Not sure if you believe in consciousness surviving physical death?

If you have Quicktime 7, you can listen to an interview with Dr. Gary Schwartz (University of Arizona) talk about his formal scientific work on the Afterlife Experiments and the "positive" results that were found to support this reality. While this doesn't deal with animal consciousness per se (because they were testing for human consciousness), many other works also support the fact that ANY being with consciousness is a 'bundle' of conscious energy as well, and therefore we can reasonably extrapolate these results to include our sentient friends.

To find this interview, scroll down to the "Oct./05" section and click on "Dr. Gary Schwartz on the Afterlife." (note: there are many other extremely interesting and enlightening interviews on this site as well, that you may also wish to check out). This particular interview is about 1/2 hour long. Dr. Schwartz also has his own website and you can also Google the "Afterlife Experiments" to find out more.
Conscious Media Network

Thank you for the link. I watched every second of it as I can relate to it.


Around August of last year I was relaxing on my couch. I fell into a deep relaxtion, almost to the point where I was in a trance like state. I then felt a cold and tingly sensation on the top of my head, kind of like a vibration.

The next thing I know I am rising up to the ceiling and looking down. It was dark so I couldn't see myself lying on the couch but the moonlight was shinning through the window and I could see Simba II sitting on the window sill above my couch looking out of the window.

It lasted about 5 seconds and I was kind of creeped out so I seemed to fall back down really fast and snap out of it. I sat up and seen Simba II sitting in the same spot and looking out of the window.

It was a scary and excited feeling at the same time, kind of hard to explain. But at that point, I began to wonder if that is what life after death is. Was I actually conscious outside of my body? Is the brain and consciousness seperate things? Maybe when we die our consciousness leaves our body and we then live in that state.

I don't talk about that experience much to anyone. The few I have just say "oh you just fell asleep and had a dream." But it's one of those things that you KNOW you weren't dreaming. I know I was not asleep.

Also around that time I started noticing some strange things. Alot of times when I am in relaxed mode I hear the name "Joshua." One time I heard the words "My name is Joshua" as if someone was putting the thoughts in my mind. I have no clue who Joshua is since I don't know anyone by that name.

A few months back I had a very vivid dream about my mother who died back in 1980. She looked different from how I knew her and I didn't recognize her. She looked at me and says to me "You don't even realize who I am do you?" When I realized who she was I woke up from the surprise. I told my sister about the dream and she told me that is how our mother looked back when she was younger. My sister and brothers are alot older than me so they knew our mother alot longer than I did... in her younger years.

I took a picture of myself using my timer on my digital camera. When I uploaded it to my computer I noticed two orbs in it, one by my left shoulder and one by my right shoulder. Could orbs be the conscious energy of those that have past on or are they just dust? I still have it if anyone wants me to post it. Also, in the room where I took the picture Simba II still looks up at a certain spot of the ceiling like he is watching something. Sometimes he even jumps up on a table like he is trying to reach it and play with it.

A friend of mine says that maybe I am starting to tap into some psychic abilities. Who knows... it's kind of cool but kind of creepy at the same time.

Hey, Simba's Daddy,

I'm SO glad you found it helpful! I've posted this (and other interviews from the same site) in other places and no one seems in the LEAST bit interested, though it's such compelling and widely-needed information. (as Gary said himself, so MANY (other) people are definitely interested!) I've personally known about these experiments , and many more advances like this in the world, since '05, but I often feel like I'm talking to brick walls when I try to help others raise their own consciousness (and therefore, also the entire world's)....*sigh*....

Likewise, I'm SO glad you talked here about your experiences to date! Personally, I'm nothing if not jealous! (don't know WHY I don't get as many of the same kinds of things happening, especially when I'm so open to these things) So first of all, yes, I believe what has happened to you is real, and good, and secondly......you're just so fortunate to be getting shown so much, even if you don't understand it (yet)!

