Saturday Nine: Dying to Know

1. What do you believe happens when we die?

Life never ends, although its form changes. I believe that death is the moment when we cross over to the next plane of existence.  That place might be heaven, but I don’t know where or exactly what it is. I’ve had some really intriguing conversations with friends about what heaven might be like and how we will recognize each other there. One friend suggested that we will all be 33 years old there because that’s how old Jesus was when he was crucified.  Another thinks we will be the age that we were the happiest while on earth. Of course, we all agreed that the concept of age is probably not going to have meaning there, at least not in the sense we think of it in relationship to our earthly existence.

2. Do you consider yourself religious?

No, I am not “religious” in the sense that I do not belong to a particular congregation or participate in religious rites or ceremonies on a regular basis. On some level, I will always identify with and consider myself part of the denomination in which I was raised and remained active until a few years ago.  I’m sure that my religious training and experiences will always, to some extent, inform and supply the standard against which I measure my beliefs.

I prefer to focus upon being a spiritual person. I do not just accept information or conclusions at face value. I question, ponder, contemplate, and test information before I adopt it as part of my belief system. I no longer believe much of what it taught in traditional churches because the message is too limiting, the answers too pat.

3. Do you believe in ghosts?

I believe in angels, as I wrote about here, archangels, demons, and spirits, including spirit guides. I do not believe in ghosts as tormented entities that somehow became trapped between earth and the next plane so wreak havoc in a specific building or locale.

4. Do you believe that people live on other planets?

People like us? No. Other types of beings? Why not? If we are here, I believe that scientists could someday discover other types of life forms on other planets.

5. Have you ever seen something abnormal?

I’m a lawyer, so I see “abnormal” things on a daily basis.

I have had experiences with angels and demons, as well as the spirits of persons who have already crossed over.

For instance, I believe that when we dream about someone who has crossed over, we have been visited by that individual. On numerous occasions, I have had very realistic dreams about persons who are dead, including some people that I barely knew. For instance, I had a very vivid, detailed dream about the father of an old friend in which we had a long conversation and he imparted information to me about my friend’s life now, his state of happiness, etc. My friend and I lost touch a number of years ago, but for some reason, I had been thinking about him quite a bit in the days leading up to that dream. Skeptics will say, “Oh, it’s just a coincidence. You dreamed about his father because you were thinking about him. Since you wish the best for him and want to hear that he’s happy and doing well, you dreamed that he is. There’s no mystery here!” But I believe that his father visited me for the purpose of conveying a message. Although I continue to think about that friend from time to time, I have never again dreamed about him or any member of his family and I don’t believe that is a coincidence.

I have also experienced precognition and had premonitions. For instance, I had a premonition the day before my mother-in-law died.

The last car my father owned or drove was his 1989 Buick Regal. In 2000, we purchased it from my mother when she was no longer able to drive. As a general rule, BigBob drove that vehicle, but on the day before Thanksgiving 2001, I swapped cars with BigBob because he was going to have some work done on my car. As I was driving to the office, I looked over at a gas station and had a memory flash. At least 25 or 30 years earlier, my father went to the gas station and while there, his car caught fire. Fortunately, it was a minor fire caused by two engine wires touching and sparking. The gas station had a fire extinguisher, and there was only minor damage which he easily repaired since he was an auto mechanic. On that November morning, I found myself remembering that incident, amazed that I recalled that event after so many years. I chalked it up to the fact that I was driving the car that had been my father’s past a gas station, thereby triggering a long-buried memory.

That afternoon, I was sitting in my office when BigBob called. He said, “You’re not going to believe what just happened.” After having the work on my car completed, he decided to fill the gas tank for me. The car was parked at the gas pump and he went inside the store to pay for the gas. When he came out of the door and began walking toward the car, he saw smoke coming from under the hood. Fortunately, he quickly ran back inside and got a fire extinguisher. Two engine wires had touched together and sparked, causing a fire. The damage was extensive enough that the car could not be driven. Fortunately, it was an accidental event covered by our insurance policy. By the time he called me, the car had been towed to the repair shop and he had picked up a rental vehicle for me.

My sudden recollection of my father’s experience so many years before was not a coincidence.  On the contrary, I believe it was either a premonition or a message from my father letting me know that an angel arranged for us to trade cars on that day.  After all, if I had been at that gas station alone, I probably would have panicked and called 911.  I doubt I would have had the good sense to reach for a fire extinguisher and certainly would not have known how to use one.  My car would probably have been totally engulfed and a complete loss by the time the fire department arrived.  Instead, it was fully repaired and is sitting in front of the house right now.

6. Do you believe in reincarnation?

No, because I have never found any Biblical support for the theory.

7. Have you ever witnessed a miracle?

I have seen miraculous things happen for which there was no logical or plausible explanation. Those things have taken place over the course of a period of time, not within a few seconds or even minutes. Miracles are happening around us all the time, but most of the time we are too busy, preoccupied, and oblivious to notice them.

8. Is there a person living or dead that influences your philosophies?

There are a number of people who have influenced my beliefs and philosophies, including the various professors, teachers, spiritual leaders, pastors, fellow parishioners, and good friends with whom I have studied and discussed these topics over the years. Certainly, my parents influenced my beliefs through their quiet examples of faithfulness.

I am also a big fan of John Edward, as I wrote about here. I have seen him in person five times and plan to attend another seminar when he is in the area.

9. Is there a work of fiction that closely matches your spiritual beliefs?

I am not aware of any fictional work that aligns with my beliefs.