to one of the legs. I will never forget the flood of joy as I picked up a penny, but it was no ordinary penny. Someone had cut the center of the penny into the a shape of an angel in a flowing gown. The date was still readable, and it was 1998, the very same year Scott and I started a committed relationship. The previous day I had swept my  hardwood floors and nobody had been in my house since. I can’t  tell you how deeply I felt that I had found what I had been seeking. For me, this penny, which I always wear on a chain around my neck, confirms that my Scott is somewhere, peaceful and safe.

Source: From the book “Dying to Be Free” by Beverly Cobain and Jean Larch

Below is one the story of a mother who had a spiritual connection with her son Joshua (1980-2001). The connections has strengthen her belief that her son is okay and at peace. 

The strongest and most powerful connection came for me on the first anniversary of Josh’s death. My family had come to stay with me and when I  awoke before the others, I went for my usual walk around the park. On the way back home, I stopped at an art gallery to check out any new paintings by my favorite local artist, who uses wonderfully vibrant colors in landscape, flowers and still lifes. The first painting I saw took my breath away.  It was a painting of a path through the woods. On the path in the foreground stood an adolescent girl  looking away from the viewer and down the path at my son. The young man  in the painting wore orange shorts  and carried a towel over his shoulder. His  facial features, stance , hair color, and body proportions all matched my son’s. I was without words. I bought the painting and mentioned that this was the first time I had seen people in paintings done by this particular artist and the  shop owner agreed. I asked them to have the artist call me at  her convenience. She never called. When I returned home with the painting, I asked my daughter where she thought I should hang it. She gasped and asked me if that was Josh. My parents also thought  it was Josh. Later that night a friend of mine  visited , and when he saw the painting he asked me when I had commissioned it. There is absolutely no doubt that the young man  is my son. I even have the orange shorts among his clothes that I cannot part with.

 A  question arose about the girl in the painting. She looks nothing like Josh’s fiancee. My immediate reaction upon seeing  the painting was that it was me as a younger woman, and a close friend of mine verified that. That part of the message remains my secret. When I look at the painting, I hear my son telling me that he will lead me, that I should trust him. He reminds me that I am a spiritual being in a physical world and  that I should have faith in God, that is all as it should be. I am on a spiritual path and if I follow that path everything will be all right.

I finally met the artist at one of her showings and I asked about my picture. At first she said she didn’t know what made her put figures in that one painting but when I told her who the boy was, she cried. As we hugged each other, she told me that a vision of that boy had come to her in a dream one night. About a year ago.

Source:  “Dying to be Free” by Beverly Cobian and Jean Larch

Last week, I wrote on After Earthly Life Communication (After Death Communication). As I have said, periodically I will be posting some of the experiences encountered by individuals. However, I will include only those  which are from reliable sources. The story below is the first one,  narrated by Shirley Scott.

On February 9, 1994, Hal’s birthday (the third since his death)) I had a very difficult day. I had scheduled a number of things for the day so I would be very busy, but I felt very depressed all day. After dinner alone,  finished up my paper work from my job. I still felt depressed and also agitated. Following my usual pattern, I called a friend just to chat for  awhile to distract myself, but she was not home. I decided to write out my feelings in my journal. A minute or so after sitting down to do this, I heard “beep…..beep….. beep ….. beep.”  I had to stop and think what the sound was and finally realized it sounded like the alarm clock in my bedroom. I went back to the bedroom and looked at my radio alarm that was not making ‘a sound. The beeps came from Hal’s travel alarm clock on his night stand on the other side of the bed. I walked around the bed and saw the time was 9:02 P.M. The alarm switch was in the OFF position, but the beeps continued. My first thought was (and I said it out loud),  “Well, Honey, I guess you know  awful  I’m feeling and came to let me know it will be okay!” Then I lifted up the clock (which I had not touched since I had dusted the area weeks before), turned the switch to “ON,” and it stopped beeping. I turned the switch back to “OFF”- no more beeping. At that point, I   burst into tears, a much needed release for the pent-up feelings of the day. A bit later, I was thinking more rationally and started to question the event, beginning to doubt it as a “sign.” But then I remembered the time, 9:02; 9 is his birthday and 02 is the month of February – it had to be Hal!   It made me feel good he could still try to comfort me, just as he had many times over the years we were together.         

