10 Reasons the Dead Don’t Move Into the Light

We have all heard ghost stories, but are their reasons the Dead chose on their own volition not to move on?

When The Dead Stay By Choice, Not Force

By Karen Hollis

The greatest myth about the dead who have not moved on is that they are held against their free will, either by other ghosts or by loved ones who are still alive.  In fact, through 25 years of having the opportunity to connect the living with the dead, never once has a spirit indicated they were being held back, trapped or imprisoned on the earth plane.  To the contrary, these earthbound spirits are here by choice, not force.

An earthbound spirit is the energetic essence (life-force) of a once-living person who has not yet crossed over to their spiritual afterlife.  The idea that a spirit is somehow being caused to remain on the earth plane, rather than moving into the Light, likely has more to do with our misunderstanding of both human nature, and our own spiritual essence.  In general, human beings have a pervasive belief in good and evil.  It’s simple, although misguided, to believe that any spirit who is still hanging around the earth plane must be trapped by something evil.  After all, who wouldn’t want to go into the Great White Light of Peace and Joy?

Two well-known and esteemed mediums, James Van Praagh and John Edward, both confirmed and elaborated about why some spirits remain earthbound.  During conversations with each of these esteemed psychics, both held to the opinion that spirits stay here by choice.  John Edward indicated that spirits might stay to convey a message of hope to loved ones, especially if their passing was in some way traumatic or unexpected.  Both experts also acknowledged that sometimes spirits find it hard to leave their families and possessions behind, but this has more to do with the trappings of being human.  Neither believes that spirits are earthbound “by force,” but rather “by choice.”

As these uncommon beliefs about earthbound spirits were confirmed by two internationally respected mediums, it was important to better understand these spirits, and perhaps be able to help them.  The place for this research was in the places these spirits were “haunting.”

Earthbound Spirit Haunts a Connecticut Bar

It was an honor to be invited to join Ghosts of New England Research Society (G.O.N.E.R.S.) as Lead Psychic/Medium Investigator.  Their mission is to help people who are troubled by hauntings and other paranormal activity.  Early in 2012, a restaurant/bar in Connecticut was investigated that claimed to have paranormal activity taking place on an almost daily basis.  Owners and customers of the bar claimed doors were opening and closing on their own; pots and pans stacked themselves on the floor after having been put away on shelves, and burners on the stove turned on or off by themselves.  The owner captured a full body apparition on film when, after hearing noises in the dark basement below the restaurant, she pointed her camera into the dark and snapped the shutter button.  The apparition in the digital image has not, to date, been found to be a doctored image.

The night of the investigation, the team heard knocking in the walls of various rooms in the building.  A bucket set behind the bar crashed to the floor and was caught on video.  Footsteps were heard in rooms where everyone present was standing or seated.  Several EVP’s (electronic voice phenomena) were caught on a digital recorder.

During the investigation, the entity was asked to light up the electromagnetic field meter.  Immediately, three out of five lights flashed.  At the same time, the digital voice recorder picked-up the entity’s vocalization of the message “I’m so weak.”  Through a clairaudient channel, the entity was asked specific questions in order to understand their “story”.

The entity described itself as a man who had hanged himself.  He had committed suicide because his wife was having an affair, and had asked for a divorce.  When asked why he remained at this location, he replied that he was “afraid to be judged”.  The bar was a place he frequented after work.  His wife still visited the establishment with her lover.  The deceased wanted his wife to know that he had loved her and that he was upset she was not taking care of their children with the money she’d inherited.

During investigations like this one, the intention is to help the spirit find peace.  The entity was asked what he thought he could achieve by making a ruckus whenever his wife came into the bar, or when he was just feeling angry and decided to stir things up for the staff.  He didn’t know.  He seemed to accept that nothing could be done concerning the money his wife had inherited.  His wife was making her choice, and he was making his.  The reality was that nothing, other than his own emotional state – a state he was choosing to experience over and again – was keeping him bound to that place.

Experience with these investigations has always made it apparent that the spirit was earthbound by choice, whether or not they were fully aware of the reasons why.  The dead aren’t all that different from the living in why they are earthbound.  For the same reasons many of us remain “stuck” in life, in a relationship, in a job, or in coping with a chronic illness, so can the spirits of the deceased get stuck in the earth plane.

10 Reasons the Dead Don’t Move On

1. Unaware of Their Death: This can be common in the case of sudden or traumatic death.  The individual had no time to prepare for death, and may be confused, fearful, or in shock. They can remain stuck at the site of the accident that took their life.

2. Unfinished Business:  We all have it, and if we carry it with us after death, it can keep us from moving into the Light.  We all have to learn to let go at some point.

3. To Protect a Loved One:  Some spirits have incredible loyalty to those left behind.  They feel obligated to continue their human role as protector.  An example might be older siblings who looked after younger siblings.

4. Guilt:  This is most common with suicides.  A spirit, seeing the effect of their actions on loved ones may feel guilty about the choice they made.

5. Obsessed with Another Living Soul:  The inability to let go of, or harboring anger at, someone who is still alive, can keep a spirit from going on with their journey.  Even a great love for someone can keep a spirit from moving on, as it did for Robin Williams’ character, Chris, in the film ‘What Dreams May Come’.  The character decided to remain on earth after a tragic car accident because he did not want to go on to Heaven without his beloved wife.

6. Forced by Another Ghost:  This is not possible because every spirit has free will.  It is possible that another spirit who had control over a newly deceased person is perceived to still have that power.  An example would be an abusive man who dies before his wife.  If she believes in death that the ghost of her husband has control over her, that perception can hold her back from the Light.

7. Not Wanting to Face Someone Who Has Already Passed On:  Just as we can be afraid to face someone in life whom we feel we have let down in some way, so too can that fear be a powerful trap for the spirit to remain on the earth plane.

8. Don’t Believe in Live After Death:  If one has no belief in a place to go after death, they may simply remain a wandering spirit.

9. Not Understanding That Existence Does Not End:  Some spirits realize they are dead and in spirit form, but become fearful that leaving the earth plane will mean they cease to exist.  The task here is to let go of the ego.

10. Fear of Judgment:  If there is a place of Light, there also must be a place of Darkness.  The fear that one might end up in darkness is powerful enough to keep one earthbound.

As we can see, themes common to the human condition include fear, anger, greed, guilt, false hope, non-awareness of divinity, the need to feel loved, and the need to understand and be understood.  These can easily follow us into the afterlife.  In all cases, nothing binds a spirit to the earth plane except their own perception or emotional state, which they willingly choose.

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About the Author

Contact Karen Hollis at  http://www.readingsbykaren.com/