Читать книгу An Angel Walked Beside Me: Amazing stories of children who touch the other side - Joan Charles - Страница 6

I believe that all children possess psychic abilities, but that many are ignored, dismissed or even punished for voicing thoughts and feelings relating to the spirit world. I’m not suggesting for one moment that there are millions of children all over the world seeing the Angel of Death before they go to sleep at night, but I am suggesting there is an innate ability in most little ones to which we pay very little attention. This lack of attention prevents us from recognising something that we perhaps no longer understand but which could be of tremendous value to us if we simply opened our hearts and minds.

Many people reading this will be parents and I’d like you to pause for a moment and ask yourself some questions.

Has your child ever had an imaginary friend whom he or she is able to describe in so much detail that it sometimes stops you in your tracks?

Has your child ever been inconsolably afraid or inexplicably happy in a certain room or place for no apparent reason?

Have you ever visited somewhere your child has never been before only to find them unsettled or emotional or terrified, or experiencing some other inexplicable emotion?

Have they ever seemed sure that you have been to a place before when you absolutely know that this is their first visit? Does that seem odd to them? Do they take a while to believe you? There could be a reason for it, a reason as clear as day – they don’t believe you, because this place seems so familiar that they can’t believe it is new to them. And perhaps it isn’t.

Have you heard your child laughing or talking when you, the sensible adult, know that there is no one else around? Imagination, you scoff again.

What about when your son or daughter tells you something about a long-gone relative, perhaps a beloved grandparent of yours that they couldn’t possibly know? Do you dismiss that as a comment you must have made to them about that person without remembering it?

What if they point to someone in a photograph, someone who died long before they were born, and tell you something uncannily accurate about that person? Imagination again?

How many reasons – how many excuses – can you keep providing before you have to face up to what is staring us all in the face?

Let’s consider something radical.

Maybe children aren’t making it all up.

Perhaps they do see, hear, smell and sense spirits in a way that makes grown-ups uncomfortable, but which seems perfectly natural to them. Whether you believe that or not, I would like to take the opportunity within this book to tell you about some of my experiences with children.

I can fully understand why some people are sceptical. When I saw the Angel of Death from my bedroom window, I would have loved it if someone had managed to explain it away. I wanted to be ‘normal’, I wanted to fit in. Perhaps there was a defiance in me that prevented me from accepting any so-called ‘rational’ explanations (and I now feel blessed that this was the case), but the terror I felt in those early years was not something I would wish on anyone.

The vast majority of children I have encountered have only happy experiences of the spirit world, whether they are the ones receiving or sending the messages, and I hope this will offer comfort to grown-ups who have lost touch with those abilities in themselves. Opening yourself up (through recognising your own talents or those of the children around you) will not invite terrible things into your life. The experiences I have had are, by far, ones of hope and love – and surely only a fool would reject having more of those blessings in their lives.

The journey I will take you on in this book will be one in which I share the many encounters I have had throughout the years, encounters which have been both beautiful and touching. To get to this stage of my life, I have had to face many challenges, but all of them have been for a reason. During my childhood there were times when I had no control over what was happening, over which spirits were coming through. I wasn’t seeking these experiences, and I wasn’t revelling in them, but they happened anyway. From the age of seven, I knew, every time I looked in the mirror, that I was looking at someone who was here for a purpose. This was terrifying to me. I was only a little girl and I had no idea what this knowledge meant. Why was I thinking that way when I should have been concerned with nothing more complex than playing with other children? The feelings were so strong and they came at such a young age that they scared me. On reflection, as an adult I know that it was my intuition guiding me to the place I am now, but I don’t want anyone to think that I was so egotistical I believed I was more ‘special’ than anyone else. I think everyone has a purpose, but we don’t all recognise it.

