1. My experience is limited to some basic folk practices.
- Daily prayers for the dead. 'For' them rather than 'to' them is what I was advised, but both are super common in many cultures. Interestingly, I think our host has mentioned that some occult traditions discourage these entirely. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
- Dedicate a small area of your home (mantle, etc) to pictures and mementos of the dead. (Many 'old world' Catholics have been doing this longer than anyone can remember, including my Dad).
- Offering fresh, cool water in a glass at that spot. They say "the dead are always thirsty." I hear this is common in parts of Latin America. Never really tried it myself.
2. Drawbacks? Simply put, doing this stuff WILL make your life a little weirder. It can be disruptive, eerie, and emotional. Personally I think if you're going to try these things, daily protections are a necessity.
On one hand, I know at least one person who has a gift a little like yours, doesn't work at it, and lives a pretty normal life except for the rare occasions when it pops up.
But here's an extreme case. I had a friend with a serious natural aptitude for this. I don't really know much about her spiritual practice, but I know it's much more elaborate than what's listed above. (It's been a few years since we were in touch). Her apartment gets constant "visitors," many of whom are lost and need directions, so to speak. She has a really, really tough time living in the modern world, struggles to separate fact from fiction, and her health has been poor for decades.
Possibly related, though much less extreme if so: trying to post this comment was significantly more difficult than usual. I ended up rewriting it to exclude certain details, and now it's acting fine. Go figure.
3. Can't help much there - I hope someone else can make a good suggestion. But food for thought: nearly every culture on Earth, past and present, has a better relationship with their dead than the modern West. You might want to look for good sources on what your own ancestors would have done a few generations ago.
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branchandroot
Re: Meeting dead people in dreams
Date: 2025-04-28 06:54 pm (UTC)- Daily prayers for the dead. 'For' them rather than 'to' them is what I was advised, but both are super common in many cultures. Interestingly, I think our host has mentioned that some occult traditions discourage these entirely. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
- Dedicate a small area of your home (mantle, etc) to pictures and mementos of the dead. (Many 'old world' Catholics have been doing this longer than anyone can remember, including my Dad).
- Offering fresh, cool water in a glass at that spot. They say "the dead are always thirsty." I hear this is common in parts of Latin America. Never really tried it myself.
2. Drawbacks? Simply put, doing this stuff WILL make your life a little weirder. It can be disruptive, eerie, and emotional. Personally I think if you're going to try these things, daily protections are a necessity.
On one hand, I know at least one person who has a gift a little like yours, doesn't work at it, and lives a pretty normal life except for the rare occasions when it pops up.
But here's an extreme case. I had a friend with a serious natural aptitude for this. I don't really know much about her spiritual practice, but I know it's much more elaborate than what's listed above. (It's been a few years since we were in touch). Her apartment gets constant "visitors," many of whom are lost and need directions, so to speak. She has a really, really tough time living in the modern world, struggles to separate fact from fiction, and her health has been poor for decades.
Possibly related, though much less extreme if so: trying to post this comment was significantly more difficult than usual. I ended up rewriting it to exclude certain details, and now it's acting fine. Go figure.
3. Can't help much there - I hope someone else can make a good suggestion. But food for thought: nearly every culture on Earth, past and present, has a better relationship with their dead than the modern West. You might want to look for good sources on what your own ancestors would have done a few generations ago.
Noodles