CHOICES SHAPE YOUR FUTURE
By Judith Ashton
Last week I saw a brilliant production of “The Weir” in Thomastown Community Hall. It was a very intense claustrophobic play set in a rural pub. There were only 5 actors, and it revolved round local gossip and reminiscing. As the drink flowed the talk turns to talk of the supernatural, ghostly happenings and inexplicable strange occurrences. It gets spooky and atmospheric. Apparitions, strange noises and Ouija boards all feature.
What is this unseen world they were telling about? Is it real or imaginary? Can we rationalise it? Is there more to our reality than meets the eye? Do we dismiss such things at our peril?
What I do know is that unseen worlds exist in all cultures, faiths, and traditions and have done since time immemorial. The unseen world is part of humanity, and most people have had some kind of experience of it at some point in their lives. Have you?
The Irish have a deep historical connection with fairies and the little people, an ancient belief in curses, healings, sacred places and magic, both good and bad.
Some cultures believe that the ancestors walk amongst us. In many African and Asian societies, the deceased are consulted over important decisions. Witchdoctors and healers are well respected.
Historically, Aboriginals and Native Americans are highly intuitive, with deep wisdom and able to predict certain events.
People talk about a “sixth sense”, intuition and abilities. There have always been mediums who can contact the dead, some report highly accurate information.
We can all pick up on atmospheres… there are some places that have an indefinable vibe. Have you ever felt that? I’m sure you have… you just get a creepy feeling… What is this? What and how are you picking up this information?
A lot of the Hollywood films love these themes, and some are based on unexplainable occurrences. People have been fascinated by poltergeists and possessions for millennia and just because such things cannot be scientifically proven does not make them any less real.
Many people now talk of angels, miracles, manifestation, spontaneous healings, reincarnation, premonition dreams, near death experiences and the list goes on.
I have visited the healers in the Philippines, one of whom was utterly remarkable, and to this day, my mind is still blown by what I witnessed and experienced.
There is so much incredible, credible information nowadays on the internet regarding all such things. So many people from all over the world have compelling stories that they can now share, including hundreds of accounts of Near Death Experiences, especially Anita Moorjani and Dr. Eben Alexander who are both rational and level-headed. Many children speak of their previous lives in great detail which have then been researched and verified.
Who are we in our arrogance to dismiss these accounts as mere ramblings or flights of fancy?
In the UK there are well respected psychic and paranormal research establishments. The Spiritualist Association is over 150 years old, The College of Psychic Studies founded in 1884, The Healing Trust (1954) and The National Federation of Spiritual Healers (!955) send their teams into NHS hospitals. These institutions all work with unseen energies to promote healing both physical and psychological.
For me, there’s nothing new here. I have been interested in all these things since my teens and read every single book on the subject in my local UK library. Later when I lived in London, I sought out bookshops, people and events to further my interests.
I worked at the very first Mind Body Spirit Festival in 1977 at Olympia in London. It was an oasis for me at that time, and I had the opportunity to speak to hundreds of people. Obviously, there was a certain demographic, but everyone, almost without exception, had had some kind of “spiritual” or paranormal experience, and was able to talk about it there, often for the first time, without ridicule or embarrassment. It was an illuminating experience for me and left me in no doubt as to the veracity and sincerity of those who chose to share their stories with me.
Why are so many people closed off to the unseen worlds? The answer is fear. The Church burnt witches and healers, taught control, sin and evil yet, Jesus taught so much more and was a healer full of love. Times have changed, people are more open and more information is available.
We are physical beings with electro-magnetic energy fields all around us. We are made of the seen and unseen.
