Is it possible to connect with the dead? This has been a grey area ever since the evolution of mankind. No matter how vehemently the scientists have denied the fact of reincarnation or rebirth, yet spiritualists, in all ages, have endorsed and affirmed the fact that a soul keeps coming back to the earth and changes bodies without changing its form. The basis of this belief finds its roots in the ‘Law of conservation of energy’ which states that ‘energy’ can neither be destroyed nor created. Considering that spirits or souls are nothing but higher forms of energy, they have to exist in the same universe, as we do in our physical state. At any given point of time, we may be surrounded with hundreds or even thousands of souls without even being aware of their presence. As per Hindu philosophy, these are souls trapped between two worlds, either trying to find a body and fulfill their karmic obligations or waiting to be freed from the ‘Matrix’. People who have been reported to have accidentally come face to face with a soul, have, more often than not, been ridiculed by others for having lost their mind. It’s hard to believe a person (sitting next to you) having a normal conversation with a spirit whom you cannot see. You might freak out or even consider that person to be a lunatic.

Why are only some of us gifted with the power to see the spirits or hear them talk? Long time ago I read a research paper written by a Psychology student who seemed to have some innate power to connect with the spirits. According to her report, only those people are able to see spirits who have the same frequency as the spirits. As the spirits exist in higher frequency state, you have to be in exactly the same state if you want to see them. To make things simpler, she quoted an example of a pedestal fan and mentioned that it’s not possible to see the blades of the fan when they are in motion as the frequency of the blades does not match ours. Needless to mention, we all rotate in our own orbit at the same speed which is why we are not able to see others around us, rotating. However, if we leave our orbit (hypothetically) we would have a different frequency / rotation speed and would be able to see everything on this earth rotating in its own orbit. This perfectly explains why most of us are not able to see spirits; we rotate at a different frequency than the spirits around us. Again, to see them we have to have the same frequency as the spirits. Interesting!

What if we never achieve that frequency which could enable us to see spirits? I would say, “Where there is a Will, there is way.” The most commonly used techniques are clairaudience (communicating with spirits through telepathy) and clairvoyance (where the spirits communicate through visual images or signs, usually seen during meditation, dream state or just by focusing on hearing their voices, which might appear as a little voice in your head). Often, it is said that spirits, after leaving their bodies, remain connected with the places where they lived (when alive) or the people whom they loved or hated. However, it does not mean that spirits cannot travel; they have no limitations as to time and space. They can often appear to their loved ones living in faraway lands where the spirits might never have travelled in their physical state, while they were living. They often act as guides to their family members in times of distress; one has to have an open mind to accept their presence and interpret their language.

It is often said that spirits exist in colder temperatures or that the temperature of the place drops considerably when a spirit appears. However, I haven’t read anything to substantiate this theory. There have been many reported cases where people have felt chills (despite warm weather) on sensing the presence of a spirit around them. Besides, there have been many stories about the objects moving in air or the light going off intermittently (for no reason) when the spirits try to make their presence felt. They don’t mean to scare us but it’s just that they don’t know any other means to communicate with us. It’s just their way to tell us that we ought to listen to them. Who knows the spirits might choose any one of us, any day, to help them in fulfilling their incomplete / unfinished tasks! We should know what to do when they ask for help. Well, the first thing is to acknowledge their presence and we can do that in following ways:

1. People who are spiritually sensitive usually sense the presence of spirits easily as they don’t overlook even the smallest change in their bodies or surroundings. It might start off with lot of pressure on the top of your head, near the Crown Chakra (may seem like a sudden headache) or a weird sensation in the left side of your body or face. Once you experience these feelings, find yourself a quiet and secluded corner in your house.

2. Sit in a relaxed posture (preferably a meditative pose) and close your eyes. Opened chakras, (especially the Third Eye) would really help this time. Breathe deeply and slowly, and try to focus between your brows. Make it comfortable; don’t push too hard. Try to feel the presence of some energy around you.

3. You might sense (with your closed eyes) a dark shadow standing in front of you or moving across the room. Some people have reported to have sensed a sudden fragrance in the room one of whom could even smell cigarettes and see the puffs in the air (in a trance) when the spirit appeared. Once you get the feeling that there is someone in the room along with you, start asking questions in a friendly way, without getting scared. Most people prefer to ask questions like ‘Who are you?’, ‘What is your name?’, ‘Do we know each other?’, ‘Have we met before in any of the previous lives?’, ‘How many times have I been born on this earth?’ ‘How were we related?’, ‘What is the purpose of my life?’ ‘How did you die?’ …and so on and so forth.

4. Most people start by asking questions which can be answered in simple ‘yes’ or ‘No’. A perfect example of this technique is the Ouija Board. I never recommend this method as it can turn dangerous any moment if one is not well equipped with knowledge and spiritual powers. We have all heard stories of annoyed spirits entering the body of the person (conversing with them) and taking control of the consciousness of the said person.

It’s always advisable to speak to the spirits when they try to communicate with you rather then calling them for any of your vested interests. Never mistake a spirit for the person who he might have been when he was living. A spirit should not be expected to have the same kind of affection as he might have had for you when he was in the body of your loved one. Don’t ever try to annoy the spirit.