If you’ve been following The Meaning of Forever Project, you know our goal is to collect stories from people who’ve been comforted by experiences with loved ones who’ve passed on. We’ve shown you stories of people who’ve been visited by loved ones in dreams, who’ve heard their voices as they go about everyday tasks; or, who’ve seen, heard, felt—even smelled—signals that only they and their dearly departed would understand or think to use.

We’ve posted stories from people whose grief—and fear of death—has been lessened by the knowledge that Soul lives on, regardless of whether there is a physical body to contain it. And they’ve gained that knowledge first-hand.

But, if these accounts are true, why doesn’t everyone who’s lost someone dear have a story? Are the people who write about their experiences special somehow? Do they have an extra sense that others of us don’t have?

—Or, are they kidding themselves?

In How to Survive Spiritually in Our Times, Harold Klemp has some advice for those wondering if their other-worldly experiences are real. “A test of an experience is: if it helps you open your heart to divine love, to God’s love, then it’s a real experience.”

In his book Soul Proof, Dr. Mark Pitstick refers to experiences with people who have died as “ADC’s”, or after-death communications. “The receptivity [emphasis his] of those on earth is…a very important factor since being calm and open-minded improves chances of an ADC,” writes Pitstick.

He suggests “centering practices” that “quiet the mind”. He quotes spiritual leaders, psychologists, poets and others who recommend a wide variety of activities—including yoga, meditation, music, prayer and art—that can “temporarily turn down the brain’s chatter… [and] allow access to wonderful timeless moments in which we recall our oneness with Universe.”

In Spiritual Wisdom on Life After Death, Klemp suggests what he calls “a spiritual exercise for soul travel” that begins with a single word:

“HU (pronounced like the word hue) is an ancient love song to God. Before sleep, close your eyes and place your attention very gently on the Spiritual Eye (a point between and behind the eyebrows). Sing HU, and fill yourself with love.”

Klemp explains the feeling of love will give you confidence to go forward into the unknown. He suggests calling to mind a past occasion on which you felt filled with pure love. In another book, The Sound of Soul, Klemp says “Love opens you to its guidance, peace, healing of body, mind, and spirit, and to the highest form of creativity.”

In Proof of Heaven, Eben Alexander, a neurosurgeon whose near-death experience has inspired his life’s work, also writes about God and his overwhelming feelings of being loved and cared for. All three writers seem to agree on one basic principle: that we are all connected, that each of us springs from the same creator, who is sometimes referred to as God. Other names include Divine Intelligence, Sugmad, the Holy Spirit, Holy Ghost, the Great Comforter, the ECK, the Life Force, the All in All, or The One.

“We are connected as one through our divine link with God,” Alexander says. “Communicating with God is the most extraordinary experience imaginable, yet at the same time it’s the most natural one of all, because God is present in us at all times.”

Regardless of what we call this unifying force, at its very core it is love, says Harold Klemp; and, “Love is love,” whether we express it to God, to our loved ones, our neighbours, or “the flowers you watered today.” And, when we give love out through the exercise of singing HU, it is returned, he says. “This is the law of the universe… Love returns love.”

So… Perhaps it is possible for us to know that our experiences with our departed loved ones are real, simply by the love they awaken within us.

The Meaning of Forever Project invites your stories of how near-death experiences, or experiences with loved ones who have passed on, have comforted you and helped you to understand the continuing nature of life; that love and life go on, even after our physical bodies expire. You can learn more about The Meaning of Forever Project from our web site, or from our Facebook page. If you have questions, please email us at themeaningofforever@gmail.com Feel free to join us on Facebook, or by following this blog—and please share with your friends.

From time to time, The Meaning of Forever Project refers to writings of various authors as samples of how others view the continuation of life. These references do not necessarily constitute endorsements.