was wearing an old-fashioned knitted scarf and hat, even though it was a blisteringly hot day. Another pointed out that the woman who came to her aid seemed to be wearing beautiful clothes, but of a completely different era – a different time in history. Of course, it’s common for people to wear retro clothing, but sometimes the person seems so different that they stand out from the norm.
Afterwards, it might be that other people didn’t see the helper, or you turn to thank them only to discover that they have disappeared into thin air. These mysterious helpers regularly fade away, or we get distracted (or they distract us) so they can slip away unseen. There is often an air of mystery about the encounter, which leaves you forever wondering, ‘What just happened there?’ It might be much later that you go over the strange events of the day and only then wonder, ‘Was that an angel?’
Other people tend to encounter angelic beings who look like the winged creatures of ancient lore, but this might well be during times of extreme stress. Maybe you are asleep when you see the angel, or unconscious, or your day-to-day life momentarily fades out as the angel appears to you. You might find yourself day-dreaming or your mind wandering. Your brain is quite literally in an altered state of consciousness.
Your state of consciousness can be altered by many different things: alcohol, drugs, tiredness or even just being hungry. By meditating we can make the change on purpose, and being alert and ready for action creates yet another state.
Our brains change state throughout the day, and there is some research that suggests high-amplitude delta waves (the Delta state: 0.5–4Hz) have been associated with the state of consciousness that people frequent when having a sixth sense or paranormal experience. This state is the one that also regulates human bodily function.
When the brain is passive it tends to fall into the Alpha range (8–12Hz), and it is in this relaxed state that many spiritual experiences occur. This is when many people see, feel, sense and smell angels! They also make contact during sleep (especially for me!). I often have angelic experiences while my body sleeps, but there is no mistaking these encounters for ordinary dreams.
I’ve known people to be ‘put’ into an altered state of consciousness. For example, someone might be going about their day, doing ordinary things, when all of a sudden the ‘normal world’ seems to fade away. They feel surrounded by a great feeling of peace and joy, as if they are connecting to someone (or something) else that is sharing this feeling with them. Sometimes they get a sense of whom, or what, is creating this energy (it might be an angel, or a recently deceased loved one coming by to say hello). They will probably see nothing (although they might see something), but the feeling is so strong, so real, they know without a shadow of a doubt that what they are experiencing is real, rather than created by their imagination.
Deceased loved ones (sometimes alongside angels) seem to ‘create’ the phenomenon so that they can communicate with us. This phenomenon can be used to give a deceased loved one the ability to announce to us that they have died before we can be told ‘officially’. It’s one of the many reasons they reach out to us.
Angels serve many purposes, including:
Rescue work
Healing
Reassurance and comfort
Announcing
Warning
Maybe you can’t see an angel but you sense them around you. You might feel a comforting hand upon your shoulder or a hand clasping your own. People say an angel encounter comes with a great sense of peace and calm. Your angel will leave you in no doubt that they connected with you. Inside you just ‘know it was real’, even if you can’t prove it to others (assuming you’d even want to). Once you’ve connected with an angel, you never forget it. You’ll know that angels exist and maybe, like me, you’ll find they become part of your everyday life.
Just watch it doesn’t create a lot of extra dusting. Dusting, Jacky? Yes! In my home I have angels everywhere – angel figurines, I mean. They sit on the sides of dishes, decorate plates and even hold the clock on my dining-room mantel. They remind me of my friend, the TV medium Colin Fry. One day (having recently been diagnosed with a terminal illness), he posted a message on his Facebook page. He thanked fans for their good wishes and healing but asked that they stop sending angels. Apparently his house was constantly full of feathers, which he was forever clearing up. I’m not sure if he was joking or not, but it made me laugh. Many fans had the same reaction as I did, and everyone was sending over angels to help this dear man in his time of need.
I also get a few white angel feathers of my own. Just this week I was talking about a deceased loved one. Knowing that my passed-over loved ones are with the angels can bring me such comfort, and as I got up to walk out of the room I stepped over a white feather. An angel had left me a classic sign, the calling card of the angels. It always seems as if they are listening in on our conversations (and, of course, they often are!).
Although I have a lot of angel figurines and angel-decorated items in my home, I know I don’t have the biggest collection. Did you know that there is an angel museum in Beloit, Wisconsin? It’s run by a lady called Joyce Berg in St Paul’s Catholic Church (most of the collection once belonged to her). Joyce wears a silver angel costume when she works at the museum and admits to still having a very big collection of angels at home, too!
The museum currently houses the largest collection of angel figurines in the world at around 11,000. Joyce helped revive the church and now relies on donations to keep the museum running. The collection is most famous for the 600 black angels that TV presenter Oprah Winfrey donated. If you’re close by, you might enjoy a visit.
But I digress. Let’s explore a little more of the angel phenomenon.
From fairy-tale to true-life story
Here is a story you may have been told: every little girl and boy has their very own guardian angel. Your guardian angel’s role is to take care of you and watch over you every day. Your angel is always close by in your time of need. ‘He’ (or ‘she’, or ‘it’ … for there truly is no gender) will rescue you if you need saving, comfort you if you feel down and send you love and hugs if you need a little affection.
This is the story many of us are told when we are small … if we are lucky; youngsters all over the world are taught that angels are real. Many of us are brought up with this belief, but when we reach a certain age, our guardian angel can disappear to the same place as the Tooth Fairy or Santa Claus. Your angel becomes designated to the ‘myth pile’.
Yet I’m here to share a secret with you. Angels are real and they continue to exist … and not just in your mind. They are real beings – beings of light, beings of a finer substance than the human body, but tangible just the same. Angels have interacted with humankind as far back as recorded history goes. Religious books are full of their collaborations with humankind, and many hundreds of thousands of people around the world today have experienced their presence.
So angels aren’t just a legend from long ago. They work with humans even today, and proof of their existence lies everywhere. Regular readers of my books will know that I have shared many stories of my own. Although we all have angel experiences, many go unrecognised. As an author I record my experiences as they happen, and have learnt to respect the mystery and magic in my life. Sometimes I have several angel experiences all together; lots of things seem to happen so that I experience several paranormal things over the course of just a few weeks. Then I might go for months when nothing much happens at all. That is normal, for me. I’ve also recorded the true-life experiences of my family and friends.
Don’t
