as yet I haven't had anything happen to me to believe in angels or anything like that...I suppose we "look" for things that we think may comfort us, I will investigate my camera as mine too has face recognition...if there was anything "after death" Im sure dh would have somehow done something to comfort me, as yet I feel no comfort .. but who knows we can never know can we..!

The brain is an extraordinary thing. Because one of my hospital social work jobs was with the elderly, I talked with many newly bereaved people, and several were deeply disturbed by the fact that they "saw" the lost loved one at home in the months after the death. I always likened it to looking into the sun and then looking away - the image still lives on in our brain for several seconds afterwards. Sometimes people would think they were going nuts, and I used to say that the loved one was a part of their lives and their very being and always would be, and their brain had not yet acclimatised to the absence, so would go on seeing the person for a while and to just take comfort from it. It seemed to help - I hope it did.

I suffer from migraines and it causes some very weird visual and other sense distortions. At first they are frightening as you think you are going mad, but you do get used to them.

I love the story about the robin - that is lovely.

Thanks for sharing that "bikergran".It must be very comforting for you.

Nothing to really do with angles, but this Christmas we all went to my daughters house, dh died almost 7 months ago now, but when we used to go to daughters house he would sit by the log fire, this Christmas of course he wasn't with us, and I couldn't bare to leave the house without him, so I put his ashes in a rucksack and when we got there I left them in the rucksack and placed the rucksack next to the fire in front of a log that daughters uses for chopping the kindling on.
She was taking random photos of everyone thoughout the afternoon, on one photo my mum is sat to the left of the open fire about 4 foot away from the fire, my dad was sat on the stair steps on the right of the fire, but next to his feet was the rucksack with dh ashes in, when my daughter asked me to look at the photo earlier this week she said "take a look at this mum" the camara has "face recognition! but it didn't focus on my mum or my dad, it focused above the rucksack and took the photo! maybe the camara if we delve into it focusses on the middle of the screen but it is supposed to focus on a face.!

Grandma 2213 thanks for sharing this wonderful experience. You write so well. I wanted your experience to continue. Also felt the peace you write about come out from the page. I loved it.

Sorry to go on ... but my second experience, when my mother died was also very strange. After her funeral I again went for a walk alone to a place which was a favourite of ours when we were children. I was standing in a wood which normally is very silent and has very few birds when suddenly a robin hopped up and sat near my foot! This was odd in itself but I kept having robins come very close for months afterwards, even on the bonnet of my car while I parked up for lunch one day. However what nearly convinced me was about a year later when her older sister died suddenly. She had actually been like a mother to my mother due to the early death of her parents. I was in charge of the funeral and probate arrangements and was very stressed and it was in a part of the country with which I was not familiar. As the hearse arrived at the crematorium a robin hopped onto the fence beside it and sat there as the coffin was unloaded. I felt the same sense of release that I had felt on the previous occasion of my father's death. My sister in law commented that my whole body relaxed and I looked happy! I told her to her mystification that it was all right, my mum was there. I cannot explain this.

I am not a Christian or a believer in angels but I am beginning to wonder if there are some 'connections' with those who are close to us. After my beloved father died I dreamt I was standing in a place on a local hill where I grew up. To my knowledge I had never been there with my father. When I went back for the funeral I visited the Chapel of Rest and became so upset I ran away on my own without being aware where I was going. I suddenly came to, sitting on a bench in the exact same spot of my dream which was overlooking the Chapel of Rest. I had previously had no idea of where this was. I was overcome with a sense of peace and acceptance and although I miss my Dad I still feel he is with me when I need him.

No I don't really as I have posted on a couple of times earlier in thread. The mind does funny thong when stressed. If these "sightings" offer us some comfort that is fine..
Some months after my mother died, which followed just two months on after my father's death, I dreamt that my mother was brought down from heaven hand in hand with her younger baby sister who had died as a very young baby when my mother was two. I had known about this younger child. In this dream I think the baby Margaret, was a young girl. I remember dreaming that I asked my mother if she had met up with my Dad yet and she hadn't.

What to make of that I don't know. Most of us have been steeped in the concept of Angels in heaven meeting and greeting the recently dead. It was very odd for me but it was a dream.

Yes Nonu, and sadly carry it with them for years in some cases

I don"t think people who survive Whatever always think they are important, rather the opposite, racked with guilt for surviving!!

Agree! I have been pondering that while reading this thread, which I have been ignoring for a while.

I was thinking along the same lines alex. I often wonder why some people think themselves so important that they have been "chosen" to survive while many others have not.

Oops, just realised the ? Was do you believe in angels. Well its kind of connected because they are his messengers. If you believe in both concepts.

