HOW THOSE GOOSEBUMPS COULD BE A SIGN FROM THE OTHER SIDE

Ever had an unexplained shiver, felt watched when alone, or found feathers in strange places? You might not be imagining it — spirits could be reaching out, and those goosebumps could be a sign from the other side. Here, best-selling author Suzi Samuel shares her astonishing journey from sceptic to 'accidental medium.'

Have you ever felt that shivery feeling of goosebumps dancing across your shoulders or the hair standing up on the back of your neck?   

Have you laughed it off as friends notice you visibly shiver and comment, ‘Who just walked over your grave?’  

Well, it could just be someone trying to contact you from the other side.

My mother’s side of the family has always had a strong belief in ghoulies, ghosties, witches and hobgoblins, but I wasn’t prepared for what happened when I turned 30.

I’d just lost my first husband to kidney disease, followed soon after by the death of my beloved grandmother and then the passing of a dear friend who was a ‘lovely old psychic lady.’ 

Suddenly and very bizarrely, I found myself plunged into the spirit world. Why me? What had I done to deserve this?  I soon realised the culprit.  

My ‘lovely old psychic lady’ was called Mrs Butterfield, whom I had contacted over the years for readings.  

During one of our meetings, she told me I was very psychic and would one day be doing what she was doing.  

I took no notice at the time, being as psychic as a rice pudding. But she was obviously passing on her mantle, and death did not stop her determination.  

Think Whoopie Goldberg in Ghost when she suddenly ‘meets’ Patrick Swayze. You can imagine my surprise when I started blurting out the strangest things to people…and they came true! 

I became very aware of the spirits around me, especially my darling grannie. As a newly single woman in London, these new voices from the ‘other side’ not only gave me plenty of foresight to avoid dating disasters; they also raised red flags about my nascent property development caree and provided the most welcome cooking tips. 

Spirit also had a habit of correcting my posture, giving me a poke in the middle of the back at unexpected moments!

Forty years on, as the ‘unintentional’ medium, I have used my ‘gift’ to give readings to hundreds of clients in multiple countries.

These include everything from predicting the birth of babies, to sorting out love lives and money problems as well as dealing with inhabitants from another world, not to mention predicting that my husband would become a powerful player in a major British political party.  

How do I make contact with the other side? Well, Mediums and Psychics use lots of different methods.

Some read hands, some use psychometry -  which is holding an object to get its vibes; some like to use a crystal ball; some use spirit writing where you put pen to paper and let Spirit guide your hand.

Others use a pendulum for yes and no answers. As for me, I use Tarot cards but not in the way you might think. I am not a Tarot reader as such. I know roughly what the different cards mean, but I use them as a channel to let my spirit guides through.  

Whatever method is used, it’s really only opening up a path to communicate with Spirit… the person doing the reading already has the ability to contact the other side but you need to be sure that you’re not picking up any thoughts from the person having the reading and any messages are indeed from Spirit.

One thing I constantly get asked is, how do our loved ones who’ve died show up?

They’ll say, ‘I just saw a white feather, is it really my beloved mother?’ or ‘Were those two black butterflies hovering outside the window, my husband trying to get my attention?’

Even, ‘I keep hearing footsteps in the attic,  but nobody’s home!’

I can tell you there are a myriad of ways Spirits communicate with us. The most common way is that slightly shivery feeling around the shoulders and lower legs (spirits are much too well behaved to go north of the knees.) 

You might hear knocking, footsteps, or whispers when no one is around. Flickering Lights, or part of the room feeling suddenly chillingly cool. 

Usually these ghostly happenings occur because Spirit wants our attention whether it be to explain a mystery or to right a wrong.  For example, there are many who were accused of crimes they didn’t commit and want to put their story straight. But more often than not it is just that they want to reassure those left behind that they are still with them.

How do we know who it is?  Just ask!  Sit quietly and ask who is there with you and what is their message. It is amazing how often the answer will come to you. If you need a bigger hint, you may find that a picture of a loved one has been moved or maybe you will hear their favourite song every time you turn on the radio.  

Sometimes you may dream of that person, but it will not be a regular dream. Everything seems to be amplified;  colours, smells, feelings.  This will very likely be a loved one trying to get through to you.

I also get asked how we know if it is a loved one or something more sinister?  There are a few indications as to whether it’s friend or foe.  If you feel the shiver is more like someone gently stroking you or a warm hug, definitely friend. However, if it feels cold and slightly threatening, definitely foe. 

If it’s a loved one around you, you often get a lovely smell of flowers whereas anything demonic is often accompanied by really awful pongs, rather like the Paris sewers fifty years ago.  

If it is an unfriendly phantom, you can get that scary feeling that you’re not alone, that someone’s watching you and setting off your spidery senses big time.

Is there anything we can do to protect ourselves?  Yes there is.  My favourite way is to imagine the golden light of God pouring into you and filling you up then imagining pushing it out to a few centimetres away from your body until you are encased in an egg of blessed light. 

That will protect you and not allow anything in.  But the most important protection is prayer.  If you feel threatened, just pray to God to protect you.  Believe me, it works.

Mirrors can also be very helpful.  They have long been said to be invested with magical properties and are a great method of protection. You can also use mirrors to protect yourself by putting up your shield, a bit like the Starship Enterprise under attack from Klingon warships. 

If someone is being horrid or sending really bad thoughts your way, just imagine a mirror between you and them and the vibes will bounce back.  How good is that?  Protection and revenge all at the same time.

So the next time you feel your hair being ruffled or get the shivers or indeed find feathers in the fridge, listen.  

It may just be the Angels trying to get your attention.

Suzi Samuel is the author of the bestselling memoir The Unintentional Medium which has just been revised and re-released. She is also the author of her first novel, a supernatural thriller based on her own paranormal experiences and her time spent in France - The Dark at the Threshold.