If you can simply change your inner perception of these events to realize that they're ONLY all about opening up to your true nature (the one we ALL share), those feelings of "creepiness" can be allowed to subside. These kinds of events aren't given to us to create more FEAR in us, but to help us realize we're much more than we think we are, and so are our animal companions, and everything else that lives, or once lived on this plane.

I'm going to give you the direct link to the entire site that this came from, because although I've just begun to listen to the wealth of information that's already there (I AM familiar with some of these speakers, mind you - even took some classes from one of them last spring, whose work is also being more fully investigated by Dr. Schwartz because he saw REAL, measurable results from it already), there are at least a couple more I've listened to so far that, given your experiences, you might find even more useful to help explain some of what has happened.....especially your experience with this Joshua person. Again - jealous!!

One speaker you might want to listen to is a Dr. of Psychiatry, originally from a tiny town in N. Carolina, raised Southern Baptist, and now so far beyond most of us (and his religion), it's breath-taking. I think you'll be able to relate to his feelings pretty well. Like most of these people, he's written a book about his experiences (which I'm going to get, too), but hearing parts of his story is so incredibly enlightening. (your Joshua friend might make a lot more sense to you after hearing his account) Scroll down to "Mitchell Gibson, on The Afterlife."

The second one you might want to listen to as well is "Hazel Courteney, on The Afterlife." Hazel is a journalist. Her story, while sounding rather frightening (but still amazing) at the start, DOES turn out well, for her and for others in her sphere, so just keep in mind there are huge and good REASONS for what she, in particular, went through. (and just because SHE experienced what she did, doesn't mean any of us will, so try to just see what's been GAINED from her account, ie. stay out of the fear)

I can pretty much guarantee you won't be able to see mere physical life in the same mundane way after listening to these people. And you should also be able to see how Joshua is there to HELP you, in whatever ways are suited to YOU. I'd heard my own Sabin's voice in my head before (like you, KNEW it wasn't MY head just playing tricks on me; was so spontaneous and out of the blue that it actually startled me), but no one else's so far. (and dummy me....I didn't even write down the profound thing, something I'd NEVER come up with on my own, he'd said once, so have now forgotten it!!....but it truly, truly helped me at the time, like nothing else had) I think you'll also be able to see that what you've experienced so far is really a 'drop in the bucket' and not weird at all compared to what's possible and to what's really happening all over the world, so you definitely won't feel ALONE!

As for the orbs, yes, I've seen pictures of those before [often appear in wedding pics where the bride or groom has 'lost' their parent(s)]....once again - JEALOUS! I, personally, would LOVE to see your pics! I was actually half expecting to see some, or anything similar, in Nissa's last pictures, and perhaps there even ARE some in her last, final videos, but I've not had the heart to even look at those yet. I also know of a friend of a friend whose transitioned CAT appeared in a picture someone else took of something on her fireplace mantel.....no such luck for me so far....

Oh, and that vibration you felt at the top of your head -- that's your crown chakra (pronounced "SHAW-kra"), a major energy portal, and one of the most common chakras for people to use in guided meditations/visualizations, to bring the energy from Source more fully into our bodies. Also, this kind of 'floating' experience, is part of what's called "astral travel." (wait till you listen to Dr. Gibson talk about our dreams, too)

Additionally, it's very common for animals to see things we don't, and respond to them, because they've never become as OUT-of-sync with Source as we have. You ought to read Scott S.Smith's "The Soul of Your Pet."

So you've been fortunate. I'd agree with your one friend's a*ssessment - you're starting to tune in to your natural abilities...the ones most of us have forgotten all about. It's not, in reality, "creepy", but wholly (and holy) natural, and what's more, it's where we're all more quickly headed. (see the interview on 2012 and the Mayans)

Here's the link to Conscious Media

And I must now ask....what did you do to get into that state of trance-like relaxation? Anything in particular?Or don't you remember now?

Thank you for all the helpful info. I will probably be up all night looking it over

I think the key to all this is meditation. I feel that your mind is like some kind of tuner that receives all kinds of signals. But you just can't hear them all because they are overtaken by your own thoughts and images. When you clear your mind of your own thoughts and images you are more likely to receive messages that are floating around you (hoping this makes sense!).

