by Jacky Newcomb

A visitation, in the way I am using it here, is a real visit from a spirit or angel that occurs during our sleeping hours… although sometimes also when we are awake. For each person who experiences this there is no doubt as to its truth, as the experience leaves a lasting impression that bears little in common with dreams. Your loved one or angel appears to you while your body is asleep but your mind is awake and aware.

The same themes tend to run through this kind of real spirit contact. You can look for these in your own visitation experiences. I have covered these signs in other books, but for clarity let’s go over the most common signs.

• During the experience you have awareness that you are not asleep.
• When encountering the deceased, it’s common to express confusion that they are alive and to say so, using words such as ‘Why are you here, aren’t you dead?’
• Human friends may be accompanied by an angel or spiritual type of guide throughout the experience (who also lets them know when it’s time to leave and go back to their own realm).
• The deceased will usually try to indicate to you by some measure that they are still alive, and how well and happy they are in their new heavenly home.
• They might show themselves as younger and healthier than they appeared at the point of their passing. Missing limbs are re-attached, diseased bodies are pure and free from any ailment, growths or masses.
• Messages are usually simple and speedy but normally have similar meanings:
  • – I love you
  • – I am safe and well
  • – Stop worrying about me
  • – I am healthy now (and whole)
  • – I am still watching over you
  • – I am proud of you
  • – I am aware of what is going on in your life
  • – Congratulations or well done!

I have spent some time interviewing each of the readers for the experiences in the following so that you get a little more information about what happened… behind the scenes! Let’s have a look at some of these amazing experiences.

My Son Who Art In Heaven

‘I’m not really sure where to start with this letter. I’ve never done this before! My name is Paula and just a few weeks ago three of your books showed up for sale where I work in a care home. I’ve always had an interest in angels, and something in my head kept telling me that I had to buy these books. I had the strongest feeling that I knew your name, but still don’t know where from. Well, I bought the books and couldn’t believe what I was reading; there were so many similarities with my own life. With each chapter I found myself saying, “Oh my God, that’s happened to me!” I could go on for pages and pages about my experiences, but I’d just like to share a few with you that mean everything to me. Somehow I know you will appreciate them!

‘My grandfather died on 31 March 1991; he was like a father to me growing up because my own father worked away from home a lot. I firmly believe he’s visited me as a spirit on numerous occasions! These visits have happened in the form of “dreams”.

‘The first visit was about a year after he passed, I found myself in what I can only describe as a waiting room in heaven. A woman came into the room and said to me, “He’ll be ready for you in a minute, please be careful with what you say, he’s in a fragile state.”

‘I nodded and she opened a door. At the end of a long, white room I saw my granddad sitting in a high-backed armchair in front of a television. I walked over and knelt by the side of the chair. I put my hand onto the arm of the chair and he grabbed it tightly; he seemed disturbed by something, not so much angry, more desperate. He leaned toward me and he said, “Where is you nan? Why hasn’t she come to see me?”

‘I didn’t answer him but he continued, “What’s happening to your brother, why is he hurting the family?” At the time my brother was going through drug problems, but my granddad had known nothing about this before he died.

‘Granddad asked me why I hadn’t brought my baby daughter in to see him too, and at this point I remember putting my arm around him to comfort him (he still had hold of my other hand) while we both cried. I reassured him that everything was OK and that he didn’t have to worry any more. With that I woke up crying. My hand felt bruised for a couple of days afterwards. The dream upset me because I felt for a long time that maybe Granddad couldn’t have been ready to die when he did, but after that experience I carried on with life… as you do.

‘I had no more experiences until 1993. I became pregnant for a third time (I had two daughters already). Then ten weeks into the pregnancy I suffered a miscarriage. I was devastated, and even though I had two healthy, beautiful girls my grief was enormous! Two months down the line I still felt unwell and hadn’t seen a period so I was sent for a scan. Straight away they detected a heartbeat and it was very strong. Bizarrely, the scan showed that I was still pregnant. They could tell from the placenta it had been a twin pregnancy. It was like being told you’re pregnant but you don’t have to go through the rotten sickness stage. I have to tell you, Jacky, I was happier than I’d ever felt. They asked if I wanted to know the sex of the baby and I said no, I preferred a surprise.

‘A few nights after this I had another “dream”. I was walking along a path, dressed in black and there were lots of people surrounding me, telling me how sorry they were but I didn’t understand why. When I got to the end I saw the tiniest white coffin I’d ever seen, and on the top on a small white plaque was written the name “Alistair”. I knew at this point I was saying goodbye to the baby I had lost, but I don’t know who had named him Alistair. It was not a name I would have chosen, though I liked it. Anyway, I began to get upset but when I looked up, my granddad was standing in front of me looking happy, young and healthy. He threw his arms around me and said, “It’s all right now, Paula, I understand what’s happened and I’m happy.” Then it was Granddad’s time to reassure me. He said, “I don’t want you to worry about your son, he’ll be born healthy and well.”