By the age of eight or nine, it was obvious that school simply didn’t grab my attention. I spent a lot of time daydreaming, looking out of windows, gazing into space. I had my own inner visions and heard an inner voice as naturally as other children played hopscotch. I dreamed of the day when I would finally be happy and feel ‘normal’ – whatever that was. I wanted to fit in. That would be my paradise. I longed for a time when I would no longer feel like a stray piece of jigsaw in the wrong box. My inner voice told me that everything would be all right and that things would work out, but in reality I was in a world that didn’t seem to have a place for me.

I had friends, but often in the middle of playing with them I would finish what they had been about to say. On one occasion I was with a friend who had a dog. She began to talk, and I immediately interrupted to say that I knew her dog had died the night before. She was surprised, and wondered how I knew – but I just knew things. I was always so highly strung and nervous that every little thing worried me. Looking back as an adult, I can see that this was because I felt too much, I sensed too much around me, and I couldn’t put any of it into words.

I always knew when things weren’t going well between Mum and Dad. I didn’t need to overhear arguments to realise that this was the case. I would lie in bed listening and, if I felt things weren’t right, I would go downstairs and sit near by as I felt that my presence would calm things down. They never told me to go back to bed, so maybe they realised I was helping.

When I was seventeen, I met Davy, my husband-to-be. I loved him so much and knew that he loved me. He was my twin flame, my true connection, and I was very happy, but at the same time something inside me knew it would never last and that we would part. We were so much in love that this seemed a crazy thought, but it haunted me every day we were together. I was right – we did separate; but I have a lot to thank him for as everything that happened in our relationship moved me towards being the person I am today.

My life has been an amazing journey and it’s still far from over. I’ll tell you a little more about how I work as we travel this journey together. One thing that has become clear to me over the years of living and working as a psychic is that we are currently living in a moment when the importance of children with special gifts will become more and more obvious, and I want to share some of my stories with you to explain the ways in which these can manifest themselves. It’s not easy being a psychic child. This is something I know from personal experience.

Learning to communicate with spirit

When the gift is in its early stages, in other words when the psychic is a child, there are few boundaries. They can end up fending off countless spirits all jostling for attention every minute of every day. I sometimes imagine the spirit world as a frantically busy place whenever a new ‘route’ for sending messages appears. They all have so much to say and they all desperately want their loved ones to know that they are fine, so the appearance of a child who can pass on their messages gives them a means of being heard. When I was little, I had no way of making sure that I was the one choosing when and what to hear – and some spirits take advantage of that. Most spirits are well-meaning, but it would still be a draining life if day after day allowed no respite from the barrage of messages being sent through.

As I got older and more comfortable with my gift, I learned more about how to be selective. At times, that involves me being strict about when I’ll accept messages, or it can mean that I block some senders – it’s a bit like having psychic email. Now I only pick up my messages during work hours if possible, I ignore the junk mail, and there are certain senders whom I never encourage.

However, there are still times when it is open season. If I’m preparing for a show, for example, I have to take the firewall down for the day and see who comes through. On such days I get a lot of communication. Sometimes I will sense someone walking beside me, or I will receive a direct message in my head that is clear and precise, like an order. Sometimes I will feel an emotion that I know is coming from someone else, or I will smell something very distinct. It may be that none of it makes sense at that moment, but I know that during the show these will be clues I need to pass on to others. Spirits can use a scent or a name or a place or a feeling to connect with those they have left behind. They will send me messages to prove that what I am saying is genuine, and, to me, this is crucial. I always prove things. Whenever and wherever I can, I will give people incontrovertible evidence by relating facts that I couldn’t possibly know. Once people have been reassured about the genuine nature of my gift, I can move on to the real point which needs to be passed on. Some mediums feel they shouldn’t have to provide proof, but it has always been an integral part of the way I work.

Throughout my psychic development I have had the gifts of clairvoyance, clairsentience and clairaudience. The earliest example of clairvoyance was when I saw the Angel of Death at the age of five. As I got older I felt as if I was watching a TV screen in my mind’s eye, one that was as real as anything else around me. When I imagined myself older and happy, I was experiencing ‘precognitive clairvoyance’, which meant I was seeing myself in the future through a vision.

