Picture by Greggory Brennan
Signs: There are signs all around us but seeing them is a different matter. I guess it requires our willingness to see them, understand them and hopefully learn from them that can determine so much.
We have to have an open mind otherwise they can simply be dismissed like so many other thoughts we have each and every day.
Researchers estimate the number of thoughts per day we have varies, with some suggesting around 6,200 to 70,000, but other studies and experts propose a more common range of 12,000 to 60,000.
As you can imagine the vast majority of these thoughts fall to the wayside as other thoughts enter our minds at any given time.
Bereavement can often open us up to periods of reflectivity some positive and some not so. But during this period we often find that we can experience synchronicity.
Synchronicity is the experience of two or more events that are meaningfully related but have no apparent causal connection. The concept was developed by Carl Jung who defined it as “meaningful coincidence” and suggested that these events are a sign of an underlying, deeper connectivity in the universe.
It’s a belief that spiritual signs whatever format they may be experienced by the individual can lead to profound personal and emotional changes.
This may include increased self-awareness, empathy, intuition, and inner peace, as well as a shift in priorities and relationships.
Like everything there is an alternative experience such as feeling confused, anxious or spiritual distress, especially when individuals begin to question their beliefs or feel a sense of loss.
The experience can manifest in a variety of ways, such as heightened sensory perceptions, synchronicities, and vivid dreams.
For myself I have found signs a lovely experience and during periods of bereavement of which I have had a few over the years, found them comforting to say the least.
It has to be said that during these periods we have to remain grounded to ensure we are only being given positive signs. Spiritual safety is paramount!
For myself it started with seeing the same time or numbers 11:11 on my watch or clock. Numbers that had no connectivity to a time when someone had passed in my life but my attention was always peaked when I would look at my phone or watch and notice the same numbers appear.
I guess I was being shown the numbers to see if through the thousand of thoughts passing through my brain each day I was alert to random moments synchronicity.
The more I noticed the more these signs developed. They never stayed the same they would morph into other things over time.
Signs
I have had robins, butterflies, white feathers and a wide range of other things appear when I was thinking of people or a little down and they would catch my attention. At times like these it would pick me up and put a smile on my face.
Recently I have had things happen with my phone. Songs would play on my phone even though it was locked and in my pocket and I had not recently played music so it wasn’t like it was the last thing I had done on my phone.
I wrote lyrics and used a computer program to add music to it. The song was inspired by my late mother’s dementia and is called “I don’t know why I feel this way”.
It is saved in my mobile phones files folder and can only be accessed by searching through a long list of files. Over a period of time it has suddenly started playing on its own in my pocket without any interaction by me. I always smile when it happens as I believe it’s a sign she is looking over me.
I recall not long after my brother had passed away something happened with my phone. It was a hot day and I was keeping myself busy putting new garden furniture together. I was determined to complete the job before my family came home from school and work.
I was stuck on a fiddly part of the construction when my phone kept ringing in my pocket. I let it ring and ring until it stopped ringing. However it started ringing again and without answering it I recall saying please leave me alone I will call you back later.
The phone stopped ringing and I carried on working until I heard a ping on my phone. Curiosity got the best of me. I put my tools down pulled my mobile phone out of my pocket to see who had been calling.
When I looked the person had text saying “no worries I will call you later”, which surprised me as I hadn’t text them. When I looked at my phone properly my phone had text the person saying “ Sorry I am busy right now I will call you later”.
How could that have happened I asked myself when I had a locked phone in my trousers pocket!
I relayed this story to my younger brother later that week and he asked one of his mates who worked in telecommunications. Apparently on the iPhone it does have set responses that you can activate on your phone if you are busy.
I checked and he was right but none of which matched that which was sent from my phone that day.
I truly believe that someone was looking over me and sent the message for me. When it happened I was busy feeling stressed and recall saying leave me alone will you.
A call for help came in a way I least expected it too and a sign that we are not truly alone when we need help the most.
Gregory Quinn Brennan 22/11/2025
The next LifeBalance Day of Healing is Saturday the 3rd of January 2026 at Crosby Library. 10.30am-1.30pm. You can find more information on clicking the links below. If anyone has had strange or unexplainable experiences from what they have taken part in, read or seen and need help or to understand please get in touch. If you have questions then please come and speak with us.
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