Source: From the book “Messages and Miracles by Louis E. LaGrand, PH.D

What is After Death Communication (ADC)? It is a way of showing a connection continues to exist between our loved ones on the other side and those in the earth. The communication can take place through a medium,  in a form of sign, message through a vivid dream or even apparition.

Generally, in many books these kinds of communication are referred as ‘After Death Communication’.  Some others refer them as ‘After Life Communication’.  But from what we understand now is that we do not ‘die’. We just change our form or simply are back to our original form that is the spiritual form. Unfortunately, in real term ‘Death’ is referred as our end of life. Thus to make it more practical and acceptable I will avoid using the word ‘Death’ where possible, in this blog. The word ‘Death’ might make some people uncomfortable, if not most and that make them to avoid discussing on it, although every one of us know that death is imminent and  the present seven billion  people on earth will gradually leave this the earth in about 100 years. Of course at the same time we are told we  might come back to the earth again, someday. If at all this can be proved the word ‘death’ might even be replaced or maybe ‘dropped’ eventually.  ‘Death’ may not exist but ‘WE’ exist.

As such instead of saying After Death Communication I am going to phrase it as ‘After Earthly Life Communication’ or ‘Communication from Spiritual Life or Realm’, which sounds more appropriate. But since there are some books I read refers to ‘After Death Communication’ we will continue using the phrase interchangeably with ‘After Earthly Life Communication’. Anyway, since the communication comes from the same place, after earthly life, coining it under any phrase should not be a matter of concern as long as we understand what it means.

Do you believe in After Death Communication (ADC) or more appropriately After Earthly Life Communication?  After Death Communication was first coined by Bill and Judy Guggenheim in 1996 when they published the first book “Hello From Heaven”. If you wish to know more about the book please refer to the “Book Menu” under the category “After Earthly Life Connection”.  I have now included another book “Messages and Miracles” – Extraordinary Experiences of the Bereaved – by Louis E. LaGrand, PH.D.  If you are a knowledge seeker on  After Earthly Life Communication, this will be a worthwhile book to consider.

There could be signs, messages, dreams even apparitions that might reveal some form of communication, from the loved ones, from the spiritual home which some of us might have ignored. In some cases one’s experience could have been branded as ‘unreliable” or even as fake. In some cases we might have listened to someone who has experienced but just ignored it or assumed it is all hallucinations. If there are millions who have benefited from after earthly life communication from the loved ones why not we look into it a bit deeper, before making an adverse conclusion. Thus it would be worthwhile for us to learn more about this subject by first looking at some of the reported experiences.

However, if you are from the scientifically dominated culture then it might not be of any help to read any of these experiences, although some scientists are proving or trying to prove there is life after death or that we don’t actually die.  At the same time,  as many of us know it is also not scientifically proven that after death communication, apparitions, reincarnation or life between life are all fantasy or just fake.

I have been reading a few books written by prominent personnel on this subject and the contents are profound and along with my own experience with my family members it is convincing enough for me on the truth of these communications. However, I must admit I have personally have not experienced every type of communications as reported by many individuals around the world. Nevertheless, to some extent the personal experiences and the books have been the therapeutic tool for me, as well as for my wife. I do not mean to say that after experiencing After Earthly Life Communication it will heal your grief completely but at least  will make one understand a little bit more about our life on earth and life beyond, rather than totally confused of what happens to our loved ones when they are separated from us.

After Earthly Life Communication have been reported throughout the world immaterial of the culture, race or religion one belongs to and including those young and old.  I will be highlighting some of these valid reported experiences from the books of prominent people or other reliable sources for the benefit of everyone, periodically. At the same time if you have experiences to share, please forward too.

When we are sick we go and see a doctor but when someone is grieving especially when his or her loved one has parted very few people could be of help, simply because we do not know what to do, at least that is what we say. However most of us can still be ‘doctors’ to help those grievers, if we want to be, by learning a bit on this subject.

Finally, before we discount  After Earthly Life Communication as myth, do remember that we all have energy that cannot be created or destroyed – it can only change its form and that also validates that we are spiritual beings.  It is said that when we ‘demise’, that is when we leave the earth, we only dispose our body but our soul goes on living. The soul is the energy. This energy seems to be powerful enough to send messages – in many ways.

The first story of a reported experience on After Earthly Life Communication will appear on the 10^th of September 2012. Then on I will have one posted at least every two weeks. If you come across any reliable reports or story please share it with everyone. You can forward it to me but please do indicate the source. After going through I will have it posted.