The thing is I rarely really attempted to actually do a meditation session. I just seem to do it naturally when I am relaxing. Whenever I sit down with no distractions just to relax I seem to go into a trance like state without much effort. I am guessing it is because I had a rough childhood growing up. My parents passed away when I was 9 and I had to move in with my aunt, uncle, and 3 cousins. They were not very good to me and there was alot of vocal abuse towards me. So I used to escape by going into my room and laying on my bed and just drowning it all out by ignoring it. So I think that is why I am pretty much natural at meditation these days... but it seems to be getting stronger as I get older.

There was one time where I did try to meditate once. What I do is close my eyes and pretend I am in a dark movie theatre looking at a blank black movies screen that I can barely see. This helps to clear your mind of your own mental images. The hard part is trying not to think of anything and just let the thoughts (messages) come to you... I soon got some kind of message that came to me in actual written words. It was like one of those old silent movies with the words coming up on the screen... a dialogue. I couldn't make it out though it surprised me and distracted me so it disappeared.

Then I seen a quick flash of an older man. It was as if he was standing right in front of me for a half second and disappeared (this is with my eyes closed still). I didn't recognize him but there wasn't enough time to try to recognize him... The first thing I thought though was he kind of looked like Rodney Dangerfield. I was not afraid, how can anyone be afraid of Rodney Dangerfield?

I attached the orbs picture to this post. I see by the calendar behind me it was June of 2006. One month before I had to send my boy Simba I to the rainbow bridge.

You can clearly see the orb on my right shoulder. It is pretty obvious... there is a smaller one on the other shoulder as well (under the Carona logo) that I didn't even notice until someone else pointed it out to me. Before this picture and up to this day I have taken hundreds of digital pictures and yet to duplicate this.

Hey, THANKS for the orb pic! Yes, these look pretty much the same as the ones I've seen captured on film by other people...although sometimes they're just 'floating' in the air above people, or just there by themselves. They even showed one on the news last year around Halloween, from a known-to-be-'haunted' place in the city, where 2 orbs were seen in the women's bathroom....a common place there for people to experience these (benign) spirits. Very cool.

Yes, I really think you'll enjoy that Dr.'s interview, as he began by meditating, too - the story's quite humorous, actually. There are also ways to meditate where you DON'T try to clear your mind of thoughts, consciously.....cuz this is almost impossible to do for very long, so can put even more pressure on you to 'do it right!' But you're lucky that you're just more naturally adept at doing whatever method works for you.

I suppose I should really get back into daily meditation myself. I just haven't been very able to do much since I 'lost' my girl.....I automatically just start thinking about HER, and all the sorrow her leaving has caused me. So, so easily distracted from keeping still inside.

Funny you should mention your rough childhood (and I'm very sorry about you losing your parents, especially at such a tender age!), as I'm finding more and more people (like Penelope Smith, the "pioneer" of animal communication in the States - did you also listen to the interview I'd posted here with HER?) and including myself as well, who have had tough childhoods (and often adulthoods as well!) and so seem to have been given, almost like a trade-off, a 'boost' towards becoming more aware of such things. It's also very common that people like us came to love animals so easily and as much as we do, or even in addition to that, that the animals came into our lives to 'save', or enlighten us further. It strikes me that you may very well be able to practice animal communication quite easily yourself, if you're ever interested in trying it on for size!

Okay, and now I have to laugh! Just as these modern-day pioneers have often found.....like Rodney Dangerfield, THEY got "no respect", either, at least at first!! And hey, he DID die not too long ago, so maybe, for some strange reason, it WAS him who came to you! (just a little spiritual humour there)

I know I strongly sensed a man standing fairly close behind me one day this last year (one of those ultra-sensory things where you just KNOW the gender and size), but I had no idea who it was, as they didn't 'feel' familiar. I also had, among many other experiences, another event in my teenhood when I was getting ready in the bathroom at home and suddenly broke out in a cold sweat and absolutely KNEW that someone I cared for very much was involved in some kind of car accident. This was verified when they arrived at my house a short while later - while they weren't the ones hit, they actually were helping the woman that was (she was unconscious and bleeding), and were very upset about witnessing this accident....so I was picking up on their feelings, as well as the contextual event. If you're wise, you don't just listen to societal norms and discount events such as these - you learn to explore them and what they might mean.

