Does Your Child Have An Imaginary Friend?

If your child interacts with an invisible playmate, he or she is not alone or crazy. By the age of seven more than 60 percent of children have had at least one imaginary friend. Although not seen by grownups, the friend may be personified in a doll or stuffed animal. Some of these friends may reside constantly with your child while others simply drop by once in a while for a visit.

Sometimes an imaginary friend gets blamed for things that the child did. For example, my son’s imaginary friend named Peter got blamed for not picking up his wet towel and swimsuit after a visit to my mom’s pool one summer. It was actually my son who didn’t pick up his towel and swimsuit. Peter somehow missed getting in our car when we left Mom’s that day. I must have said something to discourage my son because when I refused to go back and pick up Peter, my son never mentioned his friend again. If I had it to do over, I would have turned around and drove back to Mom’s to get my son’s friend. When he was about five years old, my son’s son, Sidney, had sword battles with a group of playmates he called the Onks.

Is the invisible playmate contrived in the child’s mind or is having an imaginary friend a trait of a child who is interacting with the spirit realm? I’m inclined to believe that it is a sign that the child is in touch with his or her inner guidance.

When I was a child I had a little yellow duck. My duck sat next to me at the table, took rides on my bike, listened to all my secrets, and went everywhere I went. I left the duck in my grandmother’s lap when I was about five or six years old. I forgot about him until I was 40 years old. When I was going through a very difficult time in 1999, I dreamed of my little yellow duck. In the dream, my duck asked me if he could come back and I said yes. The next time I saw my grandmother I asked her if she still had my duck. I expected that she might have completely forgotten about him, but to my surprise she said, “Yes, I still have him. I’ve been waiting for you to come back to get him.” I thought she was just playing along with me as she pretended to transfer him to me, but things in my life changed after that incident. I found that the voice of my internal guidance was turned up a notch. I began hearing wise and logical advice in my head that led me to make decisions that were remarkably healing for me. Looking back on my imaginary friend, I now realize that my yellow duck was one of my spirit guides.

Some children speak in an unknown language with their imaginary friends. My step-granddaughter had an Asian-sounding language that she used before she learned to speak English. She called me Ho-Ho, and while I wasn’t sure whether she was equating me with Santa, I sensed that she and I had been together in a past life in which we shared this language.

If your child has an imaginary friend, there is no reason to be upset. Whether or not your child’s playmate is a spirit guide, it is a natural and positive experience for your child to enjoy these invisible friendships. They give a child confidence when in a frightening or unfamiliar situation, such as the first day of kindergarten. As Sidney demonstrates in “You Can Be” and “A Powerful Potion” (stories in The Sid Series), children try out different roles of authority with their imaginary friend and may become the teacher, mother, father, doctor, or zoo keeper!

It’s fun to observe a child interacting with an imaginary friend. Listen to their conversations. They may be telling you something about themselves or working out a problem or stressful situation. Always encourage your child’s developing imagination and never discount the possibility that your child may be receiving inner guidance that will serve him well all his life.

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For more information, you might enjoy reading the complete book More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase on Amazon.com

Children Have Much to Teach Us About Past Lives

Does your child talk about when she used to be someone else? Listen to her. Write it down. She could be talking about a past life. Children are a lot more aware of the spirit realm than most adults realize. When a soul comes into a body, it brings with it cellular and/or conscious memory of where it was before coming to earth.

Without prompting, many children as young as two years of age remember and speak of their past lives. Some describe details, people, and events of that life that they had no way of learning in this life. The Sun Newspapers in Sri Lanka has a short documentary on YouTube (http://ow.ly/y4z2) about a young girl who remembered living and dying in a village not more than six miles from her current home and life. When taken to the village, she instantly recognized her home, called the names of her siblings, and went directly to the cabinet where her toys were stored in the past life. Fortunately, both sets of her parents accepted this phenomenon and she is allowed to spend time in both homes.

ABC News shares a story about a boy named James Leininger who recalled details of his past life as a World War II Navy pilot who was shot down and killed over the Pacific. James had terrible nightmares about a plane crash; and he knew details about airplanes and a pilot named James Huston Jr. that he couldn't have known at such a young age. Once his parents researched and found evidence supporting the boy’s claim, they believed that he was the reincarnation of James Huston, Jr. and his nightmares stopped. http://ow.ly/y4zY

Some parents either don't notice what their child is saying or don’t believe it's possible that the child is remembering a past life. They may discount the experience and think the child is making it all up. If your child wants to tell you who they were or how they died in a past life, please listen. Children have much to teach us, and these experienced souls have come to us for a reason. Not only are past life experiences real, they affect us in our present journey. Having knowledge of your past life may explain some behaviors, habits, or health challenges we encounter in this life.

