Episode 131: The Afterlife…It’s Becoming a Popular Conversation and Grief Dreams Visitations

Some of the things that show up in my own dreams make me certain that there is a much bigger picture going on. Where do they come from? I don't know. How can they be so clear as if they really are happening?

started talking about children. I wonder what kids dream about, which made me think, do kids dream about loved ones who they haven't met yet? Who have already passed? So if you have any stories like that, send me an email. I love hearing your stories, first of all, but I am interested to know about little kids. I know we've talked about little children seeing people who have already passed, and we'll talk a little bit more about that today.

But if you have a good story about the afterlife, or signs you've gotten from your loved ones or a near death experience, maybe just drop me an email Sandra Champlain at gmail dot com. Some other good things happening. I got an email from the Institute of Noetic Sciences. The public relations lady Victoria sent me an email saying that they are holding a contest and already more than

one hundred applicants have submitted essays for the prize. The contest is called the Linda G. O'Bryant Noetic Sciences Research Prize, and they will be awarding one hundred thousand dollars annually to groundbreaking research in the field of consciousness. She says the date to submit is already over. Of course, it'll be one next year as well, but their submissions aim to answer questions such as does consciousness survive after death?

And do our minds affect the physical world? And if so, how and how do we access our full potential as humans? Over one hundred applicants have already submitted their essays. They say the winner of the prize will be announced in June of twenty twenty three that the prize is named in honor of the IONS board member and longtime supporter,

Linda G. O'Bryant. She has been a member since the eighties and she created this award with the aim of inspiring groundbreaking discoveries in the field of consciousness, with the ultimate goal of shedding light on revolutionary ideas that could change the world. And then it said about IONS, it sounds so close to IONS, which is the Near Death

Association group, But this is IONS. The Institute of Noetic Sciences is a nonprofit research center and direct experience lab specializing in the interaction of science and profound human experience. Founded in nineteen seventy three by Apollo fourteen astronaut and sixth man to walk on the moon, Edgar Mitchell. IONS is dedicated to exploring the frontiers of consciousness and extended human capacities to promote a more holistic view of human

potential and the nature of reality. For more information, visit noetic dot org. So that's noe tic dot org. So I wrote her back to make sure as soon as these essays come out and the winner has been chosen to include me and I would love to do an interview with them, and you bet I would love to share the essays with you. Speaking of essays, do you

know about the Bigelow Institute for Consciousness Studies. In two thousand and one, aerospace entrepreneur Robert Bigelow created a contest offering a million dollars in prize money for the best evidence of the survival of consciousness after permanent bodily death. The results are in. People made some good money and the essays are now available to read. He's also doing a new program giving up to one million dollars in grants and we'll fund research into contact and communication with

the other side. So if you'd like to read the prize winning essays, there's twenty nine of them. You can go to Bigelowinstitute dot org. It's not just me talking about the afterlife. We have a lot of research going on from some very prominent people all about the afterlife, and there's a lot of good to report. It's very easy for a skeptical mind or person like I used to be, to make these statements like there's no proof of the afterlife, when really there is, but not enough

people are talking about it. Malcolm Gladwell wrote a book called the tipping point. What does it take for maybe a product or a new idea to really take off in the world and make it mainstream. Here in America, we had the American Revolution when the colonists fought to make our country independent. And you may have heard of the story about the midnight ride of Paul Revere. Little did people know that there was another gentleman who made a ride as well. I don't even remember his name,

to be honest, but it didn't have the impact. Why Paul Revere is remembered is he was someone that was part of the com unity, that people knew, that people trusted, and when he did his midnight ride saying the British are coming, the British are coming, the colonists were prepared, leading America eventually to become its own country. What does Paul Revere have to do with the afterlife? You ask, when enough people hear the word, and I think, do a little bit of your own research to really know

in your heart the reality of the afterlife. It'll be easier to share about this. Even looking in my own life, when I was a kid, there was a local psychic who made some terrible predictions, and I know As a kid, my parents had told me that stuff is crazy, you have to see it to believe it. So I grew up not believing in any form of mediumship or psychic abilities. Thought everybody was crazy who talked that language. And through my life I've seen now what began as just a

few New age people doing the spiritual stuff. It's become so mainstream that everybody's heard of mediumship, It's on television. There's all kinds of paranormal things. So what may happen in the future. I personally think during our lifetime more