I always had clairsentience. I felt things even though I often couldn’t explain why I felt them. I could sense or feel when someone was not right in themselves because I would feel it in me too. If someone felt sick, I would feel sick too. I still have that gift very strongly.

Clairaudience came much later in life when I had been developing and working as a psychic for some time. I could always see and feel, but it was a while before I heard anything much. I started to hear a name here and there, and it was as if spirits were allowing me to build this gift slowly so that I could cope. It developed over time and now I hear spirit speak to me internally as a matter of course.

Sometimes one of my gifts works more strongly than another – I just go with whatever comes along and trust that it will all be fine, and this has generally worked very well for me.

On top of these gifts, I have always had the ability to read auras. When I began going to spiritualist churches, giving readings and working as a psychic, auras became more and more clear to me. When I was in my early thirties, I studied aromatherapy and found that the more I worked with people, the more connected I became. I would see flickers of light around them, and sense spirit. As I progressed, I saw changing colours and shapes as well. This is how auras work; they change according to what is happening in the individual’s life at any given time.

There are seven main layers in an aura. The first is a kind of smoky haze, rather like what you would see if you were driving along on a summer’s day after it had been raining. When the sun comes out, the haze begins to rise, and this is very similar to that first, or etheric, layer of an aura.

The second layer is the emotional layer, which has colour. It begins to expand out of the body, and this is where connections are made.

Level three is the mental layer, the one that relates to how we process the intellect or thought. Basically, it is about what makes us tick and it also relates to the way in which things worry us to a greater or lesser degree. When a psychic taps into this layer, they will be able to see, sense or experience how the person copes with things in their life at a practical or logical level.

Level four is the layer referred to as the astral layer. It is the bridge that crosses between the third and fifth layers. The first three are all linked to the physical world of the individual and the way in which they manage in it, but as you cross the fourth you enter into a more spiritual realm of love and greater consciousness. It is rather like a portal between the first three and final three layers.

The fifth level is the etheric template. This layer is a copy of the previous layers, but one that taps into a greater consciousness. It is where physical and spiritual thoughts merge and can become manifestations through focus, love and vibration. A manifestation is when you think about something and focus your attention on it and it happens. It is where anything is possible if we focus on it.

Level six is the celestial layer. It connects with dreams, intuition and greater knowledge. It is turned on through meditation and other spiritual practices that enable mediums to work in these realms.

Level seven is the ketheric layer. This is like a shell that holds all the other auric layers in place. It contains all knowledge and understanding of everything you have ever done, a map of where you have been and what you have done and where you are heading. Very few of us get more than small glimpses of this layer, but I sometimes see it when a person has been reincarnated.

Like most professional mediums, I often take part in shows and tours. The sheer number of people at these events, both in the audience and in spirit, is staggering, but I firmly believe that if a message needs to come through, it will. Those who have passed over have such love for those of us who remain behind on the Earth plane that they keep trying until they finally make contact. Relationships are not ended simply by the passing of one party; they do not fade away because one person is no longer visible to the other.

When I am working at a show I need to use all my gifts to bring messages to the person whom they concern. I will be reading auras, hearing messages, seeing images, feeling emotions and sometimes smelling scents as well, and I have to put together all these signals in order to communicate them to the member of the audience for whom they are intended. I’m going to finish this first chapter with a story that demonstrates the way this can work in practice.

Ben and Hannah

As I stood on the stage at an event one night, I began to receive very strong messages about a young man called Ben. He was only eighteen years old when he had passed. Sometimes a person can pass at a very young age without there being a sense of sadness or pain because they have shut down as a coping mechanism, but with Ben I knew his passing had been traumatic. My body ached as soon as I was connected to him. It was very clear to me immediately from the sensations and imagery I was sent that Ben had been murdered in a completely senseless act. This obviously meant that it was going to be a very difficult communication that would have to be handled sensitively. In order for me to ‘prove’ the truth of the message, I would have to pass on some upsetting information.