Reincarnation was once an accepted belief, but thanks to the Second Council of Constantinople in A.D. 553, many people were led to believe that humans only have one life or one chance to get it right in order to avoid eternal damnation of the soul. Even today, according to Dr. J. Chiappalone’s book Keys to Reality, more than 60 percent of the world's population still believes in reincarnation. According to a 2005 Gallup poll, only 20 percent of Americans believe in reincarnation.

While The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children does not directly mention reincarnation, it does allude to it in “Puppy Love ~ Dealing with the Death of a Pet.” As a child, I had no one to help me understand some of the paranormal things I experienced. Naturally, I feel it is very important to give parents and grandparents a comfortable starting point for discussion on topics that aren’t easily explained to children. Reading my book to a child is probably going to spark some questions from your little ones, but it the stories are written to reassure children that it’s okay to talk about spiritual things. I invite you to take a look inside the book at http://thesidseries.com/

Additional reading

http://www.childpastlives.org/
http://paranormal.about.com/cs/reincarnation/

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For more information, you might enjoy reading the complete book More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase on Amazon.com

Dealing with the Death of a Pet

I’m Yvonne Perry and I’m the author of The Sid Series. The main character in my book is my grandson, who is now eight years old. His name is Sidney. In real life, he lives in the country. When his family first moved there, the house didn’t have a fence around it. He has owned several dogs and cats—all shapes and sizes, but it seemed like every time he got close to one of his pets, they would run away or die. Sid’s yard now has a fence so Queen and Lucy will stay home where it is safe.

I remember my first dog. Her name was Snooks and she was a German shepherd. I loved it when she had a litter of puppies! I hated it when she died of heartworms. I was about twelve years old. That wasn’t my first encounter with death, but it was the first time I had lost a pet and I was pretty upset because I couldn’t see her or play with her anymore.

I wrote the stories in The Sid Series book to help kids find answers to some things they may have questions about. For example, it’s hard to understand death. It makes us feel sad when someone we love dies. Some adults say it means that you just don’t exist anymore. Others say being dead means the body can’t do anything, so the spirit leaves the body and goes to a wonderful place called heaven. Some people will tell you that dogs and cats don’t have souls so they can’t go to heaven, but I don’t believe that. I believe in a place known as the afterlife. It’s just like the place you existed before you came alive in the body you have now. Most of us don’t remember where we were before we were born, but I call it the Rainbow World. It must be a good place since none of us have bad memories of it.

Scrap is the family dog in my story titled “Puppy Love.” Scrap is old and she’s had a good life, but it’s time for her to go to the Rainbow World. One morning, her family finds her in her favorite sleeping spot, but she’s not moving; she can’t get up and she can’t bark or chase the tractor like she used to. That’s because she is dead. The family is sad and everyone cries. They wrap her in her favorite blanket, dig a big hole in the ground, and put her body in it. It’s like planting a flower or seed, but Scrap’s body is not going to grow like a flower or seed in the spring. The family has a memorial service and talks about Scrap’s death. It’s good to talk about things that you are afraid of or don’t understand. That way, you get more information to help you decide what you want to believe.

You will get some ideas to help you create your own understanding about afterlife or the Rainbow World when you read my story. Don’t worry, it has a happy ending. If you want to read it, let Barbara or Frankie know and she will email a link to you or your parent. You may read more about each of the stories on my Web site: http://TheSidSeries.com.

I have learned a lot from children. So, I’d like to ask you some questions. You can answer them by leaving a comment below.

What does it mean to be dead?

Where do you think Scrap’s soul went when she died?

What do you think happened to Scrap’s body when she was buried in the ground?

Have you ever seen a person or an animal that is dead?

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For more information, you might enjoy reading the complete book More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase on Amazon.com

Puppy Love ~ Dealing with the Death of a Pet

As part of my virtual book tour for The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children, I am presenting to the readers of this blog a flip book version of "Puppy Love ~ Dealing with the Death of a Pet." This is one of the twelve stories in my newly released book to help parents and teachers understand children who demonstrate psychic abilities and spiritual intellect).