people than not will believe in the afterlife. I'm hoping within my life that we all have some handheld device we can use to talk to our loved ones, get their voices, have our psychic abilities so in tune that we know when our loved one is talking to us through our mind. Way back in two thousand and two, I started doing all kinds of human exploration courses what it is to be human? How we can have the best life possible. One of the courses I took met five times a year in San Francisco. We had to

come up with what was called an impossible promise. We had to declare what our life is for. Back in two thousand and two, I had no idea. The instructor said, what is it You've always been interested in? Who have you always been being? What's important to you? And two thousand and two, that's twenty one years ago. I was just realizing how interested I was in exploring is their life after death and exploring the different reasons to believe. I had gotten into electronic voice phenomena, and I had

heard some voices. I had taken a mediumship course. When you make your life about a purpose bigger than who you are, it gives you not only a powerful life, but the stuff that happens in our life that's not so good doesn't seem so bad when you have your eyes focused on something bigger. So some people were making this impossible promise that they wanted to end homelessness. Some people wanted to clean up the water in the world. Some people wanted to make sure there's no starvation on

planet Earth. Some that all children have schooling and have shoes on their feet. And yours truly had to come up with something. So I said, by the year twenty twenty seven, all people will know that we don't die and that we are souls having a human experience. I said that with no evidence that I really wanted to do that, but I had to put something on the paper.

And how interesting is it that, through the events that have happened in my life, including the passing of my dad, that I am here now four years away from what I said in this impossible promise that all people in the world will know. Now it's called an impossible promise because it is impossible to get it to every single human being on planet Earth. But has it given me passion and has it given me life? Absolutely? It has, And now I'm getting opportunities to share to a huge

audience to you listening now. I also got a call not too long ago from the producer of this show and the producer of Coast to Coast, am there may be an opportunity if you like to meet me live along with George Nori in New England later on this year. I'll tell you more about it when I have more details. So be careful what you wish for, Be careful what you write on a piece of paper, be careful what you share with others. But if you want to have a powerful life, look to serve others in the biggest

way you can. Let's head to the break and then we'll talk about the dream world when we come back. You're listening to Shades of the Afterlife on the iHeartRadio and Coast to Coast AM Paranormal Podcast Network.

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loved ones affect the dreamers? Just like telling you about the Institute for Noetic Sciences and the Bigelow Institute, I'm thrilled to report that there is research going on about dreams of our loved ones. Psychology Today recently published an article about just the same thing, so let me read it to you. This is by Libby Maw Many years ago, shortly after my friend Janet passed away, I had a vivid and intense dream about her. During her life, Janet

was disabled and wheelchair bound. In my dream, however, I saw her moving freely and joyfully. She looked young and healthy. Her entire body basked in radiant light, and she smiled warmly at me. Happy to see her, I exclaimed, Janet, you look so beautiful, and I reached out to touch her face. The instant I made contact, I woke up trembling in amazement. I knew that a profound experience had

just taken place. Clinical psychologist Jennifer Shorter defines visitation dreams as striking, emotionally intense dreams in which a recently deceased loved one returns to provide guidance, reassurance, and sometimes a warning.

These experiences are unique, powerful, and sometimes life changing. Based on multiple studies, here are eight common characteristics of visitation dreams, and she has written a book about it, called Visitation Dreams of Deceased loved Ones, Understanding Their Meaning and Transformative Power. So Number one, it feels so real. One of the most common descriptions of visitation dreams is that they are so much more intense, vivid, and kinesthetic than ordinary dreams.

It feels so real is a common refrain characterizing experiences both during and after the dream. The intensity of the dream may stay with the dreamer for months or even years, as if the dream had happened only recently. Number two, the deceased appear healthy and vibrant. Typically, the deceased appear in visitation dreams not in their ill, frail, or anguished states. Instead, they show themselves as healthy, vibrant, and younger in appearance.

Number three, the deceased convey reassurance The deceased also frequently appear in visitation dreams, conveying reassurance, love, and joy. The reassurance can be both that the deceased is okay and that the one who's dreaming will also be okay. Number four. The deceased convey important messages. The deceased invisitation dreams often come with important messages for the dreamer. They may impart wisdom, life lessons, reminders, or other helpful guidance. Number five. The

deceased communicate telepathically. In many cases, the deceased will appear in visitation dreams, communicating telepathically and or symbolically rather than verbally. Without words, the dreamer is able to clearly understand the message of the deceased loved one. Number six. The dreamer awakens with intense emotions. Those who experience visitation dreams often awaken feeling strong, usually positive emotions. In addition to a vivid sense that the dream was real, one may also