‘I have a message here for Ben’s mum,’ I began. A lot of people raised their hands, as it is quite a popular name, but I knew that soon there would only be one woman left. ‘This is hard, and I know it will bring up some bad memories, but I really need Ben’s mum to remember why she’s here tonight. You want to know that he’s okay – and we both know why that matters so very much to you, don’t we?’

Any mother in the audience who had lost a child would want to know whether they were all right in spirit, but I hoped that my words would strike a particular chord with this woman. There were lots of murmurings, as there always are, and then one lady in a row not too far from the front caught my attention. She had lowered her arm but she had never taken her eyes from my face. She was shaking and tears were falling silently down her cheeks.

Despite the fact that I was wearing a microphone, my words were quiet. ‘You know who you are, don’t you? And you know why I’m going to have to say these words. Ben was only eighteen when he was taken from you and it was in a terrible way, wasn’t it?’

Even though I was on stage, I could clearly see the woman shaking. I wished I could go down and hug her, but I also knew that if she stayed with me through this I would be able to bring her comfort that would last forever.

‘He was murdered, wasn’t he? Your beautiful boy was murdered.’

The woman nodded through her tears and the rest of the audience turned towards her. I needed to make sure she knew this wasn’t entertainment, that this was real. I needed to prove it to her.

‘I know that this hurts,’ I said, ‘but if I tell you what I know, what I couldn’t possibly know unless I was being sent it, will that help you to understand that I really do have a message for you?’

The poor woman kept nodding and I could feel her pain. ‘This month, September, is important for you because that’s the anniversary of his death. Am I right?’

Again, she nodded.

‘There were two people involved, I can see that. One of them was less connected than the other, but she did nothing to help, which is why I’m saying two people. I also know that it was to do with money. Your son wasn’t involved in what they were up to, but he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, wasn’t he?’

All through this, the woman wept, but I needed to go on.

‘It was a brutal and unprovoked attack, it was at night, and it was in a dark place. I’m getting somewhere that looks like a very quiet area. Ben was taken by surprise and it was all over in a flash. I know that his killers were caught, but you think they got off lightly. I also know that you know the family of one of them and that you still have to see and be around these people.’

All of this must have been very hard for the poor woman to listen to, but I had to press on and get to what she needed to hear.

‘You’re right,’ she finally said. ‘It’s all true. I don’t know how you know all of that, but you’re right. Thank you.’ She started wiping her tears away.

‘That’s not all!’ I said. ‘What I’ve just told you is just my way of proving that what’s coming next is genuine. Ben is fine, he’s come to terms with what happened and he wants you to reach that place of peace and forgiveness too. He knows that this has been awful for you – not just losing him, not just the trial, but the way in which you’ve had to keep seeing his killer’s family. But he’s being looked after now. That’s what I have to let you know.’

She looked up at me with such hope in her eyes. ‘Has he told you this? Is he telling you this now? Is he here?’

‘No, no, he isn’t here – but the person who is looking after him is.’

‘What do you mean?’ she asked.

‘Hannah,’ I told her. ‘It’s Hannah. I got all of this from Hannah, and she wants you to know that Ben is happy. He’s with her and has been from the moment he passed. She loves him and she’ll always care for him until you are joined together again. You know who I mean by Hannah, don’t you?’

‘Yes,’ she whispered. ‘Of course I do. I remember her so clearly. I always wished she’d been here to see Ben, and when he was born I missed her presence so much.’

‘There was no need,’ I told her. ‘She was there. She’s always been there. And now she has Ben to look after. She’s your big sister, isn’t she?’

The woman was in floods of tears again, but I could tell that she wasn’t upset in the same way as she had been earlier.

‘Hannah passed to spirit when she was eight, didn’t she?’ Again, her nods told me I was right. ‘Her job when she was here was to look after you; she was a proper big sister and loved that responsibility. That hasn’t changed. When Ben joined her, she made it her job to look after him. She’s with him all the time and both of them are with you. Ben is safe now – and so is Hannah.’