Scrap had been the family’s dog for many years before Sidney was born. One morning she didn’t come when she was called to breakfast. Learn how Sidney and Von-Von deal with the death of the family pet and the arrival of a new one.

Out of the Mouths of Babies! Channeling 101

I’m the paternal grandmother of a psychic child named Sidney, who is now eight years old. When Sidney was a baby he used to stay with me on the weekends and we did all kinds of fun things together. I began to write about our adventures and the next thing I knew, I had a collection of stories. I’ve compiled them into one full-color print book and titled it The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children.

Why do I call them holistic stories? Because they support children in the development of body, mind, and spirit. In the 12 stories of The Sid Series your child will:

• learn about inner guidance through a garden visit with the fairies
• face the fear of storms in a kayak on the Banana River
• help a pirate find the real hidden treasure
• find a ghost in Sid’s closet
• use magic to heal a hurt puppy
• deal with the death of a pet

I was spending time with Sidney one day when he was about nine months old. All day long he kept repeating, “Hannah, Hannah, Hannah.”

It felt like he was trying to give me a message, but I thought, “He’s too young to be talking, much less channeling.”

He kept on saying Hannah’s name so I finally called his mom, Amanda, and asked what she thought of it. She was amazed because her friend’s daughter was named Hannah. She and Hannah’s mom gave birth within a few weeks of one another but they lost touch a few months after. The last Amanda knew about her friend was that she had a drug problem. Amanda and I said a prayer of protection for Hannah over the phone. Amazingly, Sidney stopped repeating the child’s name.

The next week Amanda received a call from someone who was still in touch with Hannah’s family. Hannah’s grandmother had taken custody of her because the child's mother had been neglecting her. Possibly our prayers provided support for that outcome.

Sidney continued to show signs of being spiritually aware. When he looked at me, he typically looked around and over me like he was staring at my aura or my guides. Sometimes he would smile for no apparent reason. I imagined my guides making silly faces to entertain him. This gave me reason to believe that he was able to see in the spirit realm. That belief was confirmed one day when Sidney was about four years old.

He was with me in my office. I asked him to go get something for me in the other room. He jumped up and started toward the door. Then, all of a sudden he stopped and wouldn’t go through the door. He backed up closer to where I was sitting.

“What’s wrong, Sid?” I asked.

“Von-Von, who is that?” He pointed toward the hallway. I knew what was happening. I had seen a the spirit of young boy flash across my foyer several weeks prior. Yes, I actually see plasma and flashes of light from time to time.

“I’m not sure what his name is,” I said, “but he will not harm you. Let’s call upon Archangels Chamuel and Michael.” I pulled Sid into my lap. He was still staring at the doorway.

“Archangels Michael and Chamuel,” I said, “We have the spirit of a lost boy in our house. Please come and help him see the light and go to a safe place where he can find his friends and family. Thank you.”

“He’s gone,” Sidney said. Then, he slid off my lap and walked through the doorway without hesitation.

Now that Sidney is almost nine years old, his spiritual communication occurs mostly in his dreams. He shared one with me in our podcast interview. I invite you to look inside the book on my Web site. http://TheSidSeries.com
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Yvonne Perry is a freelance writer and editor, award-winning Amazon.com bestselling author, podcast host, blogger extraordinaire, newsletter publisher, Internet marketing guru, and an outstanding keynote speaker. She is a graduate of American Institute of Holistic Theology where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Metaphysics.
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My Aunt Kat Paid a Visit to Me Today

I remember watching the Ghost Whisperer with my Aunt Kat right after she was first diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. The episode was the one where a ghost was throwing silverware and china all over Melinda's dining room. We were sitting in my mom's living room when I turned to Kat and said, "You'd better not do that when you visit me from the spirit world." We both chuckled.

This morning, I was sending her love and light during my meditation. Now, for the past hour, I have heard a faint but noticeable tinkling or slight rattling of glass dishes in my cabinet. This might freak out someone who is afraid of ghosts, but I knew it was my aunt and I am quite proud of her for learning so quickly how to move physical objects.

I went to the kitchen just now and asked, "Kat, is that you?" I was immediately overwhelmed with a feeling of intense love that draped over me like a warm blanket. What a beautiful thing for her to let me know that she is doing well in the afterlife. Bless you, Kat. I love you!
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For more information, you might enjoy reading the complete book More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase on Amazon.com

Are all Near-death Experiences Positive and Happy?

I got a question from a reader today. I'll share my answer with you.