feel love, joy, relief sadness, or pensive. Number seven. The dreamer experiences closure. Some people who have had visitation dreams report that the experience helped them with the process of grieving following the dream. They were able to cope better with loss, achieve closure, and move on in their lives. And number eight, the dreamer is changed by the experience. Perhaps the most striking aspect of visitation dreams is that

they can transform the life perspective of the dreamer. Many people who have had visitation dreams report a stronger interest in the larger existential question of life, as well as a desire to explore spiritual purpose and meaning. These include cases where the dreamer had little or no interest in such matters prior to the visitation dream. So that was from psychology today. Next, I want to share with you some words from doctor Joshua Black, who is actually a

grief dream expert. The podcast Grief Dreams that you can find wherever you listen to podcasts, and there are currently two hundred and eighteen episodes of different people talking about their grief dreams and visitations with their loved ones, So you want to check that out. This article is from a guideposts. Grief dream expert Doctor Joshua Black explains how we can interpret dreams about deceased loved ones and why

they occur. Doctor Joshua Black will never forget the first dream he had about his father shortly after he passed. In it, his dad stood on the other side of the room, looking healthy and peaceful. Doctor Black called out to his father, I love you. I'm going to miss you. Doctor Black isn't alone in his experience. His study, published in the journal Dreaming, found that eighty six percent of

participants dreamed of loved ones after they'd recently passed. For doctor Black, this first dream was followed by a series of vivid dreams of his father. They affected him so deeply that they inspired him to pursue a PhD. In such dreams, which he calls grief dreams, he's gone on to become one of the foremost experts in this emerging field. Here's some questions, he answered, What are the characteristics of grief dreams? A grief dream is any kind of dream

you've had after the loss of a loved one. It can be a symbolic dream reflecting on your emotions surrounding the loss. For example, you're feeling overwhelmed by grief, so you dream something collapses on you, reflecting that feeling of being crushed. Or it can be a dream in which the deceased is mentioned, perhaps by an angel or a hospital worker, or you can dream that the deceased is present. This type of dream interests people the most, and it's

where I've focused a lot of my academic research. Question what forms do the grief dreams in which the deceased are present commonly take. I've found seven common types of these dreams. They are rationalization dreams, in which the dreamer tries to understand why the deceased appears to be alive and present, and others in which the dreamer helps their loved one cross over into the afterlife. Sometimes the dreamer

sees the deceased as sick or dead. Similar in tone is the type of dream in which the deceased expresses disapproval of the dreamer. There are also separation dreams, in which the deceased and the dreamer are kept apart by a physical obstacle, such as a wall. The most positive dreams are the ones in which the deceased offers comfort through words or actions, or dreams in which the dreamer sees them healthy and happy. Question do people have more

negative dreams or positive ones? Dream research has shown that when people have dreams in general, they have more negative dreams than positive ones. That simply because of daily stress which gets incorporated after trauma. Research shows these dreams tend to become even more negative. So you'd think that grief dreams would follow this pattern and that people would have more negative grief dreams than positive ones, But that doesn't seem to be the case. When the deceased appear in dreams,

they tend to be positive. In one of my studies, about ninety percent of people reported having at least one positive dream of the deceased, as opposed to forty four percent who had at least one negative. It points to something different going on with these types of dreams. They're a very special experience. Many people I've spoken with have told me these dreams also feel different from an average dream.

They're much more vivid. Question, so what does it mean if you're one of the people who has a negative grief dream. Negative grief dreams don't mean that you've had a negative relationship with the person who's past. They are often a reflection of the distress the dreamer is experiencing after losing someone. This is especially true if you are suppressing your emotions about the death of a loved one, which isn't uncommon. I did that after my dad passed.

In this case, the negative dream can help you work through your feelings you've been avoiding in your waking life. I'm going to pause reading that article to you and just talk a little bit about dreams. I don't know if this is true for you, but in me, it is stirring up all kinds of memories. The good news is we're talking about something fascinating, something I haven't really

dug my teeth into yet. I know I've interviewed enough people that have had near death experiences, and they describe the memory of them so crystal clear, clearer than any memory they've ever had, and they can recall it even if it's seventy eighty years before. There's something in common with this and these grief dreams of loved ones. Some people experience them so vivid and real. They're loved ones appearing younger, healthier. Things are spoken that weren't spoken when

they were alive. While I know we all have some crazy dreams at night, and I do believe some of the emotions we experience in our dreams are some of the emotions we're experiencing during the day. But I can't help but believe that our loved ones use the dream state when they can to let us know that they are okay and still alive, and for us to continue living our lives. So let's go to the break and

we'll hear more from Doctor Black. You're listening to Shades of the Afterlife on the iHeartRadio and Coast to Coast AM Paranormal Podcast Network. Every eight minutes, The American Red Cross brings help and hope to people in need. Thanks to the support of everyday heroes like you, the Red Cross is able to respond to disasters big and small, support military families, help sure that blood is available when needed, and teach life saving skills like CPR and first Aid.

