But believing our loved one's are not with us is an illusion of separation.
Because we miss our earthly contact, because we mourn their departure, because our hearts ache to know they’re alright, because we want 'signs' that they're around and because they want us to know they are, those in spirit do much to make their enduring presence known.
The ways that spirit can make themselves known to us is nearly limitless so here I'm giving examples of some of the most common. It's important to note that your loved ones will use the means, methods, and symbols that are most personal to you, however unusual or common they may be. I call their efforts...
Signs of Life
Dreams...One of the most frequently experienced phenomenon is spirit visitation in sleep. Not actually dreams, these are experiences that are vivid, clear, easily remembered, and generally leave the person who had them feeling great peace and comfort. They will leave you saying, "It was just so real."
Smells... Imagine that you were extremely close to your grandmother and have been missing her terribly since her transition. She would want very much to comfort you and let you know that she's still around. She could do that by sending you the aroma of her special just-baked oatmeal cookies or the scent of a particular perfume she always wore or even pine cleaner if you connect that smell to her! We associate smells with situations and people and spirit takes full advantage of that smell-memory connection.
Skin sensations... Goosebumps, chills, shivers and cool breezes across the skin are wonderful confirmations of spirit's presence and often come immediately after you've thought of them. If you've ever had a thought like, "I wonder if he knows how I'm doing" and find yourself suddenly covered with gooseflesh, that's your answer-- a bumpy, chilly, hair raising, YES!
He knows.
Finding tokens of love... Spirit will often direct us to find coins, buttons, feathers and other items as their way of saying, "I'm here!" I know of someone who finds bobby pins whenever she's missing her husband-- Bob. It's his way of letting her know she's not alone.
Music... Music really is a universal language and one that spirit speaks fluently! Spirit may nudge you to turn on the radio just in time to hear a special song. And it may happen repeatedly, till it's recognized as the sign it is. Those in spirit may also imprint songs (or specific song lines) into your thoughts. These will often 'play' over and over in your mind until you notice them. If you find yourself hearing the same special song everywhere you go, it's quite likely a gift you're being given. If you keep music on all the time as "white noise" but find your ears suddenly tuning in just before a special songs play, that too is likely a gift. Music, as a sign of life, is important because it can convey an actual worded message they can't otherwise 'say' to you. (There's a short story about musical messages at the end of this page.)
Numbers... It's common for spirit to guide us to see certain numbers or number combinations. The numbers usually represent a birthdate or anniversary but could be anything that's personal to you. This is often done using clocks but license plates, receipts, billboards and anything that catches your eye is also used. You may see the same numbers repeatedly until you understand the meaning/message. As with most signs, this is spirit's way of reducing the chance you'll 
think it's a coincidence.
Lights, appliances, etc... Manipulating electrical currents is another very common way to get our attention. Lights that go on and off, phones that ring (no one there), garage doors that go up or down by themselves, ice makers that send ice onto the floor when no one is around, radios, televisions, even smoke alarms that go on and off .. these are just a few ways spirit can use electricity to say, "Hello!"
Computers specifically... Computers, because most of us have them and are seated at them frequently, are wonderful tools to get our attention.
Some common computer manipulations are:
a page opening without being clicked on (especially if it has relevance)a cursor having a mind of it's own as if it's been hijacked
a page that begins scrolling for no reason
programs opening (or closing) without being prompted
letters being typed while no one is using the keyboard
being disconnected from the internet (especially if there's something else you really should be doing!)
Unlike music and number signs which tend to happen repeatedly, computer related signs are usually sporadic. They will generally happen just often enough to get your attention but not so often as to leave you thinking that you have a bug or a glitch in your system. And of course they can't be explained by diagnostics!
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There are so many ways that those in spirit work to let us know they're still with us, I could never begin to list them all. As I said, those wishing to get their message to you will do so in a way best suited to you. And if you're timid about these things they may go through someone else so that you won't be made afraid or uncomfortable.
Sadly, many people are given signs that they're initially astounded by but later question the validity of. We're adept at rationalizing and reasoning. And once the thinking mind steps in to question the knowing heart, we begin to doubt the experience. The best answer to the question, "Was it real?" is this-- "What was your immediate feeling about the experience before you started thinking?" If your initial feeling was one of love and affirmation, please trust it. Please don’t ignore them. Instead... think, whisper or shout, "thank you." They’ll rejoice in knowing you believed and acknowledged. And if you want to you can ask them to keep reminding you that they’re around.
And they will... with love.
Earlier I mentioned sympathy cards.
Please know that if your loved one could write a card and give it to you at the time of your grief it would read something like,
_________