QUESTION: Yvonne, you mentioned in your book that some people considered their near-death experience (NDE) a negative or frightening one. But the accounts you printed were all good ones. What did people tell you who had less than favorable things to say? Is it possible that they experienced some sort of "Hell" ... even if not the typical Christian view that I've heard about?

ANSWER: It seems that whatever mindset one has at the time of death is carried over to the afterlife--at least temporarily. None of the NDErs I interviewed for my book reported a negative experience although some had a difficult time adjusting to being back on the earth plane.

I learned about people having hellish NDEs when I read a book by PMH Atwater (http://www.pmhatwater.com/). You can ask questions and read answers on her blog at http://pmhatwater.blogspot.com/.

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For more information, you might enjoy reading the complete book More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase on Amazon.com

Seven Stages of Grief

If you have lost someone you love and are grieving, you will soon feel the need to move on. This is a healthy and normal part of the grieving process. In fact, according to Kavanaugh, there are Seven Stages of Grief:

1. Shock and denial
2. Disorganization (out of touch with reality)
3. Volatile reactions (anger, rage, behavior changes. Mad at God, med staff, funeral directors, family, in-laws, friends).
4. Guilt (social mechanism to resolve the dissonance. Saying “if only . . . “)
5. Loss and loneliness comes a social life is reentered. Holidays feel strange without the deceased.
6. Relief (can lead to more guilt)
7. Reestablishment occurs gradually. Reconstructing a new life.

If you find that you are ready to reestablish yourself in a new life, you may enjoy reading the information at http://Life2.0Inspired.com


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For more information about death, dying, bereavement, and afterlife you might enjoy reading the complete book More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase on Amazon.com

Why is Death and Grieving So Difficult?

I think our views of death (as well as the closeness of our relationship with the deceased) affects how we express grief. My view of death is that it is a normal part of life--the end of one life phase and the beginning of another. It is common for deceased loved ones to hang out with me.My Aunt Kat is with me in spirit. Therefore, I don't feel sad for her. She's starting her new journey in the afterlife.

I also think that the age of the deceased and his or her condition  prior to death has a lot to do with how survivors grieve. Knowing that Kat is not suffering physically gives me great consolation. However, it would be horrible to lose a child or a healthy person. We believe we are all supposed to live long, healthy lives--not be cut short by illness or injury. Our beliefs about dying young create a strong sense of loss. It's something none of us wish to go through. It's hard to find purpose in the loss of a child.

I'm working with a client who lost her son when he was a junior in high school. Her son has come to her in spirit many times, urging her to write about her healing journey that his death provided. He had a purpose in dying young. It was to help his mother's soul heal and create the life she was destined to enjoy in spite of her loss. I can hardly wait to share her book with my readers.

Talking about death should not be hard. We make it difficult because we fear upsetting others or perhaps we fear death itself, but the truth is it is very healing to talk with others about our deceased or dying loved ones.My grandmother (Nanny) and I talk openly and easily about death. We've both had near-death experiences (NDE) and have felt the peace of being spirit without a body. Maybe the purpose of my NDE was to help me share comfort with you and offer a compassionate voice of reason.


My cousins are grieving the loss of their mother, my Aunt Kat. One is taking is pretty hard, but I think there may be more guilt involved than grief. One cousin is doing quite well. She did all she could to support and assist her mother in her last days. She has nothing to feel guilty about. She may feel sad, but she is able to talk freely and positively about her mother. 

• Have you talked about your loss? 
• Can you find meaning in death? 
• What are your views about death?
  

Feel free to leave a comment and share your thoughts and feelings. I might be a very therapeutic part of your journey to wholeness.

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For more information, you might enjoy reading the complete book More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase on Amazon.com

Thoughts on Natural Burial

The Natural Burial Company sells biodegradable coffins and urns as a way to help environmentally-conscious folks make a green choice regarding body disposal.They also work with funeral directors and cemetery managers to help them convert to natural funeral and operations techniques.

This company found my post and left a comment. However, comments usually get "buried" (pun intended, of course) and are not visible to visitors unless someone clicks on the comment feature underneath (another pun!) the original post. Since this comment is informative and helpful, I'm using it as a post. And, yes I have had my mercury fillings replaced.

From Natural Burial Company:

You don't need to be embalmed when you die. And, actually, you can still be buried in a coffin--you could just make it something handmade, celebrating an artist and keeping an art alive, rather than making it a product out of stamped steel or rainforest hardwood and padded with poly-foam stuffing.

