The best-selling book,
Kids Who See Ghosts opens the door to a topic that has been swept under a proverbial rig and not discussed openly. In some households, kids are told, “Hush. Don’t talk about that. Don’t tell any one. You’re crazy. You’re lying.” Also, very few professionals who work with children want to talk about it.
However, a lot of conce
ed and caring parents do want to talk about it because their kids see spirits, ghosts, fairies, and light orbs. Thirteen-year-olds who see shadows at night and at school need someone to listen to them. Teens who have seen ghosts all of their lives have to sort through their realities and determine whether or not to speak openly. Parents of younger children, who won’t sleep in their rooms because a resident ghost visits them, ask me how they can help their children. Moreover, some parents are as scared of the spirits as their children are, while a few others are thrilled with their child’s ability and want to know how to encourage the talent.
Why Aren’t We Talking About It?
Not talking about the topic only adds an air of mystery and fear to the subject. One reason for not talking is the lack of understanding of how people see. What a person sees takes place within the brain’s chemistry by virtue of how our eyes work. Our eyes see light only, and our brains interpret the images based upon our memory banks, which are updated as our brains adapt to our environments, learn new skills and have new life experiences. So are all ghosts figments of one’s own brain chemistry? It depends upon our cultures and how we adapt our worldviews.
A second reason we don’t talk about ghosts is based upon cultural norms. One Native American child who speaks with his grandmother in her spirit body is very different from a child raised to believe that dead bodies go into the ground and that person-to-person connection is over. A third reason is simply the fear of being accused as crazy or nuts.
Yet, Watch The Trend Increase!
Ghosts and other such unknowns live within a metaphorical Pandora’s box. This column opens that box to clear the air and breathe some new life into the topic for interested readers because more kids are seeing ghosts, and I expect the trend to grow. Why?
Ghosts are a hot topic, as evidenced by the average ten million viewers of the television show “Ghost Whisperer.” Current media trends on this hot topic of ghosts will continue because the public is fascinated by what we once called the “paranormal.” I am thinking the term “normal” is more appropriate because more television shows on paranormal topics are airing and books on topics of vampires and fairies of this fantasy genre are popular.
Here’s why…according to a 2007 pre-Halloween poll conducted by the Associated Press, 34% of people polled said they believed in ghosts, and those who believed included people of all religions and socioeconomic levels. That percentage is going up. The Harris Poll conducted a survey during the week of November 2, 2009 to find that 42% percent of
Americans believe in ghosts.
This Topic Is Happening Now!
Because I see this trend of children seeing ghosts increasing, I feel all of us need up-to-date answers on the variety of questions that I receive every month on my blogs (
www.kidswhoseeghosts.com and
http://intuitiveparenting.wordpress.com. The foremost question from parents is “Is my child crazy?” The second and third common questions are, “How can I help my child?” and “How can I help myself?” The fourth popular question is “Does this talent or trait run in families?”
In my book, Kids Who See Ghosts (2010) I asked famous psychics and mediums if they felt their talent was an inherited talent. Unequivocally, they answered, Yes.” Moreover, I was fascinated by how each person I interviewed spoke about their upbringing and how their families dealt with ghostly situations. For example, Sonia Choquette mentions how her family had a place setting for the resident ghost each evening at supper. John Holland explained that as a young boy, he wasn’t afraid of ghosts as much as his stuffed animals after his parents told him that the animals came alive at night. Such a story sent him hiding under the covers.
The near-death researcher, P. M. H, Atwater, who explained that children in her research studies who experienced near-death episodes early in their lives, had increased psychic abilities, gives another reason for the trend increasing.
Seeing ghosts can be an opportunity for both children and parents to move through fear, explore different realities, and learn about the world of spirits. Ghosts can be children’s best friends, and facing a fear of ghosts is a way for parents and kids to become empowered. Life is to be enjoyed and for finding passionate purpose. If ghosts are part of that experience, then together let’s explore why and how.