It always amazes me why people believe that God is arbitrary or partial. Why would he save some and let others perish. I read last week that a bloke survived a 150 mph crash. He claimed he now believed in a god? On the same day all these people on the air asia crash perished. A female passenger in the same article claimed that if her father had not developed Hep. C, she wouldn't have had to cancel her seat on that flight, and would have died? Not being confrontational, just been thinking along these lines lately.

How fortuitous that Hattie - who has just self-published a book - experienced this mystical encounter.

I'd like to

a couple of years ago i was really poorly...was on my daughters birthday,,she was living with me at the time and wasnt happy because i was sick. !!!!! my husband was working abroad, i was so ill i said please call the doctor,,,,,she said your all right,,,,,,,an hour later i managed to get to the bathroom and i collapsed.....i called her and said please call the doctor it was late at night,,,,long story short,,,i shouted oh please help me ,,,someone help me,,,,,,my daughter called the hospital the doctor came,,,while he was downstairs calling the hospital and the ambulance,,,she was packing a bag for me,,,,,,i was back in bed by that time,,,,,,,i saw an angel by my bedside,,,it held out its hands to take in mine,,,,,and said you will be alright,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and soon went, it was all in white,,,as large life i saw it as clear as a bell,,,,,,its large white wings were very clear i could see its every feather,,,they were folded back, it wore a white gown like a tunic tied with a plaited belt of gold, i couldnt make out the face but the hair was golden and slightly wavy to the shoulders, i saw this angel wasnt delerious,,,not on drugs,,,,,,,,,i could draw it i remember it so well, i believe in angels ,,i have seen one,,,,but i am baffled by all the bad things that are happening about us,,,fter all angela are meant to protect us, all the bad things are the work of the devil,,,,a lot of my freinds are strong church goers,,,,they tell me god is as strong as the devil and vice versa,,,,,, there is so much we cant exsplain...but we will get all the answers when we reach heaven so they say,,,,,,,i believe when the devil does his bad things,,,,god takes over and takes us away from all evil,,,,,,thats what i believe and it keeps me going, i ask god why did he take my brothers little twin girls only a few hours old,,,,,,,,,,,,,,i have had the answer over the years,,,,,,he was a bad person,,,,,anyway,,,i did get better and i still believe in angels,,,,,,,

We had booked a cruise of a lifetime which my mother had said was her treat to cheers me up as I had had a rotten divorce and to take the children too 14 days in the med visiting her favourite places.
Soon after she booked her health deteriorated and 10 days before she died- her last wishes were that we should go anyway and think of her.
So we did the first port of call was Villefranche ,we went ashore and found a lovely cafe.A completely white pigeon landed by the table and wouldn't leave even when shooed away. We thought nothing of it when we landed at the next port again a white pigeon was always near us, also in Venice St marks square my mother's favourite place (renowned for its pigeons ) where we sat a single white pigeon came to join us .
The children used to say look nana is with us and I felt she was.
Going home from the airport I had my window open a crack and a white feather dropped in onto my lap .since then I often have white feathers fall in my path when I am down or thinking of mum - maybe just coincidence but maybe my angel

Yes I most certainly do, they are there to help and protect us IMO.

Definitely - my husband promised to stay close to me and he does....24/7.

Fascinating thread, I didn't believe in ghosts until lived in 400 year old farmhouse where we would hear footsteps and see dark shadows, as had my devoutly Christian MIL.
Culminated in episodes of poltergeist activity including an unplugged standard lamp flying across the room in front of my total disbeliever DH. Things went missing and turned up in the most unlikely places like a locked attic cupboard whose keys were lost by my in-laws 30 years earlier and which we broke in to when we were clearing the house. Had to get wonderful Canon to come and do a blessing, he wasn't at all surprised.
My mum is the daughter of a 7th son of a 7th son and often 'saw' people just before they died, used to scare me!
Oddly enough I never minded being in the farmhouse alone, although the dogs and cats would never go into the middle sitting room.
Was told years ago I have 2 guardian angels, one who is a very old lady and the other a Red Indian but although I have never seen the former I nearly drove the car off the road when I looked in the rear view mirror one day during the summer and saw an Indian in full headress looking back at me! My husband was in the car and he said I went as white as a sheet and I had to stop the car and let him drive....very strange and I hope I don't see him again when I'm driving!

I can often sense a beautiful presence or more than one presence during times of extreme stress. Unfortunately they don't stay and seem to disappear when the crisis is over.

Grannytwoshoes
Searching is a Good Thing I believe.

Popaoscar - lovely post indeed.

Interesting thread....our daughter was kIlled instantly in a car crash six years ago and I still can't get my head round the fact that one moment she was there and the next gone. but the idea of fairies and guardian angels brings comfort to many and I never ignore a white feather! I still searching!!

My young autistic grandson dressed up today in one of my scarves and necklaces, posed, and said 'Look at me! I'm a supernatural'. I didn't have the heart to correct that to supermodel.