RE: your pyre. A group in Colorado have been lobbying to do just that.
http://crestoneendoflifeproject.org/

With respect to emissions, I've got to agree with you - it's a bit of smoke but probably not as much as your average big-brush burn pile. (Just be sure you get your mercury fillings replaced well before the date!) Certainly planting a few trees will more than make up for the footprint, if it's the thing you want most!

I think the important thing in this movement is to recognize that many of us desire a more natural end. We're not all offended by the same things. What's dignified to some is not to others (embalming, for example); what's respectful to some is not respectful to others.

We only have one death (that we know of). It's the end of the only life we'll ever know until we explore the other side of the mystery. It seems a small thing to insist that we ought to have the death we want (a natural one...) followed by the disposition we want - again, environmentally benign and expressing some of what we value in our lives.

For me, and for lots of others, that value seems to be held well by a tree!

In trees,

Cynthia Beal
Natural Burial Company
http://www.naturalburialcompany.com
http://www.beatree.com

Biodegradable coffins and urns --- if it's the last thing you do...
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For more information about body disposal, you might enjoy reading More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase on Amazon.com

Carrying Grief for Others

My aunt passed ten days ago. We had become close in the past year. We kept up by email and phone until she got too weak to get out of bed or talk. Her death doesn't seem real to me. I missed her physical presence while I was with my family over Thanksgiving, but I couldn't feel sorrow. I feel so detached from the situation. Shouldn't I be crying or expressing some type of emotion?

While I was home for Thanksgiving, my grandmother and I talked about Kat's death (Nanny and I talk about death as easily as we talk about going to the store) and we both agree that we're glad Kat's no longer suffering from lung cancer.

Kat and I had talked several times about her coming death, and she promised to visit me in spirit. She kept her promise. I have sensed her presence several times since her body died. For three days after she passed, I smelled coffee. Strange thing is I didn't have any coffee in the house! She didn't wait until she passed to visit me in spirit. Several days prior to her death I smelled cigarette smoke around me everywhere I went. It was as strong as if someone was in the room with me smoking. I guess that's why I can't believe Kat's really gone or manufacture any grief for her. She's still alive!

But here's the catch. I grieved intensely for my grandfather when he died 20 years ago. He and my grandmother had lived next door to me for 5 years at the time. We knew for years he was dying. It was very difficult to keep from crying even months afterward Pap's death. Maybe I was less experienced and unable to talk about the "D" word then. I sensed his presence afterward, too, but it was in dreams that he visited me.

When my uncle passed in 2002 I was able to sing at his funeral and read a poem at his graveside service. Edmond had visited me in spirit prior to his death while he was in coma. As a result of his visit, I wrote a poem that actually came to me as a song. I sang it to and for him several weeks before and after his death while he was transitioning.

When a friend of mine was murdered in 2007 I cried so much that I couldn't attend his funeral because I knew I would upset everyone there. I didn't know Jerry's family. I only knew Jerry as a networking buddy, but my grief was out of control. Who needs a crying, mourning stranger around them when they are already grieving?

The same thing happened when my husband's brother-in-law died suddenly. We went to Dan's celebration of life but I was a total mess all day long. I felt embarrassed for my emotional condition because I hardly knew the guy and yet I was torn up by his loss more than anyone else there. Like a "surrogate" griever, I was expressing the grief that others were holding back.

I carried the illness of my sister-in-law's mother as she was dying of a diseased colon. Less than 12 months later, I had a tumor, a polyp, ten inches of my colon, and the connecting lymph nodes removed. Thanks to the clearing work and prayers of others, I did not have cancer.

I had an energy worker clear my electromagnetic energy field after Dan's death. I've learned to stop allowing myself to pick up and carry the grieving energy of others.

What I'm trying to say here is that it is very dangerous to carry the energy and emotions of others. Yes, we are to help bear one another's burdens, but that means helping those who are grieving and showing love and compassion while folks are still in body. I want to make sure the emotional "discharge" and emotional expression I have in any situation belongs to ME--that these are my OWN feelings and responses--not that of others.

I truly love my aunt, but it appears that I do not have any negative feelings, guilt, or grief to express about her passing. I'm enjoying her spiritual presence around me too much to cry for her.

I guess I'm the only one in my family who might say, "Hey, Kat, pull up a chair and let's have a cup of coffee!"

Hell, I may even buy her a pack of cigarettes.

Feel free to comment on this post.


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For more information, you might enjoy reading the complete book More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase on Amazon.com