DO let me know what you think of whichever interviews you end up listening to. I'm really enjoying having this discussion. This is about the only kind of stuff that's capable of giving me any sense of hope for my future right now. I consider it a sort of 'gateway' to finding out exactly where my kidlets are and how to stay involved in their continuing lives on a daily basis, as well as helping others as well to expand their consciousness along the way.....which will also benefit our animal brethren in the end, too.

One of my pictures of Riley has an orb like that. I had always assumed it was a flaw in the picture... ?

Orbs can be interesting. But there could be to many things going on in the environment around you (dust, lights, sunlight, etc...) to say they are anything paranormal for sure...

Something about your orb caught my eye. So I downloaded your picture and resized it in photoshop and seen something pretty cool. I won't say what it is so you can see if you see what I see...

Here is one size:

Here is the second size:

And here is the last one... a little bit bigger.

Cool! It's only a flaw if it was something on the lens that's present on every pic in the roll, or you spilled something on the one pic, or is from an explainable reflection or something of that nature. But this one sure looks just like Simba's Daddy's, doesn't it? Now that I'm posting I can't see his pics, but if I recall correctly, wasn't one of his pic orbs also close to the heart region, just like your pic's is?

Paula - DON'T READ THE REST OF THIS POST UNTIL YOU'VE LOOKED AT THE ABOVE PICS FIRST!

Oh! I was posting at the same time as you, Simba's Daddy....so missed your enlargements. Okay.....Twilight Zone music........does that not look like an energized face????

You should try that with YOUR orb, too, and see what happens.

And how's the listening going so far?

I tried the photoshop thing with mine when I first noticed it... I couldn't make anything out from it other than a big blob... both orbs.

Ya, Paula's looks like a face of what appears to be a man... He seems to be whistling or blowing a kiss... doing something to try to get Rileys attention.

Yah, that's how I saw it, too......like Old Man Wind or something.....pretty neat!

So are you thinking those other interviewees are out of their minds then?

Did we scare Paula off?

Old Man Wind... LOL
I just watched the interviews you referred to. Pretty interesting stuff...

I also watched the Dannion Brinkley one as well. Amazing how he was clinically dead on 3 different occassions and his experience went. I like his humorous style too... obviously a man that knows how we live on after death.

That site is addictive

I do see a face also. I only saw what appeared to be eyes until you pointed out the rest. I took a dozen or so pictures that day (digital) and didn't see any spots on the other pictures, only that one. Very strange! Maybe that is what Riley sees when he suddenly sits up and stares down the hall for no apparent reason

I have seen an orb like that in one other picture I have taken in the past but I can't remember what it was now. I will have to look through all my folders until I find it.

Yes, I heard Dannion's interview, too. I'd read his first book many years ago (another must-read!). And yes, it IS an addictive site! I'm very impressed with how MANY good resources they've provided all in one handy space. So far, only one man I didn't really care for, but that's okay. The Russian physicist is also really impressive, although I have a hard time 'hearing' through thick accents, but I caught most of it.....thinking Russia might actually be a pretty progressive place to live now (except for the even COLDER weather than where I am)! Dr. Eric Pearl's interview is also another good one - he's the one I was taught by earlier this year - an extremely humourous guy at times and highly intelligent as well.

Paula, I hope you can find that other picture. You might also want to get and read "The Soul of Your Pet" by Scott. S. Smith, for ideas on what Riley might be seeing. If you do, keep in mind that the one rather 'creepy' story in there can also be explained quite simply by people's perceptions of what consti*tutes "ugly" versus "normal"....and therefore the fear is all in people's heads, and it's not necessarily the type of thing they assume it is. And speaking of perception, I just HAD to show your orb enlargements to my husband, and HE couldn't even see the eyes, much less anything else, even when I pointed all the features out! So, some people's perceptions just aren't as wide as others, just like animals can see things that most of us don't.....but some people DO.

