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Cathy W's avatar

Hi Sue. I loved this essay. I enjoy your humorous little asides here and there.

I, always a scoffer, and stone cold feet on the ground when it comes to otherworldly conversations.

However, the night my mother died, there was a terrible snowstorm and I did not go, my little son came running screaming into our bedroom. He said that something was flying in his room. I asked my husband to check for a bat (somehow bats are a husband's job). There was nothing. The next day a friend said my mum had come to say goodbye. 😢

Many years later, very soon after the same son had died, I came home to a dark home and I thought he was standing by the table in the living room.

I don't ask what or why.

I just let these two precious

experiences be. 🎶 Let it be, let it be, there will be an answer let it be be 🎶

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Sue Sutherland-Wood's avatar

You are a very wise woman Cathy W and thank you SO much for bravely sharing this. With any of these things, I think if you feel something, who is to say that it isn’t valid or real? If you know, then you know xo

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Cathy W's avatar

XO 🤗

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prue batten's avatar

A fascinating post, Sue.

When my beloved father died, I remember about a month later, I woke from sleep with a touch on my shoulder and I swear it was Dad. I said, 'Dad, where have you been? I've been looking for you everywhere...' and began weeping. I felt his hand again and then I went back to sleep. Disbelievers will say I was dreaming but the warmth of that touch and the love, they didn't experience it...

Then there are the times when my phone will ring and I will 'think' the person's name and it will invariably be that person. This only happens with my closest friends and family.

Also most bizarrely, whenever I ocean-swim, I can often predict that waves will come when I enter the water, even tho' it may have been calm for hours before my desire to swim. In Australia, we loosely refer to 'Hughey' when there's a rainy weather-change or similar, so I always maintain Hughey, my weather-god, is being a bit narky, knowing I don't like waves particularly!

I also experience a surge of adrenalin/electricity, call it what you will, when the room of folk I am with has any tension. I find I almost have to move away from the room because it's quite powerful.

Is any of this mystical? Damned if I know. But it's all real to me and I never second-guess it, I just let it happen.

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Sue Sutherland-Wood's avatar

Thanks Prue! And yes I think everything you describe here has that little slippery "sparkle" of if-you-know-you know. "Hughey" reference made me lol. Also, absolutely relate to that adrenaline thing you mention - that's *exactly* what I was referencing, likely a milder 'human' version of what animals have when they're scanning the Serengeti at night, lol. (Depends on the party you're at, lol!!) Cheers Prue xo

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Susan Colleen Browne's avatar

Thank you so much, Prue, for sharing this story about your dad ❤️

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Susan Colleen Browne's avatar

I once had a dream of my long dead father hugging me, swinging me up into his arms with joy. Though loving, he was never a “hugger” in life! I could swear I actually felt his arms around me.

I too have the whole phone-ringing thing, just with dear friends and my daughters!

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Lee Simmons's avatar

To answer your 2 written questions: yes and yes. There is something magical in this world and some of us occasionally bump into it and see beyond the obvious and look through our own mystic eyes. Please keep writing your truth.

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Sue Sutherland-Wood's avatar

Cheers so much for this, Lee!

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Lesley Riley's avatar

This is amazing, Sue. I am so glad I finally took the time to visit your Stack. I am so glad you wrote this, as much of it resonates with me. I've had "visitors," too. I believe it all. I laughed and almost cried. Your writing is wonderful. I can't wait to read more posts. Thank you for reading mine.

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Sue Sutherland-Wood's avatar

Welcome Lesley! Thank you for these kind words - and for being a kindred spirit, pun absolutely intended! x

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Lesley Riley's avatar

Puns, welcome. Part of my silly personality.

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Susan Colleen Browne's avatar

Dear Sue, I’ve been sitting with your extraordinary post for some days now, and will likely reread it a few more times…Thank you for sharing these wondrous experiences! It seems to me that you have a gift for connecting to “the other side of the veil”…with those magical aspects of life.

I hope you’ll write more about what you’ve discovered from the other mystics you mentioned too. You have so much wisdom to share!

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Sue Sutherland-Wood's avatar

Thank you so much, Susan - I wasn't sure if I over shared with this one, so very pleased to hear it resonates with you. (I did also have a few people Unsubscribe which was a bit upsetting but ultimately, I have to be true to myself here). Thanks again x

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Susan Colleen Browne's avatar

I don’t feel you overshared at all! Some of our most personal writing can resonate the most deeply with readers. I’m sorta scratching my head, though, at what might be objectionable enough for a couple of people to unsubscribe 🤔 But I’m so glad you took the risk of writing such a meaningful post. Yay for being true to yourself!

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Sue Sutherland-Wood's avatar

Heartfelt thanks, Susan, for understanding.

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Prajna O'Hara's avatar

Beautiful Sue

I love the mystics you mention. Living presence.

I have this very strong sense as we get older. Our short-term memory may not be as good because we are opening more to the portal of ancient memory and belonging to all things as infinite space, wisdom, love. This is very different than aging, were maturing as elders- crones to remember what matters. The unseen magic. You can be wise with mystical experience at any age as you’ve written about so beautifully.

