Recently on the forums a couple of people asked a bunch of really good questions about the dead, the afterlife, reincarnation and the reasons to connect with deceased loved ones.  I am going to answer all of their questions here since not all of my readers visit the forums.  If you have follow up questions after reading this entry you can post them in the forums using the link at the bottom of this article.  Here is a summary of the questions asked:

What do the dead do in the afterlife?  Are they doing work like painters and such?  How much do they remember of the life they left?  How fast do people reincarnate?  Can you speak to souls if they’ve reincarnated?  Are your dead relatives able to give you information about your life and life choices?  Can they give you inside information to help you with your life?  What is the longest period of time that can pass before its no longer possible to make a connection?  How does connecting with the dead really help the living other than giving us hope that they are okay somewhere?  What about the people you don’t want to see again, will they be waiting for you in the afterlife?

What do the dead do in the afterlife?  Do they work or have jobs?
In my previous article, Crossing Over, I mentioned that there are various stages of crossing over.  Sometimes spirits stay earthbound, sometimes they hover around the living because of strong emotional ties or unfinished business, and sometimes they move on completely and only check in with their loved ones upon occasion.  In the first two cases, it feels to me like the dead are still somewhat connected to their lives here on earth.  They haven’t really “gone on” as it were. 

But the spirits that have totally moved on and crossed over completely are different.  In one case, I was speaking to a deceased man who conveyed to me that he was spending his “time” in philosophical discussion with other souls.  In other cases I have seen whole families together and they show me an image of them having dinner and spending time together.  Of course they are not really eating, they show it to me this way to convey the emotional happiness that goes with a loving family gathering.  I have seen souls that appear to be wandering, unclear of where to go or what to do.  And I recently conversed with a gentleman who showed me that he was essentially sitting in a chair in front of a television watching the family he left behind.  Other spirits go on to become spirit guides for others, helpers to those who are crossing over, or explorers.

How much do spirits remember of the life they left?
I think spirits remember all of their lives.  When they present to me they usually show me the manner in which they died so I can give some kind of validation to the person I’m reading for.  After that it’s mostly about acknowledging the people who are still living.  And almost always they are reassuring their loved ones that they are okay, that they made it to the other side, and not to worry about them.  While in some cases the deceased seem very interested in what’s going on back on earth, I have also seen many times that the deceased no longer feel at all connected to their earthly loved ones and have moved on emotionally as well as physically.  This can be either very reassuring for the people I’m reading for or a little disappointing.

Can the dead give you a heads up on what’s coming up in your life?
For the most part they do not interfere with the course of your life.  The sense I get is that they are either not allowed or simply realize, from their higher perspective, that the journey is more important than the destination, that growing and learning trumps perfection, and that you are doing just fine whether you realize it or not.  It’s like revealing the end of a good movie – they don’t want to spoil it for you.  Now, just because the dead can’t/won’t help you doesn’t mean you can’t get inside information.  That’s what a psychic reading is for.  When I tune in to your spirit guides and higher self they do give a heads up on what’s coming up in your life.  Getting a psychic reading is like getting a good wind when you’re sailing.  Instead of stagnating in the water trying to row your boat, you get pushed along speedily.  I will say that sometimes a deceased family member will discuss future children.  I have seen more than once a deceased grandparent holding the hand of a child that I see is coming to my sitter in the future.  It’s like they are helping the child integrate into the family tree.  It’s sweet and beautiful really.

How fast do people reincarnate and can you speak to someone who has already reincarnated?
I don’t know how long it takes for a soul to reincarnate.  I think it can be fast or take a hundred years.  Or a soul may decide not to reincarnate.  That is information I have not been given clearly from the other side.  I believe, however, that if someone is reincarnated I can still speak to their higher self.  And time is an illusion anyway.  I think in some ways all of our lives are happening at once, but don’t ask me to explain this because quantum physics is beyond me at the moment.  I think we’ll understand this concept better when we get back to the afterlife.

Can you reach people who have been dead for a long time? 
Yes, mediums in general can speak to people who have been dead for decades.  I personally usually connect with people who are recently deceased, but occasionally I will get someone coming through who has been dead for 20 years or longer.  Remember that mediums cannot guarantee who is going to come through during a reading.  A spirit has to want to communicate, it’s entirely up to them if they will answer my hail.  And sometimes a spirit may want to come through but can’t quite get the frequency right.  In some cases I can tell that I am speaking to the spirit guides who are speaking to the deceased person and we’ve got a four way relay going.

How does connecting with the dead really help us?  Is it just to provide reassurance that our loved ones are okay on the other side?
When I have watched John Edward work, including the live session I went to, I have noticed that basically the deceased come through with a lot of reassurance and validating information, but not too much more than that.  Occasionally John will say something like, “Did your sister have breast cancer?  Your uncle is telling me she may want to get that checked out again.”  And sometimes some psychic information will come through but I’m not sure if that is John (who is psychic in addition to being a medium) or if he is getting that information from the deceased.  Similarly, when the deceased present to me they are 95% of the time simply letting my sitter know that they are fine, no longer suffering, and doing well.  To some people this is extremely important.  Those who are extremely religious sometimes fear their loved ones are burning in hell.  That could keep someone up at night for sure!  Finding out their loved ones are at peace and in a good place can be extremely valuable.  And women who have lost babies are especially concerned that their babies are okay on the other side (they are!).  I personally don’t feel a need to connect with my loved ones on the other side because I know they are all fine and at peace.  But I can totally understand the desire to speak to a deceased loved one if you think they did not make it safely to the other side.

Do you meet up with all your loved ones on the other side?  Even the ones you’d rather not see again?
I get asked this question a lot.  I know people who aren’t too keen on meeting their abusive husband or alcoholic parent on the other side.  But really when you get to the other side it’s like taking off a costume, sloughing off a role in a play, and their energy and your energy are different.  Sure, there may be some reckoning when you first meet up with them, but try not to worry about that.  All I can tell you is that it will be fine and you’ll understand when you get there.  They won’t be the same as you remember them.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 3:48 am and is filed under Ask Erin, Channeling and Spirits, The 4th Dimension. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.