If you find it post it and I will blow them up in photoshop...

Furkidlets' Mom

Thank you for introducing the Conscious Media Network to me. I followed the link and listened to the interview with both Gary Schwartz and the entertaining Dannion Brinkley. I have chosen to look extensively into life after life and read all that I can. As everyone here, I am dealing with my grief and loss and am need of comfort and reassurance. I feel this is path to take. I would also like to comment on both Simba's Daddy and AlleysMamma's sharing their intriguing photos with the visible orbs. Hope you are all still available to perhaps discuss this more.

Thanks,
Annie's mommy

You're most welcome! That's why I posted this link - to give those who are hurting terribly yet another resource for possibly finding what little comfort can be had for their loss(es). And for some people, it's much easier to listen rather than read books. But these are important discoveries anyway, no matter the medium. I was sent this link originally by a friend from my healing modality group and we are both always saying there is SO much out there yet for all of us to read up on, we'll never catch up to it all! Once you listen to a few (whether about the afterlife topic or not), you begin to see that much of this began many, many years ago....but still isn't that widely known, unless you've been in the 'right' circles for a long time already....&/or if, like me, you've taken your furkids' teachings for your growth and awareness very seriously. Sabin in particular gave me the beginnings of my momentum, due to his teachings while he was still with us, and I owe it to both him and my girl (who also taught me even more after her brother crossed) to stay on this path. It's not easy, but the spark was ignited many years ago and I can't give up on it now.

Sandy Goodman, who lost her (human) son many years ago also began such a quest, through mediums, and that has blossomed into many resources for others. She also has posted her first book online, free to read in pdf file format for anyone who's interested. And she's certainly not the only one who's been 'forced' into learning and growing because of the death of someone loved and missed beyond words. (it's just that she's become well known because of it) It helps to read about the human end of things as well because, as we all know, anything to do with animals in the world is usually placed far behind human concerns, so one needs to extrapolate the human 'data' to the animals in some ways. That said, reading up on what animal communicators have discovered in their line of work helps immensely in filling in the pieces because there are a few differences, at least in things like what's known as the divine mission of animals on this plane. (in essence, they're our teachers and we are their students, NOT the other way around, as human arrogance often likes to suggest)

Delving into these areas is a common reaction from people when they've lost a dearly loved one. I began my own search over 8 years ago, a few years before I lost my boy, Sabin, and just kept reading and learning more in earnest after he pretty suddenly passed. And despite already having formed some beliefs from all I've read (and experienced first-hand and talked to others about), now that Nissa, my beloved daughter, is gone, too, I still need more, and more, and more. It's a never-ending thirst to KNOW, deep within, which one can't fully get from just listening or reading, but hearing affirmations of my beliefs does help keep me from going totally insane with grief and fear, so it's still valuable.

Anything you wish to discuss....talk about or ask away! I, for one, can never talk enough about such vitally important topics to us, the grieving.

Hey, Simba's Daddy and Paula......I'm reviving this old thread because of a lecture I was able to be at last night, given by the now-famous Miceal Ledwith, who was one of the featured speakers in the movies "What The Bleep...." & "Down The Rabbit Hole". I've bought his newer book, "The ORB Project". Check out his website - The Hamburger Universe - Miceal Ledwith. In short, there's no question now --- YOUR ORBS ARE REAL! Miceal used to be a Catholic priest (he was way up in the 'ranks' with the previous Pope) and a Professor of Theology and College President for over 25 years in Ireland. He has a story about a horse in his orb book, which he expounded on during his talk last night, that I think some people here would be very interested in reading about. In short, this horse should be reincarnating into a younger horsey friend's foal......and they witnessed the transfer of the horse's essence into this younger horse's body for themselves, with pictures to lend further credence to this transfer! Saw it in his short movie for myself.....beautiful and SO satisfying/comforting!

