In the beginning....

"The Other Side of Life"

June 21st, 1992, is a day I'll never forget. Up to that time, my life
had been normal in every way - school, National Service, work, marriage
and family. Although nominally a Catholic, I had never been religious,
and hadn't given much thought to God. I believed that when you died you
were buried or cremated and that was the end of you.

My mother-in-law, May, had been a Spiritualist, and attended a local
church. I used to make mock at the things she said, and other members
of the family and myself told her "If there is a life after death, come
back and prove it".

May passed away in May 1991, and I never gave any thought to what we
had asked her to do. However, while having breakfast on the 21st June,
1992, I was gobsmacked to see May come down the hall into the kitchen,
and she spoke "Happy Anniversary". She looked exactly as she had in
life, and was wearing a navy dressing-gown I had often seen her in. My
wife, Pat, was buttering toast at the time, and was totally unaware of
what was going on. She turned round to give me the toast, and was
startled at the expression on my face asking "What on earth's the
matter with you?" May had disappeared meanwhile, but I told Pat what
had happened and we were both 'all shook up' for several days after
that.

From then on, May came through to me with messages and advice for the
family, which was always relevant to those it was given to. Nobody else
could see her or hear her, and I began to think I was going mad.
Eventually, Pat suggested that I attended a Spiritualist Church, and
this helped me to accept the gift I had been given. There I could meet
up with other people who were able to communicate with Spirit, and I
received messages from the mediums confirming May's presence with me. I
no longer felt mad, and over the years have come to enjoy the contact
and the chats I have had with May, whether it is with her as a person,
or just hearing her voice. I have touched her and she felt 'normal'
although she throws me sometimes by appearing as she would have been in
her more youthful days, long before I met her. My biggest shock was
when I heard May as a spirit swear for the first time, but she expained
"We don't become instant angels!"

There are no planned sessions - she just seems to bob in from time to
time, usually a couple of times each week. For instance, we used to
watch "Through the keyhole" and sometimes her voice would join in
saying whose home she thought it was, just as though she was sitting
with us watching TV. She was always right, and I think she got her
answers from Spirit.

I'm very fortunate in that I don't have to meditate, fast or open up
chakras, as many mediums seem to do. I can be sipping a whisky, and
notice May appear in an easy chair, knitting or crocheting as she did
when on this earth plane. May's explanation is that my mind is totally
blank, and I must admit I never spend time needlessly thinking about
things.

May also acts as my 'gatekeeper' ensuring that the spirits who come
through to me are ones I would want to meet so I also have contact with
other members of our family and friends.It is interesting that they all
retain the personality that they had when I knew them here on
earth.

When we go on holiday, May and usually a couple of other spirits will
join us, perhaps telling us of something from the past history of our
resort, or just enjoying the opportunity to see new places. May has
explained that, as a spirit she could go anywhere at any time, but it
would be like looking at a postcard. It is through linking in with our
emotions that the spirits can really savour the places.

A funny experience happened when May told me she was going to come in
the 'plane as she'd never flown before. As we waited for takeoff, I saw
May sitting in an empty seat just ahead of us. As the plane shuddered
along the runway, revving up, May turned to me "Forget this - I'll see
you there!"

Over the years, we have kept careful records of the messages and
experiences I have had, and there are now over 700 pages in my book, so
obviously this short piece can only touch the surface of my spiritual
awareness and healing. Many mediums have guides who are Red Indians,
Chinese, etc., so I suppose it seems strange to say my guide is May.
However, I have learned that in previous incarnations - for
reincarnation is a fact - she was all this and more.

Although I was in contact with May on a frequent basis, there was no
mention of healing until in March 1994. Pat told of problems our
daughter had with thyroid conditions and a frozen shoulder and asked if
her mother could help her. May immediately came through by voice to say
"We could help her but not cure her". May told me to concentrate on her
shoulder and rub it gently. I did this, and after 2 or 3 sessions,
Barbara told me her shoulder was fine, and I thanked May for her help.
She told me "There is still more work for us to do".

At May's suggestion, I began to send healing and to give 'hands on'
help to family members with aches and pains of various sorts. During
one session I said a prayer of thanks - which was unusual as I hadn't
said prayers for years - and May told me she was glad I had found
prayer. She said it was a good prayer as I hadn't asked for anything
for myself, and told me that now I knew healing didn't come from her
but through her. She promised "We won't push you, we want you to make a
natural progression"............but that is another story!

I feel I have been very privileged to have been given this
communication with May and other spirit friends, and to be able to
serve as a channel for God's healing grace. I can now say that I no
longer fear death - of course, everybody worries about how they will go
- but I know that you really do move into an eternal life with family
and friends in Spirit.

It is so very disconcerting that the main stream media treat the
Afterlife as a joke, or even worse as a scam. I know that, as in every
other walk of life, there are mediums and healers who may be fakers, or
who use their genuine gifts purely to make money. I'm just an ordinary
man in the street who is amazed by this wonderful world of Spirit, and
I wondered if I had been chosen for this reason - as one nephew said
"If it had been anybody but Uncle Ray, I'd never have believed it!"