It was a communication full of love and light. Hannah came across as very playful but also as someone who had welcomed the opportunity to take on responsibility when Ben passed over. I knew that she had died suddenly, from a viral infection, and felt that this was a link she had with the boy. Both of their passings had been unexpected, but she was in a stronger place to help Ben come to terms with his own situation. I could tell she was a delightful child, because I was getting very playful energy from her, but the energy she sent me from Ben was not the same. He was much quieter and more reflective. She channelled the information from both of them to me in order that I could pass it on.

When I work with someone, I always get a feeling of them, a sense. It’s my inner voice. Clairvoyance, clairsentience and clairaudience are all working together, but usually ‘the sight’ is stronger than the others. It’s like a movie running in my head, and I tend to chatter away as if I’m staring into space. I’m watching it all and reporting it back – and I have a library of these files and people in my head. I can access that library, those files, whenever I want. The deeper I can dig into those files, the more bizarre the proof I can uncover. There’s no point asking ‘Do you know a John?’ because everyone does! I need to find specific and particular proof – for example, there was one case where I asked a woman about her sister and could tell her that she was obsessed with monkeys. After hearing the proof, they are ready for the message – and if it comes from someone called ‘John’, so be it!

With Hannah, I kept seeing a smiley face and I heard her saying, ‘I’m okay, I’m okay, I’m fine.’ She wanted me to pass on a message of reassurance, and she was reassuring me as well. Anything to do with children who have passed over is emotional for me. It is upsetting to think of a child who has been in pain or who has experienced suffering. Hannah’s spirit was a beautiful one, and it showed not only in her concern for Ben and her family, but also in that which she showed to me. She had been ill for over a year, and things had got progressively worse. To have a child communicate that information while still saying ‘I’m fine’ was very touching. Hannah’s essence was very strong.

Essence comes over to me a lot. The essence of the person goes beyond their physical form. Your body is just a vehicle to get you through this journey. I always look at it this way. Say you’re going to see family in Australia. You might travel from anywhere in the country to get to London for the first stage of your journey, then you’ll probably take a connecting flight, maybe in Singapore. That’s similar to what your soul will go through. Your journey will be broken up into lots of bits, all leading towards a final destination, all connecting with each other. Each piece of the journey is about what you’re going to learn, what will build your soul and energy and knowledge so that the next time you come to this plane you will know things or be able to pick up something you left off.

Ben’s essence was different from Hannah’s. He was a quiet, introverted boy, who just went about his own business. I could see that he only had one or two friends, and tended to keep himself to himself.

Ben’s mum was surprised to hear that he was with Hannah. ‘But Hannah was dead before my son was even born!’ she said.

It’s true they hadn’t known each other in this world, but in spirit you are part of a connected consciousness and, as such, constantly aware of your family members. We leave the physical body behind and go back to the energetic body which connects us all. There is no separateness in this state. It doesn’t matter whether you believe in God or any other deity; we are all part of a universal energy. When your soul passes on, when it goes home, you connect back to your universal family. It’s beyond religion; it has nothing to do with our narrow conceptions of how best to believe. Hannah watched Ben for years, and when he passed she knew as much about him as his own mother. In fact, had she been here on Earth she would probably have known less!

On this plane we are so focused on life and death that we often fail to see the continuity that exists. People, spirits, souls don’t simply disappear. I believe that all children have an ability to make connections with the spirit world, and I also believe that those spirits who have passed during childhood have a special warmth and innocence that makes their love so special to those they left behind. They show it in many ways, as Hannah did by caring for her sister’s son, and if we all unlock our minds and move past our worries we will see that someone’s passing is an opportunity to open ourselves up to love that never ends – a love which children understand perfectly.

I believe that all children are psychic and that we as adults have a responsibility to nurture and encourage these gifts. As I share the wonderful stories in this book with you, I hope you feel the presence of these angels who walk beside us, and I hope you can find it in your heart to help whatever children there may be in your world to find their own spiritual and angelic path.