Crossing Over

Recently while attending a class on advanced techniques in Shamanic practices, I learned a new technique for crossing over the spirits of those who have become "stuck" or for some reason their essence did not "cross over" into the light after death.

These souls sometimes wander around after their death due to the trauma they suffered. Sometimes they do not realize they are dead. Sometimes, it seems, they have lost memory of what happened just prior to their death. Sometimes they fear that they have done something that prohibits them from entering into the light.

In my years prior to my introduction into Shamanic technique, I had never been introduced to the idea that displaced spirits need love and understanding. On television and in the religious circles to which I had been exposed, spirits that hung around or harassed or perhaps even "possessed" those of us who are living were to be feared and cast out, but never loved. The idea that these spirits needed to be given a voice to speak out their fears and apprehensions and perhaps to express the things that had happened to them prior to their death was a new idea to me, but one that I immediately embraced. It only makes sense that those spirits who elect to stay around the earth realm when given the choice probably have some unfinished business here. Perhaps they felt the need to find a lost loved one, not realizing that the loved one they were looking for had long since passed. Perhaps they felt unworthy of the light, or perhaps they just couldn't remember what had happened to them prior to their death and they didn't understand how they had ended up where they found themselves.

It only makes sense that in order for a soul to feel comfortable going to the light, they must first be exposed to the light of love and compassion. In this work there is no danger of that spirit attaching itself to those who are giving them a voice, because those of us assisting these spirits cross over are of the light, and if these spirits are afraid of the light of the other side, they will not desire to attach themselves to lightworkers. Instead we give them a voice, let them voice their concerns, their fears, allow them to realize that they have passed, and perhaps help them to see beyond the traumatic event that precipitated their death. It seems that when these spirits realize that the event has passed then they are free to see the light.

The theory is that energy follows thought, so it is believed that if you speak of those who you have crossed over then it is possible that the energy of thinking and talking about them could have the effect of drawing them back to the earth realm. However, suffice it to say that there are many spirits who have found peace through this method. Because of this theory I am not going to give specific examples at this time, but after some time has passed, perhaps it would be okay to tell their stories.

We can learn so much from this practice. If the dead need love and understanding, how much more the living who we interact with every day? If we have those who we are around on a continual basis who rub us the wrong way, or perhaps we have anger or unforgiveness towards, how does the energy of our thoughts and words affect them? How does the energy of others affect us? It behooves us to take thought of how we speak of others and what energy we continually give out to those we love and those we love a little less. Remember that the thoughts we think and the words we speak is the energy that is drawn towards us. If we feel harassed by spirits that are not alive then perhaps their energy is drawn to us because of our fears or dark thoughts or words. If you happen to be sensitive to them, perhaps they are looking for some understanding or someone to listen to them.

Let us give thought to all those, living and dead, who need our love, our compassion, and our understanding. Let us offer them the gift of nonjudgment, acceptance, and perhaps, after they have given voice to their fears, will see the light.