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really pleasant dreams of them in my mind. When I wake up in the morning feeling happy and good about a dream and my loved one was in it, I tend to think that they had a little something to do with it, letting me know, hey, I'm still here.

I have had dreams of arguments and scary stuff. We are all human beings, and we have this subconscious mind, and it has been said that our minds store so much information, and at night when we sleep, dreams act sort of like a bilge pump on a boat, pumping out things that we no longer need in our subconscious.

work through your grief in a new way. For instance, my father died very suddenly, and my dreams gave me a chance to say goodbye to him. Some dreams allow the bereaved to continue to feel bonded with the deceased, which can be helpful after a loss. Grief dreams can also lead people to place more value on their dreams. In general, dreams can provide a new tool to understand ourselves. I believe that the more we understand about ourselves, the

more we can love ourselves. Question what are some of the most surprising things you've learned about grief dreams during your research? First off, how common they are and a sample of berieved partners and spouses eighty six percent had a dream of the deceased. But even more than that, how common they are after all kinds of loss. And of course I was fascinated to discover that people experienced grief dreams before knowing their loved one had passed. Wow.

Question what do grief dreams of spouses look like? They fall into one of the larger dream categories I mentioned earlier, such as the dreamer being comforted by their deceased loved one. For example, one woman told me that her husband came to her in a dream and told her not to worry about him because he was with Jesus and no longer suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Interestingly, it's also common for a deceased spouse to appear in a dream and approve

of their partner remarrying. There's a lot of love and positivity in these dreams. Question how common are pregnancy lost dreams? One of my studies found that fifty eight percent of people who'd lost a pregnancy had a grief dream, both mothers and their partners. These parents have never met their child, but nonetheless a dream about the baby lost. The child can appear in their dreams as a newborn in their arms, or as a toddler saying I love you, or even

as a teenager saying it wasn't your fault. Question, how about the dreams that people have of deceased pets. My study found that seventy six percent of people whose pets had passed had dreams about them. Of course, the major difference is that the animal generally doesn't talk. These dreams tend to reflect the pet's life and what they and the dreamer used to enjoy doing together. So, for instance, the dream might include taking a dog to a favorite

dog park or petting a beloved cat. Question do young children have bereavement dreams? A lot of people forget that children can have these kinds of dreams, even young children who don't yet understand death but are nonetheless trying to have these dreams. It's important to ask our children and the kids we serve if they're having these kinds of dreams. Sometimes the dreams will start years after the person the

child is grieving has passed away. One woman told me that she began dreaming of her deceased father when she was thirteen. She'd never actually met him because he had died before she was born, but she formed a bond with him through these dreams that sustained her as she continued to grow up. He'd give her fatherly advice in these dreams. Question, you mentioned grief dreams before knowledge of the loss. Can you explain what these are and why

they might occur. Yes, some people have grief dreams before they are notified that their loved one has pain.

of faith experience grief dreams. Some think these dreams are unhealthy or that they have a negative spiritual component, but my research has shown the healing powers of these dreams. One of the main questions I get is do you believe that this is a visitation? And I can't determine that, only you can. And he tips on how to better understand grief tream d personally, I found dream journaling and

studying about dreams is helpful to understanding dreams. To understand dreams, you first have to understand your own dream language and symbols. I always tell people to start with the emotion in the dream and connect them to waking life, then work from there to connect the symbols to waking life. So once again, check out doctor Black's podcast Grief Dreams and he's got a website, Griefdreams dot c A. Do you

want to try and experiment with me? Have a picture of your loved one close by, and before you go to sleep at night, have a conversation with them that you're doing a dream experiment and ask them to come to you in your dreams. Have the dream journal. And this may not be an overnight thing, no pun intended. It may take some time and some practice to see

if your loved ones appear in your dreams. I'd like to read now just a few examples of people from beneath a YouTube video talking about loved ones and dreams, just so you can see how normal this really is. Bobby says, I just had a dream about my mom, who passed away many years ago. She gave me a great big hug. Ellie said, last night, I had a dream about my friend who died of cancer. But she looked so healthy like before she had cancer. She had her own hair, and she was smiling. She told me