‘Again I woke up crying, but this time I was happy. My granddad was happy and I knew I was having a son. It wasn’t an easy pregnancy, I nearly lost my son twice but in the end Adam was born just two weeks early and it was the most relaxed birth I’ve ever known.

‘I have four children now, three girls and a boy, and over the years I’ve noticed that in photos of my children there’s always a gap as though someone is missing. Although I’ve suffered four miscarriages, somehow I’ve always known that the gap is where Alistair should be.

‘Every Christmas and birthday for Adam I’ve thought of Alistair. Last year, out of the blue I had another dream. I was in another waiting room and a woman came into the room and said, “If you just sit there he’ll be with you shortly.” I sat down on a plain wooden chair and as I looked up I saw someone I initially thought was Adam standing in front of me. As I looked more closely I saw his hair was longer and curly, he was a bit thinner and his features were ever so slightly different. I walked over, put my hand on his shoulder and said “Alistair?” He nodded and a big tear rolled down his cheek, but he was smiling. We held on to each other for what felt like an eternity, I cried and said how sorry I was that I’d never got to know him, but he reassured me that I would one day. I woke that morning feeling refreshed and happy, and I thanked God for allowing me to see the son I’d grieved so hard for.

‘I’m convinced my “dreams” are more than that. I remember them clearly and in such detail. I’m not sure why I have been blessed in this way, but I’m glad I have. I know my angels are around me, I’m not scared of dying and I look forward to seeing what my heaven will be like. Thank you, Jacky, for your books, I no longer feel I’m the only one who’s like this!’ – Paula

Twin Sister Is Still With Us

‘I come from a family of eight children (five girls and three boys) and I am the third eldest child, the eldest girl. My next two sisters (twins) were born a little more than a year after me. The younger of the twins (Vicky) died about 12 years ago when she was just 41. The whole family was devastated, as she was a much loved sister and daughter.

‘The day after she died my family were all getting together to make funeral arrangements and by the end of the day it all became rather too much for my dad. He ended up in the hospital because everyone thought he was having a heart attack; apparently it was the stress and anxiety, so we were relieved that he was OK. My dad has never been a big believer in angels, etc., but he told us that that night while he was lying in the hospital bed he opened his eyes and my sister was standing alongside him. She touched his face and told him that he shouldn’t be sad because she is in a lovely place, with her mum, and everything would be OK. He has told us since that at first he thought it was just a dream, but now he isn’t so sure. He felt her, saw her and knew in his heart she was with him.

‘For several days after Vicky died I just couldn’t sleep well because I was forever crying. Then one night while I was crying about losing her I realized that she wasn’t lost because I felt her presence in the room and I heard her “shushing” me and felt her stroke my head until I went to sleep. After that I started sleeping more peacefully, knowing that she was OK.

‘We all miss her very much and my oldest daughter sees her all the time; not as a physical person but she sees the spirit of her and has conversations with her.

‘Whenever we have family get-togethers we light a candle for her and we know she is there because we smell and feel her presence. I went to see a psychic woman (who was wonderful) who told me that my sister was full of life, love and wanting to find out more and more about everything. She also told me that my sister (and mum) will always be around looking after us when we need them.

‘I know this to be true because when I was traveling along a road late one evening (a dark, deserted road that I had never been down before), I started to get worried that I had missed my turn-off and felt a bit of a panic coming over me. I asked Mum and Vicky to send me a sign, and what should fly straight past the windscreen of the car but a white dove (in the evening this is very unusual). I thanked them both and continued my journey in safety knowing they were watching over me.’ – Pamela

Nurse Button and Other Signs

‘I have always been interested in the afterlife and started reading Doris Stokes’ (the late psychic medium) books years ago. I used to chat with my mum, who was always ready to talk about the books I’d been reading. As the years went on my mum became ill, and on many occasions she told me she was scared… not of dying, but of what happened after. I tried to reassure her by saying my dad, who’d passed away several years ago, would be there along with her family and she wouldn’t be left alone.

‘Mum told me that if it was possible she would find a way of letting me know she was OK, without scaring me, and we left it at that. Mum took a turn for the worse and we were called to the hospital. My brother, my stepfather and I rushed to her bedside. Mum slipped away soon after. As we gathered at the foot of her hospital bed, saying our goodbyes, a nurse called in and asked if we were OK. I said yes and she replied that someone had pressed the nurse call button at the back of Mum’s bed. None of us was near it and we always wondered: was it Mum giving us a sign? We hoped it was.

