We all have special people who have passed away: A parent or grandparent, a sibling, partner, close friend, or child. When they cross over to the Other Side (which you may call Heaven, the afterworld, paradise, eternity, etc.), there are often unresolved conflicts or unanswered questions. There may be unfinished business that leaves us feeling like we are left hanging. Sometimes there is guilt that we weren’t there for them at the time of their passing, or during the time leading up to it. And sometimes we just miss them – so much that it breaks our hearts, leaving us with a feeling of deep sadness.
Our deceased loved ones are always with us. As humans, we sometimes don’t realize this, so our loved ones may try to reach out to us from the Other Side.
Why would a deceased loved one want to contact me?
On the Other Side, there is no sadness, worry, or distress of any kind. But our loved ones do still very much care for us and sense our emotions. They know if we are in distress, especially if it is because of their passing. Whether you’re feeling sadness, loneliness, anxiety, or grief, your loved ones often want to send you a message of support, letting you know their love is with you.
11 signs your deceased loved ones are trying to contact you
1. You’re finding random small objects
Sometimes our loved ones will leave small objects in our path. Because pennies are commonly found everywhere, they often use dimes. They might also choose objects that would remind you of them. For example, if your great aunt wore her hair in a bun, you might start seeing hairpins in random places. If your grandfather was an avid golfer, you might start seeing golf tees everywhere.
2. You are seeing small creatures and other nature-related items
Nature loves to help our loved ones contact us from the other side. This may take the form of butterflies, dragonflies, and other small creatures. Feathers and specific flowers (ie., daisies) are also very common. Birds, especially cardinals, are often sent by loved ones on the Other Side to bring us messages. If you see a cardinal and think it may have been sent from someone, talk to it. Ask it who it was sent by, and what is the message? Then listen to your inner voice for the answer.
Keep in mind this doesn’t solely occur in a natural setting. You might see them on greeting cards, social media posts, TV commercials, magazine ads – the list is endless, so just keep an open mind.
3. You are seeing number patterns
Have you checked the time, and seen 11:11 or 1:11 often? Maybe you start to see these numbers in other places, too – like your dry cleaning ticket or you grocery total. This is the most common number pattern for loved ones checking in on us from the Other Side.
I had a client, I’ll call her Louise, who kept waking up at 3:25 am every night. Louise couldn’t figure out why, at that exact time, she kept waking up and seeing that number on her bedside clock. Then I asked her whether she had a deceased loved one whose birthday was March 25th (3/25). She did a little research and learned that it was her late grandmother’s birthday. It made perfect sense to Louise that her grandmother was reaching out, because she had been thinking about naming her unborn daughter after her. As the days went on, she started seeing other signs from her grandmother as well, providing further validation of this connection.
Read more about seeing number patterns on my previous blog post on this subject.
4. They appear in your dreams
A friend told me of a recurring dream he has where his late father will give him a hug. He wakes up immediately after and is so emotionally overcome that it feels real to him. A loved one might visit you while you’re dreaming to give you a message, say “hello”, or just let you know that they are okay.
If you want to invite a deceased loved one into your dreams, start with setting the intention. You might even speak to them out loud and ask them to join you in your dreams. Then grab a helpful crystal like danburite or angelite and place it under your pillow before going to sleep.
5. You smell a scent that reminds you of them
Even though my grandmother passed away a over decade ago, I sometimes still catch the scent of her perfume on occasion. This will happen without explanation, like when I’m at my own home, alone, with no way that it could have been from someone else nearby. Sometimes I smell my great grandfather’s pipe, or the hairspray my late aunt used to use when she was getting ready for a night out, or even something baking that reminds me of a late dear friend. When this happens, I take comfort in knowing that their souls are nearby.
6. You hear your name
Another medium who is a friend of mine, told me of a time early in her development when she was at the kitchen sink cleaning up the dishes. She heard her name very clearly, but since she was alone in the house, she dismissed it, thinking the running water was playing tricks on her ears. Then a few moments later, she unmistakably heard it again. She came to realize it a dear friend who had passed away a few weeks before was reaching out to her.
7. A special song comes up
Meaningful songs aren’t just for special people who are still with us. My late Father-In-Law was a Beatles fan, and when I was asked to compile a photo slide show for his memorial service, I chose to set it to their song “In My Life”. To this day, I still think of him and tear up every time I hear it.