I hope to be taking my OWN orb pictures soon, as I now know the basics of how it's done. Yeah for digital cameras, which, btw, take out that one factor of processing being at fault for orb phenomena. I'd really love to get ahold of a proper infrared camera instead, though, so will be looking into that in awhile - he gave us the specifics on what to look for. He can now see orbs without the aid of a camera now, after about 2 years into this work. I want to get to that point, too.

His talk was absolutely mesmerizing and if you ever get a chance to hear him speak anywhere close to you, you won't want to miss out. Btw, these were scientific experiments, not just 'fooling around' with cameras, so his talks are both scientifically-based AND spiritually-based. He's been at this for quite some time already, along with some scientists. I didn't need the proof myself, but it was awfully nice to see and hear it anyway. This work is HUGE and even ties neatly in to the healing work I've learned to do since last year, the key being the "frequencies" (which go along with this newer form of healing) we're now able to access, as Miceal stated over and over. It's all coming together, all at once.....so exciting it's mind-blowing! All of these forms of work and experiments are highly spiritual in nature, and animals' essences were put right up there, right along with humans, in Miceal's talk.....great news for all of us and most especially for the animals themselves. He made remarks about how we've lost the reverence for all other life forms other than humans....no KIDDING!, but so good to hear in a public venue for a change.

So, it's highly possible your own orb pictures (among many of thousands taken by people around the world) were of someone near and dear to you. As I saw the multitudes of orbs in any one space, hanging around Miceal or whomever were in the pictures, it became abundantly clear that we're often totally surrounded by those who have moved into, or never left, other planes of (never-ending) existence. One of the best $30 I've EVER spent in my life!!

I was just thinking about this thread the other day...
I went to a party last week and people were there taking pictures... Just about everyone of them with me had some kind of orb in it... one you can clearly see a face when you look close enough.


I believe that... Alison Dubois said it best when she was asked "What is heaven?" and she said "We are their heaven."

I'll attach some more pics to this thread... the first one below you will see the orb on the right...
I swear it looks like there is a face in there that is smiling big time... like it's trying to be part of the picture.. LOL



Got two of them here... one on my back and the person next to me.


This is from the first pic, blown up a little bit.

Here are a couple more resized orbs...

The one on the back of the person next to me in the black shirt


The one on my back


Just found another pic with me in it... and again yet another orb. I looked at all the other pics where I am not in them and I don't seen any orbs in those... that is very strange.

VERY cool!! It's also interesting that some showed up even in a bar, because as Miceal suggested in his talk, they are most prone to gathering in places/events of spiritual energy &/or positive feelings....but not SO 'positive' that people have become 'blotto' from too much good wine! Maybe that's why they were closer to YOU, Mr. Moderation!

If you took a look at his book cover (on his website), it's easy to see how your own orb pics have the same characteristics as his hundreds of thousands. He also explained, in scientific terms, why some are different colours or shapes. It's related to what levels or planes of existence they've 'zipped' in from, as well as what's actually going on on this plane at the time....very interesting stuff. Here are some more of his pics that you might be interested in seeing here.

There were dozens in his mini-movie and likely even more in his fuller-length movie, which I'm sure is listed on his site as well; I bought the one book instead, to start, just cuz I like to read and make side notes and otherwise thoroughly mess up my books! Most of his pics show literally hundreds or more orbs all within a given (often small) space, some in that rounded form but some more plasma-like or forming en masse into vortexes. In some pics you could barely even see HIM anymore, for all the orbs surrounding him and the space. It was astonishing.

It also struck me as quite compelling that when he was discussing this story about the horse family member, he kept looking straight into MY eyes (we were in the front row right in front of him), as if he knew I was his most avid listener at that point. He also looked straight at me when he asked the audience whether we thought animals would be included with us at that "zero point" start to consciousness and life. I just smiled back at him, knowing he'd be telling us, "yes", it is so. (most of the audience, btw, was very obviously nervous about answering his question....the bias was as thick as pea soup)