A greeting - and questions
Hi all,
I'm posting from England with a spinning head and many prior beliefs turned upside down.
I lost my dear dog a little over a month ago and would like the forum's input into some recent events.
My ramblings do, eventually, lead to questions of reincarnation.
It might be best if I time-line them.
A few months ago, I had a series of dreams, which borderline freaked me out. They were prior to my dog becoming sick.
In the first dream, I died. I don't remember what killed me but I do remember I died. I woke up instantly at the point of death.
In the second dream, I watched the universe's creator, together with a band of helpers, make preparations for the latest soon-to-be arrivals to the next life. The imagery was graphic but the events quite muddled.
In the third dream, I dreamed about my dog, or rather my dog's "mind". Within the dream, our minds "crashed" into one another's, with mine landing in my dog's body, and his landing in my body. I woke from the dream quite perplexed and remembering asking, in my conscious state, "what happened there; what does that mean?"
Shortly after these dreams, my dog got sick. He went to several vets. None could find a single thing wrong with him.
As time went on, he began to have fits - infrequent and minor at first, before progressing to several each evening, of a truly powerful and horrendous nature.
An inoperable brain tumour was eventually diagnosed.
By this time, we knew it was time for him to go. His legs weren't working properly, he was clearly in pain, didn't know where he was, and was exhibiting very odd, and sometimes, dangerous behaviour.
He was, with the most bitter of regrets, and many tears, put to sleep.
I am writing matter-of-factly to deliberately keep emotion out of this as I need to explore some possibilities and hope that the nature of this post is inline with the forum's essence.
Before I continue with my specific line, I'll add some background on myself.
I don't have any personal recollection of past lives.
I do, however, have mental imagery of being "born" - of travelling down a tunnel and into this world - seamlessly, painlessly and fairly instantly.
I also have mental imagery of being shot, while wearing a parachute. I was shot in the back, among other places. I also have a large birthmark in this life where I was "shot".
I have a fear of heights - an almost sickening fear, where I feel as though I am being pulled downwards. I cannot climb a ladder.
For many years, I believed my mental images were the stuff of nothing but past dreams. Now, I am not so sure.
Back to modern times....
A little over a week after my dog was put to sleep, I collected his ashes. They were in a dog-shaped urn which, in turn, was in a large cardboard box.
Very upset, I collected the box. I picked it up and immediately felt this "glow" run up my arm and into my body.
It latest only a second or two but was quite tangible. I said: "Welcome home boy" under my breath as I left the surgery, tears welling in my eyes.
I placed the urn, together with his lead, on a bookshelf in my lounge. And cried.
Fast forward to Saturday just gone.
I moved his urn, to make it face out more into the room, told him I missed him, and cried some more.
A few minutes later, I left the house and went out into the back garden.
When I came back into the house, there was a very strong smell of ginger.
Now, my dog's absolute favourite treat was a ginger biscuit. For some dogs, it's cheese. For my little dog, it was a crushed up ginger biscuit. He'd get a biscuit every once in a while crushed into his food.
My house, on Saturday just past, was filled with the scent of ginger. Except, there was no reason for it - no ginger in the house. Nothing that could be remotely construed as smelling of ginger.
The smell lasted about 30 seconds and was suddenly gone.
Fast forward to Sunday night. I woke up about 4am, tears rolling down my face. As I lay there, semi-awake, the number 32 came into my head. As I tried to think about "32", I realised I couldn't. It was as though there was a deep subconscious fact or event allied to the number and I wasn't permitted access to it.
Now, I've had hypnotherapy in the past to give up smoking.
I remember on waking from hypnotherapy, my hypnotherapist asking me if I remembered the "message" he'd asked my subconscious to keep safe. Try as I might, I couldn't access the thought, despite knowing it was there.
Well, this "32" played out in the same way - I wasn't allowed to "access" what it meant. Some time later (it might have been seconds or hours), "32" came to me again. Again, access to what it meant, or what it was a "trigger" for, was denied.
I woke up immediately and wrote "32" down, as I felt it had significance.
Now, I guess I'm asking the following:
What do you make of the ginger smell?
Is "32" some clue to my dog's next incarnation?
Why can't I mentally access what it means?
What is the link, if any, between my three dreams and my dog's subsequent illness?
What did the clashing of minds dream mean?
Why did I feel a "warmth" in my arm when I collected my dog's ashes?
And, while I'm asking so many questions, what do you make of my personal imagery about being born and being shot - are they likely part of a dream sequence or is there likely more to it?
There are a couple of more profound things to post about, which I believe are heavily linked, but will keep them "back" for now, pending your thoughts on the above.
Apologies if this post is not in the usual spirit of initial introductions, but I find myself with an open mind and need somewhere to direct my questions to.