8. You feel their presence
This could come in the form of just a feeling that they are present, perhaps sitting in their favorite chair in the corner. Or you may physically feel like someone is gently touching you. I have a loved one who likes to touch the back of my right shoulder, and another who touches the crown of my head.
9. Strange, unexplained things keep happening
One of the first things people in Spirit seem to find easy to manipulate are items run by electricity. So if your lights flicker, or your TV turns on or off for no apparent reason, it could be a loved one reaching out to you. This could also come in the form of a staticky or “dropped” phone call from an unknown number. You may also experience unexplained things like pictures that constantly need to be straightened, or even hearing knocking in another room when you’re home alone.
Sometimes people in Spirit can get a bit cheeky with this. I once spent a whole evening closing a cupboard I swore I had shut numerous times. I often think that when objects are mysteriously misplaced, it’s my mischief-loving late grandfather messing around with me.
10. You’re in the midst of a celebration or family gathering
Have you ever been at a wedding and someone says, “I sure wish Mom could have been here.” Well here’s a news flash – she is! Whether it’s the birth of a baby, a holiday meal, or a special birthday party, our deceased loved ones are definitely with us during our special occasions. Here’s a novel idea: The next time you have a special gathering planned, set a place for your loved one as a way to welcome and honor them.
11. You have asked for a sign
You don’t have to wait for your deceased loved one to make the first contact. If you do, you could be waiting a long time! When you want to get a sign from a loved one, all you have to do is ask, but there are some best practices to follow.
The best way to get a sign from a loved one is to (a) be specific, (b) set a time frame, and (c) be open and aware.
When I was just awakening my spiritual gifts, I wanted to receive a sign from my grandmother. On a Friday morning, I asked her to send me a sign of a ceramic chicken (she used to collect them) by Sunday evening. Then I spent the next few days trying to be aware of any sign. Time passed, and I was feeling disappointed that I didn’t get the sign. I had even spent time at my local thrift shop, hoping to spot one.
Then on Sunday at about 9pm (dangerously close to my “deadline”) I was scrolling through my Facebook feed and guess what popped up in the local buy/sell/trade group? Yep – a ceramic chicken!
I was specific about a ceramic chicken because it’s not something you see often. If I had chosen something like “a bird”, it would dilute the experience because you see them all the time.
I had a time frame of about three days because only the Earthly Realm has time and space constraints. On the Other Side, these limits do not exist. So if I had just said “send me a sign” it might have appeared in three years rather than three days.
I kept myself open and aware, which is good because I don’t usually pay attention to that type of Facebook group. If I wasn’t paying attention I might have just scrolled on by, missing this contact.
Dealing with unwanted contact
Up to this point, I’ve been working on the assumption that you actually want to be contacted by a deceased loved one, but I know that is not always the case. So how can you get it to stop?
My late Father-In-Law was allergic to bees, and he used to send them to me as a sign because he knew they would remind me of him. However, I am terrified of bees, and finally one day just said out loud to him, “Dad, I love you, but could you please find another way to contact me? Sending bees makes me really anxious.” He immediately stopped and now has a different way of reaching out. I believe his intent was to contact me, not frighten me, which I think is often the case.
If you’re uncomfortable for any reason, you can request that your person find a different way to make contact, or even ask them to stop altogether.
People in Spirit will usually accommodate, because it is not their intent to cause us stress or harm. If for some reason they still don’t stop, I recommend telling them instead of asking them. Taking control and being firm will usually do the trick.
Have patience
Contact takes time. On the Other Side, there are no time or distance constraints like we experience here in the Earthly realm. In addition, people in spirit don’t necessarily have the skills needed to contact us here. It is something that takes learning and practice.
Remember the film “Ghost” when Patrick Swayze’s character Sam was practicing moving pennies? It took a long time and lots of practice before he was able to get it right and finally get Molly’s attention. This is actually a pretty accurate depiction of how things like that work in the next realm. So when a loved one passes, it may be several weeks or several months, or even years before they have the desire or even the ability to reach out.
Related post: Six ways to honor your ancestors
A professional medium can help you connect with your loved ones on the Other Side.
I would be honored to help you connect with a loved one on the Other Side. If you would like a private, confidential mediumship reading, you can book your session online. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions.