‘Some time after this I was asleep one night when I had the most vivid dream where I was in a big room with lots of people and then my mum came walking towards me as clear as anything and looking well. I was stunned but she came to me and said, “You have nothing to be afraid of when the time comes, take my hand and come with me.” I woke up crying. Was it only a “dream”? Am I going “potty” as my kids say when I tell them what happened? I don’t think so!

‘When I started going to the local Spiritualist church, I recall on one occasion being in the house on my own. I was cleaning and I stopped at Mum’s picture at the top of the stairs and said, “Look, Mum, I’m going to the Spiritualist church tonight. If you can, will you try and give me a sign you’re there?” I carried on cleaning and then went back downstairs into the kitchen. The clock fell off the wall from above the sink, yet the nail was still in the wall and it had never fallen before or since. Was this another sign?

‘My mum never had the opportunity of traveling abroad. She loved the sunshine and she even had a passport, bless her, but never got to use it. I was in Turkey this month with my husband and was chatting to some elderly people, telling them that it was nice to see them enjoying the sun and how my mum would have loved to be there.

“I was in bed later that day when I had a dream that I was sitting at a table with my husband and daughter. We were in a room when Mum came in; my husband could see her and so could my daughter. Mum walked around the table, stood behind me and I felt her arms wrap around me. The love was enormous and so real! Then I awoke again and was a little tearful.

‘Later I spoke aloud saying, “Mum if that was you, send me a sign… a butterfly.” Days passed and I kept an eye open for the butterfly sign, but nothing happened. Then as I was lying in the sun a woman sat down in front of me with a butterfly tattoo on her back. It was the most beautiful colored butterfly. My kids laugh, but I like to think Mum is still here with me; when it’s my time, she will be there holding out her hand, just as she promised.’ – Lesley

Car Clampers

‘My younger brother Clinton Berry died on 23 November 2007; he’d turned 39 on 2 November. He had suffered a very rare and severe stroke two weeks previously.

‘Clint and I had been very close as we grew up; there was only 18 months between us. I married twice and had four children. Clint had a string of relationships, a few happy ones but, sadly, no children. Whenever Clint was unhappy or needing a shoulder to cry on, he came to me. He loved Mum and Dad dearly, but sometimes he didn’t want them to know his worries or to cause them worry. So every so often he would arrive on my doorstep; he was always welcomed with open arms.

‘Since his passing there have been a lot of little things that make us believe he is around. I had a BMW at the time, and a few times when I had my daughter Sarah in the car, the stereo would suddenly go on, playing the song “Valerie” really loudly. There was nothing to explain this happening – we questioned everything! “Valerie”, the version sung by the late Amy Winehouse, would be playing at significant times, and other songs he liked would come on at just the right times. We could be walking into shops or hear them in the car just as we were talking about him.

‘I was in the local library a couple of weeks ago with my family. My youngest wanted to sit by the window and watch some BMX bikers through the window. I sat in the chair with her and within a couple of minutes I was drawn to look in the book I picked up, and I knew I had to read it. Two things happened in the course of my reading it. The first was me relaying a story to my mother-in-law about how I ask Clint to send me six lucky numbers. That evening I opened the book and the first thing I read was you telling me how our loved ones can’t help with things like this!

‘The second thing was even greater proof from Clint. I had read about dream experiences and asked him to try it. Two days later I did dream… I had been to a funeral that I had been involved in and it was a nice funeral. When I got home, though, there were lots of cars parked on my driveway so I couldn’t park. There were people standing in the garden and I asked them to move their cars. They just laughed, so I replied, “I have someone I can call who will clamp your cars.” I held my mobile phone in my hand and began to dial a number, but I was saying, “I can’t call Clint, he’s dead.” Then as clear as anything I heard my brother speak to me as if he was standing facing me. He said I didn’t need my phone, I could speak to him any time, he was always with me whenever I just needed to talk. I cried in my sleep and it woke me. The dream was so real, his voice as clear as anything.

‘I believe this was Clint giving me a definite sign. He worked as a bailiff for many years, clamping the cars of those who didn’t pay their parking fines. My mum has a video of Clint when he appeared on Watchdog talking about the car clampers, which Mum watches frequently.

‘I have sent your book Angels Watching Over Me to my mum. She loved every word you wrote and I feel it has given her the comfort and reassurance she needs that her little boy is safe and he hasn’t left us completely. I thank you with all my heart for that.’ – Louise

In my books I suggest asking deceased loved ones to visit in dreams – or at least try, and if they are unable to reach us, to visit other family members in dream visitations (with permission) instead! I’ve found that it helps if you speak to a photograph of the deceased (preferably one with a happy memory) or, failing this, hold an item that belonged to them while you think about them. Some people manage perfectly well by imagining the face of the deceased and speaking to that vision in their mind. Good luck.

Excerpt from Protected By Angels