she's very happy and nothing hurts anymore. Hannah says, it's been almost a year and a half since my best friend died, but she finally came to visit me in my sleep. It was beautiful. Nick says I dreamt of my deceased cat and my cousin. It made me feel so happy during the dream, as if we had more time together. Maria says my husband passed away one month

ago and I've been dreaming about him often. Jan says my mom passed away just about a month ago now, and I have been having numerous dreams of her, almost on a daily basis. The most recent dream I've had was her sitting on the edge of my bed and she looked over at me and smiled. I wish and hope to continue having these dreams of her because it is the closest thing I still have to her being here in person. Josie says, I dreamt last night about my mom and dad. My dad gave me a bank

note in read in his left hand. It's a wonderful feeling to see both of them together in my dreams. Kp says I had a dream of my uncle that passed away in June, and he looked healthy and young again. The first dream to me was like he was showing me how he was doing now. My second dream was him hugging me and telling me that it's okay. And that he's doing well and he's back with my other

uncle and someday I will see them again. Wes says, my brother passed away last year, and I saw him in my dreams smiling, and he gave me a big hug. Evan says, I dream about my beautiful son in one dream. He said, Oh, Mom, you can't imagine how happy I am. Morris says the day my sister passed away, I went home and had a very hard time. I was crying, asking her to give me some signs. Later that night, I went to bed and dreamt of her. She was

holding my hand and we were walking. She was so happy, smiling and gave me the biggest hug I ever felt. She was healthy too. We walked in a place I have never seen before, but it was so beautiful. I woke up crying, and I ended up crying for a while. It was the most vivid dream I've ever had, like I was there physically with her. Genie says, last night I had a dream of my twin who died when she was two years old, but she looked about the

same age as I am now. The only words she said were I'm right here, I'll always be by your side, beautiful stories. Grief is so very tough, and our loved ones certainly want us to know that they live on. So whether they come through your imagination in the dream state, you hear their voice, you receive a sign, or maybe you talk to a medium, they are alive and well and you will see them again. Coming up after the break, a few words from doctor Oz as he learns about

the afterlife. You're listening to Shades of the Afterlife on the iHeartRadio and Coast to Coast AM Paranormal Podcast Network.

look at this flower made out of shells. The viewer says she thinks it's a sign from her son. Now I just been blown away by the response, I wait until you hear the stories we found and the lives that were changed. Could you be next?

part of our special day. And then I got this amazing sign and a beautiful wedding present from Matthew that left no doubt that he was still around and would be a part of our special day.

It stopped in a dead end and then it shut off, and then when it shut off, I didn't know what direction we were pointing in, so I came out and I put the car navigating system on it, and then when I looked up, it was said Matthew's lane, And it was kind of one of the first real signs that I knew that he was pretty much kind of,

you know, selling me. No I am here, because just before that, I got a he used to wear a star of David and he had a tattoo of the Hamsa, and just before that I saw somebody wearing that with a and I just kept seeing that all the time that you know.

has the flag on it. Yeah, and I wear it because my son loved the flag and I actually just wore it hiking the day before.

we're getting married. And he looks at me and he goes, my name is Matthew Goodness, so I don't tell him about my son. But I said, oh, that's nice. My name is Francesca.

I think I remember that. And then that was kind of it, and we walked away, and then my husband, my fiance at the time, was really blown away because I was still kind of shocked, and he kept saying, oh my god, that's a sign. You have to put this flower into your wedding bouquet. That was definitely Matthew.

and he was just so peaceful. And when he handed the flower and said his name was Matthew and explained to us what it meant, I was completely blown away, just blown away.

gift for your wedding. I don't know what it is or how you're going to get it, but you're going to get it. And then she goes, let's see, it's August, August, September, Oxber. She goes, okay, end of March.

are always with us. And I think it's pretty clear he was saying he was coming to the wedding and that he was going to be there for the happy moments too, and that he wants you to live a virbrant, joyful life of love and connection and he celebrates that with you.

my friend, Your life is for a purpose. There is going to be a moment when we each take that last breath, and our loved ones and our pets will be there too. Don't be hard on yourself, live each day to the fullest and definitely let the people in your life know how much you love them and savor every minute. Remember our home base is we Don't Die dot com. Our new medium classes are just about to start, and of course we have our free Sunday gathering with

medium demonstrations. I'm Sandra Champlain. Thank you for listening to Shades of the Afterlife on the iHeartRadio and Coast to Coast AM Paranormal podcast network.