Perhaps I should refer to the collection of personal experiences of a paranormal or spiritual nature as simply, extraordinary experiences [E.E.]. That would apply to the host of personal encounters with after-death communications, psychic and medium experiences, apparitional encounters as well.
A recently heard E.E. deserves consideration. Please take into account the Credibility Quotient as well. I can personaly confirm my impression that the story is completely true based on my knowledge of the individual involved. Your impression may or may not be the same as mine.
Pat recently lost her father. They had been quite close and she had an E.E. afterwards which is quite remarkable but I will not share with the reader in order to not cloud the following experience. She met a woman at a Labor Day party and they began to speak. They woman, I’ll call Jane stated that she was a medium and that she saw Pat’s father always around her. Pat smiled because she had been quite close to him.
Jane proceded, however, to state that her father walked with a decidedly unsteady gait, leaned on a cane and seemed to have weakness on his left side. She also noted that he had to squint when he tried to observe something and used a can on his weak side. She also noted that Pat and her father did not see ‘eye to eye’.
Pat was taken aback and protested that this was not her father at all. He had not had weakness on one side, or used a cane, or squinted. And most assuredly they had a wonderful relationship. The medium would not back away from her insistence that this man was her father and she would not change her story about any aspect of his gait, appearance or their relationship.
Pat walked away shaking her head. About a half hour later, she was suddenly struck by a startling moment of awareness. Jane was actually describing her biologic father who had died several years before. Pat had regarded her step father as her ‘real’ father and could not understand the medium’s description. Once she realized what was happening, she nearly went into shock.
Jane had completely and accurately described her biologic father, including his left sided weakness, abnormal gait, squint and their relationship.
What are the metaphysical implications of such an encounter? Let the reader be the judge. To me, this is a powerful E.E., one that demonstrates the reality of the soul and its pesistence after death. Does such an awareness impact upon the nature and quality of our lives? I believe that it should.
To those who believe that a medium can utilize some kind of super PSI to read the mind of the individual, I would point out how unlikely seems in view of Pat’s inability to realize which ‘father’ this referred to.
My collection of these Extraordinary Experiences conintues. As I have said before, they remain the fuel for my metaphysical journey.
The true meaning of the word ” mensch” is a human being who conducts his/her life in a respectful, proud manner. Part of what you said was correct, but it is even deeper. It is one who does the “right thing” in spite of the consequences. A “mensch” thinks of others and behaves in a dignified, intelligent fashion. It is a word unequaled in any other language.