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Sue Sutherland-Wood's avatar

Thank you Prajna for clearly understanding and such a lovely response x

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Annie Game's avatar

Great piece Sue. What I find interesting is in asking people to share a story of some metaphysical or paranormal experience I find almost everyone has one. What we don't have is a common language or perception of what this means. Even though these experiences occur across cultures we always couch a retelling carefully with hesitation that we need to apologize, second guess ourselves or assume people will find us nuts. This sensitivity is alive in children and it gets closed down quickly as we grow up describing it as fantasy, dabbling in the occult, irrational and even psychotic. So talking about it, owning it, sharing it takes courage. So thanks for this and I will be glad to exchange stories over dinner!

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Lani V. Cox's avatar

I'm fighting a cold that's going around the school, so right now, I feel nothing mystical, just the ache in me bones. 😂 Sorry for bringing the unsexy to the party.

That aside, I have definitely gone through my 'New Agey' phase and the good stuff has stuck. For example, a gratitude practice, meditation, and really, what I can glean is a kind of openness and awe at the world around you.

I wish I was more mystically inclined. I think we all possess these kinds of gifts, but we have to allow for it to come through. And I'm too much of an overthinker, so I keep fiddling with the frequency and channel ... one day I'll get it right. Maybe. xo

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Sue Sutherland-Wood's avatar

Thanks Lani and please get well soon! I appreciate your honesty and thoughts as always - and let's face it, you're way too young just yet for this hardcore wisdom stuff! Feel better x

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doginpeopleclothes's avatar

Mystic: a person who seeks by contemplation and self-surrender to obtain unity with or absorption into the Deity or the absolute, or who believes in the spiritual apprehension of truths that are beyond the intellect. Perhaps others that have mocked you in this regard need to open themselves to the possibility. And as such I believe these events take place only to those open to receiving them.

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Sue Sutherland-Wood's avatar

Agreed. And thank you for being here!

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Karen Rand Anderson's avatar

I've finally come back to reread this lovely (magical) post, Sue. Truth be told, all of what you write strikes home with me (another way we share similarities!) I've had loads of "mystical" , co-incidental experiences in my life, starting at a very young age. (eg. dreams that were true, feeling a presence of someone who has gone, hunches that have been real, all kinds of synchronicities and lots of plain old good luck.). I'm just somehow tapped in to all of it. (I've also studied astrology for years. It's an art and a science) All in all, I just have an innate "knowing" that there is an overarching cosmic consciousness, and that we're all tiny specks within it. Etc. etc. (It's like I know all this stuff, but can't really talk about it, so I generally don't 🤔🔮🧙🏼‍♀️) Anyway.. thank you for sharing!! 💫

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Sue Sutherland-Wood's avatar

Really appreciate reading this today Karen - thank you so much x

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Susan Baker's avatar

Many incidents noted on my mother's side of the family, in my life,even my daughter when she was only 10 months old. And the women in my family have all chosen career paths of health services, a natural extension of the strong empathic awareness. My son, a clinical psychologist is the first male in our family in 4 generations to be known for his awareness of and experiences in this other realm.

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Sue Sutherland-Wood's avatar

Thank you for this, Susan, and very fascinating. I so agree about the empathy part especially.

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Jen Brown's avatar

Sometimes you just know I believe we are all connected and we are taught not to listen....sharing when &what happens will allow more of us to accept and access thisgift/skill it is what will get us thru the dark time and a good hard laugh to dispell trolls

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Sue Sutherland-Wood's avatar

Yes!! Thank you Jen for taking the time to comment xoxo

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M Bernice Page's avatar

Ohhhhh my goodness Sue, thank you for sharing 🙏❤ how tiny is the blue dot in such a vast universe.

How incredible that you saw your Grandmother and brought tears of joy to your Mum's eyes. She must have been filled with hope with the promise of life after death, and the possibility of seeing her Mother again. What an amazing gift you gave her.

You have given me hope for my future.

Please write more on this subject as I can't wait to hear more.

Best wishes always ❤ Bernice xo

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Sue Sutherland-Wood's avatar

Thank you so much. You've absolutely made my day, Bernice. And, we'll talk properly soon, I promise xo

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Susan Colleen Browne's avatar

I agree with your reader Bernice, hoping that you’ll write more about all this in the future!

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J. Bruce Parker's avatar

A grand story! And thank you for citing one of my hero's, Dr. Bucke, so far ahead of his time in humanity and spirituality. I have an early copy of 'Cosmic Consciousness' and every bio written about him. Keep exploring the mystical!

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Sue Sutherland-Wood's avatar

Thank you so much, I appreciate this J.Bruce!

Extremely impressed as always - now, if only it was a signed copy! xo

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Catherine Morrisey's avatar

I love the painting.

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Sue Sutherland-Wood's avatar

I am not surprised. Have a looksee here: https://www.lauramarshall.com/dreams-of-the-fish

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Cathy W's avatar

Sue I wonder why I have a black circle on my sunshiny 🔵 🔴

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